DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE. They ripped me off TERRIBLY.
I previously wrote a review on this company for January 2015. IGNORE IT. please make your booking elsewhere. Unfortunately I discovered too late that these people ripped me off. They stole money from me which I could then not spend helping children from the poorest regions in Kenya. When they were caught out recently, they just denied everything and disappeared. I came to Kenya to set up my charity for abused children, which these people knew. They charged me what I now know to be extremely overpriced amounts for multiple driving services. Despite my best intentions for the poor children in Kenya, these people from this company still had the audacity to rip me off and steal from me. The amount they took from me has greatly deprived the little kids in my charity whose lives I am trying to save. I am ashamed that I trusted these people.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A beautiful, natural, open park with many opportunities to see a wide variety of wildlife and nature
My trip to Pilanesberg was wonderful! I was staying in Johannesburg for a few days and decided to drive to the park for a full day and a half of wildlife enjoyment. The weather was great! I stayed with a family after booking a property on airbnb. It was fun and a much better way to check out the area than staying in one of the hotels. I did not book a guide because I am a much bigger fan of self guided tours, which Pilanesberg is very easy to do on one's own. My car was a simple rental which served the purpose perfectly. I brought my own food with me and I would recommend doing the same.
I took many pictures while I was there, some of which required a few hours wait for the exact moment that I wanted to capture. This would have been impossible in a group. I saw all of the large animals that the park is known for including Lions, Hippos, Giraffes, Elephants and many many more. This was a gorgeous park and I would recommend going there.
Very affordable good standard, tented bush lodge with some of the best elephants in Africa
Very pleasant Park and tented lodges.
Varied scenery and terrain.
Good range of animals including Lions, Wild Dog, Leopard, Nyala and some of the best Tusker Elephants in Africa.
Plenty of food of good standards.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good overall experience in Amboseli National Park
My visit to Amboseli National Park aimed to accomplish two objectives: see large herds of elephants in the open and view Mt. Kilimanjaro. Anything extra was considered a bonus for me because I was going to visit Serengeti National Park for other wildlife opportunities. I can confidently say that these objectives were met and I did end up getting what I would call "bonus material".
First, the elephant herds were very large and easy to spot. There were herds of more than 20 elephants. Since these elephants have been well protected from poachers, there are many mature elephants with very large tusks. If you are into elephants, this is the place to go.
Second, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I enjoy mountain scenery and always have high hopes of good mountain viewing. Unfortunately, I was only able to view Kili in the very early morning hours. The remainder of the day it was shrouded in clouds. While that was mildly disappointing, I was grateful to have seen it. When the mountain was visible, it did not disappoint. What makes this a unique viewing opportunity is that Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. There are no other dominant mountains or foothills around it.
Other wildlife was easily visible in the park because of the vast open plains. There were few predator sightings; although, I did manage to see a few hyenas and jackals. There are lions in the park, but are seldom seen. The wildlife in Amboseli National Park does not teem with animals on the scale of Masai Mara or Serengeti. Again, as previously stated, this park specializes in elephants and you would be hard pressed to find other destinations that offer the abundance of opportunities to get clear views of elephants.
The weather in the park was what one should expect from African plains. It was very warm with abundant sunshine most of the day. There were brief periods of higher humidity followed by a short rain. That did not negatively impact the safari experience.
The transportation in the park is quite easy. The park is much smaller than Serengeti or Masai Mara, making it easy to see the entire park in a couple of days. The roads were in good condition while I was there in November.
I stayed in a campground just outside the park. The accommodations were comfortable and the food was good. However, I will say that I am quite low maintenance when it comes to food and lodging.
My safari guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. He knew his wildlife species well and he would drive to specific locations when I asked him. He also asked me questions about the specific things that I wanted to see so that he could ensure that my experience was exactly what I was looking for.
Overall, I would highly recommend Amboseli National Park as a safari destination. It is a convenient place for those who are on their way from Nairobi to Arusha for additional safari tours. Furthermore, it is difficult to find better places to view Mt. Kilimanjaro and find elephant herds as large as those found in Amboseli.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Kenya by photosbynathanzeluff
Kenya has much to offer for those seeking a terrific safari experience. There are many opportunities to view animals and great scenery.
EE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
very nice holiday
we had a very nice holiday, everything went very smoothly and was as good as promised. Our driver was nice (I believe his name was Oscar, I would absolutely recommend him), accurate, friendly and knows Kenya and its history well. The tented camps were all clean, stuff friendly and polite. the only thing that bothered was lack of hot water in one of the tented camps, but after all - this is Africa :). Great views! I do recommend this company.
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was really nice . Like they would say in Swahili....safari ilikuwa nzuri sana
"Thank you for good guiding in our safari, we loved everything from food, accommodation to your vehicles and especially your Driver (Temba) who was very knowlegeable and a good friend. We wouldnt hesitate to recommend you (Epic Tours) to anyone who wishes to travel to Tanzania as we always felt safe with you."
NL
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A beautiful holiday in KZN
Thanks to TMS, we have an amazing journey in KZN. The information booklet, the written-out program, the phone and the navigationsystem were important to the success. Also the guidance of the staff was excellent.
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
What a wonderful experience!
We had such an amazing trip! Our lovely driver Tolbat was so informative and friendly, we had such a lovely drive out to the Lake, followed by a life changing encounter with the incredible Gorillas. So glad we found this company to facilitate this beautiful experience! Thank you so much!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience - safe and awe - inspiring
I was hesitant at first. A small company with so many other big ones with (presumably) better facilities and more experience. How wrong was I?
Java is headed up by Catherine who is a fount of knowledge - she's lived there for years and knows everyone. She knows how to make things happen, where to get the best experiences, the great drivers, the most beautiful views. She's smart, sassy and well-connected and hugely respected by the locals. I was literally blown away by the entire experience in Tanzania.
I was ill on the trip (nobody's fault - just really bad migraine) - and she made sure I was looked after, got the meds I needed and even managed to tweak our trip to ensure I didn't miss the highlights. We spent the day in the Ngorogoro Crater, and another at Tarangire, I lunched at Crater Lodge, stayed at Gibbs Farm, where we saw bush babies in the grounds - heavenly! The itinerary was perfect - brilliantly timed between go, go, go and rest periods in beautiful places to recover. The food was heavenly everywhere we ate too. Can you tell I loved it - lol! Book with confidence - and much excitement!