50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
High Dollar tipping required ??
Good day
It has come to our attention by a couple that has completed a tour lately with your organization that they were required to tip $20 per day to the guid and $10 each to the assistants.
Kindly advise why this is required from the tourists. I was a tour guid in RSA and this was not the norm.
Percival Fourie
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This new safari company goes above and beyond to give you a unique and incredible experience!
This safari company exceeded all of my expectations. Brian and Chris were amazing guides going way beyond what was in the itinerary to show me local villages, peoples and unique landscapes in addition to showing me all the amazing wildlife found in QE National Park. Chris was a very knowledgeable guide and while I myself am a biologist, learned a lot from him about local wildlife and plants. Beyond that, Brian and Chris took great care of me even going so far as to take most of my pictures for me so that I was free to just focus on the experience! The driving was excellent, the food great and the accommodation superb. I would fully recommend this safari company as they are wonderful guides that will give you a really unique experience for a great price. Thanks to both Brian and Chris!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised, nice accommodation and food, the safari trip is incredible!
Perfect 4-day trip to Masai Mara for my partner and I. We saw everything except the rare black rhino. Best bit was seeing a leopard climb up a tree to eat its kill. Balloon trip is well worth the extra price. Mara Sopa lodge accommodation is fantastic and not far from the park entrance. Food is fine. Obama is a very knowledgeable guide and was very accommodating to our requests. Simon responded to all my emails in a quick fashion before the trip and also called me afterwards to check how the trip went. You travel around in a 10-seater Nissan safari van with a pop-up roof. Really useful to be picked up from Nairobi hotel and dropped off at airport. I would highly recommend Wild Race Africa!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What started out in frustration ended in satisfaction.
This is a follow up to a previous review posted several weeks ago regarding lost keys. At that point, I felt that Africa Travel Co. had chosen to forget about the matter. I was pleased to receive a follow up email from Matt at ATC informing me that they hadn't forgotten. They arranged for a U.S. traveler to bring the keys back to the States and then mail them to me domestically. This unfortunate episode will fade. What won't fade are the remarkable memories of the trip. Our tour dynamics were amazing. Will, our guide was sarcastic and fantastic. His knowledge and love of Africa was obvious. He, along with our driver Stevie and our cook Monga created an inclusive environment for a pretty diverse tour group. We brought our two teenage sons and were concerned that there wouldn't be anyone for them to interact with. It was just the opposite. This was very much a family trip and all of the kids bonded quickly. As has been stated in other reviews, this is not a trip for everyone. ATC makes that clear in their materials. It's a trip that demands participation and engagement. After sleeping under African stars, you're up early and moving all day. You're pitching in to help clean, cook and manage the campsite. I found this expectation to be a bonding agent and not a chore. If you have an adventurous spirit and a lot of energy, then you should be good to yourself and take this trip with ATC.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Welcoming, interactive with wide Knowledge of Tourism but welcoming any feedback.
Peoples Expectations are not easily met, hoever I would say mine went beyond, well organised as Tour company with Smart staff with wider knowledge of Tourism in the Region,always at hand during ones stay with them, but more importantly, welcoming any kind of Feedback as an avenue to improvement.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
i had a wonderful service, thanks so much Kwanza Tours. everthing was very great.
Kwanza respond quikly and they have good safari prices, when we arrived in Kampala the guide welcomed us so nicely and we got all what they offer. The lodges were very nice and we saw alot of animals like Lions,giraffes,hyenas and so on. The food at every lodge were we slept was very delicious and people are very friendly. So i reccommed every one who wants to visit Uganda to use Kwanza Tours.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Trip!!!
After several searches for a safari, we decided to booked a 4 days with Soul of Tanzania. We saw the following parks: Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. It was wonderful! First of all, thank you to Miguel and the customer service team who helped us to book this adventure. Professional and our questions were answered very fast.
Lodges were outstanding. Beautiful location : Tarangire Simba Lodge (Best Pina Colada), Lake Manyara Wildlife Lodge and the Rhino Lodge. Thank you to the staff who served us. Super clean and very good food.
Unlike other companies, Soul of Tanzania offers hot lunches with a flawless little set up. Lunches are taken in the parks with wine. The vehicles are in perfect conditions.
A big thank you to our guide, our man, Heaven! He was perfect for us. He has met our needs. Always ready to go miles to see all animals, especially lions and rhinos. Always listening to what we wanted to see. Very good knowledge and very patient. He knew how to find animals, and how to wait for animals.
Definitely, I would recommend Soul of Tanzania and our guide Heaven.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The Trip of A Lifetime at Excellent Value
There are two Africas: one where Westerners see exotic wild animals in
safari parks, explore natural wonders and natural beauty, are waited on
in resorts with gourmet meals. The other Africa is the real Africa, of
everyday people striving to survive, of farmers and herdsmen, of
students off to class, of arguing politics in roadside bars over a
Tusker, of motorcycles and diesel trucks, of delays and happy surprises.
Trip Advisor Africa Safaris is the best way to see both Africas. The
Africa of television and movies and novels, and the Africa of the people
who live there.
For years my wife and I wanted to visit East Africa, and after some
research and comparisons of itineraries and cost,Trip Advisor Africa
Safaris won out for a 16-day trip covering Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Our trip covered a majority of the parks allowing us to see the Big Five
(including the elusive Black Rhino!), the Big Seven, Southern White
Rhino, birds galore, and a trek into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to
view Gorilla's at close range. All-in-all, they delivered a
unforgettable trip.
The key difference between Trip Advisor Africa Safaris and other tours
is that we traveled by land, stopping in towns and cities along the way,
not just seeing animals, but observing Africans in their day-to-day
activities and understanding their way of life. Other safaris whisk
visitors across the country from park-to-park in bush planes and wind up
seeing little of what lies between. Those safaris seem just an expensive
visit to the zoo. I have great memories of this trip, many of the
animals, but many more of the people and places we saw along the way.
Our drivers were fantastic, Jack ,Kim , and Fredrick felt like close
friends by trips end. They made sure we were taken care of and safe.
Mindful of everything from finding a secluded grassy spot to go to the
washroom, to not taking pictures of the power plant or they'll take your
camera, to earning a red banana for every rare animal you spot. The
drivers were knowledgeable and kind and always looking out for our best
interest. My sincerest thanks to them all!
Our sincerest thanks as well to Nairobi office under the boss Seth
Vincent, for arranging the trip, providing wonderful drivers, and
getting us around the region and back to the airport early for our
flight home!
Lastly, A few small logistics and items of note. Trip Advisor Africa
Safaris, provided a mix of accommodation types varying from tented
camps, to local hotels, to five star resorts. Meals were provided, but
drinks were extra. Tipping is an art all its own, so make sure you
research what to give to who and when. Their tours can be customized
depending on your interests, preferred accommodation, etc. You need to
book in advance if you want to go gorilla trekking as the permits are
limited and go quickly.
Here is a list of our main stops between Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania:
Nairobi
Maasai Mara
Lake Nakuru
Lake Victoria/Source of the Nile in Jinja
Kampala
Lake Bunyonyi
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Lake Naivasha
Arusha
Serengeti
Ngorongoro Crater
Tarangire
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful
I had planned a one day tour of Wasini Island and Marine park by this tour operator. It was great. Everything was well arranged and on time. Mildred was very resourceful and she communicated often; before, during and for feedback after the tour. The understanding and responsiveness was really helpful. In my view, the service and the fun of the tour was beyond my initial expectetions. I am convinced to choose this tour operator again.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Delivered as promised.
We did a 9-day, four national park safari with this company in December 2017. Everything was organized by email some months in advance. Hannington, the owner, was prompt in his correspondence and was accommodating of our requests. Once he obtained the chimpanzee and gorilla tracking permits, he promptly emailed copies. Once we arrived in Kampala, we had a vehicle waiting at the airport that took us to the hotel directly. The next day, we left on our safari. Many of the meals and bottled water along with lodge accommodation was included as well the driver and the vehicle. All park entrance fees was paid for. We really did not have to pay for anything more. There were a couple of issues with lodges with regard to our medical needs and Hannington worked with us and the lodge to resolve the issues. We did not see the tree climbing lions but Hannington made extra effort to find them (but we still could not). The chimps and gorillas were the main attraction for us - both those went flawlessly.
Overall, I highly recommend this company and Hannington. He is eager to please his customers and will deliver as promised. The vehicle was reliable and did not break down even once despite the rough roads in parts of the journey. Hannington joined us (along with the driver) for the whole safari to make sure everything went smoothly. I thought this is a sign of him going above and beyond what is required of him.
There are many companies in Uganda and when booking from far away, it is difficult to know who is reliable. In our experience, this company and Hannington were very reliable. We are very happy with our decision. The trip itself was fantastic! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.