20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Orange adventures is a reliable company that gave me the best exposure I needed in Masai Mara.
WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE!!!!!
At first I was not sure which Tour Firm to chose from but after discussing with a friend was referred to Orange Adventures .I must confess they did an excellent job.I enjoyed a three day Safaris at Masai Mara.The Tour Guide was called Mr. Elisha and he was superb throughout.He made sure I was able to see the big 5 and many other animals to my satisfaction.It was such a pleasure to see the leopard sat in a tree having taken its prey up,amidst the backdrop of a massive expanse of untouched land.In all this was a magical life experience,one to remember and all thanks to Mr. Elisha and the entire staff of Orange Adventures.I would definitely recommend right choice for anyone looking for Kenya Safaris.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
GoExplore put together a fantastic 5 day trip to Uganda in a very short period of time!
I was working with a tour operator out of Kenya to plan a Uganda gorilla trek followed by a Kenya & Tanzania safari. For some reason, the Uganda portion started having issues with only a few weeks to go. Enter Brian Ahereza of GoExplore. Wow! Talk about fast acting and excellent service. Within 1 day, Brian arranged everything. The only thing that would have made my trip better is if I had added one extra day, but by this point, we couldn't squeeze it in, so Brian did the absolute best with what he had to work with.
For starters, one of the best things that could have happened did! ANd that was to have Charles assigned as our driver/guide. We flew into Kigali, Rwanda and Charles met us at the airport and took us to our hotel. The next morning we got up for the long drive to the Nkoringo area of Bwindi. A lot of this drive is on some VERY difficult dirt roads and Charles was masterful at navigating the terrain. Furthermore, I was using offline Google Maps to track our location and there is no possible way I could have gotten to where Charles was going.
We got to Nkoringo Lodge and immediately loved it. Brian had arranged for us to have one of only 2 rooms there that had on demand hot water. Our room overlooked Bwindi and we sat on the deck admiring the view. To get to the bar/dining area, we hiked up and over a ridge and the view from that side was south to the 3 volcanoes on the border of Uganda/Rwanda/Congo - absolutely beautiful!
The next day we did the trek to the Nkuringo gorilla group. It was not a difficult trek until we had to cross a fast flowing stream because the gorillas had gone to that side and as soon as we crossed, they came back! So we did too. And then we found them and it was such a wonderful experience! My wife was standing next to me and a young male (7-8 years old??) suddenly turned and started walking towards us. My wife moved to the left, but our guide said to stand still. The gorilla walked right between us and as he passed, he stuck out his arm between my legs and grasped me around the thigh!!! OMG! Even though I could feel his amazing power, I did not feel in danger. Just as quickly, he let go and continued walking!
After that amazing trek, we drove (another long day) up to Queen Elizabeth National Park and spent 2 nights at the Buffalo Safari lodge. We did a couple of games drives in which we saw lots of antelope, elephants, buffalo and 6 lions (all female, with one or two young males). We followed with a boat ride on the Kazenga channel which was fantastic. The next day, we drove to Kibale National Park to look for Chimps. We arrived at our wonderful lodge, the Chimpanzee Forest Guest House at about lunchtime and then headed to Kibale for our Chimp Trek. At lunch, we met a couple who showed us amazing pictures from their trek that very morning. Unfortunately for us, even with 7 groups in the forest, we could only find 2 chimp sand they were up in the trees. That happens in nature, but the real lesson is to take the morning trek!!!
The next day, Charles drove us to Entebbe and our Uganda trip was over. One of my friends asked me about the birds in Uganda. My wife loves birds and by extension, I have come to love them as well. SHe asked Charles, our guide, about every single bird we saw. Charles had a very well worn copy of "Birds of East Africa". He didn't need that book because he had it memorized. Charles was a fantastic driver/guide/person! He made our trip incredibly special!
I can't thank Brian, Charles and GoExplore enough for making this so special!!!
CZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
abandoned with 6 Czech citizens, money stolen, police investigation, horrible safari
Booked a safari for 7 to Maasai Mara and Nakuru National park which was to start on 11th February to 14th February, Valentines day. We paid the full fee which was all inclusive, but the surprises began, we didn’t get lunch on the first day, 11th February, I contacted the owner Lilian who said clients buy their own lunch. Firstly, it had been paid for and secondly she went on to lie that we are suposed to have lunch in Maasai Mara. we were told to leave Nairobi at 9 a.m. and thanks to delays, we left at 10 a.m. and we were supposed to have lunch at 1 p.m. or even 2 p.m.?? I asked her if we were meant to have two lunches or what? She then said we would get packed lunch on our way to Nakuru?? So in fact we were getting lunch but on a different day? On the day we were going to Nakuru there was lunch at the hotel and have the packed lunch that we missed? The lies were so bad you just tell this woman was a bad liar. I asked that there be no problems from that point forward,no reply. One of the guests was ill but didn’t even have free lunch,how pathetic from Lians Travel! We got a very nice welcome at Mara Sidai and the guest went on to rest and was to miss the next day’s Safari.
12th February: we go on safari all day,packed lunch,everything was superb I must say. The sick guest was well rested and everything seemed fine with the world.
13th February: no game drive in the morning?? In the itinerary,depart from Mara for a 3 hour distance to Nakuru? That was problem number one, problem two,driver says he can’t leave because he has issues with the owner. He asks me to contact her and I do. I was furious at that point, we were standing by the roadside,having driven some distance from Maasai Mara, the driver says that he doesn’t have enough money to go to Nakuru. I called Lilian who claimed the driver was trying to sabotage her. I got confused because I and the others wondered if the driver was in fact the problem. Instead of enjoying our safari, we all became Sherlocks trying to find out who was lying to us, the driver,Lilian the owner of Lians Travel Africa? Who? After Lilian claims that the driver is trying to sabotage her, she tells me secretly to get off at Narok town. Now,are we ghosts to exit the vehicle at Narok without the driver noticing? What IQ does one need to realize that? I realized though where the problems were coming from. I tell the driver what I’ve been told,he is still visibly nervous and uncertain and I wasnt sure if we would continue with the safari, interrupt our safari and go to the police station or not. I tried to call this woman called Lilian and when she realized that the driver was listening in the call, she starts to accuse me of being in cahoots with the driver and trying to sabotage her. I am her client and I paid for the safari and she was accusing me of sabotaging her and my own safari?? What person of sound mind would come to such a conclusion? She texted me the same thing and said that since I started it,I should sort myself out. I called her,her words,” I don’t care, you started it, sort yourselves out” There were 6 foreigners in the car,some of whom cannot speak English and she was ready to ditch them in Narok, later on, that’s what she did.
Poor them, I had to explain what was going on. We were stuck between her and the unpaid driver. The driver didn’t want to leave Mara and he just couldn’t leave us stranded with our luggage. Lilian left us at the driver’s mercy, so we and the unpaid driver had to find a way to get out of this crazy mess. The person we paid the money to,Lilian, adamant and it was clear she wouldn’t help. I told her to call the driver and that I was not her go between,I was her client but she even ridiculed me and said that since I became the spokesman of the trip,i her own client,had become the object of ridicule, simply incredible how rude, how selfish and heartless a person can be! She even claimed that since I was a Kikuyu,one Kenyan tribe, I was stealing from the other foreigners too, she assumed that since I was the only black person on the safari, I was either too poor to be there or I was stealing from the other foreigners in the van,little did she know that I was with my wife and in laws and friends and not some clients I had lied too. On top of the problems, she goes on to ridicule me because of the colour of my skin and my name, JUST BECAUSE I'M BLACK, DOES IT MEAN I CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY MYSELF A SAFARI??Anyway, we pleaded with the driver to go to Narok and figure it out because it was clear she wouldn’t pay him and expected us to pay more money to finish our own trip. The driver hesitantly agreed to go since he was now operating at a loss. At this point,we may have been stuck in Maasai Mara, Narok, the side of the road, a ditch but Lilian from Lians Travel Africa had abandoned all parties and even suggested we go to the police. I told her these were my family members so I would certainly go to report her. She texted that she had left the park fees at the hotel reception and was done with us. I have the text message to prove this. We told the driver if the park fees are there, we can just fuel the car ourselves and go to Nakuru. It was either that or go to Nairobi and ruin the whole holiday without even having been to Nakuru.
We fueled in Narok, with our own money by the way, all the other travelers, all foreigners were now fully drawn into this situation, poor them, and what if they were alone left at the mercy of this heartless woman called Lilian, what would have happened then?She would have left them in Narok or in Maasai Mara with no way out of it.
We went to Nakuru and as far as we were concerned, Lians Travel Africa had no idea where we were. We went to Chester Hotel and I must say that at Chester we had such a warm welcome but they noticed something was off. We had lunch and we were curious if the park fees had indeed been sent or not and when the receptionist was calling and calling Lilian awaiting for confirmation, we just told her, “We are dealing with a conwoman here, she will not send the money,kindly avoid speaking with her”. Since we are here, and despite not having the park fees paid, we decided to pay it ourselves. The driver wanted to leave and go to Nairobi so actually we almost didn’t go because he was still operating at a loss, we had only fueled him until Nakuru so if he wanted to leave he could have. I can say it’s really not the kind of mood you want on your holiday or safari. Some didn’t go to Lake Nakuru National Park, they were already pissed off by everything, a big thanks to Lians Travel for that by the way. We went to the park, paid our own park fees, and I have the receipts to prove it. We had like one hour only in the park, from what was supposed to be like 4 hours or more, but the driver was fantastic and he was still a proper guide in spite of what was going on. Lilian has the audacity to “enquire whether we had checked in and decided to pay our own park fees” and I told her to fuck off, because seriously, after ditching us in Narok, she was waiting by her phone and calling the reception to find out if we had made it to Nakuru, how horrible, how despicable! I can’t fathom of the kind of person who would do such a thing. She even ends her messages with "Have a blessed day". i mean who does that? How terrible and cruel must you be to make fun, insult someone at the comfort of one's office without a care in the world, all while screeching at us on the phone. We went back, had dinner and reflected on the past events of the day unaware of whether our driver would return or not.
14th February: Valentines day in the worst circumstances, we wake up to the question of whether our driver is still there and luckily he was. We all just wanted to go back to Nairobi, and since Lilian had urged us to go to the police, we went to The Tourist police and spent hours telling and retelling the story and by no means did I wanna spend my time at a police station on my holiday. After a long time the OCS came and it was already apparent who the cause of the problems was, he called her up and just like she did to us, she kept on yelling and yelling, with a police officer, no respect even for the law, so as I write this, I urge, I beseech and ask that you not do business with Lians Travel Africa. That wasn’t the end, the OCS asked her to come to the police station but of course she was busy, she asked him to go to the police station, the next day and so the story continues.
15th February: 10 a.m. Did the lady show up? She didn’t. As I write this, we still have no word from her, she didn’t intend to show up at the police station, and she is playing a waiting game until we leave. Our experience with Lians Travel Africa has been nothing but disappointing, I guess no refunds are coming but the word had to come out, I write this on your behalf, the traveler that may lay eyes on Lians Travel Africa and think of doing a trip with them, I again urge, beseech and ask you to avoid this company called Lians Travel Africa headed by one Lilian Maina, she put me and my guests, all foreigners through hell after paying full fees. No refunds as of now, no word from the woman and she has refused to show to the authorities, what would she do to you and your fellow travelers, you have seen my experience, do avoid this company. You will be left on the roadside, abandoned in a foreign country if you are a foreign traveler, money stolen, trip ruined, use Lians Travel Africa at your own risk. The police investigation is still going on, as to whether it's a real company or not, she has not presented herself to the authorities and has stolen our money with no intention of returning it, she shall do the same to you, the future traveller who reads this, I am writing this review on your behalf, to save you from the agony of a ruined holiday, STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good Communication, Very Enjoyable Safari, Well Paced Tour, Friendly Efficient Guide!
My husband and I did a 12 day private tour, and our guide/driver was Moses. Communication during the booking process was good.
The tour was interesting, well-paced and included several different experiences to help ensure we saw a wide variety of wildlife and sights. A great deal of time on the road was necessary some days, but when not travelling the time was used wisely, either with game drives, boat cruises, rhino sanctuary tour, and also the chimpanzee and gorilla trekking, which was amazing!
We enjoyed our time in Uganda, and can highly recommend Terrain Safaris, in particular Moses, who is friendly, kind, knowledgeable and very efficient (also a very safe driver!) Thanks for everything!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Students for International Training coordinator, Arusha
I had visiting Arusha National Park and Ngorongoro through Lake Manyara National Park with part of my students, was an amazing safari, first with ever green Arusha National Park walking in the park, perceiving of a magnificent little crater of Ngurdoto, part of it view of peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, Driving with Translen in side Ngorogoro Crater to full view of crater. Manyara was so wonderful seeing climbing lions.
QA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable 6 days
We were greeted at the airport upon arrival. From the moment we arrived we were well taken care of. All of our accommodations were incredible. Our driver was professional and knowledgeable. We felt safe through the whole trip.
We saw all of the African animals we could have hoped for and learned some Swahili as well.
Highly recommended!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic and above expectations.
Paul did a great job tailoring our experience to exactly what we wanted. Our tour guide James really made the whole thing exceptional! Ask for James!!!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Can’t miss experience
I was very nervous to book what I considered such an expensive trip online, but everything was great. I usually travel alone and find my own way, but for a first trip to Africa,it was the right choice to book a tour. I booked as a single and was alone with my driver the whole time, which was ideal for me. Every hotel stayed at was spectacular, beyond my expectations. The tour was outsourced to another company, which on arrival was a disappointment, because I booked this company intentionally, but I ended up with E-Pronto and Eddy went out of his way to make sure I had a spectacular trip.
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beware of Orongai Africa Safaris!!
...and beware particularly of the Sales Manager Martha and her tricky and confusing invoices. We enquired them in December for a 7-day safari in Ndutu/Serengeti Area for late February during the calving season. They answered immediately with a nice trip and a very appealing price so we finally hired them. The offer included a trip back to Arusha from Seronera by airplane. We were asked to pay a 30% in advanced and we did it. But when arrived to Arusha to start the trip we were asked to pay an extra cost of 650 USD per person (a 30% more!!!). This extra was not included in the total amount written in the invoice. Also, the flight back to Arusha had been changed to optional (the word “optional” never appeared in their offer) and had to be payed apart. They said that as this additional money was for hotel bookings it should not be included in the total cost, which is a ridiculous argument. Shocked we were by the surprise, we refused to pay that extra cost as we believed we had been cheated and then started the discussions. Arguing with Martha is like a toothache. Her head is hard as solid rock and it was impossible to make her understand that any money the client should pay to the operator MUST BE included in the Total amount of the invoice. Her explanation was that since the 650 USD PAX was for hotel bookings that money is not for Orongai!!! Fortunately, we called the Spanish Embassy and they put us in contact with a Spanish Arusha resident tour operator (Special thanks to Angel Pujol of Itaka Safaris) that helped us managing the situation. With his advice and after long and extenuating discussions we finally reached an agreement: we payed 200 USD PAX and they lowered the grade of the lodges. At the end, the Safari was performed under the new conditions although we had to visit some filthy accommodations and eat some uneatable picnic. So, my advice is to hire some other operator (there are many of them) to avoid troubles.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trustfull company and people
Everything was working fine with Gladiola but especially with the owner Didas.
We rent a toyota Landcruiser on self drive to get into Serengeti for 4 days.We took contact with Didas, got a fast answer, payment was made as fast.
Arriving in Arusha i wanted to see the owner, Didas was very friendly, no problem appear, the car was then a few day later brought to Karatu, return was also in Karatu, the driver was punctual, paid me the 300 USD Bond back on return day.
I would recommend Gladiola without hesitation.
Thank you Didas
Jean