US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A Tourism Professor in Uganda- I couldn't have asked for better!
I am a professor of Tourism. I have traveled to over 50 countries and taken 100s of tours over the last 30+ years. I was so impressed with Encounter Africa Safaris. I have recommended them to countless friends and hope I will have the chance to go back and take another tour with them. Tolbert (our driver-guide) was excellent. He stopped every time we asked and was very patient with our many requests and questions. Tolbert made sure we went with the best guide when we were doing our gorilla tracking tour. Also, everyone in the office was so helpful when we were planning our trip. Honestly, we could not have asked for a better experience. I wrote several posts on my blog about my experience with Encounter Africa Safaris. Here are is a link if you would like to see a few pictures and read a little bit about it: http://drphelanipresume.blogspot.com/2013/11/gorilla-tracking-part-2.html
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An excellent tour operator in Kenya!
I went on a family trip to Kenya , we made all the arrangements through East Africa Tours, we were initially very skeptical about the trip but the overall organization of the tour was quite good, everything from hotels to vehicles and the safaris in masai mara was well organized in a timely manner, the nature guides were really helpful and well experienced, we really enjoyed the trip with my kids and we are hoping to return very soon!
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
a wonderfull jurney!
Wow! What a safari holiday! We have seen amazing and beautiful sights, and had loads of great experiences! The logistics of the holiday were exceptionally well taken care of by Tailor Made Safaris, the food was good, the diversity of activities/destinations superb, and the South African people great! Of course you go on safari for the animals, but also the cultural experiences of Zulu villages and the general experience of the beautiful landscapes at the parks were fantastic. In short, a holiday that I would love experience again!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A life changing experience!
Cannot recommend Brian and his team any higher. They're very responsive to emails and are flexible with one-off requests - we had a birthday during our safari and I asked Brian if he could do something special and the entire camp ended up coming out singing birthday songs for 20 minutes and providing cake - it was amazing. The safari itself was incredibly. Sammy is quite the character and an extremely knowledgeable and capable guide. The week flew by! Would definitely recommend Ecological to anyone looking for an amazing wilderness experience.
MY
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Best Safari Experience!
We had a great time throughout the 5 days Safari with Stephan as our guide and Idi as our cook (sorry if I spelled your name wrongly there)
Stephan was very quick in replying my emails from the very beginning and they offered us the best price than the other companies that I emailed.
We opted to stay at the campsite and very happy that we did. The facilities were in good condition and clean. And Idi is a very good cook!
We start off very early in the morning everyday and manage to see everything except for the shy Cheetah. Stephan is very informative and he knows a lot about the animals and the local culture.
All in all, I think they provide excellent and professional service at a very reasonable price. They made our experience in Tanzania a very memorable one. Highly recommended I would say!
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect safari in Ngorongoro
It Started in Africa did a great job in providing the perfect tour for my family. Traveling with kids is not always easy and can be frustrating at times but they went the extra mile to keep them excited and entertained and they absolutely loved the day tour in Ngorongoro. The guide Frank was great. He was absolutely outstanding in detecting animals from very far away while driving the 4x4 at the same time. Completely surpassed my expectations of what a safari could be in terms of friendliness, professionalism, knowledge and comfort.
SA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari touring
We had Chris as our guide who has been working as a safari guide for more than 10 years so he knows a whole lot about the locations and the animals. The lodges we stayed in were very comfortable and convenient too.
NZ
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A family freedom safari without the rigid confines of a set schedule.
This was a family holiday with the option of altering the proposed schedule as we saw fit so that if we decided that we needed extra days in any one place or took our driver's advice or changed our minds as to where we wanted to visit next then we were free to do so.
Communication was excellent both in the planning of the trip and during the tour and what we were promised was delivered. We were met at the airport late at night and delivered to our hotel. The vehicle we were promised was what we expected - so often you hear stories of arriving to be met with anything but the vehicle that has been promised but that was not the case. Our driver (guide) was both personable and knowledgeable about the tour and what we might expect and also had the reference books in case we needed confirmation of what we were seeing. The tented accommodation was comfortable and clean with excellent toilet facilities. The roads are an experience in themselves ranging from the basic to State Highways so in that respect if you travel to the Maasai Mara by road then be aware that the rainy season could prove challenging. That however is not a reflection of the tour company or guide but just a fact of the system and its priorities.
All in all it was a trip to remember with many unsurpassed highlights. So if you want to experience a side of life at its most beautiful yet also at its most vulnerable then by all means take a tour. However, if on the other hand you want to luxuriate in the trappings of modernity and over the top opulence then consider a tour to anywhere else but don't go to Africa - the continent doesn't need you.
NO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip!
We are so happy that we chose Encounter Africa Safaris! This trip was so well organized, and we had no issues at all, which - to be honest - really surprised me. But what a nice surprise :)
Day 1: Arrival
We got picked up from our hotel in Entebbe early in the morning, and started the long drive to Bwindi forest. Our driver, Hassan, was super nice and knowledgeable. We had lots of questions on our way to Bwindi and he answered them all very well. He told us about plants, animals, culture and the life in Uganda. The trip took about 10 hours, but it really didn't feel that way. We arrived in Bwindi late in the evening, and was welcomed by the staff at Nkuringo Gorilla Camp. They served us a delicious 4-course dinner and some nice wine.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking
We got up early and had a really nice breakfast. Then the ladies from Nkuringo Gorilla Camp gave us our packed lunch, then we were off. We drove for about an hour to attend the introduction meeting we had to have before the trekking. We then drove back towards Nkuringo, and started our trip up the mountain. We walked for about 2 hours before we found the gorillas. I am still amazed by the moment when I first saw the gorilla. And it wasn't just a gorilla - it was a beautiful silverback! My heart pounded so hard for the next 3 hours - I was that excited. In the end, we saw 2 silverbacks and 12 other gorillas, even a little baby :)
After the trekking, we went back to Nkuringo to have dinner which was even more amazing than the day before. We were sitting around the fire talking about our gorilla experience for hours and hours.
Day 3: Departure
After breakfast we started on the long way back to Entebbe. We stopped on the way to take photos of the zebras that Hassan pointed out for us, and even got a sightseeing trip in Kampala before going to the airport, because Hassan felt sorry for us (our flight was not until 5 AM) and wanted to let us stay in the car for as long as possible (the EBB airport is really not great... :/). When we got the airport we sat down in the waiting area, and after one hour we suddenly saw Hassan coming in. We didn't understand why - his job was done so why wasn't he at home? Turned out we had left our GoPro in the car (he found out when he got home), so Hassan drove all the way back to the airport to give it back to us. What a great man :)
So thank you Encounter Africa Safaris for making our trip amazing, especially Jerry who has helped us from day 1. Our only regret is that we didn't stay longer.
But, we will come back, and we will definitely use Encounter Africa Safaris then as well!:)
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Outstanding experience
Our safari with Natural Track safaris was outstanding. During the organising phase Elisabeth kept in contact with me and never tired answering my frequent questions. She always came up with a good solution to my queries. The safari itself was well organised, we were met at the airport by Michael, our driver, who took very well care of myself and my daughter during our 11 days travel through Kenya. The hotels and lodges we were booked in exceeded my expectation and the wildlife and vistas we saw were stunning. Michael was very knowledgeable and patient, never hurried and always out to show us the best wildlife. He drove very safely and our car was excellent for the purpose. I could not have wished for a more successful and satisfying safari.