PT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
Just came back from Tanzania where i did a 6 days 5 nights safari. Everything was really good! We were on a tight budget so we choose to camp and it was the best thing we could do. The camping park in Serengueti is really in the middle of the animals, and it was amazing. Stanley, our guide, was a good spotter and showed us a lot of animals. And the cook, Soko4, as really good. We ate a lot!
KW
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional and Fun
We just finished a 5 days-4 nights safari including Norongoro, Serengeti and Ndutu areas. We loved our experience. We were 5, including 2 children (9 and 14). Our guide-driver, Edgar, was absolutely outstanding. He was knowledgeable, friendly and caring. The owner, Richard, was also dedicated and strives for excellence in customer service. We strongly recommend this operator for taking care of your safari. We have lovely memories, because we could focus on the purpose of our stay. We were also impressed by he professionalism of this operator
KW
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a one of a kind experience which was absolutely breathtakingly spectacular!
The communication was great! Maurice got back to me immediately and answered all my questions over several emails. He was very gracious the entire time and gave me additional information about cell phones which had nothing to do with the safari. They were also able to accommodate my vegetarian diet and surprisingly the food at the camp was very good, probably some of the best food I ate in Kenya! I would suggest you bring a few extra snacks for in between meals as the gaps can be long as I prefer smaller meals as oppose to 3 big ones.
The camp site is close to the Masai Village (walking distance), you can go there for the experience for an extra 1000 KSH given directly to the Masai people towards their school that they are building. Also walk with a bit extra to buy some souvenirs, I bought a wool shuka (traditional blanket). The camp is similar to glamping, you sleep in a tent but you have a functioning bathroom attached to your own tent with a hot water.
The group of people that we went with were awesome, all of them were solo male/female travelers except my friend and I. There were also a few Kenyan's apart of the tour which I thought was great. The safari van transports 8 people with a pop up roof to stand and look out of to see the animals. It's not the stereotypical safari truck I imagined but it got the job done. Our driver, Gibson knew the Masai Mara very well and communicated with the other drivers to spot the animals. We saw 4/5 of the big 5 (lions, elephants, buffaloes, and leopards which are very hard to see however we were really close to it under the tree). We saw many other animals too such as hippos, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, and etc.
I would recommend this company as it was cost effective and good. It was worth every penny! Don't
forget to tip the driver, he never asked nor implied for a tip at any point, however he deserved it and more!
Overall great company, amazing memories and experience to last a lifetime!
TR
The Absolute Best Trip EVER!
Big Time Safaris offers budget safaris but I cannot imagine a better tour company at any price. I am a traveler and have enjoyed many tours but have never received such caring, thoughtful service as I did with Big Time.
Martha in the office went above and beyond to help me with even the most minor details. Boneface, a delightful young man and great driver, welcomed me at the airport and then picked me up at my hotel to take me back to the airport for departure. And then there was James, our guide/driver throughout our safari tour. He was so outstanding that our group dubbed him James Bond for his prescience, thorough organizational abilities and talented leadership, and ultimately for his dexterous driving skills.
If you're looking for a true safari experience and don't expect frills or ostentation, Big Time Safaris is the only way to go!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great planning and service guarantees a wonderful trip
We used Zambezi (Liz) 9 years ago for a Botswana/Zambia trip and there was never any doubt that we would use them for this Madagascar/Uganda trip. The same qualities that we experienced before shown through again. They listen carefully to what you want and then make suggestions based upon your interests. Liz thoroughly explained the various options and made suggestions which enabled us to decide which places to visit, which hotels/lodges to stay at and how long to stay. The on the ground service was impeccable. We were picked up and delivered when promised and the guides were first class both in game viewing but also as friendly, knowledgeable and interesting travel companions. The hotels (usually boutique b&bs) and the game lodges were all outstanding.
Thanks again for all your help, brilliant.
Hi Helga
We have just returned from our travels in Africa.
Shamwari was brilliant! Beautiful place and we were fortunate to have Jessica as our ranger and her knowledge of animals, birds, plants and the environment was amazing! We have had quite a few very good rangers take us on game drives on this trip and our previous trips, but Jessica stands out as the best!
The highlight of our two months in Africa was Christmas day at Shamwari where we were able to experience a private escorted walk around the outside of the enclosures of the Born Free lions/lionesses, leopards and cheaters! As a Born Free Foundation supporter for many years it was the perfect Christmas present on the best Christmas day ever!
Thanks again for all your help
Kind regards
Caroline
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My dream came true
It was my first safari in Kenya and I love it so much! I had a dream and
guys from Trip Advisor Africa Safaris made it true. First I want to say
thank to Vincent. He helped me in organization and was in contact every
day. He is so kind and responsive. Secondly, I want to say thank to the
guide Kimani. He made safari fabulous and funny. We saw so many animals
and birds, I think we were very lucky:) And of course I want to say
thank you to the whole crew of Trip Advisor Africa Safaris guys, you are
awesome!! my 3days masai mara safari is unforgettable you deserve it.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great service and excellent price.
We had a really knowledgeable guide called Animal and he made sure everyone had a great time and got to see lots of animals. The company were reliable and I was happy with all the accommodation and food. All in all I really enjoyed this safari and thought it was excellent value for money.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
group of four people visited Tanzania during Christmas
We, a group of four people visited Tanzania during Christmas. It was definitely one of our best experience.
We decided to go to Tanzania last minute so we did not have enough time to do all the research and compare prices. SafariHub was recommended by my friend and we simply trust their recommendations including routes/plans/hotels.The trip was really so beautiful
I would definitely recommend Safarihub to anyone who's interested in visiting amazing Tanzania.
NL
So-so safari
On the plus side, drivers and other tour staff were helpful, kind and eager to share stories and make the trip more personal. Also, the food provided was decent.
Even though our safari experience at Amboseli was enjoyable, there were some issues.
- Chaotic. Upon departure it was revealed that we were joining other groups in Nairobi, from other operators; merging the safari participants became very chaotic, nothing was communicated or planned, many different people were involved and we were kept in the dark. Similarly, upon returning, we had no idea how or with whom we would get home after dropping off the others at the airport as nothing was communicated by the operator.
- Camp. We arrived at 22h (while we departed at 14.30 from our place in Nairobi) in the budget option camp. When we were taken to our tent the lights had been left inside which basically resulted in an unnecessary bug-fest. Then we tried to use the bathroom but there were still feces there which came up when we tried to flush... When we made inquiries someone did come over to 'fix' it but the bathroom floor was covered instead. Then we were left alone for the night, though we were promised a new tent in the morning. While the website promises the best of the budget camp, it was clear there were cottages better than our tents.
- Organisation. The point of the third day was to go for an early morning (6.30am) game drive and then head back to Nairobi. However, when we arrived for breakfast at 6am nothing was prepared and in the end we had to wait exactly and hour. While we had clearly communicated an allergy for eggs, the breakfast consisted of pancakes and omelettes. Furthermore, the car needed fixing and we ended up in the park after 8am instead. Soon after we got a flat tire, resulting in no time left to watch game as we had to leave before our 24hour park permit expired. Lastly on the way back, our driver kept falling asleep behind the wheel.
Despite these issues we had a good time in the Amboseli National park.