35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Efficient and Reliable Tour Operator For Transport, and Accommodation Bookings
I went for a tour to Bwindi Impenetrable forest in August. My Tour was well planned to cover my safari tour, and accommodation bookings. The tour guides and drivers were very friendly and this made my tour experience even better. I was very satisfied with the service rendered by this tour company.
AT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A dream came true, and so much more!!!
In short: great planning, perfect advice, super guide, wonderful experiences !!!
Long: I had the dream to visit the Mountain Gorilla since I saw the movie "Gorillas in the Mist" about 30 years ago.
At the Vienna Holiday Fair I had our first conversation with Uli and Richard.
I had already inquired with some providers before and noticed that in the proposed tours always a part was missing for me and even with Shoebill Safaris it was like that, but ....
It quickly became clear that we would have to do a "private tour" with our own guide as a couple. With all our special wishes we were certainly no easy customers! We wanted to spend a lot of time with the gorillas, the possibility of a gorilla habituation, where you spend up to 4 hours with the gorillas, was only offered by Shoebill Safaris. Even a few days in the form of homestay ashore to see many traditional activities and to participate, was unique.
Finally, due to budget constraints, we had to exchange some quarters for tents, which was a wonderful idea, the mix of lodges and tents was varied and fine!
Uli was already in the preparation for us by phone and planned everything with Richard wonderful!
As the time of the journey approached, we were a little nervous. When we were able to get in touch thanks to Uli's help to our guide Michael, this was perfect!
The trip was a total success!
Started with the warm welcome at the airport by our guide Michael, his caring support, his always punctual and thus stress-free organization of the days (we had always the evening before a short discussion with fine tuning depending on condition!), The many explanations about country and people and the many animals that we could already see during the ride, the wonderful game drives with Michael, who discovered as many animals as with eagle eyes and could always tell something about it. The highlight of the mountain gorillas, of course, was great, as expected, but we had already been very impressed with the observations before, so that the gorillas were far from the only highlight!
Towards the end of the 3 weeks we spent 3 more days with Homestay in an adjoining house of Richard's family! We were very warmly received, were allowed to try everything and were able to experience the different work up close.
Thanks a lot to Richard's family and friends with whom we had a wonderful time!
These days we were also allowed to support the project "Shoes and Trees" in a school, the kids were just adorable! (see https://www.big5-africatours.com/uganda-shoe-tree)
Now we are back home thinking happily and gratefully of these wonderful 3 weeks !!!
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience and great service made our trip unforgettable!
We were very happy with the service and communications from the team at Top Cream Safaris. After inquiring with 4-5 different providers, the thing that stood out most was the responsiveness of Erastus in answering all of our questions, providing helpful explanations of the options, and making us feel comfortable with choosing Top Cream. The trip itself was amazing, they dealt with everything and made it a very easy experience. We loved the experience we had in Masai Mara, the guides were knowledgeable and helped us see some wildlife sights that we likely wouldn't have seen with other companies. Erastus checked in with us frequently to ensure our expectations were met (and they were). Overall, we highly recommend Top Cream Safaris
HK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good experience and a helpful operator
We booked a 9-day safari through Twinkle Star. James is very helpful, we communicated a lot before the trip. He tried his best to help us.
The driver in Tanzania is incredible. He is responsible and knowledgable. He explained the culture of Tanzanian and the characters of different animals in the trip. We saw migration for four times in three days. We also saw Lion, Chita, Leopard ......the driver always search for a good area for us to take photo. For the accommodation, I highly recommend Chaka Extra Camp. The staffs are very nice. The food, environment and camp are perfect.
For Kenya, our driver, Robert, did a very bad job. His car broke down. We could not go to safari with him. We joint another group in the end. Also, his car broke down again on the day we have to go back to airport. Without the help of James and other African, we afraid we may not catch our flight. James sent another driver to take us immediately. However, Robert tried to lie to us telling us that his car was okay.
Thank you, James.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They gave us a great experience
Maraka Tours and Travel have a very professional approach in their work. I would recommend them anytime.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful tour of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi
We did a 15 day trip to Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi with Augustine Tours. The itinerary was excellent, the hotels well thought out with choices and the trip moved very smoothly. We had the same driver, Eugene, for the 12 days in Uganda and Rwanda. He really made the trip because he was so courteous, and looked after the little things. Like he cleaned the car (which was in great shape and had A/C) every night! We set a plan each evening for the next day and he was always ready early. Travel in those countries is not easy but he was great at finding restaurants and bathrooms that were clean, and he was good at suggesting changes to the itinerary if we were short on time.
Augustin was great at answering questions and staying in touch before and during the trip. If I did it over again I would cut one day from Burundi because that country does not have good museums that we saw and the best thing were the Gishora Drum sanctuary. We had a different driver in Burundi but same car and we did not connect as well but he also did a good job.
I would certainly recommend Augustine Tours for those Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. We also book a week in Tanzania with them but they outsourced it to another Safari company BMS Safari. That part did not work out and I wish Augustine Tours would have told me they were outsourcing it and I would have selected another tour operator. During the difficulties in Tanzania which related to a bad vehicle and driver/ guide that did not speak English, Augustin followed up with me via email and contacted the safari company ( unfortunately no positive outcome resulted) but he assured me he will find another vendor for Tanzania.
ES
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good organisation, excel·lent service
Wonderful experience, I likedcwery much the safari, attentive guide, good accomodation, incredible landscapes and a lot of animals.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extraordinary Excellence
I need to preface my review by saying my wife and I used the services of one company to hike to Machu Picchu. We used a different company to coordinate our trip to the Galapagos Islands. So then at the beginning stages of planning for a safari, I talked to 11 different safari companies (including the two we've previously used). I then narrowed it down to four, and then finally one. I am so glad I chose Extraordinary Journeys (EJ). There wasn't anything EJ did which was less than perfect. I worked on my safari with Lynn Newby-Fraser. She worked with me by not only listening to what my wife and I wanted to see and do on a safari, but she also made suggestions to us...all based upon her vast experience. Some of her suggestions we took her up on, some we did not, and she was ok either way with it. Do not use a company to plan a safari unless they have experience in their resume, and Lynn certainly does.
From initial takeoff from home to the landing back home a few weeks later, EJ simply took care of everything. After the initial planning was done, Lisa Newby-Fraser actually did all the logistical work and made sure every detail was perfect. We stayed in some tents which in all honesty was more "glamping" than camping. We also stayed in lodges which were absolutely phenomenal. It was much much better than we even expected in the first place. Before leaving on the safari, we were asked about our dietary requests and/or restrictions and at every location those requests were followed. The food at each place Lynn suggested we stay at, was exceptional. The service at each place was first rate as well. One place we stayed offered to bring us a drink to our lodge, long after our dinner, if we wanted. Additionally, we found out (while on safari) that Lisa was checking up on us to make sure our trip was 100% successful. That is excellent service and dedication.
There are many many safari companies out there one can use to coordinate such a trip. If I could give EJ ten stars rather than 5, I would. If you're thinking of going on a safari and do not use Extraordinary Journeys and Lynn Newby-Fraser, I think you'll be making a huge mistake. For a trip of a lifetime, Lynn and Lisa at EJ will guarantee the trip will be one you'll never forget.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
so amazing with kenlink tours and trave
A safari with kenlink tours and travel was so nice,
We choose to have a local tourvwith then as ugandans, guides were very knowledgeable about the wildlife and the locationa of national parks.
Kenlink tours and travel is good with good prices, i recommend them for the safaris
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Gorilla Trekking Experience - Kigali to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (Uganda)
My wife an I went on the 1 day trip from Kigali to Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. To start off, the booking and communication with Jackie was very quick and efficient. She was super helpful and a great communicator.
Our driver Elias picked us up from our hotel in Kigali early in the morning and was perfectly on time at 4am. We cannot say enough great things about Elias. He made our trip AMAZING! He was so friendly, so fun, very informative, very knowledgeable, and always kept a big smile on his face. He was so fun to hang out with on our long drive, it felt like we had our own little tour of Rwanda and Uganda. After the trek he took us to a local place in Uganda for an authentic African lunch. By the time we returned to our hotel in Kigali after the tour it felt like we were family. I highly recommend asking for Elias as your driver.
The drive from Kigali to the park was roughly 3 hours, and it was a really cool drive. A lot of it is through the beautiful Rwanda and Uganda mountain countryside so its quite breathtaking. Crossing the border was easy. They just check your passports and give you a stamp, it takes about 10 minutes.
Once we reached the base camp where the trekking starts, Jerome and Silver from the Uganda Wildlife Authority introduce you and give a briefing of the days activities. The same 2 guys were our guides for the trek in the mountains. Big shout out to Jerome and Silver, they were awesome. Super friendly, very informative, amazing guides through the mountains. You'll also have an armed guard with you so they really make you feel safe for anyone who is a little scared.
It took us about an hour to find the families and I cannot express enough how kind and gentle these beautiful creatures are. We found a big family with 3 HUGE male silverbacks, 2 females, a couple teens, and 3 babies. We were able to hang out with them for an hour and I would say we were only a bout 10 feet away from them. It was CRAZY!!! The babies and teens were running around playing with each other the whole time while the big parents we lounging next to them. We even got to see a mother nursing her baby.
I heard a lot of people say Bwindi is where you must go for Gorilla experiences, but i totally disagree. We had a wonderful and very close encounter with a big family of Silverbacks at Mgahinga, and its much closer to Kigali.
I highly recommend booking this trip with Katona Tours. Get ready for the hike of a lifetime!!!
Side Note: Uganda is one of the most beautiful countries on earth. Just seeing the beautiful countryside alone was worth the trip
