20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Gorilla trek was out of this world
I was looking for a tour operator to help me go to Uganda to see the amazing gorillas. My experience with Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris was amazing. Transport were arrangements were top notch and the guides the were very friendly.
7 Days Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire Safari with Africa Remote Safaris
When we started doing our research for a Safari company, we were at first very sceptical as most Europeans usually are when dealing with overseas companies. This was to be our honeymoon destination ( 08 Days Tanzania) and we were on a certain budget. We wrote to several companies and asked a lot of questions. We also used Safaribookings.com and trip advisor to make a decision regarding the tour Company. Africa Remote Safaris wasn’t the cheapest quote but compared to the local UK companies. They were almost 30% cheaper and half the price that Thomsons had quoted to us.
Although we had an idea of the sort of itinerary we wanted, Steve, one of the managers helped us choose the best itinerary in consideration of our Length of stay. They also booked our flights out of London (Qatar Air via Doha). I was working on the Safari day and needed a flight departing at 8pm. Africa Remote Safaris did not disappoint. They booked us on the flights and sent me the E ticket. I must say that we found their service really professional and in a timely manner.
My concern however was when making payments. We had preferred paying my credit card instead of the wire transfer. However when making the payments, we were informed by their Credit card merchant that I should send over my verification details, this included a copy of my Identity and part of my Credit card. I found this to be very strange. My Bank advised me against doing so. They tried using yet another system from their bank but with the verification requirement. We found this to be very frustrating but the Tour operator’s hands were tied. In the end we had to bite the bullet and sent the documents requested by the 3G.
On the payment process I would honestly give them a 4 over 10.
On arrival in Nairobi, we realised that our concerns were short-lived , we were met with Steve himself and our guide Mr Haron. Honestly while in Serengeti I realised that we had a very good deal. Based on the quality of accommodation. ( Serengeti Kati Kati, Olduvai camp and Tloma lodge)
We had an amazing Safari. We saw elephants, buffalo and giraffe and all the Big 5. As our guide had explained, it is very rare to see ALL the big 5 especially the black Rhino and leopard. Our guide found was incredible. We saw more than 20 Lions, then another 14 lions in Serengeti feasting on a Buffalo, 8 Cheetah’s including the ones that were hunting before killing a warthog. We also saw 08 leopards in total with one that was just about 2 meters away from us on a tree.
All in all, we saw so many animals and the camps and lodges were wonderful. I want to thank Africa Remote Safaris and especially Steve and Haron for making our Honeymoon very memorable.
We hope to come back one day.
Erin and Becky Copeland
US
Experience level: over 5 safaris
Extremely disappointing with a lack of respect and courtesy from driver-guide
Driver/guide Haron was rude to us, rolled his eyes if we asked to have the engine turned off to watch wildlife, and raised his voice at me when we chose not to visit a Maasai Village (perhaps he was not getting a cut of the $100). I trusted to go with this company as the Mt Kili guide had been recommended to me had set this tour up; this was a mistake and despite the Kili guide tipping Haron $100 in advance to take good care of me, the customer service was poor. Perhaps Haron was not expecting to be called out on Dec 31 New Year's Eve . . . regardless, the other couple and myself treated poorly.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Book through Katona!
I really appreciated the open lines of communication with Katona tours both during and after the booking process. Jackie's replies were always quick and it was nice that she called to check in on us during our travels. Richard our driver was very knowledgeable, friendly, and was a highlight of the journey. I think we got very good value for our money. Thank you!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What an Amazing, Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience by Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris
Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris (KWSS) was a once in a lifetime experience.
While there are other high-end safari options out there, I felt that KWSS was the best bang-for-your-buck option out there. While going through the booking process, Mr. Otieno (the manager), was extremely quick to respond to any questions or concerns we had.
After being reassured of the itinerary for our 3-day Masai Mara safari, we went ahead and placed our deposit a few weeks before we were scheduled to be in Kenya.
Once we arrived in Nairobi from our long flight from the USA, we were picked up by KWSS - Clements (driver) and Sam (cook) - at our Bed and Breakfast. From there, we departed on the 6 hour journey to Masai Mara. Along the way, we stopped at various shops and a restaurant to grab souvenirs, food, and drinks. Clements and Sam knew all the answers to our questions as well.
Arriving at our camp before dinner, we had a short game drive in Masai Mara. Clements was quick to radio other drivers (might have been 7 other drivers) to see where all the animals were. He eventually caught wind of a lion and lioness together, so we headed there and saw these majestic animals.
While we were on the drive, Sam was busy at camp cooking up a delicious dinner meal. The dinner meals typically consisted of beef, a vegetable, bread, water, coffee and tea. While breakfast was usually a spanish omelet, juice, potatoes, coffee and tea. Sam’s cooking is amazing and kept us well nourished throughout the safari.
The following days consisted of more game drives where we went all over Masai Mara, close to the Tanzania border, the Mara River, and much more. All while passing thousands of zebras and wildebeests, buffalos, giraffes, elephants, cheetahs, and more. There were times when I caught myself smiling from how amazing this experience was.
Book with the confidence knowing that you will have an amazing time. I cannot recommend Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris enough.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highlights of Tanzania
As first time travelers to Africa we booked the Tanzania Highlights trip with Safarihub which is a small group departure. The price was affordable and we got to see most of the parks more importantly Ngorongoro crater and Serengeti. We really bonded with our group and may have well become lifelong friends. It was a remarkable experience and highly recommended.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari Legacy were fantastic
I felt I had to write this review of Safari Legacy having read the only other review which gave them 3 stars. Especially as my experience was almost the opposite!
Safari Legacy came highly recommended both by a tour operator here in the USA and friends who used them last year. In particular, we requested Norman as our guide 6-months ahead of time. Norman exceed expectations. He was very knowledgeable about animals (I am a zoologist), and he adjusted our itinerary once he saw we had 3 serious photographers in our party and were more interested in game drives than using the luxury of the camps. Norman knew enough about photography to try to position the vehicle so the sun was positioned correctly. More importantly, we wanted to capture the golden hour so most days we left the camps before sunrise and returned after dark. Told you we were serious about game drives. Norman also filled us in about life in Tanzania and the different tribes, languages etc. This was really helpful to have an understanding of Tanzania and its history.
We preferred the more rustic tented camps compared to the couple of lodges we stayed in. The tents while rustic had toilets, hot and cold showers and electricity so they were by no means 'rough accommodations'. Kikoti Camp at Tarangire was very close to the Park, despite what the previous review said. Further we saw plenty of animals driving from the park to Kikoti. At Kikoti we were awakened both nights by animal activity. The first night it was a giraffe grazing in front of our room not 20 feet away. The second night it was a large animal that we heard underneath our hut. In the morning I discovered very large leopard prints around our hut. Hence why the camp provides guards to take you to and from the main lodge after dark! It seemed overly dramatic at first until you see a large predator's prints. Also the second night an elephant had eaten one of the trees on the grounds of the main lodge. Further, we went on a night drive while at Kikoti. This was probably the highlight of the trip for my wife (I wasn't as impressed because I couldn't take photographs) and we saw a significant number of animals.
On this trip we also did Arusha NP, Ngorongoro and Serengeti NP including the Western corridor and Grumeti River.
Another thing about Safari Legacy, the owners are very involved with anti-poaching. They are quite outspoken despite receiving threats from poachers. This information came from locals not the people of Safari Legacy. Safari Legacy also supports a school that we visited on the banks of Lake Victoria. So they are well respected in Tanzania as a professional safari organization and helping the communities.
The one negative I would give them was the quality of the Toyota Land Cruisers. Our vehicle had seen significant wear and tear. Norman told us they were getting new vehicles in July.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First Class Experience!!!
Mwema Africa Safari was my first Safari experience. It more than exceeded my expectations. This company was very accommodating and professional. They were available to assist with travel arrangements and even picked me up from my hotel! The owner personally greeted me at the begining of the journey which gave a good first impression. From there, the experience got better and better. The guide was knowledgable and friendly, as he not only was an excellent driver able to navigate the terrain, but also able to explain everything that we saw. Looking forward to doing it again. Definitley "2 thumbs up"!!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We can't wait to go on our next excursion with Carlos and Kenny. A wonderful experience!
I regularly recommend Steady Safaris to people I meet who are interested in travelling to East Africa. Our trip was seamlessly planned for us. We were involved in the planning and all or our requests were accommodated. Our guides were personable and as female travelers, we felt very safe and well looked after. The service we received was excellent. We were able to go on night and early morning safaris, had great wildlife viewings, hung out with some chimps and even visited rhinos- all arranged by Steady Safaris. I was looking for a local company with a social conscience, and I highly recommend this company to all. You will have a wonderful trip of a lifetime!
Deb Bailey and Linda Beer
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic team with a great mission...Created a trip and experience of a lifetime...Outstanding
My wife and I booked our trip to Uganda with Instinct Safari with the primary purpose of seeing the Mountain Gorillas. We contacted several tour operators, and after much hand wringing, we decided to go with the Instinct Safari largely based on the superb communications and just the overall sense of purpose and mission exuded by the Instinct Safari team. I would highly recommend Instinct Safaris as a safari operator.
Our initial communications with Niels were excellent as he provided prompt and candid inputs as we put together our itinerary for a 9-day safari in southwestern Uganda. We were met on arrival at Entebbe by Rabani and Rogers, our guides with a Toyota Landcruiser. Both are extremely knowledgeable, and perhaps more importantly, personable as we spent the next week with both gentlemen. Our next 9 days were exciting as we saw and experienced southwestern Uganda. All of the activities were very rewarding, some of the highlights...chimpanzee habituation trek, game viewing at Queen Elizabeth Park, an early morning hot air balloon excursion with bush breakfast, a trek across the Bwindi Impenetrable forest (complete with a vigorous rain shower...that is putting it mildly), a paddle in a dugout canoe (abrato sp? in the local language wakiga) once again with a bit more rain, and of course the crowning jewel, our two gorilla treks. During our excursions we had, in addition to Rabani and Rogers, Emma and Issa as guides accompanying us to provide greater depth and background to cultural interactions within the local communities. In addition to the gorillas and chimpanzees, we saw many different animals...most striking for us was a leopard sighting, always a magical moment for this most solitary of beasts, and we saw the rather famous tree lions. We greatly enjoyed our time spent in the communities and we even had a chance to briefly visit a local school. I could go on endlessly over all the small details and adventures that encompassed this very enriching experience, but alas there is not enough space.
I wish we could return, as I consider Rabani and Rogers, and the entire Instinct team to be friends. I truly appreciate and applaud their company's mission, particularly the sustainability and community-based aspects. Keep up the good work...Jay and Meg