35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great safari by a great guy!
Thanks to Joe from Asili Explorer for a wonderful safari through Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. We saw everything we wanted to see over four days and three nights. Joe has an eye like a hawk! He managed to spot animals that I am sure a lesser guide would have missed. Definitely recommended.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Bujumbura to Entebbe - close encounters with Gorillas, Chimps and Primates
I recently travelled to Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda with Africa Adventure Safaris.
At the planning stage Nelson in the office was able to tailor an itinerary to my exact requirements. We discussed options for accommodation which could either take the cost up or down depending on my requirements. I opted for staying two nights in most places to minimise time spent travelling, and to maximise the time I spent in the various national parks. The main purpose of my visit was to visit lowland and mountain gorillas, chimps and other primates, but Nelson was able to suggest other cultural sites and activities to break up the journeys between parks.
Payment can be made by credit card, although there is a surcharge for this. Credit card payments do, however, add an extra layer of protection for anyone nervous about transferring money to a company based in another country with which they have not previously done business. Next time I use Africa Adventure Safaris I may well go for the cheaper bank transfer method.
Sam Elliot my guide was very professional, knowledgeable and kind – a real pleasure to be with over a two and a half week period. On the road he was able to fine tune the itinerary and make suggestions to ensure I got the most out of my trip. He was also able to respond positively to any suggestions I made. The vehicle was a sturdy Nissan Patrol, well able to deal with the local roads.
Travelling in November (the rainy season) turned out to be very successful. It may be slightly more risky in terms of delays due to road conditions, but this was balanced by being the only visitor in many places (chimps at Kibale, lowland gorillas at Kahuzi-Biega, primates at Nyungwe and Mgahinga). I only got seriously wet twice in two and a half weeks – less than I would have if I had stayed at home in Scotland!
A word about DRC – I had a separate guide, Julius, in Bukavu. As well as the agreed wildlife activities, he took me for a walk through Bukavu, visiting the neighbourhood where he was brought up, some family members' homes and his old school – places a normal tourist/traveller would never get the opportunity to visit. This was a real worthwhile experience if you want to try to increase your understanding of life in other countries. And if you want to see the Eastern Lowland Gorillas, this is the only place in the world where they live. They, and the dedicated rangers protecting them, need the support of our visit and cash!
Overall I can't fault the value for money. In many part of the world I travel myself using public transport and booking activities as I go. In this part of the world this would not have been a sensible option. I met an American couple trying to do their own thing, but in conversation everything was taking them longer and costing almost as much as my trip, as well as causing constant uncertainty for them as they tried to find the next driver to take them where they wanted to go.
Although I asked for accommodation at the cheaper end of the scale, the quality was on the whole excellent. In particular Bakiga Lodge in Bwindi and Enganzi Lodge at Queen Elizabeth NP were excellent, as were the Club Du Lac hotel in Bujumbura and the Panorama hotel in Bukavu.
The main purpose of my trip was wildlife. In two and a half weeks I saw 13 species of primate, including the Owl Faced Monkey in DRC, which I never expected to see in my life, so I consider this a major success.
I have visited Africa on many occasions, but I consider this trip, organised by Africa Adventure Safaris to be amongst the best, and I would say that for a first time visitor to Africa this company would work hard to ensure you had the best possible experience.
Part of the great joy in visiting Africa is the people you come in contact with. Come with an open heart and mind and Africa will reward you many times over.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Pole, Pole - Hakuna Matata
I got to know Spot Kenya Safaris thank to Safari Bookings.
I contacted Maurice via e-mail and from the very beginning he was very responsive and accommodating to our needs.
We did a roadtrip from Nairobi to Diani, stopping to Naivasha, Amboseli and Tsavo West on the way there and to Tsavo East on the way back. We covered a lot of ground, yet our drivers have always been available to take us to as many game drives as possible. Spotting wildlife was not the easiest (after rain season Tsavo was very lush), but we have been compensated by the amazing landscape, especially in Tsavo West. Jonas, one of the drivers, was of great company and has a great sight and instinct for finding animals.
While at the coast, Maurice organized for us a one day trip to Wasini Island at a good deal as well as showed us around town.
The few issues encountered on the road were promptly managed.
It was a great experience and I would definitely recommend Spot Kenya Safaris!
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The great adventure - Asante Sana!
I have travelled with spot kenya safaris during Christmas Holidays. I travelled with other 8 friends (we had two pop up roof minivans and two expert, friendly and professional guides: Haruni and Jonas. they knew lots about the animals and were skilled at navigating the parks and the roads. Jonas also was good at finding the animals and getting us up close to them) through Navaisha, Amboseli, Tsavo West/East and Diani Beach. The accommodations were great (clean and confortable) as well as the organization. We had such a great time and of course if I will ever be back in Kenya / Tanzania I will contact again Maurice: he was very helpful and made sure we had a good travel experience. He even made some last minute changes which we were very happy to arrange!
Thank you very much!
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic road trip Nairobi-Diani Beach
I traveled in Kenya with a group of friends from Nairobi to Diani and back, with intermediate stops at Naivasha, Amoboseli, Tsavo (West and East).
The parks were beautiful even if the recent rains made spotting the animals a bit difficult, especially in Tsavo West whose landscapes were stunning anyway. Even though every day we covered a lot of ground both drivers were always happy to take us on safaris and spend time looking for animals, especially Jonas.
While at Diani, we took one day to visit Wasini Island and Kisite marine park and overall it was a nice experience.
Throughout all the journey both Maurice and the drivers were very helpful and they tried to promptly accommodate all our needs.
I would definitely recommend Spot Kenya Safaris!
RO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Totally recommend
It's funny because I got a last minute booking and having a bad experience with Tanzania in the previous days (total rip offs), I was not very confident in the arrangement. However, them and the staff were absolutely amazing. Not only did they fulfill all their obligations at a great rate, but included some other benefits by comparison to other operators. Guide, Johnson, extremely educated and a great company.
I would recommend to anybody interested in a safari experience
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Nice tour ... but appalling customer service
I must say, I am really disappointing by Uhuru.
The good organisation upfront promised a great adventure, but instead we got an old uncomfortable car that had to go to repairs 3 (!!) times during our tour. And it rained through the roof and I couldn't open my window. All in all not ruining a tour, as the game drives were fantastic and the hotels really nice. But as we reached out after the tour to give our feedback, the reaction was that we were accused to have made things up. Unbelievable!!!
QA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Went in with apprehension - came out with happy memories
We had friends who had an amazing experience through this company so we booked with them. Just before we left, we had other friends who toured with them who had a nightmare experience with this company. Through reading all the reviews, it looks like it is very hit and miss whether your experience is good or not. Simon, the operator, was extremely friendly and helpful during the booking phase, but as soon as we had paid the deposit, he then dropped off the face of the earth when we tried to bring up our concerns over our friend's tour. He also didn't respond to our friend's attempts to communicate their disappointment. We eventually got a little bit of reassurance, and as we had already paid a hefty deposit we decided to go ahead. In the end we were glad that we did. We had an amazing time.
Safari:
We loved their guide James. How could you not. He is an amazing guide who we got to know fairly well due to his lovely friendly and open nature. He has excellent English and a good sense of humour. We really appreciated his relaxed approach to our family dynamics and he was happy to make the experience whatever we wanted it to be. He is obviously a knowledgable and experienced guide who knows how to give tourists what they want. We learned many, many things about the animals, the country, the people and the language (as well as sharing family stories!) We were really happy with the whole safari experience and were delighted that we had no problems with the landrover vehicle as the terrain gives these vehicles quite a beating! The shock absorber did fall off on the way to the airport on the last day but James dealt with it quickly and efficiently. The fact that he has mechanical experience would be a huge plus in these circumstances.
We had absolutely no issues with permits or paperwork (which we were concerned about going into the holiday) and we were extremely thankful that our safari experience went without a hitch. If you are booking with them, ask for James by name.
Communication:
As you know we were concerned with the sporadic communication (after we had paid our deposit because leading up to that time all of our enquiries were answered extremely promptly). I was a little put off by being asked for payment within hours of making the tentative booking (and being reminded by Simon twice over the next few days i.e "Hi , have you made the paypal payment yet?") This is probably what compounded my concern over communication stopping after I made the payment. There turned out to be extenuating circumstances around this particular time but in reading through other feedback on the site, this is not something that has been a one off. Many people have commented that this has been a problem in the past and for future bookings, it may be worth Simon putting the time into changing people's perception of his trustworthiness and reliability. This would surely help his reputation and give people more confidence in booking with him in the future.
Accommodation:
Was lovely . We were super impressed with all of the accommodation. We really appreciated having separate rooms to sleep in from the children - a bonus that we weren't expecting for the entire trip.
The first night in Arusha was good except there were dogs barking all night long (somewhere near the lodge) and we got very little sleep.
The lodge looking over the crater had the most awe inspiring view and the staff at all of the places were really helpful and friendly.
We were pleasantly surprised at the standard of the camping experience. As by this stage 3 out of 4 family members had upset tummies (!) we really appreciated the inside, flushing toilet. Hot showers were a bonus
Our last night in Manyara Lodge was just breathtaking. We were one of only a few guests (as we were in all of the places) and the staff looked after us really well. The family loved the beautiful pool area in such an outstanding setting.
I think we were incredibly lucky to have had no big issues during our experience. For anyone looking to book with this company, I would say 'may the odds be forever in your favour'.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trip of a lifetime!!
We have just returned from the most amazing week in Uganda. Our holiday from the start of booking with Matoke Tours was completely stress free and communication was very quick and efficient. As Uganda seems to be so under marketed in the UK we were a little unsure what to expect we certainly need not have worried, Our driver/guide Antoli met us at the airport with a huge smile!he was friendly, so knowledgable and a pleasure to spend our week with. We feel we have learnt so much about the country from him. A credit to Matoke.
The itinerary of our tour was perfect for us,the diversity of where we visited was astounding and the gorilla trek was magical. The sometimes long drives in between each location we were staying were both really enjoyable and seemed much quicker as there was so much to see and talk about.We felt very safe and completely at ease throughout our trip.
We could not have asked for more and would certainly book with Matoke again. Thank you all so much!
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Enjoyable and memorable safari
Thanks to Joe from Asili Explorer for a wonderful safari. Overall, our trip was a most enjoyable and memorable experience, and we would have no hesitation in recommending Asili Explorer to other travellers.