20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
You guys made my climb to kilimanjaro really smooth and memorable. Thanks alot
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience With Best Service Offered by Landsideadventures & Safaris ltd
i really appreciate your service it was amazing and memorable the whole trip couldn't have succeeded without your experienced guides,most hard working porters and and amazing chef thanks you alot for your best service :)
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing climb to Mt. Kilimanjaro top + Safari in Northern Tanzania
We went in a specially tailored safari the whole family and we only have good words to describe the experience: the guides were incredibly kind and reliable and we had an amazing time visiting this wonderful country, which included one-week safari in Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti.
The climb to Mt. Kilimanjaro is worth giving it a try too, because it was an astounding experience for me and my father.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience!
I traveled to Kenya with 3 friends after booking with Odyssey when I found a Groupon deal for different days that they honored for us. We spent a week traveling to Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara. I was concerned that a week wouldn't be enough, but we were busy all day long and traveling from park to park was an adventure in itself with things to see along the way out the window. We absolutely loved our guide, Erastus, and even cried at the airport when he dropped us off! He was extremely friendly and jovial, and I would highly recommend requesting him if anybody else goes with Odyssey. We saw all the animals we hoped to see (elephants galore, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, warthogs, lions, cheetahs, monkeys, zebras, wildebeest, hyenas, etc). 3 out of 4 of us are vegan and had essentially no problems with finding good food to eat. All the lodges were top notch accommodations, and the Kenyan people were all so friendly!
US
Totallt wonderful!
Everything was wonderful on our 22 night safari. Jane is a wonderful and tireless guide, always stretching to maximize what we could see, and on the rare occasions when she wasn't sure of an answer to a question, looking it up for us. Her staff is extremely helpful and friendly, and the food was fantastic. Ulinda was one of very few companies to use vehicles with enclosed sides, so that it was never too cold in the morning, or too hot mid-day. The evening campfires were really a lot of fun, and the tents were quite comfortable. In the service of a balanced review, I've tried thinking of anything at all negative, and all I can possibly come up with - which would relate to very few other people - is that Jane's soft voice can be difficult for someone who doesn't hear well, like myself. In the vehicle and at the campfire I often needed my wife to amplify what Jane said (and her stories are great!!); this would have been a problem were I a single traveler. But that didn't in the least dent our experience of this out-of-the-world safari.
US
Outstanding customer service
This is not a review on a trip but on the customer service. I had booked a safari more than 1 year in advance. Unfortunately, I had to cancel a couple of weeks later - also more than one year in advance. I was able to communicate with my booking agent and Jake in Kenya. Due to my unusual circumstances they worked hard to help refund my money with the understanding that I would book again in the near future. I cannot say enough good things about this companies customer service and highly recommend that anyone planning a trip to Africa consider booking with them! Thank you Jake and Julie for helping me! Gamewatchers is an A+ business in my book!
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nature friendly and relaxing!
We had a very nice time on our safari. East African & Touring company offers a very friendly and trustfull service. They look what they can offer for every budget. Our guide took the time for visiting the park and let us look to the animals how long we wanted. They have very nice accomodation, nature friendly and relaxing! We had the best dinners ever! What a great time! :)
US
3 day trip to Maasai Mara
A great experience overall! They are very professional, and communicated well with us both before and through the trip. Everything went as planned, and above all, this is great value for money considering options from other safari groups.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well-Organized Safari to the Masai Mara
Erick organized a perfect 3-day safari to the Masai Mara. Pick-up at home, driving in a bus to the Masai Mara, 3 game drives, and return. It all went smoothly, and Erick was easy to reach to answer questions. Food and water was organized and included. It was the budget-option, so the accommodation itself was really very basic, located a few minutes drive outside the National Park. The compound had a nice garden with benches. The game drives were great, and we got to see many critters in beautiful landscapes. Great operator for safaris!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Only go with Elias if you can!
I found from the tours I did it was very guide dependent.
If you got a good guide it was a great tour.
I think the problem I saw with the tours were :
Time management, I think some of these trips need to leave earlier and have their supermarket shopping already organized on the first day so you don't spend most of the day shopping and then when you make it to the attraction then it is rushed, especially end of day game drives.
I think in the Northern the craft market and supermarket should disappear, and the bus should go straight to Africat, and then a proper game drive through its premises should occur, before a trip to the Leopard. People fly from across the world and the 1st day experience isn't good and compares badly to the Southern tour. Otherwise drive straight to Etosha and spend more time there instead. Its way too slow and boring compared to say the Southern tour.
For eg Africat, we arrived way too late at this attraction, then we had a rushed game drive where the local guide spend 15min talking about the game park we were not going to (why not arrive earlier at this place and go on a proper game drive through the premises as it has heaps of cool animals), then spend 30min talking about 2 termite mounds while the sun keeps setting. On the way to the Leopard, there were heaps of amazing animals and they refused to stop for pics!! The leopard was a bit of a zoo attraction which was rushed and the Cheetahs were old and in bad condition. Then my top went "missing" from the game car when in the visitor centre. The camp site was way too far from where all the animals were as well.
The next day to Etosha we also arrived late and had a rushed game drive. Its was more about scoring points on animals sighting then enjoying the park.
The next thing which I thought was unprofessional, was the tour guide slept with one of the clients on the 2nd day in the tents near us!!! It was then I couldn't really take the tour seriously anymore.
Optionals were pumped hard, as they receive commission for it and 2 out of the 3 tours were really focused on it too much to the point of obsessiveness. Especially pushing high price ones, which I was not interested, in the end I just booked it myself as the guide wasn't interested in booking the one I wanted.
On 2 occasions, when lunch was in the itinerary I received no lunch at all. So I had to go buy my own lunch.
The Botswana Delta visit is a nice place, but there are not actually many animals there, its a fishing lodge. I think a better location should be selected.
I think the tour company should focus more on delivering animal and national park experiences, if it calls itself a "Safari" company, it is more of the tour company.
The HQ are very polite but I think some of the guides are bit out of control and need some management. Apparently a lot of the younger ones just pick and choose which tour they want in which would give them the most tips and optional bonuses and use excuses to cancel tours they don't like.
I think they should be doing it because that's what they love to do, and you can see that come across in certain guides clearly.
I think the best tour they offer is the Southern tour. The Northern ones need some work. I would select another route for Botswana from what I experienced sticking to the National Parks. We added a bit more of the national parks and it made that tour a bit better because we were a smaller group.
I think if some of the things didn't happen on some of these tours which I mentioned I wouldn't be as critical...