CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Parks and wildlife were great, tour operator was not
I booked a 6D/5N with Meru Slopes, reading great reviews on SafariBookings.com.
I was dismayed to find out that they had shuffled me into a different company's safari, for unknown reason. This group was called Arunga Expeditions.
The guide spoke maybe 100 words the entire safari, we had battery issues with the LandCruiser, the lunch boxes were awful (dry muffin + banana + FOUR pieces of plain bread + juice box), and we were always rushed. When we would stop at say a large pride of lions and want to spend 5-10 minutes, the guide would try and start driving away after 1 minute to find something else. We'd have to ask him to stop so we can stay and watch the lion and actually take photos. He was never happy with this and often very rude. Often we'd leave something like this after 2 minutes and not see anything as spectacular the rest of the day. He'd mutter something like "many more lions later". The itinerary was to have FULL safari days at certain spots (Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti) but this only meant 4 - 5 hours to the guide. He would sleep in, start slow, and end early, so he could take off from the campsite and go drink a couple beers and watch football somewhere. We were always the last vehicle out in the morning and first ones back. The itinerary had a full day booked at Ngorongoro but we were finished BEFORE lunch time. How does this work?
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari experience!
We had the best time. The guide Kikitu was the best we could have. So energetic and funny. He truly made it his mission to let us have a good time and with great succes. Everything was perfectly organised. We saw amazing wildlife(including the full big 5). And all of this for a very cheap price.
SA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Godson took my whole family on a fun filled adventure that educated us on the wildlife around us.
Godson was a wonderful guide he was always going above and beyond what was expected of him. He was the kindest man and constantly took care of us. By the end of the trip it was as though he was part of our family. He listened to what we wanted to see and also showed us things that we never even dreamed of seeing. He always knew where to go and what time of day to go there. To do this job, one must be immensely educated on this subject, and he is. He gave us every opportunity to get the picture we wanted and made sure we were all satisfied before moving on. I had a wonderful time and learned more than I could have ever thought possible.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible Experience
Our group of 8 (ranging from 19 to 64) had a wonderful 3 night canoe safari with Natureways. 5 of us canoed and 3 did jeep and walk safari and we met up at camp in the evening. Everything went beautifully, from the bush planes to Mana, to the pickup, the incredible guides and camp staff. Natureways lets us prepay our park entrance fees so we did not have to carry all that extra cash with us - so much easier. The canoe trip was the experience of a lifetime. Natureways was very professional but also the guides and staff were so wonderful to interact with. Andy, Zera and Elijah made this the highlight of our 12 day vacation to Zimbabwe. Camping along the river, listening to the sounds of the hippos and two different lion prides at night was unreal. Would recommend this company and canoe trip to anyone.
20-35 years of age
Amazing Experience from Beginning to End!
This was an amazing experience! Christa was a godsend and arranged everything for us. If we had any questions we could email her day or night and she would get back with us ASAP! Our guide, Almero, found all the big five in a day and a half. He was extremely knowledgeable about any questions we had and he really made this trip all that I hoped it would be. On our panorama tour we had Patrick and he was super nice and helped my 77 year old grandmother get around. He gave us plenty of time at each stop to explore and see all the sights. I really can’t say enough about how awesome Kurt Safari’s was. If you are thinking of planning a safari then there is no better option than Kurt Safari!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great experience from booking until final goodbye.
Making arrangements from half a world away was easy because of Tersca's professional attitude and work. Emails were quickly and throughly answered. All aspects of our trip went smoothly: transportation, wildlife safari, meals, and lodging. We had a pleasant experience.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
efficiency in everything
precise, punctual and professional. I found in Cardboard box Travel a reliable partner to better organize an excellent safari.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Because of MDS, we found magic in the places, the people and the culture.
The communications were excellent, especially the response rate and the specificity with regards to answering all the questions.
The trip went above our expectations since we didn't realise it was a private safari, the resorts we stayed at were wonderful, the guide Joseph was also one of a kind and went above and beyond to show us everything he could. We saw 4 of the big 5 and so many other animals.
We were very happy with the places that Angelina hand picked for us, both resorts (at Masai Mara and Nakuru) were fabulous!
Perhaps it would be better to have included the fact that the safari was private and also state the type of vehicle that would be used to move etc.
We felt that a map would have been useful, showing the client the routes that would be used to get to Masai Mara (and also include a key with a straight line for good roads and jagged line for bumpy roads, so that the client understood the length of time that would be spent on bumpy roads). This map would have been especially useful for the Lake Nakuru leg of the journey since we didn't understand that we would spend 6 hours getting there. We were happy to have seen it, as we spotted the black rhinos and the other rhinos up close, but to be honest, if we knew it would have been an additional 6 hours in the van, we might not have chosen this option.
It would also be useful to print 2 copies of the itinerary, one for the client and one for the driver. We only had one copy which the driver lost and as a result, we ended up wasting time on our already short stay at Nakuru because we tried to check in to the wrong resort.
Other than these very simple recommendations, we would certainly suggest using Magical Destinations when planning your safari in Kenya. Angelina also provided many options for activities in Mombasa!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent attention and bespoke travel experience
In planning for a trip one year out, I 'interviewed' US, European, and African travel companies. Matthys of Discover Africa listened to what I wanted to accomplish for the group of 10, was willing to make changes and make better suggestions than the ones I had, and did so at a price point that could not be beat. That was all pre-departure. Once the trip started, Matthys' knowledge of his country and his understanding of our group and my desires as a group leader, showed up in the stunning lodgings he selected (locations, services, and amenities), the activities he had planned and suggested, and his partnership with Ilios as a guide and transport service in many of the places we visited. I was the only one of the 10 who had been to Africa and because of the professionalism, creativity, and individual attention that Matthys gave to us, the others are all ready to return with friends and families - and to use the excellent services of Discover Africa. Many thanks, Matthys and team!