35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lawrence was very knowledgeable and helpful
Our tour guide Lawrence was the best. He knew the times certain animals would be at certain locations. We had a modern vehicle with A/C and a giant removable roof. There was plenty of space for our group to stand to view and take pictures. We saw an assortment of animals from lions, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, black and white rhinos, crocodile, hippo, baboons and hyenas. At no time did it feel unsafe. Next time we go to Nairobi this will be one of our first stops.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Guide, great value!
We had an amazing trip from Nairobi via masaai mara, lake Nakuru, and Amboseli, ending in Mombasa. Before the during the trip Mateo travel and adventure were very quick to respond to any questions and requests we had about booking confirmation, travel around Kenya etc.
Our guide Gordonne was so knowledgeable along the animals and we saw more than we could have dreamed of! After he realised we weren't just there to tick animals off he spent long watching the less exciting animals on our request.
Our only minor issue was the comfort of the truck between the national parks as we are both over 6ft and had to bend over to see out of the window (Not an issue in the parks with the roof open. But seeing as they are priced much lower than most tours out the of the same length we can't complain!
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good!
It was a wonderful trip. It was the first time I went out of Asia and came to Africa. I experienced the wildness of Africa and overturned many of my perceptions. I saw many animals that I had only seen on TV before, such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, hyenas, jackals, baboons, warthogs, many kinds of antelopes, and various birds. I witnessed wildebeests crossing the river, baboons fighting, cheetahs drinking water, etc., and realized the preciousness of life. It was a great experience.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Christna make safari food is Delicious and Juli’s is safe driver and guide
I am Chinese and have lived in Bali for ten years. My English is average. When asking for price, I usually ask "How much" and then press the calculator. Everlasting is a local tour operator in Africa. They use receipts for sales transactions. They don't sign contracts. In fact, most overseas local tour operators don't sign contracts. It's OK to give receipts. Therefore, it is recommended to buy insurance before traveling. The important thing is not the contract, but whether the person you choose to connect with is reliable. At least that's what I think. Everlasting's sales Goldlisen responded to messages very quickly. I am also a practitioner in the tourism industry. His response, professionalism and just what I need: simple, cheap, stay in Serengeti for two more days and take me to the Mara River for two laps. So I paid a deposit of 100$ directly on the website. The landing was also very smooth. It's just that Goldliscen. Next time the customer pays you, if you have a receipt, you can take a photo of the receipt and send it to the customer. I am actually quite worried that you will run away, hahaha. I left on August 10-15. The driver was Julis, a part-time guide. Every time we arrive at a national park, we will stop the car first and tell the animals and stories of the park. Only after everyone understands it, will we drive in. The car speed on the road is not fast, and they are very active in helping us find animals. They accompany us to watch the sunset in Serengeti. Although we started to unload our equipment and set up tents when we returned to the camp, we are really grateful that they are willing to stop the car on the road to accompany us to watch the sunset. The sunset on August 12 and the sunrise on August 13 are unforgettable. The chef's name is Christna, a very professional little brother. Every time he cooks, he will wear a chef's hat, hahaha. The pineapple pizza is still delicious when I think about it now. But it was disliked by my Italian teammates, hahahaha. The food for a few days of Safari is the most delicious food I have eaten in Africa for 15 days. I am not sure whether my itinerary of staying in a tent in the camp will be suitable for everyone. But I think at least you can contact Goldliscen to inform him of your needs and ask him to help arrange it. By the way, ask if the guide and chef can invite Julis and Christan. Hahahaha. I'm in Bali, say hello. THX Goldliscen&Julis&Christna
(automatic translation from Chinese)
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exellent Experience
Thanks very much for this arrangement. My family and I are very satisfied.
The guide is very patient. The accommodation and meals far exceeded expectations. Each of us even gained two catties!
I will recommend Kale to all my friends!
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very quick response and nice to help with everything we asked!
The whole trip is well-organized. The accommodations and plan of Safari are very extremely wonderful. Our driver, Aminiel who is very warm-hearted and gentle. The long journey is very meaningful to see so many animals!!! We would definitely recommend this company to our friends.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing :D
I'm not usually one to write reviews, but my experience with Wild Pride was so excellent I'm changing that.
My husband and I decided to go all-out for our first extended vacation overseas in many years and went with the Ultra Luxury Tanzania/Zanzibar itinerary that Wild Pride offered. When doing our research, we were actually a bit concerned that the reviews might be fake since they were all 5 stars, but we learned quickly it's because the team at Wild Pride really is that good! During the planning process Lilian was responsive, patient, and helpful.
We arrived to Kilimanjaro Airport and were greeted by our guide, Rama, who drove us to our hotel. Goodluck met us at our hotel reception area and checked us in. They both gave us a rundown of our itinerary, a safety briefing, and surprised us with some hospitality gifts. Rama met us the next morning and took us to Lake Manyara, where his skills immediately shone. We were very impressed; he was able to point out nearby wildlife that other cars in front of us drove past and within a few minutes on the trail we saw our first of the Big Five thanks to him! After Lake Manyara, we went to Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti. We were very lucky to see the big 5 on our trip, plus some other sightings of animals like cheetahs, servals, and secretary birds.
Throughout the trip, Rama was very professional, friendly, knowledgeable, and kind. He was good about making stops along the way for us to take breaks from the bumpy ride and browse for souvenirs.
A few things to note that didn't affect my opinion of Wild Pride but are still worth mentioning:
* Apply for visas online ahead of time if you can; the process at Kilimanjaro Airport was lengthy
* We had a few challenges with wiring money over, but it ended up working out
* If you have a layover in another country where yellow fever is a problem, make sure you either have immunization records or your layover is under 12-hours long
* Make sure passports are more than 6-months from expiration date
Overall, our experience was fantastic and I'd definitely recommend. Thanks so much for the memories, Wild Pride Safaris!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely helpful - and patient with all our questions
This was a trip of a lifetime! I will add that the touring company is a key component of that. Our guides were experienced and highly knowledge of the wildlife, as well as the history of the area - and knew their way around. Our route started in the north by the Mara River for the Wildebeest crossing - then central Serengeti - then to Ngorongoro crater. We saw all the big five, 2 leopards, and 41 lions. We were unable to find a cheetah - but saw some smaller cats (can’t remember the name). Africa is a beautiful place and you will be very pleased with Tanzania Choice and the experience of their guides. Other helpful hints - bring binoculars and an animal guide book. The guides have them but much easier to have your own.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unscripted Safaris planned an amazing and wonderful adventure for us
Recently completed an 8 day Kenyan safari with Unscripted Safaris and it was nothing short of amazing. Our guide, Jeremy, was recommended by friends who took a tour with him last year. Jeremy was absolutely exceptional. He was friendly, very nice, and most importantly safe and respectful of the parks, the animals and surroundings.
All of the accommodations booked by Unscripted were wonderful. Location, service, and food were really great at all of them.
Jeremy was patient and answered tons of questions we asked him about the animals, people, and places we were visiting and was more than happy to stop for us to take thousands of pictures.
Finding a safari company to go with can be daunting because there are so many, but if you book with Unscripted Safaris, you are in great hands and in for a wonderful adventure!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nightmare experience, never delivered on promises
Update: I previously removed this review because Mataro threatened to withhold the refund of our deposit per his policy if I didn't remove it. We came to an initial agreement about a payment plan for the >$3,000 he owed us over the course of two months. We provided all necessary details to him for payment, but were ultimately not paid when the due date arrived. Instead we were met with additional excuses and a lack of any urgency in resolving the payment owed to us. All I can say is I'm disappointed, disappointed in Mataro and myself for falling for this. We will be working with Trip advisor and other companies to attempt to have his business de-listed as it's evident we are not the first to have had this experience. I'm completely confused as to how he's ever gotten any positive reviews. See my previous review below.
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I wish I could give negative stars. My wife and I, along with our four friends, had the misfortune of dealing with Friends Of Africa Family Safaris Ltd. We originally chose to book with Mataro because he came highly recommended by two of our friends who had previously traveled with him. While they generally had an okay experience and spoke highly of the safari guides, they did share some concerns once our own issues began to surface. For instance, they mentioned that when they arrived, they were put into an enclosed van—not a proper safari vehicle—which then got stuck and had to be pushed. No other reputable tour operators would put guests in such unsuitable conditions.
Despite these warning signs, we moved forward, only to find ourselves entangled in an even worse situation. What started as a promising interaction quickly turned into a nightmare after we paid over $6K in December as a 20% deposit. Mataro, who had been very responsive before payment, suddenly became evasive, offering only vague assurances that everything was ‘under control.’ But as we later discovered, nothing could have been further from the truth.
The Lies and Deception:
Fake Confirmations: Despite numerous requests, Mataro failed to provide actual booking confirmations. When I directly contacted one of the lodges, they had no record of our reservation—even though Mataro insisted everything was booked. He even tried to convince me to stop contacting the hotels, saying I was 'confusing people' and not 'trusting him.'
Manipulative Excuses: When I questioned why we hadn’t received confirmations or why he claimed certain accommodations were booked when they weren’t, he responded with manipulative tactics. He accused me of trying to do his job and insisted I was the problem for not trusting his process. This, despite repeatedly catching him in lies.
Unprofessional Behavior: In one instance, Mataro claimed he had booked three rooms instead of the four we required, blaming my wife for allegedly changing the request—an outright lie that he later backtracked on. He never took responsibility, and instead of fixing his mistakes, he became increasingly difficult to reach, often ignoring my messages or delaying his responses with more excuses.
Failure to Refund: When it became clear that Mataro had no intention of delivering on his promises, we canceled our trip in early May. Despite his own policy stating a refund within 90 days, those 90 days have come and gone with nothing but more excuses. He even tried to claim he needed more time, despite having made no payments to the hotels on our behalf. It’s evident he never planned to return our money and has continued to string us along with empty promises.
Final Warning:
After dealing with months of stress, deception, and outright lies, I can confidently say we believe this company is a complete scam. In our experience, Mataro is a manipulative fraudster who has no qualms about taking your money and offering nothing in return. The level of unprofessionalism and dishonesty is staggering. If you value your money and your peace of mind, stay far away from Friends Of Africa Family Safaris Ltd. This man will take your deposit and leave you with nothing but frustration and broken promises