IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most gentle and flexible guides
We felt safe and comfortable from the very first moment that William, our safari guide, picked us up at our hotel. Also Isaya has been very kind in helping us before arriving in Tanzania! We booked a 3 days safari but although the shortness of trip, the tour operators made the unpossible to let us see all the animals in one game drive only! Specifically William was super friendly and helped us with everything unrelated with the tour.. we call him as a friend by now.. thank you for making our stay unforgettable!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"Awesome"
My friend and I are back from a 12-day trip with Hekima Safaris - a climb of Kilimanjaro (Lemosho route) and a 5 day safari, with a few rest and travels days mixed in. I can say without any hesitation whatsoever that this was a trip of a lifetime and that we picked the right travel company with which to entrust all of the details.
Picking a travel company for a Kilimanjaro trek requires a leap of faith - they are mostly local companies without any brand recognition. I found Hekima Safaris through my own research, and they quickly won my confidence. The sales manager who fielded my initial inquires, Richard, is simply extraordinary- helpful, thorough, responsive, and professional without being pushy. Long after we committed to this trip, Richard was my primary point of contact, and I am very grateful for all of his help. Every question about everything- packing, logistics, preparation- Richard was my go to person and he always got me the information I needed. Thank you Richard and of course the owner Mopoo (Eli :)!
Our lead mountain guide and his team were likewise excellent- the mountain guides, cooks, porters, you name it- every last person we dealt with excelled at their job and was committed to our safety, well being and comfort every step along the way. Richard and his team did a great job of communicating with us, and likewise keeping the mood upbeat. Make no mistake about it, this is a serious trek, but this team of professionals got us both to the summit and back- we are very grateful for the entire team for leading us through it all!
A tip for those considering this trip- get the private toilet. The public toilets at the campsites and heavily used, potentially a long, cold walk from your tent and generally disgusting. The private toilet is a small price to pay for sanitary conditions.
On the safari, our guide Maulid and Ambrosia was outstanding. They seems to know everything about everything out there! They are very personable and was really committed to making sure they tailored each day to fit our needs. We very much enjoyed his company on the long, bumpy rides across the 3 parks we visited. They are dedication to us on this trip- our safety, comfort and enjoyment- is a tribute to they are skills as guides.
Finally, all of the hotels booked through Hekima Safaris were great, and also a shout out to the drivers who seamlessly transferred us from place to place Ambrosia :-). Hekima has a real 'spirit of customer service' that is evident in every interaction we had with everyone before, during and after the trip.
In closing, I simply cannot say enough good things about Hekima and the trip in general- thanks to everyone who made it happen.
US
Very Poor Service For Amount Paid
The below is my opinion based on my experience with Go2Africa.
Go2Africa was reasonably good at selling the trip to us - good communication and pitching of experiences. That said, I agree with reviewer Anna who mentioned that they withhold information unless you ask them specifically (and in writing) - items such as the specific location of a lodge, whether you need vaccinations, where your pickup will be from (inside airport or after baggage claim).
Once they took our money is where we felt they really fell short of what we feel we paid for. In my opinion, this was made even worse by a lack of care when we reached out to them - both during the trip and afterwards.
A number of issues were encountered, including:
- Hotels forgot to put enough towels for all of our party - we emailed Go2Africa the first time this happened but it kept happening
- We'd booked and paid for a private vehicle for certain safaris but a lodge we stayed at did not know this - we had to awkwardly "fight for it" after our arrival - we feel Go2Africa should have been "on top" of what we had paid for and ensured this didn't happen
- One of our airport pickups was late, and we were left waiting for 15+ minutes outside of the airport
- One of our lodges was over 50 minutes away from the "prime" safari grounds - this was something they never told us when we were booking
- We were told that Go2Africa is a co-owner, co-investor and/or shareholder in another tour operator, called Asilia, they used this provider for parts of our trip (many Asilia cars advertise Go2Africa on their signage). The Asilia representative in one city offered to us, free of charge, a city tour at our next destination. When we arrived in this next city the Asilia team on site had no idea of this offer and, after loading our luggage into their car started awkwardly asking us for money for the tour. This made us very uncomfortable and when we later commented to Go2Africa, all they said was that they would "investigate" - our experience and time was still spoiled
- Go2Africa claimed to have reserved a restaurant for us but when we arrived we found out that the restaurant was closed on the day they said they'd confirmed the reservation for - this cost us valuable time on our tour (they later said their subcontractor should have reconfirmed this when we pushed them for accountability on it)
- They refused to provide any compensation for the issues we encountered and instead were, in my opinion, very defensive about everything that happened (they chose to blame their subcontractors rather than own the issues we encountered)
I personally would not use Go2Africa again, I feel that we paid for a premium experience and service, only to be treated quite poorly once we had paid them. Having awkward moments in foreign countries with tour operators was frustrating.... When paying for a trip, I believe you're paying for an experience. You have limited time during your travel and want to make the most of it. Go2Africa was very unsympathetic to this. I recommend looking at other options before considering Go2Africa.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tour operator arranged a remarkable trip and was very flexible.
I was very happy with our tour. Rickson had excellent communication with us before and during the safari and was flexible to our needs, for example modifying the itinerary after flight was canceled just 2 days prior to start date. Our safari guide Stanley was also top notch - really knowledgeable, pleasant to chat with about animals and Tanzanian culture. Overall I'd strongly recommend World Tours and Safaris Tanzania to those looking for a great safari that will be tailored to your needs, reasonably priced, and with clear, detailed, and rapid communication very step of the way.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable safari tour
Bencia's crew is awesome and will provide you with the best experience you can expect !
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very satisfied
We are very satisfied with our safari. We prepared everything via WhatsApp from France with Alfred. We were staying at Diani Beach and it was me who asked to do the safari in Amboseli to see Kilimanjaro. What I didn't know is that it's actually a 10 hour drive between these two points
(automatic translation from French)
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
professional, fantastic organization and very friendly
thanks to Godfrey, top organization .
we saw all the animals: elephants, giraffes, lions, buffaloes etc
it was a wonderful day.
KW
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing and happy
So i took 3 days safari and masai vellage
it was amazing and fun with lots of cultural exchange the weather was amazing and communication was so good in english and the cars was available even begin the time i really loved the food the price is good for the amount of animals i saw and i highly recommend it
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Honest and providing excellent service
Honestly providing the best service for jungle safari
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The perfect safari tour in Rwanda with a truly unforgettable experience
My Golden Rwanda Safari tour in Rwanda was an extraordinary adventure from start to finish. The communication with Frank was seamless and efficient, ensuring all my questions were promptly answered and my needs were exceeded. The service provided by our guide Mansoor was flawless and staff exceptional, with his deep knowledge and genuine passion enhancing the entire experience. Considering the quality of the accommodations, the expertise of the guides, and the unique encounters with wildlife, the tour offered great value for money. The reliability of the logistics was impeccable, with smooth transitions between different parks and activities. The highlight was undoubtedly the breathtaking moments spent tracking mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, complemented by the stunning biodiversity of Akagera and Nyungwe Forests. This safari tour exceeded all my expectations and left me with unforgettable memories.
Lastly this: everyone single Rwandan we met and interacted with was genuinely interested in providing us the the very best experience and as my daughter put it ‘zero attitude’ !