NL
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very pleasant and professional to organise the safari
We had a very nice safari to Amboseli Parc, lots of animals and with fine accomodation. It was arranged smoothly and at very short notice, Paul was a very reliable and safe driver cum guide. All was efficiëntly discussed and organised by Alfred and his staff. Thanks to Bencia Adventures.
PK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
One hell of a experience
Everything was well taken care off.jackson our tour operator was always punctual, accomodating and warm.
Our tour spanned 8 days ans we covered a lot uganda has to offer.jackson with his contacts made everything hassle free
We came in a group of 4 friends,After our tour ended i can confidently say we left as 5 friends
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mansoor was excellent in every way--friendly, accommodating, knowledgeable, and a great driver!
My brother and I did a custom safari tour and gorilla treking with Golden Rwanda Safaris and I cannot reccomend it strongly enough! Frank (the owner) was great--he was communicative by email and WhatsApp and we were even able to speak to him over the phone (wifi call via WhatsApp). I must admit we were a bit nervous when we had to wire money to a stranger in another country but Frank stayed in constant communication with us and really delivered on everything he said he would. Also i will say that at first we thought it was a bit expensive, but after the experience I must admit that it was a great value and I definitely got my money's worth!!
Here is a breakdown of what we got for our price (about 5000 per person):
A driver who picks you up from the airport and drives you around to all your places (basically a personal chauffeur), nice(!!) hotel accommodations for 8 nights where either all or some meals included, gorilla permit (when we went these cost about 1500 per person), and park entrance fees. Here is what we did on our trip:
When we arrived, we were met at the airport by our guide, Mansoor. He drove us to our first hotel in Kigali which was one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed (Serena-breakfast included). The next day Mansoor drove us around Kigali where we visited the genocide museum and some local markets. The next day Mansoor drove us into the mountains to do our gorilla trekking and we stayed at the beautiful 5 volcanoes lodge (all meals included here). The next morning we hiked into the rain forest and literally hung out with a family of gorillas for an hour--it was incredible!!!! When we got back to the hotel the porters took off our gators and our shoes and rubbed our feet!!!!!!! I don't know if you'll get this service too but man...and I think they have other massage and spa treatment you can pay for as well. The next day we drove to Akagera park and went on a sunset boat ride on one of the lakes in the south, which was nice (and included in price). We stayed at ruziza lodge which was beautiful, but right on the water which means it was a little buggy (bring mosquito repellant!). Here all meals were included. Then we moved north through the park towards our next hotel, the kerenga bush camp looking for animals along the way. Along the way we picked up a field guide (not included--120$ for 3 days) Sandrine and she was amazing!!! She was super knowledgeable about the park and she spotted so many animals that we definitely would have missed otherwise. Over the course if 3 days in the park we saw many animals including 4 if the "big 5": Buffalo, rhino, lion, and elephant (we did not see any leopards). We also saw tons of giraffes, zebras, hippos, and antelope, and we even saw a crocodile and a black mamba snake (from the safety of our safari truck!) All meals were included at kerenga bush camp including a packed lunch when you're on safari! We also went on a really cool night safari (also included!). Afterwards Mansoor drove us back to Kigali for the night, them dropped us at the airport to catch our flight home.
This was the trip of a lifetime and worth every single penny I spent (including all the tipping...be ready for that and don't be stingy!!)
One last thing I will say: everybody we met: our driver Mansoor, Frank, all the staff at every hotel or restaurant, the guides and and trackers on every trek or safari, everbody was super super friendly and nice and always made us feel very welcomed and at home. Rwanda is a super special place and I highly reccomend it for everyone to visit and I highly highly highly recommend that you hire Frank's Golden Rwanda Safaris to arrange everything for you! You will not be disappointed!
MX
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A one in a lifetime experience, with a professional, knowledgeable team to guide you
I rarely write reviews, so the fact that I didn't hesitate to write this one speaks a lot about how grateful I am to Golden Rwanda Safaris for one of the best trips I've ever had. Since I was going to Rwanda for work and only learned about it a few weeks in advance, I had a very short time to put together this tour. In just a few days, Golden Rwanda Safaris helped me curate an experience that was exactly what I wanted: canopy walking in Nyungwe (amazing!), climbing a mountain and sitting next to a family of gorillas in Volcanoes National Park (I don't know how Golden Rwanda got me a spot on such short notice, given that there are few permits available in the summer), learning more about Rwandan culture and traditions (I learned how to make banana beer!), and glamping in Akagera Park with hippos just outside my tent. My guide, Soufiani, was extremely professional: always on time, a careful driver, always patient and attentive to my needs, making sure I felt safe and that I was getting the exact experience I wanted (for example: when I told him - mid-trip - that I preferred to spend the night in Ruzizi Tented Lodge instead of another fancier hotel they had booked for me, he immediately made arrangements to make that happen).
It was also very clear to me that Golden Rwanda knows its trade, as they were able to suggest really cool experiences (in addition to those I had in mind), and their choices for accommodation were on point. Also, they constantly requested feedback and asked if there was anything else they could do to make sure I was happy. I can not recommend them enough!!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded Expectations
My wife and I wanted a real celebration of our 35th anniversary so I sent out feelers on our first safari. I found Simon at East African Safari and Touring Company easy to communicate with and he took our desires and suggested an itinerary that seemed perfect for us. James was our guide and he could not have been better. I would highly recommend him. It's hard to appreciate how a dependable and stable vehicle is important but we did not have the slightest hiccup along many miles of pounding dirt roads. Speke Bay Lodge was excellent with a tour of the fishing village with John. Mbalageti Lodge was spectacular and meeting Alexander there was probably the greatest treat of all. He is a very special young man. The Serengeti was next for three days in a tent. Tenting at 62 years of age is quite an experience but those taking care of us worked very hard making our stay as pleasant as possible and our close proximity to the animals could only be described as way beyond my dreams for a spectacular wildlife experience. The animals along the way and driving into the Great Migration was overwhelming. Ngorongoro Crater and staying at the lodge was another experience that was spectacular. Lake Manyara National Park and Tarangire ecosystem just added to the sensory overload of the wealth of animal life. Boundary Hill was beautiful and "Comando" and "Patrick" would do anything for us. A foot trek with our Massai guide "Papa" is not to be missed. Ol Tukai would not have been so rich a time if it were not for the people there taking care of us. Joel was one I became particularly fond of during our time. They really seem to love to sing and a song from them was another highlight. Simon met with us at the end of our trip and asked for our comments. He put us up in a day-room close to Kilimanjaro Airport for a much needed shower and repacking. Everything about the trip can only be that it "Exceeded My Expectation".
PS. I read so much about crime that I was a little freaked but found that my health and safety were always watched out for and the hearts of the people in the places we visited were more righteous that any I have ever met. I knew the animals would be spectacular but I was not expecting the people to impact me so profoundly.
Awesome!
First the bad news: the flights (usually at least 3) are endless and exhausting; for most mortals; for most mortals, the prices are painful; getting up at 5:30 every morning is not my idea of pleasure; and there are mosquitoes.
The good news is that the wildlife and the vistas more than compensate for the long flights, the high prices, the early rising and the occasional itch. The wildlife is forever changing from camp to camp and from day to day. You experience the wildlife with an electrifying, personal immediacy - - - without the distraction of competing vehicles that mar game viewing in much of southern Africa.
After three separate visits to Botswana and stays at some 10 different camps, we have come to prefer the smaller (perhaps 12 guests) and less luxurious camps.
We are too old to enjoy roughing it, but jacuzzis seem out of place to us. We also prefer for a longer time at fewer camps, getting more familiar with the locale, the local wildlife and the guide.
The photography is wonderful, but it can be a distraction. From time to time, the distracting camera should be put back in its bag while you just breathe in deeply and try to absorb the scene around you. Another photographic distraction might best be described as 'lens envy". There is always someone at your camp with a longer, faster lens. The pricey equipment makes sense for professionals and serious bird-watchers, but most of the game is so large or gets so close that lugging a $5,000 is no necessary.
The pleasures of Botswana reflect the commitment of the government, the camps and their skilled staff to sound, protective care of the environment and the creatures in it.
I cannot recommend this brilliant value-for-money Tour Operator enough!
I approached Safari Hub as a female travelling by myself. I wanted to visit Tanzania, its amazing national parks and photograph the wildlife. They were extremely helpful, well-organised, brilliant-value-for-money and very safety-conscious. I can highly recommend their 'weekly departure safari' aka the Tanzania Highlight Safari. The price they quoted was substantially better than any other tour operator that I spoke to. I had an absolutely incredible experience and was able to take some amazing photos…including ones of the big 5. I will definitely be using them again. Thank you Safari Hub!!!!!!
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful days in Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro
The company is trustworthy. Joseph - the driver/ guide also the owner of the company was very well informed about animals, nature and he was very helpful, honest and competent guy and the most important very caring and friendly person. Thanks to him I discovered the beauty of Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. He was so patient and always stoped when I wanted to take pictures. He offered binoculars when animals where far and if I didn't know some animals he always described it with details and showed informations in his books. Thanks a lot Jo for wonderful safari time!
EE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic safari
Me and two friends of mine booked the safari in July 2016 for a 6 days tour with Siafu Tanzania Safaris. Emmanuel was super nice and he organized for us a fantastic tour. Our driver/guide was super good and professional. The food during the journay was very good! We were able to see all the animals (Big 5) we were supposed to see during the tour. Nothing has gone wrong and everything was excellent. We would recommend them.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing game viewing
Did a 3 night, 4 day safari in October and loved it. I signed up to it on my own, and there was just one other person on the trip so it was a very private and personal experience. We did the basic camping safari. Tents are provided and put up for you prior to you arriving at the campsite. You have 2 members of staff - a chef and a guide. Guide is brilliant at spotting wildlife and very knowledgeable. Chef really impressed me with the food. There was always an abundance of it so you never go hungry.
We were originally due to go to Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorogoro but at the last minute our guide changed from Lake Manyara to Tarangire as he'd heard that the wildlife wasn't very good in Lake Manyara for a few days prior - so they always try to take you to the best places. When in the parks, the guides all speak to each other so you have a higher chance of viewing wildlife.
In the Serengeti & Ngorogoro crater, the campsites are really wild. Often, lions and other wildlife walk through the campsites. I found this very scary when sleeping in the tent!
Saw incredible things, the only thing we didn't spot was the black rhino but they are very rare. Managed to see a cheetah really close up which was probably the highlight. An abundance of elephants and giraffes. Lions eating a zebra and fighting. Plenty of wildebeest. Everything was incredible.
Also, Richard (who runs the company) will really look after you. Even while not on safari, he set up a good hotel the nights either side, and helped me get into Arusha town by taxi and showed me how to get back. He will help you with any questions at all.