65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Dee Francis
Apart from seeing bamboos, there wasn't much other sightings of animals
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by Anil Kumar
The lake is getting deeper and bigger with every passing year, making it more salty and less desirable for flamingoes. Almost half of flamingoes have started going to other nearby lakes, trees in and around the lake are dying. The only positive thing is the population of Rhinos is growing and you can see them early in the morning from close range.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Charlie
Thick bush that makes it difficult to see many animals. Also very small park.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Amboseli National Park by Keith Jacquard
The area is in a severe drought, it was sad to see the amount of dead and dying animals.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Halee
Being a popular tourist destination it’s hard to enjoy the sightings as there are marred by the dozens of other vehicles maneuvering for the best shot. This takes away from the wild element unless you’re the first vehicle to spot the animal. But the changing landscapes are breathtaking, especially for sundowners or morning coffee in the bush.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by Tara
Lake Nakuru is a great spot but you're limited to what you can see because the roads don't go very far into the bush. We saw tons of monkeys, rhinos, flamingos, giraffes and other birds. Masai Mara is hard to beat once you've experienced it.
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari, terrible management
Our safari with "It Started in Africa" could not have started in a worst way... We had booked a 5-day safari in Serengeti and Ngorongoro (plus 2 nights in Arusha, one before the safari, and one after it). When we arrived at Tanzania we had to pay the remaining 60% of the safari. A driver took us from the airport to our hotel in the outskirts of Arusha and told us that a representative of the company would visit us at the hotel for giving us a briefing and for telling us at what time would the guide pick us the next morning.
At dinner time no one had appeared, so we sent an email to the company using the WiFi of the hotel. They apologized and told us that there was a problem with the person that had to visit us, but that the next morning at 8 a.m. the guide and a representative of the campany would appear at the hotel so we could pay the remaining amount directly to him/her and start our safari right at that moment.
The next morning only the guide appeared. No apology and no explanation given. He took us to the office in the center of Arusha and we payed the remaining amount. While we were at the office, I saw by chance that the accommodation that we had chosen for the Serengeti was not the same that was written on the paper that was given to our guide. We had chosen Serengeti Heritage Migration Camp (not the Serengeti Heritage Seronera Camp), but they had changed it for Ndutu Savannah Camp. When we asked why, the office employee just told us that "it was better". As Ndutu Savannah Camp was not even an option for accommodation when we booked the safari, we had no idea if this was true, so we had to accept it and continue the trip.
Based on our stay and the internet reviews, now I can say that Ndutu Savannah Camp was of similar category that the one we had chosen, and that the location was probably better. But we spent the whole first day thinking that we were being scammed, because no one had tolds us that our accommodation had been changed, and we only learned it by chance.
Our guide (Elia) was good but maybe not great. He is a polite and nice person, a careful driver and a very experienced guide. He always found the perfect spots for wildlife watching and he was probably more experienced than most of the other guides. Also, one day, while we were returning to our accommodation, he saw some lions and we stopped to watch them. After some waiting, we watched a hunting scene while he patiently waited. Finally, we arrived at our accommodation almost 2 hours later than the agreed time, and he never complained.
On the negative side, he is not the most talkative person. When he sees an animal, he usually just points at it and says one or two phrases. If you want to know some details, you always has to ask. Not a big deal for us, but may be for others. Also, on the Ngorongoro day, when we asked him about the lunch inside the crater (as was clearly written in the contract). He said that it was not possible because of the 6-hour permit (we have passed the entrance gate at 7:15 a.m. approximately, so we had to leave before 1:15 p.m.). We asked him to have our lunch in the viewpoint outside the crater instead, but he said that it was not possible either, because we had to leave earlier. After finishing watching the wildlife of the crater, we passed the exit gates at 11:50 a.m., with more than hour left before the permit expired, and we had lunch on our way back to Arusha. Again, not a big deal, but then, why does the company write it in the contract if there is no easy way for the guide to comply with it?
Before returning to the hotel in Arusha, we were taken to the office to fill a customer survey about the guide and the jeep, while the guide and one office employee looked over our shoulders. Not the most comfortable moment of our safari. Also, as we were in the office, we asked at what time would the driver pick us the next morning to take us to the airport. No one knew that we had already booked the transfer, even as it was written in the contract, so they arranged the transfer at that moment.
While we were accommodated at Ngorongoro, a manager (Silvia) called me by phone to tell us that he wanted to meet us in Arusha. We thought that maybe she wanted to explain to us the problems previously described. After arriving at the hotel in Arusha, our guide told us that she would visit us at the hotel. Again, at dinner time no one had appeared, so we sent an email to the company. They apologized again but no explanation was given. We left Tanzania the next morning but she did not appear.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari
The drivers were very nice, and the team very helpful. I wish you could have been less in the car, because we were coming from a 14 hours flight, plus the time difference. I had a child with me, so he was exhausted. Rather than that it was perfect, I wish I could have stayed longer, and I will definitely come back. Thank you for this memorable moment.
CY
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Regina Ioannou
Hard to judge after having seen Serengeti.
Ngorongoro Crater Day Trip
We had the best safari looking at the amount of time we had it felt like a lifetime experience and we look forward to coming back in September.