US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beatiful Tanzania
It was enjoyable safari to Tarangire Park then Ngorongoro Crater; our Tour Guide was full of energy, knowledgeable and knows the park and crater, with a very good communication skills. 90% met expectation by being able to see four (rhino, lion, elephant and buffalo) of the big five
CZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Best of all safari holiday
We fly to Africa with friends almost every year. We visited Kenya, Uganda, northern Tanzania and southern Tanzania this year. We contacted several tour operators, but because we have demanding requirements, we were not satisfied with offers. Finally, we found Msafiri Travels. Very shortly, we had a program from them and were excited. Upon arrival at our hotel waiting for the owner Msafiri Travels, everything she explain us in detail and described. Safari was amazing, we had a great driver and cook. Accommodation on the banks of the River Ruaha is unforgettable, nature, Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Mikumi and Selous ...... Animals were anywhere near us, just wonderful. Just a pity that we have not seen hunting dogs, so next time :-) For us it was the best vacation and up again the next time we go to Africa, so only with this travel agency.
Fantastic Kilimanjaro climb with It Started in Africa
We had really a great time in Tanzania, safari was absolutely perfect but the biggest adventure and most amazing time for us was the Kilimajaro climb. At the National Park gate it was told us, that my son, Laborc Gellért SZEMETI is the youngest one, who ever climbed Kilimanjaro via Lemosho route. (He was born 11.10.2002 so he was only 10 years old when he reached the summit in July 2013)
We were very satisfied with the company and arrangements. I would like to highlight, that we were even surprised, how efficiant their staff were, when my friend's mobile phone was stolen (after the Kilimanjaro trek by a porter from another company), so they could find it and my friend got it back after our safari. Staff was really friendly and helpfull, food was great, everithing was ok.
I would like to highlight, that we were satisfied and happy.
The Kilimanjaro experience was really good for my son. Especially thanks for your guide and of cours, the whole team, including Mr. Limo, who was very kind with us. Greetings to him as well!
Thanks again & I wish you and your team members all the best!
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3 days in Masai Mara
John organised a short but excellent 3 days game view in Masai Mara from Nairobi. Great organisation and nice people.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Had an amazing day with Craig from Pilanesberg Safaris!
We went on a one-day safari to Pilanesberg with Pilanesberg Safaris. Craig was our guide. I recommend to go game viewing with them to everyone. We had an amazing day! Craig knew so much about the whole area, the history and the animals. He was able to spot animals that we would have missed completely, or seen much later. Even though this was just one day (roughly from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. in the park), we saw white rino, elephant, hippo, giraffe, jackal, hyena, kudu, buffalo, wildebeest, tsessebe, warthog, impala, and loads of smaller animals.
This was a day to never forget! When I'm in South Africa again, I will definitely go back. I spent just 2 weeks in Johannesburg for businness, and had only one weekend to go sightseeing. I contacted them on Friday, and could arrange everything quickly for the following Sunday. It was just me and my colleague with Craig, so we had every opportunity to ask questions. He could answer all of them. No matter how many photos I made, he always stopped. Even the smallest details were pointed out, like dung beatles, little birds, how to read the behaviour of the animals, or how to see the difference between old/young or male/female animals.
Thanks for this awesome day, Craig!
BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
No specific safari tour booked, but very happy with the tours experienced with Matoke !
Although we didn't book an specific safari, but a round trip in Uganda, Matoke took us through several National Parks where we tracked gorillas and chimps, took part in an evening game safari, experienced safaris during the day with our small busses and also made some boot safaris on the Nile and several lakes! Well organized and wide enough to experience most wildlife in Uganda.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A good budget safari
I was glad to get hooked up with World Tours and Safaris since I was a single woman traveling alone. Richard was helpful in getting ancillary services arranged, and putting me with a nice group of fellow travelers. We had a wonderful driver and cook, both Aron and Musa did a great job of taking care of us. The safari portion of the trip was so much more than I had expected, I would have to give that section of the trip 5 stars. The physical accoutrements were rudimentary, but that was expected since this was a budget safari. Our only questionable experience was with figuring the tips. All of us wanted to tip our driver and cook well, but felt their expectations were much more than what we were was told was customary. That is not to say they didn't deserve a good, even, generous tip, but most of us had not budgeted an extra $100 for each person in our group, for each of them. Personally, I would rather pay more upfront, and not have the uncomfortable situation arise at the end of the trip, though I realize this is not the typical method of operation in Africa. All in all it was a great trip; we saw lots of animals, had a good time, and didn't get eaten by lions. LOL. Many thanks to Richard, Aron and Musa for making it happen. P.s. Tell Musa carrot sandwiches are not a favorite. HA.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Sun Safaris (especially Natasha Allan, Cape Town) are friendly and professional.
I have recently returned from paradise (Okavango Delta, Botswana) and my thanks to Sun Safaris for their excellent service in providing the booking and all the information that made my trip so easy. I stayed in three different Ker & Downey camps, Okuti, Kanana and Shinde, flying by light aircraft between each camp. All perfectly arranged by my travel consultant, Natasha Allan, Sun Safaris, Cape Town. The camps are wonderful, the staff are so happy and the game drives so rewarding. I will have to go again and I will certainly be more than happy to book once again with Sun Safaris.
AT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A very professional and experienced travel agent with good individual suggestions
After our very good experience with Sun Safari in 2007 and 2009 we came back again in 2014 for our trip to Namibia and South Africa. Brett Thomson and his Team listend to our basic ideas and came up with professional suggestions, e.g. substitution of long driving distances with light aircraft transfer. To follow this was the best decision - a great experience to see Namibia from the air. Also all recommended lodges were outstanding and fits perfectly to our needs. The communication via email was very pleasant and with short response times. We really can recommend this agency to all travellers with individual wishes. You can be sure that your vacation is in best hands.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Mdonya Old River Camp, bushlife at its best
Mdonya, bushlife at its best.
Knowing our expectations and our desire to find interesting spots to make great pics, Matoke Tours adviced us to stay at Mdonya Old River Camp.
If you are looking for an authentic bush experience, don't look further ... Mdonya has it all. At Mdonya the impossible is made possible.
After more than 10 African safari's and having visited even more camps, lodges,..., our stay at Mdonya was a blast!
It was our second stay in Ruaha, which is one of the best remote wildlife parks we have ever been to, and this time it exceeded our expectations once again. Ruaha, same size as Switzerland and one hour and a half bushplane flight away from Dar Es Salaam is one of the parks that is least invaded by tourists in Tanzania and is known for its density of wildlife including several packs of Wild Dogs.
We arrived at the end of the dry season and we had a marvelous stay.
First of all, the Mdonya camp itself is so authentic that you imagine yourself being Dr Livingstone. The Camp is composed of 12 authentic bushtents. No electricity inside but candles, petroleum lamps and comfortable beds. The toilet and shower are located outside the tent. The dinner area is just a big long wooden table under the African sky. But heck, what else do you need? The reception area does have a charging station (to charge your batteries, phones,...). Life at Mdonya is mainly spent in the open air which is beautiful! The food is fantastic. You taste the Italian "cucina" mixed with the finest African delicacies.
The camp is completely focused on pleasing its guests. That is the sole mission of superb camp manager Mary and her staff. Whether you want the standard gamedrives in the morning or in the evening or whether you want to go on a full day gamedrive, everything is possible. We did a fullday gamedrive every day, got breakfast in the bush and got lunch in the bush. Every day, we left before dawn and arrived back at the camp after sunset . We never heard a complaint from our overtired driver or guide. Neither did we get a remark from the camp manager that we had spoiled too much fuel. :-)) Not to mention that the on-the-go meals were mouthwatering! Living life to the fullest!
Ruaha is a national park but the area where Mdonya is situated offers the opportunity to go offroad if something interesting is spotted. We arrived at the end of the dry season, meaning that all wildlife was concentrated around the few waterponds in the dried out riverbeds (the Mwagusi & Ruaha river) which was the sign for OMG sightings during our whole stay. We saw at least 7 different Lion prides. One pride had cubs, the other one had killed a giraffe 30 minutes before we arrived, another one had killed a baby elephant just minutes before we arrived, another one did an attempt on a herd of buffalo's,... Every day we saw lions and not just passive ones but the very active ones. A real photographic peak! Apart from that we saw the rare sable antilopes and bat-eared foxes, hyena,elephants, giraffes, impala, gazelles, duikers, dik dik's and more than 20 different birds of prey (Martial Eagle, Fish eagle, Verreaux eagle owl, tawny eagle, ...). But the real highlight of our journey was the "live" kill of a leopard that we followed during a few days and that killed a baby impala just in front of us. What an experience! Every night, satisfied and well-fed, we fell asleep accompanied by the sound of roaring lions or hyena calls.
Unfortunately, we did not see Wild dogs and the Tse Tse flies - especially in the Jongomero area - were annoying, but these were only a minor inconvenience in what was overall a truly fantastic trip.
For more reports, movies or pictures, please watch our website wildlifebrothers.com. More to come soon!