US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome African vacation!
This was my first time using Born Free Safaris and I was very happy how Stephanie took the time to learn my interests then put together a custom vacation/adventure for me. From our conversations before and emails during my trip, as well as calls from BFS local representatives, they made sure that my vacation was what I wanted and everything went as planned. Thanks to Stephanie's knowledge of Africa, she was able to have me stay in great hotels/ safari lodge and suggest activities that she knew I would like. During our conversations I mentioned my interest in conservation so Stephanie gave me the contact info for the local anti poaching unit so I could meet with them and donate supplies for their organization. It was this attention to detail and extra effort to personalize my trip that makes me happy that I trusted Born Free safaris/ Stephanie Levy to plan my African vacation.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Adventure of a lifetime
Our first ever trip to Africa went above and beyond our expectations thanks to the catering, assistance and overall service provided by EASTCO. From the initial contemplation stage of visiting Africa to the end of our journey Simon and the team were absolutely fantastic. They developed the perfect itinerary to meet our needs in constraints with; budget, time, destinations and activities. When we received our final itinerary from Simon we couldn’t have been more excited. The only negative we had (our own fault) was booking 8 months in advance and frequently found ourselves excitingly pondering other peoples safari photos, blogs and Facebook pages for the next 8 months.
All members and staff were extremely professional; our driver James was an exceptional guide/driver, easy going, very informative and looked after our every need (including ridiculous questions). Costa was an amazing person and chef; we had three course meals most evenings that were well and truly beyond our expectations. We woke up every morning to the delight of a wonderful cooked breakfast and a beautiful sunrise. Not once on our voyage did we feel unsafe or insecure; the staff members were not only professional towards us, they also acted the same to locals and other tourism operators. For those who have been to Africa will understand how boisterous, chaotic and unorganised a border crossing is, I couldn’t praise Simon and James anymore for making this process stress free and simple.
My hat goes off to Simon for their amazing knowledge and overall professionalism as they suggested two amazing treks that we would have never considered. Trekking with Mountain Gorillas in Biwindi Impenetrable National Park and trekking with chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park. These two adventures were absolutely remarkable we were fortunate enough to spend a great deal of time within meters of these beautiful creatures.
Walking with Rhinos in the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was an incredible experience especially knowing about the significance of protecting these extraordinary animals and all expenses and donations made at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary go towards conservation within the area. Our time game viewing throughout multiple National Parks in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have supplied me with millions of memories that will last a lifetime.
Our favourite park was Serengeti National Park where Simon relocated our camp last minute to a special campsite among the beautiful Kopje in hope that we would catch a glimpse of the famous annual migration. Not only were we luckily enough to relax in our car viewing the amazing migration with Wildebeest and Zebra as far as the eye can see, right next to the road were a pack of African wild dogs. Once again we thank James not only for his amazing eye, as we would have missed them but also the historical excitement as he saw the dogs and this enjoyment was provided the entire safari. This all seemed to perfect to be true, was just waiting for David Attenborough to commentate in the background. The amazing Migration wasn’t the only beauty of this campsite, at night after dinner we were laying out the front of our campsite admiring a sky full of stars and the frequently suprising shooting star. Something so little which we no longer see from our home but at the same time brought us all together and formed absolute bliss and serenity.
Something I never thought I would have done in my life was White Water Rafting and Bunjee Jumping into the Nile river at Jinja, which was an amazing adrenalin kick (James was in shock that we completed these tasks and to be honest so was I)
Our final nights were slent indulging at Boundary Hill lodge in Tarangire Conservation Area. Our room was perfectly designed and placed among a spectacular escarpment looking over the plains of Tarangire National Park and a perfect resort to conclude our once in a life trip.
I would Just like to thank Simon for the ongoing support, assistance and providing the trip of a life time. Every part of the safari flowed from one great adventure to another, from the numerous day drives, night drives, walks, bike rides, boat trips and treks to the unique accommodation and destinations. We would love to return and will certainly be in contact with Simon to organise our next trip, we strongly recommend EASTCO to anybody looking to enjoy a trip of a life time.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great service!
We did an overnight safari at Murchison Falls National Park in July and were incredibly impressed by the professionalism of Carlos who went out of his way to ensure that we got the most out of our trip. We would definitely use the company again.
BG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exemplary service! Excellent experience!
Both my husband, George, and I would like to extend our many thanks for the exemplary professional service. We simply cannot say enough good words and thanks for our experience. It was a real pleasure to work with you and to travel with our team- Symon (guide), Daniel (cook), and Kata (assistant). (We asked for Symon and Daniel in advance and were so happy to find we were to travel with them). We enjoyed tremendously our 14 day trip including the northern Kenya circuit up to lake Turkana, and then lake Baringo, lake Nakuru, and Maasai Mara. From the time of the booking to the very end we had nothing but wonderful experience. Every detail was well thought of and arranged perfectly. We had a Land Rover for the whole trip and unforgettable off-road experience.
We are very well traveled however were very anxious about our trip to Kenya having had already a very bad experience earlier in the year in Tanzania. What a nice surprise - we were not only given all requested as part of our trip but even had things we did not expect- instead of sleeping in a tent in the 1st 10 days of our safary we were taken to great camps every night, had a room and a hot shower. Every one was so friendly and hospitable.
Symon, our guide and driver, was amazing. He is extremely knowledgeable, experienced, attentive, entertaining, friendly, level-headed, and very dependable. We loved any single moment spent with him. He is an awesome guide who simply loves his job, and gives everything from himself to assure best clients' experience. There wouldn't be a signle question unanswered. He has a great sense of humor and unbeatable way of telling stories (many stories and all inetersting). What amazing time at the dinner table every night. He was also quite patient (especially with the many pictures George was taking) and would always go an extra mile for client's satisfaction. Thank you, Symon, we were lucky to have you as a guide and we liked you so much.
Daniel was a great cook, preparing always tasty and diverse food. Every time I would say that was too much food he would answer "no, no, just a little bit. Hakuna Matata". And his pancakes...they were to die for. Soup, salads, potatoes - all so much delicious, and always presented in a great way.
All in all - we had one in a lifetime experience and loved it all. We would highly recommend Australken and our team to other customers. We would go back to Kenya in a heartbeat. THANK YOU AGAIN FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS FOR EVERYTHING.
Polina & George
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best company ever!
I have always wanted to go on a safari. I previously tried to book a trip and it was not successful. Two years later I came across SeeMore Safaris and Adventures and decided to try one last time to book my dream trip. Much to my surprise they offered way more than just your average trip. They are very knowledgable about the details and make sure they know exactly what your desires are before even starting the planning portion. Having someone from Tanzania, that knows all the details and speaks both languages, really put my mind at ease when booking my trip. The professionalism and friendliness created the most perfect environment for me to relax and really think about what would be the most fulfilling trip for me. Their services go beyond your average customer service. I felt right at home and booked my trip the first time visiting them. The safari itself was amazing!!! I highly recommend using their services if you are looking for a once in a lifetime experience with extraordinary customer service! Thanks again for making one of my dreams come true!
FI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5-day safari trip (Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire).
We had planned a 5 day long safari. The prize was the best available. Arrangements were also good. We would begin our safari after visiting Mwanza. We would have to pay entry fees only once.
Organizer
The Organizer Mobutu offered a very good price for the safari. At first we were doubtful. Could someone offer a good safari trip so cheaply? Finding out that he was actually an old schoolmate of our internship supervisor Simon Kitereja, we gained the trust and paid most of the services in advance. We had some money transferring problems, but he kindly guided us through several banks and places for us to be able to pay for Ngorongoro and the company services.
Guide
Our guide Samuel was a professional. He knew everything we asked him. He even knew the history of the natural parks. With his eagle eyes he spotted various animals from sleeping lions to road-crossing tortoise.
Only negative thing we can come up with is the fact that our guide and driver got along little too well, sometimes forgetting us clients while talking to each other or on breaks. However, that didn’t happen too many times, and we didn’t miss any animals because of that. Other times he was very good at customer service. He understood our needs.
Cook
Our cook Suddy was truly a professional. The food was amazingly good. The food was also ready in schedule. We never had to spend the precious safari time waiting for food. It was especially unbelievable, how he could turn even the simplest soups into a delicious dish, which we will no doubt miss back in Finland. There was also never too little food. We could never eat everything he prepared for us, as there was so big selection of different things.
Driver
We knew our driver John beforehand. We had full trust on him, being driven around Arusha by him many times before with the Institute car. He was always willing to stop for us to take pictures of the animals and landscapes.
At the end we were tired but happy. It was unforgettable trip. Even the cheapest camping equipment’s were adequate. We can recommend this trip to others as well.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A perfect package of safari experience for Botswana
From the moment we showed our interest in one of the safari tour packages offered by Roho Ya Chui, Ute was very efficient in helping us organize what we had dreamed of. Several questions we asked by e-mail over the first few days were immediately answered in person by her, and it was this responsible reaction which made us decide on the tour rather quickly. Being immediately convinced that we were getting a reliable package with the best itinerary, we didn't even search for any other operators or tours.
The safari trips itself in Botswana (Okavango Delta, Savuti and Chobe) was a succession of unforgettable experiences. Even compared with our previous safari trips in Kenya and Tanzania, this time gave us much more diversified animal and landscape sightings, and we were extremely impressed by the quality of the safari guides offered at each of the camps we stayed. We saw all the animals we wanted to see to our full content (except for a cheetah).
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This was beyond our expectations.
I just want to say this is the best safari have had in a long time, I and my family were very happy with the services of wecam safaris and the driver guide was the best.
Big up to the wecam safaris clue.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Had an amazing travel.
Excellent travel, well coordinated,very good and responsible driver/instructor
NO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I had an excellent hike in Aberdares NP, the crew took good care of me at all time.
I booked online from Norway and the communication was excellent. Everything went as planned. The pickup in Nairobi, luggage store, the hike itself and drop off at friends in Muhoti was preformed as planned. The crew was excellent company during the hike (I was the only client and could easily felt lonely) and took very good care of me. I can recommend Archtreksafaris for others.