DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bad service
Service poor, tried to follow up told me they can only refund 60 dollars ,till yet no refund just apologises I been following up .never will I spent my money on them again .try at your own risk ,
LB
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very Professional - Golden Rwanda Safaris
Golden Rwanda Safaris are very professional. They have excellent guides, that are knowledgeable and experienced. They will give you lots of information, and safety is their top priority. Guide Taufique was the best, he was helping other guides in the park as well.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Dream come true!!!
Trekking the mountain gorillas has been a dream of mine since I was a child and Golden Rwanda Safaris exceeded my expectations. I am a solo female traveler and, after speaking to Frank and reading glowing reviews, I had no hesitations about booking this company. I had a female guide, Ingrid, who made sure everything was punctual, safe, and organized. I learned so much about the culture and history of Rwanda from her and she made the trip so special and fun. I was able to spend the first day exploring a bit of Kigali, including the sobering Rwanda Genocide Memorial, which you can’t miss if you travel to Rwanda. The accommodations at Five Volcanoes were luxurious and comfortable and the staff was so kind. I could write a full memoir about the trek itself but suffice it to say that it was genuinely life changing. Spending an hour amongst the gorillas was the single most awe-inspiring experience of my life. Everyone truly cares about the conservation of the environment and these incredible animals, and you can rest assured that all your trekking money goes towards protecting the park. The logistics were all taken care of by Ingrid, who was excited to see me living my dream. Seeing the golden monkeys is also absolutely worth doing – you’re completely surrounded by them and they’re a joy to watch.
Huge thanks to Ingrid and Frank for making this the best Christmas ever – it was worth every penny that I saved. I would recommend Golden Rwanda Safaris a thousand times over to anyone traveling in Rwanda, and plan to book with them again when I return with my mom for more trekking.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beautiful Gorillas, Safari, and Country
I had a really good experience with this tour operator, and had a great guide, Taufique. He always went above and beyond for us, even finding us some of the best fruit in Rwanda, and driving us everywhere. The Gorillas are amazing, the Safari is great, and everything was incredibly smooth even though we booked less than a week before.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional and Friendly!
Our trip (my family) was organized and guided by Golden Rwanda Safari. From the word go...it was conducted in a professional and friendly manner and we had an awesome experience enjoying the wild life and animals of Akagera National Park! The guide made sure we had an amazing trip.
Thank you.
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent expirience
Golden Safari Rwanda they organized everything as best as possible. Taufique's guide is great. He's a great storyteller and drove a jeep. We managed to see many animals and have a great adventure. Super
We saw all but the big game--Lions--up close and it was amazing.
We had won this safari trip at a fundraiser for Room to Read and when we got there we learned that all of the other guests had also come through winning a charity auction from a soccer league to a Providencetown gay support group. while this game reserve was on a much smaller scale than the ones you hear about at Kreuger, Tanzania or Kenya, it was spectacular nonetheless.
Our guides were great in taking us out and finding all sorts of wildlife up close including the buffalos, elephants, wildebeest, zebra herds, giraffes, rhinos, nyalas and other type of antelopes. The waterholes were teeming with all types of animals and birds. We were glad to be in the big safari trucks as a herd of elephants with their babies brushed against the vehicle.
We did a bit of a walkabout behind our guide with a loaded gun as we rousted out several rhinos who were hiding in the bush. Good thing they ran away from us rather than charging.
The lodge was in a beautiful setting with vistas over the entire jungle area. One of the help at the lodge removed a green snake from one of our deck chairs. He didn't say whether it was poisonous or not.
On one evening we had a group of Zulu performers provide dance and singing while we had dinner. The same group plus other were in a made up village like you would find in Disneyworld who showed us some of the activities of daily living including a visit to the shaman, crafts, and cooking, and a bone throwing fortune teller. they also had samples of typical huts you would find in the bush.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Fabulous Mobile Tented Camp Experience with Letaka Safaris
I recently returned from a 10-day mobile tented camp safari in the “bush” of Botswana supplied by Letaka Safaris headquartered in Maun.
Short Version: Fabulous!
Below are details for readers considering participating in a similar adventure. As a senior citizen travel enthusiast with some minor physical limitations I try to share as much information as possible to help you decide if you can participate in a similar experience.
Itinerary: Our official safari started at the airport in Maun, Botswana, with a short flight on a small (10-seater) prop plane to the Xakanaxa airstrip where our guide, “Shaka,” met us with our safari vehicle pulling a trailer to accommodate the luggage for the 7 of us (maximum number per safari with Letaka). The trailer was used every third day as we moved to a new campsite. Our first camp was in the Moremi Game Reserve. We stayed for 3 nights giving us a full two days of game drives in that area. We subsequently stayed 3 nights in the Khwai Community area followed by 3 nights in the Savuti area of Chobe National Park. We concluded our safari with a drive to Kasane, Botswana and a private cruise (just the 7 of us and a guide), for about 2 hours, on the Chobe River.
Because of the long flights and the 6-hour time differential, I chose to leave the USA 3 days before the safari began. The first night was spent on the plane from Washington, DC to Amsterdam. I spent the second night in Johannesburg (at the Sunrock Guest House –review posted) because of a late arrival time from Amsterdam. The next day I flew to Maun, Botswana and spent the third night at Cresta Riley’s Hotel (review posted). This itinerary provided sufficient time to reduce the jet lag so that I had no problems sleeping while on the safari.
Similarly, after the safari, I spent one night in Kasane at the Chobe Bush Lodge (review posted) before transferring to the Avani Victoria Falls Resort (review posted) in Livingstone, Zambia. I spent two nights at the Avani to provide ample viewing time to see the falls before heading home via a 40 hour flight and layover itinerary.
I strongly recommend spending the time and money on the front end of your trip to minimize the discomfort of jet lag. I’ve been on many trips where everyone on the tour bus on day one was asleep!
Accommodations: The tent accommodations on safari were very comfortable (I was traveling solo, so I had a tent to myself). The “ensuite” bathroom area constructed at the rear of each tent was pleasant and comfortable to use. The “long drop” toilets didn’t appear to be problem for any in the group. Daily hot showers provided by the camp staff were enjoyable. The tents had large permanently screened windows that can be left open or covered with a zipped flap as you prefer. The interior had a floor and the bathroom ground area was covered by a water-permeable tarp. In addition, there was a mat for the sitting area and entrance to the tent. A battery powered array of LED bulbs provided sufficient light for normal tent activities, but you still need a headlamp and flashlights (torches) for other camp activities. In June and July, winter in Botswana, the sun sets before dinner and doesn’t rise until after breakfast, so portable and functional personal lighting is a must. Towels were provided, but not washcloths. A clothesline inside the tent was available to hang the towels to dry during the day. Warm water to wash in the morning was provided in a portable wash basin outside each tent. The warm water arrived along with the 5:30am wake up! Once in your tent for the night, you do not venture out again until the fires and lanterns are lit and you get your wake-up call in the morning. Outside our tents, hanging above the portable standing wash basins, was a device with a mirror and pockets to hold toothbrushes, toothpaste and other sundries needed for personal hygiene. A hot water bottle for our bed each evening was very welcome as the temperature dropped into the 40’s (Fahrenheit) during the night. Beds were comfortable and warm. A table was placed in the tent to act as a nightstand or otherwise as needed.
At our first camp, in the Moremi Game Reserve, we had hippos feeding and making noise very close to our tents throughout the night. At the other two camps, at different times, there were fresh tracks of lion, hyena and elephant through our camp. We also heard the territorial warning roar of the local dominant male lion and many other animal sounds during the night. One afternoon, during our “siesta,” an elephant walked past no more than 15 feet behind our tents. These experiences were what I went on the safari for in the first place, so I was perfectly happy and secure. But, you must consider your personal comfort level with the proximity of wild animals to the camps if you are considering doing a similar “bush” safari anywhere in Africa. NOTE: The pictures on the Letaka Safaris web site accurately show the tent accommodations, the safari vehicles and general camp facilities.
FOOD: All meals were cooked over an open fire, but do not be misled. The camp cook performed amazing feats with that cook fire. We had fresh baked breads and cakes and our meals were all wonderful. Breakfast was served at 6 am and consisted of hot drinks, porridge, cereals, toast and the “famous” rusks that are written about in virtually all descriptions of tours to Africa. The rusks are hard biscuits that are meant to be dipped in your coffee (or tea) before biting. We had a mid-morning break in the bush during our game drives which provided hot drinks, biscuits and rusks. Delightful! Lunch usually had a hot item and several other cold items such as salads. The food is very American/European in style with hamburgers and chili being two specific lunch entrees. At 3:30 pm, we had coffee and/or other hot and cold drinks and a cake or pastry to tide us over until dinner. After our snack, we began our afternoon game drive and returned to camp around 7 pm (after dark) for pre-dinner drinks around a campfire followed by a 3-course dinner with starter, entrée and a fabulous dessert. Entrees were restaurant quality beef, chicken or pork dishes with very nice sides including a starch and one or more vegetables or salad. The cook (Alec) went out of his way to always prepare a vegetarian alternative for the one vegetarian in our group. Many of us sampled and enjoyed the vegetarian offerings. Unlimited beer and wine and spirits were available for lunch and dinner. In fact, we had a large battery-powered cooler in the safari vehicle that was always stocked with soft drinks and beer. We also were given a water bottle that we kept filled with filtered water to drink on game drives and in our tents.
Transportation/Game Viewing: The safari vehicle, a modified completely open, except for a canvas roof, Toyota Land Cruiser with snorkel to allow crossing deeper water, was our only transportation from the time of pickup at the Xakanaxa airstrip until drop off in Kasane. We rode in 4-wheel drive mode the entire time until just before reaching Kasane. There are no roads! We traveled on two-track paths defined by multiple passages of similarly equipped vehicles. Sometimes, in pursuit of better viewing or in search of animals we went totally “off road.” Game viewing in this manner, while exhilarating, requires effort as you are constantly bouncing and tipping as well as sometimes dodging branches. If you have back or other physical issues, you should carefully evaluate your ability to participate in this kind of safari. The seats were comfortable, but you must be able to climb to enter the vehicle. Seating positions in vehicle were rotated to give everyone a chance to experience each of the positions. Blankets for each passenger were a welcome addition at the beginning of each morning game drive and at the end of each afternoon game drive. While the temperatures only got down to the 40s F, riding in an open vehicle is very chilly – bring a warm layer, like a fleece jacket, and good wind-breaking layer for over top. A warm hat, like a ski hat, and ear coverings would be smart additions, too if you go on safari during the winter months in the Southern Hemisphere.
We were extremely successful in our game viewing endeavors. We saw multiple prides of lions, a male and female lion on a fresh kill, a female leopard by herself, a female leopard with a cub feeding on a dead giraffe, two packs of African wild dogs, a cheetah and literally hundreds of elephants (some not happy with our proximity and they let us know), many hippos, lots of giraffes, zebras and wildebeests as well as many species of antelope including eland, tsessebe, red lechwe, impala, waterbuck and kudu. We saw too many bird species to mention them all, but we did see lilac breasted rollers, hornbills, eagles, kingfishers etc. All this success was due to one person – Shaka, our guide.
Our Guide: I was simply amazed at Shaka’a ability to find his way around all the different terrains we traversed at the three camp locations and always get us back to camp in time for meals. His ability to find animals was uncanny. Even though all the guides in the area cooperate and communicate with each other via radio as to the location of game, most often Shaka was the first to find the exciting game. Shaka went out of his way to be sure all of us were comfortable, happy and had everything we needed. He even sacrificed his personal warm hat to one of the guests for the chilly morning and evening game drives. Shaka is by far the best guide I’ve experienced during my three trips to Africa. And, I assume, based on posted evaluations and the amount of detailed planning needed to provide the best possible experience by Letaka Safaris, that their other guides are very good as well.
Other Experiences: Each day we were welcomed back from our morning game drive with the camp team waving and shouting and were met with iced tea and a cold wash cloth to clean our faces and hands. We were always sent off on our game drives and transfers to the next camp site with warm cheers and smiling faces from the camp team. The camp team consisted of 3 staff members including a cook (Alec), a waiter (KayKay) and a driver (Mor). All participated in many varied activities to support the camp in addition to their designated roles.
After lunch, we had “siesta” time until 3:30 pm. Naps, showers and reviewing pictures and videos taken during the morning game drive were common activities.
A special treat for me was a 2-hour game viewing adventure in a mokoro on the Khwai River. While present-day mokoros are no longer made from “dug out” logs, the fiberglass replicas currently in use provide a truly authentic experience. Propulsion for these boats is provided by a guide using a long pole to push us along the river. At one point, we silently slipped through gaps in the reeds, to avoid the attention of a male hippo in a large pool. The group went ashore briefly for a coffee/tea and rusk break. Fortunately, during our return we came upon a herd of elephants of varied ages and sizes drinking and playing. We sat silently in the boats watching this fascinating activity for many minutes.
Summary: If you are physically able, have the interest in an extended game-viewing experience and possess the necessary resources to book a mobile tented safari, then I highly recommend that you do so. And, I doubt that you can do any better than booking with Letaka Safaris.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unique experience !
The Foot Slopes staff made the best to provide us an unique experience. Friendly, knowlegeable and safe driving! Camping experience inside the park has been amazing.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful budget experience
We booked the safari one month in advance and we chose the 4 nights tented solutions, the cheapest one.
The organization was very good and all members of the staff very kind, from the moment we landed in Arusha until the end of the trip.
We enjoyed the game drives especially at Serengeti and Ngorongoro National parks. We had a great time with FRANK, our guide, which took us to see the best places and almost all the savana's animals. He is an expert guide and we appreciated a lot the descriptions and explanations he made.
DAVID, the cook, made our trip even better thanks to his delicious meals.
We really recommend both of them.
Thanks a lot to all Foot Slopes' Staff for making our experience unforgettable!