20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Two different negative experiences: (1) vehicle and driver did not show up and (2) we missed flight
I would NOT RECOMMEND Self Drive Uganda based on two separate experiences that were both costly and unpleasant.
(1) Upon arrival, there was no driver or vehicle to pick me up. This occurred despite extensive conversation and confirmation with the company beforehand. This put me in a pickle for my gorilla trek the following morning, which I could not reschedule. I ended up hiring a taxi driver for $200+. Self Drive Uganda eventually sent a driver, charging me for the tank of gas to come meet me. They never provided an apology or acknowledgement of their error.
(2) About one year later, I returned for another gorilla trek. The drive was quoted at 5-6 hours long, which was consistent with Google Maps and my previous experience. Despite having packed lunches and my family saying “we are fine,” our driver suggested that we stop for a “quick lunch” while he allegedly patched the spare tire. He stated that he would be “back in 20 minutes” given that we had “plenty of time before our flight.” He returned 1hr 20min later. We proceeded to hit rush hour traffic at the border crossing and then again in downtown Kigali. From start to finish, it took us 10 hours (9:15am to 7:15pm) to get to the airport, in comparison to the 5-6 hours quoted. We missed our flight by 30mins, which caused us to forfeit $700+ in previously booked flights, and then we had to purchase new tickets at $1,275. I am suspicious that our driver went and saw his wife and child as our lunch break also happened to be in the town where he lived. Once again, there was no apology or acknowledgement offered by management. Instead, management berated me over email for allegedly shorting them $15 in payment (which was their mistake). For context, the $15 “issue” was literally 1% of the added (and unnecessary) financial setback that Self Drive Uganda caused me. It was a mistake to stop for lunch, we were lied to, and the driver grossly underestimated how long the drive back could take at this time of day, knowing that we had a flight to catch.
I gave two stars because (1) the trip went well otherwise, (2) the vehicles were reliable, and (3) the driver was polite.
I deducted three stars because (1) no driver or vehicle there at pickup, (2) driver’s poor decision-making cost us $1300 in missed flight expenses plus new hotel expenses, and (3) a consistent unwillingness to provide an apology for company errors, that to me are both inexcusable.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kruger Safari was outstanding for our family
Our safari experience with Wild Wings was outstanding from the planning stage, to the accommodations and food, and the safari itself. Mike ensured that we understood the documentation so that we could arrive in South Africa with our minor children, he arranged private accommodations for our group at the camp and Jacques food was delicious! Everything exceeded our expectations for our family of 6 and our guide Simon was fantastic! We had such a terrific overall experience and would highly recommend Wild Wings.
VE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was a unique experience, well organized, funny and enriching.
Events thing was just perfect!!!!, the tours, the hotels ( we stayed in 4 hotels in our 12 days stay ), the meals, the planning
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tekko made my dream trip come true
Tekko tours took my expectations and blew them out of the water. Originally I had reached out to several companies for information and quotes but Tekko was an easy choice once I spoke to Maggie, the tour consultant. Maggie was always quick to respond, happy to answer all my questions and was so patient and accommodating with me when I needed changes.
My tour guide, Jackson, was everything you could ask for: professional, knowledgeable and courteous to name a few. As a solo female traveler I was a bit anxious for the trip but upon meeting him I was put at complete ease. It was easy to see why he is so well liked and respected by the tourism community, often stopping to help stuck cars or giving advice to other drivers. His vast knowledge about Kenya was helpful in making sure I had the best experience possible.
As for the the tour itself, Africa is truly amazing. Jackson made sure I got to see the Big 5 and every other animal on my list (hippo, cheetah, hyaena, giraffe, zebra, baboons etc).
Thank you Tekko for making my dream trip possible. I look forward to booking with you in the future.
BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hiking through fields and villages along Kivu lake and inside Nyungwe forest
A tailor-made circuit, following all my whishes,
excellent suggestion to complete the tour with a visit of Butare museum and Nyanza king site,
guide (on Congo-Nile trail) and driver both very professionnal, well informed and considerate,
easy contact with the agency, rapid and clear answers,
I recommend!
CH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was wonderfull, Andy is a warm and professional person who love his job with a lot of respect.
Everything Was perfect, Andy gave us differents explanations about the animals that we crossed And the flora also.
It was a fantastic experience and the sumptuous trip.
I will come back.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kilimanjaro Summit Trek - Lemosho Route
A huge thank you to all the guides, porters, cooks and drivers at Tanzania Tour Company who made our Kilimanjaro Trek so special. We were a large group of 18 who completed the trek for charity this June. We felt very cared for and well looked after by the team and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone else thinking of doing this hike. An unforgettable experience, many thanks to all the family at TTC.
QA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poor service and knowledge of the package they are selling.
At the beginning, everything went smooth: Allan replied to all my emails very quickly but the problem is that nearly all the information he gave me were wrong. I spent 8hours in the van from Nairobi to Masai Mara (Allan told me it takes 4hours) and nearly 10 hours from Mara to lake Nakuru. ( was told 6 hours by Allan).
I asked Allan if they have a 4wheel drive car instead of the van he told me yes with a 350$ extra per person. We chose the van as it’s cheaper: the problem is that the roads all around Mara were off roads: ( and Allan didn’t tell us of course) we got stuck maybe 4 times in the Mara reserve and twice when we head to lake Nakuru. We lost lots of time: I spent more time in the van than in the parks I came to visit.
Another thing I didn’t like: as soon as we sent the deposit to book the package, Allan send me an email with what is included and what is not. He wrote that tips are not included and between parenthesis : 10$ per person per day is the minimum. When we arrived to Nairobi and he met us in the hotel, he spent nearly half an hour to convince us to pay the 120$ tips to the driver at the end of the trip. A tip is not a fee or a tax: we are free to pay what we want depending on the service given.
Last thing: in the program there was the lake Nakuru known for the many flamingos that live and feed from it. But flamingos can be seen only in summer, as during the rainy season the level of the lake goes up and flamingos have to go else where to have some food. This of course was not mentioned by Allan: we spent 10hours in the road from Mara to lake Nakuru only to see the animals that we already have seen in Mara.
At the end I felt that the only objective for Allan is to sell his package and make money during the low season.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic and recommended to all
Booked onto a 6 day classic safari. Booking process was great with lots of communication and emails. Classic journeys give great flexiabilty as we changed the tour and were we wanted to stay. Classic journeys were very happy to accommodate.
The driver Charles was amazing! He went out his way to get us the best spots on safari and took us to the best locations. He had great knowledge about the animals and local areas.
All 3 lodges on the tour were excellent and great standard. Would recommend this company and Charles for further safari tours.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
excellent service bookings and tour very reliable
Excellent customer service booked me a tour to zanzibar five days everything well organised booked me flight accomodation and tour ..very reliable i recommed anyone to Mwamba tours