20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
reliable
We did the northern safari from 14th to 18th August and everything was just the way we wanted. The lodges were beautiful with stunning views. They had provided us a good safari vehicle and the driver was very excellent in spotting the animals. We had the best time and would recommend them to anyone considering safari in Tanzania.
Makasa was professional, knowledgable, organized, friendly and welcoming.
From our very first contact Makasa were ready to help and advise. They met us at Kilimanjaro Airport on our arrival and were there for us during the entire trip until they dropped us back at the Airport for you return home.
The Safari was fantastic ! They took care of everything - every detail. No request was ignored or refused.
Our Safari driver, David, was amazing. He was a great driver - dispite the roads ! He was knowledgable, competent, patient, and courteous.
The entire staff of Makasa were very professional and responded to all of our questions and needs.
It was an amazing Vacation ! Thank you, Makasa !
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My expectations were high, but E-Trip far exceeded them.
For years I had dreams of an African Safari. In 2009 I started doing some research to plan the trip. I was put off a bit because the prices were so high. So I took an extra part-time job to save up the extra cash needed to make it a perfect trip. Then in 2012 we started doing the research again and it took us a while to find the right company, we sent emails to some 50 safari companies we found on this site and on TripAdvisor. We told them the parks we wanted to see, the dates and our overall budget. In the end E-Trip Africa was able to organize the trip at luxury camps and still stay within our budget. Several of the companies told us we would have to settle for a camping budget trip, which surprised me. Others told us they could not do anything within our budget.
When we arrived at the Nairobi Airport it was a little crazy, because there was a fire. The manager, Ben drove from the office in Arusha to meet us and introduced us to our Masai Driver named Joseph. Joseph was wearing Massai cloths the whole trip. Not only did he share a lot about his culture, but he was very friendly and never left a dull moment during the long drives. Ben and Joseph took us back to the hotel, where we had a briefing about the trip and he gave us a local telephone to borrow, which saved us some money when calling the folks back in the states.
We set-off the next morning and Joseph gave us plenty of good information during the long drive to Samburu. Driving past Mt. Kenya was amazing and then it was very dry in Samburu. The wildlife was nice as it was the first time to see Elephants outside of a zoo. We spent two nights there before heading to Lake Elementaita and Lake Naivasha. The Rhinos were so cool and I can't imagine people are killing them left and right to sell the horns to China. We stopped in Hells Gate to take a bike ride, which was nice as we had been spending too much time sitting in the car.
Then we went to the home area of Joseph. The Masai Mara... It was perfect to see the millions of wildebeest. Joseph had a very good sense of the wildlife and he could tell us what they would do. You can tell he really enjoys spending the time watching the animals. Twice I was a bit confused, because there were lots of cars around a kill and Joseph drove and parked about 300 feet away. Then all of the sudden the Lions got up and walked down to the water and shade near us, we had the best seat in the house.
The first two days we did not see any Cheetah. I was a bit down as I wanted to see them. I now understand that they don't like to be around all these other animals. So Joseph took us on a two hour drive to the middle of no where. And then all of the sudden he said look. We were alone, not another car in site. He said look very closely and there was a cheetah walking towards us. We sat for a few hours watching him. Then all of the sudden it bolted towards a small group of antelope taking one down. It was just like on Discovery.
The next day we headed back to Nairobi where we met Ben another time. He was really excited to hear our stories and Joseph was telling them even better than anyone. You could sense that Ben and Joseph also have a very good personal relationship. The next morning we were back to Nairobi Airport and then on our flight. A special thanks to Ben, Aurelie and the rest of the team at E-Trip Africa for organizing the trip. And an enormous thank to Joseph, who I now think of as my Massai brother.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent from Beginning to End
The best thing about Equatorial Wild Safaris is that they take the time to get to know you and understand what you want, your budget, and your schedule and then help to design a trip that is exactly what you want. From begining to end the service, accomodations, and itinerary were outstanding. They provide top notch guides which is essential to making the trip a success. I had an amazing trip and saw everything I was hoping for and more!
Safari - Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater - The Shadows Of Africa Way
Me and my girlfriend just returned from an awesome, 4 day camping private safari trip. Before we decided for Shadows of Africa, we searched and searched on the internet for the agency. At last, a friend of ours recommended us Shadows of Africa. We emailed them and they responded right away. We were searching for a low budget safari. They offered us a lot of information and helped us organize the whole visit in Tanzania, including Zanizibar. The driver/guide was amazing. He knew a lot about the animals, nature, culture ... His english was very good, his patience for our questions unlimited and good mood refreshing :) And then, there was the chef ... His cooking was incredible, serving as well (considering, we were on a camping safari in the middle of nowhere). Every day we had a cooked meal. Pancakes, eggs, bread, jam, fruit, coffee, tea etc for breakfast, lunch was usually packed in advance in a lunch box and we ate it on the way (we didn't want to miss a minute of this fabulous trip ;) ) In the evening we had cooked meal with soup, salad and main dish. My girlfriend is a vegetarian and he always prepared her something special without meat. Everything was very well organized and the trip passed by in what seems a blink of an eye. In the end of review I would like to note that the owner of Shadows of Africa agency personally came to welcome us and was always reachable for any questions or help that we needed.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari and great service!
This was the second safari that I've booked through Mark. I went to South Africa (Mala Mala) in 2001, and loved it so much and couldn't wait to get back. This time around, it was a last minute trip -- I emailed Mark about a month before I wanted to go, and he was able to book me lodges in both South Africa (Kirkman's Kamp) and Namibia (Sossusvlei Desert Lodge). He met me at the airport when I arrived in Johannesburg and we were able to chat for a bit before I flew out to the game reserve.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incredible place for scientists, and probably everyone else!
I stayed at the Makerere University Biological Field Centre (a research centre) in Kibale Forest NP as a zoology student, rather than travelling there as a tourist, so my opinions might not all be applicable to people looking to go on holiday there. But for what it's worth, Kibale is incredibly beautiful, 'untouched' by touristy culture, and still relatively close to a hospital at Fort Portal. All of the Ugandan people we met were overwhelmingly friendly and accommodating, and our forest guides were extremely knowledgeable of the forest and the movement of its animal inhabitants, of which there were many!
I personally saw 6 different species of primate, including chimpanzees, and others in my group saw even more, such as the elusive l'Hoest's monkey. A troupe of olive baboons lived near the research centre and roamed around exploring and causing trouble; they were generally not aggressive and could be chased away if needed - but keep your doors locked! As for the birding, it isn't my speciality but we spent two mornings mist netting on the forest floor and caught ~30 different species of small bird (and a few very large beetles), there was a pair of turacos nesting near the research centre which we saw daily, and a few hornbills that came to eat the insects from our insect traps in the morning; as well as the many birds living in the forest canopy.
The weather at the time we were there switched unpredictably between blazing sunshine and incredible downpours with lightning over the hills, which was fine for us who don't mind getting soaked while wandering through the forest, but may not be ideal for people on holiday - and of course, the weather will vary depending on the time of year. The only downside I could possibly think of to staying there was the isolation from the outside world - barely any phone signal, no internet, no particularly easy roads out of the forest (at least where we stayed). However, as in my case, I'm sure many will find the isolation quite enjoyable!
Just what I was looking for in an African safari.
The weather was first of all fantastic. The accommodations were some of the best that i have ever seen with wonderful food and great areas to hang out. All the guides that we had made the trip great and they were willing to answer all questions that we had. They were very well educated even the professor I went with was impressed.
Review about Zambia by Natalie
We did not have time to go and see some of the plains animals because of the time of the year. Other than that it was all good.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
excellent
We used the services of Cardboard Box in 2010 and have used them again recently for a forthcoming trip, on both occasions they were outstanding. You can simply send them a rough itinerary and they will provide you with all sort of information and advice and will book everything for you. Everywhere we stayed last time was perfect. Not sure how they could improve their service. We'd recommend them to anyone.