CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience - exceeded our expectations. Would definitely recommend East Africa Wild.
There were 7 in our group, all of varying ages (21-63) and all had different expectations. While some members of the group had been on safaris in the past, others had not, and therefore were apprehensive as to whether the safari experience would be equally exciting for the entire group. Upon contacting Alym from East Africa Wild Adventures, he was very forthcoming and informative as to the expectations and recommended that we visit Ngorongoro, Serengetti and Manyara to ensure that all our expectations would be fulfilled. Alym was very patient in answering questions, providing information and supplied us with detailed itineraries, from commencement to completion. He put all our minds at ease as he provided a lot of detailed information – re clothing, shoes, sunscreen, bug spray, meds, etc.
I can confidently state that the safari experience with East Africa Wild Adventures met and exceeded all of our expectations - it was everything and more than I (we) could have ever imagined, and that is saying something, as I had very high expectations. The experience will remain one of the most incredible experiences of my life and possibly for the group. I believe that the positive experience is as a result of Alym paying attention to our wishes and desires, as well as his attention to detail. I am very happy that we chose to go with Alym to organize our trip as it turned out to be an amazing experience – it was seamless.
Our accommodation at the lodges were amazing – stayed at the Serena Lodges at all three locations. The facilities were incredible and I wish we could have stayed longer at the lodges to enjoy the ambiance.
I do not believe that the experience could have been better organized and that is due to Alym’s experience and willingness to ensure that everything was taken care of.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Book through Katona!
I really appreciated the open lines of communication with Katona tours both during and after the booking process. Jackie's replies were always quick and it was nice that she called to check in on us during our travels. Richard our driver was very knowledgeable, friendly, and was a highlight of the journey. I think we got very good value for our money. Thank you!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
1-Day Safari to Ngorongoro National Park in Tanzania
We thoroughly enjoyed a one-day safari into the Ngongoro Crater where we saw wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, impala, jackals, hyena, ostriches, hippos, rhino, eland, and a pride of lions with young cubs feasting on a zebra they had killed. Our guide Aron did an excellent job of sharing his knowledge of the park and animals with us. Nak made booking the trip very easy and he adjusted the trip times to accommodate our needs and desires. The trip was a great experience!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything was perfect- we are so lucky we have found mister atik and his nature-loving employes.
The Guide was brilliant. We could really get an impression of the country's nature and how the nature lives.
The Lodges we stayed at were very cozy and clean. The food was delicious and even if i don't like meat that much, i am happy i have chosen a steak one evening. It was worth to repeat it actually!
We loved the early gamedrives and also coming to the lodge after the sunset.
The whole atmosphere during the safari was very relaxed and i was happy our guide was that spontanious.
If you really would like to go on a safari which is incresibly good- choose mister atik's company.
It is worth it!!! :)
Thank you, MEGA ADVENTURES!!!!!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience and Trip of a Lifetime
We used Tanzania expeditions for the climb up Kili and a 2 day safari and the trip was beyond our wildest imagination. There was four of us total and the guides and porters were just fantastic. Justin set us up with great guides up the mountain. Eric was great at taking care of us throughout the hike, enjoyed all the culture and singing that we brought to the table, and was one of the happiest people I have ever met. We sang, we laughed, the food was incredible. I was a little worried about that, and they blew it out of the water. Mr. Delicious, our cook, made it seem like we were in a 5 star restaurant at every meal. During the hike, you could tell that this group was different than the other companies. The porters seemed much more happy to be there, they weren't loaded down with weight, they sang songs of encouragement as we hiked every day, and each morning we sang songs to get the day started off right. With this company, you get in as much as you put in, saying that if you want to be a hiker, you can be a hiker, but if you want to experience as much culture and meet as many unique and amazing people, this company gives you that opportunity.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Maasai mara Safari; We had a blast
Communication leading to our booking our safari with Swift Travel was spot on and so was everything else thereafter, a private safari jeep, a knowledgeable guide, a comfortable and well placed camp-the Karen Blixen camp and sharp price just to mention but a few.
The safari was good and we had a blast at the Maasai mara. Not only did we have a great group of people in our camp but also luck was on our side. On our first game drive we had already seen a leopard, a pride of lions, elephants and buffalos and only missed the rhino to complete the “Big five”. We did not spot any rhino on our next 5 game drives though but our guided had indicated that there are very few rhinos within the mara triangle, he has only spotted three over the last four years! We would have had greater chances if we stayed at one of the conservancies and notably at the Porini camps. Our next trip will definitely include that as well as Lake Nakuru or Ol Pejeta Conservacy.
Cannot fault this company as the service was better than average, keep it up guys!
Knowledgeable driver/guide helped make our safari memorable
We were picked up at Kilimanjaro Airport as planned, and taken directly to our Arusha Hotel with no delays. Our driver/guide, Isaac, was there on time to pick us up for the safari and delivered us back to the hotel at the end of the trip with lots of time to spare. So no timeliness issues.
Isaac was very knowledgeable about animals, birds, and vegetation. He was excellent – easygoing and friendly, and I’d recommend him to others. He was also a good driver – necessary given unpredictable traffic and terrible roads in the parks. He had been guiding for about 8 years and was very experienced and knew all the routes in the parks; in all our travels (about 1700 km) he never referred to a map. The competence and personality of the driver/guide are critical to the enjoyment of the trip. We were lucky.
Our safari van was about 15 years old and had about 300,000 km on it. It had been well maintained, I think, since it stood up to the roads, absorbed most of the shocks, and didn’t break down. No problems with it. But dust was incredible. People with breathing issues would want to consider this trip carefully.
Our Arusha hotel, L’Oasis, was comfortable, with a dining room, lounge and pool. Our room was fine, and the food was quite good. No problems with it.
The Maramboi tented camp was also very comfortable, even though our ‘room’ was a large tent with two rooms. Dependable running water and electricity in the tent/room. The main building included a lounge, large dining area (part inside but mostly outside on a large verandah). It even had a swimming pool which was good to cool off in. Very good food, with a large buffet selection at all meals. We also chose our own picnic lunch contents. Interesting to sit by the pool and watch the zebras and wildebeest herds grazing a hundred metres away. The camp, after all, was in a Conservation Area and thus open to whatever wildlife ambled through. It was also well-patronized; most tables were taken at dinner times. In many ways, this camp combined comfort and wildlife authenticity best of all our accommodations.
The Lake Manyara Wildlife Safari Camp was a high end place. Guest rooms were separate buildings (not tents) joined by a garden-bordered walk to the main building. The latter featured a lounge and dining room with an extensive front garden that ended in a swimming pool that overlooked the Great Rift Valley and the Maasai herders who drove their cattle and goats up and down. This was a very luxurious place with an outstanding view. The other thing we noticed was that there was only one other paying guest. The place was empty. So that meant that we had no choice of dinner fare, but ate what the chef had prepared for us. We also accepted the chef’s choices for the contents of our picnic lunches. Fortunately, these choices were very good, although the portions were large.
The three tented camps (N’dutu, Seronera, and Ngorngoro) were all variations on a theme. In each, our accommodation was a two-room tent with wood floors, running water (most of the time) but no electrical capacity to plug in appliances. Each camp had a main dining tent with lounge (the latter equipped with electrical charging capacity). Each camp was staffed by a manager (who may also have been the chef – this wasn’t clear) as well as two or three support staff whose jobs included carrying suitcases, accompanying us after dark from our tent to the dining tent, etc. These were not permanent sites; the N’dutu camp, for example, was due to be taken down and moved to another location a few weeks after we were there.
Again, in each of the three camps we were the only guests! So no choice of meals or picnic basket contents; we ate what the chef prepared. Generally this was quite palatable, though we became a bit tired of the standard side vegetable of sliced carrots and green beans, which we had at almost every dinner. And again, significant to realize that we were in wildlife terrain, so the water buffalo, elephants, zebras and giraffes that moseyed through the camps were in their own environment. We were the outsiders.
Serengeti and Ngorngoro were the highlights. These were the must-sees, in our view, in terms of variety of animals, scenery, etc. (especially the rhinos). On these grounds, Tarangire would rank third, Lake Manyara fourth, and Arusha fifth.
excellent tour
Everything was perfect.communications, transport, the safari, the guide knew where to find the animals. Saw the big 5 and everything else. Very happy
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent itinerary, but could have used better communication prior to travel
Our itinerary was just right. Suggestions made by Giltedge Africa (formerly Southern Africa Travel) were generally very good.
All travel connections worked and all guides appeared as planned. Our guides were all quite knowledgeable, well-spoken and very pleasant. I think some of the extras that we incurred should have been included in the package price or more clearly stated, but this was a minor issue. My only real complaint is that pre-travel communication should have been better. The information provided was more for appearances than substance. And the wallet provided at landing was embarrassingly short on any substantive materials.
Our hotels were all excellent, except for &Beyond Xudum which suffers from the necessity of a 75 minute drive each way over bumpy roads between the air strip and the lodge. They also had our poorest guide. Otherwise, the staff and food were very good.
We especially enjoyed Singita Boulders and the Views Hotel, although the food at the Views could be improved. The Harbor House restaurant on the Cape was outstanding.
I'm not sure a guide was needed at Victoria Falls, although he did get us to the falls at a good time of day for viewing which we might otherwise have missed. The river cruise was only interesting because of the wildlife on the banks.
I also want to recommend the Fat Fish restaurant in Plettenberg. It's a little more casual, but the food was excellent.
Our guides at both Singita lodges were terrific, as were our guides in Cape Town and Joberg.
Overall, we enjoyed a wonderful trip.
3 day Masai Mara
We had such a good time on this trip. Even though we paid the lowest price for a safari we could find (and were therefore not expecting the best), we couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Everything was included, except for drinks, but since we don't drink much, this didn't bother us. But there is always free coffee, tee and hot cacao.
Our driver/guide was super cool, making sure we would see everything and up close. Since we came during the low season there were very few tourists there, but we got lucky with the weather, which means we had the occasional lion or so to ourselves.