CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Booking with Kenya Walking Survivors Safari
I booked a safari with KWSS on May 21/2014, after much searching online for a safari that would be able to take me to the places I wanted to see. It had been proving very difficult as a solo traveler to find a 14 day safari (I did not want to have to do two or more safari's with different outfits), most T/O's wanted you to do 5-7 days, then go on a another safari. I contacted Mr OT and sent him the list of places I wanted to hopefully see in my 14 day visit, he sent me back a safari that was 13 days and more of the places than I had planned. Two places I had not thought I could get to, he had tagged onto my safari (not knowing I wanted to see them). And, I had one day left at the end in Nairobi to fill up with the Nairobi area sights. Mr OT answered all of my emails at lightening speed, even when I know it was the middle of the night for him. My safari is not until October, so a safari review is pending. I am looking forward to sleeping alone in a tent with the great outdoors of Africa, and all of it's wildlife on the other side of the zipper!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
On safari with Ecological Wilderness Adventures: Incredible!
Ecological Wilderness Adventures was highly recommended to us by several of our friends who had gone on safari with them. We were told, "You'll see an amazing variety and abundance of birds and wildlife!" I'm a wildlife biologist and have worked with caribou most of my career, and my wife is a retired botanist. We've lived and worked in Alaska for many years, and both of us have seen large numbers of wildlife for decades. But we were absolutely astounded by what we saw in Tanzania! Nothing can prepare you for actually experiencing the richness of Tanzania's wildlife.
Some of the nicest surprises of our trip had nothing to do with wildlife, though. Brian and our guides, Gerald, Martin and Kappia, were 'professionals' in the truest sense. Their understanding of the natural history of Tanzania was deep and broad, and each of them obviously enjoyed sharing their knowledge with us. Martin had worked in Ngorogoro Crater for 30 years before retiring from service. Kappia had been a veterinarian 20+ years before retiring to guide safaris. Gerald has been guiding for years, and his ability to identify birds and spot animals was incredible. Brian, Martin's son and the founder of Ecological Wilderness Adventures, grew up with wildlife and guided for other companies before forming his own company. I've worked with professional wildlife biologists with multiple degrees & credentials behind their names that couldn't hold a candle to the guides on our trip in terms of their understanding of regional natural history.
There were other surprises, too. We stayed at several tented lodges that were beautiful, clean and comfortable. And, Brian's tent camps at Manyara, Ngorogoro Crater and Ndutu were on a par with the best of them. Without exception, camp staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. The food was absolutely great - everywhere! Even the picnic breakfasts and lunches we took during early or extended drives were great! The camps let you hear lions roaring at night and the cacophony of birds calling as daylight broke while providing the comforts of electricity, a real bed and even hot & cold running water - with showers, no less (a bit different from how we camp in Alaska)!!!
We were also struck by the friendliness of Tanzanians in general. Driving between the various parks that we visited could have been just a necessary chore, but the smiles and waves from the people we passed - especially from the children going to & coming from school - made it anything but! And, none of the drivers balked at stopping for a great bird even if we were 'on the road.' Brian scheduled frequent rest stops where we visited with local residents that generously introduced us to their cultures, communities and livelihoods.
Of course, most people travel to Africa to see wildlife, and Ecological Wilderness Adventures will not disappoint you. Each and every day, Brian and his crew did their level best to 'deliver.' A frequent comment during evening supper was, "It just can't get any better than today!" But, the next day, and the next, it did. Brian's company is willing to tailor their safaris to their clients' desires and needs. The trucks were clean, well maintained and specifically set up to provide for viewing and photography. No peeking out of open windows.
You can probably find less expensive companies to book a safari, but from my experience you won't find better value for your buck. Anywhere. I highly recommend Ecological Wilderness Adventures to anyone planning a safari in Tanzania. The highest compliment I can make is that I want to go back!
EG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari company
Terminal Tours is one of my best experiences in Africa,the staff is very honest , professional and so accurate. also Kenya is a lovely place for wild life and enjoying the nature.
Definitely wherever you are feeling you need a change and a refreshing four your soul, Kenya is the right country and Terminal Tours is the right place for that.at the end my experience with those guys was the best and I highly recommend any one to deal with them
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
4 Day Maasai Mara with Abdullah Choga
We had a great time on our safari. Abdullah our driver and guide was very professional and welcoming. He went to great lengths to ensure we had an enjoyable time and was great with spotting the animals on our many game drives. Everything was organised with ease through Esther and we were not left waiting or wondering at any moment. The accommodation and food included was of a great standard.
This is our second safari with Asaray Tours and we will continue to use them in the future.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Informative, Pleasant and safe
Ecological Wilderness Adventures was a great company with whom to book a safari. The internal operations were quite responsive by email, punctual and organized. Our guide, Gerald, was chock full of interesting information as well as an infectious happy spirit. We witnessed many other land cruisers traveling at top speeds, but Gerald was safe and talented at spotting all the animals. They "yum yum" as Gerald called the box lunches were tasty and provided us with more than enough food. An all around great experience!
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The big five!!
well organized trip, in one of the most beautiful places of the world
NO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experiences with It Started In Africa.
We were four friends who went to Tanzania. We heard with several safari companies, but ISIA was the one with the best offer, and also most flexible for suiting our needs. The communication was also top notch, with great and fast answers!
We were all very satisfied, for several reasons:
- We did see all big 5 and generally a lot of animals and beautiful landscapes
- Our guide, Martin, was very observant
- We really enjoyed the meals, both breakfast, lunch and dinner
- It was a great experience to camp “in the wild” in the middle of Serengeti
- They were so helpful on buying us drinks during safari
- One of us needed a SD-card, and the guide did everything he could to help us finding one
We would definitely recommend ISIA, thank you.
VN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very high price quality ratio operation
I have booked two daytrips with this company. For both trips I inquired only one day in advance, because they replied almost immediately this was not a problem and I could book without any problem. Both trips did not require a deposit and were very affordable, it seems like there was no extra charge for the fact that I was traveling by myself, both times I had a private tour.
Before I left I was slightly suspicious as the prices (especially for a private tour) were very low compared to the competition. This was not necessary as both trips were excellent!
The first trip was the 1 day nairobi green crater lake. The park was really nice, giraffe's, zebra's and antilopes all gathered in one place, we also saw buffalo's, eland's and warthogs. The director wanted a day out of the office so he did the trip himself, Otieno is a really nice guy and seems to have a long term vision in which he values customer experience over short term gain as he would like to build up a good reputation.
The second trip was to nairobi national park. This one was more expensive (150 dollars), but again I had a private tour and we took a van with a pop top roof. I saw zebra's, rhino's, hippo's, giraffe's, antilopes gazelles and even a lion (even though he was pretty far away). The driver, Ben, was extremely friendly and explained a lot about the different animals.
I would recommend this company to my own friends.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing trip from beginning to end, the gorilla tracking was an experience of a lifetime!
Matoke Tours exceeded my expectations for the gorilla tracking trip, from the driver that took us from Rwanda to Uganda, the beautiful scenery along the way to the gorilla guides and porters and the lodges we stayed in. All the people we dealt with were friendly and knowledgeable. The places we stayed in were clean and comfortable and the food at Lake Mutanda Resort was delicious! Great trip, couldn't have asked for anything better!
Review about Kenya by florette kingston
Kenya has quite a diverse variety of safari parks. some can be busy. Good wild life viewing and a good choice of camps and lodges.