US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Changes to 2 of the 6 Main Activities on the Itinerary
Our experience with Four Crane Safaris was a mixed bag.
The good:
-Paul was very responsive to our communications prior to the trip. He arranged a custom tour for five people which included 6 main activities (two game drives in Queen Elizabeth, a boat safari in QE, chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking, and golden monkey trekking/ a second day of gorilla trekking.
-The lodges Four Cranes booked for us were splendid.
-Our driver quickly responded to requests and seemed to want us to have a good experience.
-The rangers at the parks and the boat guide (who were employed by Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, and Mgahinga) that led the single day activities were fabulous. The gorilla trekking was such a special experience that we will remember for years to come.
-A member of our group celebrated her birthday during our trip. Paul arranged a cake and our driver gave her a Uganda shirt. It was very sweet!
The bad:
-On our first day, our driver informed us that Paul was unable to acquire the chimpanzee permits. He said Paul was supposed to tell us when he met us at our hotel that morning. When we asked Paul about this later via email, he said he didn't tell us because we were busy checking out of the hotel. He also admitted that he knew about the failure to obtain chimpanzee permits a month in advance of our trip, but he chose not to communicate this to us as he wanted to tell us in person which he then opted not to do. Via email, he offered to refund us the fee for the chimpanzee permits or to do an additional game drive. Our group selected the refund which we never received.
-Our itinerary listed the tree-climbing lions and game drive on our first day in Queen Elizabeth. We were then told that this section of the park was too far and we wouldn't be going there, but we would go to the north section of the park for the game drive. When asked about this, Paul at Four Cranes said he had copied a prior itinerary for ours and the tree climbing lions section was left on in error. Then, we were informed days later that we will not be getting a refund for the cancelled chimpanzee trekking as we did two game drives. However, Four Cranes had two game drives listed on our itinerary and it wasn't clarified to us until days later that the two game drives were also in error and only one should have been listed. We left the tour feeling cheated and scammed by this. Four Cranes should have reviewed the itinerary they sent us before sending it initially or at the very least at the time we paid the deposit. Any changes should have been communicated then.
Both good and bad:
-The trip was advertised as having a guide/ driver. While nice, our driver did not offer guiding services. He drove through the national parks at 60 km/hour and did not stop for animals unless we asked to stop. That said, once we asked him to drive slower and to stop for animals upon request, he did. The driver provided the names of the animals but not much more. Very little was shared about Uganda's culture, and nothing was shared about history or current events. When we asked questions, our driver would answer, but sometimes answers were clearly false. He'd state, "There are no birds in this park" and when we pressed further to ask about the birds we were hearing, he'd say "they are in their bed."
-The car broke down twice. Luckily, once was on the morning of a travel day and delayed us only a few hours. The second time, a different care was temporarily arranged to pick us up from golden monkey trekking while the original car was being repaired. The vehicle was older and definitely showed that it had been loved, but overall, it got the job done. It was missing one seatbelt, and one of the seats was slanted to the side, but it got us around. That said, our driver and Four Cranes seemed to work to fix the car mechanical issues as soon as possible.
-Additionally the jack under the passenger seat leaked oil onto one of our group member's coats. Upon request, the driver took the coat to get cleaned for $10. The strong chemicals used removed the oil from the outside of the coat and left a strong turpentine-like smell.
-Despite our driver repeatedly saying communication was important, he provided little communication about the plans for the day/ expectations. However, he was very responsive to our requests. Once we requested to stop to see the animals on the game drive, he did so willingly each time we asked (yet we had to keep asking). Our driver multiple times asked if we wanted to go do something (such as see the salt farm community up close or see flamingos up close) and after responded "no" he still took us to the place. Upon reaching the place, we again confirmed that no, we did not want to pay extra to see the attraction. This wasted time and is an anomaly to the other tours we've done. That said, he knew we were disappointed about not going to see the tree-climbing lions, so he thoughtfully took us to see three sleeping lions in the north section of the park.
Summary:
We talked with other travelers at the lodges and during the trekking who really enjoyed the other tour companies with whom they booked. Four Cranes has potential to grow into a successful tourism organization; however, based on the multiple changes to main activities on the itinerary (game drives and chimpanzee trekking) and the omission of a promised guide, I would not recommend Four Cranes for your trip to Uganda.
Note: the above information was shared throughout the trip and after the trip with Four Crane Safaris via email. Paul expressed that he was saddened that we weren't satisfied, but he did not make efforts to resolve our concerns about dropping chimpanzee trekking in order to do a game drive that had already been listed as being included on the itinerary. He also stated that many travelers have been satisfied with Four Crane Safaris' tours in the past, yet I can only review based on our personal experience.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised to high standards
Everything was well organised and worked to perfection. Esther was very helpful and always there to provide assistance. The transfer to and from airport worked very well and flight to Mara was easy and on time. Ilkeliani camp was great. Luxury tents with loads of attention from staff. Food was simply delicious and the guides experienced. The location on the Talek river inside the reserve makes it very easy to reach places where plenty of animals could be spotted, including all big cats. Security, a very important aspect, was kept all of the time especially at night. I felt comfortable throughout the stay and enjoyed a great safari.
Difficult to see any negative aspect. Maybe more detailed upfront information on the reserve would have been nice.
TR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They operate as they promise
Tour operators were helpful, it was easy to reach them when we needed. Driver Kapande was so nice guy and friendly. He was helping us a lot and made us feel home. Everything was as promised. Good experience.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
hight recommended to everyone!
On the booking stage Chris supported all the way with itinerary ideas for us to experience the best safari for our requests and budget, very helpful and even after we had a mishap with the payments he managed to find a quick work around
Our Driver “David” was very knowledgeable about Kenya, the route, parks and mostly about the Animal and their habitat, he made our trip very enjoyable
He is also a very skilled driver that made the some atrocious road more tolerable, he told that the Pothole are part of the experience and can give you the best “African massage”, we had plenty of “massages” and while the car (4x4 land cruiser) made easier he surely help to navigate the road puzzle, we was a great driver that I believe the car had an automated gear box and at the end when I pay attention to it I realized it was manual all alone
We been on 4 days (3 night) safari from Nairobi to Masai Mara (2 nights) then lake Nakuru (1 Night) and back to Nairobi, even if the weather was poor we had lost of rain we still managed to see plenty of animals and exactly when and where David told us.
We really had a trip of a lifetime, and we like to thank SunUp Adventures team, Chris and David for it!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect tour operator
Pamoja took care of everything. The 13 day trip included 5 national parks in Uganda. All meals and accommodations were taking care of. We had a private guide (Leticia) was amazing. We saw everything promised and much more. The food was excellent. The lodging was budget, but was much better than we expected. All lodges and luxury tents had large queen beds,hot and cold water and plenty of room to stretch out and relax. The lodges all had fantastic view's and perfectly located to all the parks we went to. We got to see all the big5 easily. The mountain gorilla's in Bwindi was 1 of the highlights. Along with the Rhino's, nile crocodile, hippos, elephants,zebras,lions,leopards,chimpanzees, giraffes, warthog and so many more. We saw hundreds of animals everyday. Pamojatoursandtravel did exactly what we had been promised and delivered! It was the perfect safari also very educational on the people and culture of Uganda thank you
Sperito , Regina and a special thanks to Leticia our guide,teacher and new friend. Because of her it was an amazing trip of a lifetime we will never forget. Marty&Rose 🇨🇦
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FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Better than anything I'd imagined
With all the tour operators out there, it's hard to choose. If I had any advice, go with Jungleroam Safari for any safari and ask for Steve (or simpleboy) as your driver, you won't be disappointed!
Value for money couldn't be better.
I spent 3 days in Masai Mara, including 2 days in the park. Our driver took us to the right place at the right time. We were able to see as many animals as possible, it was magnificent. Steve was great, sociable, interesting and attentive to our needs.
Nothing to say about the driving.
For accommodation, I stayed at Lenchada camp, which I recommend. Nice little camp in the middle of nature. Just the right level of comfort. Very pleasant, attentive staff. The food was simple and good, accessible to all, with some Kenyan discoveries! Campfire in the evening to share (or not) moments with other adventurers.
On the way back, I chose to visit the Masai village. I don't understand people's opinions on this subject. Yes, it's all programmed, the welcome, the dances, the jumps etc... But I took it as a desire to share their traditional way of life. It was beautiful and interesting.
And yes, during your stay you'll be able to buy Masai objects. As soon as there's tourism, there's business, it's normal everyone does the same, how can you blame them. If you're not interested, you just don't buy.
TR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They were friendly and on time.
Our driver was amazing mr Kapande made us feel comfortable. He was so friendly he made this safari unfortgettable. Hotel was so peaceful and well organize well.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari Experience in Tanzania!
Our Safari exceeded all expectations! Our guide john was incredibly knowledgeable and knew exactly where to find the most stunning wildlife. We saw lions on stones and rhinos on the grassland, and even a rare leopard resting in a tree!
The highlight was the tour guide john drove a long way in Serengeti National Park to take us to find leopards, and we found lions, cheetahs and leopards on the same day.It was an unforgettable experience. The guide’s expertise ensured we had the best views while learning so much about the animals and their habitat.
Everything was well-organized, from the comfortable lodges to the delicious meals. If you’re looking for an incredible Safari adventure, this is the perfect choice. Highly recommended!
LT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organized and great experience
We had a great experience with Mackos Wanderlust Safaris!
We had a private three day tour and enjoyed the safari game drives and accommodation places as well. The tour was well organized and our guide Brian was making sure everything is going according to the plan.
Our driver Washington was a real professional and we felt very safe throughout the whole journey. He put a lot of effort not only to find the animals but also made sure we get good pictures for memories. Both guides were taking a good care of us all the time.
It was a memorable time in Kenya and we can certainly recommend this company.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant from start to finish
We did a 3 day safari including the Panaroma route, It was brilliant from start to finish and would recommend this Travel company.
Our Guide Khongi was brilliant also, he looked after us all the way through and made us feel at home all the time with great knowledge on the history of the route also. Thanks!!