20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poor value and doesn't take responsibility for anything
Our guide to the Victoria falls area was of poor quality in general. She barely provided any guiding and just drove us around. One thing that really stuck out to me was when we pre booked dinner at the Lookout Cafe through the company. Only after we got there we realized they booked us after Sunset when it was pitch black outside with no visible view!
The places is called the Lookout Cafe, the whole point is to eat with a view. The brochure they gave us focused on the view. We were very much looking forward to it. There was not enough time to rebook us at any other point during our trip. The response we got was laughable. They didn't take any responsibility and tried to blame us for not looking up the sunset time ahead!? As a tour organizer it is your basic responsibility to check these things when you make a booking on behalf of a client. Then they just said the local guide booked it and didn't realize. Again, as the organizer it is your sole responsibility to make sure things are booked appropriately. Darren offered absolutely no resolution and got snarky when we brought it up.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent value, excellent service from Mega Wild Safaris
For your East African safaris, my family and I highly recommend the excellent value and attentive service provided by Mega Wild Safaris based in Kampala, Uganda. Anne Bright of Mega Wild offered remarkable support in the planning stages, fine-tuning the itinerary to ensure our many requirements were met. During the safaris she was always available to assist with any minor issues that arose. Thank you Anne!
Through Mega Wild, we booked three private safaris totaling 5 weeks to take us to game parks in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The Kenyan and Tanzanian segments were operated by local associates of Mega Wild and timed to coincide with the Great Migration in the Serengeti and Masai Mara. On East Africa cross-border safaris you are usually handed over to a local operator in each country. All our border transfers went very smoothly aided by company reps on both sides of the border – much easier than had we tried to cross on our own.
The first safari with our two adult children started in Nairobi and took us to Tsavo East and West National Parks, Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and Amboseli National Park. Our Kenyan guide-driver, David, was a delight and took great care of us. The wildlife viewing was superb, especially the big tuskers, and the accommodation top-notch. In Tanzania, we visited the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and Serengeti NP (staying in different sectors of the park over five nights). Our days on safari in Kenya and Tanzania were spent in excellent, well-equipped and comfy Toyota Land Cruiser pop-up-roof safari vehicles. The days began after the crack of dawn and ended 11 hours later before dusk, which was exactly how we wanted them: filled to the max. Sightings were abundant and lavish, informed by our trained, experienced guide-drivers who tended to our every need and ensured our safety, made us feel at ease from the get-go and knew how and when to get things done so we never had to fret about doing a thing. From the Serengeti, we were seamlessly deposited at the Seronera Airstrip for our flight to Zanzibar (for a few days of beachside relaxation at the excellent My Blue Hotel).
Our second safari for my wife and I, included Masai Mara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Tarangire NP. It was as excellent as our first.
Needless to say, we saw an incredible amount and variety of wildlife, including not only the Big 5, but 5 crossings of the wildebeest over the Mara River over two days. The sheer richness of the Serengeti/Maasai Mara ecosystem has to be seen to be believed and seeing it with expert guide-drivers like those furnished by Mega Wild associates made for an unforgettable and richly-rewarding experience.
Our guide-drivers, David and Julius in Kenya, and Martin and Jackson in Tanzania, were simply delightful -- mature, friendly, reliable, respectful, knowledgeable, safety-conscious, always on time and both took impeccable care of us. Martin, always smiling, doted over us and the kids, and Jackson summed it up perfectly when we first crossed into Serengeti NP and he said: "Welcome to my office!" We entrusted ourselves fully into their most capable hands.
The accommodation, both tented and lodge-based, was always comfortable and, at times, even luxurious. The food, though sometimes repetitious in its buffet offerings, was nonetheless hearty and nourishing. Everything ran smoothly and like clockwork.
Our third safari in Uganda, wholly operated by Mega Wild, started and ended in Entebbe. It took us to Queen Elizabeth NP, Kibale NP for chimpanzee tracking, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP for the unforgettable experience of mountain gorilla tracking and Lake Mburo NP. We highly recommend friendly Uganda for primate viewing, wildlife viewing and bird watching in a more laid-back environment than the more commercialized safaris in Kenya and Tanzania.
We had the pleasure of meeting the children of Olives’ Hope orphanage in Bigodi to whom Mega Wild donated 10% of our safari cost. Our driver, James, performed heroic measures to help me retrieve a cellphone that fell into a latrine pit – but that’s another story! A small scheduling glitch in Bwindi was deftly handled by Anne – it was an advantage to have a local operator that could fix things quickly.
In short, you need not look any further than Mega Wild Safaris for your next safari in East Africa, we highly recommend them.
For your East African safaris, my family and I highly recommend the excellent value and attentive service provided by Mega Wild Safaris based in Kampala, Uganda. Anne Bright of Mega Wild offered remarkable support in the planning stages, fine-tuning the itinerary to ensure our many requirements were met. During the safaris she was always available to assist with any minor issues that arose. Thank you Anne!
Through Mega Wild, we booked three private safaris totaling 5 weeks to take us to game parks in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The Kenyan and Tanzanian segments were operated by local associates of Mega Wild and timed to coincide with the Great Migration in the Serengeti and Masai Mara. On East Africa cross-border safaris you are usually handed over to a local operator in each country. All our border transfers went very smoothly aided by company reps on both sides of the border – much easier than had we tried to cross on our own.
The first safari with our two adult children started in Nairobi and took us to Tsavo East and West National Parks, Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and Amboseli National Park. Our Kenyan guide-driver, David, was a delight and took great care of us. The wildlife viewing was superb, especially the big tuskers, and the accommodation top-notch. In Tanzania, we visited the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and Serengeti NP (staying in different sectors of the park over five nights). Our days on safari in Kenya and Tanzania were spent in excellent, well-equipped and comfy Toyota Land Cruiser pop-up-roof safari vehicles. The days began after the crack of dawn and ended 11 hours later before dusk, which was exactly how we wanted them: filled to the max. Sightings were abundant and lavish, informed by our trained, experienced guide-drivers who tended to our every need and ensured our safety, made us feel at ease from the get-go and knew how and when to get things done so we never had to fret about doing a thing. From the Serengeti, we were seamlessly deposited at the Seronera Airstrip for our flight to Zanzibar (for a few days of beachside relaxation at the excellent My Blue Hotel).
Our second safari for my wife and I, included Masai Mara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Tarangire NP. It was as excellent as our first.
Needless to say, we saw an incredible amount and variety of wildlife, including not only the Big 5, but 5 crossings of the wildebeest over the Mara River over two days. The sheer richness of the Serengeti/Maasai Mara ecosystem has to be seen to be believed and seeing it with expert guide-drivers like those furnished by Mega Wild associates made for an unforgettable and richly-rewarding experience.
Our guide-drivers, David and Julius in Kenya, and Martin and Jackson in Tanzania, were simply delightful -- mature, friendly, reliable, respectful, knowledgeable, safety-conscious, always on time and both took impeccable care of us. Martin, always smiling, doted over us and the kids, and Jackson summed it up perfectly when we first crossed into Serengeti NP and he said: "Welcome to my office!" We entrusted ourselves fully into their most capable hands.
The accommodation, both tented and lodge-based, was always comfortable and, at times, even luxurious. The food, though sometimes repetitious in its buffet offerings, was nonetheless hearty and nourishing. Everything ran smoothly and like clockwork.
Our third safari in Uganda, wholly operated by Mega Wild, started and ended in Entebbe. It took us to Queen Elizabeth NP, Kibale NP for chimpanzee tracking, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP for the unforgettable experience of mountain gorilla tracking and Lake Mburo NP. We highly recommend friendly Uganda for primate viewing, wildlife viewing and bird watching in a more laid-back environment than the more commercialized safaris in Kenya and Tanzania.
We had the pleasure of meeting the children of Olives’ Hope orphanage in Bigodi to whom Mega Wild donated 10% of our safari cost. Our driver, James, performed heroic measures to help me retrieve a cellphone that fell into a latrine pit – but that’s another story! A small scheduling glitch in Bwindi was deftly handled by Anne – it was an advantage to have a local operator that could fix things quickly.
In short, you need not look any further than Mega Wild Safaris for your next safari in East Africa, we highly recommend them.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We loved our tour and guide!
This was an excellent tour with a wonderful guide. Martin was a sweet, knowledgeable, funny, and extremely capable guide. We felt safe, and like we got the best of every single experience. Martin went above and beyond to ensure that our experience was once in a lifetime.
Aaron, the company owner, was wonderful to work with as we planned and changed the itinerary in the months in the lead of to our trip. Highly recommend this company! Martin drives an awesome car that we lovingly came to call avocado.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari Experience
I can not recommend this safari enough, it was the most incredible experience ever!! Me and 4 of my friends did a three day safari in Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater, and the Tarangire National Park and it was amazing. Our driver was incredible and was super knowledgeable, he taught us so much. This company is awesome, we got to customize our own trip and they arranged everything we wanted to do exactly how we wanted (what days we wanted to go where and times). The accommodation is amazing as well it’s in a quiet area, but only a few minute walk away was lots of market shops which was awesome. Another thing is the FOOD! The food on the safari was probably the best food I had my entire trip being in Tanzania, and I was there for over a month. The chef is incredible, and you get lunch during the safari as well. This was our first safari and i felt so fulfilled by the end, we saw so many animals, and even saw the big 5! Our driver, Ally, went out of his way to make our time amazing, even going off road to get us better views of the animals, while still keeping enough distance to not disrupt them. This safari was WAY better than I had expected and I would do it again 1000%. We also had a photographer on the first day, Omary, who was awesome and gave us all the pictures afterwards free of charge. Thank you so much for such an incredible experience, we will remember it forever.
IL
Excellent company
We had an excellent experience with Zambezi Expedition during our trip to Victoria Falls and the safaris in Chobe National Park and Hwange National Park.
The organization and planning were outstanding from start to finish. The hotels they selected were excellent, comfortable, and very well located, and every part of the itinerary was handled smoothly and professionally.
What impressed us most was their exceptional flexibility and support during a period when it was uncertain whether we would even be able to get flights to the region. They were patient, responsive, and accommodating throughout the process, which gave us great confidence and peace of mind.
We highly recommend Zambezi Expedition to anyone planning a trip to Victoria Falls or safari tours in Botswana and Zimbabwe.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional, Excellent Luxury Safari Experience.
Paul, our travel planner took care of our itinerary , so communication was excellent from the time we made our reservation with Africa Bestmore Expeditions three weeks before we arrived in Kenya. Every query was promptly addressed, and every aspect was thoroughly prepared in accordance with our discussions. Every request was handled with expertise and kindness.
We made our 7 Day Luxury Safari in Kenya with Africa Bestmore Expeditions and truly was stunning and worth the value of our safari. From Masai Mara National Reserve to Lake Nakuru to Lake Naivasha and Amboseli National Park was absolutely breath taking with luxury accommodation as stated in our itinerary. We were lucky to see the Big Five of Africa and many other animals. Our guide David understood well his work of sighting animals and a little bit funny which made our safari even more fun.
Next time I would definitely consider them when booking our more safari again across East Africa since we never had any complain making our safari stress free and more authentic from the time we landed in Nairobi to the time we left back to New York.
CO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible with papa johns
I was an incredibly experienced for 6 days,Masai Mara, Lake Nakuro, Amboseli. good stayed, delicious food, driver Papa Jhon’s was amazing and kindly. Definitely I recommend this agency.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Logistical Issues
We booked a 4-day, 3-night safari through the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park through this company on TripAdvisor. We paid about $1,750 per person for the mid-range lodging package.
Before the safari, John scheduled a briefing the day before departure. He was polite, but the meeting felt mostly repetitive since the information had already been covered in the materials we received. Communication was also difficult at times because he spoke very quietly. The other uncomfortable part was the discussion around tipping, which felt more expected than optional. Tipping should reflect appreciation for excellent service, not feel mandatory before the trip even starts.
There were definitely positives to the safari itself. The mid-range lodges were very nice overall — clean, comfortable, and better than expected for the price point. The food was decent overall, especially on day two, although day three’s meals were mediocre. Lunches were usually only warm at best due to the catering setup, but we genuinely appreciated that hot sauce and salt were always available because they helped a lot. Dessert was bananas all three days, which became repetitive quickly.
We were fortunate enough to see all the major animals, and some sightings were truly memorable. Our drivers, Adam and Steve, were both friendly and knowledgeable. Adam was easier to understand and drove aggressively to maximize sightings, while Steve was more cautious but equally professional.
The biggest issue — and ultimately the reason for the low rating — was the logistics.
Right from the start, our itinerary was changed. We were originally scheduled to visit Tarangire first, then the Serengeti, and finish with Ngorongoro Crater. Instead, the order was rearranged, which appeared to happen because the company combined our tour with guests on shorter three-day itineraries.
From that point forward, the trip constantly felt like a compromise between different budgets, tour levels, and schedules. Mid-range guests were mixed with budget campers, creating constant delays for campsite drop-offs, gear pickups, loading supplies, chef coordination, and other camper-related logistics. It honestly felt like the camping guests’ schedules were prioritized over the mid-range guests who paid for a different experience.
The issue was never the early mornings or long safari days — we expected that. The frustration was paying for very nice lodges and arriving so late each evening that we barely had time to enjoy them. Guests should ideally arrive at the lodges at least an hour before sunset to actually experience the accommodations they paid for.
One suggestion that could improve the experience significantly would be replacing the catered hot lunches with well-prepared box lunches. It would simplify the logistics, reduce delays, and likely improve the overall flow of the safari.
Another major issue was the constant focus on reviews. Both during and after the trip, it felt like there was a strong effort to manage and secure five-star reviews rather than simply letting the experience speak for itself. We experienced similar behavior on another East African tour as well. Multiple debriefings and repeated reminders about leaving reviews started to feel disingenuous rather than genuine hospitality.
Honestly, the aggressive push for five-star reviews became a turnoff for us and directly impacted our final rating. Companies should focus on delivering a seamless experience instead of trying to influence guest feedback afterward. If anything, the review pressure lowered our rating from what likely would have been a three-star review down to a two-star review.
Overall, we had some incredible wildlife sightings and enjoyed the lodges, but the poor logistical planning, mixing of incompatible tour types, and heavy-handed review solicitation left a disappointing final impression.
CO
Jockey tours papá john the best
It has been the best experience of my life. I'm Colombian and I embarked on a life-changing and transformative journey. My tour guide for 7 days was Papa Johns, a wonderful man with a lot of patience. He took us to great places, recommended excellent spots for photos, and taught us history. The agency recommended, but my only recommendation is to change the picnic menu.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful
Communication was great and all the tour was very organized.
Great experience with Bryan and then Papa John. Two super guides.
Recommended 100%