20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very helpful, detailed info and responses.
They were great to us. Trustworthy, and dealt well with my several questions. Made things very efficient.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Safari tailored to our wishes
We had a fantastic experience on boat, day and night safari with Selous Mapumziko Lodge.
If you want to support locally owned businesses, book with them.
The guides were super friendly, knowledgeable and experienced and tailored the trip to our needs, ensuring we saw an amazing array of wildlife, including some hard-to-spot species.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
BOOK AND ENJOY THE TRIP
BOOK AND ENJOY THE TRIP
I don't usually write reviews, but when someone deserves it, it's more than obligatory.
We were looking for a local company for a safari, which we had organized a week before leaving. We had already booked round-trip tickets from Italy to Zanzibar, but no safari was organized yet.
We sent several requests for quotes, and with slow responses and slightly overpriced prices (especially from companies run by our fellow Italians), we were settling, given the short time before our departure.
Then, Joseph from Goldfinch sent us a message on WhatsApp. He was helpful, quick, and efficient, and in three days he organized the safari for us, booked the round-trip flights from Zanzibar, and organized EVERYTHING.
The agency was efficient, knowledgeable, and super available for every need.
The safari was PERFECT, the accommodations, even though we chose them last minute, were exactly as requested, and Alin, our Italian-speaking guide, made everything even better.
Alin was also super flexible with our requests. He accompanied us on the safari the entire time, and besides showing us the Big Five, he was super kind and non-intrusive.
The car was always clean, the lunches were basic but good, and the fridge in the jeep was always stocked with coke, water, beer, and wine (which not all companies offer).
Meanwhile, Joseph always made sure we were okay and that everything was going according to plan via WhatsApp messages.
I confirm, as in the other reviews, that you should trust them if you need to book a safari.
I'd also add that, unlike other companies, we only had to pay a deposit and then we paid directly in Arusha, meeting each other in person. So this made everything even more reassuring.
Having a large suitcase that I didn't want to carry around for the 5 days, Joseph arranged for me to store it in storage. Once I returned from the safari, I picked it up with ease and returned it to our driver, who then took us to the hotel where we would be staying for our beach break in Zanzibar.
I absolutely recommend it! We'll be sending lots of our Italian friends there.
P.S.: When we least expected it, Joseph even gave us a little something special before we left. Super sweet.
P.S.: If you have more time to choose your airline, go with Flight Link or Air Tanzania. I think they're the best.
Best agency ✨
Great safari in Nakuru and Maasai Mara
Wonderful tour. Highly recommend it. Our driver, Stephen, was great. Had never heard of Nakuru Nat. Park. But so glad we went. The bird-life was amazing. Maasai Mara was not as busy as I thought it would be. The temperature was pleasant. Recent rains had made the park very green. Our accommodation there (Entim) had a stunning view of the river. Food and staff were wonderful.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This trip exceeded every expectation.
Our trip to Tanzania was honestly unreal. From the endless plains of Serengeti to the breathtaking views inside Ngorongoro Crater and the lush beauty of Lake Manyara, every stop felt like a scene from a nature documentary. We saw the Big Five and even spotted a rare pack of wild dogs which felt like winning the safari lottery.
Tarimo was elite. So knowledgeable, super sharp at tracking animals, and always making sure we were in the perfect spot at the perfect time. He made the whole experience seamless and seriously elevated the trip.
Our stay at Serengeti Wild Camp was a whole vibe. Golden sunsets, dreamy dinners under the stars, and late nights around the bonfire just taking it all in.
We are absolutely recommending this company to all our friends and family.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kisaza Tours showed us an amazing Kili climb, followed by an unforgettable 4-day safari!
I booked a climb (8 Day Lemosho completed in 7) and a safari with Kisaza Tours primarily because I liked the idea of working with a smaller local business, but also because the price was a bit more reasonable than some larger companies. Michael was extremely responsive and helpful throughout planning, even though I asked a million questions.
Once in Tanzania we had a free day and Steven went out of his way to find a local place (golf course) where he knew monkeys would be hanging around since my friend loves monkeys. In the morning, we were welcomed by the team of 11 with a Tanzanian song and dance to get the energy flowing before setting out to climb the mountain. The guides, porters, and other support staff were all so friendly and eager to help ensure we had a great experience. Our guides were Mek and Juma and we had so much fun with both along the way. Juma did a great job of timing everything so that the mountain never felt crowded. I had a tough time breathing the thin air on summit day and one of the porters even joined us to ensure there was extra help with us. Our waiter, Jonathan, always took care of every need while we were at camp and the cook did a great job keeping us full. We were also very thankful to have a private toilet. My friend and I both summitted successfully.
After that we were off to our safari in Tarangire Nat’l. Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and the Serengeti. Our guide was Edwin and he was both extremely polite, and well educated on the animals, which really made our trip. It was so very interesting to hear details about how they live while we were busy taking lots of great photos. We stayed in a tented camp in the Serengeti and it was our most amazing accommodation of the trip. Lastly, the guide and assistant took us on a surprise visit to a Maasai village, which was an amazing experience to see how these people live their lives and learn about their culture.
I highly recommend Kisaza Tours for any adventure in Tanzania!
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I would advise you don't choose them if you want to have a good experience
I had a horrible experience choosing this operator. Initially, during the reservation phase, they promised me a great experience and in reality, I had a terrible experience going with them.
Sketchy Org: First of all, they are not member of the TATO(Tanzania Association of Tour Operators), which I did not know about before I tried to register a formal complaint against this agency. It is recommended that tourists go with TATO members for safety against fraud, and other bad experiences. So please choose an operator which is a TATO member atleast to save yourself the trouble that I have faced.
Unprofessional Driver: The guide, Kim, was extremely unprofessional. He kept on making food related jokes when pointing towards animals and also constantly kept on making sexist remarks degrading females which was really disgusting. During long transfers between the borders and the roads, he started to play loud music which was pretty annoying. Even after asking him on many occasions to stop making his cheap jokes, he kept on making them throughout the entire safari which ruined the experience. Also, during the reservation phase, I had it confirmed that Matey will be our guide but when we arrived at the border, we were surprised to find that Matey had not come and instead Kim was there. This was a big red flag and beware of their stunts like this.
Low Quality Accommodations: I had some concerns initially with some of their accommodations based on google reviews and research but they assured the accommodations are top quality and nothing to be afraid of, but in reality they turned out reality bad. They offered us Tloma Lodge in Karatu for the stay after Ngorongoro crater and we were bitten by mosquitoes whole night in that lodge. The staff was really unprofessional.
Horrible Picnic Lunches: They also don't buy lunchboxes unlike other operators and save the money. The quality of lunches we had everyday were really horrible like cold pasta, fruits that were starting to rot already, cold potato fries, and 1 tiny piece of cold and soggy fried chicken per person. Please confirm with your operator in advance what lunches you will get if they offer you picnic lunch.
Fraudulent Breakdown: After the bad experience when we asked to show the breakdown of the costs, the numbers they sent were all over the places. First, we had paid for 6 days of safari car with unlimited mileage but they again added an extra charge for transfer which was within that 6 days. Also, they showed park charges which was almost 33% higher than actual park fees. Also they did not buy us AMREF insurance policies which they promised and charged us to include. The reservation specialist confirmed that operators get special prices for booking accommodations which are much lower than the ones available online or through direct booking with the hotels and camps. But in the breakdown their prices were all higher than the highest prices that you can find on the direct websites or booking platforms. When I asked to justify the areas of concerns in the breakdown, they just said they don't need to justify because I agreed to pay the amount initially. So please ask detailed breakdown in the beginning from all your operators before making the payments.
Overall they ruined my honeymoon experience so totally do not recommend them for anyone. They charged a lot because we wanted private tour and in return we were provided bad accommodations, horrible food, unprofessional driver, and no resolution or support when we raised the concerns. Please save your money and time and go with a more trustworthy operator.
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It is a very reliable travel agency. The boss is very responsible and careful
The boss is very responsible and careful. He will give detailed travel advice before travelling. He also communicates with us every day during the itinerary. If there is any problem, it can be solved in time. It is a very perfect itinerary. Highly recommended. The whole travel experience exceeded our expectations.
BR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a wonderful journey with Tiyani.
We had a nice journey with Tiyani. He is a good driver, he was super kind with us, always asking if we wanted to stop for toilets. He brought us a water and he was super communicative. I’d recommend.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Truly memorable Kenya safari by Morning Star
Thank you to Morning Star for a fantastic safari trip. To Winnie for organising our itinerary. The proposal impressed me, it was not just an email with ideas but a professional document. To John our Guide/Driver for making sure that we saw every animal we would ever expect to see - not just the big 5 but all the other animals and birds we managed to see.
We were met at the airport by one of the Morning Star guides and dropped at our hotel. The next day John picked us up from our Nairobi hotel and our adventure began. We spent 3 days and nights in the Mara where we saw cheetah, leopard, rhino, lots of elephants, zebra, lions and cubs and more lions, giraffe. Our camp was the Zebra Valley which was placed such that we could watch the animals across from the camp.
Then we went to Lake Nakuru and saw even more animals, more rhino.
One day later on to Lake Naivasha and the Sopa Lodge which was lovely. Morning star had arranged a guide and boat trip out to the island to see birds animals.
A day later and on to Amboselli and the lovely Kibo Safari camp (my favourite stay), Here we saw elephants all trooping down to the Marsh and got the most fantastic photos.
John always made sure he not only got us to the animals but he placed the truck so that we got the good shots and was happy to wait until we were happy to move on.
Thank you both and to all the team at Morning Star
