IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience!
Everything was perfect! Great service, friendly staff and an amazing safari experience. Everything was well organised, and we enjoyed every moment. Highly recommend Suricata Safaris!
Gerard was amazing guide , very professional and knowledgeable.
BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Freeingo: When an Amazing Safari in Kenya Meets a Disappointing Return to the Serengeti (4/5)
Freeingo is a good safari company offering very competitive prices, flexibility and responsive customer service. However, we finished our nine-day Kenya–Tanzania safari with mixed feelings, as the Tanzanian part fell significantly short of what had been agreed.
We chose this trip because we had visited Tanzania three years earlier and wanted to explore more, while also visiting Kenya to see rhinos, which we had missed on our previous safari. After requesting numerous quotes and almost organizing the entire trip ourselves, we chose Freeingo because they offered the best price among the flexible, well-rated companies. We appreciated their willingness to tailor the itinerary to our budget and wishes.
1. Kenya: An Excellent Experience (5/5)
Samburu and Ol Pejeta
The pickup in Nairobi was perfectly organized, and our experience in Samburu was excellent. We saw several of the Special Five and a leopard that passed right next to our vehicle. Our young guide was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and excellent at spotting wildlife and positioning the car.
Ol Pejeta was another highlight, and we would strongly recommend spending a day there if seeing rhinos is a priority. However, we had an unfortunate experience at The Stables camp: despite Freeingo having arranged an extra room for our driver, the staff demanded an additional $70 for him to use it. Consequently, he had no lunch or dinner and had to sleep outside the conservancy. Freeingo told us they would address this issue.
Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha
We would suggest spending only one day at Lake Nakuru. The park seemed relatively empty, although the Rothschild giraffes are worth seeing.
An additional morning game drive had been included in our itinerary, but our guide informed us that returning to the park was impossible because the additional entry had not been booked. After contacting Freeingo, they quickly arranged an alternative: Lake Naivasha.
This turned out to be a wonderful surprise. The walking safari allowed us to get close to giraffes, zebras, ostriches and other wildlife while learning about the animals. It was one of our favourite experiences in Kenya. The local team and our driver were once again excellent, informative and flexible.
Masai Mara
The Masai Mara was outstanding. The camp staff and our guide were flexible enough to arrange breakfast at 5:45 a.m., allowing us to leave at sunrise and maximize our chances of seeing active wildlife, particularly predators hunting.
Although we did not witness a successful hunt, our guide did everything possible: starting early, returning late, covering considerable distances and knowing where to position the vehicle. He was also very knowledgeable and continuously explained the animals and their behaviour. If you get "Ian" as your guide, consider yourself lucky!
Even the drive through the Mara Triangle towards the Isebania border crossing was rewarding. Although we could not stop for an official game drive, we saw plenty of wildlife and witnessed part of the Great Migration.
Overall, the Kenyan part was excellent. Our guide's dedication and flexibility made a real difference.
2. Tanzania: A Disappointing Return to the Serengeti (2/5)
We returned to Tanzania specifically because of our wonderful previous experience in the Serengeti. We wanted to explore more of the park, see the Great Migration and hopefully spot big cats. Our itinerary included an afternoon game drive on arrival, a full day in the park and a final morning game drive before heading towards Arusha.
We clearly explained to our driver that we wanted to start early and finish late whenever possible. Unfortunately, the experience was very different from what we had expected.
The first afternoon was reasonably successful. We tried to locate a wildebeest river crossing, although the driver did not seem particularly proactive. On our way back, we unexpectedly encountered many elephants crossing and playing in the Mara River, followed by three cheetahs searching for prey. These were incredible sightings, but the driver was remarkably unresponsive and did not reposition the vehicle effectively to follow the cheetahs. We eventually had to insist that he move to improve our view.
The second day: a morning lost
The main problems started when we were informed that we had to enter Central Serengeti late in the morning. This contradicted our agreed itinerary, which explicitly included a morning game drive in Northern Serengeti before travelling towards Central Serengeti.
As a result, we lost the entire morning driving outside the park. We eventually accepted the change because there was no practical alternative, on the understanding that we would have an early game drive on our final morning the day after.
Unfortunately, once inside the park, the guiding was equally disappointing. Our driver spent hours following other vehicles at approximately 20–30 km/h, almost constantly stopping to communicate with other drivers, despite having access to radio information. He seemed to lack any clear idea of where to go or how to actively search for wildlife.
We did see some lion families, but the experience felt more like following a queue of safari vehicles in a relatively restricted area than actively exploring the wilderness. The idea is to drive to see the animals where they are, not only in a sector closer to the camp. This is unacceptable.
The final morning: another missed game drive
We were particularly disappointed when our driver informed us the evening before that an early breakfast and departure were not possible because the camp staff did not want to get up early to prepare breakfast.
We even proposed doing a one- or two-hour game drive before returning for breakfast, as the exit gate was only around 1.5–2 hours away. This was also rejected, with the explanation that breakfast was essential for the driver.
Our disappointment turned to complete frustration when we saw another group at the same camp having an early quick breakfast and leaving for a game drive at sunrise. Clearly, an early departure was possible after all.
Consequently, we ended up with a late drive towards Naabi Hill Gate, seeing very little wildlife apart from some distant lions. To make matters worse, our driver seemed unfamiliar with the park and drove almost directly towards the exit, despite our tickets still being valid for another two hours. When he realised we were too early at the gate, he began looking for animals near the gate, where wildlife sightings are naturally very limited. We refused to waste any more time on what had become a rather absurd situation and asked to leave. Another morning had effectively been lost.
There were also inconsistencies with the park-entry arrangements. Despite our planned route through Northern and Central Serengeti, our tickets did not properly accommodate the itinerary, and we effectively had only 24 hours of access in Central Serengeti.
Overall, we lost more than a full day of meaningful safari time in Tanzania. This was particularly disappointing given our wonderful memories of the Serengeti. We know the park is extraordinary; the problem was the guiding, planning and lost time, not the destination itself.
3. Customer Service and Final Verdict
Upon our return to Arusha, Freeingo contacted us to ask for feedback. We genuinely appreciated this. They listened carefully, were understanding and seemed genuinely disappointed by the Tanzanian driver's behaviour. They appeared willing to investigate the problems and improve their service.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that the Tanzanian experience did not match the agreed itinerary. Across the nine-day trip, we estimate that we lost more than one full day of meaningful safari time, approximately one-sixth of the planned game drives. For a safari of this price and importance, this is a substantial shortfall.
Interestingly, the Kenyan part, where the guiding was excellent, was by far the best part of the trip. Given that Freeingo operates primarily in Tanzania, this was unexpected. We hope our experience was an exception rather than representative of their usual service.
Overall, Freeingo offers excellent value for money, flexibility and responsive customer service. However, we feel that only around 85% of what was agreed was actually delivered. The combination of poor guiding and lost safari time is a serious shortcoming for such an important trip.
Our advice to future travellers: Before confirming your booking, carefully check the location of every camp, the park-entry tickets, the planned routes and the arrangements for early departures. These details can make a considerable difference to your experience.
Our ratings
* General organization: 4/5
* Kenyan driver (Ian): 5/5
* Tanzanian driver: 2/5
* Wildlife sightings — Kenya: 5/5
* Wildlife sightings — Tanzania: 3/5
* Overall experience: 4/5
Freeingo has the potential to deliver an outstanding safari, and our Kenyan experience proves it. We just wish the Tanzanian part had lived up to the same standard.
IE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
We had a very good experience in our 3 days safari, our driver Gerard was very friendly and know the area very well and brought was to see the animals very close, he could spot the animals very easily.
Would highly recommend the company.
RU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional organisation and unforgettable experiences in Africa!
A huge thank you to Oscar and the entire Zambezi Expedition Travel and Tours team for organising our incredible adventures in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana!
As a professional tour organiser, I especially appreciate reliability, punctuality, and attention to detail. Everything was perfectly coordinated, exactly as we had planned, and communication with Oscar was excellent throughout.
Special thanks to our driver, Francis, who was always punctual, polite, helpful, and professional. He made our journeys comfortable and enjoyable.
The safari in Botswana was absolutely unforgettable! We have travelled to many places around the world, but we had never seen so many animals in one place. Our safari guide was fantastic, both during the game drive and the boat safari. We felt completely safe and well looked after.
The helicopter flight over Victoria Falls and our visit to Devil’s Pool were also incredible experiences, with everything organised smoothly.
Our entire group was delighted! It was a real pleasure working with Oscar and his team. I highly recommend this company to both travellers and fellow tour organisers, and I would definitely book with them again!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nelson was amazing! Offered so much knowledge on the animal, park and culture!
My husband and I attended the 3 day / 2 night safari in July, with Nelson as our tour guide and we can not express enough how amazing the whole experience was!
Nelson was so kind, caring and knowledgeable about the park and animals and took exceptional care for us. We feel so lucky to have had him as our tour guide as he knew exactly where to go and we saw more animals than we could have hoped for!
The camp staff were equally amazing and ensured we had everything taken care of, including delicious meals and snacks.
The whole experience was amazing from start to finish and something we will never forget.
Thank you to the whole Kalahari Tour group for the amazing experience.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!!
Guys, if you are planning to do a Safari, looks for this guys and in special Gerard driver, he knows a lot about Animals and has an eagle eye to spot the nest thing in Safari.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome
We went on a safari with Axis Africa Safari. Our tour guide Kevin was really professional, he guided us throughout the safari. Also he is knowledgeable about the ecosystem. Would recommend all to travel with axis africa.
LV
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good trip. Our driver Tiyani was excellent
Helpfull and pleasant driver, professional, punctual shuttle service
LV
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Pleasant trip to Kruger Park, big thanks to our driver Tiyani
We had good experience with Safarilink company, can recommend it for sure
RU
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Confortable, conveniente, fast , truly , good prices
We were on a two-day safari in Trangir and Norogongoo with flights from Dar es Salaam and back to Zanzibar. We bought a tour from Moscow, we were very worried that they would not meet us . But everything went great, they met us everywhere and helped us get there.
During the safari, Rogers was accompanied by an excellent guide. I moved very quickly and safely , I chose good locations with animals on safari , I drove up to them as close as possible . He talked about the animals and the flora of the park . The guide is very friendly , respectful , cheerful, and most importantly, once again does not bother and does not interfere with watching the animals. It was comfortable in the car , and it didn 't smell .We were accommodated in a nice loggia , with a delicious dinner . Lunch was always delicious, and cold drinks added comfort.
We advise you to take a safari with this company, you won't regret it. Good quality/price ratio))