IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Responsive and supportive
I booked a 3d safari at Tsavo with a friend and we enjoyed it a lot.
We had an issue and John was open to support us to find a convenient solution.
We can recommend Trav Interactive for their services
MT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very educated and well informed us.
Saw of lots of wonderful animals, accomodation offered was good, car ride was fun with an equipped car
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
He's a kind and attentive tour guide
He's good at explaining the important points and he makes sure u get to see and learn all that is their
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience
Recently got back from a 2 week holiday in Kenya . We travelled around 6 national parks on a safari trip with Meektrail safaris followed by 4 lazy days at The Swahili beach hotel on Diani beach . All of the national parks offered something different and we thoroughly enjoyed everyone however the Masai Mara , Amboselli and Lake Naivasha were my personal favourites and the ones I would highly recommend . We did a lot of travelling about by road and really enjoyed seeing a different way of life . We found the Kenyan people to be very friendly . Nice to have the lazy days by the beach at the end of our trip o the lovely Diani beach . The only slight negative I had about the entire trip were that the beach boys and beggars in Diani became a bit tiresome at times making a nice simple walk on the beach or into town feel like hard work .
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great
We booked an 8 days budget safari trip with Bencia to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Navaisha, Amboseli and Tsavo West.
We traveled with our driver Joseph and our cook John.
The entire trip was great, just as we expected ; the itinerary was good and well respected, the accomodations were very decent, the food that John made was always very good, and we saw all the animals we wished for thanks to Joseph which is a great driver and very good for spoting animals.
They were both very nice and we had great holidays :)
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well-organized, Reliable service, Excellent dollar/value, Punctual, We felt very safe, Will return
Clarissa and Robert at BTA arranged for us, three woman, a two-week tour of Dar-es Salaam city, Zanzibar beach, spice tour, Serengeti-Arusha safari and Mount Meru trekking. Our guide Jackson took us in his open-top jeep to game drives at Tarangire, Rift Valley and Ngorongoro Crater; explained the wildlife, plants, birds, insects, geographical features, and the history.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great Safaris that could use a little more organization
My partner and I recently finished the 11-Day Mara Nakuru Amboseli Serengeti Ngorongoro Nairobi Safaris.
Kennedy, was very helpful in the planning process. There were a few times where I asked specific questions that went unanswered, but in general our back and forths were good.
Our time in the parks was great. We had many rare and fascinating animal sightings and our guide was great at positioning us for optimal viewing. I wish that our guide had been a little more forthcoming with information though. He would answer questions but not volunteer too much. Additionally, on the Kenya side, we were only provided 1L of water per day. This is not enough, especially in 30+ degree weather.
The accommodations and food were good. I would advise people to bring battery packs and take advantage wifi when it is available as both electricity and Internet will often not be.
The safaris had some issues with organization and professionalism. On our very first day, we sat at the office for an hour after being picked up. We were told that it was because other members of our group were late. Then, after discussing with those travellers, we discovered they were told they were kept waiting because we were late. It is ok to run late in the morning but it is very unprofessional to blame tourists to one another. Another issue we experienced was due to a typo in the itinerary that I was provided during the booking process. The date of September 13th was forgotten, so after the 12th, the itinerary was off by a day. This was a big issue as it forced us to spend an extra day and night in Arusha at the end of the tour. This was money we did not intend to spend. It also caused concern at the Kenya-Tanzania border because the date of entry on our visas was the 15th when we were actually crossing on the 14th. Lucky for us the border guards understood. Regarding the border crossing, this was not handled well by the company. Our guide dropped us off at the border without any information on what shuttle we were taking or when it was leaving. Instead, he told us to just trust his friend that was there. This friend had no association with the tour company and was obviously inebriated. If this wasn't stressful enough, once we arrived at the bus depot in Arusha, the representative from Seven Wonders (the company running the safaris on the Tanzanian side) failed to collect us so we had to take a cab. This was not a great day. The organization was also lacking in Tanzania. We were collected on day one by what turned out to be the wrong tour so we had to switch the next day. This was not a big deal but decisions on what tourists were going where and with which guide seemed to be made on fly each day.
Despite these hiccups, the safari did leave us with many great memories and positive feelings. It is good value as a budget safaris and earned the 4 Stars I awarded it. I would choose it again if I had the opportunity.
Recommendations: 1) While planning your safaris, make sure to scrutinize the schedule; 2) Be flexible. The itinerary will not be strictly adhered to; 3) If crossing the border, make sure your guide provides you with a shuttle number; 4) Buy water when you can (particularly in Kenya); 5) Take advantage of electricity/wifi when it is available
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall great experience
We had an overall great experience on our 7 days safari tour with Moses and Jackson. Although we booked a group tour it ended up being just the four of us. Both Moses and Jackson where very nice and accommodating. With more experience I believe a couple of things will run smoother e.g. communication during check-ins and day to day planning. They made sure we had an excellent time on the game drives and saw all big 5.
For our last two days our itinerary said that we were booked into the Aa Lodge Amboseli, however without explanation we were brought to the Discovery Camp near Amboseli national park. We did not mind but it would have been nice to get a heads up or explanation why the plans changed.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful trip except for being asked to buy gifts for the agency
We chose a three-day safari trip from Arusha, venturing deep into the Serengeti Plains and exploring Ngorongoro Crater. Our guide was particularly experienced and attentive, making our trip even more enjoyable. Overall, the arrangements were great.
There was just one thing, our travel agent Kelvin kept asking us to give him gifts, and I'm not sure if it's a custom in their country or not.
Anyway, we brought a headphone from China for him. In China,we don't usually ask someone that we don't know well to do something for one's sake . I found this request for gifts a bit strange.
I think asking for gifts from clients makes us feel a bit bad, and I think the travel agency should strengthen its training for its employees.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experienced tour operator, good guides, good accommodation.
A friend and I were on safari for 4 days. The guides were good to very good. They were very eager to show us many animals and explain a lot. The accommodation in the camp was very good. The cabins had everything you need and were very clean. Unfortunately, the pool was only half filled with unclean water. We didn't use it.
The price-performance ratio was right for me and we always felt safe in the camp thanks to the Maasai, even when one night the monkeys roared very loudly because a leopard was hunting.
We did the safari 3 times in the 4 days, the boat tour and the hike through the bush which was more of a 2 hour walk. But: we learned a lot about the Maasai.
The people at the reception were very friendly and helpful and in the restaurant and bar you immediately felt at home as everyone was so friendly. All in all a very good stay!