20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable, comfortable and excellent
From the beginning, the communication from tour organizer benson was excellent, responding to all kind of queries at any point of time.
The accomodation provided were good and comfortable. Festo our driver and guide was best in everything. He is responsible and commited to the job. We managed to witness best parts of safari because of his promptness and planning.
Strongly recommend.
Thank you for everything!!!
Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Unforgettable Safari Experience – Exceeded Expectations!
An Unforgettable Safari Experience – Exceeded Expectations!
Our safari trip was truly an unforgettable experience and, overall, exceeded our expectations.
Safari: We had the opportunity to see an incredible variety of wildlife and experienced some amazing moments during our game drives. I would have loved to see lions actually ambushing their prey, but considering how many times we came across lions preparing and positioning themselves for an ambush during our itinerary, I would still rate the safari experience as exceeded expectations. Seeing these behaviors up close in their natural environment was fascinating.
Guides/Drivers: The guides and drivers were fantastic throughout the trip. We had super-friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating guides and drivers on the Tanzania side, and Kim and Mike on the Kenya side were wonderful as well. Their expertise, enthusiasm, and willingness to make sure we had a great experience made a big difference. We truly appreciated their efforts.
Accommodations: The accommodations were, for the most part, excellent and really added to the overall experience. The properties were comfortable and well selected. There was just one exception where we did not have hot water during our stay. This was particularly surprising because the property had only been open for about nine months. Hopefully, this is something they can address going forward.
Food: We had absolutely no issues with the food throughout the trip. The meals were enjoyable, and everything was handled very well.
A Special Thank You: Our special thanks to Claire for the beautiful monogrammed blankets. They were such a thoughtful and personal touch, and we truly appreciated the gesture. It was a wonderful surprise and something we will always associate with this memorable trip.
Our Recommendation: We highly recommend Fred and the One More Adventure team, especially for anyone planning a complex itinerary or traveling with a larger group. Coordinating a trip like ours involves many moving parts, and we greatly appreciated the planning, coordination, responsiveness, and attention to detail throughout the journey. Fred and the team did a wonderful job bringing everything together and helping make our trip such a memorable experience.
Overall, we had a wonderful and memorable safari experience and will cherish the memories for a long time. Thank you to Fred, Claire, and the entire One More Adventure team for helping make this trip so special!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magical!
We honestly couldn’t recommend Cuan highly enough. He planned an absolutely flawless trip for us and it genuinely felt like every detail had been thought through.
The amount of time in each place was perfect with enough time to experience everything on offer, while still having plenty of downtime to relax. Every transfer ran seamlessly and every accommodation was outstanding. Xugana was a definite highlight and became even more special when my partner proposed there!
We had some incredible experiences along the way, from fishing with our own private guide and boat to amazing wildlife encounters...including coming across a male lion on a walking safari!
The whole trip felt effortless from our end, which is exactly what you want when travelling somewhere like Africa. It was truly a trip of a lifetime and one we’ll remember forever.
Thank you, Cuan, for all the thought, care and work you put into creating such an incredible experience for us. We wouldn’t hesitate to book with you again.
NZ
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Simply Outstanding
We commenced planning our Safari nearly 2 years ago. We put out our brief to 3 top rated companies on Trip Advisor. African Big Cat Safaris (ABC) was the only company that listened to our brief AND made constructive recommendations.
From day 1, the communication with William from the Planning Departing, to Naomi from the Operations Department was nothing short of fantastic.
We had allowed 2 day’s rest prior to our 14 day safari, as we were travelling away from home for nearly 5 months. However, we were hampered by 3 x flight cancellations and delays right up to the 11th hour and Naomi was there all the way for us, making sure our pickup in the early hours of the morning was arranged. We arrived with 2 hours to spare before the start of our Safari Day, our rest days were eaten up with flight delays.
Well, we didn’t think it could get better, but it did!
Festo, our guide, picked us up at the Airport, a big smile greeted us. While we were tired and jet lagged from the delays, what a greeting.
Festo was simply outstanding. He could spot birds and wildlife from a great distance, and his knowledge was superb.
Day 2 or 3 in, we saw the Cheetah. Then 4 leopards in one day, and of course we saw the Big 5 during the course of our safari. We were guided by Festo’s timekeeping on what time to depart each morning, and within minutes of arriving at the River, we saw a major Wildebeest Crossing.
Then we moved from there and within another 10 minutes was another major crossing! His timing was always 100% perfect.
At all times, Festo was looking after us, explained everything, and we couldn’t have been better looked after. He didn’t rush us, when we just wanted to sit and enjoy the animals and the moment, plus taking photos etc.
One good thing about being on a 14 day Safari, we were able to actually visit some Villages, which many people wouldn’t see in a 7 day Safari. This helped us understand the culture. We visited the Bush people, and the Masai. This was incredible. My husband participated in some of their spear throwing and bow and arrow events. He loved it.
We would like to thank the entire team at ABC for an amazing life adventure, a real highlight of our 5 months of travelling.
It is a huge leap of faith and trust with booking direct online, and not via a Travel Agent, however, from day 1, ABC were incredible.
Festo is an absolutely top guide, and please ask for him! We absolutely trusted him, and over 2 weeks, he became our best friend and loved him for that.
Our memories of our trip, are just not of the wildlife, but also the wonderful time we enjoyed with him, and he made our outstanding trip was it was. Thank you Festo and the ABC Team, from Andrew, Mary-Anne & Helen.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best tour organizer you can have
We booked with Madagascar Natural Tours after deliberating and speaking to a few more operators. Absolutely made the best choice possible! We had a very well organized tour, complete flexibility on the schedule, great guides and drivers, amazing availability and truly the best there is! Go for it!
CL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable Uganda experience – Gorillas, Shoebills, and 5-Star Guiding!
We had a fantastic experience traveling through Uganda. The undisputed highlight was trekking to see the mountain gorillas, followed closely by spotting the shoebill stork, but we also saw chimpanzees and the golden monkeys.
A massive thank you to our guides, Sam and Davis. Their support began well before we even arrived in Uganda; they helped us prepare by offering great advice on what clothing to pack and patiently answered every minor doubt we had. Throughout the trip, they were super helpful, attentive, and genuinely invested in making sure everything ran smoothly.
Likyadi Adventures took care of every detail so we could make the absolute most of the experience. We highly recommend booking with them!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable
We had an incredible safari trip covering both Kenya and Tanzania in July, and the tour was very well organized. We really appreciated all the arrangements and support throughout the trip.
It was an absolute highlight to witness the great migration and see all the animals we had hoped to see! We also want to give a special thanks to all of our safari drivers for their knowledge, patience, and dedication. They made our game drives such an enjoyable experience.
We especially want to thank Moses, our airport pickup driver, who went out of his way to drive a very long distance to bring our delayed luggage to us. We really appreciated his kindness and extra effort.
Budget
This is advertised as a budget tour, and I completely understood that meant basic accommodations, shared transportation, long driving days, and fewer luxuries. Unfortunately, my issue was not that this was a budget safari it was the poor organization, inconsistent communication, and the difference between what we were told and what actually happened.
The itinerary states that transportation is by 4x4 safari vehicle, but this was not consistently what we received. On Day 5, we were given multiple different explanations about what vehicle we would be using and when we would transfer to another jeep. We were initially told we would switch to a new jeep at our lunch stop. Instead, we were abruptly put into two small cars.
Day 5 is essentially a full transfer day, so I completely understand that a significant amount of driving is involved. We were told the day prior that our jeep would be picking us up from the hotel. That then changed to a van picking us up and taking us to the next city to meet our jeep. Ultimately, seven of us were crammed into a small van for approximately two hours, which was extremely uncomfortable. We then ended up sitting at a gas station waiting for a jeep to arrive without a clear ETA. When I contacted the company, I was told that they had a jeep waiting for us, which did not reflect what was actually happening.
A long transfer day is completely understandable on a budget safari. Being given conflicting information, spending two hours in an extremely uncomfortable vehicle, and then sitting at a gas station indefinitely waiting for another vehicle is not. That is not simply a normal compromise of joining a budget group tour.
The company also explained that regular cars are used for Hell’s Gate because it is not primarily an animal-viewing destination. That makes sense operationally, but this was not explained in the itinerary, which led us to expect the transportation described there. If different vehicles are routinely used on certain days, that should simply be disclosed before booking.
There was also an uncomfortable issue regarding seating in the safari vehicle. Because this is a group joining safari with guests booking through different companies, I expected seating—particularly the preferred front seats—to be handled fairly among the group. Instead, two guests apparently made a private request through their booking company to sit in the front. This was never communicated to the rest of the group. When we selected seats ourselves, the guide instructed those guests to move our belongings so they could take the front seats, rather than explaining the situation to us directly beforehand.
This created a completely unnecessary conflict between guests that could have been avoided with basic communication and clearer management from the guide. On a shared joining safari, one company’s guests should not unexpectedly receive priority seating simply because they made a private request that the rest of the vehicle was never informed about. If specific seats are guaranteed or reserved, that should be disclosed to everyone. Otherwise, the guide should ensure that desirable seats are rotated fairly throughout the safari so that all paying guests have an opportunity to use them. Guests should not be left to negotiate or argue over seating arrangements themselves.
The disorganization went beyond transportation and seating. On one occasion, we did not receive a start time until well after 9 a.m. We also had a late start for the approximately six-hour drive to Amboseli because a guide was apparently not available. Optional activities also ended up costing more once we arrived than the prices we had been given beforehand. When I asked about this, Peter explained that the local communities set the prices. Travelers should therefore be aware that an activity advertised at one price may cost substantially more upon arrival—for example, a bike ride listed at $15 ended up costing $30, and the bicycle itself was in very poor condition.
Overall, the wildlife and destinations themselves were incredible, but Pavilion Safaris was consistently disorganized and communication was poor. Plans changed repeatedly, we were told different things by different people, and at times it felt as though arrangements were being figured out as we went rather than there being a clear plan. When I address this issue to Peter, he made multiple attempts to flip it back onto me. Our first safari vehicle was in poor condition and missing seat belts which he in return blamed on me for not telling him.
I understand that this is a budget safari, and I did not expect luxury. My complaints are not about the normal compromises that come with budget travel. They are about organization, transparency, communication, and fair management of a shared group experience. A budget tour can still provide guests with accurate information, clear expectations, and an organized experience.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Company for Our Kenya & Tanzania Safari-highly recommend them!
I highly recommend SVAI Luxe Escapes. We just got back from our safari in Kenya & Tanzania and we had a fantastic trip. All of the accommodations that they arranged for us were amazing and beautiful. The people at all of the camps and lodges were super friendly. We appreciated their team staying in contact with us throughout the trip letting us know about who our guides will be, our transfer contacts, checking in on us, etc. We also appreciated that they provided our friend with a great celebration for her birthday. Their team did a phenomenal job. Everything went very smoothly and according to plan. We loved our guides in Kenya & Tanzania. They all did a great job and were always making sure that we were well taken care of. It really helped make the trip that much more memorable.
I’m very happy that I chose this company to tour with. I had done a lot of research to find the right company and emailed their references ahead of time. I didn’t know anything about them prior to this and I’m so pleased (and so is my husband and our friends) that we decided to go with SVAI. The team is amazing, the guides they have are very knowledgeable and amazing, the accommodations are 5-star. I can’t say enough.
THANK YOU!!!!! They made our African safari a very positive and memorable experience. I definitely recommend this company to anyone else that is planning to go on safari.
They definitely made our trip a wonderful experience and I would go with them again in the future.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the best tour operators!
We were lucky enough to get a private tour through Chobe NP with Leon himself. He was a wealth of knowledge as well as being the absolute nicest guy. Communication via prior to the tour was a bit spotty due to him being on safaris and limited internet but everything was clear and easy to sort out. Value for money was excellent. One of our favourite tours of our whole 3 week Southern African experience. Will definitely be back and do an extended camping trip next time!
