US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My advice: Avoid Windsong Safaris
I booked a women’s safari with Windsong Safaris, expecting a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Unfortunately, aspects of the trip did not meet my expectations, and I feel it’s important to share my experience so others can make an informed decision.
The trip was marketed as a premium, life-changing safari. However, I was surprised to learn that the owner Trish did not personally lead the trip, as I initially believed. I was informed two weeks before departure that the original group was no longer going, and as a result, Trish would not be attending due to economic reasons. This change left me feeling uncertain, as we were given limited local contacts and minimal details regarding transportation and accommodations. Communication was primarily through Facebook or calls to California, which was not always practical.
There were several logistical challenges that made parts of the trip stressful. Transportation between locations was long and difficult, and I was unsure who would be picking us up at times. The camps seemed unprepared for our arrival, and we were required to sign a liability waiver that had all our names on a single form. I later discovered that my signature had been added without my knowledge, which concerned me.
The itinerary did not align with what I had anticipated. The "women’s safari" was promoted as an experience centered around connection, culture, and personal growth. However, I felt that there was minimal cultural engagement or structured activities beyond the game drives. While the wildlife was incredible, I had hoped for more meaningful experiences, such as the opportunity to visit local villages to donate hygiene products—something I was initially told would be included but only happened because I repeatedly requested it.
Some group dynamics also posed challenges. Certain participants had medical conditions that led to difficult situations during the trip. One individual had a medical emergency related to a pre-existing condition, and another declined to take malaria medication due to personal beliefs. These situations, while beyond anyone’s control, created additional concerns about safety and preparedness.
There were also some discrepancies between what was promised and what was delivered. For example, I was told there would be WiFi at all camps, but in reality, it was only available in central areas that were not always accessible. I was also under the impression that four nights at a beach resort were included, but plans appeared to change. When I inquired about these issues, I felt the response was defensive rather than solution-oriented, which left me disappointed.
Overall, while I appreciated the opportunity to see Africa’s incredible wildlife, I personally would never book with this company again.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Courteous
My experience with Dawn Safaris was quite good. They were very punctual in everything. I really liked their time management. The events were well scheduled. Our best experience was our Chobe game drive and boat cruise. We had a superb lunch at cresta Mowana. This day was fun filled and the experience of seeing part of the big five animals was good
US
5-Day Tanzania Honeymoon Safari
We had an unforgettable Honeymoon thanks to a fantastic 5 day, 4 night safari in Tanzania!
*Safari Planner - Jake*
I worked with Jake to put together the ideal itinerary including flying directly into the Serengeti from Zanzibar to reduce the overall non-game drive time spent on the read. Jake was very patient and reorganized the proposed itinerary several times before we landed on the perfect amount of time to spend in Serengeti, Ngorongo, and Tarangire while ensuring we stayed 2 nights in each of the incredible lodgings to avoid too much repacking .
*Guide - Frank*
Our guide Frank was phenomenal! He did a great job explaining what the next days' schedules would be and was always courteous and flexible with any requests we had. Frank was an amazing guide in so many ways - his wildlife spotting and coordination with other drivers meant we saw more animals than we ever imagined we would. He also regularly washed the vehicle which was an unexpected surprise - there is something magical about waking up and seeing a sparkling clean vehicle ready for a big day of safari adventures. Frank was also an excellent driver - we were so impressed by how smooth the overall experience was given how rough the roads can be in late November. Frank was like part of the family and after 5 days together we were sad to say goodbye!
*Shadows of Africa*
Having reached out to 5+ tour operators when I was in the planning phase I was immediately impressed by the level of quality of their website, their tour outlines, and overall professionalism. Going on Safari confirmed everything I expected and more! It was clear Shadows provides a level of service above other tour operators in a few ways. I'm sure there are more but a couple of the highlights:
1 - Lunches during game drives are *warm* :D The guides work with the lodges to get warm meals prepared in advance. I had no idea the level of service we were about to receive until our first couple lunches where it was clear most operators would have you eating a cold, packed lunch. Shadows on the other hand would have a protein, one or two vegetable dishes, and rice. etc. all ready to be served warm.
2 - The safari vehicles was practically new! It was in such good shape, and our guide mentioned it was only the 2nd or so time it had been used as of November 2024.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing, knowledgeable, and kind
I am the owner and operator of jstjourneys, a U.S. company that has brought groups to Kenya over the past 20 years. Benson was one of the driver-guides that worked for us for many years. His knowledge, work ethic, and kindness were the reasons we requested him each year we lead safaris. I'm so pleased he has started his own company. Anyone dreaming of going on safari should book with Benson's company, Jungle Empire Africa. You will be pampered and educated. This is a company headed for success.
BR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A very pleasant place.
My experience in South Africa was fantastic, from the booking with Viva Safari, the flights, to our stay at Tremisana Lodge. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Patrícia Landau, who was incredibly helpful and answered all our questions about the lodge and everything the safari had to offer. I would also like to express my gratitude to the entire Tremisana Safari team. We were warmly welcomed, and everyone went above and beyond to make our safari unforgettable. We were able to see all the Big 5, and despite the intense heat, the experience was truly incredible!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional and good company service team, high satisfaction
This is a company with a good service and a high degree of professionalism. Good communications throughout the trip and prepared always to go the extra mile. Excellent value for money for this 5 star service and nothing was to much trouble, also some lovely surprise extras thrown in!
The safaris and accommodation were top quality and all guides and staff extremely knowledgeable on their subjects. Truly a holiday of a lifetime and I would not hesitate to recommend Kilinyota Safaris.
PT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Heaven on Earth
Been there in August 2024 with all my family and it was the trip of a lifetime.
Everything was perfect.
Patrick is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ guide.
Richard was a perfect host.
Thank you.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Super Tour Group!
Excellent service provided by Ozon Light Tours. The transport and accommodation that they arrange was excellent, and the guide and all staff were extremely helpful to deal with and great to be around. Would definitely use them again!
PT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the best experiences of my life!
Going on safari was, without a doubt, one of the most incredible experiences of my life! Every moment was unique and memorable, from the magic of watching the sunrise on a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti to the exciting interaction with the Massai Tribe. This was one of the highlights of my year and something that I highly recommend to anyone who wants to experience something extraordinary.
Also, I want to highlight the incredible work of Cristian, the best guide we could have asked for. His passion, knowledge and attention to every detail made this experience truly unforgettable. I am also very grateful to Douglas, who was instrumental in organizing everything, ensuring that everything ran perfectly.
This adventure is definitely at the top of my “Book List” and will forever be etched in my memory. Thank you for providing something so special!
(automatic translation from Portuguese)
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
If you really want a good safari, book it with Serengeti African Tours! They are the best!!
We were searching for a safari for our stay in Tanzania, looked at several operators but Serengeti African Tours stood out from everyone else. Safina responded very quick to our requests and was very helpful in arranging the perfect safari for us. This was such a difference compared to the other operators. We were looking for a trip to Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. We asked if the standard tour could be changed from 2 days in Serengeti to 3 days as we were told this should be amazing. Safina was able to change that and we were glad that we took this advice!
What a great experience we had, together with Godfrey our guide. He is such an experienced, relaxed guy, drives very safely. We felt very safe with him, as he told us what to do and what not to do in the wild. If we were to stick to his advice, there should be no problem. So we did.
Tarangire national park was booked for the first day, we saw already a lot of wild, like warthog's, elephants, female lions (hard to spot, but Godfrey found them) and much more. Every meal was prepared by Richard (our chef) and what a delicious food it was. He surprised us every time and even made proper substitutes for our daughter who has gluten intolerance. We wanted this kind of food, instead of the food from a box, which is also offered by some companies. We were glad we had our chef with us!
The night was spend at a lodge next to lake Manyara, which was a nice, clean accommodation where we had again good food and a show from a local acrobats team.
The next day we went over the rim of the Ngorongoro crater (good spot for photo's) towards Serengeti. And here we saw them all, from the big five to the ugly five to the fantastic five. Elephant, crocodile, lion, (baby)cheetah, leopard, wilde beast, zebra, buffalo, giraffe. But also maribou, vulture, warthog and many more. Because we had one day more in Serengeti we could relax a bit more by starting the day later than the others. We were worried we would miss out, but Godfrey surprised us every time and even himself. If a guide picks up his phone to take photo's/videos then you know it is something special we are seeing!!
The nights at Serengeti were very comfortable, although the first night a group of elephants were walking 5m from our tents ;-).
From Serengeti we traveled back to Ngorongoro, which is a bit colder and more wet than the other two parks. But we were lucky rain was only falling in the night. During the day in the crater we had only clouds and we spotted a lot of animals. And far far away Godfrey spotted two rhino's, amazing how he could see these animals from such a distance. This proved we had the right guide!
We are already a couple of days back at home, but we are still mesmerized by what we saw during our safari. We have so much pictures and video's to look at. This was for sure the most outstanding experience we had during our trip through Tanzania!
Safina, Godfrey, Richard...many many thanks for arranging and guiding us on this amazing safari. We will take our memories with us and will never forget all of you!
