US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An amazing tour operator who made the whole journey enthusiazing
The best Tour Team I've experienced in Sub-saharan Africa.I got to be served by very hospitable personel and had an amazing time around with Zest Tours
IT
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Greate experience
staff organized for us a great safari tour, 6 days with professional guide, beautifull lodge
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Loved our Lifetime Experience Safari!
Jesse-Thomas and I were in touch for months to plan and adjust the ideal itinerary for my friend and I. Jesse was incredibly helpful and accommodated everything we wanted and removed things we didn't. We finally decided on an 8 night one way journey from Entebbe to Kigali visiting Murchison Falls, Kibale chimps, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi gorillas, Lake Bunyonyi, Volcanoes National Park and Kigali. Everything went well and the accommodation was all very nice. Highlights were Murchison Falls NP and Bwindi gorillas. Both just completely amazing experiences. My only advice would be to not try and jam too much into too short a space of time. We were very rushed for the first half of the trip and it became exhausting and we didn't have time to enjoy relaxing at our lovely lodges. Not to mention poor Gerard, our guide, who had to drive the whole thing.
Special mention to Gerard who was a wonderful guide, very safe driver and all round great human. We learned so much from him not just about the animals and sights but about history, politics and culture. He really is a knowledgeable and lovely man and he made sure we got to do everything in the time we had.
There were no major hiccups on our journey.
One thing was that when we were there in July, at bunyonyi and volcanoes it was very hazy. We were not able to enjoy any viewpoints. Worth investing if that's normal at that time of year, maybe go another time or just skip those places if you aren't particularly interested.
The gorillas and chimps tracking is worth the expense despite the hefty price tags. Once in a lifetime stuff and we got very close to these animals. It was better than we even imagined.
Murchison Falls themselves were breathtaking. I've been to all the major falls of the world but these ones are just incredible because you get up so close to the sheer power of the falls and there's almost no fencing and no crowds. So it's a really close with nature experience that you can't get in a lot of places these days. Not to mention the Nile River cruise and the land safaris in some beautifully green landscapes.
Don't hesitate, get onto Jesse now!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not Recommended
Unfortunately I have to write this to warn other people as we had a bad experience with Africa Marvel Tours.
We went in August but it took several months to recoup some money from them and have only just got around to writing this report.
I had high hopes for this trip and spent almost a year planning the trip of a lifetime for my 40th birthday with my family. I had decided years earlier that I wanted to do an African safari in style for this milestone.
When I contacted Perminus, I was very specific with what I wanted and we went back and forth a lot fine tuning our itinerary (10 nights Kenya and Tanzania) and I spent a lot of time researching and selecting specific accommodation based on the effect each would have on the total cost of the trip. I wanted to stay in some more luxury lodges but mix it with some mid range lodges so that it wasn't as expensive in total.
Perminus was very helpful in the planning process and I felt confident that this was going to be the trip of the lifetime I'd dreamed of. We were able to secure all but 2 (out of 6) of the lodges I'd selected but we booked into good alternatives for those 2 that we couldn't get.
Between paying the deposit and the final balance our group had gone from 6 people in 3 rooms to 4 people in 3 rooms. We paid extra to have 2 people in their own rooms.
Fast forward to 3 days before the tour began. I contacted Perminus on arrival in Nairobi (our tour started from a hotel we had booked ourselves in Nairobi) to ask what time we would be collected on Day 1. At this point, he informed me that 3 of the lodges that we have confirmed had been changed. All 3 were the best, most luxurious properties that we had paid a hefty premium for. I was furious. The alternatives were significant downgrades from what we had been told was confirmed prior to paying our final balance.
On arrival at the first alternative property, the reception staff handed us 2 keys instead of 3. They informed us that the booking requested was only for 2 rooms. In fact, they had more rooms available but had just sold them to a family who just arrived and were still there in the reception at the same time as us. So this first lodge was not only quite a lot cheaper than the one we paid for, but we only got 2 rooms instead of 3. We were there for 2 nights.
The same thing happened at our third stop. Exact same story except a bigger downgrade. The poor hotel staff having to be the one to break the news to us because despite our driver confirming with Perminus that we had 3 rooms for the rest of the trip, he lied and said we did, when we didn't.
The 4th stop (the third changed lodge), we had our 3 rooms but this was the biggest downgrade of all. We'd booked a really nice luxury property in Serengeti with a pool and sweeping views over the plains. We were put into a perfectly fine tented camp with no view or pool and it was baking hot there when we were trying to rest in the afternoon. It was worth significantly less than what we'd paid for.
There was no effort to warn us about these things or provide an explanation. I had to call Perminus to demand an explanation during the trip. The explanation given was that his colleague had accidentally cancelled all our bookings instead of amending the number of people from 6 to 4 (this would have been several months earlier and still we weren't told). They were able to get back all the accommodations except the best ones.
Unfortunately I don't believe that is what happened. I believe that this was intentional to make a bigger profit or perhaps, to survive another few months if the company is in trouble. The reason I think this is because I have read reviews of other companies in Kenya doing this, so it seems to be common practice. In addition, a family who went the week after us with Africa Marvel had an even worse time. You can read their review on SafariBookings (Li, Sep 12 2024).
I had to chase and chase them to organise some kind of refund. It was incredibly frustrating. I did my own research and based on published rates, the DIFFERENCE in what we paid and what we got in terms of accommodation was about USD5600. But these safari companies access agent rates which can be 20-30% cheaper. Even so, that would mean that we overpaid by about USD4000. After 3 months of chasing, I finally received USD1600 back. Better than nothing, but we were totally and utterly ripped off and I would hate the same to happen to anyone else.
The places we visited and the lodges were all good and the wildlife was truly amazing. But this experience made what was meant to be the trip of a lifetime, an unpleasant experience where I was having to ignore this stuff in the moment in order to try an enjoy myself. I would be wary of any Kenyan tour company after this and would rather book my own accommodation and fly to each place than risk being ripped off again.
That said, both our drivers in Kenya (Joe) and Tanzania (Medy) were great and I feel sorry for them that they have to be the face of this unprofessional and dodgy company.
Book at your own risk. If you do, go for the cheaper accommodation as you will probably end up there anyway!
NL
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
4-Day Safari to Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha and Nairobi City Tour
The lodges were cozy, the food was delicious and the people were very friendly. I had
some good laughs with Stephen, Ann, Nathaly and Marion who has a brother in
Amsterdam. My guide Hildah and driver George were amazing—they shared so
much knowledge and made every moment unforgettable, from spotting cheetahs and
Lions having a kill in the Masai Mara to seeing rhinos up close at Ol Pejeta
Conservancy where I had the honour to touch Najin. She and her daughter Futa are
the two last living nothern white rhinos. I learned a lot from George about animals like
the difference between the different species of giraffes, elephants and antelopes. It
was interesting to listen to his stories. A great driver and teacher. I can’t recommend
them enough!
Thanks to Albert, Hidah, George from Tapestry of Africa Tours I had a magnificent
safari in Kenia.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Frederik was highly professional, provided us amazing assistance during the trip.
We toured Cape Town, Kruger, Lower Zambezi and Botswana all in 15 days. The package that was put together for us allowed us to squeeze in alot of activities, whilst also giving us time to relax and soak up the local culture. The staff met us at every airport and ensured our transfers were simple and straightforward. This was great because we had not been to Africa before and it alleviated much of the stress that airports and transfers can cause.
We highly recommend Safari 365. Throughout the planning phase of the trip they were patient and highly informative.
Frederik was amazing when there was a last minute change to flight timings due to unpredictable weather. He organised different flights and accomodation to ensure we made our international flights home. He went above and beyond for us and i commend his professionalism and efficiency.
Thankyou, Frederik and Safari 365
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent!!! They have very good service, it was worth it! I will definitely go back on my vacation
Belair is the utmost of them all.... They treat tourists so well that I almost extended my stay to travel some other places with them. Tourists feel like home.... tour guides are so welcoming and know their job.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
PERFECTION - FROM START TO FINISH
We had the most wonderful time , visiting 4 different safari destinations, each providing unique experiences
Don't think about booking with this company , just simply go ahead & book
Enjoy your trip of a lifetime
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Above and beyond
Stayed here for 4 nights in Santaniva hotel as I wanted to do the gorillas trek. Ivan helped me out a lot pretty much took care of everything. We even got to stop on the way to the gorillas to watch the sunrise between the mountains which is always a plus. They explained everything very well from the cost of the permit to where the money goes. Highly recommend going to Ivan if you are considering doing the gorillas trek
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect organized and just amazing. Perfect communication and planning.
Wow, what can I say. Simply perfectly organized, fantastic and with Kilian we got the best travel guide, also on a personal level. I can only recommend it to everyone. A unique experience that you will never forget. Even days later I still have no words to describe the impressions I gained. Anyone who has any reservations can confidently throw them overboard. Accompaniment, planning and safety are paramount. Hakuna Matata and a big thank you for everything.
