SG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well-organised and beyond expectations!
It was a bit of a headache looking through the long list of operators but I eventually emailed a few to get some quotations. As a frequent traveller who can work out a 1-month itinerary easily in 2 weeks, the first thing I appreciated was the speed of response from Jonyo. I was able to nail down everything with him swiftly while he also made adjustments/recommendations based on my preferences. When the final quotation came and I made the deposit, other operators were still engaging me on an on-off basis.
Second was the competitive quotes. I spent 18 days in Tanzania going up Killimanjaro (7D Lemosho route), doing a 5D safari in Serengeti before chilling out at Zanzibar. For this holiday, I was generally looking at a mid-range budget and I thought the prices quoted for a Kili private guide and safari were very competitive with respect to the other quotes I received, including budget and luxury options. From the quotation, all the accomodations look decent (we are particular about that) and in reality they were above our expectations which we were pleasantly surprised and definitely impressed!
Ecolife was also able to accomodate my request to specifically stay at Manta Resort on Pemba Island while at Zanzibar and helped to reach out to the resort to make necessary arrangements. Initially I tried to contact Manta Resort myself but it was taking too long to respond via email and, while Ecolife was able to settle everything quickly presumbly with phone call etc. In the end I decided to let Ecolife sort out my entire itinerary in Tanzania including the internal flights. I was glad I did that because when Flightlink temporarily suspended their flight to Pemba, Jonyo immediately made the adjustment and booked us on another flight so that our itinerary was not affected.
Pre-trip and throughout the trip, there was clear communiation and quick replies were given when clarifications were needed while on trip. When I highlighted that I was interested to see a potential crossing of the wildebeest at Gurmeti River, our base camp for the safari was in Western Serengeti, notably closer to where the wildebeests were starting to gather. Although we did not manage to see any crossing in June (it was a slim hope anyway) but the thoughtfulness in the planning of our route was evident.
Lastly, they got us good guides for different segments of our trip.
For Mount Kilimanjaro we had Rumi who paced us well and on assessing us on a daily basis, he challenged us to scale Kili in 6D instead of our intended 7D. He had confidence in us and we did it! On hindsight, that also gave us a much needed extra day of break before our safari. Rumi is also well-trained with good knowledge in medication and emergency, which was important to us because my friend had HAPE last year when scaling Everest Base Camp. We felt assured with him.
For Safari we had Simon. Simon has very sharp eyes, able to spot the animals out of nowhere. He was the reason we complete our Top 5 with the Rhino in Ngorogoro crater. He guided us to the black specks in a distance and we could only make out the rhino with the binoculars. Lastly, I enjoyed listening to him sharing the interesting background information about the areas we were visiting and also of the animals. This goes beyond animal spotting and I appreciated that.
I am typically an independent traveller who likes to have a hand in planning my itinerary. But Ecolife did a good job in working out the itinerary based on my goals and provided a reliable service that I could turn to while on trip.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect company for a safari!
We had a fantastic 5-day safari with our driver David! The communication with Issa beforehand was perfect—everything was extremely well organized, and we stayed in truly luxurious camps and lodges throughout. The camps in the Serengeti were especially unforgettable.
Everything ran smoothly, and even the day after the safari we were taken to the airport. David was phenomenal, and we were able to see a huge variety of animals.
We would do this tour again anytime, and in our opinion, the extra cost charged by other providers is not justified. Thank you Issa & David for this unforgettable experience!
JP
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Best Safari Tour
We joined a 6-day private safari covering Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangire, and it was an unforgettable experience. Thanks to the detailed itinerary and important notes, we were able to participate with peace of mind. Visiting several national parks with such different landscapes and wildlife made the trip incredibly rewarding.
Our guide, Claus, found the animals we wanted to see and always gave us plenty of time to observe each animal without feeling rushed. He also shared fascinating information about their behavior and characteristics, which helped us gain a deeper understanding of the wildlife. Thanks to his dedication, we enjoyed every moment of the safari.
The most unforgettable highlights were witnessing the Great Migration, which was even more spectacular than we had imagined, watching a cheetah hunting, and encountering two black rhinos.
If we have the opportunity to go on another safari in the future, we would definitely choose African Big Cats Safaris again and ask for Claus as our guide.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jeff is best
I am full of gratitude and reluctance to you. Because of you, our 7-day trip in Kenya has become particularly warm and meaningful, which has given me an unforgettable trip.
You actively help us find all kinds of animals on the grassland and try to track the whereabouts of animals, so that we can see a lot of animals up close. All kinds of problems encountered during the journey can always be solved well. Even if we are late, we will not delay the itinerary. Clean up the car every day and take care of it meticulously. Take care of us. Your humor often makes us laugh. You also answer our questions one by one. These things make me feel that you are a very good guide.
The 7-day journey is too short, but everything about you has left a profound impression on me. Let us appreciate the charm of this grassland. We all remember your efforts. We look forward to walking with you in the future. It is because of people like you that the soul of the grassland can continue endlessly.
Finally, I wish you a happy family, good health, a smooth career and happiness every day.
Ramja Safaris were extremely knowledgeable and provided outstanding services.
We received quite a few quotes and responses from Safari bookings. Ramja Safaris stood out because of their organized and detailed itinerary, the various options given, and the prompt communication.
In fact, they were accommodating when our schedule changed and provided us with alternative routing and accommodations to fit our new schedule.
The owner Steve greeted us in person at our hotel, and our driver, Sammy, was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and provided us with detailed history and information of every animal and every park we visited.
KR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good very fun🙂
It was a really fun safari game drive with Balu Travel for 3 days.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amboseli Adventure
Thanks so much for our recent safari at Amboseli with Sir Charles! We appreciated his expertise in grabbing the best viewing spots before much of the crowd and explaining aspects of the wildlife to us. He was warm and friendly with our family and it was very appreciated!
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very great and satisfying
Value for money was top notch
Amazing hotel with great food and location
Johnny Jackson is a great tour guide his driving skills are amazing I made to see all big 5 in Maasai Mara in 2 hours.crossing and lion hunting twice ..cheetah feeding on a wildbeast great sighting all along ..jeep was great with wifi and charging spots all through the trip ... will choose jungleroam again and again we are Family
Johnny Chinese is super great
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A very good organised tour operator
We had a lovely 3 day safari organised by Maven Tanzania Safaris. The contact we had with Malaki was always very professional and he reacted very fast on every question we had. The communication about our programme, flight tickets and hotel pick-up was very good and reliable. The tour guide during the game drives was also very cooperating in taking time to take pictures and watch all the beautifull animals. We would highly recommend to book your safari with Maven Tanzania Safaris
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolute Perfection
Our family just finished a 6 day Safari Tour of Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti. The Altezza crew made this an unforgettable experience from the beginning. Every detail of the trip was specifically curated for optimal results. Vita was amazing in the planning process and talked me off the ledge when our flight plans unexpectedly changed. The drivers, Rahim and Cathbert were so amazing every step of the way, it was a sad moment when we needed to part ways. We stayed at 3 of the Melia properties where every space and view was amazing and the service was the best I have ever had anywhere on the planet. I cannot say enough about the accommodations and service. One note of caution if you are trying to pack in a full schedule, Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti Lodge is a taxing trip to tackle in one day. Now if I can only find Kilimanjaro Beer in the US...
