50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding from start to finish
Wow, wow, wow
We found Goldfinch through a comparison website and from the initial response their attention to detail was evident from the start.
Kelvin put an itinerary together that suited our requirements, not the other way around. (2 adults traveling with teenage daughters)
We did a 17-day itinerary which took us to the northern and central Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro creator, Tangeria national park, a trip to Materuni waterfall on Mount Kilimanjaro and to Zanzibar.
On booking a 40% deposit was requested and if paying by credit card there is a bank charge of 3.5%. (On the balance we had the option to pay cash or bank transfer with the 3.5% bank charge, we were never chased for the payment and chose to pay 4 days before departure)
We chopped and changed a few bits after we had booked but was never an issue, we received an updated itinerary from Kelvin every time showing the increase or reduction in costs.
Our Safari guide Emanuel was unbelievable, spotting animals that other operators had driven past (lion, hyena, Rhino to name a few )always getting the best spots to see the animals, waiting for us to tell him we had seen enough before moving on. While other rushed from A to B we travelled at a pace that fitted the adventure, taking in the forever changing landscapes and other animals. He started as a guide and finished as a friend.
All the accommodation was to a high standard and the food as well. All the staff are so friendly and accommodating they make you feel really welcome from the moment you arrive.
The 3 nights we stopped in tented were the best, hearing the different animal's noises were brilliant and seeing Wildebeest and Water buffalo roaming was great.
We had so many once in a lifetime moments, from doing the Hot Air Ballon ride, seeing the great migration river crossing and the awaiting crocodiles, leopard in a tree, Cheater mother and her 4 cubs, lion cubs running past the jeep, Elephant's brushing by and seeing 11 rhinos' in Ngorongoro, with 4 of them less than 30ft away on my birthday is a moment I will never forget.
The walk to Materuni waterfall is challenging with a lot of ups and downs, steps and slippery bits, takes about 45 - 60 mins each way but the views in the valley and the waterfall are spectacular. There is a coffee experience attached to the day, we just did the tasting as we were pushed for time, but was very nice.
Our final leg of the trip took us to Zanzibar, we chose the Rui Palace as we have experience of the brand, again didn't disappoint.
We did 2 trips, organised by Kelvin to Stone Town going to Prison Island to see the giant tortoises and then onto a sandbank for lunch, both very busy but worth going. Second trip was to Salaam caves to swim with the turtles, we went very early to avoid the queues, was worth the early start.
All in all, we cannot praise Kelvin, Emanuel and the team at Goldfinch enough for making the trip and our eldest daughters 21st birthday a once in a lifetime adventure.
Cannot recommend highly enough
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable and great value. Best tour guide (Name: Papa John)
Great Tour Company. Very easy to communicate with. My guide was Papa John. He is an amazing person. Learnt so much from him about the safari and animals and the Kenyan area and some history. Highly recommend this company and Papa John as the tour guide. He made sure to listen to everyone and made sure everyone was ok throughout the trip.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service and communication process.
It was a fantastic experience; I captured many wonderful moments with our guide, Elias, and had a truly delightful trip.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
great attention to every detail
perfectly planned itinerary
very responsive for any request
great guides !!
highly recommend without hesitation
ES
An unforgettable and magical safari!
We just finished our safari experience and we couldn't be more happier with the result.
First of all, the Axis team—and Peter in particular—did a fantastic job putting together the itinerary, answering all our questions, and handling any issues that arose—such as adding an extra day in the Mara or booking train tickets to Mombasa in advance.
Our guide, Yasin, made this experience far better than we had ever imagined; he teach us all about a wide variety of animals and looked after us like family. We were lucky enough to see the "Big Five" and witnessed one of the most magical moments imaginable—an elephant being born right before our eyes. All of this was enhanced by Yasin’s extensive knowledge and kindness, as he always prioritized our well-being and the well-being of the animals.
Asante sana!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good
the service was very good out lodge was awesome and the driver who took us for the game driver was excellent he showed us all the big 5 in one day and full fill all our demands
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience
We booked a safari in Tanzania through Best Time Adventures, and it was one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. This was the first and the only safari we've had so far, so we have nothing to compare it to, but we can totally recommend the company, the tour was well organized, all the activities in the quote were provided, and we ended up very happy with it. The communication was good, Jackline who was our contact person was very friendly and responsive, always ready to answer any questions we had.
We took a longer and a more expensive version of the safari and had people with other durations and levels of comfort in the car, so the game drive experience during the day is the same, the difference is only in the accomodations and the number of places you visit. We still thought it was worth the money, because it felt so good to have a big comfortable bed, a hot shower and good food after an eventful day on a dusty bumpy road (believe me, you will want a shower). The luxury camping sites in the parks exceeded our expectations, even though we didn't have much time to enjoy them. You feel very welcome, and it's amazing how they create that level of comfort in the middle of wilderness, with only solar panels as sources of power, wood fires to warm up the water, and wild animals wandering around, with no fences or walls whatsoever. In one of them we were served a 4-course dinner with dishes looking and tasting like at a good restaurant. Think of a 4-star hotel room rather than a tent, but you open your tarp "door" and you see a herd of water buffalos a few meters away (that's what we saw at our camp, and they say you may also see hippos and other animals; the other guys in our car had lions feasting on a buffalo like 200 meters from their camping site, we came there the following morning and they were still there). We had 5 people in our car besides the driver (who was also the guide), and it felt comfortable enough, but it would feel crowded if all 7 seats were taken, because there's not so much luggage space and we used the vacant seats to have our backpacks and the lunch box in. The car had USB charging outlets and a fridge with cool water and coke as described, but didn't have the advertised WiFi (which was not a problem, we bought an eSIM anyway and had decent coverage in almost all of the places, and all the hotels and camps had WiFi).
Special thanks to Yusuph who was our guide during the first five days. He is not only very good at spotting animals and a nice person, but also an invaluable source of insight into Tanzanian life, coming from a local tribe. It’s fascinating how different life and culture can be, and so interesting to hear stories about it from someone who experiences it first-hand. Just hope we didn’t feel too intrusive with all our questions. Totally loved his general positive vibe, too. We got a flat tyre on the road once, which was also solved fast and with a smile, with many locals working on the road coming to help. He even rescued a lion cub who climbed on a spring of another car and got stuck there (just a dozen meters away from its mum!). We’d absolutely recommend having him as a guide, so ask for him if there’s a possibility to choose.
If you are adding a one-day Kilimanjaro hike to the tour like we did, and you are not a very fit person, do not believe anyone who says that it's an easy "walk". It's a 16-km hike on a very uneven path in the woods (8 km one way) with an elevation gain of almost 1000 m, and we were happy we decided to rent trekking poles (also note that usual plastic water bottles are not allowed there, take reusable ones or you may need to rent them, too). The forest there is beautiful, but do not expect any mountain views.
Overall, we had an 8-day tour including the nationals parks Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro, lake Manyara, Kilimanjaro hike, and Materuni waterfalls with a coffee tour, but if we only had 4-5 days, we'd leave the first three nationals parks only. That's where you see all the animals and get those typical African postcard views, and we were lucky enough to see the Big Five and the Ugly Five, with lots of animals as close as several meters from the car, which was unbelievable.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Prepared and available
Our safari experience was absolutely amazing from beginning to end! Everything was incredibly well organized, and we felt welcome and well taken care of throughout our stay.
The lodge was beautiful, comfortable, and peaceful. Our room was spotless, very nicely decorated, and had everything we needed to relax after a long day of adventure. The entire property was clean and well maintained.
The staff were incredibly kind, welcoming, and attentive. Everyone was always friendly and happy to help, which made the whole experience feel even more special. And the food was absolutely amazing! Every meal was delicious, fresh, and beautifully prepared , definitely one of the highlights of our stay.
A special thank you to our guide, Sija, who was fantastic. He was extremely prepared, knowledgeable, kind, and professional. You could tell how passionate he was about the safari and the wildlife, and he made every drive exciting and memorable. Sija was truly perfect for this kind of adventure and made us feel safe and comfortable the entire time.
The safari car was also always extremely clean and well maintained, which made the long game drives much more comfortable.
Overall, this was an unforgettable experience, and we couldn’t have asked for a better lodge, staff, guide, or safari experience. We highly recommend staying here and especially recommend Sija as a guide. Thank you to the entire team for making our safari so special and full of wonderful memories!
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An unmatched first safari experience in Africa
We have just returned from our first safari in Africa, and choosing Axis and their team was a fantastic decision. We had no prior experience organizing this type of trip, and Peter’s assistance and advice were invaluable in creating an itinerary perfectly tailored to our interests. Peter was attentive and proactive throughout the process; he listened to our needs and helped us create a tailor-made itinerary that went beyond standard options—such as adding an extra day in the Maasai Mara and a visit to Hell's Gate in Naivasha. He even arranged to purchase our train tickets before we arrived in Kenya—a huge relief, as we wouldn't have been able to buy them ourselves without M-Pesa. Thanks to him, we secured travel on our preferred dates without the worry of tickets selling out!
The moment to begin our adventure arrived, and we were assigned a guide and fellow travelers—people who were key to making the adventure truly complete. There were two other couples with whom it was a pleasure to share this fantastic experience, and then there was Yasin, our guide, who became a real teacher and friend throughout the week-long safari.
Yasin adapted the route each day with our well-being and comfort in mind; we managed to see a vast number of animals and truly spectacular sights. His mastery of the terrain and his experience in the wild were evident at every moment. We all hoped to see the "Big Five" (which we did!), but we never expected to witness the birth of an elephant just a few meters away. He always maintained an ethical approach and shared his insights with us throughout the journey.
We wrapped up our eight-day safari feeling a bit tired, yet immensely grateful and happy about the experiences we shared each day. We will miss seeing so many animals daily and continuing to discover the local wildlife.
Asante sana!
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A dream
Our trip with Zuriafrica Safaris was unforgettable. From the beginning to the end we were taken care of with kindness. Our guide Sija was very competent and available and he made our safaris amazing, showing us a lot of animals and beautiful landscapes. The lodge was clean, comfortable, the staff was extremely friendly and nice, the food was great. I absolutely recommend Zuriafrica!
