CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
INCREDIBLE
Incredible 5 days safari! (Masai Mara, Amboselli, Nakuru and Lake Navaisha) With all the effort of our wonderful guide Rodger we were lucky enough to spot the Big5. Because of him we've learned a lot about the wildlife and many other subject, he has a great knowledge.
Keep in mind there is long distance between parks, but you can nap and rest during transportation. Communication with agency and tour guide was very responsive. We chose mid-range accomodation and honestly it was great, above our expectation!
Thank you Rodger for making this trip memorable, we really enjoyed it!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A magical Kenyan safari!
We had a fantastic five-night safari with Wildebeest that surpassed our expectations, mostly thanks to our excellent driver and guide, Dennis.
From the start, Dennis was professional, communicative, always working to get us the best possible experience (even when circumstances shifted), and above all, a warm and engaging person to spend nearly a week with! At times, Dennis seemed just as excited to be out in the park admiring the animals as we were, even though he has 15 years of experience and we were first-timers. We absolutely loved his enthusiasm, it was infectious! And if you like to take photos, you will love having Dennis as your guide, because he cares about getting you the closest shot in the best possible light (while being safe for you and the animals, and remaining courteous to other groups). He seemed to have a special knack for knowing exactly where animals would be, and in more than a few cases, we were the first car to arrive, and if not the first, often the best positioned. I still can’t believe some of the photos we came home with. If the moment is particularly special, you might even see him taking a few photos, too! We were also very impressed with his commitment to learning and prioritizing what we most wanted to see: big cats, in our case. He kept his ear to the ground the whole trip, uncovering any tips he could from other guides. And he was successful: we saw five cheetahs, a male lion, and a pride of three lionesses and four cubs — and we got so much time with them, and were so close! It was magical, and I firmly believe we wouldn’t have had such spectacular encounters without Dennis. We also saw tons of other wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, buffalo, zebras, hyenas, warthogs, wildebeests, hippos, crocodiles, and countless gazelles and birds — all of which Dennis seems to have a near-encyclopedic knowledge of, answering our many questions with knowledgeable answers, and looking things up when he didn't know. Truly, Dennis is tireless in ensuring you have a great time!
I also appreciated working with Noah. He, too, was communicative and especially helpful regarding pricing and payment. (And Happiness was great, too; she got all our lodging squared away, getting us everything we wanted.) We looked at numerous other companies, and Wildebeest was, by far, the easiest to book with at a reasonable price point. They also were able to process payment via Wise, whereas some other companies wanted us to make a direct wire transfer — something we weren’t easily able to do from a U.S.-based bank.
Notes for other safari planners reading these reviews: we loved our stays at Kibo (Amboseli), Naivasha Sopa Lodge, and Basecamp (Maasai Mara). And trust me, you want two nights minimum at Maasai Mara, maybe more! The park is huge, and there is so much to see. If I was doing this trip over again, I might’ve spent three nights in Mara. One other tip for other safari travelers, bring ear plugs. Some camps are a bit noisy due to animal activity, which is part of the thrill of staying there, but I would’ve slept better if I’d brought them.
I should also note that the Wildebeest team made all this happen on a short timeline! We booked in December for a January trip, and I was so pleased with how Wildebeest made the trip of our dreams work on relatively short notice. I also now know that January is a wonderful time to go on safari, at least in Kenya! The weather was good, the crowds were not too big, and according to Dennis, it can be a “high conflict” time for the wildlife, meaning you may see some great animal action, and we did!
One small thing: more information earlier in the process about activities available outside the pre-paid package would be helpful. We had the opportunity to do several extra activities, like a boat ride, a walking safari, a bike ride, and a Maasai village visit. Some of these we knew about beforehand; others we did not. But most had fees attached, and though these fees were small, we did not bring enough cash. We ended up having to go to an ATM mid-week, which worked out, but if we’d known about these activities and costs in advance, we would've been better prepared and better able to prioritize which we wanted to do most. This was not a big deal, though!
In summary, don’t hesitate to book with Wildebeest and Dennis. You will have the time of your life on safari, and you’ll be taken care of by a professional and passionate team!
DE
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Tarangire National Park by Monika Heinrichs
we had a most interesting time
DE
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Monika Heinrichs
million of animals, the Scenic was amazing
DE
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Monika Heinrichs
all was wonderful
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful
I honestly didn't imagine that South Africa was so beautiful! Kruger Park was a great experience for the whole family! The landscapes are spectacular! The people we met were truly exceptional and above all very kind to us.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
One of the most scenic countries and beautiful wildlife. Food was great, people were friendly, everything was clean & safe. Such a great trip and look forward to going back.
HU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Real bucket list
Difficult to express in words our week in Tanzania . What I would say in short: this is a must . You can not only see the paradise on Earth , but also a real happy and kind and careful community. Must experience
DE
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
amazing
we had a wonderful, interesting journey. our guide Grayson was helpfully and always interested on our behavier. all was beautiful.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Start to finish communication, coordination, transportation, accommodations & staff were outstanding
We have both traveled extensively internationally for business and pleasure but never to South Affrica. In Jan 2024, we booked a trip of a lifetime with GoTouchDown tours, at the AZ Travel show. The no pressure sales associate Lucia was very helpful. Lucia and Deon spent time getting to understand who we were, what we were interested in, the type of activities we liked and our budget. They made recommendations on what would be the best trip for us, including what time of year would be best, time spent in each location, overall travel times and budget. We decided on a 17 day, Big 5 Safari, West Coast of South Africa, and Vitoria Falls adventure in late Oct 2024. Start to finish the communication, coordination, transportation, accommodations, and staff were outstanding. Flights are long from the Southwest US, but worth it.
I apologize for the length of this review. It was a long trip, but it was amazing and well worth it. I would recommend and use GoTouchDown in the future for you travel to South Africa.
The Royal Murubisi game lodge was amazing. This is one of two small (6-8 rooms) resorts in the entire Kaingo reserve (41,000 Acres +). The accommodations were first class and then some. We had twice daily game drives (early morning and Sundowner / Happy hour). Our guides were fantastic. Z and Yolanda were truly knowledgeable about the reserve, the animals, and the research on the reserve. The entire staff was friendly, and beyond helpful and attentive. They made us feel like we were the only ones at the resort. The food was amazing, and plentiful. At times we had to skip meals and snacks because it was simply too much for us.
The shuttles between airports and hotels and flights coordinated flawlessly by the GoTouchDown South African travel support specialist Anisa. Our drivers were always waiting for us right as we got off the plane. We did not have to worry about anything. The most people we had on any tour and transfer were five plus the driver.
The western Cape was extremely beautiful. All the hotels were genuinely nice boutique hotels with amazing facilities, staff, and service. We spent several days in of the three locations. Each location brought a unique perspective of this beautiful country. Shark Bay is in a small fishing and resort area. Absolutely amazing accommodations overlooking shark bay and the area. Ladybird vineyard lodges was located on a wine farm in South African wine country. Again, very nice accommodations, but least favorite as proximity to other things in the area. Last stop was Belle Maroc on the beach on the western cape. Again, very amazing accommodations, with great staff.
Our excursions were included in this portion of the trip and were incredibly fun and informative. Our driver / tour guide was deeply knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. He made the trip very enjoyable. I would suggest that you look closely at the excursions, with possible alternate plans for some of them. For example, we were unable to get up Table Mountain for 5 days due to the weather, which was one of the excursions. We had to wing it a bit during this time.
The shuttles and flights to Victoria Fall and our hotel were flawless. Shuttle drivers got us through border crossings between Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Avani hotel was again first class, and right at the gate to Victoria falls. The staff and the accommodations were beyond what was expected. Wildlife walking by the pool, a very attentive staff, and amazing natural beauty made the ending of the trip even more memorable.
We highly recommend the trip and GoTouchDown!
