FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good
The safari itself was a great experience, but unfortunately the organization was really not up to standard. We experienced several issues with communication and transportation. We had informed the team in advance that we had large pieces of luggage, but when our taxi arrived more than an hour late, we were told that we could not take our luggage with us. This caused unnecessary stress, especially as we were not returning to the same hotel. However, after discussing the situation with the team, they were understanding and we eventually found a solution. We appreciated their understanding and were happy to finish our experience on a positive note. Overall, the safari was great, but the organization and communication definitely need to be improved.
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Caxstone was a skilled and careful driver who handled the rough tracks very well, though the agency
Caxstone was a good game drive guide and driver. He handled the vehicle well, especially on the rough roads and tracks, and we always felt safe during the drives. He was also patient and professional throughout the trip.
There was some confusion regarding the hot air balloon schedule, as the time communicated by the booking agency was different from the actual arrangement, and we were not informed of the change in advance. This was frustrating and could have been avoided with better communication from the agency.
That said, Caxstone himself was helpful and did a good job during the game drives.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Transfer from Kruger to Jhoannesburg
We thank our driver Joseph for driving us to Jhoannesburg. We appreciated his professionaliam and punctuality.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
He tried very hard to find the animals for us.
The Safari tour was very memorable.
We saw 4 out of 5 big animals today.
Recommended.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thomas was a safe driver
Thomas was a safe driver, stopped when we asked for a toilet stop and offered water bottles
KW
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super attentive and friendly
Our experience with Nancy was amazing! She took care of all our needs including booking our train tickets to and from Nairobi for the 2nd half of our trip in Kenya. They were very patient and listened to our concerns prior to travel and reassured us of the plans.
Our assigned guide (Martin) was super! He's a great spotter in the Masai and was always on the lookout for animals. We got to see all animals except for Rhinos which was very difficult.
The accommodation was super! Everything was organised in a timely manner and they gave me the option of 2 places to stay at.
We also took the village trip, although not much to see so I wouldn't repeat that.
Overall, amazing trip in the wild with great company and in good hands. Definetly recommend the Safari. The only thing I would change is make our Safari longer, we booked 3 days so we only had 1 full day drive
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was simply wonderful, exciting, and fun.
The Safehands guides were all very dedicated to making the most of the tour and ensuring we saw as many animals as possible. The itinerary—starting with Tarangire, then Ngorongoro, followed by two days in the Serengeti, and finally Lake Manyara—was perfect for us; we were able to spot a huge number of animals right away in Tarangire before the long journey to the Serengeti began. In the Serengeti, we experienced both a sunset and a sunrise, complete with spectacular skies, wildlife, and even hot-air balloons on the horizon. There was always plenty of food and drink, catering to everyone’s tastes—from meat dishes to vegetarian options. The accommodations were also ideally located, placing us right in the heart of the action. Everyone was incredibly warm and helpful, always up for a friendly chat. The Fig Tree Lodge Camp stood out for its warmth and charm; guests are greeted with a lovely song-and-dance performance upon arrival and receive a friendly welcome from the head chef in the evening. All in all, it was a truly wonderful and unforgettable trip. While not everything was absolutely perfect, that isn't necessary on a journey involving camping in the African savanna. A huge thank you to the team for making this happen day after day and for always staying "pole pole" (relaxed and unhurried), even when hitches occurred. Hakuna Matata.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari experience, but room for improvement in the organization
The safari itself was a great experience and we really enjoyed it. Our guides were very knowledgeable, friendly, and did a great job explaining everything to us. They knew a lot about the animals and the area, and we always felt well informed throughout the safari. We were also lucky enough to see some amazing wildlife.
The reason for giving 4 out of 5 stars is mainly the organization around the safari. Some parts of the planning and communication could have been handled better and were a little confusing at times.
Overall, we had a really good experience and would definitely recommend the safari. With some improvements to the organization and communication beforehand, it could easily have been a 5-star experience.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Quiet but knowledgable
Our experience with Serengeti African tours was overall great. We saw lots of animals (including the big 5 + lots of extras), our guide (Lucas) was very knowledgable about all of the animals and educated us on many things that we weren’t already aware of. His knowledge, wildlife expertise and driving were fantastic. We could not fault our experience within the safari parks. However, our guides communication skills were sub standard to our expectations. There were situations throughout our daily safari drives where we did not know where we were going or what was the next plans due to lack of communication, such as, when we would be having lunch, or leaving the parks to move onto our accommodation. While this did not detract from his ability as a guide it did make parts of the overall experience feel more disjointed than it needed to be. We understand that daily drives throughout the safari experience are long, however the constant and repeated playing of the drivers own music was not to our personal taste and became a little irritating after a while. Overall I think improvements on communication and guest support outside of the safari drives would be beneficial and support the overall customer experience.
An excellent safari with a fantastic guide.
We had an excellent safari with Hyrax. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and we're already talking about doing another safari in the future.
Our driver and guide, Ben, was excellent. He was a very safe and considerate driver, knowledgeable about the wildlife and the area, and generally very easy to get along with. We saw a huge amount of wildlife and had a fantastic time in the Maasai Mara.
I was also impressed with how Hyrax responded when we had an issue with our original vehicle. It was a small four-seater Land Cruiser and wasn't really suitable for game drives, particularly for someone tall. It was difficult to stand up properly and get a good view through the roof. We asked if it could be changed, and Hyrax arranged a replacement as soon as they could. The replacement was much better. Problems happen, and I think responding quickly and fixing them is what matters.
The reason I'm giving four stars rather than five is mainly the organisation before the safari. The paperwork and payment process sometimes felt a bit sloppy. Most concerning was being given an incorrect routing number for the bank transfer. That's not something you want to find out when you're about to transfer around US$6,000. Their bank also deducted an additional US$30 fee, which Hyrax asked me to cover rather than absorbing themselves. It wasn't a large amount compared with the cost of the trip, but it added to the frustration with the payment process.
Overall, though, the most important thing is the safari itself, and that was excellent. We had a great experience, Ben was a fantastic guide, and Hyrax dealt quickly with the one problem we had during the trip. With a more organised booking and payment process, I would happily have given them five stars.