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.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very communicative, great experience, lovely hotels and good food.
Very good value for money. Seen some incredible animals. Communications were good. Our driver was great. We were a group of 6 and had one solo traveller join us which meant someone had to go in the front seat which had a restricted view. We found out later in the trip that the roof to the front could also be opened which would have been good to know on the first day. The food was excellent and consisted of chicken, rice and pasta and some vegetables. I cannot comment on the Materuni waterfalls as we have been asked to write this review before that part of the trip has been completed.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledgeable and friendly
Jacob is clearly very experienced in the park and was able to navigate around easily to get us quiet sites of elephantsand big sites like a lion hunt. He was a great guide for a multigenerational group ranging from ages 5 to 70+. We had a great time and would recommend him to friends.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They are well organised and communication lines are short
Last July, our family went on a month-long holiday to South Africa. We came into contact with Safaries op Maat through friends. Communication has always been good and pleasant. We were able to contribute a lot of our own ideas, and they listened carefully to them. Together, we planned a wonderful, varied trip that included everything we wanted. The tips they gave us always worked out well. The travel guide we received by post shortly before our trip began was also absolutely lovely and very useful.
What we particularly appreciated during the trip was that whenever we had questions or needed help, it was provided very quickly via WhatsApp. We always received an immediate helpfull reply within a few minutes.
We can highly recommend Safaris op Maat to anyone who wants to discover the beautifull country of South Africa. .
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Thomas is Impressive and caring. Quite attentive and provided good guidance
Wonderful and inspiring tour. Willing to take it again.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
absolutely unforgettable.
The team’s communication was clear and prompt from the very first inquiry, answering every question we had patiently. The guide was incredibly knowledgeable about local wildlife, helping us spot the Big Five effortlessly. The service felt personal and thoughtful, and the entire trip was well-organized, making it 100% reliable with zero unexpected issues. It’s fantastic value for money, far exceeding our expectations. We will definitely book with them again and recommend to all friends!
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Carlos was always easy to reach.Always friendly
Saw lots of animals on safari. Did see the big five.The staff at the camps were so friendly and helpful.Divers Kikitu and Job were knowledgeable. Answered all our questions.