US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Puneet Patel
Very melodramatic park, not much to see or do.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The driver/guide was knowledgeable but did not provide all of the agreed services.
The driver/guide was knowledgeable and did a great job of pointing out animals, birds and vegetation. However, we were to get lunch on the second day and he dropped us off at the hotel without it. When I asked, he said that we'd forget it as he needed to repair the vehicle. The vehicle did need repair. Someone had to push it in order for it to start. In addition, it needed cleaning as I ended up with oil on my suitcase.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Average safari at Selous Reserve
We booked a 2 day, 3 night safari to Selous Reserve. Communication with Mack was good, our driver was punctual, and there were no surprises with payment. We were told that we had been upgraded to a better lodge at no extra cost, as Kiliholidays had received complaints about the lodge they typically book. This was appreciated and a good business decision. The lodge (African Safari Lodge) was beautiful and the rooms were great, but the food was average (we have had much better in Tanzania thus far).
Our driver and guide was friendly, but he did not seem to have much experience with the reserve itself. We were disappointed with the game drives, though to be fair, I know any safari is a gamble and our lack of sightings may not have had anything to do with our guide at all. Coming to Selous is a trade-off-you won't face traffic jams like you would in the Serengeti, but it is also harder to spot the big animals.
Finally, I was disappointed that the we didn't follow the schedule/description we had agreed upon prior to booking. I was told that we would have a chance to swim in a hot spring at sunset on day two, and was really looking forward to it. When we asked our driver/guide about this, he seemed surprised, and said there is a hot spring, very far away, and that the only time we could swim is in the late morning/early afternoon. We declined, as this would cut into our game drive time, and a hot spring at 14:00 in the heat isn't appealing. Very misleading.
I should add that we had come from Maasaii Mara in Kenya and had an AMAZING safari experience for a much LOWER cost! Our guides in Maasaii Mara were incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgable and we were on game drives from 06:00 until 18:30. We saw so much wildlife, mainly in the morning and evening. With this safari, we left one day at 07:30 and returned at 16:30, and the second day left at 09:00 and returned at 15:45.
To summarize, our experience was very average and not the best value.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Emma
see previous comment
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve by Emily
This is a beautiful overlook of the 3rd largest Canyon in the world. I could do without all of the street vendors, though.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Mikumi National Park by Beatrice Svanström
We didn't see that many animals as in Selous and we missed our driver Dulla from Serengeti.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
with a couple of exceptions not overwhelming
I chose African Habitat safari company as it had good reviews and states in its info that they "believe in going above & beyond". That was not our perception. The interaction ended with the deposit payment.
On arrival in Arusha we were taken to the office of the agent they employ there & he allocated whatever driver & vehicle he chose. Really we could have put all the safari companies in a hat & drawn out one to go with. All the research we did to try to choose a "good" company was a bit of a waste of time.
we negotiated with the agent to send a taxi to transfer us to the airport for departure as we stayed in the area for two nights after the safari ended,,he forgot !! After lots of excuses a taxi arrived & we just made our flight. It just reinforced to us that despite all the "jumbo" & "akuna matatta" we are just an income stream
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Bogoria National Reserve by Dan
Unfortunately the rains limited our view of the park at Lake Bogoria the roads were not passable--- however we came here for the flamingos and it did not disappoint. We were up close to the many flamingos flying in and out. If you are not wanting to see flamingos then I would suggest you verify that the roads are accessible. We enjoyed our time here and the accommodation were nice and the food was great.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Competitive prices, great communication but below average guide
We have mixed feelings about African Savannah Trekkers. Before booking our safari trip with them, we read all the previous reviews about the company and were very excited about the trip. The reviews were positive and we were sure that we had made the right choice. Maureen was super professional and the communication was professional and prompt. She answered the thousands of queries we had. No complaints there.Kudos to her.
Any safari trip in Africa is going to be memorable but what makes it extra special is the guide/driver who takes you on the adventure. This is what did not work for us. Horaz, our guide was punctual and drove well but that is where it ended. There was lack of energy and commitment from his end. We felt that he did not have adequate knowledge about the parks and animals or maybe he just did not show it. He did his job but the bare minimum. It felt a little rushed at times. We expect the guide to be more interactive and share stories/past experiences or anything that shows he has passion for his work. The whole experience felt very mechanical.
The worse part is that on our second day, Horaz directly told us that he wanted an 80 USD tip. This was very odd for us because tips are given when one is satisfied with the service. We were definitely going to leave a tip but it has to come from the heart. This way we felt that we were bullied into giving a hefty tip which our guide did not deserve. We were quite angry after this incident and it had left a very bad taste in the mouth. I definitely think that the management should address the issue and refund that amount. The entire safari experience does not come cheap. We are paying a lot of money and for most of us this is a once in a lifetime adventure.
A lot of the past reviews only mentioned Eli who also happens to be the owner of the company. Eli has got excellent reviews and I was quite disappointed when we found out that our guide was not Eli.
Again, the company is fantastic and has very competitive prices. But please make sure that you get a good guide.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris