MX
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful
The thrilling experience was far from what I expected, I'll never forget the how incredible it was to see so many animals up to close.
MX
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolut Professionalism and Honesty!
Excellent! The service and attention we received from the very first contact regarding trip planning were outstanding. Joshua helped us create an itinerary tailored to our expectations, allowing us to complete the full circuit covering Masai Mara (Kenya), Serengeti (Tanzania), and Ngorongoro (Tanzania). Joshua is highly professional, courteous, and, above all, very honest. We encountered one minor issue at our final accommodation, but Joshua stepped in personally to resolve it immediately. A truly professional and honest individual. We requested private transport and luxury hotels, and the experience was excellent. We had two guide-and-driver teams—one in Kenya and one in Tanzania. Although young, they were all deeply committed and personable, turning a long journey into a wonderful experience. My recommendation to anyone contacting Joshua and Bavuma is to ensure the entire plan is agreed upon and confirmed upfront; in our case, he prepared a detailed, day-by-day itinerary covering the full eight days of the trip. It included everything: airport transfers upon arrival in Kenya, a light aircraft flight to our first stop in Masai Mara, luxury accommodation, transport, meals, safari drives, and a hot air balloon ride. The service was excellent. The Tanzania team, in particular—Esteban (guide) and Barack (driver)—was delightful; they were highly professional, punctual, and friendly. We had evaluated many agencies while planning our trip, but it was often difficult to get a response, secure good pricing, or find someone willing to accommodate all our requests—yet Joshua delivered on everything. Bavuma Wild Quest is definitely an excellent choice for a safari.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Unforgettable Safari with an Outstanding Guide
Our safari with Special Moments Africa was one of the highlights of our trip to Tanzania. The communication before the tour was excellent, and everything was organized exactly as promised. From the moment we were picked up, we felt well taken care of.
Our safari guide, Vincent, was fantastic. He was professional, friendly, knowledgeable, and had an incredible eye for spotting wildlife. He made sure we had the best viewing opportunities while sharing interesting information about the animals and the parks. His driving skills and calm demeanor made us feel safe throughout the journey.
The accommodations, food, and overall itinerary exceeded our expectations, and the experience was an excellent value for the money. As a vegan traveler, my dietary needs were also accommodated, which I really appreciated.
I would highly recommend Special Moments Africa to anyone looking for a reliable safari company. Thank you, Vincent, for making this an unforgettable adventure!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic
We booked a three day Safari to the Mara Sopa Lodge in Maasai Mara game reserve. We chose to fly to the resort (which was great fun). We were picked up on time from our resort, taken to the Safari airport and were picked up by our guide for three days as soon as we arrived. We began our safari as soon as we left the airfield. Our guide, Kalvin, was very informative and made sure we saw as much as possible. By the time we got to the Resort, we had seen giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and elephants. We settled in and he picked us up again by 3:30 and we were off. We were actually lucky enough to see a lioness hunting a zebra. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever witnessed. She was so intense. The animals actually don’t care at all about the safari vehicles - they totally ignore them. She crossed the road right in front of us and never took her eyes off the zebras. A male lion was a distance away, apparently waiting for her to get dinner. She eventually gave up but then we came on more of her pride and watched them successfully bring down a zebra. Luckily the kill happened in some brush so we did not see it but the zebras who had escaped were calling and making distressed calls for their downed comrade and it made us sad for them. Of course we understand the circle of life and everybody needs to eat…but..it is difficult to witness. After about 7pm we returned to our resort and had a wonderful dinner. The food and staff at the Mara Sopa Lodge were outstanding. Everyone is so friendly and warm. We got picked up by 4am the next morning for a hot air balloon adventure. Do Not Miss this activity. There are no words to describe the beauty of the Savannah in the sunrise. After, we had a camp breakfast set up for us with champagne and a fantastic buffet of breakfast food. Kalvin picked us up from the breakfast and we were off for another full day of adventure, seeing more wild animals than we could have imagined. The next morning we were picked up and did a great safari drive back to the airstrip and then flew back to Nairobi. It was wonderful start to finish. Actually 10 Stars! We would also like to give a shout out to the people that took us from our hotel to the airstrip and back to our hotel. We believe that the young lady was with the TELLENA Company and then her younger brother was with us (as well as the driver). Her brother (who we just didn’t get his name) was so full of information and we loved talking with him.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best experience of our life
It was a wonderful experience, accompanied by the best guides we could have asked for: Aruna (the English-speaking guide) and Goodluck (the Spanish-speaking guide). Both were incredibly friendly, communicated excellently in both languages, possessed a rich vocabulary, and—above all—had a vast amount of knowledge about the parks, animals, plants, the environment, and more. I would undoubtedly recommend traveling with the Sereland agency and guides Aruna and Goodluck to anyone coming to Tanzania for a safari.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Atlantic Diaries
Safarishore Vacations delivered an unforgettable experience from start to finish. The itinerary was well organized, the destinations were breathtaking, and the team was professional, friendly, and attentive throughout the journey. Every moment felt seamless and enjoyable. I highly recommend Safarishore Vacations to anyone seeking a memorable, stress-free, and truly rewarding travel experience.
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Alex is a very proactive driver/guide, we saw alot of animal encounters because of his hard work.
We had a fantastic experience with Beacon Safaris! The itinerary was well planned out by Robert and it was not too rushed. Though we felt that we could have skipped Lake Nakuru and spend one more night in Masai Mara but we would not have known that before we went on the tour.
The accommodations were all very comfortable and have excellent service except for Samburu Sopa Lodge as it could get very hot during the day and there was no electricity during the afternoon. There was also no fan provided in the room.
We felt that the price we paid for the trip was well worth it as there were no nasty surprises and everything was well planned with a driver/guide to bring us around.
As for the tour itself, Alex, our driver/guide was very proactive and did a wonderful job in letting us catch rare animal encounters. He went the extra step and put in extra hours just to locate the leopard in Samburu. He has also managed to maintain safe and efficient driving even though he has been driving for many hours. He also shared many informative snippets about the wildlife. On the second day of Masai Mara, he also put in the extra effort so that we could have a higher chance of witnessing the Great Migration - and the beautiful sunsets.
On the final day, on our request, he also brought us to a restaurant in Nairobi to have our dinner before boarding our flight as it would be difficult to travel around the city with luggages. We really appreciate it as he has to put in extra hours too.
Thank you Beacon Safaris for organising a wonderful tour of Kenya for us and allocating us such an experienced and wonderful driver/guide!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect for Multigenerational Families
We loved working with Blends of Africa. From beginning to end, they were professional, kind, and very communicative. Mary, in particular, was a huge help and never failed to answer our questions in a timely manner. She even checked in with us several times while we were on safari. As a multigenerational group (ages 11-65+), we had a wide range of needs and expectations. Blends of Africa ensured all our needs were met and set us up for an exceptional experience. We also had two guides during our safari, Chris and Isaack. Both were phenomenal and felt like family by the end of our experience. The tour itself exceeded all expectations; we saw thousands of animals across our 12 days. We even saw cheetahs, leopards, and lion cubs. Every lodge was comfortable with friendly staff. Each lodge on our tour also had en suite bathrooms with warm showers. The food across all of our lodges was fantastic too! As an American family, we highly recommend booking with Blends of Africa.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely amazing
From the moment we were picked up in Zanzibar to the moment we returned, we knew we were in great hands. Everything was so well organised, and we never had to worry about a thing. We were safely guided onto the ferry, train and throughout our journey to Mikumi National Park, which made travelling so easy and completely stress-free.
The whole team at Imara Tours were amazing. They were so friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable and always happy to help. We felt safe at all times, and their passion for Tanzania and its wildlife really made the experience even more special.
The safari itself was beyond anything we could have imagined. Seeing lions, elephants, giraffes, buffalo, crocodiles and so much more up close was simply incredible. It truly was the experience of a lifetime, and one we’ll never forget.
We booked our holiday through our UK travel company, Holiday Dukes, who arranged everything with Imara Tours. The communication from Imara Tours was excellent, especially through WhatsApp, where any questions we had were answered quickly and nothing was ever too much trouble.
A huge thank you to everyone at Imara Tours for giving us memories we’ll treasure forever. If you’re thinking about booking a safari in Tanzania, don’t hesitate—you’ll be in the best hands. We would recommend you to anyone and hope to be back one day! 🦁🦓🐘🦒🐊
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Poor organization
The organization was a complete disaster. On the day we arrived, a driver picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel at 1:00 p.m. He told us that someone would come later that afternoon to give us a briefing. As soon as we arrived, I sent a WhatsApp message to our contact person, but they never replied. We found ourselves stuck at the hotel with no idea what time the safari would start, who would pick us up, or what the plan was.
Eventually, at around 7:00 p.m., the hotel reception managed to get in touch with them, and they told us that the briefing would take place the following morning. It never happened. They simply picked us up from the hotel and drove us straight to the parks.
Once we were there, I think your experience depends entirely on the driver you get. Ours was terrible. He barely explained anything, rarely stopped at good photo spots, and although we were very lucky to see all the animals we hoped for, it certainly wasn’t because he was actively looking for them. In fact, he spent most of the drive using his phone.
On our first day in the Serengeti, he picked us up 1 hour and 15 minutes later than the agreed time. Even worse, on the day we visited the Ngorongoro Crater, we had been told it was essential to leave early to make the most of our permit before it expired. Instead, we left the camp two hours late because our driver was waiting to help one of his colleagues.
The parks themselves are absolutely incredible, but the company’s organization leaves a lot to be desired. After the trip, we sent them a WhatsApp message with detailed feedback so they could improve their service. They never even replied with a simple “thank you.”
I would never book with this company again.