CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very happy with the whole experience
I booked a 10 day budget safari through global threads for myself and senior father. 6 days in Kenya and 4 in Tanzania. The cost was $1500 usd per person but we decided to upgrade to the midrange accommodation which was $2500. Madelyne arranged for us to have separate rooms, which was very nice to have. For the Kenyan portion we went to masa Mara(10/10, lake Nakuru(7/10)and Amboseli(8/10). Our driver John was amazing and I don’t think there is a better one. He would get us into the best spots to see the animals up close and would go ahead to where the wildlife would be walking by, which made for some great pictures and videos. The accommodation was quite nice, either a cabin, hotel or luxury tent. The budget accommodation was decent as well, less amenities but after a long day you just want to shower eat and sleep mostly. If I were to come back and do the same 6 days in Kenya I would do the budget accommodation.
The Tanzania portion, which included Serengeti(8/10) and Ngorongoro crater(9/10), had some good and some not so good. The accommodation at the charity hotel 2 nights, same place for midrange and budget, wasn’t great, find for budget but not so much when you pay a $1000 upgrade. Two of the camps we stayed at during the safari were the nicest of the whole trip. The budget was pretty much just camping. The vehicle we were riding in was old and in pretty rough shape, multiple things on it broke during the safari. Assami our driver took good care of us and kept the vehicle going. The return to Nairobi was an uncomfortable shuttle bus. It wasn’t a great way to end the trip. Overall the food was decent but the lunch boxes were bad and we didn’t want to eat them. I would recommend this company to my friends s as nd use them again if I return.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Truly professional and funny Safari Guide
I just returned from an incredible 7-day safari adventure and wanted to give a big, special shoutout to our amazing guide, Tumain, who truly made the trip unforgettable. He was professional, knowledgeable, and had a fantastic sense of humor that kept us smiling even on long drives. Despite traveling during the low season, he went above and beyond to find wildlife for us — from spotting hidden lions lounging under the trees to catching the graceful movements of giraffes at sunset. His patience and deep understanding of the animals and landscape made every moment fascinating. Nothing was too much trouble and he constantly had a cheery disposition. He made this adventure extra special, we highly recommend him!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Overall I would not recommend Ngoni Safaris company for a trip around Uganda
Good
1. We had a nice 10 day tour around the beautiful country, visited multiple national parks, gorilla and chimpanzee tracked, and had nice accommodations, plenty of water, hot meals, and our guide Eli cared about us having a great time, despite the shortcomings of Ngoni Safaris Company
2. When our bags were delayed by a day, Sedrick/Ngoni arranged for it to be picked up from the airport and delivered 6+ hours to our lodge (for a fee), but I was grateful they quickly helped us during a very frustrating start of the trip (fyi baggage is frequently delayed at Entebbe airport so pack accordingly)
Bad
VEHICLE QUALITY:
1. They speak about their great land cruisers but it was of very poor quality
2. Bad suspension, extremely loud, constantly shaking during the entire ride, seatbelts were broken, and handles were missing, I’ve been on multiple safaris across Africa and never had this experience
3. It also was unsafe and broke down multiple times, the engine would cut off randomly, and it would refuse to start. Which is extremely dangerous when you are driving around mountains, in rain, and in vast emptiness
4. This was a major problem on multiple occasions as we had to be manually pushed for the car to start, we got stuck in a national park which is terrifying with large wild animals roaming around, and we broke down and had to visit mechanics multiple times during the trip, the guide was very frustrated with this situation and I blame Ngoni Safaris Company
COMMUNICATION:
1. During the months leading up to the trip, we received no assurances about reservations; money received etc, and the company was silent for weeks on multiple occasions, this is tourism 101 and they failed, it really makes you question the quality of the company before you start
2. I had to request a packing list, and even then it was missing key items, so thankfully I did my own research or I would have been in a bad position
3. No communication the day or week before arrival to set expectations (e.g., name of guide, where to meet), even upon arrival it took an hour for the company to respond to my text asking what to do, that is unacceptable
4. However, when it came to them pressuring me to choose the company and requesting payment they were quick to send multiple nagging emails which is unprofessional and shows what they care about the most
OTHER ISSUES:
1. Our guide did not have our proper itinerary and multiple times on the trip I had to correct him and make sure excursions I paid for were included. Even upon arriving we had scheduled a Mabamba swamp tour and our guide thought we were driving directly to the rhino sanctuary. Thankfully he was accommodating and we did not miss an experience but it’s frustrating to have to keep correcting the guide
2. We told Ngoni Safaris we were celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary, and they agreed to provide wine, cake, and special accommodations for one night which was a great gesture but when it came to execution it was not coordinated ahead of time and I had to remind Sedrick of this before the last day and they threw something together, but I could tell it was not communicated to the lodge ahead of time. Even our guide had no idea we were celebrating such an occasion which is a huge miss
3. A couple of the lodges had some rooms with air conditioning that were nominally more expensive, I was aware and requested to be placed in those rooms, but without my research we would have had no idea. These are little things that Ngoni should ask the clients about, so we can make informed decisions
Overall I could feel that this company is not of a high standard and they should really improve how they operate in order to be at a 5 star level
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch by Lothar & Jelena
Only there to see Rhinos . Lodge was not good
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Queen Elizabeth National Park by Lothar & Jelena
See Lions and other Wildlife , but lot of Tourist and Cars in this Park
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Mabamba Swamp by Lothar & Jelena
We see the Shoebill in the swamp. The Guide with the Boat was verry good.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Mburo National Park by Lothar & Jelena
Lot of Giraffes and Antilopes.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Kidepo Valley National Park by Lothar & Jelena
Nice and quiet Park with a lot of Wildlife. We love this Park
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Kibale National Park by Lothar & Jelena
Chimps trekking was nice but to much people. Up to 16 People arround the chimps group.
Not easy to get good pictures for photographer.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by Lothar & Jelena
Our trek was very tough as we were constantly climbing steep hills. Therefore, we weren't able to enjoy the tour. We also only saw very few gorillas in the group.
The Price of 800,- Dollar is much to high for that what you get.