20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Africa Safari
What a wonderful experience! Such a lovely team of people. We will definitely be back..
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Experience
I really enjoyed the experience. I am on an internship here and only had a day to go (unfortunately on my own), but they ensured it was possible for me to go as a single traveller. I got to see what I wanted and had a great time all in all.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
unforgettable trip!
we had a very good safari thanks to benson and habibu.
benson was an excellent cook and camp organiser, as well as a fantastic travelling companion-always cheery and helpful.
habibu was marvellous as a driver and guide. it was incredible how quickly he found animals and birds, nearly always being in the first two or three cars (twice the first car) at a viewing site so we could see well. he is brilliant at noticing and identifying animals and birds, and our three days was consistently enriched with his commentary-he also knew when to rest and was always looking out for what we wanted or needed.
it's a trip that people like us find challenging, and habibu was so patient and thoughtful in responding to our questions or ideas. we had an unforgettable trip, thanks to you and your team!
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Verry helpful! Thinking with us within our budget.
The team of Matoke has helped for the third time with a short trip to Murchinsons Falls.
They reply my emails on short notice and are verry helpfull.
Our stay at Bwano Tembo was confirm what Matoke promised. They very nice Italian food and clean cottages and safari tents
AE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professionally Executed and Well Organised
Our guides were very hospitable and took care of all our requirements on a personal level. In essence, the service we secured was far than what we expected. Mohammed the Partner made our experience one we will both remember for years to come. We met as acquaintances and left as friends and will keep in touch "Till the Next Time" Many thanks Mohammed Bakari
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional and budget tour with good care till the end
We´re five friends looking for a budget tour to Serengeti y Gorongoro and we lived a very good experience thanks tu Meru Slopes Safari. They picked up in the airport, and from then they take care of everything. The lodging, the food, the safari, any wish you have the guide (Hillary) tried to get it. We were 5 days safari (plus first night in Arusha and last night in Moshi) and we enjoied a lot. We found a good climax in the camps with the rest of the groups at the end of every journey , and the facilities were good, taking into account we were in a budget trip. The only complain about our trip It´s the bad conditions of the public campsite in Serengeti about all the toilets althogh this is a bussiness of the tanzanian goberment. Also I recommended to include in the safari a day in the lake Natrom area, a friends of me did it and They got a closest sensantion of the massai people and land, even they made a morning walk to the flamingo lake.
AE
Perfect
An experience of a lifetime, one we will never forget and Yes as Arnie would say "We'll be Back"
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great tour, great time
Did a 4 day safari and had a great time, nice accommodation with amazing views. This is my third safari and the crater just blew me away, Lions feeding and resting with in meters of the car, could have reached out and touched one...if i were crazy
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent budget safari, knowing before going is important
Overview:
Karibu Safari is well reviewed by many people. Competitive price for 5-day budget safari. Had a great overall experience. 5-day safari was good but could be condensed into 4-day safari (see below under "Cons"). Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, and Hell's Gate were all worth going to. If we could have done only one, we'd do Hell's Gate since you can rent a bike and bicycle next to the animals and then hike in slot canyons (see below in "Details"). Unique and very nice after so much driving. Lake Nakuru is similar to Maasai Mara in that you game driver looking for animals. Lake Naivasha you see hippos and water birds. Robert (trip coordinator) was prompt in his responses. Peter (driver) was great at finding and pointing out animals. He really cared about providing the best and most well-rounded safari experience. Note: It appeared the budget safaris were more aggressive at finding animals then the more luxury safaris.
Pros:
- We got what we paid for. We had to have our driver call our trip advisor to send him more money to buy more water since we ran out by day 5.
- Accommodations were fine with running water and electricity. The "tents" are large canvas tents with a ceiling over them and not like backpacking tents.
- Meals were fine for budget safari.
- Peter (driver) was excellent at finding and viewing animals. He provided enough time to view and take pictures, not rushing us. He really emphasized the safari experience. He was a safe driver amidst the more crazy drivers and matatu's.
- The season was excellent which was mid- to late-November. Not crowded. Although this was claimed as the rainy season, it did not rain on safari, but only when driving and near Lake Naivasha and Nairobi. Also, all the animals just had babies so we got to see baby animals of almost all animals seen!
Cons:
- The itinerary should include estimated drive times.
- The itinerary should include more details. For example, on our 4th day, we were dropped off at a hotel after our game drive at Lake Nakuru en route to Lake Naivasha. We spent the whole afternoon there (from ~12noon and on). We were disappointed because we didn't fly half way across the world to sit in a garden. It would be nice to have known this. This is where the trip could be condensed to 4-days instead of 5-days.
- Peter could have provided more information to us. When we began we didn't know exactly where we were headed, how long it would take, etc. It would have been nice to review the day's events with us each morning.
- Peter could have offered us more information on the animals, landscape, plants, etc. He did if you asked, but it would be nice for him to just tell us.
Good to know:
- All 5-day safaris are pretty much identical in what they offer and pay for. So email to find best price when you go.
- There is a lot of (bumpy) driving. Not all in our van was prepared for this.
- You may get shuffled around since they mix people with different safari lengths. We started with a van that included people who booked 5-day, 4-day, and 3-day safaris.
- You may not get a window seat (right next to window). This was not a big issue though. They pop the van top and you can stand during the safari. But if this is a concern, have the van agree to rotate seats throughout the safari.
- The meals are pretty much the same for lunch and dinner, local food (rice, lentils, veggies, usually meat, etc.). So if you don't like the food, you will need to bring your own or purchase.
- The driver is contracted by the safari company. This is important should issues arise based on itinerary or pricing of certain things.
- There can be lots of traffic leaving and coming back from Nairobi, so plan for this when booking other trips or flights.
- Sunday has less traffic so leaving on this day was great.
- We tipped the driver ~$20 USD per day for the whole vehicle. So with 7-8 people in the van, this was ~$2-3 USD per day per person. Other than that we did not tip anyone else. (Our native Kenyan hosts said that tipping is not expected most places and even if it is, it is not as much as the USA.)
Details:
- Maasai Mara Village Tour: This may or may not have been worth the $10 USD. This is quite touristy. You can get some good pictures and see them dance and sing. But you need to ask them to show you everything. For example, we asked to taste the Maasai beer as our driver said we would. If we didn't ask, they wouldn't have done this. We also asked to see the school. If we hadn't asked, they would not have done this. When they take you into the traditional home, they will try and sell you stuff then and afterward. The Maasai markets in Nairobi have more selection and you can bargain more.
- Boat Ride at Lake Naivasha: This is expensive at $20 USD per person but we thought this was more worth it than the Maasai village tour. You see hippos and many birds and it was fun to be in a boat. You can get great pictures of the African fish eagle diving for fish that the boat driver throws in to the water.
- Hell's Gate bike and hike: The bike rental was $5 USD. You don''t need a guide for this. You stay on the main road to get to the gorge. Go in the early morning to see more animals. When we rode back, there were hardly any animals. At the gorge, more people will offer to guide you. We did not take a guide, but a Maasai man ended up going with us anyway. It ended up being a necessity as the trail is not well marked. Our group of 4 tipped him 700 Kenyan shillings and shared some nuts and instant coffee.
SI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari experience in Tanzania with Foot slopes.
Me and my boyfriend were in November on a 3-days Safari with Foot slopes. We visited Ngorongo crater, Manyara Lake and Tarangire. It was great. Everything was good planed. They picked us up on Arusha airport and brought us to our hotel. The next morning the safari started. Our driver was really kind, communicative and he also knew many things. The accomodation camp was great. It was clean and nice, all people were helpful, always smilling and kind. I would always go with them again.