AG
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very knowledgeable, friendly and a joy to be around.
Julius was an amazing guide. If I was to recommend any tour with jocky tours I would tell them to request Julius. He is so knowledgeable and gave us so much information on each of the animals we saw. Thanks to him we saw the big 5 all in one day! I couldn’t have asked for a better safari experience. Definitely made my trip.
PH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
He was great!
I was hoping to see more animals, but it was still an incredible adventure and definitely a core memory for me! 🦁❤️
I also really appreciated how safety-conscious the team was throughout the experience. They made sure we stayed safely inside the vehicle and maintained a safe distance from the animals at all times. It made the experience feel secure while still allowing us to enjoy being so close to wildlife.
Overall, it was a memorable experience, and I’m glad I got to do it!
PT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
9 days trip safari
I booked a 9-day safari with the company with the intention of exploring several parks, and the experience has been unforgettable given the country's natural beauty and richness. Stephen was always very available and helpful, and throughout the trip, we had an exceptional, dedicated, and caring guide, Isaiah. However, I would like to offer a few suggestions. The price of this program is very high and, as such, it lacks some fundamental details: specifically, I believe the program should be personalized, taking into account the client's interests but fundamentally the specificity of the safari season. Since we are in the peak migration season and only had a day and a half in the Mara, we did not have the opportunity to witness a river crossing. I believe the person responsible for designing the program should advise and suggest to the client the best time distribution to make the most of this experience. Moreover, the vehicle was appropriate for the game drives, but it was old and uncomfortable for the long journeys between parks.
NZ
Musaka was very easy to deal and helpful, with and our driver, Cobra, was good
We had a great experience on this tour seeing all the animals that we had hoped to including a lioness carrying her cub. Chobe is an amazing place to go for a day. The lunch was impressive. Be prepared for the border crossing which was disorganised (obviously this isn't the tour operators fault). We had a person with a lower leg amputation and the tour people were very helpful. The only reason I haven't given an excellent rating is because the jeep we had was older and the truck part blocked some of our forward visibility. Highly recommend this company overall.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Outstanding Experience
Working with white horse was amazing from the beginning. We set them a budget, and they were able to squeeze as much as possible in terms of experience out of that budget. Enjoyed a great 4 day trip split between Masai Mara and Lake Naivasha. Great hotels, amazing driver, and very easy to work with.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Once In a Lifetime Disappointment
I'm really shocked by all of the 5 star reviews. For an experience that costs so much money, I was dismayed at the barely adequate level of service that was provided. Did we see animals? Sure. But they are had to miss and there HAS to be better operators to go with.
Some tips: Make sure your guide speaks English well. Ask about the quality and presentation of lunches you'll be provided while you're out on game drives. If possible, book a tour that provides a guide AND a driver. They are two different skill-sets. Don't over-extend yourself trying to see too many areas. You don't want to spend more time driving from park to park than seeing animals. We felt that Shayona failed in all of these areas for us.
First, our guide (Ndika) was awful. For my standards, he barely spoke English. He couldn't answer to our satisfaction our questions about the animals or numerous other questions that arose on the tour. We gave up after a while, which significantly diminished how much we could've learned through the experience. Also, he had horrible body odor. Admittedly, that may not be a big deal to some people, but when you're stuck in a vehicle for 4-5 hours a day for multiple days it's a miserable experience. We brought this up with Ajay when we first met our guide, but the situation was never resolved. Ndika also drove like a mad-man, over-taking vehicles like he was on a race and at one point, while driving up a narrow cliff-side road as we entered Ngorongora park, one of our rear wheels started to slide off the edge of the road (cliffside). He had to do a crazy drifting maneuver to right the vehicle. I've never been so scared in my life.
Beyond that, as a tour operator, you expect them to apply their expertise and experience to help ensure a pleasant tour. Nope. One small example was our daily lunch. Most other tour groups had picnic blankets to drape over the picnic tables which, understandably had bird droppings on them. They had food that was stored in hot or cold packs. Our lunches, which had perishable items, were kept on the front seat with the driver. There were no picnic blankets so we had to sit at tables covered in bird droppings. The cooler in the vehicle didn't even have ice or dry ice to keep drinks cold during our long outings. These are small things, but you'd think that an experienced company would have figured out these basic things to ensure a good experience for their guests. Remember, these tours costs thousands and thousands of dollars.
The tour organization was also very half-hazard. Flight itineraries weren't read in advance, so we were left scrambling at the last minute for lodging when we arrived. As mentioned earlier, our guide, didn't seem to know what was on each day's itinerary from one day to the next. Most critically, the itinerary Shayona provided was completely impractical. We spent WAY too much time driving from one place to another when we could've spent that time looking at animals. The operator should've used his expertise and experience to tell us if we needed more time or needed to cut down our wish-list of places to see, but he didn't. There was no guidance that could've made for a better trip. To be honest, there wasn't much communication leading up to our trip, which should've been a red-flag.
Sadly, this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip so there are no do overs for us. What should've been an amazing experience was ultimately a huge disappointment. Choose your operator and guide wisely. If I were you, I wouldn't choose Shayona.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful
I loved everything. Nice tour around tanzania ans highly recommend the company
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
All the staff answer us really quick and solve all our problems really fast.
The safari experience with Kilipath was incredible from the very beginning. I requested a quote and they responded very quickly, answering all the questions we had.
Our safari guide, Raymond, gave us lots of information about all the animals throughout the trip. We were very lucky because we got to see lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, rhinos, hippos, and many more...
We also enjoyed amazing and varied breakfasts, lunches, and dinners thanks to our chef, Pasco.
Thanks to them, the whole experience exceeded our expectations.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent!! Mama Anna and Samantha make you feel like family!
Following the safari, I am recommending Mama Anna and her team to everyone I know.
Mama Anna and Samantha treat you like one of their own. And there were several examples of this. She insisted we had breakfast before the safari, insisted we had dinner afterwards and then insisted we get a private transfer back to Moshi, all on her own dime and arranged beforehand as a suprise. Mama Anna is truly wonderful!
The safari itself was wonderful. Saw all the Big 5 and the guide was great! Super knowledgeable and paced it just about right.
Only regret is that I wish I found Mama Anna and her company sooner!
JP
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A trustworthy , sincere and friendly safari partner
I went on a 2-day mid-range group joining safari to Tarangire N.P and Ngorongoro Crater. As a solo traveler, I found this tour to be safe ,fun and an amazing value for money. From my first contact with the manager Yohanes, I felt they are reliable and trustworthy.
The game drives were full of surprises, and our driver/guide, Ali, was exceptionally friendly and making me feel completely welcome. On top of that, Kankari Lodge located in Karatu was lovely, peaceful place that combined local charm with comfort.
The whole experience was a perfect escape from reality, making me completely forget the busy outside world. I highly recommend Tanzania Pilgrimage Safaris to anyone looking for an affordable yet high-quality safari!
