CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Quite good and experience, would choose to come back again
The package was value for money. We had no major pain points. The only thing is one guest was late or meant to be picked up in a different spot so we had to take a detour on our way to Masai Mara.
Brian was very helpful and considered the whole time. He was constantly on the radio and phone to try to find us more animals.
Thanks to him we got to see most of the major ones.
Would recommend friends and hopefully come back soon.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Frauds
They have not paid hotels their payment due. They don't reply to emails nor take any calls and hang up when reached with another number. Hotel staff are being charged for the balance for being flexible with them. No conscience!!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Meru is amazing and provided a once in a lifetime experience.
Meru Slopes provided a once in a lifetime experience seeing the wonders of Tanzania. Our organizer Gift Tempo, day guide Victor, and our AMAZING safari guide Bryson created a special experience we will remember forever. We encountered every animal we had hoped to see, stayed in amazing accommodations, and were treated wonderfully by the staff. If you book safari, please choose Meru.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Helena tailored our trip to create an unforgettable experience, and was very helpful and responsive!
Our guide, Michael, was a delight! Cheerful, friendly, and attentive. He went the extra mile, coordinated with other guides to help find amazing wildlife sightings (huge hippo pools, huge prides of lion, cheetah, leopard), and took the time to accommodate our specific interests - i.e. identify names of bird. He also shared interesting information that helped us understand and appreciate local cultures and practices. We so appreciated his big heart for the wildlife and people of Tanzania! And he was an excellent driver as well!
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excelent 2 days of safari
It was an incredible experience from start to finish! Our guide, Kelvin, did everything possible to make sure we could see as many animals as possible. He was kind, funny and very knowledgeable, and he shared lots of interesting facts and curiosities about the animals throughout the safari.
After each adventure, we arrived at beautiful, safe and comfortable places to rest, with delicious dinners and great breakfasts. They also provided us with bottled water constantly and took care of absolutely everything, so we could simply relax and enjoy the experience.
I 100% recommend this company, and especially our guide KELVIN! He made the experience even more special.
Thank you so much, Kelvin! 🐘🦁❤️
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari trip with professional guide Thadey
Firstly thanks agent Norah for assisting me on this trip and arranging everything. This is an amazing safari trip completely beyond my expectations. I don’t have any professional equipments, any cameras, not even binoculars, all I have is an iPhone. But it turns out I’ve seen all the animals I love literally just next to my car within 2 meters. All credit goes to my professional safari guide - Thadey. He’s excellent at spotting any animals, especially my favourite big cats, lions, leopards and cheetahs. Everyday is full of surprises, cheetah hunting, a pride of lions including cubs enjoy buffalo, hyenas following us, and the most incredible moment is watching the great migration, wildebeests and zebra cross Mara river. I can’t ask more for this magical safari trip, appreciate a lot Thadey’s dedicated efforts and non-stop driving. Highly recommend Thadey, he will complete your dream.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Malaki Was the Guide Who Made My Serengeti Dream a Reality
We had six days with Malaki as our guide through Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, and I'll be back with Malaki as my guide.
From the airport pickup onward, Malaki felt like an old friend, handling every detail and special request we had seamlessly and with ease. I found out about Malaki through a friend who works at a 5 star luxury hotel chain in the USA; her colleagues all use Malaki Safaris when they vacation at the hotel chain's Serengeti location.
Malaki is an expert in wildlife and conservation and it was fascinating to talk to him about his guiding experience. He found the Big Five for us and he was just as thrilled as we were watching the wildlife. Malaki is kind, patient, easy going, knowledgeable, very professional, fun, and has fascinating stories about his guiding experiences, wildlife sightings, and the local Maasai culture. We learned a lot from Malaki and really enjoyed his company.
My trip to the Serengeti was my childhood dream, and Malaki made it entirely perfect. If you're planning a safari in Tanzania, ask for him, every detail will be perfection and you will be taken care of. I'm already looking forward to going back.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly Effective & Efficient
We had a great experience and got to see basically every animal we wanted to, even the elusive big cats (leopard, cheetah, lion). Our driver Timothy was amazing! He was such an experienced, efficient, effective driver, easily shaving off 30+ minutes when getting between national parks. He was a friendly guide and exceptionally knowledgeable about the best places to see all the animals. He was kind and accommodating. Would highly recommend.
If I had one constructive feedback, it would be that I'd hope the tour guide be more informative to tell us details and fun facts about where we're going and seeing, but we still had a fantastic time and I'd definitely still recommend Morningstar as well as our driver.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime. Just magical ✨️
So glad I booked my safari through Dallas. From the first interaction Dallas was prompt and clear with his communication. We started our research 8 months in advance, from day one until after the safari, Dallas kept in touch built a rapport and made me feel secure and confident about my plans. He provided guidance and support while I stayed in Arusha on my own as a single mother with my 2 children until rest of my family joined for the safari few days later. We had an amazing time. We saw all the animals including the big 5 on the first day. The Lodge we stayed in was so welcoming and comfortable. Hot air ballon was such a unique experience. Our transfer driver and safari driver were both so polite and professional. Dallas added his personal touch to visit us at our villa before the safari started as introduction and met us again once we were finished. Really made us feel like we mattered. Highly recommend Dallas for anyone looking to book a safari. In the future will book with Dallas for my safari in Kenya.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Bad management
We chose Marakele specifically because we wanted to give our grandchildren a memorable African wildlife experience before they leave the country. We paid a considerable amount for what we expected to be a safe, well-managed and unforgettable experience. Sadly, the reality has been profoundly disappointing.
What concerns us most is that this was not simply a matter of minor inconveniences. A number of basic service and maintenance failures occurred during our stay, culminating in a situation that we consider to be a serious safety concern.
1. Extremely restrictive accommodation times
We were only permitted to access the tented chalet from 15:00 and were required to vacate it by 10:00 the following morning.
While we understand that SANParks has established check-in and check-out procedures, the very limited time available to guests is disappointing, particularly when compared with other comparable wildlife establishments where guests are generally permitted to remain until approximately 11:00.
Given the amount charged for the accommodation, we expected a better overall guest experience.
2. Repeated electricity failures
During our stay, we attempted to cook in the chalet, but the electricity repeatedly tripped.
This was extremely inconvenient and prevented us from properly using the facilities for which we had paid.
3. Basic maintenance not attended to
There was also no functioning bulb in the lamp in our room.
This is a basic maintenance issue that should have been identified and rectified before guests arrived. It is difficult to understand how accommodation can be handed over to paying guests without such elementary checks being carried out.
4. SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN – GATE TO THE WILDLIFE AREA
The most unacceptable incident occurred the following morning.
We wanted to enter the gated area to see the wildlife — which was, after all, one of the principal reasons for bringing our grandchildren to Marakele.
When we arrived at the gate, the intercom was not working.
We contacted reception for assistance. Instead of providing a safe solution, we were instructed to get out of our vehicle, open the gate manually, drive through, and then get out of the vehicle again to close the gate manually.
This is extremely concerning because the instructions at the gate clearly state that visitors must not leave their vehicles.
There is an obvious reason for such an instruction: this is a wildlife area.
We should not have been placed in a position where we were effectively required to choose between following the safety instructions or following the instructions of reception.
Even more concerning is that the receptionist informed us that the gate had apparently not been working for some time and that everyone entering the area had simply been opening and closing it manually.
If this is indeed the case, we find it completely unacceptable that SANParks has knowingly allowed this situation to continue.
A malfunctioning gate in a wildlife area is not a minor maintenance problem. It is a potentially serious safety hazard. Visitors should never be instructed to leave their vehicles in an area where they have explicitly been warned not to do so.
5. Unacceptable attitude from reception
What made the situation even more upsetting was the manner in which our concerns were handled.
While we were trying to explain our concerns to the receptionist, she repeatedly laughed.
We found this behaviour extremely inappropriate and disrespectful.
We were not complaining about something trivial. We were raising a genuine concern about a malfunctioning gate in a wildlife area and the safety implications of being instructed to leave our vehicle.
A paying guest raising a safety concern should be treated seriously and professionally.
The impact on our grandchildren
The purpose of this trip was particularly important to us.
Our grandchildren are leaving the country, and we wanted to give them the opportunity to experience South Africa’s wildlife and create a wonderful memory of their visit.
Unfortunately, because of these circumstances, they have not had the wildlife experience we specifically planned and paid for.
This is incredibly disappointing for us as grandparents.