NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great touroperator
We booked a safaritour with Afroriginal tours. The communicatie in advance was very good. They made a tour follwing our wishes, for a fair price. The safari was amazing (we went to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater)!!! The guide was nice and knew a lot about nature. The cook was also ok. The total experience lived up to our expectations. Afroriginal tours is very helpfull, friendly and reliable. Everything was arranged and we had nothing to worry about during our holiday.
US
Experience level: first safari
Great safari, exactly as described, knowledgeable guide -- Mwanje very responsive and professional!
Our Tanzania safari experience was everything we had hoped it would be -- with many thanks to Mwanje and Image Travel. We booked well in advance after reviewing proposals from several safari companies. Image Travel offered competitive or better rates and Mwanje was extremely responsive, getting back to us quickly with information, written proposals/contracts, and receipts for deposits/payments. Though Nairobi airport security prevented it, Mwanje even tried to meet us in person during our connection from Kenya to Tanzania -- but he was there to refund us about $500 in cash for an overpayment due us after we changed our itinerary (cash was transferred from Mwanje to an airport employee to us). We appreciated the professionalism and the integrity.
As for our safari itself, we had an amazing 4-day adventure split between the Serengeti and the Ngorogoro Crater. The Serengeti was by far the more exciting park. The view from the rim of the Ngorogoro Crater is spectacular, but the animal experience in the Serengeti was superior, at least for us. Our driver for the entire safari -- Joseph -- was helpful, friendly, interested in our needs, spoke English well enough, and was very knowledgeable about the animals and the Masai culture (he is Masai and enjoyed telling us all about traditional culture and life in that part of Tanzania). Our Serengeti tent camp was clean, situated in a beautiful spot, and very well staffed by incredibly hospitable people -- stewards to pour you hot water for showers in the morning, carry your bags or hold an umbrella, cooks to prepare delicious and huge breakfasts, box lunches and dinners, etc. Our lodge at the Ngorogoro Crater was exceptional -- great accommodations, welcoming staff, wonderful entertainment, delicious food. And finally, all the animals "cooperated" -- we saw everything except leopards.
Transfers from and back to the Kilimanjaro airport were covered in our safari price and were done by Joseph himself (who had to come out twice for our "arrival" due to Kenya Airways delays).
Mwanje, we are totally thankful for your expert and reliable help with our trip. We are happy to highly recommend Image Travel to anyone planning an African safari! Cheers!
Cons:
1. Our Toyota Land Cruiser safari vehicle was decent, comfortable enough. But it was older and not all features were functioning (eg, seat belts, one of two battery chargers).
2. In the Ngorogoro Crater, the eagles can swoop down uninvited and attempt to grab your chicken lunch right out of your hand -- exciting yes, but dangerous too, and it would have been nice to have been properly forewarned.
3. Nothing to do with Image Travel, but we give low marks to Kenya Airways -- the planes and in-flight service were fine. But we had several flights cancelled or severely delayed during our trip planning process and/or mid-trip, costing us valuable safari time -- without apology or compensation.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4 days in the Serengeti/ngorongoro
Booked a last minute safari through Jessica. She did a great job meeting our budget and desired itinerary. Very timely responses via email helped us immensely. They even took our credit card info and passport scan in lieu of a bank transfer.
Truck was in good shape and we didn't have any breakdowns (saw many near ngorongoro). Wish that they had told us that it didn't have A/C. Afternoon drives were brutal because it was so hot and the dust from other vehicles gave us coughs.
Jessica also lent us her binoculars and called to check in on our progress and satisfaction during the safari. A very nice touch.
The driver, BJ, was knowledgeable and spoke good english. He was gruff and made it tough to get comfortable in his presence (we spent 6-8hours a day with him in the car). The cook, Vincent, was rude and did not ask us when and what we'd like to eat. We were at his mercy when it came to schedule. We also discovered that the meals he prepared for the staff were better than the meals prepared for us.
At the end of the day we were there for the animals and we tried to keep that in mind. The tour operator was great. In our case, the staff was lackluster. Hopefully you get nicer, more respectful guides/cooks. If so, your experience will be 5 stars!
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent budget safari operator - great value, great experience
I took a 5-day, 4-night safari with World Tours & Safaris, and was very satisfied.
We spent one day in Tarangire, camped on the way to Serengeti, then 2 days and 2 nights in Serengeti, 1 night on the crater on Ngorongoro and then a day in the crater. That was an excellent variety - Tarangire's elephants and trees, Serengeti's wide expanses, and Ngorongoro's wildlife density. The parks themselves are obviously the true stars of the trip. Considering the cost of park fees, paying under $1000 for an excellent all-inclusive safari of that length truly is a bargain. It also included an extra hotel night which was handy and staff there were great about helping you get set up for the safari.
Recognizing that the parks are the stars, World Tours did a good job of getting us there and keeping us taken care of. Tents were basic but adequate and we slept well, food was simple but tasty and ample. Lots of water on hand. Most importantly they kept it 4 to a vehicle which meant everybody gets a window and there's enough leg room etc. Our driver wasn't so talkative, but was an excellent driver and spotter. We saw a lot of things that others didn't, and were usually the first or second car at amazing sights. He made every effort to have things in order, we spent lots of time out spotting, he answered the questions we had, and he really did a great job of getting us great views.
The only downsides were slightly older cars without some of the huge windows that others have, but if you're standing up that's not an issue. And we did occasionally have gear mounted at the front which obscured the view in that direction a bit, but there's probably a way around that. But talking to others, the cost of our trip was a lot less than those operations with newer cars, and our cars weren't overloaded with an extra person which does happen on some budget safaris.
Mr. Richard the proprietor had excellent communication, everything was exactly as promised, and he was creative about making things work for drop-offs, stop-offs etc.
I probably could have given a 5-star rating, as they really did make every effort to be sure we were taken care of and I would say they were an excellent budget operator. But know that this is a budget safari, so don't expect bone china and fine linens -- if you want a 5-star camp, be prepared to pay a lot lot more. But for me, the safari tent the first night was very comfortable and the hotel had nice facilities, and then 3 nights of camping in Serengeti and the rim of Ngorongoro were absolutely gorgeous. You're camping, so be prepared to get your hands dirty a little. Cars can break down whether you're on a luxury safari or a budget one, so the right attitude going in will get you over the inevitable bumps in the road. As budget operators go, World Tours & Safaris were always honest, accommodating, and delivered incredible value and an unforgettable experience.
I certainly recommend going on a safari with Mr. Richard and World Tours.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable safari experience
We did a three-day safari with Sunny Safaris in December 2014, starting in Arusha and ending in Mwanza. I can only say that it was an unforgettable experience! We saw all of the Big Five and witnessed two lions savouring a wildebeast from up close.
The first night we spent at Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge,which offers a breathtaking view from the terrace, decent food, and fabulous rooms. The second night we slept at Serengeti Kati Kati Camp. An outstanding camping experience, with large tents including toilet and shower, solar lighting, a dining tent with excellent food and a campfire at night.
Our guide Ismael was friendly and knew all about the animals in the park. He clearly knows his way through the park and drove us all the way to western Mwanza without ever consulting a map. Yet, he had some problems locating the tented camp site; apparently the camp changes location frequently and finding the camp in absence of satellite navigation required quite some meandering.
One thing you should make sure to agree upon when booking with Sunny Safaris, is the number of days you will get inside the park. In our initial package we had a three day safari, but only 48 hours inside the parks. (Park entry goes via a sophisticated and rigid smartcard-system, which allows entr
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good - but book directly through world tours not an agent
All in all, a good budget safari.
We had a fantastic time, and our driver was excellent at spotting animals, and both the cook and driver were professional, friendly and always helpful. Food was for the most part excellent!
I'd recommend going with this company, but we booked through an agent in Dar Es Salaam, David Kiango, and I would avoid booking through him. He is a fraud and did his best to rip off both us and the tour operator. Him refusing to pay Richard meant the first day of our safari was cut short.
Only other complaint was that the safari vehicle ran into a couple of problems - 2 shredded tyres and ? A problem with the spark plug. The vehicles do cover a lot of distance, but with better maintenance it may have fared better!
Bear in mind when you are booking this that safaris in Africa are v expensive, and this is a budget tour. Tents etc were in reasonable condition, but if you want a more glamorous experience, be prepared to pay a lot more.
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5 day Safari
The safari went really well and we managed to see the Big 5. The cook Simon did a great job and our guide was of great assistance in locating the animals and answering our questions. All camp sites we went to were clean and wecoming.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Efficient, personally interested in their clients, knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile
I was travelling alone in Kenya after a conference and Terminal Tours were efficient and very willing to set up a specific tour programme to suit me, even though I was the only person wanting to go to specific destinations. Debbie and Nelson worked well as a team and were interested in sending me on a tour that suited me. I was impressed with their honesty and willingness to give me a memorable tour.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
3 Days Masai Mara Experience
All my family enjoyed the safari. good food, experience driver guide, good communication skills from the tour consultants, good time keeping, detailed briefing on the first day, pocket friendly too. I welcome any referrals.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome Experience
Its an awesome experience. The hospitality, transparency and value for money derived from using this agency makes me want to use them over and over again.