NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good organisation for safari
It started not so good. We were at a different gate at the border than our guide. There was a miscommunication between the office and the guide. It was solved quickly but Makasa Tanzanian Safaris could have called us, to apologize.
After this we could have not wish for a better guide. Tom was the best. A good driver and very good guide. We learned a lot. He knows a lot about the flora and fauna. He also knew the right spots for the animals we would like to spot. It was a great experience, because of him. He is also a funny guy.
The accomodations were also perfect. I would choose Makasa Tanzanian Safaris again if I would go to Tanzania.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The service is very good,very efficient
The service was very good , very good ambiance at the office.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It is a nice safaris Ltd and had everything well arranged.
All the staffs are very nice, including their boss, very warm-hearted. They even helped me to find my lost. Everything is well arranged in the 11-day tour. With their efforts, we did have a happy journey.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic and Unique sightings of wildlife in Serengeti/Ndutu
From landing in Kilimanjaro to Arusha air strip, onwards to Serengeti and Ndutu, I had a fantastic trip in Tanzania, thanks to '7 Wonder Safari's' organisation. Hadsome unique leopard, cheetah and lion sightings including seeing lions on trees (which was my dream) in addition to several other photo opportunities…..Thanks to Julieth and her team.
Hope to be back soon!
FI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfectly cost-effective and excellent customer service!
We had a 5-day budget safari in an excellent price and we were very pleased with pretty much everything. The food was good and our guide was experienced and knew a lot about the animals and wildlife. We also saw a lot and the route was well-planned!
We stayed in camp-sites and slept in tents so warm clothes and some adventurous spirit were needed and there was not much room in the car for any extra luggage. However the car itself was clean and comfortable.
The customer service gets full five stars! The company replied all our emails and questions fast and provided a good accommodation in Arusha and also helped us with other things e.g getting buss tickets.
The company was also very flexible with the payment as we had trouble with getting dollars.
All in all nothing luxurious or fancy - but excellent customer service and very enjoyable and wonderful safari!
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great wildlife and scenery experience
First of all: I had a great trip with Northern Circuit Adventure, I definately recommend them.
Me and my friend completed a safari group of 5 travellers to go and visit Arusha NP, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Our guide Elias had loads of (fun) facts ready to share with us together with a great eye for spotting animals, added with the wonderful (large) meals prepared by Gabriel and an international group made this an amazing time for me.
The only downside was that I had to sleep in Arusha Tourist Inn for a couple of nights, arranged by NCA. Across the street was a mosque where prayers started at 05:00 hrs, I'm definately not used to that kind of thing so it really disturbed my nights. I would choose all the different kinds of tents over this inn any day (the tents were great).
I would definately recommend this safari company to my friends because they offer a great safari for a reasonable price.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
a last minute trip
All communication while planning the trip was prompt, very courteous and accommodating. Towards the end while we were finalizing it (the departure date was finalized very late), i believe the agent too was travelling and communication dropped, causing me a few tense moments. A mail saying my mails had been received and were being worked on would have been appreciated.
The safari vehicle itself wasn't in good repair (simple things like overhead handles to hang on to on the bumpy routes in the parks were missing).
That said.....the trip itself went off well. Our guide and driver Hamza was an absolute delight. Very helpful and very cheerful...he made the trip great fun.
I would use Wildebeest Safaris again as i believe the minor issues we faced were because of the late nature of the booking.
It was an enjoyable experience overall.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
First African Experience Was Overall Good ++
Following is a review of the places we visited this past month (June 2014). Roho Ya Chui helped us plan and book the trip. It was a group of 5, with 3 of us being newbies and and the other 2 old hands at African Safaris. Ute Sonnenburg was a delight to work with, and she went the extra step for us on several occasions.
I thought I'd give you my reviews of the places we visited.
Lawhill Apartments: I think this was a good choice, though a bit spartan in amenities / furnishings. Great location at the Victoria & Albert Wharf. Dionne (spelling?) was a good guide and flexible to our suggestions. I really liked Cape Town and Stellenbosch. Next time I might do 2 nights in Stellenbosch as it is quite a nice little town.
Xigera Camp: This one was my favorite. The staff were incredibly friendly and the whole "vibe" was inclusive. When new people came we were all introduced and had a communal table for dinner. And in one of life's little coincidences there was a couple that lives 1/2 mile from where I used to live in Hermosa Beach, California. Our guides, Onx and Rider, were very personable and knowledgeable. And for our last two treks we did game drives rather than the boat. The management at Xigera, Olivia and Masha, were very accommodating. This was my very first experience at game drives/floats (?), so seeing that first elephant, or hippo, or giraffe, or Cape Buffalo was really amazing.
Getting to Victoria Falls: This was an odd experience, from the airport near the Botswana - Zambia border, being dropped off at a small boat on the river to cross over to Zambia, then the wait at the border while the guide / drive had our passports processed. It was a bit unnerving for some of us.
Royal Livingstone Hotel at Victoria Falls: This was a very deluxe place with a head doorman with his hand constantly out for tips. The service in the dining room was excruciatingly slow. There is relaxed dining, and then there is "I should have brought a book" dining. The falls were at full flow and beautiful, and we had the chance to get pictures in the evening and the ensuing morning.
Moving on to Nelspruit, it was a long drive after our flight, BUT we did see a cheetah along the side of the road when we entered the Londolozi reserve.
Londolozi: Obviously a first class 4-5 star facility. The staff that we met were very friendly and accommodating. The "vibe" here was more exclusive, no attempt was made to introduce us to other guests, nor did the other guests seem inclined to socialize. But the rooms were very nice, the meals plentiful and tasteful, and the hot water bottles in the Range Rover for the morning game drives were a much appreciated touch. Will Ford, the camp manager, and the assistant assigned to us, Jeremy (I might have this wrong), were great, as were our guides, Alfred and Chadrock. The butler, Stanick, was always there for us in the dining room. Will Ford arranged a sundowner wine tasting for just our group one night which was a special treat. And we saw the Big 5 in our very first trek! The game here was more numerous than in Xigera. A great experience all around.
Jo'burg: The guide, whose name escapes me, was a disappointment. He met us at the private general aviation lounge at the Jo'burg airport and managed to snag a bottle of water for himself, but not for us. He had a tour he was determined to make and there was no flexibility in his schedule. We probably could have used an extra day in Jo'burg, but not with this guide.
Michaelangelo Hotel: This was a very nice place with big comfortable rooms (apparently if your AC was working which it didn't for the Browns). I was a bit disappointed in the restaurant, or at least the menu. But we had a chance to meet this delightful woman who had booked our trip, oh yeah, that would be Ute. So that made the evening good all around!
Serena Lake Victoria - Entebbe / Kampala: As previously noted by Stephanie, this hotel was too far away for a one night visit, and arduous to get to. And the staff didn't seem to know how to register guests, or at least were very inefficient at check-in and check-out. The restaurant was basically a buffet cafeteria, and not very good, a big disappointment for a property this beautiful physically.
Sanctuary at Bwindi: Same comments as Steph's. I didn't think it was dirty, just more rustic than what we had experienced. The staff was pretty indifferent with the exception of our server, Barbara. And if you weren't trekking, there was not much to do, though I managed to finish a terribly written book on the day I declined the first trek. I must say I am very proud of my fellow travelers for completing that trek and then the "easy" one two days later.
And you know all about the high drama with Qatar Airways, but even that turned out okay eventually, but it was handled very poorly by the airline.
One lesson learned by me is that I don't like the one-night stands (Jo'burg, Lake Victoria, Victoria Falls) because you never really relax and unwind. I'll keep that in mind in the future.
All in all it was an enjoyable trip with delightful travel partners.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The company provided in depth knowledge about parks and tour guide througn the game drive
We enjoyed the game drive and the tour guides/drivers are all very courteous. The living accommodations are generally good with couple of places exceeding my expectation. Food is also generally good. The cost is very reasonable with no hidden charges for the trip. The owner OT is very much personally involved in the planning and handling of the complete trip. The long travel in some days can be tiring. I would not hesitate recommending KenyaWalking Survivors Safaris to people interested in Safari tours in Africa.
Highly recommended
We recently did a 7 day Safari with Afrishare to Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara and Tarangire National Parks. We were lucky enough to see all the big five and many more!
After, we climbed Kilimanjaro with Afrishare too. All of the staff were incredibly helpful and accommodating and we had a great time. We couldn't have made it without the support of the lovely guides Tino and Kija not to mention the porters! We received a very personalised service co-ordinated by the friendly manager Ibrah.
We would highly recommend them.