US
20-35 years of age
Great safari! Very professional
My fiancee and I did a 4 day safari with Suricata. I emailed Hilary from the company several times to customize the safari. He was able to take care of everything. Hilary also met with us the night before the safari to answer our questions. He also met with us the night when we got back from the safari to make sure that the safari went great.
Floridi was our guide and he was professional and knowledgeable about the animals. We saw the Big 5 animals and many other species. Yousef was our cook and provided delicious food. We also got to spend 1 hour to visit the Maasai tribe.
US
20-35 years of age
Local company. Highly recommend
Choose this company for your Kilimanjaro trip! Emanuel (owner of the company) will take care of you and organize the trip. He greeted us at the airport and drove us to the hotel. He also met us at the end of our climb to make sure everything went well. John and Proches were our guides and were friendly and knowledgeable. I climbed Kilimanjaro with my fiancée and she was mentally and physically drained from hiking that many days, so we didn't know whether we would summit. However, John and Proches were with us the whole time and made sure we made it to the peak. Choose this company and you will be provided great service!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Considering I had excellent weather, it was an absolutely fantastic trek!
The trek I completed began about 7 or 8 km west of Sankabar and took a total of 6 days, my furthest point from the start being the summit of Ras Dashen, the highest point in Ethiopia. My trek took place in December and for all 6 days, the weather could not have been better. Sunny and clear skies every morning, with some cloud coming in around 3pm (which was fine, as our hiking for the day was usually done by that time).
I booked my excursion through the company ETT. There are pros and cons with any company which I won't get into here, but let me say that for my Simien experience, they truly did a great job. Our guide, Berhanu, was very knowledgeable and just an all round really good guy, so if you can get him, he'll do you well.
As far as scenery and wildlife goes, it was incredibly beautiful at all times. The gelada monkeys were fun to watch and we had numerous opportunities to do so. Also, on two separate occasions I was able to see the rare Ethiopian wolf (also known as the red jackal, I believe) which was a fantastic experience. At one point, we even saw a group of about five ibex in a valley far below.
My group and I didn't know what to expect for food, so the first night we were served soup. We ate to our heart's content thinking that was all we were going to have, but that turned out to only be the first course of several - all of which were excellent - including dessert. I should mention that meat is not an every day thing, though, as I believe we had chicken only once in the first three days and again on my last day. Nonetheless, we all had plenty of energy and whatever we ate certainly satisfied us.
I should also say that a nice perk was that each day after hiking and arriving at the next camp, a snack of some sort (usually popcorn and biscuits (cookies)) was waiting for us - very much appreciated!
No day's hiking was particularly difficult (other than days 4 (up Mount Bwahit and then over to Ambiko) and 5 (up Ras Dashen), but the altitude did take some getting used to. By my final summit day (day 5), I had loads of energy even though it was definitely a longer day, but again, the terrain was never difficult, so really it was just putting one foot in front of the other until you get there. A 5am start helped with that, too, as it was nice and cool at that time and you could summit nice and early. (For reference, I should add that I'm a 55 year old male, not particularly athletic, but quite experienced with hiking and bagging peaks.)
The people in my group I only met for the first time on that first day, but I must say that they were a fantastic group of people (3 others plus myself) and made the experience that much more enjoyable. Hopefully if you go, you're able to join in with as good of people as I did!
US
Spectacular tour!
Safari Soles tour company, led by Bryson, is a first rate outfitter. David Simba is a fun, knowledgeable and enthusiastic driver/guide. Put us in position to see all of the animals - including the “Big 5”, multiple times. Our chef, Dulla, made scrumptious meals without proper cooking facilities. A miracle worker. Even baked fresh bread every day. We have photos and memories to last a lifetime, or until we do it again!
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
6 day tour of Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha
Considering we booked a ‘budget safari’ and were a little sceptical about how it would be; it was absolutely fantastic! The communication beforehand with Robert (the email correspondent) was great, he gave fast and thorough replies. Our guide for the 6 days was Aruni and he was amazing; so good that we were able to see all of the big 5 in two days! He was a great guy, very experienced, with a great sense of humour and his knowledge of all the animals was incredible .
The accommodation was basic but clean and fully fitted with mosquito nets; the staff in all places we stayed were very friendly and helpful.
The food, although nice, was often the same and after a while got a little boring, lots of rice, beef and spinach.
My recommendation would be to bring lots of snacks, as some days we would have breakfast at 6:00 and then lunch was not until 14:00.
Another great thing about the safari was that as we booked in advance and are a family of 5, we were able to get a private tour for no extra cost! This was really great especially as talking to other travellers through different companies, they said that often the logistics with van sharing was complicated and meant time was wasted helping people to swap vans.
Thought it was worth a mention, currently you cannot enter the gorge at Hell’s Gate, Lake Navaisha. However we thought the boat trip on the lake was amazing and a fantastic way to spend Christmas Day morning.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Holiday of wilderness and amazing gazing
In the spring last year I contacted a number of safari companies and Wild Gaze replied swiftly and comprehensively. Because we were flying to Arusha Norbert was our main interlocutor during that preparation period and over the next few months we communicated on a weekly basis. Apart from the safari there were other specific things that I wanted us to do and planning our itinerary wasn’t easy but Wild Gaze Safaris were extremely helpful and accommodating. They organised accommodation as well as our bus and taxi journeys and they looked after us as if we were royalty! In Arusha Norbert and Fred, the taxi driver, were attentive to our every need. We started our safari in Iringa where Ernest, the master mind behind Wild Gaze, and Nalasco, our driver and guide for the next four days looked after us beautifully. Nalasco was there when we stepped off the bus and Ernest welcomed us at The Sunset Hotel. A very well chosen venue with lovely food and friendly staff. Over the next four days everything was beautifully laid out and we discovered Ruaha. Nalasco is a very kind and knowledgeable guide who helped us understand the landscapes and its mighty inhabitants. The national park of Ruaha is wonderful and we saw some amazing animals. Nolasco could see everything miles ahead. He was also an excellent driver and the drive was not an easy drive! No doubt the top gear team would award him a medal. On the last day of our safari he drove us across valleys and mountains to take us to Mikumi, and on our way we stopped in Iringa where Ernest, because we were pressed for time, handed us some delicious chicken and chips through the window. A great team work. After a few wonderful days in Zanzibar we returned to Arusha where once again Norbert took us under his wing. Thank you Wild Gaze team for an amazing adventure!!!!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An experience of a lifetime
The tour outfit was very professional and communication was excellent throughout. Result was an excellent safari experience that was commensurate with what we paid.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A second tailor made trip, perfectly arranged by Tailor Made Safaris
All our wishes have been fullfilled in our second trip that Angela has made for us. No question was too much and we did get a quick response every time. The knowledge about the accomodations and safari options proposed was great. The complete trip was filled with highlights of the Elephant Coast.
Two weeks before our trip we received an amazing personalized photo album. Everything necessary was found within the book, meaning we did not have to bring any loose paperwork with us. The accommodations and safaris were amazing. And so was the contact with our advisor Angela! We definitely recommend this company!
SG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wow!!! We just had the best trip of our lives
It was not easy planning our Gorilla Trekking and Safari trip without knowing anyone in Uganda as there are many operators to choose from. We did a bit of research and zeroed on Devine African Safaris because of the rave reviews they had on various platforms, alsotimely communication with Nicholas. He also gave us a great deal for the mid-range accommodation package. He did a perfect job of organizing our safari with Herbert as tour guide and driver. We had a wonderful experience where we saw plenty of animals in the parks. Gorillas trekking in Bwindi forest was awesome. You cannot go wrong with Devine African Safaris. These guys are professionals!
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our experience has been stunning! Everything perfect in terms of organization, timing and happiness!
I strongly recommend them to book your safari, since they have a good price and they are very available to meet your needs. Lenard, our guide, was very kind and helpful during our trip. Doing a safari is one of the unmissable experience that you should do in your life.