CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good relationship with price and service
It went really well as both the guide and cook were nice. However, the only complaint is that for our stay in Nakuru we ended up staying at another hotel which was not planned. The hotel where we stayed was old, dirty and not what we expected. I would recommend that the safari tour informs people before about this change because it came as a surprise . I think paying 100 usd per person for one night in this hotel was too expensive.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice tour with a need of improvement
We booked a five day tour in Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park with this operator.
Before departure, communication was easy and quick with the office in Dar Es Salaam.
Upon request I was told that we have a private room and bathroom in a cabin/large tent, power and WiFi in all the camps. Also I was told that we could store our suitcases in the operator’s office while being on the safari and that we would be able to catch the last ferry to Zanzibar (4pm) on the return day.
However, none of these expectations were fulfilled.
Luckily, we could store our luggage at the hotel and I decided to book a flight to Zanzibar in the evening of return day instead of taking the ferry, which we never would have made in time.
As to the other promises: when we finally got to the first camp in Selous the first day after driving for 6 hours, our expectations were not fulfilled at all. Our cabin was rundown, there was no water in the sink and very little (and only cold) water in the shower. Power kept failing and of course there was no WiFi, which is fine but could have been told us in advance instead of lying to us. Provided food was eatable but not great (both nights for dinner we had rice with a little bit of vegetables and sauce).
In the afternoon of the first day we had a boat safari (as stated in the itinerary) which was quite disappointing because we merely saw a few hippos from great distance somewhere in the water.
The full day Game Drive the next day, however, was great!
Our driver Michael did a great job showing us lots of animals like giraffes, zebras, elephants, hippos, wildebeest, impalas and lions. This day as well as the full day tour in Mikumi Nationalpark two days later were a really great adventure for all of us.
What‘s really disappointing is the fact that three out of five days are spent in the car driving from one spot to another. So besides the 6 hours on day 1 we had to drive 10 hours from Selous to Mikumi on day 3 and then again 7 hours on the last day to get back to Dar Es Salaam. Surely, the operator cannot be blamed for bad road conditions, but it would be nice to know in advance how much time is really spent in the car.
Last but not least: the Bastian Camp in Mikumi is a great place, I would definitely stay there again! Even though we only got a tent with a shared bathroom on the camp site (instead of the promised private bathroom) this place was much nicer and cleaner than the camp before. For dinner there was a small buffet with soup, various main dishes and desert and for breakfast you could choose among various options.
It was mostly for this place and our great driver Michael that I decided to rate three stars for the tour.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was so amazing and had beautiful experience with them
Viola Tours and Travel are the most amazing people to your around with.There services are up to point and well reserved.If you want to have the most amazing services and the most enjoyable tour,try Viola Tours and Travel.
Very open with their visitor
It's a perfect place where you can take your family, students to enjoy their vacation like we do.though their is some challenges we faced from airport to viola in terms of taxi I would like to keep their time towards visitors and they should add more tents and African cultures a tires like other companies under their logo VIOLA as we planned to visit on December our staying was great with a very talker tive tour guard and very humble meanwhile we very happy to tour with you guys at affordable price can't wait to travel with you guys on December again.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Advise needed
I am leaving soon to go on Mr. OT's pre-paid Safari on 9/3. He has stopped respond to my email/text at the beginning of this week. I am worried about getting stranded at the Nairobi airport. Should I proceed to flight there?
SG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari experience is good but met an unfortunate scam from a local tour company
Safari experiences on wildlife, scenery and weather are good. Food are generally ok for all meals except for lunch, there is no option for lunch as it is pre-packed by the accommodation and it is always the same food despite from different accommodation. There are many different range of accommodation which I mostly enjoy except for 1 or 2 places that are too small but decent with hot shower.
The only disappointment I have is being scam by the local safari company which I paid 50% deposit (in March 2019) prior my trip (in August 2019) but the company was uncontactable, their website is down and various travel websites alerted about this company scam. I choose this safari company (Kenya Walking Safari Survivors Ltd) based on the good reviews given in your safaribooking website listing. I was pretty affected by this whole incident to be left stranded at the airport for > 6 hours and trying to make a police report and find alternative safari tour so last minute.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
We had appreciate very much all regarding our trip, nature, landscape, wilde animals ecc. We would like is better for tourist more restaurant when enjoy dinner. Our guide ( Gomez) was also an excellent driver other a very good guide.
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Nice but way too many hours in the safari vehicle driving between the parks!
Unfortunately I can not recommend this tour (5 days Kenya Safari). We were spending considerably more hours in the vehicle going between the three parks than being on an actual safari. Very unexpected I must say... It was a 9,5 hour drive between Lake Nakuru and Amboseli (although our guide told us we would be there "before lunch" as we were starting our journey in the morning around 08:00 hrs...) and once we got there, exhausted, hungry and dusty, there was no time for a safari. Huge disappointment as we were supposed to go on a safari that afternoon. The following day, a few hours safari as we rushed through the park and then headed back to Nairobi (another 6 hrs drive). We had lunch in the vehicle as there was no time to go back to the camp.
All in all; very nice conversation with the tour operator before the safari, nice and friendly driver (who unfortunately rushed through the parks to keep the schedule together) who was also a good driver which we appreciated, and we also liked the vehicle.
The lasting impression however was that we were rushed through the parks and that we paid a lot of money for spending most of our time on the Kenyan roads and highways.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Kaitlin
We had a "poor" day in Lake Manyara in comparison to the rest of our safari days. The scenery was beautiful and felt like a jungle, but it also meant that animals were often hard to see. The flamingos were very far away to the point where you could only see them on the horizon.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Enjoyable but didn't get full itinerary!
Positives.
Good communication whilst booking safari.
Good friendly guide"jacktone"who got us to the major sightings in the parks and safely transported around in his clean safari van.
Overall the accommodation was good for a budget safari
Enjoyable safari overall.
Negatives.(minor)
Offering transport on our free day in Nairobi for $260 which we did by uber for $30!!
Telling us enroute that our naivasha boat ride was optional (included in itinerary),which we got a day late after sorting things out.
Not stopping at suitable picnic area on way back to Nairobi.
Cold breakfast at miti mingi camp,and no hot water for over an hour one morning,plus tough meat in stew in evening.
Towels taken from our tent by staff at kimana camp(you have to provide your own), on morning we were leaving so unable to shower,and tent in poor condition.
Family tents not adjacent in spite of booking months ahead and safari company promising to secure good tents for us.
All the above are acceptable by us as part of travelling on a budget.
Negative(major)
However this was not,
The itinerary we had agreed and paid for said we would get a full afternoon game drive upon arrival at nakuru,and a short one the following morning before departure,with possibly one on arrival at amboseli later the same day.
Due to rescheduled boat ride we arrived later than expected at nakuru and were told we would have a longer game drive in nakuru the following morning (which meant no chance of getting to amboseli in time for one same day),but no game drive at nakuru on arrival.Upon pointing out what itinerary said I was informed that the itinerary was inaccurate and that it should have said only one game drive in nakuru,I made it clear that I was unhappy about this,and was assured that something would be arranged to make up for it.
Nothing was done to make up for it,in spite of us having a spare day in Nairobi after end of safari.
Stephen has since informed me (in one email),that nakuru game drives were 2hr upon arrival and another 2hr before departure,so 4hr morning of departure should have been enough.
Stephen has also by email agreed with staff member telling me at the time that we were only supposed to have one game drive!.
The fact that emails conflict and neither agrees with our itinerary (which he admits was cut and pasted from elsewhere) means we still feel short-changed.
We received an apology after returning from Kenya but that was too late.we expected something (at the very least an apology whilst still in Nairobi.