US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime with Bright African Safaris!
I apologize for the length of this review, but it's hard to be brief when singing the praises of Bright African Safaris. This wonderful company recently organized an adventure of a lifetime for me and my husband, and we have so many good things to say about it. When we decided to do this trip, we looked for a local tour operator, as we wanted all of our money to stay in Africa. After reading reviews, we sent inquiries to several companies, and quickly settled on Bright African, because they were the most responsive and offered the most reasonable prices. Their trip planner, Salim, patiently answered our questions and reworked our itinerary many times to fit our interests and budget. We had the pleasure of meeting Salim upon our arrival in Arusha, where he introduced us to “the other Salim”, who was to be our safari guide in Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
I knew we’d really hit the jackpot when I heard this second Salim was our guide, as I had read so many positive reviews about him. After spending eight days with him, I can confirm that all the rave reviews are bang on. Salim is a very kind, conscientious and caring person who made sure we were always happy and comfortable. He speaks perfect English and, to my delight, he is also very fluent in French. He is very engaging and intelligent. He has so much experience that he brought us to three Mara River crossings with virtually no wait time, and led us to the most remote corners of the Serengeti (without a single wrong turn!) for up-close animal encounters with no other jeeps in sight. He even took us to the Eastern Serengeti, where other jeeps do not seem to venture much, and although the wildlife was less plentiful there, we were very excited to discover a hyena den. He taught us the value of patience! The other guides have great respect for Salim and call him a walking encyclopedia, as he knows pretty much everything you’d ever want to know about every animal in East Africa. He is also absolutely amazing at finding the animals. I truly think he has eyes in the side of his head, as he is able to look left and right to spot animals, all while navigating very bumpy and challenging roads in the parks. With his eagle eyes, we were able to see pretty much every non-nocturnal animal in his wildlife handbook, even an African wild dog, which is apparently very rare in Tanzania. The only exception was the elusive rhino. Salim tried very hard to find rhinos in the Ngorongoro Crater for us, even stopping rangers to ask if they had seen them, but alas, the rhinos had decided to sleep in the deep forest that day, and not even the rangers had seen them or heard of anyone who had. We were one of the last jeeps to leave the crater, as Salim wanted to give us every possible chance to spot them. We have decided we will just have to go back one day to see the rhino, and if we do, we would certainly ask for Salim as our guide. Other than the magnificent animals, he was the best part of our safari!
We were also very happy with the tent camps and lodges arranged by Bright African, with their luxurious beds, hot showers and good food. Our favorites were the Tanzania Migration Bush Camp at Mara River and the Serengeti Safari Lodge. We were also particularly thrilled with our amazing lunches, usually eaten in the middle of nowhere! The few times we did eat at picnic grounds, we felt sorry for all the other tourists, whose companies just provide boring brown bag lunches, for not only did they have to see us set up a beautiful table, with a tablecloth and proper plates and cutlery, they then had to watch in envy as we indulged in a large selection of delicious food that had been kept warm in environmentally-friendly stainless steel containers. We even had coffee made fresh in a French press every day, and Salim always made sure I could top off my meal with chocolate! He kindly spent his own money picking up treats like avocadoes and bananas from roadside stands. He also got up early every morning to make sure our jeep was spotless and stocked with everything we’d need. Extra touches like these make all the difference and really set Bright African apart from other companies.
Bright African’s excellence even crosses borders, for we got the same royal treatment when we went on to the next part of our trip, in Rwanda and Uganda. Upon arrival in Kigali, we met our second wonderful guide, Bosco. He is also a very conscientious and kind person, and he did a great job driving us through the beautiful Rwandan countryside, with stops at the quaint Migano Café with spectacular drinks (Try the Bob Marley!), and a very fun roadside eating area where we got kebabs, hot sauce and banana beer. Bosco set up WiFi in his car so we could catch up on messages while driving, and he even got a link to a Canadian radio station to make us feel totally at home! We told him that we were so comfortable that we could happily spend the rest of our holiday in his car, but in fact, the highlight of our trip was yet to come….a gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest! I didn’t think anything could be more exciting than our safari, but seeing a gorilla in its own habitat is an experience like no other. Gorillas are so like humans, and being in their presence is indeed a magical experience that I’d suggest to anyone with a little adventure in their souls (and lots of money in their pocket, as it is quite expensive!)
We are very grateful to Bright African for arranging all of these wonderful adventures, and would heartily recommend them to anyone interested in travelling to East Africa. They are also looking at expansion into South Africa, and we hope to use them there one day. After our trip, I had a lovely email exchange with one of the founders, Msangi, who told me that after working as a waiter, and then as a driver/guide, he built Bright African from scratch. What a fantastic job he has done! In addition to our excellent guides, we had many lovely drivers on our journey, and each one of them seemed to take great pride in their work and their company. Many congratulations to Msangi and all of his team for creating such a special company, and many thanks for giving us the trip of a lifetime. I was a little nervous about everything that could go wrong on this trip (insect-borne diseases, tummy troubles, security concerns, etc.), but all of my fears were unfounded. We had nothing but pleasure on our holiday thanks to the excellent work of Bright African Safaris.
A few last useful tips:
We wished we had bought our Tanzanian visas online ahead of time. Although the visa process was very smooth in all other countries we visited, Tanzania is in the process of converting from a manual system, and the line-ups to purchase a visa can be extremely long, so I would not suggest waiting to get the visa upon arrival.
I would not fret too much about insects in the dry season. We sprayed all our clothing with permethrin and brought 100% Deet, but never actually saw a mosquito. It’s probably better to be safe than sorry when mosquitoes carry malaria, but having spent much time in Canadian woods, Africa in September seemed like an insect-free paradise in comparison!
If you travel with Bright African, you probably don’t need to worry about bringing binoculars. They had excellent ones in the jeep. We also could have left behind our anti-bacterial wipes, as they provided them for us.
The toilets in East Africa were surprisingly clean, and we tipped every bathroom attendant to show our gratitude (After a recent trip to China where the bathrooms were filthy, I was hugely relieved!) That being said, there are not a lot of them in the parks, so you will need to be ready for “bush pees”. Bright African kindly supplies toilet paper, but I must say I was grateful not to have any tummy troubles!!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
In all, extremely enjoyable and interesting tour. Driver was excellent.
Tour was excellent. Driver was so helpful, friendly, knowledgable and considerate. Lodging was good with one exception, where it seemed it must have been a new contact, as we couldn't even find it until after dark, and much of the necessities didn't really work. But in all other ways, highly recommended.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience with Matoke!
Top notch experience both working with Matoke and throughout the trip. The organizer (Pascqa) did a great job answering questions about the various options and was very timely in her responses. The accommodations were great in all three countries, the guides (Kule- Uganda and Doto-Tanzania) were both super friendly and knowledgeable, and the trip flowed smoothly. Cost was very competitive and days were packed with many fantastic memories. Would definitely use this provider again for travel throughout eastern Africa.
RU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great itinerary and very comfortable trip
We did 11 days “Legends of East Africa” tour which includes Tanzania, Kenia and Uganda. The itinerary is amazing – it enables you to see all the best in East Africa: wild life in Serengeti and Masai Mara (we met everyone we could meet: lions, cheetahs, leopards, a lot of antelopes, zebras, giraffes, baboons, hyenas), gorillas and chimpanzees in Uganda! Take hot air balloon in Masai Mara (optional, you need to book it advance), extra cost but it definitely worth it.
Uganda is less popular as a tourist destination but definitely worth visiting – unique opportunity to visit gorillas and spend one hour with them in the forest, beautiful nature and very positive people! The program also includes visiting Masai village in Tanzania (extra cost) and traditional village in Uganda with bananas plantation.
We really enjoyed lodging and meals (overall level was far above our expectations)! Lodges with nice design and views – especially in Uganda.
Chris is a great guide with perfect English!
SG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great day birding with Eagle Eye
I booked a tour with Eagle Eye Safaris to do a full-day of birding around Joburg in September 2019. My guide was Ernest Porter, who is a partner of the company. He brought me to two parks that had different kinds of habitat so that I could see a wide range of bird species. Not only is Ernest knowledgeable and passionate about wildlife, he is a fun guy to be with.
Although Ernest is an accomplished photographer, he did not even bring his own camera on the trip as he focused purely on spotting birds for me. That's what I called excellent customer-centric service! This tour was definitely one of the highlights of my recent visit to South Africa.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unfreakingbelievable
We went with the 5-day tented lodging safari with Shemeji which took us to Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Ngorongoro crater, and the Serengeti NP. It was unfreaking-believable! Very difficult to describe and put into words.
I have nothing but wonderful things to say about our time on the safari with our guide. This trip is literally out of the Lion King. Our guide/driver, Sele, was very knowledgeable, patient, friendly, funny, and able to spot wildlife from incredibly far away. He taught us the Swahili term for each animal, he knew the gestation period of basically every animal, and was able to answer all our questions that we asked and there were a lot. In addition, we never felt our safety was compromised. He was always conscious about our well being. We saw many other tour companies who drove dangerously fast and unsafe (in my opinion) during our safari. We never felt unsafe with Sele. He always asked if we wanted to stop for pictures and if the spot was good enough, (if the spot wasn’t good enough, he would predict where the animal was going and angle our jeep accordingly).
We were able to see the BIG FIVE and SO many other animals up close: elephants, gazelles, hippos, ostriches, hyenas, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, cheetahs, lions AND ALL OF THEIR BABIES. It was amazing to see how protective each species are with their young. One of the more memorable moments was to actually see a rhino up close, a very rare occurrence. We were also lucky enough to see a little cheetah hunt, VERY COOL…...and, and, and we got to see a pack of vultures attacking a carcass (unreal!).
The accommodations were all very comfortable and the staff very welcoming. The lunch boxes were filling and full of different snacks each day, the breakfasts and dinners were also delicious. Sele also brought along hot water in thermoses for our picnics during the day so that we could have a coffee and/or tea for lunch!
We cannot recommend Shemeji enough. Some would say this was a “once in a lifetime experience,'' however, we hope we will be able to experience this type of adventure again in the future!
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Safari ever
Safari with Okoa Tours:
We were 3 nights and 4 days with Chef (which means chef) Vitalis and the driver Alifa on the way and it could not have been better, they have a special praise. The smooth email contact in advance was also good.
The only downside, you have to pay the rest of the paid safari in dollars in cash in the office, which led to fees of 45 dollars, because we have no dollar currency in Germany, had to be exchanged in Tazania, which was very awkward on the bank.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good safari and service.
I contacted Kili Slope based on the good reviews, and I have to say I was not disappointed. David always replied quickly to my emails and made sure he could answer all my questions, and provide solutions according to my needs, like organising airport transfers very late/early.
The 4-day safari itself was really up to my expectations, as we could see the big 5 and many more. We were with Amani, who is a knowlegeable guide, and an experienced driver.
Overall impression: very satisfied, thank you Kili slope!
CY
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing, worry-free unforgettable honeymoon!
We had an amazing two weeks honeymoon in South Africa and Mauritius. Few telephone calls with Wayfairer Travel and all trip was tailored specifically for us, providing the real expertise and tips on where better to stay / why / planning our activities and preparing very detailed plan. First we had an amazing safari experience at Timbavati park.
Then we had luxury relaxing holiday sat St. Regis Mauritius. Accommodation was superb and the food was fantastic!
Both experiences were outstanding and exceeded expectations. Everything about that trip was excactly as described in the travel package that was prepared for us. We would highly recommend this tour agency for anyone planning African safari adventures or luxury honeymoon experience.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best experience Ever!
I had an excellent experience climbing Machame route for 7 days in January 2015 with Martha and Orongai Safaris. I contacted Martha and found him very Helpful with everything and also very flexible as I was unsure of my climbing dates. She told me about his company.
Her price was very competitive; I found other companies more expensive who did not offer any additional services.
She Helped me with renting gear for my climb, such as a Down Jacket, warm summit trousers and poles. I considered buying these before my trip but it is expensive gear. In the end I am glad I rented it as the quality was very good.
I liked the little things that Orongai Safaris offered; they picked me up from the bus station in Arusha and brought me straight to my hotel (which was very comfortable). The bus stop in Arusha is a little crazy so you will be glad of this!
Also on the trip you are provided with a portable toilet so you
don't have to use the toilet at the campsite. This is a luxury you will only realise when you are 4000m up on the mountain, trust me!
My guide was Andrew who I got on very well with. His English was perfect and, as I was the only climber in the group, we got on very well. She Helped me in every way She could and made the trip very enjoyable.
All meals were excellent quality. The porters could not have been more Helpful.
Only one thing to be aware of is the cost of tipping, especially if you are a solo climber like me. Martha gave me recommendations and I tried to match them as best I could, but tips are very expensive so make sure you include these in your budget.
I had trouble getting down from the mountain due to altitude sickness, where I had trouble walking down from the summit. Andrew my guide did a great job in assisting me to lower altitude and gave me oxygen to ensure I was ok. He did a brilliant job.
Overall my experience with Martha and Orongai Safaris was 10 out of 10. You will be glad you booked with them.
Feel free to get in touch if you need any more details about Orongai Safaris or about the climb.
Thank you Martha.