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.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nightmare
Please Jimmy, do not go on your trip. You will be stranded. I was supposed to start my safari on 9/5. You were horribly scammed and should not go. Please anyone reading this do not go expecting a trip. You will be very sorry and not in a safe situation. Report this immediately to your credit card company. I do not want to see anyone else go through what I have gone through.
PS. Never went on trip...just had to input something, so I put August.
RO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great safari organized in Zimbabwe!
Me and my wife wanted to spend our holidays somewhere in the wild and try to see cheetahs for the first time. We have seen Big5 in the past but no luck with cheetahs. This is why we wanted to be in a park where we have good chances of spotting them. Diana from Zambezi Safari & Travel was very helpful in taking the decision to have a safari in Hwange NP. We split our stay between Nehimba and Bomani Lodges. Nehimba is the best place to see elephants from 2-3 m distance while Bomani is located in a more open space with higher chances of spotting wildlife. We missed a big chance to spot a cheetah at Nehimba even if we saw the tracks but we were lucky at Bomani where we saw 4 cheetahs in one day. Diana also took care of our request to see wild dogs so she informed Nehimba Lodge to have a stop at Painted Dog Conservation Center before boarding The Elephant Express from Dete station. The Elephant Express is another unique experience that you should try if you are in Hwange which is one of the most peaceful parks with few tourists comparable with Kruger, Serengeti or Masai Mara. We had a wonderful safari and we would like to thank all the team and especially Diana for making our dream come true. They also have organized our stay at Vic Falls and Zanzibar beach holiday and we highly recommend them.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Out of this world
Best trip I have ever been on
I took my time reviewing all safari trips, I choose this one because of the reviews and also had the best price.
Peter was great from start to finish, gave us all the information we needed to pick the safari to suit us.
The safari and accomadation was fantastic, we saw everything we wanted to see and more. Anthony the tour guide was lovely and very informative.
This was the best holiday I have ever been on.
Thank you to peter and Anthony for making our holiday one to remember for ever.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
To the rooftop of Africa
I climbed Kilimanjaro with Eco Africa Climbing and 12 other climbers. The attention to detail was wonderful; each team member - the guides, chefs, and porters aka kili fighters - presented an air of joy, care, and total love for their jobs. They helped us every step of the way and went above and beyond to make sure we had a lovely experience. We could not have done this with better peoplw or a better company, and I definitelygot to the top because of their expertise and care. I'd recommend the company to anyone looking to climb!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
As Good As It Gets!
From start to finish, working with Soul of Tanzania was a pleasure. Once you contact them, you are assigned a personal operator that works with you to design your desired itinerary. I worked with Sandy and she was the best! Always friendly, polite, and responsive, Sandy helped me design a nine day itinerary through Kenya and Tanzania. Sandy offered good recommendations for how long we should stay at each location and provided a number of lodging options based on various budgets. We were also offered options like visiting a Masai tribe and the Olduvai Gorge. During the weeks leading up to our departure, Sandy politely answered a number of last minute questions. I felt comfortable and at ease starting my safari.
Soul of Tanzania gives you a questionnaire to fill out that asks about your likes and dislikes, you favorite and least favorite animals, and the type of traveler you are so they can better customize your safari and, more importantly, match you with the best guide/driver. Sandy recommended Ally (Ali) for us in Tanzania and he made all the difference! Ally was funny, knowledgeable, prompt, and flexible. If we wanted to stop, we stopped. But Ally would always stop so we had good light on the animals for photography. If we wanted to modify the itinerary, we did. But Ally would always talk about the pros and cons of doing so. If we wanted to start early or end late, no problem. Normally, there is a good deal of luck regarding what animals you see on our safari. But Ally maximized our luck by always communicating with the other drivers in the park and taking us to the rarest animal sightings. We saw The Big Five multiple times. We saw 2 rhinos, 4 leopards, 4 cheetahs, and about 42 lions. We saw a cheetah hunt a gazelle. We saw lion cubs play on a rock. We saw endless giraffes, hippos, hyenas, elephants, ostriches, water buffalo, crocodiles and wildebeests. However, the best thing we saw was The Great Migration cross the Mara river in the North Serengeti. And we saw it twice! We even saw crocodiles attack and kill a wildebeest - twice! We saw it because of Ally. As soon as he heard from a friend about the crossing he immediately got our vehicle moving and got us there quicker than everyone else. We had a front row seat! Later, as all the other vehicles searched different sections of the river for a crossing, Ally took us back to the first crossing spot on a hunch that the herd was separated and would cross again. We were the only vehicle there. And they crossed! And that's when the two wildebeests were attacked by crocs! So, there is certainly luck involved in seeing the animals, but there is also skill. And Ally provided that skill.
We had an amazing safari. It was fun from start to finish. More importantly, we didn't need to worry about anything because we knew we were in good hands. If you want a great custom safari experience, Soul of Tanzania is the way to go.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Consummate Ambassador
I have had the great pleasure of being on two safaris arranged and guided by Kevin Mlay. Both occurred before Kevin began Natural Life Experience, but the fact that he and I have remained friends for many years speaks for itself and of my admiration for him. I am both pleased and proud that Kevin now has his own company and will continue to share his vast wealth of knowledge and love of country with future guests. His determination and drive have made this happen. Kevin is personable, organized, professional, and fully capable of arranging the endless logistics necessary to ensure the success of these unique adventures. Ours both involved nights of mobile tent camping, which makes planning even more complex. To say these safaris were remarkable would be a gross understatement. We've been fortunate to have traveled extensively over the years, and our nights with sundowners around the fire with family and close friends in these intimate private camps, strategically set up just for us and miles and miles from lodges and other people, are some of the most memorable I have ever experienced. But it's during the day drives that Kevin really shines. His unbridled passion and knowledge for and about the animals and birds encountered seemingly everywhere is truly impressive. His smile and sense of humor are quick and he possesses an uncanny ability to ferret out once in a lifetime animal sightings. I think of Kevin Mlay as a consummate ambassador of Tanzania, and I hope our paths cross again.
NG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Services
If you looking to get the best experience in Tanzania, look no further than Eco-Africa climbing. My climb to the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro was all thanks to their professional and humane touch. Excellent people they are.
CO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience in Tanzania
Since the beginning Geoffrey, the manager, was extremely kind and helpful, replying my emails in a few hours (sometimes minutes). All his crew was very kind: the driver, the guide, the chef. The accomodations were very comfortable and they were always worried about what we eat. The guide was experienced and explained all about the creatures and was very skillful with the vehicle so we could get great photos and a great experience. The time spent on each park was great, and we could sight amazing momments like the great migration, 4 of the big five walking around, chetahs after a recent chase, and much more.
The vehicle includes a plug, so you can charge your devices.
I would recommend this operator and the parks I visited: Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire.
HK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Scam of USD4968 from the company "Kenya Walking Survivors Safari"
We are reporting the scam from the company "Kenya Walking Survivors Safari" and the owner Mr. Otieno Lysaniash.
We paid an amount of USD4968 deposits to the company "Kenya Walking Survivors Safari" to book a tour to safaris in Kenya and Tanzania for the period 17 Aug 2019 – 30 Aug 2019.
After these payments, we lost the contact from Mr. Otieno Lysaniash, the owner of the company until 7 Aug 2019 that we received an email from Julius Muchiri saying that they failed to provide the required service. He claimed that the refund would be handled between 45-90 days. We replied him immediately to request chargeback to the same credit card that paid. However, we receive no responses from any of them so far since then.
How can we get the refund? Please help!