CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Australken is an amazing company offering a great personal service
We chose Australken over other tour companies, as Zippy was super efficient with arranging our safari trip, she was responsive, professional and helpful at all times.
Our safari driver Symon was extremely knowledgable and went above and beyond to ensure that we had an amazing adventure. He was polite and curteous and kept the vehichle clean & tidy. His English was extremely good and very articulate.
His knowledge of the animals and birds was outstanding, and his love for his job shone through.
The trip was excellent value for money, we stayed in 4 of the 5 Sopa Lodges in Kenya and all were excellent and highly recommended.
We travelled to Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Nakuru and Masai Mara
Overall a fabulous tour operator offering more than a personal touch. Highly recommended.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic 3-day tour of Etosha
Highly recommend Blue Crane for a Namibia safari.
I booked a three-day/two-night private tour of Etosha (Namibia) with Blue Crane and had a fantastic experience. I think Etosha provides a typical "Safari experience" and am glad I chose it over seeing the Namibian coast and dunes (although I hear those are amazing too and would tour them if I visit again).
By way of background, I was in Namibia for work and booked this tour at the last minute (i.e., about 7 days before the tour). (Note: This was during the off-season and they may not be as accommodating during peak tour months.) I solicited proposals from 4 tour operators; Blue Crane may have been a little more expensive than the others, but I think it included more meals and the online reviews were strong.
The guide picked me up on time at my hotel in Windhoek (8 am). We then drove to Etosha, stopping for lunch at a nice spot. We arrived at Etosha in the afternoon and ended up seeing 50+ giraffes, 2 elephants, hundreds of zebras, and countless other animals. I spent one night at Mushara Bush Camp and the other night at Okaukuejo Resort lodge (which has an amazing watering hall that borders the property). Blue Crane took care of all the details - the meals were great (and included in the price) and the lodging reservations were in order. Some visitors may not want to stay at the bush camp because it's very hot (you are "glamping" in nice tents) and loud (with jungle noises) at night, but it's a great experience for those who can handle the heat. There were a lot of bugs in the Okaukuejo Resort room, but hey, it's Africa...
My guide was Markus, who was very friendly, easy to understand, and had 15 years of experience and a lot of training. He had an amazing eye for animals and could spot them from a great distance. For example, by the end of day 2, we had almost given up on seeing a lion during my visit when at dusk he spotted a silhouette on a distant ridgeline - sure enough, it was a lioness. On the morning of day 3, we did one last drive through the park and he spotted two white rhino deep in the bush. It was fun to see him get excited about seeing some of the lesser known animals (e.g., African wildcat). He was very focused on making sure I had a great experience and was able to answer a host of questions that I posed about different animals and Namibia generally.
We were in the cab of a 4-door truck with air conditioning. I previously thought it might be fun to be in a traditional safari jeep sitting outside of the cab, but I think the dust on the roads would be very unpleasant and it could get very hot and unpleasant.
I strongly recommend bringing binoculars. Some animals are quite close to the car/road, but for the full experience, you'll want to bring binoculars.
My only barely negative comment on Blue Crane is that it usually took a full day for us to exchange emails. I'm in the United States (eastern time) and, unlike some of the other tour operators that I was talking to, I don't think Blue Crane checked emails in the evening (i.e., during my business day). But it wasn't really a problem.
I would hire them again without hesitation.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 8 day safari
We did a 8-day safari with CHALEMA in February 2023 and were entirely satisfied with everything: Joël immediately got in touch through whatsapp (also calling us in Switzerland) and listened to our ideas, at one point giving sound advice for improvement so that we ended up with a perfectly fitting itinerary for us that took into consideration the seasonal migration in the south of Serengeti (Ndutu) – this proved to be the ideal place for the most amazing sightings of wildlife! We were picked up at the airport by Praygod, our guide, who - although young (25 yrs) - spotted so many animals and knew exactly how to guide us to the best places. He was a great source of information for our thousand questions about life in Tanzania and a very helpful and friendly young man. We particularly enjoyed the local curries for lunch (instead of the lunch boxes with all the trash they produce) and Praygod even arranged a local Ugali dish for us. Our jeeps battery was quite weak at one point and the agency arranged for a quick replacement, sending one from Arusha to our location in very little time. We can fully recommend Chalema.
MY
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable, Accommodating, and Professional Safari & Tour Operator
James, operator of Jamie's Jungle Safaris, is a very experienced and accommodating man. He catered to our needs and requirements, including budget and time. We had a wonderful time on a 3 day safari at Murchison Falls, as well as the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. In my opinion, the highlights include the rhino sanctuary as well as the Top of the Falls experience. FANTASTIC. James operates a professional safari setup. He's also much into education and social work; seeking to expand the experience you can have apart from just the normal safari. He also encourages people to volunteer at various places and activities which benefit the community.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent Tour Operator with great service and the personal touch to ensure you have a great time!
Sovereign Safari Review
On a recent holiday to Kenya, we used Sarah and her team for our Safari holiday. Booked last minute, Sarah put together a great private tour package that involved collection from NBO Airport or a hotel in Nairobi, travel to Lake Nakuru, accommodation and game drive. Lake Nakuru Game reserve is one of the best to see Rhinos. Then a drive to the Masai Mara for a few nights with game drives arranged at various times before transport back to Nairobi.
Having been on several safaris across Africa, Sarah and her team went the extra mile and were great to deal with. Having got quotes from multiple agents, their prices were also excellent value. Accommodation was clean, safe with great service. The vehicle was clean and well maintained and the driver was safe and steady throughout the entire trip.
We saw some amazing wildlife and enjoyed our time in Kenya, all because Sarah and her team went the extra mile to ensure our trip was memorable.
OM
Professional, Punctual and Prompt
Short review
Experience of communication - 5/5
Service - 5/5
Value for money - 4.8/5 (only deducting 0.2 for the Naivasha safari... Not the operators fault though. The accomodation at Nakuru - Lanet Matfarm was below par)
Reliability - 5/5
Tour itself was very pleasant. The Jeep was very comfortable, clean and well maintained.
Tour Guide - 5/5. Special mention to Kikitu who took care of all our needs and was patient with various requests being made. PLS ASK FOR KIKITU and your trip will be more fun.
I would recommend Jocky Tours for your safari.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Experienced, friendly and always looking to make the trip exceptional
Lovely team who are very willing to do whatever they can to make your trip as enjoyable and tailored as you need. They review all the locations and accommodations personally and just love meeting you and making sure you have a good time.
Victoria’s falls and Botswana/chobe trips were incredible.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very beautiful and individual Game Drives
We have been visiting Ku Sungulu Safari in February during the heavy rains and still have been lucky to experience an unforgettable stay. They can offer the game drives to your preferences and help if you haven’t had safari experiences before. Accommodation and food was very nice
Shoutout to Yanko, Moxie, Clementine and Annabel for the great hospitality and kindness.
OM
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, accomodating and very prompt in their replies
My Partner and I had booked a 5 day safari (shared tour) with Jocky Safaris and were pleasantly surprised with the ease of communications with the Jocky team before arriving in Kenya. All our queries and doubts were listened to patiently and answered promptly. We booked with them also because they were the most value for money compared to several other offers we had received.
We were in the jeep with 3 other groups and all our needs were listened to and well understood by our guide, Kikitu. A very special mention to him for staying calm and jovial in meeting all kinds of demands and requests from all of us.
The Lenchada camp location near the Masaai Mara reserve was quite nice and the facilities and service was really commendable. The experience at Lanet Matfarm Resort (Nakuru) was not that pleasant as the facility is quite old with showers not working and seems understand. Maybe the Jocky team should have a word with them in offering a better service. The stay at Dove Nest Lodge at Naivasha was a pleasant experience and staff was really helpful. The bicycle ride at Naivasha Park is a short ride for USD20 which I would not recommend. However, you should not miss the Naivasha lake boat ride which costs additional USD20. Do not miss this!!
All in all, an experience of a lifetime with Jocky Tours. Once again, Please ask for Kikitu and he will enthrall you with his stories about the geography, history and zoology of Kenya. Guaranteed!!
PS - they even dropped us back to the airport after the safari and managed to make a stop at their office to collect our remaining luggage.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
excellent partner
The three of us did a short safari, 3 different national parks in 5 days. Everything was very well prepared by the organizer Tanzania Specialist. The choice of lodges was very good. In the run-up to the event, our boundary conditions had changed several times in terms of the number of participants and the date. The route was also adapted to our needs. Even a short-term change (another participant) was made possible without any problems. The information on entry and health tips were also good, the organizer concentrated on the most important things. Communication was in German the whole time. Really recommendable.
