ES
Phantastic organization, excellent guides, different game viewing different reserve, friendly staff
A wonderful safari adventure, unforgettable, unique. Well, very soon we noticed what Charlotte meant at the welcome meeting: "You will get the real feeling of Africa.." Yes, the treehouse and especially the 1 bed with 1 blanket a bit small for 2 elderly women.... but it was part of the adventure. We enjoyed the warm nights on our terrasse with nothing but the stars above, listening to the frogs, zicades and grills with a bottle of wine, slightly shattered of the daily activities, but happy. My phone had died the 2nd day because of the power cut and I had forgotten my PIN number - how wonderful that has been! Me who has a 24 hour service with my mobile clinic, cut off completely!!! Phantastic!
Charlotte always caring that everything is well organized and everyone o.k., Victor planning the next day program, the guides so enthusiastic explaining their nature, animals, plants, the staff always friendly and with a smile on their face, everything well organized. We have been the oldest ones (and to learn how to climb onto the jeeps without looking like grandmas) and the ones with the longest stay. Luckily we found a very nice group and we have been together most of the time. In the evening interchanging information about other countries, customs, cultures,. We have been a Southafrika couple, two Japanese women and an Australian chap, and we from Germany and Austria. So even more information!
Wonderful photos are reminding me, I put quite some all over in my house.
Thank you very much again and hopefully Viva Safaries stays like this and in future will go ahead offering unforgettable, wonderful safari adventures!
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely Amazing Experience
Our group of 5 went to Tanzania a week ago. We found Gilmag Safaris online and soon realized that we had discovered the right company. It was a week long trip and it was well organized. We had correspondence for months prior to our trip. The trip itself was exceptionally well organized. Our guide Kessy was fabulous. His wildlife knowledge was impeccable. He made sure our expectations were exceeded.
We loved our accommodation; food was exceedingly delicious. Our highlight was Tanzania Bush Camps in Ndutu. I can't hesitate to recommend Gilmag to anyone wishing to visit this stunningly beautiful country.
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DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
African Jungles created an absolutely amazing experience for us - we highly recommend this agency!
Please find below our experiences with African Jungles and the team (especially with Naomi, our safari agent, and Peter, our driver)
The tour & destinations:
In the beginning, we booked a fix tour to Ol Pejeta and the Samburu Conservancy as well as some city trips within Nairobi. However, we also had some private tours organized by ourselves but Naomi made everything possible so that our already planned trips fit perfectly into the travelling schedule. Additionally, as we experienced some troubles with an external driver, Naomi very short termed organized some transfers for us what we highly appreciated. Every transfer was ontime, the driver was on site even before we were supposed to meet and we never felt "lost" or somewhat similar during the whole trip.
The parks as well as the trips (Giraff Center, Safari Walk, Nairobi National Park and Sheldrick Center) gave an amazing insight into the Kenyan wildlife, we saw so many animals in their natural habitat (including big five elephants, rhinos, leopard, lion, buffalo) and the service at the camps was really good.
In Ol Pejeta, we joined the tented Sweetwaters Serena Camp. The camp is totally fine, staff is super friendly, weather was lovely and we saw many animals including the Chimpanzees at the sanctuary and the last northern white rhinos.
In Samburu, we joined the Ashnil Camp. The weather was rather hot and we experienced our first "Kenyan rain" but however, we had amazing game drives and the camp is very lovely as well as the staff. We saw many cats during our game drives but also giraffs, zebras and many more.
For Nairobi, we particularly recommend the giraff center (ever kissed a giraff in your life?) and Sheldrick Center as both conservancys do a really great and sustainable job. The Nairobi National Park is a great experience especially if you want to see rhinos and the Masai Giraff. The Safari Walk is a great experience in case you have not seen all cats during the game drives and to learn about how the rangers handle the wildlife at the parks.
We enjoyed every day to the fullest!
Communication & Service:
Getting in contact with African Jungles and Naomi was very easy and we always got very quick responses when we had questions or problems with our travelling schedule (even on the weekend or very late in the evening). Naomi was always very clear about the plans so we knew everything in detail right from the beginning and there were no "hidden costs" or anything else unexpected in the end. Everyone from African Jungles was even more than kind, helpful and always available for us. As our travel schedul was a little confusing in the beginning and we had some major changes during the planning phase, we also highly appreciated Naomi's patience and support.
Additionally, I would like to point out that we never had the feeling that the agency only wanted to "sell a tour" but asking about our goals and expectations, Naomi nearly customized our trip and gave very good advices on what to do and what not. We noticed this when we talked to some guest from other agencys during our stays at the camps where they complained about their agents not paying attention to what they actaully wanted to do.
The paymant was very easy, too, and even though our bank had no problems transferring the money, Naomi and her team also offered to assist in any case what gave us a good feeling.
When we arrived in Nairobi, there were some colleagues from the agency waiting for us at the airport so we instantly experienced a welcome-feeling and were super relexed about the trips ahead. Great!
Driver:
Our driver Peter did an amazing job, always in a good mood, teaching us a lot about (wild)life in Kenya. On the roads as well as in the parks, Peter has been a very careful driver, paying high attention to our well-being and always made sure that we are happy. Within the parks, he knows where to spot the rare animals and we thank him for many unforgettable moments including a hunting leopard, leopards and lions with their cubs, breathtaking sunsets and much more. Additionally, we also thank him for the patience when we needed to stop again for another 500 pictures of the same zebra we spotted 5 minutes ago ;-)
All in all, we must thank Naomi and her team for all the effort to make our trip a journey we will never forget - asante sana!
We highly recommend African Jungles and when we come back to Kenya for another vacation, we make sure to book our tours with them again.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly and Knowledgeable
We were in Tanzania staying at the Harbourview in Dar es Salaam. The front desk connected us with Nodven when we were looking for tours of the area and a possible safari. The next morning we were introduced to Patrick and Gloria, who proved to be wonderful tour guides. Patrick showed us around the Dar area and we were able to take in the beaches, museums, markets and other local points of interests. Patrick also made a point of giving us more of a local experience, eschewing some of the more "touristy" things. Instead we went to the fish market, a local pub, and the market that is used by the Tanzanians rather than the over-priced and kitchy tourist market. That was great! The next day we visited Bagamoyo to learn about the slave trade and see many of the buildings and ruins associated with that time, as well as a local college where students are taught to raise and harvest fish, and build and run fishing boats. Based on these two days we felt comfortable lining up a three day safari for the next week with Nodven.
The safari was to Mikumi National Park. We spent a long day driving around the park with a local tour guide and were so fortunate as to see 4 of the "BIG 5" African animals, as well as many other species. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the area, characteristics of the animals, and knew where were the best places to look for them. The next day Patrick drove us to Udzungwa National Park and we did a beautiful hike up Sanje Falls, enjoying a picnic lunch at a lookout over the scenic valley below.
During the time we spent with them, Nodven took care of all our needs, including meals, drinking water, and excellent hotel accommodations while on safari. They were knowledgeable, and did their best to ensure we had a unique and informative time exploring this area of Tanzania.
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
when we said what we want to see, the guide fulfilled our wish.
all great, very friendly service, a guide with great knowledge told interestingly.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safaris to the paradise of animals
Last June I went to Kenya with my family and my friends. It was amazing experience that I had never had before. The safari tour was so interesting itself and the communications with the company was very good as well. Our driver as well as the tour guide, Silas was very nice, funny, responsible and experienced and we had such a good time together. The whole group wanted me to say hello and thank you to him. He and the company is highly recommended to everyone who wants to see the beauty of Africa.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Safari Adventure of a lifetime
worked with Jackson and Ismail form Bush2City to put together a 12 day safari for my wife and I over a year ago. I indicated that there were some specific criteria that were important to me which was to see the migration and river crossings, see and photograph the big 5 and observe some animal hunts. They were very helpful in providing suggestions of parks to spend more time and where to spend less.
So finally after all the emails and chats our plan came to fruition in mid September. Ismail met us at our Hotel in Nairobi to go over details of our Safari and introduces us to our driver and guide James. The first part of our journey took us through the Kenyan countryside along the great Rift valley to our first stop at Lake Nakuru NP (2 nights) and then to Maasai Mara triangle (3 nights) at the beautifully appointed Serena Lodge. Our guide James knowledgeable, attentive and was amazing at spotting animals. By the end of the 5 days we saw up close and personal the big 5 (elephant, the critically endangered black rhino, buffalo, lion and the elusive leopard) with the addition of a pack of 5 cheetahs and all the other wildlife and birds. To top it off we were front and center at the Mara river to watch the drama of the wildebeest crossing with massive Nile crocodiles, lions and hyenas showing the realities of nature. At this point, the team from Bush2City had put check marks in all my criteria boxes and fulfilled my expectations. Very good since this was only half way through our Safari was only half done
The second part of our Safari was to cover the Serengeti in Tanzania. We had to make the long drive to Isibania to officially exit Kenya and enter Tanzania. Instructions from Ismail made this a simple process. Within 45 mins we were introduced to Danford, our new guide and driver on the Tanzanian side. James had done such a great job on the Kenyan side, Danford had huge shoes to fill.
The Tanzanian side of our safari would bring us fromh the northern Serengeti to central Serengeti, then off to Ngorongoro NP before ending in Arusha. I would say that Danford did not disappoint us. We were able to spot the big 5 in a different environment, watch how lions hunt and also observe a larger river crossing of the wildebeest. The additional touch that made this such a memorable experience for my wife and I was the hot meal that Danford put together for a wonderful lunch with tables, chairs under an Acacia tree on the open Serengeti plains. Ngorongoro also brought other unique experiences with incredible views for the crater from the Sopa Lodge.
The team at Bush2City, Ismail, Jackson, James and Danford were amazing and made my bucket list adventure an unforgettable and memorable experience. Thank you very much.
PS I had booked a short stay in Zanzibar on my own. Even though Bush2City's obligation ended at the Arusha airport, Ismail was helpful to put me in touch with their Zanzibar counterparts to arrange transportation. This helped me tremendously with getting around Zanzibar. Ismail even followed up to see if everything was ok. These are the small touches that makes working with companies like Bush2City so pleasant and will keep us coming back.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was great experince to me and my family great knowlege of sites to be visted in uganda.
My family had a great time back home in Uganda .
Tour Operator had great knowledge of sites that would suite us and especially my children enjoyed amazing scenery .
This was useful in their class work, when they returned back hear in uk and had a great story for their mother Land Uganda.
Tour Operator recommended next trip which are planning next year we visit Maya safari Lodge and the kids a looking forward for this trip.
We apprecited the great customer service skills the operator had and his ability to creator better alternatives that made our trip ever and ever memorable.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience, highly recommended
It was extremely easy to communicate with Natural World and I always found them to be prompt and responsive. They took care of everything and gave me detailed information answering any questions I may have had. Our driver showed up on time and was incredibly kind and welcoming. The safari itself was amazing - we saw animals nearly right away, and the whole way through. We were both so pleasantly surprised at how great the breakfast and lunch was! We were told buffet breakfast and lunch but they exceeded expectations at beautiful lodges and it was nice that everything was taken care of. Absolutely would recommend this to anyone looking for a safari in Kenya!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic 9 day trip - Rwanda and Uganda
Bonita and our guide Elisa ensured a wonderful 9 day trip! They were very willing to adapt the itinerary to the things we most wanted to see: Nyungwe national park for the chimpanzees, Lake Kivu, Volcanoes NP for hiking and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to meet the gorillas. Forest elephants, bush buck, buffalos, sun birds and various monkeys were a bonus! The trip exceeded expectations in every way. We were fantastically taken care of, with incredible, warm hospitality and very tasty food at all of the lodges. Including excellent vegetarian options.
We would recommend early March, whilst there were a few hours of heavy rain here and there, it was quiet season, meaning that we could get park passes at short notice and we were often the only guests in the lodges. In Volcanoes NP we did the Mount Bisoke and Dian Fossey hikes, both of which were fairly physically tough thanks to serious amounts of mud in rainy season, and Bisoke is steep, but absolutely worth it.
Both the chimp and gorilla tracking were wonderful and we had a lot of time to observe the animals and their surroundings. The tracker teams do everything to make sure it's a success and it's great to see their skills and knowledge of the animals and know that the park fees go back to the local community and protecting the habitat.
Lake Kivu was an unexpected highlight. A beautiful place and great spot to relax and watch many kinds of birds. It was a truly special experience to see the teams of fishermen going out at sunset and coming back in - singing - in the morning.
All in all a magical trip. It was my first time in Africa and I loved every minute and will be back! We highly recommend Explore Rwanda Tours. Thanks again, Elisa and Bonita for everything!