HK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Kruger National Park by A Wang
Saw African wild dog and saw tons of wildlife. Hence the high score. Missing both cheetah and leopard.
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was a great safari with a great guide John Bow, great lodges
We had great days, unfortunately with a bit of bad weather on the second day and therefore not so many animal sightings. But that's just how nature is!
Both lodges (Vio Wildlife, Ngulia) were good, but you should definitely pack good hearing protection if you spend the night in Ngulia. At night, I don't know how many frogs start singing their concert (from sunset to sunrise) at such a volume that I thought they were sitting right next to me and ROARING right into my ear! None of us closed an eye.
Otherwise everything was wonderful! Everyone was friendly, the food was very good and each lodge had a highlight to offer!
John Bow, our guide, was relaxed, friendly, really helpful and confident in all situations!
(automatic translation from German)
MY
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great value, responsive and overall well organised.
The tour vehicle is solid as our guide Evans, his calm & steady demeanor is very reassuring for a safari tour. We had a great experience at the various parks. Seen many animals close up. Evans was able to bring us to see many animals and beautiful viewpoints.
The stay here was very refreshing, clean rooms and helpful front desk personnel. Besides the Maasai Mara tourist camp's unreliable hot water, the rest of the lodgings were nice places with good food.
KW
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Individually catered trips
The tour was excellent with the price being cheaper than others we considered. Communication was sporadic at times but, and it’s a big but, ALL issues and adaptations to the trip were taking into consideration and solutions were always found.
We had an extremely packed itinerary over the space of 6 days! (From diving in Zanzibar to safaris in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater). All was organised professionally, with pick ups/drop offs and hotels etc exactly how we’d expected. The only downside was we needed a holiday to get over this one!
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari experience with some logistics drawbacks
Firstly, the operator is reliable, no problems with booking, payments etc.
We are happy with the 6 day Safari,
that was organized by Jocky Tours. The tour I will describe includes Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli.
Among the factors that stood out and made the trip such pleasant experience was the guide crew. Travelling as a couple, we’ve joined other 5 travellers, but we felt well taken care of. During the game drives and the cross-country transfer the crew ensured to adjust to our preferences (photo stops, toilet breaks etc.)
We were lucky to have two guides, both great. Sanzi James, aside from all the good job he was doing as a guide and driver, was keen on answearing our questions related to daily life in Kenya, its communities and opportunities.
Kikitu ensured that the atmosphere in the car was on point and the smile on his face was irrestistible.
I highly recommend choosing this safari and operator as your first trip of this kind, but there are a few things to consider, broken down into pros and cons:
Pros:
- Great crew
- Actual wildlife, the best in Masai Mara, choosing it you will see countless species and the big 5, due to the experience of the guides, who are great in both: tracking animals and communicating with other cars
- Diversity - each of the places visited during this tour is different
- Accomodation - two out of three hotels booked by the trip operator are worth visiting
Cons:
- Logistics - poor planning on the side of operator’s office: in our group there were 7 people travelling and 4 different hotels to drive to as to pick us up and drop off. It seems that we all chose different accommodation level, but it could have been resolved easily, if one vehicle had only people from the same accomodation standard. It seems possible, as there were other vehicles doing this trip in parallel to us, most likely with people of mixed hotels. To help picturing how frustrating it was: in Amboseli, the hotels are located far from each other. In order to pick travelers you need to drive around for 1.5 hours. It meant that the people staying in the last hotel had to drive around other hotels for 3 additional hours considering both way travel in a single day.
- Vehicle standard - the cars are not what european would consider designated for long, cross-country travel. The seats are uncomfortable, there is no leg space, missing hand and arm holders. The cars shall not carry 9 passengers at once. The group size shall be limited to at least 7 people in order to make the transit managable.
- Amboseli Sopa Lodge - it is not the operator to blame, but their partnership with the hotel should be ended. The value for money is low, there are insects everywhere, the staff is rude and they don’t bother insects getting into lunchboxes that they later wrap and hand out to hotel guests
- Activity distribution: One day you will find yourself doing nothing after 3 pm am the other you will have two Parks + 6 hours cross country travel
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Know-how
We really had a great time with Jungleroam Safari.
Tour itself: our guide Joshua knew where to go to find animals - also, he was very respectful to animals boundaries unlike other horrible guides who drove past us like crazy men!
There were not too many cars - he likes to go to spots where there aren’t many cars.
The lodges: they were sufficient / could be cleaned better around the windows etc.
The food: it was good and more than enough.
The driving: our driver and guide Joshua was great but the last one was on his phone and holding it - it’s illegal and dangerous - that puts the safety of your clients in jeopardy. Joshua was at least wearing headphones.
Thanks
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good
I had an amazing experience with Akini Safari Tour! The driver was absolutely perfect—he was not only professional but also genuinely enthusiastic about the safari. He actively participated in searching for animals with us, which made the experience even more special.
The food provided was excellent, and they went above and beyond to ensure we had the best possible accommodations. The overall ambience of the tour was fantastic, creating a perfect blend of excitement and comfort.
I highly recommend Akini Safari Tour to anyone looking for a memorable and well-organized safari experience.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Elephant heaven!
Our one day safari into Botswana was dealt with efficiently and quickly at the border. Our day was split between river and land. Both were enjoyable and fun. However, we were disappointed not to have seen any big cats, mainly seeing elephants, giraffe and antelope. Nonetheless, it was a good intro for someone on their first safari experience.
CN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
great experience
We really enjoyed the safari with Ozon Light Tours despite the poor road conditions that damaged our vehicle's rear axle. The drivers, including our driver Issa, showed great teamwork in resolving the issue promptly.
Issa was an excellent driver and guide—patient, punctual, safe, rule-abiding, and knowledgeable about animals. The trip was fantastic, but the lunch service could be slightly improved.
In summary, the trip was fantastic, but there is still a little room for improvement. On a scale of 4-5, I would give it a 4.8. After we provided feedback, Nuhu quickly responded that they would improve, aiming to offer perfect service in the future. We hope Ozon Light Tours continues to get better.
KR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"It was a great experience to see various animals
The booking process was smooth, and the response from the person in charge was quick, which was great. Also, Serengeti Smile provided great cars and guides, and their quote was the most affordable among those I received. And the guide made a great effort to help us take good photos and showed us the Big Five along with many other animals
However, there are some disappointing points.
First of all, the person from the office initially mentioned that a tip of 2 to 5 USD per person per day for the guide would be sufficient,
but the guide asked for a tip of 15 USD per person per day.
Secondly, they promised to provide binoculars, but none were available.
Additionally the guide seemed very tired from the long drive, which made it difficult to fully enjoy the experience together.
Lastly, they didn't inform me in advance that the flight time had changed on the last day even though they were able to contact me by whatsapp.
Aside from these few situations, it was an enjoyable trip. Serengeti Smile made their best effort to provide a great experience, but our trip ultimately depended on the individual guide.