20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
He was a great tour operator
Me and my fiancé had a great time during this tour. We went to the giraffe centre to feed them and learned about the different giraffes there and in Kenya. We also went to a tower and saw an amazing 360 view of all of Nairobi. Our tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service with professionalism
Had a great experience with Pavilion Safari and Tours. Our guide was very professional, and communication was always timely and smooth. We are especially grateful to our tour guides, Moses and Ruben. They were both excellent safari guides—proactive in searching for animals, great at finding the best viewing spots, and always flexible in adjusting the schedule based on our needs. Additionally, we were very impressed by how helpful and trustworthy the team was when we accidentally left valuable jewelry at a hotel—they quickly arranged for another driver to pick it up and sent it back to us based on our schedule. We really appreciate their support and would definitely recommend them.
Experienced and diligent
We did the 4-5 day safari tour starting in Arusha, to Tarangire the first day, Serengeti the second / third day, and Ngorongoro crater the last day.
Silver was our guide and did a wonderful job handling all logistics as well as being an experienced and informed guide on all the animals. He was extremely punctual and spent a lot of time figuring out where some of the harder to find animals were.
Thanks to his efforts, we were able to spot some cheetahs (mother and cubs) which were really hard to find. We also saw some rhinos in the distance. We saw all the other main animals too - lots of elephants, lions, zebras, antelopes, giraffes, hyenas, hippos, interesting birds, etc. We spent quite a while trying to find a leopard in the trees but that eluded us. But there were plenty of other animals that we were very satisfied with all that we saw. We were close enough to many animals that it was easy to capture them on a phone camera. I did have an entry level telephoto lens camera with me (55-210mm) and that served this type of safari perfectly. We also took a more scenic / back route through the Maasai villages and Silver explained a lot of their customs.
All the accommodations and food was fantastic, the staff all very helpful. Even the camp accommodations in the park were very comfortable with running water and electricity.
Overall, it was an amazing experience. Would highly recommend this tour and our guide.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Africa Safari Classics, headed by Maurice, was at every stage honest, responsive, organized,reliable
Africa Safari Classics, headed by Maurice Nzwii, was at every stage honest, responsive, organized, and reliable.
This was an amazing experience. Maurice of Africa Safari Classics created the whole itinerary and made sure every step of the way was fully planned out and went smoothly. Everything was astounding. Our trip was magical!
Leading up to the trip, I had a lot of questions about preparations and other things, and Maurice answered them all promptly and helpfully.
Our initial flight was cancelled just weeks before our trip so we had to arrive two days earlier than planned. Without missing a beat, Maurice reserved places for us to stay and created fascinating additional days and incorporated ideas from my family.
Africa Safari Classics sent people to meet us and shepherd us through every step of the way. Every aspect of our journey exceeded expectations: From the guides who drove us in the city, to the safari guides, hotel accommodations, airport transfers, game drives, and all activities throughout our trip.
In Nairobi, we saw fascinating things, went to wonderful restaurants, and our guides, Charles and Patrick, clearly cultivated relationships at cultural places where we reaped the benefits.
Maurice created a safari itinerary in both Kenya and Tanzania that was breathtaking. Each place we visited flowed smoothly into the next and explored a different aspect of the safari experience, highlighting distinct animals and habitats. Each place we stayed was unique, beautiful, and wonderful, with its own flavor and flair and staffed with helpful and friendly people.
The local transport was wonderful, with our drivers/guides making sure everything went seamlessly. We felt confident in the drivers at all times. When we requested it, they also arranged for us to visit a Massai village. In addition, they brought us to the start of each domestic flight, and we felt taken care of at all times.
Our safaris were breathtaking. We must have been overwhelmingly lucky, but the wide array of wildlife we saw had to be due at least in part to the expertise and connectedness of the guides. It was so fascinating that our young grandchildren, ages eight and ten, were always engaged and excited.
The accommodations and food at each lodge and camp were fabulous. The game drives were amazingly fun and stimulating. I actually had trouble believing the wide array of wildlife we saw.
Our safari guides George, Boni, Athuman & Bihal were highly professional. We appreciated the quality of their insights and the expertise of their guiding. They showed great initiative in finding unique animals for us to see. In addition, they were friendly, cooperative, and provided great customer care. When my daughter needed extra care, they took her to a doctor, bought her medication, made sure she had comforting and helpful food, and was comfortable in her lodgings. Each of the guides was amazing.
We asked Maurice to also arrange after our safari, for us to stay at Lamu, a historic and lovely island. Our accommodations were again lovely and Maurice arranged for us to be met by people to help us transfer between plane, boat, and hotel. Some of the highlights included attending a Swahili cooking class and a beautiful sunset sail. As well as swimming in the amazingly warm Indian Ocean!
When we returned to Nairobi, we were met at Wilson Airport by our city driver and brought to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for our flight home. It was a huge help to have someone shepherd us through that whole process.
The value for the money was much better than other places we consulted.
My husband agrees with me on all of this.
If we could give more than five stars we would.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
I contacted Steve to arrange a two-day, one-night safari in Kenya. He was incredibly helpful, listening to my needs and proposing the best option. We went on a safari in Tsavo East, and it was fantastic; in such a short time, we managed to see a great many animal species, including a magnificent lioness. Steve personally accompanied us on the excursions alongside the driver, and both shared fascinating details about the animals and local life. We stayed at a fantastic lodge where, during the night, we could hear a leopard. All in all, an unforgettable experience. Everything was perfect!
DE
Excellent and children friendly
Tierras safaris are well organized, punctual and very considerate. We did our Safari in Samburu with our 6 & 8 yr old kids. When we were picked, they gave us a bag full of snacks for the kids and they provided us with lots of drinking water. Our kids loved the game drive and talked about the experience throughout our vacation. Thanks David for the organization and Macharia for the patience that he had for the kids.
MY
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Top notch service!!
We started our journey early in the morning when we landed in Kilimanjaro. Kida who had so patiently attended to all our queries and requests, picked us up and just a short distance away, we were then transferred to the safari vehicle driven by our knowledgeable guide Meku. Day 1 at Tarangire National Park, we were greeted by lions, zebras, giraffes, elephants and many more. Day 2 in the Serengeti was even better where Meku was able to track lions, cheetahs and other animals. Day 3 we were brought to the Hippo pool, unbelievable to see so many having their morning dip. We were lucky to have Meku as our guide, who would've thought we were able to spot leopards and cheetahs three times each! We didn't think Day 4 could get any better but it did - we scored the full Big 5 when we spotted the elusive Rhinos, massive yet runs fast. All in all, the best safari with the best team, a big thank you to Kida and Meku, thank you African Bovine team!
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Avoid Abuus - take someone who is professional and cares about their customers instead
Our 6-day safari in Tanzania with Abuus was badly mismanaged. Poor organization, constant misinformation and a lack of basic service meant we missed some 30% of the promised game drive time.
Communication was either non-existent or misleading during the entire time. We were seldom properly briefed unless we explicitly asked, important information was withheld, schedules changed without explanation and the guide regularly gave contradictory or clearly false excuses for delays and shortened game drives. We were repeatedly treated as though we were the problem when asking basic questions.
Most importantly, we missed so much game drive time. We had late departures every day, spent far too much time on transport roads as the slowest vehicle of all, waited for passenger pickups, transfers and logistical errands inside the parks, and had major parts of our Serengeti and Ngorongoro game drives cut short and even cancelled.
The first afternoon game drive was cancelled completely without explanation (they told us we could only spend 24 hrs in Serengeti, when in fact, we had paid for 48).
In Ngorongoro, all other companies left at sunrise. We stayed behind for another three hours, had a quick drive around the crater and then left long before everyone else.
The overall service was also poor. The vehicle was dirty throughout the trip, drinking water was only provided if we repeatedly asked, there was little or no guidance outside the vehicle – the guide simply disappeared - and no one ever accepted responsibility or apologized when things went wrong (which they did, repeatedly). Instead, they came up with different and alternative excuses that were clearly not truthful.
It became obvious throughout the trip that all other tour companies we saw were providing a far better experience. Our experience in Kenya with another company the week before was also a huge contrast, with service that was professional, organized and customer-focused.
I should add that all other passengers we met who used this company had even worse experiences than we did. Avoid this company if you can, is my honest recommendation.
CO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip of my dreams
Everything in the tour was perfect, we saw many animals, I was so happy to see the big 5 just some meters in front of my eyes. Simon, our guide, was really good driving and he knows about all animals that you see in the different parks. He was always attentive to see animals and explain anything we need about them. James, the travel agent was also always answering my question before coming and planned everything perfect for us.
DE
An unforgettable Journey through Rwanda & Uganda!
Our journey through Rwanda and Uganda was simply unforgettable and without a doubt one of the greatest adventures we’ve ever had!
The Golden Monkey trek in Rwanda was a great way to start the trip, and visiting the Genocide Memorial was deeply moving. Although it was an emotional experience, it is an absolute must for anyone visiting Rwanda.
The highlight of our journey was, of course, the Gorilla Trekking in Uganda. Our guide, Sulait, used his excellent local connections to arrange a fantastic gorilla family for us to visit. Being just a few meters away from a gorilla family with a newborn baby is a moment we will cherish forever. We were also incredibly lucky during the Chimpanzee Trekking—we found ourselves right in the middle of a chimpanzee family within just 20 minutes!
The safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park was equally amazing. We spotted lions, elephants, several species of antelope, a leopard, African buffalo, and many other animals. Sulait had arranged for a local ranger to join us, whose extensive knowledge of the wildlife and ecosystem made the experience even more fascinating.
The entire trip was exceptionally well organized. The accommodations were carefully chosen, and everyone we met was friendly, professional, and helpful. From the very first day to the last, we always felt well looked after.
Throughout the entire tour, we were accompanied by our guide, Sulait, who was incredibly kind, funny, and entertaining. He is an excellent and very safe driver, so we always felt completely comfortable on the road. Whether it was finding delicious local restaurants for lunch or stopping whenever we wanted to take photos, Sulait took care of everything and always made sure we had the best possible experience. Thank you Sulait, we couldn’t have asked for a better guide!
We would book this tour again without hesitation and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for an unforgettable adventure in East Africa!