20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
a good trip
the 2-day trip was amazing,the first day tarangire,the second day ngorongoro. Good driver&guide,good partners and good view. the Lodge is ok, but not as good as expect. but the trip and everything inside the national park was terrific. we love it and enjoy it very much.
SK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice 3 days safari (Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Manyara) which corresponded to price we paid.
Everything OK, especially accomodation in Rhino lodge which I can recommend to everybody. Exciting morning when we have seen buffalos and antilopes feeding next to our terrace. Great drive in Ngorongoro! Weak point was the car - need complete service.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
November Cape Town and Safari Vacation
First, we want to thank Go2Africa for their outstanding service and commitment to ensure that their clients receive unforgettable vacations. The four of us were especially impressed with Go2Africa’s stress-free service that occurred throughout the initial enquiry, recommendations, payment process, and prompt communication. We couldn’t have asked for a better organization to assist with our travels.
Secondly, we want to thank Ramona for her patience and extraordinary effort in ensuring that the four of us would have a vacation that we will always cherish. After enquiring about Go2Africa’s services, we received a quick response from Ramona explaining that she would be our travel expert to assist in planning our vacation. It is clear that Ramona cares about her clients and invests the time to ensure that their wishes are fulfilled. Ramona took into account all of our considerations and worked with the budget that the four of us were willing to commit to. We are confident in saying that Ramona planned an amazing Cape Town and Safari vacation. We are still amazed at the amount of things we were able to do in just 8 full days of vacation to include Table Mountain, Cape Point Tour, Stellenbosch Wine Tour, and 6 guided safari’s in the Sabi Sands. Ramona’s recommended accommodations in Cape Town and Sabi Sands were outstanding and more luxurious than we originally imagined. Ramona’s guidance in preparing us for the trip (to include vaccinations, what to pack, and many other things to consider while traveling) was extremely helpful. In addition, Ramona’s detailed itinerary made this vacation as stress-free as possible allowing us to enjoy what Cape Town and the Sabi Sands has to offer. Thank you again Ramona for an amazing journey!
There are a few recommendations that we would ask Ramona or Go2Africa to consider. First, the four of us were really disappointed that we were not able to participate in our scheduled cage shark diving excursion during our last day in Cape Town due to inclement weather. Had we known that cancellations often occur for this reason, we would have booked the cage shark diving on the first day of our trip so that we could reschedule in time before we left. Also, we were told we would get refunded for not being able to attend, and it’s taken 3 months to receive reimbursement. Secondly, although the list of recommendations for restaurants in Cape Town was sufficient, we found the list to be a little outdated. We recommend updating the list to include new and popular restaurants in addition to recommendations on when to request reservations. The four of us attempted to dine at the highly acclaimed “Test Kitchen” (not on the list) but when making reservations 3 weeks before, found out that we had to make reservations six months in advance. Lastly, although we were very happy with our guided tours, all the tours were booked through a company called “Ilios”. When our cage shark diving excursion was canceled we decided to go on another wine tour but this time through a different company than Ilios. We would have to say that we enjoyed the alternate company’s wine tour better as we were able to tour more vineyards, and in our opinion, more reputable wineries. We recommend that Go2Africa provide a recommended list of other companies they work with for clients to choose regarding their excursions on vacation.
Even though there were some setbacks along the way, Ramona and Go2Africa were very reliable and helpful in assisting us throughout the whole process from beginning to end. I cannot emphasize enough that this trip was one of the best trips the four of us have ever had the privilege to take. We hope to go back to Africa in the future, and we will most definitely be contacting Ramona and Go2Africa again for their exceptional service.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful african safari experience
We used to know about it from the NatGeo and Discovery. But this time I saw them with my own eyes. It was truly a wonderful experience.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A 'get away from the routine' was a wonderful experience
The trip was well planned out and co-ordination was good. However, the camping facilities at the park were quite basic; for instance electricity for only 4 hrs in the evening and no charging points in the room.
The itinerary, though packed, was fun filled - with lots of time spent inside the park.
Worth recommending to friends.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great touroperator
We booked a safaritour with Afroriginal tours. The communicatie in advance was very good. They made a tour follwing our wishes, for a fair price. The safari was amazing (we went to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater)!!! The guide was nice and knew a lot about nature. The cook was also ok. The total experience lived up to our expectations. Afroriginal tours is very helpfull, friendly and reliable. Everything was arranged and we had nothing to worry about during our holiday.
US
Experience level: first safari
Great safari, exactly as described, knowledgeable guide -- Mwanje very responsive and professional!
Our Tanzania safari experience was everything we had hoped it would be -- with many thanks to Mwanje and Image Travel. We booked well in advance after reviewing proposals from several safari companies. Image Travel offered competitive or better rates and Mwanje was extremely responsive, getting back to us quickly with information, written proposals/contracts, and receipts for deposits/payments. Though Nairobi airport security prevented it, Mwanje even tried to meet us in person during our connection from Kenya to Tanzania -- but he was there to refund us about $500 in cash for an overpayment due us after we changed our itinerary (cash was transferred from Mwanje to an airport employee to us). We appreciated the professionalism and the integrity.
As for our safari itself, we had an amazing 4-day adventure split between the Serengeti and the Ngorogoro Crater. The Serengeti was by far the more exciting park. The view from the rim of the Ngorogoro Crater is spectacular, but the animal experience in the Serengeti was superior, at least for us. Our driver for the entire safari -- Joseph -- was helpful, friendly, interested in our needs, spoke English well enough, and was very knowledgeable about the animals and the Masai culture (he is Masai and enjoyed telling us all about traditional culture and life in that part of Tanzania). Our Serengeti tent camp was clean, situated in a beautiful spot, and very well staffed by incredibly hospitable people -- stewards to pour you hot water for showers in the morning, carry your bags or hold an umbrella, cooks to prepare delicious and huge breakfasts, box lunches and dinners, etc. Our lodge at the Ngorogoro Crater was exceptional -- great accommodations, welcoming staff, wonderful entertainment, delicious food. And finally, all the animals "cooperated" -- we saw everything except leopards.
Transfers from and back to the Kilimanjaro airport were covered in our safari price and were done by Joseph himself (who had to come out twice for our "arrival" due to Kenya Airways delays).
Mwanje, we are totally thankful for your expert and reliable help with our trip. We are happy to highly recommend Image Travel to anyone planning an African safari! Cheers!
Cons:
1. Our Toyota Land Cruiser safari vehicle was decent, comfortable enough. But it was older and not all features were functioning (eg, seat belts, one of two battery chargers).
2. In the Ngorogoro Crater, the eagles can swoop down uninvited and attempt to grab your chicken lunch right out of your hand -- exciting yes, but dangerous too, and it would have been nice to have been properly forewarned.
3. Nothing to do with Image Travel, but we give low marks to Kenya Airways -- the planes and in-flight service were fine. But we had several flights cancelled or severely delayed during our trip planning process and/or mid-trip, costing us valuable safari time -- without apology or compensation.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4 days in the Serengeti/ngorongoro
Booked a last minute safari through Jessica. She did a great job meeting our budget and desired itinerary. Very timely responses via email helped us immensely. They even took our credit card info and passport scan in lieu of a bank transfer.
Truck was in good shape and we didn't have any breakdowns (saw many near ngorongoro). Wish that they had told us that it didn't have A/C. Afternoon drives were brutal because it was so hot and the dust from other vehicles gave us coughs.
Jessica also lent us her binoculars and called to check in on our progress and satisfaction during the safari. A very nice touch.
The driver, BJ, was knowledgeable and spoke good english. He was gruff and made it tough to get comfortable in his presence (we spent 6-8hours a day with him in the car). The cook, Vincent, was rude and did not ask us when and what we'd like to eat. We were at his mercy when it came to schedule. We also discovered that the meals he prepared for the staff were better than the meals prepared for us.
At the end of the day we were there for the animals and we tried to keep that in mind. The tour operator was great. In our case, the staff was lackluster. Hopefully you get nicer, more respectful guides/cooks. If so, your experience will be 5 stars!
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent budget safari operator - great value, great experience
I took a 5-day, 4-night safari with World Tours & Safaris, and was very satisfied.
We spent one day in Tarangire, camped on the way to Serengeti, then 2 days and 2 nights in Serengeti, 1 night on the crater on Ngorongoro and then a day in the crater. That was an excellent variety - Tarangire's elephants and trees, Serengeti's wide expanses, and Ngorongoro's wildlife density. The parks themselves are obviously the true stars of the trip. Considering the cost of park fees, paying under $1000 for an excellent all-inclusive safari of that length truly is a bargain. It also included an extra hotel night which was handy and staff there were great about helping you get set up for the safari.
Recognizing that the parks are the stars, World Tours did a good job of getting us there and keeping us taken care of. Tents were basic but adequate and we slept well, food was simple but tasty and ample. Lots of water on hand. Most importantly they kept it 4 to a vehicle which meant everybody gets a window and there's enough leg room etc. Our driver wasn't so talkative, but was an excellent driver and spotter. We saw a lot of things that others didn't, and were usually the first or second car at amazing sights. He made every effort to have things in order, we spent lots of time out spotting, he answered the questions we had, and he really did a great job of getting us great views.
The only downsides were slightly older cars without some of the huge windows that others have, but if you're standing up that's not an issue. And we did occasionally have gear mounted at the front which obscured the view in that direction a bit, but there's probably a way around that. But talking to others, the cost of our trip was a lot less than those operations with newer cars, and our cars weren't overloaded with an extra person which does happen on some budget safaris.
Mr. Richard the proprietor had excellent communication, everything was exactly as promised, and he was creative about making things work for drop-offs, stop-offs etc.
I probably could have given a 5-star rating, as they really did make every effort to be sure we were taken care of and I would say they were an excellent budget operator. But know that this is a budget safari, so don't expect bone china and fine linens -- if you want a 5-star camp, be prepared to pay a lot lot more. But for me, the safari tent the first night was very comfortable and the hotel had nice facilities, and then 3 nights of camping in Serengeti and the rim of Ngorongoro were absolutely gorgeous. You're camping, so be prepared to get your hands dirty a little. Cars can break down whether you're on a luxury safari or a budget one, so the right attitude going in will get you over the inevitable bumps in the road. As budget operators go, World Tours & Safaris were always honest, accommodating, and delivered incredible value and an unforgettable experience.
I certainly recommend going on a safari with Mr. Richard and World Tours.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable safari experience
We did a three-day safari with Sunny Safaris in December 2014, starting in Arusha and ending in Mwanza. I can only say that it was an unforgettable experience! We saw all of the Big Five and witnessed two lions savouring a wildebeast from up close.
The first night we spent at Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge,which offers a breathtaking view from the terrace, decent food, and fabulous rooms. The second night we slept at Serengeti Kati Kati Camp. An outstanding camping experience, with large tents including toilet and shower, solar lighting, a dining tent with excellent food and a campfire at night.
Our guide Ismael was friendly and knew all about the animals in the park. He clearly knows his way through the park and drove us all the way to western Mwanza without ever consulting a map. Yet, he had some problems locating the tented camp site; apparently the camp changes location frequently and finding the camp in absence of satellite navigation required quite some meandering.
One thing you should make sure to agree upon when booking with Sunny Safaris, is the number of days you will get inside the park. In our initial package we had a three day safari, but only 48 hours inside the parks. (Park entry goes via a sophisticated and rigid smartcard-system, which allows entr