ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What an awesome time I have just had and yes it was on a budget!
My sister and I were very nervous about booking a safari and the Orongai (tall sleeping man) staff made it comfortable and and as clear as possible. We booked a private 4 day safari to 3 of the parks and village walking tour and camping. So, camping first (or should i say glamping) compared to an English site was amazing. Raised and sheltered canvas tents with beds about 7-8 feet from each other so you have privacy but you may still need earplugs if you're a delicate sleeper. They shower facilities were good and clean and a wood stove so there was even hot water! Food - DVD was our chef for the tour and we had home cooked food coming out of our ears- i really don't know how he managed to make fresh bread and cakes on charcoal...they were delish! The parks - our driver Franc was the most patient and knowledgeable man who was very easy to get along with and made sure we always felt safe and secure and well looked after. He knew all of the other drivers at the parks and they shared sighting with us and he with ours which meant we saw so many of the animals we had hoped to see. You must remember this is a safari and not a zoo, the animals decide if they want to be close to where the jeeps are allowed to be because they are free...truly free! So go armed with good binoculars if you want to see the rhinos which we managed to thanks to Franc spotting them in the far far distance. We had very close encounters with elephants, lions, hippos, zebras, giraffes, monkeys of all variaties, hyenas, jackles, wildebeest, gazelles, impalas, eagles, butterflies and so much more! Unfortunately not the leopards but that was just they way the cookie crumbled! So if you are booking, all the firms use the same roads within the parks so it is all down to the personal service you receive....and what we received was top-notch!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic tour from start to finish
Great to have a tour guide that made sure that our experience was fantastic all the way through. The views were amazing and it gave us an experience we will never forget.
Definitely will be recommending this tour to my friends and family.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime trip made real!
We booked with Orongai from the uk in March 2018, after much painstakingly researching on the web. There is such a a vast choice of tour operators that it can be very overwhelming!
Orongai offered the itinerary that I wanted, four days three nights with NO Serengeti visit, which is almost impossible! Martha was our point of contact at this stage and he was most helpful in quoting for the set trip as well as possible amendments that I was enquiring about. Sadly my budget couldn't stretch to the latter request but the 4 day trip was reasonable and I was happy with the communication I had received thus far.
I paid a deposit for 50% of the total trip and started planning the rest of our stay in Tanzania.
When the time came I reached out to Martha just to touch base and confirm the final payment and also to check that card payment was acceptable as I don't like carrying alot of cash. He confirmed it was and offered a pick up service which we declined.
On arrival to Arusha I reached out again to arrange our pre safari meet up and again Martha was lovely and prompt with his response. I also requested information on a possible balloon safari as my friends and family had collected some money for my birthday and that was a dream option! He suggested Serengeti for the balloon but I was adamant that it was Tarangire I wanted to fly over. He said we could discuss at the meeting.
We met with Asseri after a little confusion as to where the meeting venue was! He was friendly and accommodating. He pulled out the itinerary and it wasn't what I had booked. It was one that included Serengeti. Fortunately I had a copy of the one Martha had sent me when we first booked. He was instantly apologetic and after conversing with Martha we were able to rectify the problem and we were back on course for the agreed itinerary.
It then came to light that the remaining balance was to be paid in cash, again I explained that Martha had agreed that card was acceptable and that I did not have the cash due to this. Asseri was calm and explained that their PayPal was out of service (no reason given) but instructed us to go to Barclays where the large amount of dollars we wanted would be obtainable. It was Sunday so the bank was closed.
We agreed to meet there in the morning and the final payment could be made before we set off for the Safari.
All the way through this transaction both Martha and Asseri were calm and forth coming with solutions. Being so far away from your home and way of life can be stressful and confusing but they made us feel at ease and placed under a wing!
After meeting in the morning to exchange money, we set off for our first park. We changed vehicles halfway and left our amazing cook to head to camp.
Our guide Frankie was not only full of knowledge and had amazing English skills, he was kind and considerate and alot of fun. He had just come to us from finishing another Safari but was still as enthusiastic and accomodating as if he had had a week's rest!
The experience of the safari itself has left me with little words. I am humbled by the animals and the locations. There is definitely nowhere else like it on earth and I am honoured that I have been able to experience it. I would recommend at least one trip for everyone as seeing the animals in their natural habitat is life changing.
The trip was enriched further by Frank's knowledge and love and respect for the animals and for his clients. He helped us track the elusive Rhino! Amazing!
As for the campsite, we stayed at Haven Nature for the three nights. I don't think that was on the original itinerary but I'm so glad it's where we were based. It was central to all three parks (Tarangire, Ngorogoro crater and lake manyara) and the amenities were perfect for a glamping experience. We had hot showers, electricity and beds! Perfect!
But what made it home for the three nights was our amazing cook Dvd. He fed us like kings! And all from a wood fire! He was hospitable, fun and caring! We must have put on a stone in just three days! Plus he baked us a cake!! He is an amazing baker!
So all in all I would like to thank the entire team at Oronagi Africa Safaris. We had the trip of a lifetime which became so much more because of them!
I would recommend them to everyone!
Asante Sana!!
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable! Once in a lifetime experience! Best safari in Tanzania.
We had contact with John and Jacob and together we made a made-to-measure trip based upon their experience and our wishes. They were very flexible and always looking for best possibilities. Our guide was Benson and he was born in the Serengeti where he stayed until he was 18. Ben learned us a lot about animals and the nature in all parks. Also he was very gentle to travel with; we had great fun as well. Arusha Park, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti: amazing! We saw a lot of animals; even the migration of the wildebeasts! After 10 days Tanzania we relaxed for 6 days at Zanzibar; also very nice!
We do recommend to book with African Wildcats instead of booking with an european/american agency; because you support the Tanzanian people directly!
We had a once in a lifetime experience!
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Really super!
After good information at the fair, African travels knew exactly what we wanted. She made a clear day to day travel plan, which fitted well with our budget. The experiences of the employees also made us decide to work with African Travels. Wow! We really have not bored one day. This super experience will always stay with us! And that is certainly due in large part to African Travels! Thank you!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
SWU were the agents who arranged a four day visit to the southern end of Kruger with Nhongo tours
Our tour was located and booked while i was travelling elsewhere. At the last minute i had to cancel to head home for a funeral. They generously held the booking so we could go the next year, as well as helped with a rapid change of arrangements i required at the time. Great service much appreciated! With them I've arranged a pick ups from Jberg airport and enjoyed their comfortable accommodation in the north of the city. From the Manor it is easy continue north to Kruger without having to negotiate the inner city. The tour company picked us up from there. The transport to Kruger overland was comfortable, informative and safe. The tour was excellent and good value for money given the attention to getting the most for everyone out of the visit. I used Safari with Us for a tour near Johannesburg which was also convenient and good.
I have used the "Manor" in Johannesburg six times now as pass through and will again. Their friendly reliable services have negated any consternation i had about passing through Johannesburg with jet lag.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safaris to Amboseli and Tsavo East and West - Knowledgable guides, punctual and flexible
The office staff were very responsive to all our needs and communication beforehand was excellent. The guides were very punctual, friendly and knowledgable, even spotting a lion print in the road as we were driving along and showing us where to look for parrots from a bird call and cheetahs stalking prey. We saw over 80 species of animals and birds on 5 days of safari. They exceeded our expectations in the transport provided (great 4x4), their knowledge and in the animals we saw including lions. We were picked up from Nairobi for a 2 day safari in Amboseli, then dropped off at a friends house in Voi and then 4 days later picked up again to go on a 3 days safari to Tsavo West and Tsavo East finally being dropped at Dinai on the coast. They were very flexible and we did exactly what we wanted to do.
Would highly recommend Gametrackers K Ltd.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
AMAZING ONCE IN A LIFE SAFARI
For our first time in Kenya we chose Beacon Safari with my girlfriend, following the good reviews on the internet. I really appreciated how Robert was responsive and acurate in the details, by showing us the car we will have, the guide that will do the game drive etc. At no point he put any pressure for the payment or to speed up the process (and of course I was a bit picky..!). He can answer directly on Whatsapp which makes the conversation way quicker. Our driver was there on time to drive us to Masai Mara and Amboselli (trip we personalised, you don't need to do a package), in a nutshell it was AMAZING. Our guide Eustace is passionate,doing his job since 16 years. So friendly and helpful, he never counted the time spent to do the sightseeing or to help with ANY request/help needed. We've seen the big 5 (okay maybe not the shy rhino :) ), he has like a 5th sense about which decision to take to spot animals, and of course he's in touch with the other guides of the reserves to tell each other infos. The vehicle was way more recent than the average other companies. We laughed so much together that it was a real pleasure to wake up each morning to go for the game drive. I will totally recommend this company..
US
Trip of a LIFETIME!
We were the "family" of 10 on the trip with Kathy. I felt it was necessary to set the story straight. We were together for the full 17 days of the trip. We booked our trip 3 years in advance and paid in full almost a year in advance for everyone in our party of 10. I found it delightful to work with Chris over the 3 years. He was always available to answer my questions and concerns and explained everything to the fullest extent before we locked our house and went to the airport. We knew exactly where our hotels were--i especially n Stellenbosch Valley outside of Cape Town. This was never kept "secret" and if this bothered Kathy so much she should have raised questions before she left, not 3 months after the trip. By the way, the hotel in Stellenbosch was fabulous. Regarding being left at Victoria and Albert Wharf, we returned to the "pick-up" point an hour before we were told to be back. We never saw Kathy there. The rest of the group appeared on time and some were actually late getting back. We waited another 30 minutes in the van and there was no Kathy. I don't believe she was "abandoned".
Speaking for the rest of our family, we all agreed that this trip was unbelievable from the time we set foot in South Africa. All hotels, excursions, flights, meals and guides were super. It's hard to wipe this grin off our faces, the trip was that fabulous! For this reason, I give Kanyezi 5 stars out of 5; I wish I could give it more.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
15 Day tour - Kenya and Tanzania safari and Rwands/Uganda gorilla trek
We had a great time. Luxury tour with private drivers in each country who were knowledgeable and safe, comfortable lodges and farm stays. Every detail was attended to and we could just sit back and enjoy.