65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfectly planned trip
The service we received from Wild Africa Travel Company was excellent, the advice first class, the Safari Tours exceeded our expectations and the whole package could not be faulted.
US
So much better than I even dreamed!
Uganda is an absolutely beautiful country with green fields, farmlands, and mountains offering stunning vistas. You can drive around the country and tour multiple parks with a variety of animals - the volume of wildlife was incredible! Trekking to see the gorillas was definitely a highlight and worth every penny, but it was the daily viewing of wildlife both inside and outside the parks that made the biggest impression. There were giraffes on the side of the road even before we got to our first park! Every time I looked out the window of our vehicle I saw a herd of elephants, zebra, or giraffe - even a lion sitting by the side of the road. The friend I went with had been on safari in South Africa and she commented that Uganda had so many more animals in the parks. Uganda was an easy place to travel too. The people were welcoming and it seemed like everyone wants Uganda to be a successful tourist destination. We went with Terrain Safaris and our guide Moses was the nicest man who made sure we were always taken care of and were able to see everything we wanted to see. The lodging was better than I expected and there was absolutely no issue eating vegetarian meals (although this usually includes rice and potatoes at the same meal, it's apparently a guest lodge thing to do most likely to ensure no one leaves hungry!) although there weren't too many Ugandan dishes on offer - I would have loved to try more. The fruits and veggies were delicious though - tomatoes, bananas, pineapple, watermelon, tea, and coffee were available everywhere. I'd highly recommend traveling here - definitely go for the gorillas and wildlife but make sure you take time to enjoy the beautiful views of this amazing country!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
You must experience it because pics & videos can never capture the essence of a Tanzanian Safari
Everything was like a dream. The scenery itself is breathtaking, but with the animals, the experience becomes surreal. The animals roam the land freely, without humans getting in their way. Our accommodations were a perfect blend of luxury and camping (glamping), which gave us the feeling of early safari explorations with a touch of modern essentials. The food was locally sourced and delicious. The weather during our 5 day Safari was cool in the mornings and evenings, in the 80s (fahrenheit) during the peak of the day (we never wore shorts and wished we hadn't packed them). The air was very dry, though we did have a tiny bit of rain for about 30 minutes one afternoon. We did not know about Tarangire before, but are very grateful our booking company suggested we stop there. We thoroughly enjoyed it as well as the Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
Ten days in Madagascar
I love photographing birds, so I was very pleasantly surprised to find many birds I had never seen before. The highlight was a flock of Madagascan Olive Bee-Eaters right in the centre of Antananarivo. I arrived in Antananarivo spending five nights there. Although it was the middle of winter I found myself wearing shorts and t-shirts by the middle of most days. Beautiful sunshine. Antananarivo is beautiful from several vantage points with canals running through it while being surrounded by pretty mountains. The architecture is a unique combination of old European style, complimented by countless ageing French motor vehicles, and more random Madagascan shacks. People are obviously very poor compared to first world nations, but they remain outwardly content with their way of life. It's a challenging confronting country to visit and yet, at the same time, heartwarming to see people happily going about their daily lives worlds apart from the worlds most tourists come from. I spent five nights in my brother's home in Antananarivo. Then we adventured to a small resort on the shores of Lake Mantasoa. The 65km drive was incredibly scenic and took us about two and a half hours. Road conditions were generally good, only requiring us to go very slowly in a couple of places. Traffic congestion entering and/or exiting Antananarivo is a challenge. But once you break free from the city it's easy enough. Our accomodation was right on the shore of Lake Mantasoa and was very affordable, perfectly clean, and incredibly relaxing. I couldn't have wished for better in Australia, let alone Madagascar. We had a wonderful relaxing stay. We mostly self-catered, having found everything anyone could need in a very well stocked Shoprite Supermarket in Antananarivo. However we did eat out at a Swiss-themed Restaurant (yes Switzerland in the middle of Madagascar) near Lake Mantasoa and our meal was great value and delicious. Nicely presented too.
Highlights from this visit included relaxing walks on the shores of Lake Mantasoa; beautiful birds; beautiful sunny weather in the middle of Winter. And being Winter Mosquitos were generally not a problem. I've visited previously and on previous visit highlights included amazing experiences with Lemurs at a Lemur park and also in the wilds of a rain forrest. Lemurs are gorgeous and can be quite sociable. We explored some truly beautiful rain forests (a good four hour drive from Antananarivo). Madagascar has no dangerous poisonous snakes so one can enjoy walking searching for lemurs, chameleons, and many beautiful birds without fear of being bitten. I do intend to return.
I benefited greatly from my brother's local knowledge and his ability to navigate the roads and understand the way local traffic operates. If you are used to driving on the right hand side of the road then it certainly helps. Despite that I would recommend travelling with a local tour operator or someone with local driving experience. The crazy variety of vehicles all the way from bicycles to human-propelled carts to donkey carts and large trucks and the haphazard way they navigate is amazing to see and photograph. I would recommend being a passenger with a camera (or phone) ready to take photographs than being a driver in Antananarivo. Having said that, most road users are friendly so if you must drive, just be ready to take it slow!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the best experiences of my life!
The trip was amazingly well coordinated and thought through. From day one, everything was taken care of, which removed a lot of stress. And within hours of landing in Kenya, we were on a reserve seeing giraffes, zebras, monkeys, antelope, even leopards and lions! And that was only the first day! Every day was a new adventure, and Jim's hand-picked drivers were so knowledgeable and observant. There were times we couldn't believe the drivers had spotted wild animals through brush and over plains. This experience is something everyone should do in their life time, and with Jim as your guide, you will never be wanting for more. We got so much closer and saw so many more varieties and amounts of animals than I ever would have guessed. He's a very skilled photographer, so if you want the best angles and tips on how to get the best shots, he's your guy! I left with over 6000 photos over the coarse of 2 weeks through Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda. There were so many things to take photos of, so many opportunities for amazing photos and even more amazing experiences!
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Experience of a lifetime
We had an amazing 4 day safari with Shemeji Safari Tanzania. Shemeji were very helpful in the booking process, and our guide Ben was fantastic. We were lucky enough to see The Big Five! Experience of a lifetime!!
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari
Great safari of 5 days in lake manyara ( under our expectations) then serengeti and ngorongoro (both amazing). Castro is a serious manager that provided us all we need for a good safari. Just an inconconvenient about an accomodation (to plan all together is the best way) but he moved immediately to solve in best way showing that take care about the client's satisfaction. Price was convenient. No luxury but offered all we need for a good safari.
Guide and coocker( where necessary) were professional. Jeep confortable.
Hakuna matata
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Leslie constructed the perfect holiday for us which was beyond our wildest dreams.
We contacted several tour companies who were very slow to reply before finding Mama Tembo Tours. Leslie listened to our requirements, considered our budget and very quickly came up with suggestions for our holiday. She was very patient, tweaking her original itinerary until it was just right for us. We were lucky enough to meet Leslie as our first night was at a camp near where she lives. The holiday was amazing. Every place we stayed was excellent and transfers between camps in the various parks smooth despite the long distances involved. If you are planning a safari holiday in Africa, try Mamo Tembo Tours, you will be delighted!
CA
Great experience! Good company for mid range safari
We were 3 girls travelling from Canada and Gabe (our tour guide) was very kind and helpful through out our entire 5 day safari trip! It was very affordable and the lodges we stayed at were mid range! We paid about 1300$ usd pp. Would definitely recommend this company!
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara tour
I took part in the Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara 2 days safari.
The staff was very kind to us, and the tour, which include airport pick up and drop off service, was so comfotable and enjoyable.