PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by Krzysztof Dziubiński
We came to Nakuru for 1 day on the way to Masai Mara. Good place to see rhinos. We saw around 5 of thems. Totally different park than Masai Mara, more green, more birds and more buffalos but generaly less animals
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Mikumi National Park by M.
This park it's perfect if you don't have enough time to do a long safari. The park is big but not huge, and there are a lot of animals.
The only point to remark, it's not as close as it seems from Dar Es Salaam.
TH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Patharin Varanyuwatana
Masai Mara is our favorite Safari park.We saw so many animals.Saw so many wildlife activities. We really enjoy the park.
TH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Amboseli National Park by Patharin Varanyuwatana
We saw so many elephants.Also lots of other animals.
US
Exceeded Expectations -- Great Safari plus Beautiful Country
South Africa has been on our bucket list for years mainly for the safari but our trip was so much more than that. We started with Kruger and couldn't have asked to see more wild life than we did. We then traveled to Cape Town, Stellenbosch, the Garden Route and Durban. Golf was a major part of our trip and we played 3 golf courses ranked in the top 100 in the world. Great scenery throughout -- long stretches where mountains are just a few miles from the ocean. Not surprisingly, Table Mountain was a highlight in Cape Town but also enjoyed tour of Cape Point, the history of the District 6 museum, a casual seafood feast in Hout Bay, and the Waterfront. In Stellenbosch, stayed at Lanzerac which was one of the best hotels we've ever visited. Franschhoek was a scenic excursion well from there and well worth it. Enjoyed penguins and whales in Betty's Bay and Hermanus on the way to George. Detours off the main road were well worth it along the Garden Route.
We went in winter (August) so while weather was a bit cool at times, it also made for great wildlife viewing in Kruger as foliage is less full and animals converge on watering spots. We felt safe at all locations and navigation was easy (we had our own rental car from Cape Town to George).
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing!
We have visited Lake Manyara, Serengeti (2 days), Ngorongoro and Tarangire.
It was an amazing experience, worth every dollar spent.
We've seen many animals, big 5 included.
PT
Despite teething troubles at the beginning it was really really fantastic!
All in all our safari was truly fantastic and we were very impressed by the amount of wildlife we saw. However, what was not so good was that our first hotel was changed. It was supposed to be upgraded but it turned out that we had actually been downgraded to a horrible Chinese owned lodge that was still in construction. Their was a distinct smell of open sewage from our terrace. Food was like being in a self service canteen. It was a TERRIBLE start to our holiday. We complained bitterly about this to the safari operator and in the end we got better hotels in compensation. So it worked out well in the end. What we also didn't like and I think is really worth saying is that we heard of some drivers being drunk on the job and turning up late for their clients. When you have paid a lot of money and flown half way across the world then you want to have a driver who cares and is responsible. The roads in Kenya are particularly rough and you need a good and competent driver to make sure you are all safe. Our driver was competent and always on time, however, he did have a bit of an attitude problem which was very unprofessional. However, all in all it was a fantastic trip and I can't thank Mr Othiellon of Kenya Walking Survivors enough for all his organisation. He was always very co-operative and answered any email queries I had straight away.
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome experience!
Awesome place to see so many animals in their natural habitat. Definitely unforgettable experience!
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It could have been better
The most important point when you book a safari is to ensure that it will be reliable. We took a 3 days safari, but it was not as well as it should.
In the description of the safari we could read the that the first day we drive to Mikumi National Park which is approximately 5 hours from Dar es Salaam. False. It was 8 hours and a half. When we arrived there was almost sunset, so we coudn't access to the park the first day. This was because the driver drove at 45 km per hour until the park. What's the catch? The three-days-access to the park was included in the total amount, so the agency (Kiliholidays Tours) saved the first day access.
Also, the car broke down the first day (problems with the refrigeration). The second day occured problems with the battery. The third day finally in Dar Es Salaam the car broke down, and we have to take other car to our hotel with a non-known driver. This driver broke down his car as well (ran out of gas), so we had to wait inside the car in the middle of the night until he came back 30 minutes later.
In summary, we had bad luck choosing the agency: we lost the enter the park the first day, and the third day we spent almost 10 hours to came back to Dar Es Salam because car breakdowns.
As something positive, we loved the park, although we didn't stay there all the time that we paid.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful to see the animals in the Garden of Eden, a true paradise on earth.
My son and I spent three nights at Basecamp Mara. Our well equipped tent stood alongside the river and from our deck we could see and hear the animals across the river which was often forded by the baboon troupe who lived in the tree opposite. The campsite was about a ten minute drive away from the entrance to the Mara and was very well laid out with paths through the many trees surrounding the tents. The dining area was lit by candles only in the evening, the food good and the staff very attentive. Nearby was the fire pit and seating area where we could socialise with other guests and sample the local culture as we were entertained by the Masai singing and dancing. We were escorted around the camp site after dark by a Masai carrying a torch and spear!
Our driver/guide collected us from Nairobi and was with us for the four days of our trip before taking us back to the airport. George was an extremely good, careful driver who was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic and good company. He planned our game drives in the Mara well and we enjoyed a 'bush breakfast' and on another day a picnic lunch watching a group of cheetahs. The wildlife was plentiful we saw herds of elephants, giraffe, buffalow, wildebeasts, hippos, and at least a thousand migrating zebra who were making the way back to the Mara River and Serengeti. The big cats were much in evidence and we saw many lion and cheetahs plus hyenas. It was wonderful to be so close to the wild life who were unconcerned by the many people gazing at them.
We chose Spirit of Kenya because we were impressed by the clear and organised way they presented their initial quote. The office staff were very helpful and arranged a wonderful tailormade safari for us and absolutely everything went beautifully.