US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Small group and well done choices on the itinerary!
The Humala River Lodge was beyond expectations. Service was excellent everywhere.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great trip to Namibia with Zambezi Safari and Travel
We recently returned from a safari to Namibia with Zambezi Safari & Travel and had a great time. Not knowing much about Namibia (other than big sand dunes and deadvlei) we relied on Chris Worden to come up with a super Namibia trip. The first plan (which was awesome) was a little bit out of our budget so Chris tweaked it and came up with an equally awesome trip that gave us the best of Namibia. Before we left there was a change in flights from Namibia (Windhoek) to Johannesburg that caused a problem with our connections out of Joburg. Zambezi made appropriate changes to ensure we had stress free connections (I'm big on stress free). We stayed at four camps - Kalula Desert Lodge, Damaraland Camp, Desert Rhino Camp, and Andersson's at Ongava. All the camps were excellent - comfortable accommodations, delicious food, welcoming staff, and - maybe most important - exceptional guides. Namibia has amazing landscapes - and though they downplay what you may see in terms of wildlife, good guides can find you things that even they are surprise to see.. desert leopards and cheetahs, as well as what you might expect - desert elephants, oryx, steenbok, springbok, ostrich, kudu. Our trip exceeded all our expectations - and we have way too many photos to prove it.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stressful experience
In the beginning the communication was very good. But on asking for confirmation of hotel packages as agreed, there were mistakes. Then again mistakes in the invoicing. I had to correct them. Then wrong dates & information on vouchers sent. Which I had to request correct on. Had to chase them to confirm bookings with other suppliers of our trip that they were handling. All payments were supposed to be in USD. But it changed & half the payments were then requested in ZAR. Paid our deposits & then after our final payments, the company stopped communications. Even after many phone calls & emails, requesting information & corrections, still nothing! Two weeks before the trip we had not received any confirmations or information from them for our South African part of the trip. A week before leaving, I had to contact ALL the suppliers directly for confirmations, addresses & departure information . Extremely stressful not knowing if everthing had been pre paid or even booked, when we boarded our flights from London to South Africa. A total shambles!!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
Darren & Kate were phenomenal it terms of communicating & putting together our trip. There was not one incident that occurred, everything went as smoothly as it possibly could! When we plan our next trip into Southern Africa, we will be contacting Darren again.
IE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Safari with an amazing Independent Tanzanian Tour Operator
We are a family of 4 and Our Safari was 9 nights with Christopher and what an experience. He is legitimate, safe , registered with the Tanzanian Tourist Board and caters for the needs of his clients. All of the booking was done via Email and WhatsApp and money was transferred safely via inter Bank transfer. From the moment when he picked us up at the airport we felt comfortable. He and his son presented us with gifts of Masai throws called Shukas in case our early starts were chilly. It was a lovely gesture that we really appreciated.
We had opted for a mix of lodges and luxury camping. The 3 nights in the Serengeti Acacia Camps and 2 nights in Corfield camps Tarangire were beyond expectation and the highlight of our trip. The beds and food and staff were amazing. Christopher is an absolute authority on the local wildlife and fauna. He has eyes of a Hawk and can spot an animal a mile off. His Moto was always “ With the animals you need lots of patience “ . As he is a solo company and is the Guide he is not restricted to time and milage. We saw all the animals we wanted and sat for long periods of time watching the behavior of Elephant herds and giraffes. Christopher is an authority on wildlife including birds. We learnt so much. One of our party was unwell on day and he went out of his way to travel to a pharmacy. He sat with us at night and learnt about our family and enjoyed our Irish sense of humour. !
He made sure his Freelander was loaded daily with lots of water, biscuits and bananas in addition to our packed lunches. He took us to areas of the Serengeti that the bigger tour operators don’t always go to. A picnic on top of a Kopje one day was a lunch we won’t forget and will always treasure.
I would highly recommend Christoper and his company I DREAM OF AFRICA. A good Guide can make your Safari and Christopher certainly ensured we had an amazing time.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything went smooth as planned.
When I arrived at the airport in Johannesburg I was early so I waited for a while and then I asked the airport official where they told us to meet at and he told me to go outside that's where they meet us at, so I waited outside and then my guide came and got me but, he said he was waiting for me inside,. So I should have followed directions and waited inside like I was told to do in our itinerary. The service was excellent! I enjoy the Safari, the location everything was beautiful. I would definitely recommend everyone to have their own phone service... either you buy one when you get there and make sure your phone company gives you a good deal,. You can only make calls if there is Wi-Fi on the premises.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A trip of a lifetime to Tanzania!
Thank you to Chris and Safari Partners for arranging an amazing, stress-free trip to Tanzania. We stayed at three camps, The Highlands at Ngorongoro Crater, Namiri Plains in central Serengeti and Ubuntu mobile camp in Western Serengeti. The Asilia company that runs these camps was five star all the way, from the gracious staff that hosted us, to the fantastic chefs and the incredible guides we had at all three locations were the best. From the moment we landed at Kilimanjaro airport, and every leg of the trip after that, we never had to worry about a thing, there was always someone waiting for us with a smile on their face waiting to take us to where we needed to be, it was a perfect two weeks! The trip more than exceeded our expectations, meeting the local people, seeing the beautiful animals, the gorgeous landscapes, the breath-taking sunrises and sunsets and the sparkling night sky. We would highly recommend to anyone planning a trip to Africa to contact Chris at Safari Partners, thank you again for a memorable trip, it will stay forever in our hearts!
OM
Awesome Guide!
We had a fantastic safari with Monkey Adventures. Nyani was very professional and prompt with his responses to our mails, and he answered all our questions patiently. We did a 5 days 4 nights safari covering Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara. Zoya was out guide, and he was absolutely wonderful. His knowledge about the geography, and the animals was immense. He kept entertaining us throughout the safari by talking to us and he had a great sense of humor. After this memorable experience, I would highly recommend Monkey Adventures.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What a first time !
We were with Thierry from Toulon, and it was our first safari.
We went first in Kenya then in Tanzania with a custom schedule managed by Thierry and Otieno.
Breathtaking scenery, lot of various animals, perfect organisation, responsiveness to unforeseen circumstances, and two very competent and friendly guides : Kennedy in Kenya and Michael in Tanzania. (special thanks to him for "en français dans le texte")
Unforgettable trip really !
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional service provided by very knowledgeable staff.
When booking a Safari for the first time you have to rely on a good tour operator. Safari specialist was referred to us by someone who had used them several years ago. Nadine clearly understood our priorities, budget and prepared an amazing itinerary for us. Nadine communicated with us through email and phone calls as required before, during the Safari and on our arrival home. We have no hesitation referring Safari Specialists to anyone to experience the beauty of Botswana.