50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A fantastic varied trip with the kindest most informative and enthusiastic guide , thank you Jako
Jako collected us from our hotel and drove us for 5 days into the Drakensburg and then on to the Kruger . It was wonderful to have him along with us as he was able to tell us so much about the country and spot the game for us and he was great company and very kind .
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable and personal experience!
Our experience with Daily Expeditions Limited was nothing short of amazing! Frank (the owner) was absolutely wonderful to work with. Frank always made himself available to answer any questions we had about our climb, the mountain itself, or logistics. Frank was also very understanding and accommodating of our busy schedule during the planning portion of our climb. We were able to meet with our guide (Shafii) multiple times before our climb, and any equipment in their shop was available for us to use free of charge. On our climb, our guides (Shaffi & Pews), porters, and cook were all wonderful. The staff were clear professionals at their job, constantly encouraging us but always willing to change their pace/take breaks as needed. Our camp was always ready for us upon arrival, and all of the meals on the mountain were delicious (and warm!!). For everything we received and experienced on our climb it was WELL worth the price and I would HIGHLY recommend this experience. They even had a bottle of champagne for us upon arrival at the hotel to celebrate our summit. For reference we completed the Machame route in 6 days in December 2018. THANKYOU Daily Expeditions Limited.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
One star is too much
The three of us selected a ten day trip around Uganda. We paid two thirds of the total, told to cover the remaining third upon arrival. Once we arrived, we were taken to ATM's several times almost every morning, to take out the third half and pay in cash. We explained multiple times that we would not be able to take out that much and can wire money instead but our guide refused and kept asking us to take out cash, even asking us to overpay at a lodge so they could reimburse that amount back to the guide.
We told our guide several times we did not want a boat tour. It was not part of our itinerary. On the day we had scheduled game drives all day, they took us to lunch then told us to hurry through lunch to make the boat tour.
After we paid our initial deposit, our guide changed several lodging options. They explained 'it was the equivalent.' One lodge was $125USD a night but they changed it to a $16USD a night lodge. When we arrived at our $16USD night lodge, the guide told us to check in then LEFT. We couldn't check in because it was too early and our guide had left with our bags. They came back two hours later- no explanation or apologies.
Prior to arrival, we were told several times to bring items to donate to an orphanage. On the day we were set to meet the kids, our guide brought us back to our lodging then told us since it was a holiday, the kids had gone home to their families. ..but it's an orphanage? We were forced to give all our items ($300USD) to the lodging manager and are not entirely sure where the items went.
Over the entire trip, our guide was consistently late and left us alone in our vehicle in large cities (without telling us where they'd be). We brought this up but there was no change.
When we went for game drives, they would stop and take photos themselves, then continue on. They never checked in to see if we had a good view or got all our photos.
In addition, our guide made three stops during our drive to visit friends. They would stop the car, hop out and chat with the person for several minutes, then hop back in. No explanation or apologies for the delay in time. At one point, both guides asked us if we wanted to stop and shop. We said no, but they still left us in the car and went shopping themselves.
On the last day, our guide had initially promised a lunch before a ride to the airport however, the night before they decided they'd only take us to the airport.
Overall, we realized we overpaid for the trip we wanted and especially for the trip we got. We feel like we were fully taken advantage of and are unsure of the integrity/legitimacy of this company.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
When I go back to Tanzania again, it will be only with TANZANIA HORIZON SAFARIS
We had a four day safari that took us to Lake Manyara, Tarangire and Ngorongoro. The safari was amazing and there were so many unforgettable moments. Our safari guide picked us up from the airport in Kilimanjaro and dropped us off when we departed. From the moment we landed, we felt very well looked after and experienced the wonderful Tanzanian hospitality. Our guide was very knowledgeable, courteous, funny and made us feel really comfortable. He seemed to have a sixth sense when in the National Parks and clearly knew a great deal about animal behavior.
Everything ran smoothly and the accommodation lived up to our expectations.
If you are thinking of booking a safari, I can definitely reccomend Tanzania Horizon Safaris. Our time was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.
US
It was amazing.
I have been to Africa five times. This trip was amazing the service was wonderful. The guide was so knowledgeable and friendly. It was a pleasure. It was all we expected and more.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Pretty good guide but better cook needed
Everything was ok but the meals. I'm a vegetarian and I've been a bit disappointed with the dishes served.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful honeymoon with The Safari Source
We booked our honeymoon with The Safari Source and could not be happier. Together with Monika we agreed on a tailor-made itinerary that was just perfect for us. Monika send us recommended lodges based on our ideas and wishes and organized all the lodges, transports and extra activities.
We visited three camps in Botswana, the Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park. The camps were amazing and all the flight and bus transfers were well organized.
We had an amazing time and would highly recommend The Safari Source!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari in Addo, then self drive on Garden Route to Cape Town
We were a family of 5 adults, visiting SA for the first time. We drove between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town via The Garden Route. Our first destination was Schotia Private Game Reserve, were we stayed in lodges within the park for 2 nights. We had several game drives and saw plenty. The accommodation was very comfortable, our guides very knowledgeable and the food was tasty, but simple, however, they were not really geared up for catering for vegetarians!
Our next stop was Jeffrey’s Bay, which was great for surfing, but that was about all! We stayed at The Savoy, which was dated and in need of some re-decoration.
Tsitsikamma next, where we thoroughly enjoyed our Treetop Canopy Tour. We stayed at Swallows Nest, where we had a small cottage, which was well equipped and very comfortable. We ate at Rafters restaurant, which was walking distance, good food and very friendly staff.
Then on to Knysna, where we stayed for 2 nights over Christmas. We stayed in Moncrief Manor, lovely accommodation with stunning views, but a bit too far out of town and sleepy. The walls between rooms were very thin, which meant that you could overhear conversations and snoring! The breakfast was delicious and our host, Kevin, very friendly.
We had Christmas lunch at Simola Hotel and Golf complex which had stunning views and a Christmasy vibe. The food was buffet style, with plenty of choice and the wines were great. Thankfully, our Tour operator Elaine, had pre-booked a transfer there and back, so that we could indulge ourselves!
On Boxing Day we drove back along the coast, went for lunch at Cornuti Al Mare in Plettenberg Bay. The service was terrible, we waited for an hour and a half for our food, which when it arrived, was cold. This made us late for our visit to Monkeyland and meant that we didn’t have time to see Birds of Eden. In the evening we drove quite a way to eat at Butterfly Blu in Brenton-on-Sea, which was a beautiful location, but the food was average.
Next day we drove to Oudtshoorn, where we stayed in Gumtree Guest House. Our host Phil and his wife were extremely friendly, helpful and entertaining. The accommodation was lovely. We visited Cango Caves and an Ostrich farm....both well worth a visit.
A long drive the next day to the stunning Franschhoek! This place was the highlight of our trip. It is a place where we wished we had stayed for longer. Our accommodation in Cape Vue Country House was luxurious and the scenery was out of this world. We went on the Wine Tram, stopping at three different wineries, Rickety Bridge, Holden Manz and Chamonix. We ate at French Connection, where we had a fantastic dinner. We will definitely return to Franschhoek in the future, there are lots of lovely restaurants and wineries to visit and more!
We drove to St Helena Bay via Stellenbosch, stopping at Kannonkop winery and then had lunch at Delhiem winery, which was really good.
We arrived quite late in the day to St Helena Bay, but had a stroll along the vast beach. We got the impression that this is a place to chill out! Our host at Absolute Beach was very friendly and hospitable.
The final leg of our trip was 3 nights in Cape Town. We stayed centrally in Cloud 9 Boutique hotel. The rooms were very comfortable and the roof top bar had stunning views of Table Mountain and surroundings. There was a great choice at breakfast, which was served at the adjacent bistro.
We visited Table Mountain, some of us via the cable car, for which we queued for 2 hours in the heat and others walked up.....a strenuous climb taking about 2 and a half hours. Amazing views at the top. We avoided the 2 hour queue for the cable car and chose to walk down.
We had New Year’s Eve on the V &A waterfront, which we had Pre-booked. The fireworks were amazing and the whole ambience was lively.
Our trip was organised by Go Self-Drive Tours. We were very pleased with the itinerary, car, restaurant recommendations and accommodation. The communication was excellent and the trip was a great eye opener to see what SA has to offer and has left us keen to return to some of the places we visited.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A memorable trip on Rovos Rail to Victoria Falls followed by 6 nights safari in Botswana
We were delighted with the tailor made itinerary Clyde arranged to fulfil our long held wish to combine a journey on the Rovos Rail to Victoria Falls with a safari experience in Botswana. The ground arrangements were excellent and the tour ran smoothly throughout. We were impressed with the knowledge & attention to detail in the planning particularly the safari element. Although the dry season the choice of two contrasting camps ensured we experienced many game & wildlife sightings. Everything added up to a most memorable & enjoyable holiday.
CL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing fun and safe experience
In few words, our safari was MUCH better than expected. The scenic views, the wildlife and the way every animal was found in nature was a unique experience. The accommodations were also better that we have imagined when we booked a 'budget safari', everything seemed very safe and well maintained.
Our preferred park was Masai Mara, very beautiful and full of wildlife. Seeing rhinos at Lake Nakuru was also a marvelous experience. On the other hand was Amboseli park, which, because of rain seasons, was not as amazing as it is supposed to be on dry seasons. Nevertheless, we spotted mating lions and a huge pack of elephants from very close, which was very exciting.
If I had to name a downside for the whole safari it would be the food. It was very delicious and abundant everywhere, but there was a specific place where we had lunch 2 days in a row that gave my wife and I stomach issues for 4-5 days.
All this was briefly opaqued by the miscommunication problem when transferring from Amboseli to Arusha, where we were left stranded at the bus station, but Diana (from Sterling travel) responded very well after we could communicate, offering a fair solution.