NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari, nice guide and wonderful experience
The staff at Furahia are wonderful. They were recommended to me by a friend and did not disappoint. The driver guide was knowledgeable and easy going. He knew when to explain and also when not to be too present. He was very nice and a good travel companion during our safari.
Where Furahia stood out was at problem solving. On encountering the unexpected, it really matters what company you chose. Furahia was excellent at solving problems that we encountered during our safari and at Zanzibar. They were easily contacted, good in communication and they solved our problems right away.
I would definitely recommend Furahia as your safari organiser.
CZ
We had the best driver&hunter Bernard ever!
We spent 3 days in Safari with our private driver Bernard and it was incredible! We have seen a lots of kinds of animals, hunting animals, eating animals, cubs with mums, elephants, hyppos, giraffes, lions, cheetas, gepards, monkeys, crocodiles, zebras, antilops and more and more animals. Bernard was great, wasn't lazy to find the best places to hunt the best pics, his driving skills were perfect, always on time, friendly, talkative! Need come back one day! Awesome and unforgottable experience. Thank you so much!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Think Twice Before You Book with Shedluck
It is very disappointing when companies do not act fairly. Unfortunately, Shedluck Tours has not behaved fairly.
For our very first trip to Africa we signed up to volunteer with a medical team. We fundraised and solicited donations of much-needed medical supplies to assist with surgeries in remote Migori. Because the journey is so very long, we wanted to extend our stay beyond the volunteer stint and we chose Shedluck Tours for the additional days.
Unfortunately, despite taking all necessary precautions, I became very ill with GI symptoms, requiring visits to two separate clinics. For medically necessary reasons and on the advice of the Kenyan physician, we were forced to cut our visit short and return home. Prior to becoming ill, we had even more bad luck. Heavy rains led to numerous road washouts and traffic jams (terrible, even by Kenyan standards) caused hours-long detours, meaning that we missed out on many opportunities outlined in the tour itinerary.
In country, we were too sick to hammer out the details of a refund. Once home, we realized that Shedluck Tours was not planning to return any of our fee other than a very small portion designated for a visit to a village, despite the fact that we had said on more than one occasion that we did not want to visit this village.
By returning early, we did not venture to Amboseli, a remote area without medical facilities. We did not precipitate a medical emergency that would have endangered my health, nor did we expose staff or guests at the Amboseli Lodge to unnecessary risk. Instead, we made the ethical and medically necessary decision to cut our visit short.
Despite the fact that we did not receive all services outlined in the itinerary due to weather, we did not ask for a refund from Shedluck for those missed opportunities because that would not be fair. These were circumstances beyond everyone's control and they continued to provide services. It seems entirely fair, however, to request a refund for services they did not provide, to share the burden of a trip that was significantly altered and shortened. Unfortunately, they have chosen to ignore my request and have cut off communication.
As to the services they provided, they were basic. I have learned the hard way that there are drivers and there are guides. After assisting with surgeries, the volunteer medical stint included a two-day safari in the Maasai Mara. That company, Frate Tours, provided honest-to-goodness GUIDES. They knew the unmarked roads of the Mara like the backs of their hands. They were as rapt as we were by the animals. They extended our drives to provide us with the best possible experience. They constantly consulted each other and other guides to locate the best sightings. They provided interesting information about the animals and the area. Frate Tours truly went the extra mile. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
In contrast, Shedluck Tours provided a driver. He was a nice young man and we cut him a lot of slack because he confessed to being new, but the difference was stark and obvious from the beginning. He was late to pick up up from the lodge on our first and only day of safari, but we had arrived early (bags all packed) because we had been trained by Frate Tour guides, who were always prompt. We were finally delivered just a few miles down the road to the boat launch. Our driver did not accompany us on the ride and we were expected to tip the boat guide, even though the itinerary did not specify that our driver would not be our guide. After the boat ride, we ate a pre-packed lunch. Instructions on the box prominently advised storage in a cooler to preserve freshness. Our boxes were stored on the front seat.
Little disappointments continued to pile up. During our one and only game drive, our driver did not yield to animals in the park. Instead, he drove impatiently, even when animals were in the road, causing them to flee. Our guide from Frate Tours always yielded; "They have the right!" he said, all smiles. When we came upon a group of white rhinoceros, our driver did not automatically turn around to follow respectfully when the animals passed us. Instead, he hung back and we watched them walk away from us. Frate Tours, would have repositioned us to get a better look while still maintaining a respectful distance. Our driver also never volunteered information about the animals or the location, even though I am sure he had a lot to give.
Most troubling of all, however, was that when I became very ill, our driver was not on-site. He was not on-site because Shedluck Tours had failed to determine ahead of time that our lodging did not provide any quarters for drivers, despite the fact that they had rooms available. As a result, our driver had to stay in town, some distance away. When notified that I was very ill, he did not show up until hours later. A truly conscientious driver would have returned to the lodge immediately to assess the situation and offer assistance.
As I said, our driver was a nice young man who was obviously new to the job. I fault the tour operator for not proactively addressing some of these issues (e.g., providing a cooler for lunches) and I especially fault the owner for not doing homework ahead of time regarding the the lack of lodging for drivers.
We took a big risk by signing up with Shedluck Tours because they have virtually no presence on TripAdvisor or any other review sites. They were recommended by another volunteer and the pre-trip communications were all very prompt. In the aftermath of my illness, they have cut off all communications, hoping that I will just go away and give up.
To our relief and complete surprise, we received a refund from United Airlines of the fee levied for changing our tickets, because they recognized that circumstances were beyond our control. They chose not to penalize us for making the right decision. A mega-corporation that receives hundreds of such requests on a daily basis was able to process our refund request within four days. Not Shedluck Tours. In fact, they have yet to process the meager refund that they promised.
If you read my other reviews on TripAdvisor, you will notice that I try to accentuate the positive. I try to be fair and look at the big picture, even if the experience is not 100% perfect. This will be my first truly negative review and it makes me sad. In this instance, however, too many little things add up to a bigger failure. We did not receive excellent service or fair treatment from Shedluck Tours so I urge you to consider carefully before you arrange a trip with them.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful safari with amazing guide
We did a lodge safari in January. It was our first safari so we didn't know what to expect. We had such a good time. We were very lucky to see lion hunting and we saw so many big herds of buffalos, zebras and other animals. Our guide Edward was really good. He took good care of us and was very patient when we wanted to stay with the animals for a long time. My son just couldn't get enough of it! About the lodges. We liked them all, but especially Tortilis in Serengeti was so amazing. Great place to stay and really good service. All in all, we had an amazing week and we would love to come back sometime. Thanks Shemeji!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent, authentic and professional safari experience with Safari Multiways
We could not have been happier with Romeo from Safari Multiways. He helped us define the tour and provide advice regarding the itinerary for our 7-day safari trip. The communication was always clear and very prompt and they managed to secure our preferred accommodation that we otherwise heard were fully booked.
In terms of our guide and driver, we had a very enjoyable time with Amosi who was knowledgable, entertaining and put us at ease. The days in the jeep can be long and intense but he always put as at ease and was fantastic driver and spotted all the wildlife like no one else. Thanks very much for the amazing trip!!
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lifetime experience!
On all our questions we received a response within 24 hours. All information was clear and helpful!
We are thankful for the tour Shemeji organized for us, it was a lifetime experience! The guide (Andrew) is probably one of the best in Tanzania, he was amazing!
US
Great Desert Experience
Communications were excellent. The lodging was exceptional with tasty food options from a huge buffet and braai options of game meats.
For the three day tour, the first and last day are really all driving with the desert tours on day 2 at sunrise and sunset. Most of the second day was spent relaxing at the hotel.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience
Convenient to have an experienced travel organization to help out with travel to the DRC. Virunga NP was a once in a lifetime experience!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The perfect safari which ticked all our boxes
We decided to book our holiday independently after seeing how much the tour companies were charging. Not wanting to go to SA for personal reasons, we looked at Kenya and then fell in love with the idea of Tanzania. Shemeji certainly came up with the 'goods' according to our brief and we couldn't fault them.
We visited Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, and the Serengheti, each very different and each fabulous in its own right. We saw the Big Five, and the choice of accommodation was perfect as it allowed us to experience lodges and tented lodges, all really great places to stay. The people were very friendly, and the Masai fascinating. Our guide Edward did everything to try to make our visit perfect, and he promised us cheetah, and cheetah we got.....7 of them. we would dearly love to return.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari with Lesaga Adventure!
We did a safari in March with Lesaga Adventure.
Evrything was very well, as expected. No bad surprises. Our guide was with us when we arrived at the airport until we left.
Very good organisation, very nice staff. The tents are clean and spacious. Good food .
We visit the great national parks of Northern Tanzania: Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti and Nogorongoro. It s amazing experience but it s better to do it with a good guide!!!!
Thanks to our guide Philip, our cook, Ibrah and to Sylvie and Gasper, the managers!
We recommend you!!!!