IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Standard service
The parks were really nice, and we were able to see many animals. The Lenchada camp in Masai Mara did not have electricity and hot water all day long, and we were not aware of that. The other hotels were fine. Our driver Charles K was the best. He made us live an immersive experience in the savannah.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fair to Average
I booked 8 months in advance (group join option) with stated goal to spend as much time as possible with the migration. The itinerary indicated 1 day in the Crater and 3 days in the Serengeti including one entire day with the migration (large wildebeest herd) and at the river looking for crossings.
Unfortunately this did not occur primarily due to the driver. Room/board was good and the first two days went according to schedule. I was put in a Avocet Tanzania Safaris group (the 6 passengers had each booked with several different agencies and mixed together --this is apparently common in Tanzania). We had a very good visit to Tangamire NP. One passenger left and a young boy who did not speak english joined us presumably as a cook. He and the driver were always speaking Swahili so we got minimal information. Loud ranger station static over the 2-way seemed always on and prevented music from being played.
On the 3rd day we found the large herd early in the morning , an incredible sight. But after 20 minutes, almost as if the job was completed, the driver took us across the Grumeti where we spent another hour then told us they are not crossing today so we crossed back and despite request to return, we never saw the herd again. The rest of the day was spent driving at high speed chasing ranger reports of cats which we had already seen quite a few of (but no chases/kills). At dinner I found out other vehicles had seen groups of wildebeast crossing the river. The fourth day was spent chasing more cats.
My second complaint is that each time I stood up to take a photo, the vehicle would take off fast knocking me down. It would be nice to get a warning like "leaving in 10 seconds". The fifth day was at the crater. We spent only 3 hours and I was told that the 4 other passengers were on a 5-day safari so he was taking them to the airport. I was left at campsite near Lake Manyara for 18 hours without a guide. On the sixth day I had my own guide for Lake Manyara NP and then to the airport.
Of course, I will return to see another migration but unsure if at Serengeti or Masai Mara.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bellow expectations, but good
We booked a 4 day safari in Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru. It was a good safari but to be fair on the third day you should except no safari, as you leave from Masai Mara after visiting the village and drive to Nakuru, arriving at 4pm at hotel. I think there must be something to do on the third day rather than being on the car and at the hotel. Also we couldn't see the herbivores crossing the river, male lions and leopards, and barely no explanation about the itinerary and the animals were given to us.
A girl from the group got a stomach infection and suspected it was from Lenchada Camp.
It was a bit disappointing but a great experience since Masai Mara and Nakuru are great parks.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Gilda Barsion
We could not ecplore the park because the lake was extended and blocked the roads of the national Park. Lots of baboon and monkey . That was Nice. Some zebras, birds. But not for long time
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All good
He has complied with everything contracted. We would have liked the guide to explain information to us during the safari. The meals are repeated every day, but the accommodations were great. To repeat.
US
50-65 years of age
It was okay but could be a ton better.
I do recommend this tour of Soweto but be careful, they will try to pull at your heart strings and bring you to the slum area at the beginning to meet pre school kids in their “kindergarten “ building so that you will donate to the facility. Be prepared to have to give tips to different people too on this trip. The Nelson Mandela and Hector Pieterson memorial were the ones I wanted to see but the latter was rushed.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Nyerere National Park by Lorraine
All tour operators harassing the wildlife, likely because we saw very few animals and they wanted to make tourists happy but it was wrong.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Truely "world class" wildlife and scenery but with food poisoning
In late June, we did the beach (Zanzibar) and safari (Serengeiti) tour, about four days for each location. Perfect weather, amount of time, and excellent staff support. Saw everything you can reasonably expect to see, many times upclose. It's expensive but honestly a great value. The only downside I have to mention was repeated food poisoning. For a family of four, we got sick 4-5 times in 11 days and were recovering for about a week after we got home. We took all the vaccinations, pills, sprays, and sanitizers. We had one day, the first day, where no one was in the bathroom (actively being sick), recovering in bed, or carefully going out but always close to a bathroom. We had to delay and cancel plans or do something without someone. Even when we did something amazing (like the dolphin dive or a night game drive), often one person felt "iffy". It diminished the experience. One time, my son got sick eating at the Arusha airport- our fault; the food had been sitting all day. But the other three, possibly four times, were from top-rated, high-end, "Western" restaurants. We never ate street food. In the end, it felt like you could not escape getting sick unless you only ate or drank "factory-sealed" items (even if they said they used bottled water for the ice or coffee.) I tried to stay positive, but it was the worst experience we've had as a family (and we've been to Thailand, Columbia, South Africa twice, across the Pacific, and Greece). If I had to do it again, I'd only stay at an inclusive lodge where they felt ownership for food safety. Sadly, I would not go out to eat, which is a big part of our travels. I'll accept food poisoning once, maybe twice, but every two or three days for four different, relatively experienced people across three locations is a systemic hygiene issue.
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life trip but with dissatisfaction and disappointments
The pre-communication with Morning Star was very smooth, they finally customized a 10-day itinerary according to our ideas, we enjoyed most of the time in these 10 days, thanks for this;
The downside is that the problems with the vehicle happened 3 times in the 10 days and we had to change the vehicle twice for that;
What's even more uncomfortable is that when I expressed that I were not 100% satisfied with the trip, they directly recalled and deleted the link to write my review which had been sent to me already, even though I asked them for sending me the link again at least 2-3 times, they always tried to procrastinate and refuse, that’s unacceptable and directly affects my final evaluation.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bumpy start but great execution
The trip started as planned. I received help straightening out my flight and required documents for 30 dollars a person. The transfer ride was on time but cost 15 dollars coming from a few minutes outside of Nairobi (a rip off). When we arrived at the bus, it was filled completely and somewhat squished but as expected. Before leaving, the tour group notified me that I had an unpaid balance and when going to pay my 75 dollar balance (flight help for two people and a transfer fee), I was told that I owed an additional 50 dollars because they forgot to add a surcharge on the credit card I originally paid with. Arguing over this delayed the start of the trip by about an hour and left everyone frustrated. After leaving, everything was smooth again. The guide was friendly, made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. We stopped for self serve lunch at restaurants and were provided food but not drinks. When arriving at the park everyone’s passports were collected and taken out of sight for over ten minutes for check in. That was alarming, but worked out. Our tented cabin was double layered and did surprisingly very well keeping out bugs and rain. The room had a full sized bed and a twin bed, both canopy styled with netting to also keep out bugs. We had a bathroom with a flushing toilet, but the shower nozzle didn’t work. Also coming during a rainy season meant black outs and inconsistent WiFi access. Our things seemed to be left untouched when leaving for the safari run. The guide was enthusiastic and dedicated to finding all the interesting scenes. He made sure to get as close as possible and made sure we had the best angle to see everything and get good pictures. He gave brief synopses on the animals and answered all our questions. He was a fantastic driver and knew his way around the park and how to get through the muddy patches without getting stuck. I would definitely go again but I would pack tons of my own snacks and liquids, and I would pay for everything in cash and refuse any additional services.
