Ronnie was the most dependable, informative tour guide we have ever had!
Thanks to Ronnie and Fred, with Frena Adventures, my husband and I were able to have an experience of a lifetime on our four day tour. I was communicating with Fred prior to the booking and he was so helpful, responsive, and knowledgeable that I made no hesitation in booking with Frena Adventures.
Ronnie, our amazing tour guide, picked us up at our hotel in a very comfortable vehicle and we made the long drive from Kapala to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The drive didn't seem that long as Ronnie made a few fun stops (Equator Pics and Coffee, Fabulous lunch, etc). He pointed out some fascinating sites along the way and patiently answered all of my questions regarding the surrounding areas. We first stayed at the Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge and the view was just spectacular, as were the staff. The accommodations were as expected (mid range) and we actually slept very well there. The food was really good and we highly recommend this location.
The next morning, we woke up and went on our Gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi and it did not disappoint- it was such an amazing experience! The guides, the locals, the guards- everyone was so nice and informative. We are still in awe of the experience. From there, we traveled to the Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort and this had to be our favorite accommodations by far. This in on one of the 99 islands in Lake Bunyonyi and it's so quiet and tranquil that we could have stayed here longer. You can swim off the dock, you can hike the island and see the local wildlife (monkey, zebra, waterbok, donkey, deer, etc), or you can sit on the terrace and enjoy the wonderful food and staff. The accommodations exceeded our expectation of a mid range lodge, and we highly recommend this location.
The next day we set off for the Queen Elizabeth National Park and we took a two hour private boat tour on the Kazinga Channel onto Lake Edward. Now this experience was completely unexpected- we saw a TON of hippos, Water Buffalos, and more bird species than we knew existed. But we also saw Elephants (in and out of the water), and monkeys, etc. Our tour guides were two young men and were SOOO knowledgable and friendly, we had a great time with them. We had a fabulous lunch of fresh caught fish and then we set off on our evening game drive in the QE NP. The game drive was amazing- we had a wonderful guide along with Ronnie and with their help, we were able to see Baboons, warthogs, elephants, waterbok, antelope (one heard of almost 1000), Buffalo, Lioness, Leopard, and more. We were just blown away by all that we were able to see.
We then headed to our lodging at the Queen Elizabeth Safari Lodge, which was a new hotel (new for Frena, as well). The hotel itself was very nice with new lodging and good amenities, but the service was inexperienced and slow and so it impacted our agenda marginally. Thankfully Ronnie was so good at keeping us on schedule that we didn't miss anything.
Our next morning, we ventured off on a chimpanzee tour that was phenomenal, we saw so many different types of primates and our guides were just so knowledgeable and friendly. A truly remarkable experience! We then started the long track to the airport in Entebbe and were dropped off with plenty of time to meet our 11pm departure.
A huge thanks to Ronnie for making this such a memorable experience, we couldn't imagine a more patient and knowledgable driver/guide. We have travelled all over the world and he is by far our favorite tour guide to date.
A few suggestions for folks considering the 4 day gorilla trekking tour with Frena Adventures:
-Ask Fred for a packing list, he has a great one that is helpful.
-Bring gloves... like gardening gloves for heavy thorns as this was extremely useful during the two trekks. Everyone else was trying to manage with large walking sticks but ended up abandoning them and using their hands to traverse some of the more steeper terrains. We were the envy of the group with the gloves.
-Make sure you have bills for tipping and buying souvenirs- Tips for hotel staff (3 locations), tips for Guides (6 on Gorilla, 2 on Boat, 1 on Game Drive, 2 on Chimpanzee); Souveniers- Batwa Cultural Experience; and of course- tip your drive/tour guide (at the end of the trip).
-If you can, bring pens for the local children. Everywhere you go kids will wave and smile at you, and we learned that a lot of tourists give them pens for school. When you drive up and down the mountains, you will see kids walking to get water or walking to school and so stopping to give them a pen would really go a long way. Don't bring chocolate or sweets as they don't have the dentistry to support that kind of sugar intake.
-Spend a little bit more for the Mid Range Lodging options. Even though they are midrange, not all lodges has shampoo/conditioner/soap for you, so be prepared.
-This 4 day trip will take you from extremely warm temperatures, to really cool temperatures so bring a sweater/jacket.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience with a truly great guide/driver!
Our driver Ken was a phenomenal guide, and made our trip very special.
He was good humoured, very knowledgeable and helpful, and always put our safety first while going out of his way to make sure we saw the wildlife we wanted to see. Ken was an excellent driver and we felt comfortable in the well kitted-out Toyota jeep.
The Right Choice safari tour was very well organised. Pick up from our hotel in Nairobi was very straightforward and all the accommodation on safari was to a good standard.
We would recommend the tour to those looking to go on a longer safari, but be aware – lots of early mornings!
Thanks for a wonderful trip! Naomi and John
AT
Amazing
We did the 7 days Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha & Amboseli Safari. Our guide Aruni took a very good care of us and gave us a lot of information about animals, environment and the country. Thanks to Aruni, we were able to see the Big 5 and make wonderful pictures that will always remind us of this amazing time in Kenya.
AT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A perfect tour operator for the Uganda experience
We chose to travel to Uganda because about 20 years ago we were in Borneo and saw wild orang-utans. This was a very impressive adventure. Therefore we decided we want to see other primates, too. Uganda is the right spot because it has not only chimpanzee and gorilla trekkings but it is also rich of other species such as giraffes, elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, hippos, other monkeys, uncountable types of birds and much more. In addition, the people are friendly and welcoming. We enjoyed seeing farmers and villages but also the bubbling markets in the larger cities.
Communication is easy in English, though some guides even speak excellent German. We found it important to know that you should have some smaller bills in Uganda shillings and in US dollars because you often tip people and not everybody is happy about one or the other.
We never had a moment when we felt unsafe. Our guide Isaac is an excellent driver and very eager to care for every comfort that is possible. I had the idea to buy raw, unroasted coffee and he made it possible. We wanted to visit a market and see the products people sell - he made it possible. I said that I do not like fellow tourists who are noisy and shy away the animals we want to watch. Magically, we had very quiet nice fellow tourists in our trekking groups ...
There is simply nothing negative I could say about our Uganda experience. It is a great country with wonderful people and an unbelievable variety of animals.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Their extensive knowledge of Africa enables them to plan and implement a holiday of a lifetime
Aardvark is the best tour operator in our opinion. From our initial meeting with Lucinda who listened carefully to our ideas and proposed budget three initial plans were produced combining our ideas with Lucinda’s in depth knowledge of Africa. The result was a very special and carefully tailored holiday of a lifetime. Every detail was covered from being met off the international flight before even passport control to internal flights to the different camps. Having one’s own dedicated team complete with chef was unbelievable. Thank you Aardvark for an amazing experience.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience! Experienced guide and team for the Kilimanjaro climb
We were very happy with African Big Cats Safaris and the journey they provided to the highest point of Kilimanjaro via the Marangu route. Even though the Marangu route has an overall lower success rate due to the relatively quick ascent, our trip was well planned with an additional acclimatization day without a net ascent which helped us to adjust to the high altitude. Most of all, we are thankful for our guide Imran and his amazing team, they provided us with everything we needed for the climb. When we were lacking some medicine on the way, they provided this for us as well, and as I understood from other travellers we were more lucky in this than most (some guides do not provide additional services such as these). They were very friendly and great to travel with!
The celebrations after we returned from the peak were also amazing, with everyone we drank champagne and had a sung sang to us which you will surely also hear if you do decide to climb Kilimanjaro. The value we got for the money spent was great in hindsight, for any less than the price we paid, there could be some risk of the porters/guides not being paid properly. For this price (including tips), it seems that everyone was paid promptly and fairly.
We would recommend African Big Cats Safaris and hope you also have a great journey if you do decide to the climb!
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
TANZANIA IN THE HEART
Incredible experience! We had a great time. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, just like living in a movie. Amazing Vicens guide the animals that you do not see with him there will be no other who can show them to you and Cheff Tito unbeatable !! Typical food of the area. All done with very good taste and quality. Looking forward to coming back and we haven't left yet.❤️
(automatic translation from Spanish)
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hakuna matata
My experience with Suricata Safaris has been 10.
From the first minute they were attentive to us, in my case I traveled with my mother and any need was attended to by the company.
Starting with the taxi driver who picked us up the first day, friendly and attentive, and continuing with:
The guide: an excellent professional, he has lynx eyesight and it shows that he is passionate about his work, he enjoys what he does and above all he reflects it on a day-to-day basis.
The cook: Brutal, every day he has surprised us with typical dishes from the African land, all incredibly good and to add that he has been very attentive and friendly at all times.
In general, everyone has a joy that characterizes them and that is contagious and is necessary on a vacation.
For my part, dream come true and it is thanks to them.
ASANTE SANA
(automatic translation from Spanish)
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"We are very grateful to Tanja. She made our trip unforgettable!"
The combination of following the Brunel Solar Team during the Sasol Solar Challenge 2022 and visiting the highlights of South-Africa was our challenge for a 2-week trip to South-Africa. Booking a standard trip was impossible for us. We had to look for a customised trip with many fixed moments.
Via via we came in contact with Tanja in May 2022. From the first contact we had the feeling she really understood our challenge. Our agenda during our stay was Tanja her starting point; locations and dates (and sometimes times) were fixed. This had to be taken into account.
Our question to Tanja was “simple”: “Can you arrange nice accommodations, drivers, guides and excursions for us, taking into account that we will meet the Brunel Solar Team during the Sasol Solar Challenge 2022?”.
As from the start of the organisational journey it was fun working with Tanja. Good, clear and on time communication, offering opportunities for nice accommodations and excursions to get the South-Africa feeling was all part of it. The preparation time was fun already and when locations or dates changed from our side, accommodations were rebooked; this was no issue.
Our trip itself, from our arrival in Johannesburg to our departure in Cape Town, was extremely well organised by Tanja. Drivers and guides were on time and they were all well informed and entertaining. Besides the accommodations were lovely as well. We have had a fantastic trip in South-Africa.
Also, during our trip Tanja kept an eye on everything. She informed us about possible delays of domestic flights and she organised additional excursions within a few hours. Tanja took care of everything!
We are very grateful to Tanja. She made our trip unforgettable.
IR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Best Memory
My husband and i reserve a saffari from Iran, they picked up us from airport and then we spent 3days at masai mara, it was a very good exprience and we really enjoy.Yassin was our tour leader, he was so professional in his work.