US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable vacation with a Excellent tour operator
We (family of 5) spent 10 days in Kenya and Tanzania. Ngorongoro crater, Amboseli, Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara. Kenya and Tanzania are uniquely endowed with nature and wildlife, what you need is a tour operator who enables you to experience it in the most efficient and effective manner, OT and his team at KWSS does exactly that. Within a few emails and telephone conversations, OT had understood what I was looking for and was able to craft a tour that met my needs. He was extremely responsive but made sure he did not get pushy at any time. From the time we arrived in Nairobi to the time we departed, KWSS was with us, helping and guiding us along. Markos our guide/driver in Kenya was simply awesome. Very knowledgeable and and amazing person over all. All the lodges and safari camps OT recommended were excellent. The game drives were well timed and efficient.
Some pointers that may help first timers..
1. plan at least 2 days in each location... Wild life can be enjoyed only when one is rested.
2. Drives between location are long ... plan to be in a vehicle for extended periods of time.
3. Add in some walking type safaris.... You are constantly moving but in car/vehicle...
4. Budget additional time for crossing borders and make sure you know what is needed to cross over. (visa fees/vaccinations etc etc)
5. A good guide/driver is what makes a safari Great...
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best experience we had in Tanzania
To say the truth, it was our first experience of booking safari, and we used this website to find safari provider. Among other companies, Hello Tanzania responded me always in time and in full. At the stage of booking, Hello Tanzania recommended itself from the best side. The organization of safari was excellent as well. The company executed the negotiated service and always tried to exceed our expectations through providing tailored service (we needed some changes in the planned route). Moreover, all our queries and issues were resolved in highly professional way with client-oriented attitude. We wish all the best Miss Mo Mwajabu and her company, and definitely recommend to choose Hello Tanzania as safari provider.
RU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our first great safari
It was our first safari. But we really liked it. Simon is very responsible to all our requests. Helped to choose the best option for a safari, as well as a convenient payment system. Everything was organized at a high level. Our guide Anthony is very experienced. It seemed that he knew all the roads and all the best places. We look forward to our new trip together with Mwema Africa Safaris.
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect holiday
It was a perfect safari in Tansania with Mama Savana. Our guide Aman was great. we saw all the animals we was looking for. it was a big experience in the tarangire and the serengeti. if you want to do a safari - do it with mama savanna.
thank you alex for our wonderful holiday
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best driver of Maasai Mara!
Great organization, Joshua is very nice and available, Peter is a fenomenal driver and thanks to him we could stay very next to the animals of Maasai Mara. I recommend SCZ
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect
Magic experience. Special thanks to our guides Davide and Emanuele. Highly recommended.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent!!!!
Our trip to Ol Tukai, Amboseli was amazingly planned and their team is so hands on!!! I would refer them to anyone and everyone...
35-50 years of age
A highly recommended authentic bush experience with a wonderful team of local people
My mom of 74, my son (13) and I did a 3 day delta plus 4 day Khwai (next to Moremi) tour, We had an experience that would definitely qualify as one of the highlights of or lives. Phillimon and his team (Joe the chef, Lee - camp hand, BK - second guide and Fish - guide help) are great and humble people who truly go out of their way to make your safari as unforgettable as possible. Being locals, their knowledge is incredible! The boat rides, mokoro trips, Xaxaba village, game drives and walking activities were all unique experiences. Phillimon also took my son fishing, which was a special request and he enjoyed every moment! The accommodation is basic but everything is supplied - just live a little closer to nature for a while. Joe's food is delicious! It is wonderful to see people striving to uplift themselves and I can highly recommend Walking Stick Safaris!!
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Meeting all our requirements
- The trip-Safari met all of our expectations.
- Kathi understood very well our requirements and developed an itinerary to fit perfectly what we were looking for:
* Family fun
* Wild Life
* Some adventure (not excesive)
*Comfort in the nature.
She managed to combine a good trip for our party of 7.
The part of the trip from Cape Town had several roadblocks (not due to African Welcome).
Disapointing was not to be able to do the White shark cage diving. It is annoying that no sharks have been seen in the last months. (we regreted to miss this hit).
We were not even able to pick up Roben Inland Tour tickets netiher (fully booked during our stay).
I appreciated the flexibility of African Welcome looking for alternatives like the Whales Watching trip, Seals colony trip or thd Birds Sanctuary in Hault Bay.
I recommend next time African Welcome should warn on the sharks shortage in advance ..
Beyond those two missings, the rest of the Cape Town part was easy and funny.
Cape Royal suites were great and I recommend to advertize the courtesy shuttle from the hotel , very convenient to visit Waterfront , downton and all kinds of pick ups for a party of 7 (and free of charge).
Regarding the Kruger part of the trip I want to remark that Bateleur was great (low level of accomodation but very appealing, great level of exclusivity and quality of the staff).
Thornibush was surprisingly known by us, as last time we were there in 2009 when Thornibush was called Kapama Bush Lodge....so we unfortunately repeated our lodge without knowing it. However the quality of Lian (guide) was so great, and we saw so many wild life scenes , that we did not mind to repeat.
Regarding Tintswalo Manor House it is relevant to differentiate the accomodation from the game-drives.
Accomodation in a private house, private garden with our private waterhole always plenty of animals was the best spot of the trip. Exclusive butler, ranger, tracker and chef was also a hit .
However the quality of the guide and the tracker was well below the average of the other two previous locations.
Their attitude and behaviour was OK and they were always looking for us. But beyond the Big 5 they were not really able to talk about insects, birds , small mammmals, plants , flowers, other animals, etc....We felt their qualification and English level below the average.
We actually saw more wild-life from our private in house water hole than during the game drives. And Sophia (Bateleur Camp) was able to tell us more about the bush in one morning that the Manor House's guide in 4 days and very little talkative.
Big 5 is OK, but the quality of the guides/tracker resides in their ability to find other exciting topics in the bush when big 5 are not found or when we have seen the same lions family the last two days.
In the positive side the hospitality in Tintswalo: dancing, singing, dinner and breakfast in the bush was memorable.
I would recommend anyone to follow the same order: Bateleur, Thornybush and Tintswalo Manor House. Each of them had a pick of memory:
- Bateleur: modest but exciting and exculsive camp, excellent insects, scorpions, stars speaches.
- Thornybush: the best wild life sightings: running the wild dogs with cubs, hyenas fighting, tracking the black rhino and more.
- Tintswalo Manor House: animals came to our waterhole while having a beer from our coach: elephants, kudus, bufalos, warthogs, etc.... More fun than animals, and that is also part of the expectation.
All in all a great Safari...we will come back again .
DE
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Getting in touch with nature
Two weeks with our wonderful guide Edwin on tour with pumba safaris in the most marvellous parks of Tansania.
Such a pleasure with such a guide! He found the cheetahs chasing or sleeping under trees , the lepards on the sausage trees, exotic flowers , explained us the upsidedowntree ,drove the car safely in every situation, taught us the way of life in Tansania 'Hakuna Matata' . The lodges were excellent , the time being on Safari aslong as we wanted and we could relaxe if neccessary. No Problems , no wishes, because Edwin solved them all. We spend a wonderful time because everything was so well organized and we had just to enjoy!!!
What we did!! Thanks so much to Pumba Safari and Edwin!