50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very helpful and useful operator
I used this operator to book the Kruger Safari and the hotel in Cape town at the luxury end of the market. The agent I dealt with was very helpful without being pushy. She also recommended where to stay on the rest of my trip, I found the advice very helpful and practical. The hotels in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg were equally good
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What a Great Safari with Beacon
Two friends who work with me in Middle East and I just completed a 4 day safari to Masai Mara and Lake Nokuru reserves. We researched a number of tour companies and chose Beacon. Everything about our trip turned out great. We requested a private tour for the three of us. Robert, our tour contact, was very prompt with a proposal. He then made a couple of requested adjustments after our feedback, and was always in returning e-mail questions. He met us at our hotel with our guide on the morning of our departure. I am always concerned when I make advance deposits for service, but both our payment and the promised service occurred flawlessly. We chose higher end tent camp and hotel accommodations, and they really were first rate. We were pleasantly surprised by the service, quality of food, and accommodations at these "camps" at the reserves.
Our guide Mousa was outstanding. He was experienced, knowledgeable, safe, always on time, and we enjoyed his company. We toured in a land cruiser which had plenty of space, and was able to go on any of the roads/trails in the reserves. Mousa had a good radio network and rapport with other guides, and they shared information which helped locate some of the harder to find wildlife. February was a lower volume season, allowing us to get very close to the animals without large crowds. Came back with fantastic photos. The only caution I would have is do not plan your airline departure too close to the planned safari return time if flying out of Nairobi. The traffic to get across the city can be very heavy so allow plenty of time. I would like to return for another safari my family from U.S. and plan to use Beacon when I do.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
5 days Mt Kenya and 3 days Masai Mara
I booked two trips with Bush-thorns Adventures and Safaris:
-5 days trekking tour to Mt Kenya via Chogoria and Sirimon Route
-3 days Safari to Masai Mara
Both trips were very well organized and a great experience. Comunication with the senior tour consultant was always prompt, questions were answered almost immediately. The price, also compared to other tour operators was very fair.
I would definitely recommend travelling with Bush-thorns Adventures and Safaris.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience
I did a 5 day safari to Mara/Nakuru/naivasha/hells gate! I had an amazing time, way more then I expected and the staff at Pride of Africa handled everything professionally. It was way more then I ever expected and a better deal than other places I've been. Would highly recommend these guys if planning a safari!!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Detailed Review Of a Wonderful First Time African Safari Experience
We went on our Safari from the end of December to the beginning of January (7 days.) The planning process started in October. I'm the type where I always have 500 questions, and Amelia was kind and quick to respond to everything, with zero annoyance from her end. I told her all the activities I wanted to do, and she planned an itinerary perfectly. She's very perceptive, as she added things she knew we would love, which was true, we ended up loving the monkey and elephant sanctuary tours! I cannot thank or appreciate Amelia enough for her kindness through her emails and for planning a great trip for us.
Our first day started at 6 am, and our guide, Jaco, was on time, polite and super friendly. We were under the impression we were with a group, but it turned out to be a personal safari with just me and my husband, which was great (a few activities were with groups, but overall, just us!) He is very knowledgeable about everything you can imagine. From the types of trees, to all wildlife (including insects and birds) as well as the history of landmarks, waterfalls, etc. Being with Jaco was like being with a really smart friend who you can tell is passionate about his work; it's not just a job for him, it's the love of being a guide. Not only did he educate us about South African wildlife, but also the culture. It was also great to get to know him as Jaco the person and not just Jaco the guide.
The Panorama route was beautiful and the history of the Sudwala caves and the waterfalls were interesting. For the safari itself, it was amazing. We saw so many animals (including rare sights, Jaco has a great eye) and he was very accommodating to whenever we wanted to stop for photos (or for any other reason.) We were comfortable from day 1 to day 7 (we chose mid-range accommodations.) Breakfast is no frills and included, as well as dinner and we never felt like we were hungry. The private Bush BBQ was phenomenally beautiful and delicious.
One of our night drives was interrupted due to rain, but being in the rain with Jaco and the other guide taking us on the night drive was equally as fun. It was like having an adventure with long-time friends. Our last day had some scheduling issues due to the rain, and everything was handled so well that we still got to do everything in our itinerary. The only hiccup was the hot air balloon ride at sunrise had to be cancelled due to wind conditions, but Red Africa Safaris gave us a full refund.
We were sad to leave Jaco, but happy to have booked through Red Arica Safaris. We are considering going to other parts of Africa for Safaris, and we would pay extra just to have Jaco be our guide, even if outside of South Africa. We highly recommend him to everyone we meet who are thinking about going to Africa (even if they're not thinking about it, we still recommend them highly!) You will not be disappointed with this company.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect!!
This was the second time with Meleck John as a guide. Everything has worked perfectly from A-Z!
A beautiful, interesting safari, but also culture, country and people he showed me. He acts on any request. Also the lodges were carefully selected. I can only recommend Parakuyo!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Garden Tour and 3-day Cape Town Tour
My wife and I visited South Africa for the first time on this trip. We set up the tour not knowing what to expect. What we got exceeded our expectations. It was easy communicating our arrival and subsequent hook up with our guide. Derek has an encyclopedic knowledge of the Western Cape and was fantastic. The Garden Route tour was like driving down Highway 1 in California but with more magnificent scenery if possible. The Game preserve is fascinating, Knysna is a gem, Tsitsikama is glorious, and the Conga Caves are something to behold. We visited the both the Little and Great Karoos and learned a lot about South African history. Derek was adventuresome and was willing to deviate from the route and cross the Schwartzberg Pass - on a road built in the 1880's and unchanged since then. Then the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. And the wine country. And the Boulders with the Penguins. - I could go on and on. Overall we saw more of the Western Cape then we could have imagined in just 8 days. The places we stayed were first class and the food was too much!!! An unbelievable trip - we will be recommending this trip to everyone we know.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Experience to Remember
Safari Infinity customized our trip and gave us impeccable service. The locals are all very warm and friendly and every lodge / tent we stayed at was a treat. Our guide/driver Eddie is the best! He went out of his way to arrange for the acquisition of additional anti Malaria pills needed. He is very knowledgable about the whole tour, about the different species of animals and he takes marvelous pics using your mobile phones! I would highly recommend Safari Infinity to all who wish to experience the beauty of a Safari tour!
MY
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful 5 days with Engagi Safaris
I had 2 weeks to plan a trip to Uganda and with not much time to research what to do and see, I emailed Engagi Safari for some ideas and prices. Robert was very quick to reply to my emails and was also very accommodating when I keep changing my itinerary. I did the 5 days tour including gorilla trekking in Bwindi, chimpanzee all day immersion and QENP . A friend of mine who has done the gorilla trekking with Engagi Safari some years ago recommended them and after my 5 days with Kenneth of Engagi Safaris I couldn't recommend them more. I was a sole female traveler and they really looked after me. The accommodation choices were great and I felt I was in good hands the whole time. Kenneth is a good guide, lots of knowledge about birds and very passionate about the gorillas. The seamless arrangement by Engagi Safaris made my trip a very memorable one.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent!
I had the best vacation! A vacation of a lifetime!! It was a trip that I had been wanting to take since I was A little girl. Engagi Safaris was recommended to me by a friend. He said that he had a great experience so I thought I would use the same company. I was going to be traveling alone so I wanted to be sure that I was going to be safe and with a reputable company. I was able to arrange a 13 day excursion with many adventures. Basiima Robert was an excellent guide and driver. He was able to set up a perfect itinerary for me that consisted of chimpanzee habitation, gorilla trekking, Ngamba Island, Nile Rafting, Lake Bunyonyi and game drives and so much more! I highly recommend Engagi Safaris for your trip to Uganda. You will not be disappointed. Thank you so much for giving me my trip of a lifetime. An adventure I will never forget