US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Florent and his staff were all amazing, friendly, knowledgeable and professional.
What an amazing country with friendly people and precious wildlife preserved in an array of national parks. From our climb up Kilimanjaro followed by an extraordinary safari to a beach getaway in Zanzibar, Florent from Snow Africa Adventures did a phenomenal job designing and orchestrating the itinerary for our group of 9. We had an extraordinary trip in Tanzania. Thank you Florent and all of those who worked with Florent and our group along the way!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience in the Serengeti
We were Pumba's first clients and had a wonderful trip in november 2016. It was a spectacular experience. Edwin is an excellent guide, who knows where to be at the right time. We saw almost everything we hoped to see, only the rhino was too shy :-). The lodges were amazing! The organization was excellent. Edwin is a very nice and fun guy! He knows everything about the animals and plants - so your questions will all be answered ! We will definetely come back to finally see a rhino and to experience the big migration. Thanks a lot and see you soon !!
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This agency provides utmost professional advices and individualized services.
We knew about African Welcome Safaris thanks to friends who used their services the year before. We very much appreciated their responsiveness and listening to our needs and expectations. We lived amazing top class safari days within the Kruger park area, and were very well advised on what-to-do in the Southern part of South Africa, i.e. Capte Town and the Garden Route. African Welcome Safari organized everything from hotels to local flights booking, including car rental and private transfers, allowing us to fully and safely enjoy our 15 days in South Africa.
Excellent, exceeded my expectations
Well coordinated. I would like to comment tour consultant by the name Real Munyiva. she made my bookings easier with all required information i did not have difficulties. the transfers were made on time with no delay. will use again
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome Arch Treks
Honeymoon trip to Kenya with Arch Treks,
5 days safari in 3 different national parks Masai Mara, Nakuru, Aberdere - very well organised, save and friendly, professional driver, nice lodges.
7 days Mount Kenya with excellent crew - very nice guide who knew all the different plants on the mountain, very friendly porters, great cook who served us with delicious meals even at 4200m altitude.
If you want to go to Kenya for safari and trekking we can only recommend Arch Trek.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip of a lifetime!
My two daughters and I recently returned from three weeks in Africa, and thanks to KWSS, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. From the time I first started looking at different tours and companies a year ago, Otieno (or OT - the owner) was right there, answering my emails within hours or talking to me on phone via WhatsApp. It's not easy to put your trust in a company that's halfway around the world (not to mention making a large payment!), but talking to him, and reading reviews made me feel confident that I'd chosen the right company, and indeed, the entire trip exceeded my expectations.
Our trip started in Kenya, where we went to Maasai Mara reserve for games drives and visiting the Maasai tribe, proceeded to Uganda, where we went trekking through the jungle to visit the gorillas, and ended in Tanzania for more game drives in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro crater, and ended the trip with three glorious days on the beach at Zanzibar.
Words just can't adequately describe the experiences of seeing the "big five" and every other animal imaginable in their own environment. High point of the trip (which is not even really a fair term to use since every single day was a wonderful new adventure!) aside from gorilla trekking - a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti at sunrise, which was just amazing - the great migration was there, and we saw thousands upon thousands of wildebeests and zebras. A full hour in the air, followed by a delicious champagne breakfast - with tablecloths! In the middle of the Serengeti! What an experience.
Because of the extent of our travels, we had many different accommodations, and all of them - from the hotels to the tented camps - were wonderful. The food ranged from very good to excellent, even at the little roadside restaurants along the way in Uganda.
From the time we were picked up at the airport in Nairobi to the very end of the trip, I felt safe and well-taken care of. Three women, traveling alone...I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but we never had to worry. We had three different guides during our trip - Shuma in Kenya, David in Uganda and Filbert in Tanzania. All three were so knowledgeable, professional, friendly and just such excellent guides. I really can't say enough about KWSS. I hope to return to East Africa...the countries are beautiful and the people are welcoming. If I do, I will definitely be using KWSS again.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Experience. Perfect combo of Adventure and Relax.
Since the very beginning of the trip we didnt have to worry about anything. For 18 days our minds disconected completely of any kind of responsibility. This trip offered the perfect combination of adventure and relax.
Also, all of the staff was really friendly and took perfect care of us during our days in dar es salaam, zanzibar and the safari. We regret not having more holidays to do other activities.... but we will come back! :)
Personal, professional, very flexible and accommodating to ensure exactly the holiday we wanted,
From the very first email contact, through to the holiday itself; I received very personal attention from one advisor; who as a result; really understood what we were looking for from our travel.
The communications were always prompt and I was kept very well advised on the status of my bookings. Numerous enquiries and requests for itinerary adjustments were dealt with professionally and courteously.
I would not hesitate to recommend Land and Lake to others looking for a personalised service combined with expert understanding of Malawi.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best safari company in Kruger!!!!
Shinzelle safari tours is arugable the best safari company in kruger. This company goes above and beyond in not only customer service and the best south african food around but also knowledge of animals while out safari. My wife and I booked a 5 day panoramic tour. We could not have been more pleased with our experience. The breakfast and dinner Danielle makes is so good! She is an amazing chef. Also their food is MUCH better then any other company out there. For example, while out on safari, you will stop for breakfast at a location within kruger, here your tour guide will give you your breakfast. The food with Shinzelle is an always fresh made, top quality breakfast. Every other company just gave them a basic borning, bland sad meal. My wife and I were glad to be eating like a star. So the food is great, now onto the safari tour. Brandon was out guide. He is by far the most passionate , knowledgeable guide out in kruger. He spends all his time, and even free time, undertsndsing more and more about everything in kruger. He will answer and give you a wealth of information on everything you need to know, and even more. Very awesome!! Could not be happier. Book with this company and you will be so happy!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Could have been perfect but too many big mistakes
I planned this trip for almost two years. Through internet search I stumbled upon Kalahari Skies. Eddy, the owner, was very forthcoming and ready to answer my questions. We were open to options and budget was not a factor, we were indecisive between a mobile safari or private camps. He advertised his services and a mobile safari as more likely to see game over any private camp in the delta. While we did see a good amount of game and of course it was beautiful, we actually saw more at the end of our trip in a private concession, with no cars around (versus the many cars in the national parks) and with more dramatic encounters (missed kill, lions, cheetahs....). In hindsight I would say that Eddy's recommendations were very self serving.
Upon arrival in Maun, after a 25 hour journey, no one was at the airport to welcome us. We watched as tourists after tourists were being picked up by their tour operators. We were stranded, tried calling the office with no luck and after one hour managed to get picked up by our hotel. This was quite disappointing and upsetting. Our guide later apologized for his mistake and took full blame for his oversight, but Kalahari Skies should have reminder/checks and not rely only on the guides they independently hire. They should also have someone in the office during the day answering calls.
The team we were assigned to was extremely nice, and our guide Newman was incredible. We all fell in love with him. He is knowledgeable, a very good driver, considerate, flexible, and I would recommend him to anyone. The food in the camp throughout the safari was excellent, the lunches in the road less so, mostly sandwiches and cookies. The tent accommodations were nice and adequate, with enclosed hot showers, the cots could use pads as they are quite hard. The nights were very very cold and much colder than what we had been told, we were not as prepared as we should have been. The temperatures were not in the low 50's but closer to low 40's. I would recommend bringing several long layers and a wool cap for the morning drives. Some blankets for the early morning drives would be nice.
There were a few things that did not work for us: 1. Too much driving between camps. Being on the road from 6:30 am to 4 pm is just too much. Arriving any earlier would mean that the camp is not set up and it is clear that they discourage you from arriving earlier. Animals are mostly quite during the mid day, as it is very hot, and driving around that time is not ideal. If I had to do it again I would only concentrate on two camps with just one long day of driving, and I would fly in and out avoiding the first and last drive. 2. The overall itinerary that we relied on Eddy to create, Moremi-Khwai-Savuti, leaves the least attracting area for last, with the least attracting camp. Again, this is not something that Eddy brought up and he should. We relied on his knowledge and were open to his suggestions. It was a mistake. A little research on my end would have made me realize the downsides of Savuti 3. We chose to do a mobile safari for the authentic feel of camping close to the animals. Savuti, unbeknown to us before we arrived there, is a camp with shower and bathrooms facilities that are mandatory, meaning you have to use the communal bathrooms. We found it took away from the experience. But what was really really upsetting was to arrive in Savuti and find that our camp site was the worst one, in front of the communal bathroom. The camp sites are not first come first serve. They are assigned as soon as one books. Some obviously have a much better location than others. There are other better camp sites in Savuti, so make sure to specify a private one. In Moremi and in Khwai we felt completely alone and away from everyone. We could not hear or see any other camp site. We booked this trip a year in advance. To arrive in Savuti and find that we were in the path of everyone else going to the bathrooms and with the view on the ugly facilities was such a turn off that we decided to drive straight to Kasane and cut our journey short. It was either that or having a less that magical experience, maybe taking away from what we had experienced until then. If I had to find a good analogy I would say imagine booking a flight a year in advance with an agency that is supposed to reserve you a seat, and finding upon boarding that you are at the end of the plane in the middle seat closest to the bathroom. This was a large oversight by Kalahari Skies and the main reason why I am giving 3 stars. If no better camp site was available they shoul dhave notified us as this particular one is absolutely not acceptable. I do not fly half way through the planet, plan a trip for two years, and rely on the tour operator to find myself stranded at the airport and my tent pitched in an open area next to the bathrooms with strangers walking through.