NZ
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable Experience in Kenya and Tanzania with Seven by Far
In Jul-17, my husband and I completed a 14-day, 13-night safari in Kenya and Tanzania with Seven by Far Travel.
Our itinerary was Nairobi (1 night), Lake Nakuru (1 night), Masai Mara (3 nights), Serengeti (2 nights), Ngorongoro Crater (2 nights), Lake Manyara (1 night), Amboseli (2 nights), Nairobi (1 night).
We enjoyed every minute of it. We saw so much .... Leopard feasting on its kill up a tree, black and white rhino, lions feasting on wildebeest, tree-climbing lions, many close encounters with lion, leopard, elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, hippo, Impala, various gazelle, and birds of all types and size. A fantastic experience!
Our communications with Sylvester Sala, manager of Seven by Far were impeccable. We had many, many questions which were always answered overnight or earlier with great patience. We were met at Jomo Kenyatta Airport by Sylvester even though he was married the previous day and should have been on his honeymoon. From then on we were looked after by Seven by Far until they dropped us at the airport for departure.
Ours was a private tour ... Just the 2 of us in a 4x4 Landcruiser with our driver. This suited us just fine as I am a keen photographer and we could spend as long as we liked at each sighting. This is consistent with Seven by Far's motto "touring for like-minded people". I'm sure we were the envy of those packed 6-8 in lodge or camp vehicles. The land cruisers, though not always the newest, were the best option (better than a minivan I'm sure) as we spent many hours negotiating bumpy, dusty dirt roads.
We had 3 drivers ... Pascal for Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara; then Cosmos for the Tanzanian section; and finally Moses for Amboseli and back to Nairobi. All were different personalities but all were very good spotters and extremely knowledgeable about the animals, birds and flora. We learned a lot ... Thanks guys!!
For our level of tour all the accommodation was very acceptable and the service outstanding ... The 5-star Sarova Stanley at Nairobi, the Sopa Lodges at Lake Nakuru, Serengeti, Ngorongoro; the Serenade Lodge at Lake Manyara; and the de-luxe tented camps Ilkeliani at Masai Mara, Kibo at Amboseli. We found Seven by Far to be flexible as far as accommodation offered ... Within reason one can choose between budget up to to quite luxurious accommodation.
Overall I have no hesitation in recommending Seven by Far for a safari tour in this part of the world.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Terrible experience, safaris not as agreed on at all.
We had a very bad experience with Wildebeest safaris and Noah. The safari was not as promised at all. First of all, we had agreed on 4 hour gamedrives on the both first and the third day. Both these days we only spent only 2 hours in the national park. Secondly, our guide, Anthony, did not interact with the clients at all and did not treat the animals with respect. He went off road very often, which is prohibited, and disturbed animals by getting extremely close. Third, our 'semi-luxoury camp' had no electricity and no running water most of the time and if there was, the water had a brown colour.
When we emailed Noah to express our disappointment after our safari, all he did was offer us to go with his company again on our next trip, which is something I would never do again. Noah said he mixed up the itinerarys of a private and a joined safari, however, the itinerary he sent us before was named joined safari and he had confirmed about lengths of the gamedrives after I had specifically asked him. When we insisted on a partial refund for missing out on half of the safari time on two days, Noah simply ignored this and stopped replying.
I won't recommend anyone to ever use this company for a safari.
HK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great team and organizers of East African Safari
Thanks to African Paradise Safari we had the most brilliant time in Kenya and Tanzania. We loved the national parks and our guides Adam and Isaa were very knowledgeable and took great care of us. As for the lodges all were very good and we loved Rhino Lodge, Kati Kati and the people at Fisi Camp were very warm and friendly.
US
Experience level: first safari
Yellow Zebra Rocks!
“Yellow Zebra rocks! My husband and I are experienced world travelers and found significant value in Yellow Zebra's services for our South African & Zambia safari vacation. We loved that we could customize our itinerary and arrange for "meet & greet" transfers. Yellow Zebra's 'in-country' hotels and vendors are superior in service and a true delight. Their knowledge of the area and advice helped me so much in crafting the best itinerary for us. I would highly recommend Yellow Zebra to all!”
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A wonderful honeymoon in Botswana & Victoria Falls - thank you Philippa!
11 days/10 nights trip in Botswana + Victoria falls kindly and perfectly organized from Philippa, senior tour consultant working at Southern Africa Travel (Giltedge).
Tour was as follow:
- 2 nights in Leroo La Tau (Makgadikgadi salt pans)
- 3 nights in Camp Xakanaxa (Moremi)
- 3 nights in Camp Okavango (Okavango Delta)
- 2 nights in the Elephant Camp (Victoria Falls)
An amazing combination of activities (all kind of safaris and flights), landscapes (deserts, swamps, deltas...) and experiences (meeting people, animals...).
Many souvenirs carved into our memories!
Thanks again Philippa for this perfect organisation.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life Changing Experience-Solo Traveler!
As a solo traveler, I will never be able to fully convey the expertise, knowledge of the perfect itinerary, care and helpfulness Yellow Zebra showed me. Almost a month in Africa, doing various safaris and islands across the continent, it all couldn't have gone more smoothly or been more amazing, thanks to the incredibly knowledgeable individuals at YZ (most notably Kirsten Woolley). YZ picked the perfect hotels and lodges, from location, to comfort, to fabulous staff, to all around amazing. I was even impressed that I was usually checked out and picked up for my next destination before the check out time at the lodge/hotel. That was great and very convenient. Prior to departing for Africa I had millions of questions, and even some reservations about traveling solo, and Kirsten helped me along every step of the way. She made me feel very important as a customer of YZ and when I spoke with various staff members at YZ they were incredibly kind and welcoming. I am SO glad that the jeeps at the camps YZ chose were all open air. I saw so many jeeps that were closed in and it really took away from the experience in my opinion. I also loved having safari time in the bush to myself (with a private guide). It was a great way to connect with guides and get a very personal experience. That was one of the highlights for me. Spending a night in Arusha, having a nice meal, incredible dinner and just "taking a minute" after such a long day of travel from the states was perfect and such a wonderful idea. That really started off the trip in a wonderful way. The transfers to and from airports, hotels and lodges were wonderful and totally the way to go in a foreign place. Those individuals couldn't have been nicer. I definitely felt very looked after. I was especially impressed that YZ hired a gentleman who waited with me at the airport in Zanzibar until my driver arrived to take me to the resort. That was great and incredibly helpful, as that was a very busy place with a lot going on. The V &A hotel in Cape Town was superb and the perfect location. The lodges were top notch and I literally cried leaving the camps and people behind. Ending a wonderful trip, with a busy itinerary, at Azura was perfect because it allowed me to "decompress" after all the goings on from touring the various countries. My trip was flawless. It was great knowing that at any time I could call or email Kirsten or any YZ staff member. That was very comforting. I would, without question, use YZ again. I've also told all of my friends and family about YZ. I cannot wait to reserve my next safari with YZ! It would be a pleasure and honor to work with them again! Thank you Yellow Zebra for putting together a life-changing trip for me! I am forever a new person and owe that all to you!! Hakunah Matata!”
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip !!!
Our Safari was amazing !! Everything was perfect. The lodging, the food, all the organization !!! It was fantastic and better that we could expect !!
Also, we were lucky and we saw all the famous animals and even more. Our guide was very kind and profesionnal, funny and friendly !!! The lodging and the food, we were like kings...
Thank you, Shadows of Africa, for all your organization. It's a great company. They offer a great service to their clients, and good communications to make the planning as perfect as they can to fillfull ours expectations.
They helped us a lot to realize a dream trip, and we appreciated very much. That worth the cost.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Fabulous Mobile Tented Camp Experience with Letaka Safaris
I recently returned from a 10-day mobile tented camp safari in the “bush” of Botswana supplied by Letaka Safaris headquartered in Maun.
Short Version: Fabulous!
Below are details for readers considering participating in a similar adventure. As a senior citizen travel enthusiast with some minor physical limitations I try to share as much information as possible to help you decide if you can participate in a similar experience.
Itinerary: Our official safari started at the airport in Maun, Botswana, with a short flight on a small (10-seater) prop plane to the Xakanaxa airstrip where our guide, “Shaka,” met us with our safari vehicle pulling a trailer to accommodate the luggage for the 7 of us (maximum number per safari with Letaka). The trailer was used every third day as we moved to a new campsite. Our first camp was in the Moremi Game Reserve. We stayed for 3 nights giving us a full two days of game drives in that area. We subsequently stayed 3 nights in the Khwai Community area followed by 3 nights in the Savuti area of Chobe National Park. We concluded our safari with a drive to Kasane, Botswana and a private cruise (just the 7 of us and a guide), for about 2 hours, on the Chobe River.
Because of the long flights and the 6-hour time differential, I chose to leave the USA 3 days before the safari began. The first night was spent on the plane from Washington, DC to Amsterdam. I spent the second night in Johannesburg (at the Sunrock Guest House –review posted) because of a late arrival time from Amsterdam. The next day I flew to Maun, Botswana and spent the third night at Cresta Riley’s Hotel (review posted). This itinerary provided sufficient time to reduce the jet lag so that I had no problems sleeping while on the safari.
Similarly, after the safari, I spent one night in Kasane at the Chobe Bush Lodge (review posted) before transferring to the Avani Victoria Falls Resort (review posted) in Livingstone, Zambia. I spent two nights at the Avani to provide ample viewing time to see the falls before heading home via a 40 hour flight and layover itinerary.
I strongly recommend spending the time and money on the front end of your trip to minimize the discomfort of jet lag. I’ve been on many trips where everyone on the tour bus on day one was asleep!
Accommodations: The tent accommodations on safari were very comfortable (I was traveling solo, so I had a tent to myself). The “ensuite” bathroom area constructed at the rear of each tent was pleasant and comfortable to use. The “long drop” toilets didn’t appear to be problem for any in the group. Daily hot showers provided by the camp staff were enjoyable. The tents had large permanently screened windows that can be left open or covered with a zipped flap as you prefer. The interior had a floor and the bathroom ground area was covered by a water-permeable tarp. In addition, there was a mat for the sitting area and entrance to the tent. A battery powered array of LED bulbs provided sufficient light for normal tent activities, but you still need a headlamp and flashlights (torches) for other camp activities. In June and July, winter in Botswana, the sun sets before dinner and doesn’t rise until after breakfast, so portable and functional personal lighting is a must. Towels were provided, but not washcloths. A clothesline inside the tent was available to hang the towels to dry during the day. Warm water to wash in the morning was provided in a portable wash basin outside each tent. The warm water arrived along with the 5:30am wake up! Once in your tent for the night, you do not venture out again until the fires and lanterns are lit and you get your wake-up call in the morning. Outside our tents, hanging above the portable standing wash basins, was a device with a mirror and pockets to hold toothbrushes, toothpaste and other sundries needed for personal hygiene. A hot water bottle for our bed each evening was very welcome as the temperature dropped into the 40’s (Fahrenheit) during the night. Beds were comfortable and warm. A table was placed in the tent to act as a nightstand or otherwise as needed.
At our first camp, in the Moremi Game Reserve, we had hippos feeding and making noise very close to our tents throughout the night. At the other two camps, at different times, there were fresh tracks of lion, hyena and elephant through our camp. We also heard the territorial warning roar of the local dominant male lion and many other animal sounds during the night. One afternoon, during our “siesta,” an elephant walked past no more than 15 feet behind our tents. These experiences were what I went on the safari for in the first place, so I was perfectly happy and secure. But, you must consider your personal comfort level with the proximity of wild animals to the camps if you are considering doing a similar “bush” safari anywhere in Africa. NOTE: The pictures on the Letaka Safaris web site accurately show the tent accommodations, the safari vehicles and general camp facilities.
FOOD: All meals were cooked over an open fire, but do not be misled. The camp cook performed amazing feats with that cook fire. We had fresh baked breads and cakes and our meals were all wonderful. Breakfast was served at 6 am and consisted of hot drinks, porridge, cereals, toast and the “famous” rusks that are written about in virtually all descriptions of tours to Africa. The rusks are hard biscuits that are meant to be dipped in your coffee (or tea) before biting. We had a mid-morning break in the bush during our game drives which provided hot drinks, biscuits and rusks. Delightful! Lunch usually had a hot item and several other cold items such as salads. The food is very American/European in style with hamburgers and chili being two specific lunch entrees. At 3:30 pm, we had coffee and/or other hot and cold drinks and a cake or pastry to tide us over until dinner. After our snack, we began our afternoon game drive and returned to camp around 7 pm (after dark) for pre-dinner drinks around a campfire followed by a 3-course dinner with starter, entrée and a fabulous dessert. Entrees were restaurant quality beef, chicken or pork dishes with very nice sides including a starch and one or more vegetables or salad. The cook (Alec) went out of his way to always prepare a vegetarian alternative for the one vegetarian in our group. Many of us sampled and enjoyed the vegetarian offerings. Unlimited beer and wine and spirits were available for lunch and dinner. In fact, we had a large battery-powered cooler in the safari vehicle that was always stocked with soft drinks and beer. We also were given a water bottle that we kept filled with filtered water to drink on game drives and in our tents.
Transportation/Game Viewing: The safari vehicle, a modified completely open, except for a canvas roof, Toyota Land Cruiser with snorkel to allow crossing deeper water, was our only transportation from the time of pickup at the Xakanaxa airstrip until drop off in Kasane. We rode in 4-wheel drive mode the entire time until just before reaching Kasane. There are no roads! We traveled on two-track paths defined by multiple passages of similarly equipped vehicles. Sometimes, in pursuit of better viewing or in search of animals we went totally “off road.” Game viewing in this manner, while exhilarating, requires effort as you are constantly bouncing and tipping as well as sometimes dodging branches. If you have back or other physical issues, you should carefully evaluate your ability to participate in this kind of safari. The seats were comfortable, but you must be able to climb to enter the vehicle. Seating positions in vehicle were rotated to give everyone a chance to experience each of the positions. Blankets for each passenger were a welcome addition at the beginning of each morning game drive and at the end of each afternoon game drive. While the temperatures only got down to the 40s F, riding in an open vehicle is very chilly – bring a warm layer, like a fleece jacket, and good wind-breaking layer for over top. A warm hat, like a ski hat, and ear coverings would be smart additions, too if you go on safari during the winter months in the Southern Hemisphere.
We were extremely successful in our game viewing endeavors. We saw multiple prides of lions, a male and female lion on a fresh kill, a female leopard by herself, a female leopard with a cub feeding on a dead giraffe, two packs of African wild dogs, a cheetah and literally hundreds of elephants (some not happy with our proximity and they let us know), many hippos, lots of giraffes, zebras and wildebeests as well as many species of antelope including eland, tsessebe, red lechwe, impala, waterbuck and kudu. We saw too many bird species to mention them all, but we did see lilac breasted rollers, hornbills, eagles, kingfishers etc. All this success was due to one person – Shaka, our guide.
Our Guide: I was simply amazed at Shaka’a ability to find his way around all the different terrains we traversed at the three camp locations and always get us back to camp in time for meals. His ability to find animals was uncanny. Even though all the guides in the area cooperate and communicate with each other via radio as to the location of game, most often Shaka was the first to find the exciting game. Shaka went out of his way to be sure all of us were comfortable, happy and had everything we needed. He even sacrificed his personal warm hat to one of the guests for the chilly morning and evening game drives. Shaka is by far the best guide I’ve experienced during my three trips to Africa. And, I assume, based on posted evaluations and the amount of detailed planning needed to provide the best possible experience by Letaka Safaris, that their other guides are very good as well.
Other Experiences: Each day we were welcomed back from our morning game drive with the camp team waving and shouting and were met with iced tea and a cold wash cloth to clean our faces and hands. We were always sent off on our game drives and transfers to the next camp site with warm cheers and smiling faces from the camp team. The camp team consisted of 3 staff members including a cook (Alec), a waiter (KayKay) and a driver (Mor). All participated in many varied activities to support the camp in addition to their designated roles.
After lunch, we had “siesta” time until 3:30 pm. Naps, showers and reviewing pictures and videos taken during the morning game drive were common activities.
A special treat for me was a 2-hour game viewing adventure in a mokoro on the Khwai River. While present-day mokoros are no longer made from “dug out” logs, the fiberglass replicas currently in use provide a truly authentic experience. Propulsion for these boats is provided by a guide using a long pole to push us along the river. At one point, we silently slipped through gaps in the reeds, to avoid the attention of a male hippo in a large pool. The group went ashore briefly for a coffee/tea and rusk break. Fortunately, during our return we came upon a herd of elephants of varied ages and sizes drinking and playing. We sat silently in the boats watching this fascinating activity for many minutes.
Summary: If you are physically able, have the interest in an extended game-viewing experience and possess the necessary resources to book a mobile tented safari, then I highly recommend that you do so. And, I doubt that you can do any better than booking with Letaka Safaris.
FI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Truly amazing experience, great guide, wonderful places... Just perfect!
Everything lived up to our expectations! The guide was experienced and very nice, locations were perfect and we saw big 5 as well as a lot of other animals. We can truly recommend this safari!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Family Trip of a Lifetime
Our family used Yellow Zebra to plan our Africa adventure. Kirsten, our YZ representative, had a couple of conversations with us to find out what kind of experiences we wanted, what was important to us, and some specific things we would like to see. She then presented an amazing itinerary to us with location and camp recommendations for the best wild life viewings and quality of the camps. Her expertise in this area was highly evident. She managed to find availability in fantastic camps even though we were booking quite late. Everything was organized from the minute we landed in Johannesburg until the end of our week. Every detail was taken care of - flights, transfers, luggage transfers, accommodations - and was executed without a hitch. Kirsten also communicated during the trip to ensure everything was going well. This was a trip of a lifetime with lasting memories for our family and Yellow Zebra was instrumental in making this happen. Thank you Kirsten and YZ staff. We would highly recommend Yellow Zebra to others.”