50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience!
Our safari with All Around Tanzania Safaris was the most amazing experience. From the time we booked our safari we were able to communicate with the team, who answered any questions we had. Our driver/guide was ready waiting for us when we arrived in Arusha and made sure we we had everything we needed. He helped us to check into our hotel, the night prior to our safari, and provided us with lots of info about our upcoming adventure.
Throughout the safari, our driver was friendly and lots of fun. He was extremely knowledgeable and as well as witnessing the breathtaking Serengeti and all it has to offer, we learned so much about the wildlife and the culture of this area.
The food was awesome and plentiful and our cook could not have been nicer. Our safari was a camping safari, where we slept in tents, both on the Serengeti and in some campsites. The facilities were fantastic and we were always made to feel very comfortable.
Knowing that some of the money I paid for my safari, goes toward educating local children, was a huge attraction for me to this company.
I would highly recommend booking a safari with 'All Around Tanzania Safaris'.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The experience was tremendous I recommend
The safari tour was the best experience I had in Africa my boyfriend and I were there for my birthday, how I loved Queen Elizabeth National park.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kilisa Tours and Safaris should be avoided!
I had a horrible experience with Kilisa Tours and Safaris. Originally I had booked with them because they had received such positive reviews from Trip Advisor. They also offered cheap prices and I decided to go on a safari with them, but I am glad that I didn't book with them to do Kilimanjaro otherwise they would have definitely botched it up.
Twelve days before my trip, they informed me via email that my hotel was changed from Moshi to Arusha and that the tour group decided to start a day earlier. I had been doing Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro so I had no email access, and went to the hotel that they booked me in Moshi. I was told that I was booked for Moshi by Kilisa tours, but there was not room for me and I had to go to another hotel.
After Naick was told, he tried to tell me I should have gotten the email and I explained that I had no Internet access since I came to Africa. I was tired after my 8 day Kilimanjaro trip, and he claimed that the Lemosho route that I had done should have finished at 5AM. That isn't true as I didn't finish until 2PM that day with another group as we went back to the gate, and then had lunch before I was dropped off to my hotel.
So instead of staying at the Key's Hotel, in Moshi (which I was originally told) and had a high standard, I was booked to stay in Arusha Centre Inn in Arusha which is a much lower caliber hotel. However, I was not told this, and the price that I paid for the safari did not change.
I was also asked if I brought $875 in cash to pay for the trip. I had not been informed via email to do this, and asked if I could pay by credit card. Instead, I was told that to avoid a surcharge, I would pay for the park admission which would total $875. I was not told that I would be paying for the park admission of the other people on the tour and my tour guide.
I was not told that the safari was going to be with other people and it was thru another company that wasn't associated with Kilisa. I thought all of these other tourists were from Kilisa tours. I was driven to Lake Manyara to catch the tour group on their second day of the safari since I had missed the first day.
They were staying at the Sunbright campsite which offered a cabin. I was given a cabin initially, but when two people in my group complained that they had a cabin before, but were then designated to stay in a tent, the manager asked me to move to the tent and to give the two people the cabin. I was sick and had a cough (after finishing my Kilimanjaro trip) and despite that these two people paid less than me, I had to move.
For the next 2 days I ended up sharing a tent with 2 other people on the trip that I didn't know.
When I went to pay at one of the park gates, I was told to pay $10 more than Kilisa had informed me. Although that shouldn't be a big deal, I did not like how the driver had forced me to just pay, and not question it. I was angry and said that at the next park gate, I would pay $10 less so that I would not be overcharged. The driver did not like that and insisted that I pay what I was told to pay.
On the last day, at 9:40AM at Ngorongoro Crater, our safari car had broken down. Our driver called his friend to pick us up and take us back for brunch at 11AM. The friend just drove us back to our campsite and we didn't do anymore sight-seeing. Then when the driver got back with the safari car repaired, we had to be driven back to Arusha and end the trip.
I asked for a refund as I paid for 4 days for the safari, and on the last day, since the safari car broke down, we could not explore Ngrongoro Crater much at all. I brought this up to Naick who tried to claim that the second safari car had taken us around Ngorongoro but I insisted that it only drove us back to the camp site. Then Naick said that the blame was actually for this man from another company who actually run the trip, and that man refused to refund me saying no one had ever complained about the trip.
At the end of the day, I wish that I hadn't booked with Kilisa as there were these screw ups with the hotel and also having a cheap safari car that broke down. Also, since the safari car was overloaded with 5-6 passengers (sometimes with the cook too) and luggage, I did not get to see the animals properly nor take as good pictures as I expected to.
Stay away from this company!
US
Very thorough!
Lisa was knowledgeable about the Kwando camps and provided good suggestions to make the most of our safari. She did a great job communicating and answered all of our questions about what to expect. The safari was wonderful with no hiccups :).
BR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect experience!
I were extremely satisfied with the service provided by Wild Wings. Simon was the perfect guide! He had this sharpened and fascinated look by the beauties of Kruger, always sharing with us information about animals and wildlife. Jock was great too. The meals prepared by him were always very tasty and well presented.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best experience ever
Their service was amazing and James the driver was really nice, my little son always talked about him.
I would highly recommend Amazing Memories Safaris
See the big five all in one amazing national park.
The Serengeti National Park is amazing, even though we were only in a very small part of it there is definitely plenty to see. Make sure you get yourself a good guide as they are worth their weight in gold, making sure that they offer you the chance to see all you can within the time spent in the National Park is their top priority.
The scenery is gorgeous and it's absolutely amazing to see animals in their own natural habitat.
In July the temperatures were always around 25 degrees which was very pleasant. We stayed in tented camps which were excellent, nice big tents with proper beds and a working hot shower in your tent, in the Serengeti, amazing, and proper plumbed in toilets in the tent, hardly call it camping-more like glamping.
Lying awake in your tent at 3am in the morning listening to the roar of lions, and wondering how far away they were, is quite an experience.
A good set of binoculars are a must, although it's very easy to get very close to the wildlife in your off road vehicle, so don't worry about not seeing the animals up very close as an awful lot of the wildlife will be right in front of you walking right past your vehicle.
Seeing the big five in the Serengeti is extremely likely, although be prepared for a hunt around for the leopards and the cheetahs as they can sometimes be quite elusive.
It's also a very worthwhile experience taking a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti to view the wildlife from above, but be prepared for roughly £400 per person. If you decide to spend the money you will not be disappointed as the balloon ride is amazing and the champagne breakfast at the end is a perfect way to finish off the morning.
Don't hesitate to visit the Serengeti National Park, it's an experience you won't forget.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Serengeti National Park by John Q
Beautiful and wonderful animals a plenty, the roads are a mess.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Mahale Mountains National Park by John Q
Although when we did a one day hike the Kilimanjaro clouded over we enjoyed the plant and animal life so much. We did get clear views before and after our hike.