US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceeded our very high expectations.
From my first enquiry on the website to the very last moment of our trip, we were completely satisfied with everything. Clyde was informative, knowledgable, personable and even called us at home in the US to discuss our requirements. He arranged a mobile safari for my family that we will never forget. It was the experience of a lifetime and, although my husband and I have been on safari before, this one was far superior in every way. On arrival into Botswana until we were taken to the airport in Zimbabwe, we were treated brilliantly, felt completely safe and had access to professionals 24/7. I would definitely have no hesitation in recommending Clyde.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Truly a safari filled with amazing memories! :)
We booked with Anne and the Amazing Memories Safaris team for our Kenya honeymoon in June 2017 for a group of 4 (joined by my sister and her spouse). As their name says, it was the most amazing experience we've ever had! Our driver and guide for most of the trip was Joseph, who was so friendly and fun and extremely knowledgeable. If we ever go back (which we want to do!) we want him to be our guide again for sure! We also had a special interest in birds and he knew and showed us so much.
Anne was prompt, professional, and very lovely to correspond with from the very beginning. She helped to tailor our experience to exactly the way we wanted it (we had a shorter time frame then the suggested itinerary and also wanted to make sure we had some beach time at the end). We had looked at 5 different companies through safaribookings.com in total, narrowed it down to 2, and ended up going with Anne due both to our interactions with her and the best quote we received.
We had some troubles getting our money wire through when making our initial deposit (this was not their fault at all, more so on our bank's end), but she stayed calm and was on top of it and everything worked out in the end.
Meet and greet went smoothly. The Eka hotel in Nairobi that we stayed in the first night was excellent - we appreciated the honeymoon touches (a bottle of wine, and flower petals everywhere!) they added. We had time our first day there, and ate lunch at the Carnivore buffet (not recommended to do after a long flight... none of us were able to eat much, and to be honest, other than the novelty of trying ostrich and crocodile, the rest of the meats were similar to steakhouses we have at home in Canada). We then visited the giraffe centre - highly recommended! - you get to feed the giraffes, learn more about them, and see them up close. Finally, we visited the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage in the evening (to do this, you must foster an elephant), which was lovely. They tell you about the amazing work that they do, and then you get to visit each of the baby elephants while they're feeding, a giraffe, and their one resident rhino Maxwell.
In Maasai Mara, we chose to stay (through a friend's recommendation) at the Little Governor's Camp for two nights, which was a bit more expensive than the lodge Anne had suggested, but totally worth it. Beautiful spot, excellent food, and very friendly staff. The security guards walk you to your tent at night and we felt very safe. We opted for the hot air balloon ride which again was more expensive but worth it! Absolutely breathtaking to ride over the river at sunrise. They take you for breakfast in the fields which was good and so fun - the crepes were amazing. The game drive back with our driver Jeffrey was also excellent. Our other game drives at the camp were with Moses who took us to see lots. The only animal we missed seeing was the leopard. We saw lions, wildebeest, buffalo, elephants, zebras, baboons, giraffes, different antelope, and 1 black rhino from afar. We did not see much of the wildebeest migration given the time of year we visited.
We then had a 7 hour drive to Lake Nakuru and stayed at the Sarova lodge. Loved this lodge. Good food, and a fantastic guitarist who plays at your table at dinner. The cultural dances in the evening were enjoyable. We were only here for one night. We were hoping to see lots of flamingos, and while we did see some they were quite far away. We did see 3 white rhinos here which was quite nice. In restrospect, given we only had 1 night and enjoyed the other two reserves more, we would have skipped Lake Nakuru given how long the drive was in between, and stayed an extra night in Maasai Mara.
After that, we had a 7 hour drive to Amboseli, at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was so interesting to see the different landscapes at each reserve. Amboseli has lots of swamps, so very different mix of wildlife. We saw lots of elephants, vultures drying their wings out, hyenas feeding, lions feeding, a good number of lions, cheetahs from afar, zebra, wildebeest, different antelope, giraffes, and lots of monkeys (many around the lodge!). We stayed at the Serena lodge which was also quite nice. Food was decent, a bit less selection then the other places we stayed at (but still plenty). The crepes the make are amazing!
Finally, due to traffic, it was a 9 hour drive to Mombasa. We stayed at the Serena resort. When we got there we did not have ocean front rooms as we had requested. The lady at the front desk was able to change this for us and we waited over an hour for them to get the rooms ready. It did turn out in the end that Anne had booked the standard rooms, but it worked out. Unfortunately, we did not actually spend time on the beach itself - there were not many people swimming, there was lots of seaweed close to the shore, and many people trying to sell items / outings that interfered with our experience. It was otherwise beautiful to look at. We did spend time at the pool and enjoyed our pizza lunch there. We also went for wonderful massages at the spa and played table tennis. However, since we were unable to actually have beach time, I would not return here. Instead, I would have done more days of safari, and simply utilized the pools available at each of the lodges.
In terms of weather/clothing: Weather was mostly warm in June (their winter - equivalent to Canada's summer in June!), with 1 day with some mild rainfall, and somewhat cooler in the mornings so thin long pants at that time were helpful (however, you could still wear shorts and be very comfortable). Found myself wearing long sleeved shirts mostly to cover up from the sun and dust (it's very dusty on game drives!). Also be aware that some of the roads are quite poor and bumpy.
Also to note - at souvenir shops (stopped by for bathroom breaks during long drives), be prepared to bargain! We actually ended up paying more at the first shop on our way to Maasai Mara from Nairobi at the lookout point for stone animals than we did at the hotel lodges gift shops, which was a bummer (this was despite bargaining down as hard as we could).
Not related to this review so much, but I thought I would mention - we flew with Ethiopian Airlines from Canada, and while the trip there went smoothly, the trip back was hectic and poor. The attendants on the airline overall were fine, the food was not great but they do attempt to feed you a lot which we appreciated. On our way back, because we were stopping to Addis Ababa and then had a very short layover in London, we wanted to get our boarding passes in advance in Nairobi. When in Nairobi, the airline rep who was supposed to check us in was very rude (he was upset that all 4 of us who were traveling together were checking in together - not sure how it could have been faster if we split up? He kept smirking at us and continually mentioning it). He told us that he was unable to give us boarding passes for the layover in London, but that he checked us in. When we got to Addis Ababa, they were only able to print out 3 of 4 boarding passes for us. It was such mayhem at that airport - one customer service rep for a LOT of people - people kept budding in trying to get help, and the lady was clearly overworked. They also clearly did not have enough people covering the security check and also had several flights delayed and then chaos trying to get people on to their planes. It was an experience, and we will definitely not be traveling anywhere that requires us to stop over here again. When we got to London, there was a lot of running involved and when we found out we in fact had NOT been checked in by the rude rep in Nairobi. Luckily - it all worked out - almost missed our flight but did not, and got home safe with Air Canada.
In summary: Anne, Joseph, and Amazing Memories Safaris was truly amazing all the way through and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Thank you so much for such a wonderful experience. We hope to book with you again in the future!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
We had a great time traveling with Great Pelican Safaris. Our guide (Sunday) was awesome from the moment he picked us up at the airport. We even got to visit the Maasai village; the tribal dance was wonderful. We really enjoyed out four day safari. I would travel with Great Pelican Safaris again.
HK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Responsive, well arranged, perfect experience
The journey was tailored made to fit your need at reasonable costs. Driver is experienced and caring. Our group of 12 had an enjoyable and memorable journey at Kenya!
US
We booked a last minute gorilla trip with Encounter's helpful services and had a great time.
Chris was very helpful with our last minute booking and was able to give us exactly what we wanted. Our guide Tolbert was very professional, helpful, and very sharp.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unparalleled experience!
There are no words to accurately reflect the once in a lifetime experience I shared with my best friend through Lomo safari. I know this review will never do it justice.
Staff
-Lomo respond promptly to every email and question before safari.
- Shelen and Godfrey picked us up after long day of travel, and unexpectedly took us out to a much needed lunch. They are so flexible about picking up from pre and post safari accommodations.
-Erasto and his wife dropped us off at the airport after safari. Again, genuine interest in our experience, great energy and kindness extended our way, beyond expectation.
-Godfrey was our guide/driver for the safari. His work ethic, professionalism, and knowledge is next level. He took cues from us on when to engage and when to allow silence to just take in the sights. He moved fluidly through providing in depth information about local history and traditions regarding both people and animals. He took care of our every need throughout our 3 day safari. Godfrey also has an amazing sense of humor. He kept us laughing and joined in on our silly antics. Exceptionally fun! We were with him for 3 days. For the next 10 days we were in Africa we would frequently turn to each other and say, "I wish Godfrey was here."
Accomodations
- The lodges we stayed at were spectacular.
-beautiful rooms, comfortable beds, fabulous showers, amazing views, delicious food, pools, etc.
- staff at every lodge were warm, welcoming, and so fun to talk to
- lovely nature walks one of the days prior to safari.
Safari
-Beautiful, "movie set" like back drops.
-Lions, elephants, giraffes, zebra, hippos, etc. directly in front of you.
- It doesn't get any better.
-We expected boxed lunches and were instead spoiled with delicious, multi coursed meals, with wine, coffee, juice, hot cocoa, chilled water options.
-The first day, elephants decided to join us for lunch
Summary
- I know I'm leaving out a million reasons why LOMO should be everyone's choice for safari. Every detail of the trip was thoughtful, personalized, and special. Knowing that some of the money paid goes towards supporting local orphanages and helping provide secondary education for children, was icing on the cake.
Thank you LOMO safari for providing unparalleled services and an unforgettable safari experience!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Experience with Shemeji Tours in Tanzania
We had an incredible experience with Shemeji Safari and Tours, and would highly recommend the company. Not only did we end up seeing an unbelievable array of wildlife - hundreds of elephants, huge prides of lions, a family of cheetahs, five black rhinos, leopards, you name it - our guide, Elemis, was extremely professional, courteous, and knowledgable. We instantly felt at ease with him, and he made our trip both comfortable and fun. I would definitely book with this company again.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent four-day safari in Masai Mara, Naivasha and Lake Nakuru
This was an excellent safari, and every part of it was very well organised. I saw more wild animals than I could have imagined, and our drivers were extremely good. The only small complication arose before the start of the trip, when I was charged an unusually large transaction fee on my initial payment. This aspect could perhaps be improved upon, but otherwise it was a very pleasant experience.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best holiday ever!
It was a lifetime ambition to visit Okavango and we had a bewildering choice to make. In the end we went for Rob as we had known him years before and I know his father-in-law. From the start Rob arranged everything so well including the best time to visit. The combination of dry 3 nights at Xini in Moremi, 2 at Motsiri for makoro and boat and then back to Khwai with the team was perfect. On arrival Killor our guide said we would not be joined by others! The tent and bed were very comfortable and the dawn and evening and some night drives worked well with a rest after lunch and then a shower. The food thanks to Bishop excellent and Joseph looked after us so well. We were incredibly lucky to see leopards including a mother with her cub chasing off an eagle (wow! David Attenborough eat your heart out), 15 lions, wild dogs, roan, bush pig, jackals, serval, etc. Wonderful birds and trees and everything was explained so well. Understanding our tiny place in the whole of creation and how it all works together was truly uplifting. At Motsiri I went against my resolution not to walk in the bush (I grew up in Joburg) and so glad I did as we saw elephants across the river in complete safety. On arrival at the Khwai camp we watched elephants from our tent as they crossed the river so close by - amazing! Killor was expert in finding wildlife and the 2 lionesses eating a zebra foal and the 4 lionesses with a playful cub on the main road will always stay with us. But it is not all about big cats. You cannot have elephants without plants and frogs! I did slip getting off the vehicle and grazed my leg but Killor had cream for that and it was dressed at the clinic at the Victoria Falls Avani hotel. We had 2 nights there and were able to go on the train, helicopter (awesome) and river cruise. I cannot stop raving about this trip - we have been all over the world but this was just fantastic. We will definitely return - start saving now!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Experience Uganda- Delivers Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
Kevin and Leslie provided us with a bespoke Uganda from the frenzy If Kampala to the majestic Mountain Gorillas (how did you manage to cue the forest elephants!).
With our wonderful guide Sam we expedienced a remarkable range of wildlife. Lions, elephants, chimps and gorillas plus the wonderful birds of Africa. You must book with Experience Uganda it is by far the best.