US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Program, Great Staff, Very Professional and Organized
Throughout May and June I traveled to Kruger National Park for weekend trips with 3 groups of 30 students and lecturers with Kruger Park Travel. Kylie and her team were extremely accommodating and made sure everything ran smoothly. Pre-program questions were answered in a very timely manner. Kylie was willing to make changes to the schedule to help fit the specific interests of our students. Food, travel, and accommodation were tasty and very comfortable. They were able to accommodate vegetarians, vegans, nut allergies, as well as gluten and lactose intolerant individuals. The game drives were absolutely incredible. We saw more wildlife that I expected and the guides were knowledgable and very fun to be with. They took time to explain even the little things and kept the students very entertained throughout the day. Kylie organized local dancers to put on a show for us after dinner at the lodge as well as a trip to a nearby cultural village to help make the most of the experience. I will certainly be using Kruger Park Travel in the future and would recommend them to other tourists and travelers.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic service from beginning to end
I have just returned from a 10 day safari with Crystal Safaris in Uganda and Rwanda. I don't normally write reviews on these sort of sites, but really felt I should on this occasion. Put simply, our tour with Crystal was fantastic from beginning to end - it exceeded our expectations in every respect.
Barbara, who helped to organise the trip, was really responsive in answering our many questions(!) and helping to tailor a trip that was personalised to our needs and interests.
We were met at the airport by our guide, Jonah, who was a fantastic companion throughout our trip. Really knowledgeable about all the wildlife we saw (including a staggering knowledge of bird life!), always cheery despite some very early mornings and great company at mealtimes to learn more about the areas we were visited. Time and again, Jonah went out of his way to make sure we had the best experience possible.
The vehicle we had, too, was ideally suited for the trip - spacious and reliable, with big windows and a pop-up roof that was ideal for game driving.
Despite being on quite a strict budget, the accommodation and food we had throughout the trip was far beyond our expectations - which added an unexpected element of luxury to the trip.
When staying at one of the lodges we also had the chance to meet Christine, the co-founder of the company, who hails from Kibale in Uganda. It was fantastic to chat to her about how she had founded the company, and all the work she puts in to helping the company stand out in a crowded market.
In summary, a truly memorable experience from beginning to end, facilitated fantastically by Crystal Safaris. Couldn't recommend them highly enough!
KW
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond Perfect.
I found Axis Africa Safaris while i was browsing about Kenya and the travel agencies. I read couple of reviews and they sounded very genuine. So, i thought to give it a try and i am glad that i did. It was my first solo trip and i was nervous but Eric and Team, made my 5 days and 4 night stay wonderful.
I had a major issue with my luggage. It got delayed by few days and i was already off to Masai Mara but hats off to Eric that he did back and forth on my behalf with the airlines to make sure that i got my luggage. That was beyond asked for. I am so grateful.
My tour guide was Isaac. If you ever go through Axis Africa, please ask for Isaac. He is the man. He is a great driver and a tour guide. Very polite, very respectful and very helpful. We had such a great safari experience because of him.
The company provided a good accommodation throughout in various places (all clean and tidy). Overall, they provided good service and took great care of us.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a great time! Everything worked perfectly
I truly enjoyed my trip to the Masai Mara, with the Mara Explorer Camp being a strong feature in that beautiful picture. The service provided, the people, the space, the tents, the tours, everything was exactly if not more than I expected! A camp build in nature, one with nature with the most sweet and welcoming people running it! I loved it to bits and I am definitely going to try and go back.
QA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome Kenyan safari experience
We had a private customized 9-day Kenyan safari starting in the last week of June . Visited Samburu, Ol Pajeta, Aberdares, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara. Accomodation (in tented camps & lodges) and vehicle (4 x 4 with hatch top) were good.(excepting some minor house-keeping issues at Ashnil Mara). We are deeply appreciative of Mr. Robert(who communicated and co-ordinated the itinerary efficiently) and especially to our guide cum-driver-- Mr. Anthony Gitau (who was knowledgeable, lively, cheerful, prompt, adaptive and skillful) for giving us an awesome , safe and enjoyable trip and helping us to see the beauty of Africa at it's best. We were fortunate to witness the wilderbeest migration and crossing of the Mara river, the Big Five and a host of other birds and animals thanks to Anthony's sharp and swift tracking skills. We highly recommend Beacon safaris.
Nairobi, Naivasha, Mara and Mombasa
Timely communication and great service from drivers and tour guides. Fun times, the holiday went really fast!
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best vacation ever!
Chalo Africa team especially Smitha was very helpful in planning my holiday to Kenya and Tanzania. Everything went as planned and we had an amazing time. The team was very patient in answering all my queries before the trip and a WhatsApp group during the trip helped us in sorting out any small issues that we encountered In Africa.. The entire team of Asilia Africa and Chalo Africa coordinated so well to ensure we had a comfortable stay. I highly recommend using Chalo Africa for planning your African adventure :) Falwless team. Thank you once again ❤️
US
Amazing animal sightings!
We had a great experience with Seven by Far. Communication was rapid and arranging the safari was very easy. Our guide, Robin, was terrific and extremely knowledgeable. He seemed to know exactly where to position us to get the best sightings and photos -- not only where the animals were, but where they were going to go next! Highlights included a cheetah mother and three adolescent cubs feasting on a fresh kill in the Mara and and up-close encounter with the famous elephant "Tim" in Amboseli. Highly recommend Seven by Far!
Best Experience on our Kenya tour
I took my family on a 3 nights tour visiting Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru.
We had 2 kids on the tour and we all enjoyed the arrangements and services by Trips Without Borders.
We booked a budget trip with accommodations at nice tented camps at both locations.
Great Job...Well done.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A good booking agent makes a huge difference.
We booked our Tanzanian Safari through Trip Advisor Africa Safari with Seth Vincent based upon there good reviews and competitive prices. When we arrived in Arusha and paid we were kind of surprised to see that our receipt of payment was issued by Sandland Tours and Safaris. Our confusion turned to panic when we looked up the reviews for Sandland. I immediately got ahold of Seth Vincent who reassured me for like 2 minutes that everything was going to be okay and that we could count on the reputation of his form Trip Advisor African Safari. He'd personally selected or guide and we could count on a good experience.
In short, he was correct. Our guide China was incredible. He had 9 years experience, was knowledgeable, funny, and very hospitable. I couldn't imagine a better guide. There was someone on our trip that was challenging at times and China was always extraordinarily patient with her beyond what I would have been. I always felt taken care of and we saw 4 of the big 5 in 4 days. (Plus we got three different lion hunts.)
That said, conditions remain fairly primitive and things come up. Showers were cold, we had a flat tire, the temperature dropped to 40 degrees, and roads were really rough. But we booked an adventure not a resort and we definitely got our adventure.
I also want to commend our cook Simon. My wife and I are vegetarian as were 3 other people on our trip. The food was delicious, plentiful, and nobody on our group got sick.
I want to clarify that the outsourcing of safaris seems to be a very common practice here, so what Trip Advisor did was certainly not unusual. Nearly everyone on our tour booked with a different agency and ended up on the same Safari. What I appreciated was that Simon was available to take my phone calls, hear out my concerns, and was involved enough to see to it that we got a top tiere guide.
Seth Vincent staked his firm's reputation on us having a great Safari, so kudos to them for delivering. We had an amazing experience.