ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very helpful, reliable and excellent value for money
We did a 3 day safari - Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru - with Bencia Africa Adventure & Safaris and I can truly say we had a wonderful time.
Alfred, the owner, was extremely helpful right from the beginning and always returned my calls and answered my emails (and I did send him a lot of emails!).
The safari itself was excellent. Our driver, George, was extremely knowledgeable and funny and he went the extra mile to make it a memorable safari. He was very reliable and nothing was too much trouble for him. I have nothing, but praise for him.
The accommodation and the meals were excellent too.
If I do another safari, I will definitely book Bencia and ask for George. I highly recommend them. Thank you to George, Alfred and Prudence from behalf of me and my family for making this a truly unique experience. You deserve to do very well because you truly know what customer service is.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfectly executed - even during Covid lockdown!
My family of four (including two teenagers) had the trip of a lifetime thanks to Kathi Simon’s expertise and attentiveness. We planned our trip two years ago and decided we would travel during Covid no matter what! Over those 24 months, Kathi invested a great deal of time listening to our requests, answering our questions and crafting the perfect trip, just for us. As the date approached, she was wonderful reassuring us about traveling during Covid and was able to make a few last minute adjustments to comply with current restrictions.
Once we left home, all of our stress and anxiety disappeared. Travel to South Africa was incredibly seamless and we were shocked how open and welcoming everyone was (even at the airport and passport control!). We kept saying “that was so easy!” We had heard that the average level of service in SA is 5 star service and this is the truth! At each of our 3 destinations (Four Rosmead Hotel, Hamilton’s Tented Camp and Elephant Plains) we experienced superior service and attention. We were treated like family and developed great relationships along the way. We never once felt nervous, unsafe or concerned about the pandemic. In fact, we loved having most of the typical tourist spots much to ourselves! Of course, Cape Town was unforgettable and the safari game drives were epic! The hubs and I loved Hamilton’s for its level of luxury and romantic setting. My kids loved Elephant Plains for the game drives, pool table and family accommodations. We all loved Four Rosmead for it’s quaint homey feel and fabulous breakfasts. In the end, we couldn’t believe how much we experienced in 9 days, with still plenty of relaxation time! Before we even left for home, my husband and I were planning a return trip! And we will definitely be using Kathi and African Welcomes Safari again!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari & Kilimanjaro Hike
My friend and I did a 3-day safari and 1-day Mt. Kilimanjaro hike. The Colours Africa Tours & Safaris guys were great. They communicated throughout and even answered questions about other cities and our travel plans not related to the actual safari or hike. The experience was overall excellent. The 2 guys set up everything, secured us transportation to and from the airport, met us when we arrived at our hotel to explain everything, and met us again in between the safari and hike to explain that portion to us. They were nice, friendly, and took care of it all.
The safari was exactly what we expected, what they told us, and what we paid for: 3 days, 3 different parks, meals throughout, lodging, and a great safari guide that knew his stuff. The safari lunch was not just boxed meals; it was hot (as hot as it could be anyway after being prepared fresh in the morning and us eating in the afternoon), it was good (chicken, rice, pasta, utensils, etc.), and it included some beer and wine! The safari lodging was perfect for what it was: minimal, but private rooms at a basic hotel with hot water, showers, 3+ course dinners and breakfasts, and welcoming and engaging staff. The hike was also perfect for 2 relatively in shape guys that just wanted to be able to say we did a hike on Kilimanjaro: a little more than 8k up and 8k back for almost 11.5 miles of hiking over 5 hours, plus lunch before the descent back. The hiking guide was awesome; he knew his stuff, talked with us throughout, and kept us on the pace we needed to make sure we were back in time to catch our late afternoon flight.
The only small hiccup we experienced was with the lodging in between the safari and the hike. We've traveled a lot and stayed in some very basic accommodations—no problem. The hotel for this one night, though . . . uuuhhh . . . . It was extremely dirty, the hot water was not functioning, nor was the toilet (which spewed water out the pipe in the back), and the bathroom and place in general was just a trainwreck. Nevertheless, the Colors Africa guys were extremely responsive and apologetic, and vowed to work on that accommodation in the future.
For the money, this was worth it. I'd definitely recommend these guys!
Tips: (1) Be ready to be exhausted! It wouldn't seem like being in a jeep going through these parks all day is taxing, but oh is it! (2) Bring cash for tips—your safari guide; the cook who is making your breakfast, lunch, and dinners; the hiking guide; and driver. (3) Stay away from dark blue and black—wear neutral colors like tans, greens, or anything light—the flies are legit and the biting flies (tsetse) that carry African Sleeping Disease are no joke and are definitely attracted to the dark blue and black. (4) Have fun and remember: hakuna matata—polepole!
Great overall experience on our Kenyan Safari
From the beginning, Regina with Reny Safaris was extremely helpful in planning this dream trip. When the airlines started cancelling our flights, Regina was very understanding and accommodating in rescheduling our trip. The guide Reny provided, Mr Lawri, was amazing. We saw animals that exceeded our expectations. The lodges were very appropriate for what we imagined lodges in these parks would be. From the initial planning, through thousands of questions, medical/paperwork required, changing dates, being picked up at the airport through all the travels, arranging our COVID test for our return, and helping us navigate the airport, Reny Safaris did not disappoint. We highly recommend using Reny Safaris.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, organized, and super friendly.
Lion King Adventures was, simply put, AMAZING. The entire experience was easy and streamlined. The company was very responsive to initial inquiries and replied within a few hours with clarification and changes. On the ground, the staff was professional and friendly and made our safari incredible. I highly recommend this company. We saw every animal you can imagine and enjoyed a stress-free six days. Our guide Abu was fantastic. He went the extra mile to make sure we saw all the animals Tanzania has to offer while becoming a true friend. Lion King Adventures is a professional and organized company that made for a perfect trip. There were no changes on the ground, no confusion, and no add-ons or upsells. What we asked for we got and much much more, with a guide who felt like a long-time friend by the end of the week. Five out five stars all around!
GR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect value for money safari
Nice experience! Good communication with the organiser! Value for money! The lodge and food amazing! Our drivers (the one who drove us from Johannesburg to the lodge and back and the one who drove us in the safari area where amazing! Our safari driver was really knowledgeable about animals of the region ) would totally recommend this tour organiser!
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best value for money company
Great experience in Tanzania thanks to Suricata Safari. I went with a friend and we had absolutely no information on how to do a safari, so we chose to trust Suricata; we did not regret it!
Prior to the experience, Hilary was very available on WhatsApp and took the time to personally answer our questions. Once we arrived in the Arusha area, Suricata provides free airport transfers to the hotel. Regarding the safari, we did 4 days of safari (2 days Serengeti, 1 day Ngorongoro, 1 day Tarangire) which were all different! The landscapes and the animals are not the same according to the reserves. We opted for camping accommodation to reduce the cost of the experience, the tents and camping equipment provided are very good.
As far as the staff is concerned, Lewis our driver was very attentive while showing a great professionalism, thanks to his knowledge of the reserves and the animals! He will do his best to make you see as many species as possible! To ensure the meals, an excellent chef, Benjamin, accompanied us. He is incredibly talented and it is always with great pleasure that we tasted his dishes!
We are very satisfied with our safari in Tanzania thanks to Suricata! We recommend this company.
The experience, including transfers, accommodation (2 nights in a hotel Arusha, 3 nights camping), meals and safari costs us 750$ per person, which is a really competitive price !
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best value for money !!
We had a great time with this company. Our guide Lewis is very professional, he knows everything about everything that makes the safari even more interesting. We had youngest as a cook, the best, we had a great time during the 4 days. We even had the right to an evening outside the program to experience the African nightlife.
Regarding the safari, we did 2 days in Serengeti, 1 in Ngorongoro, then 1 in Tarangire (on a private safari since the others had opted for 3 days). All the animals on the program were seen, we even had the chance to see 3 leopards which is very rare. Our guide knew every nook and cranny of the parks. We spent 2 nights camping in order to live in immersion with the animals, sensations guaranteed !!!! Haha
The last night we opted for a lodge, for 50 usd the service was top notch (good services, swimming pool, bar, restaurant ...)
All this stay for 1500 usd for 2 people and comparing with other companies we were far below with services far above.
Hilary the manager is on top when it comes to communication. He is super responsive which is not very common in Tanzania haha
I recommend the agency to you with your eyes closed !!!!
(automatic translation from French)
EC
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best safari tours in Serengeti by far!
We were a group of 4 people (2 couples) and chose to do the 5 day safari. Before our trip, everything was clearly and we knew that the organization was going to be good. During our arrival and the safari, we were always greeted by awesome service starting with Bartho (the owner) and then by our guide (Zamo) and chef (Dennis) with whom we spent the most of our time with. The safari was an amazing experience thanks to them as we spotted all the animals we wanted to see and even more as we were lucky to see the big 5. Our guide Zamo was always conscious of the animals and the surroundings, always respecting them and their distance, something we didnt see in other tours. He made sure to give us time to spot animals, gave us relevant information and keep us entertained. He kept the car clean always and had small details which made our experience way better. Dennis cooked always great food that were not too heavy for tourists but always really tasty in flavor (we had prepared meals for lunch while other groups had sandwiches), he was always super attentive and in a great mood. Overall our experience was one of a kind thanks to them, definitely great value for the price. We could see other tours which had similar offerings, didnt have small details as us. I would recommend to anyone who wants to do a safari, for any budget as they will be able to accommodate to your needs.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Quick thinkers, creative, informative and very accommodative.
My family nick named them [the twins] because they are ever together, make decisions together.
Really knowledgeable on what kids below 15 needs from a safari, if you have kids, then get them, there is nothing fulfilling than seeing your family say [it was worth the cost] I have been to safaris, been to places and never had I written a review. This was my first. If it's not fede tours and logistics, then I would rather postpone .