US
“A Destination for the New Millennium Lake Mburo National Park” One day safari.
I personally love this park, its tiny yet very rich, our tour guide made it more enjoyable and certainly memorable. We set off to visit this little park with my companion, very close to Kampala city, Uganda.
At Lake Mburo National Park is a compact, yet with foot print activities; we were able to see the thorny savannah with acacia wooded trees with biggest herd of zebra, impala, eland, the majestic Giraffe and other animals. Our guide Emma with the help of the game ranger took us all around the park. The evening boat ride rewarded us with school of Hippos and numerous birds- the rare Shoebill stork. The nature trail led us to meet the pastoralist where we listened to their traditional music, with the gentle and appealing dance.
Late evening we returned to our Hotel in Kampala through the equator – we definitely wanted to carry not only the physical Uganda but also the beautiful artistic Uganda with us to America. Our vehicle was in a sound mechanical condition and the drive was the best.
Many thanks to Gloria who organized our tour from scratch, tirelessly communicated to us; the information was very helpful. I recommend Charis Uganda safaris, these people will give you value for your money.
CA
A good experience
It is a great experience going safari with Adventure backpackers Tanzania. Celestine is very helpful to give me suggestions about the itineraries. Our driver/guide is very knowledgeable and he works hard to find the animals in Masai Mara. We met some interesting travellers from Germany and Denmark. Overall, it was a remarkable trip. Special thanks to the driver Joshua, Benard and Nelson!
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous !
We lived an extraordinary experience, thanks to " It start in Africa " and our great guide Martin!
Everything was completed, the choice of lodges, the complicity, the driving, the eyes of Martin's like lynx which managed to locate animals better than whoever! An expert! There would be so many positive things to be said...
We were taken care of A in Z and we cared of strictly nothing.
It is sure that the next time we shall go back by them, I did not imagine really better!
Fantastic trip - brilliantly organised by Matoke
We had an absolutely great trip to Uganda with Matoke. Edwin was a fantastic guide and driver. Both the gorillas and Lake Bunyonyi were absolute highlights of our visit to Uganda and we’re already looking for an excuse for our next visit!
Many thanks for your assistance with planning and organising the various aspects.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome stay and trip!!
Encounter Africa Safaris made my trip in Uganda memorable and enjoyable. The car hire services were up to standard, very pleasant staff to work with. Thumbs up Tolbert!
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
safari with homestay
On our safari we also did a homestay, which was a great culturale experience. We saw the beautiful country, learned so much about the Kenyan Culture. We had three homecooked meals a day, by our great cook Sammy. The best thing to do on a visit in a country is a homestay, to learn about the people, the culture and the food. Kikwetu makes that possible. I would advise anybody to book with Kikwetu.
SE
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Our experience is nothing but totally satisfied with everything.An extremely caretaking touroperator
We were 4 adults and 2 children going to Zanzibar for the first time. Hello Tanzania (HT) took care of all that we needed including ferrybooking, taxi to the hotel at Zanzibar, accomodation at a perfect hotel etc.
HT is an extremely caretaking tour operator, all the time following up that eveything is in order. For everyone who is looking for a trustful operator, giving the best of service I can highly recommend Hello Tanzania and its charming representative Mrs Mwajabu.
Bwana Jiwe
FI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing tourguide Samuel and big five
Quick service by the tour company and good value for the money. We had great time! This budget safari tour was better we could ever have expected. We saw so many animals including big 5 and animals were so close. Right next to our car. Our guide Samuel said that it is all about luck and good timing but we believe that with his 9 year of experience we had even better chance to see all what we saw. Samuel also know so much about all animals and we loved to hear the stories and facts. Big thanks to Samuel, we can highly recommend him to be your tour guide!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing time!
Our drivers were awesome! They were on time, extremely nice and helpful! We had extra time on one of the trips so they drove us around the city and gave us a tour. They were very knowledgeable about the areas we went to and we always felt safe!!
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kili Slope did it!
We were in between two companies that offer budget safaris with visits to (1) Tarangire National Park, (2) Serengeti National Park, (3) Ngorongoro Conservation Area, as well as (3) Lake Manyara. Eventually, we opted for Kili Slopes, for multiple reasons. Firstly, Kili Slopes promised a slightly more varied tour than its direct competitor. Secondly, the reviews here were very (very!) positive. Thirdly, the Kili Slope staff always responded promptly to any questions we had, and were always very clear about what to expect, for example what was included in the price (lunch, dinner, drinking water, transport from and to hotels, tents, and sleeping bags, etc.) and what wasn’t (e.g. towels). Perhaps relevant to know for potential future customers: As westerners (Europeans), we were quite hesitant to transfer a deposit to an account that – at first sight – appeared to be a personal account rather than a business account. However, the payment went safely and smoothly. So no worries (we would encourage to develop alternative payment methods though, e.g. through a secured website).
While in Tanzania, we had a little bit of a false start, because we needed more than an hour for our pick up from our hotel, despite the assurances of the chauffeur that he was near. We became a bit anxious. The delay turned out to be due to road constructions, so in the end that story made sense. We were more than compensated, though. Every other arrangement was carried out perfectly and with top service. David Maro, the owner of Kili Slopes, turned out to be a warm and cooperative person who listens well to the whishes of his customers. He also has a large social network with many connections throughout the country (and beyond), of which we made use in Zanzibar where we went after our safari. Taxis are crazy expensive there. David also takes good care of his personnel, which we found important. No wonder, because our driver, Francis, and cook, Khalid, were the best hosts we could ever imagine! Apart from Tanzia’s great wilderness, it was the staff and the employees of Kili Slope, who made our safari trip so unforgettable!
As they promised, we saw the big five - and many more species. From close distance we saw them migrating, grazing, resting, feeding, yawning, pooing, peeing etc. This may not come across as very spectacular, but realize… where do you see that in their natural habitat, this spectacular surroundings? Occasionally there was more action we spotted a lion about to attack a herd of antilopes, one going after an baby elephant, while mother elephant was warning the rest group; hyenas walking next to the car, acting as if we didn’t exist, lions eating from the carcass of an hippo, and the like. Francis showed immense respect towards the animals and the nature in general. He told about them and their behaviors with true passion. He was always full of stories and knowledge and often triggered our curiosity by giving us some kind of puzzle or riddle we had to solve, which made the long days traveling very entertaining. On the mountain road from Lake Manyara to Serengeti, for example, he would point to the many holes in the steep walls next to the road. How would ask how come – we think – did they arise. We had no clue of course, so he would and tell us elephants are; they dig them with their trunks. Next, our job was to come up with a reason why they would do such a thing (after which he would tell us this reason, of course, which I won’t tell here. Ask Francis!).
Almost always we had the best spot to capture the animals on film or photo. Either we were first to arrive or Francis knew some kind of alternative spot away from the many other tourist vehicles that could block our view.
Camping was a real adventure. From the first night on, we slept in tents. The first camping site and test can be called luxurious - at least if compared to the other camps and tents. We had a private shower with warm water directly next to our tent, for instance, and light (yes light!). Camping in the desert was a different story. We slept literally next to the hyenas, whose eyes we could see lighting up in the darkness and that were following every single one of us if we would leave the tent. And those who didn’t dare to go out could still notice their presence, either by their smell or by the fact that the garbage bags were torn. We were warned not leave our shoes outside the tent unless we wanted to get them stolen by those animals. Generally, there was no electricity in the desert camping sites, hence no light, and no true kitchen. But, like every other chef, Khalid used a flashlight on his head and fixed a menu on a single gas fire pit (which he needed to bring himself). Despite these ‘handicapping’ circumstances, Khalid was always able to prepare a fantastic meal, often better than the dinners we had in the restaurants in Moshi and Arusha.
One might think that a near $1000 for just a few nights camping under such conditions is much, crazy even, but then please do not forget that a major part is formed by the entrance fees to the national parks (already hundreds of dollars). Actually, it is quite amazing that Kili Slope can offer such a varied tour for such a price!
Tips for future tourists: (1) be prepared; it can be freezing cold at night, for instance! (2) Be realistic; don’t expect you’ll see as much hunting as in those documentaries on National Geographic or Discovery Channel (chances are great you don’t see any kill or even an attempt). A film crew stays there for three months, and often during the great migration, when food is plenty, so that attacks are also plenty. In addition, hours and hours of film material condensed to an hour or two that only shows the highlights, which are thus rare. Realize you are there for 5 days, so expect maybe a few minutes comparable to that documentary material. If more, consider yourself very lucky. The most important thing about safari, we found, is that you’re there, in Africa, surrounded by wild animals, by the exotic smell of the desert, by beautiful colors, by !@# heat !@# and cold!. The experience is that you’re part of that nature (not watching your t.v. with the remote control and pizza slice within reach), (3) realize you’re a guest. I would be curious to read some reviews of guests by safari tour operators, but I expect ratings of people who take budget tours to be more positive (on average) than ratings of people who take luxury tours. Perhaps that can be even considered an additional reason take a budget tour, like the one we took with Kili Slopes. In this regard, the company deserves another compliment. They dealt well with the very … how to say … different personalities on board. Partly as a result of this, we enjoyed our company to the last minute. We hope Francis and Khalid did so too. We thank them, as well as David.