IE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fun, great family experience, great to see animals in the wild
Kenya is a wonderful country to visit - people are v friendly and scenery amazing.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jacko created the most extraordinary, educational, and incredible experiences of a lifetime.
Our South African safari was everything we could have hoped for and more. I learned so much, saw so much, and came home with even more memories. It is a tough task to see all the best of South Africa in a 6 day safari, but Red Africa Safaris and Jacko made it happen. From the animal interactions to the waterfalls and canyons, to Kruger national park, this trip was an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity. All the lodging we stayed in exceeded expectations and each one provided a unique experience from the huts in Kruger where Jacko graciously cooked up true south african barbecue overnight (AMAZING) to the chalet we were able to stay in with breathtaking views and amazing guest rooms. There was not a single downside or regret to the entire trip. If anyone ever asks me about a safari, Red Africa safaris and Jacko are the only way to go if you want to truly enjoy your experience and if you want such a uniquely outfitted trip that fits your bucket list checklist. My mother dreamed of interacting with elephants, my boyfriend of seeing the landscapes, and I of visiting Kruger and the conservation centers. Every bucket list item was met in excess and I honestly can say that having our own personal tour guide in Jacko is what made this experience so perfect. His knowledge, personal experiences and stories, and amazing cooking are what ensured that if we ever travel to Africa again we will be requesting that he be our guide! Without hesitation, this is the company to book your trip through and I hope anyone in the future will have the same stunning experiences to last a lifetime that my family and I had.
SG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Value for Money Experience in Uganda with Saso Uganda Safaris
In June, my wife and l with our children planned to make a trip to Africa, We all finalize that we should visit Uganda to such that we trek the mountain gorillas . We contacted several companies regarding our trip to Uganda but we selected Saso Uganda Safaris because their pricing was friendly and also the nature of their package setup was unique.
My family and I have just returned from a two week trip round southwestern Uganda. We visited Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Our driver/guide, Wilson, was a fount of knowledge, a superb driver and a real pleasure to be with for the whole of the trip.
We have come back keen to visit other parts of Uganda in the future and would definitely go to Saso Uganda safaris again. I highly recommend Saso Uganda Safaris to all those we love to travel in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. I will recommend my friends too.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
knowlegeable, local operator
We found the operator very helpful and knowledgeable about nature/ wildlife in Tanzania. At the time of booking, we knew very little about safaris and national parks in Tanzania; when we visited, we were well informed, nothing was left out in terms of animals, culture and the cultural people-maasai.
CL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Nice experience in Kruger NP
Andre Retif and Kavi (from Kruger Adventures Lodge) are just fantastic. Andre was always available to assist us. The service provided in the lodge was remarkable. The staff was absolutely nice and happy to receive us. The meals also, just well served and delicious. We really felt better than home and that is something to highlight, definitely.
About Kruger Park, it is a nice place. It is really quite different from other places like Okavango, Serengeti or Ngorongoro as it is not that wild and is also very crowded. There is a Golf Course (Skukuza) in the middle of the park, which I found very disturbing and non-sense.
CL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience
Barak and his team are just amazing. Logistics of a journey like this were complex but very well managed. Really professional staff to deal with every aspect. In our case, car broke down coming from Virunga to Goma (those things happen) but they solved it in a heartbeat so we really tested what they are made of, and those guys are for real. The journey was completely wonderful. We visited gorillas in Virunga. The park rangers have everything controlled and make a great job taking care of those magnificent creatures. The following day we took a boat trip to Bukavu (from Goma). The following day we went to visit the gorillas in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park and after that, we came back to Kigali (Rwanda) in a very nice trip. Totally recommendable.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful, personalised safari experience
I recently completed a safari with them. Despite the relatively tight turnaround time, they delivered an amazing safari that exceeded my expectations. As this was my first safari, I had numerous questions, all of which were answered quickly and expertly and gave me comfort in using them. As said elsewhere they are not a large operation, but this allows a level of personal service - Meshack met us at the airport, and also at other points throughout the trip to check in and see how things were going.
I would highlight that the best guide to the quality of an organization is how it responds when things don't go as planned - we were caught out in the rain in the middle of the Maasai Mara and unable to return to our lodge (someone who tried wound up stuck in the middle of the river and had to swim to safety - credit to our guide for knowing when to cross and when not to), Meshack arranged for alternate lodging for the evening in a charming little camp (zebra camp) even though the camp was closed as they had no guests that evening.
Meshack also did a wonderful job of sourcing excellent guides - the guides we had for Amboseli (Steven) and Maasai Mara (Benson) were very knowledgeable and helped us get the most out of our trip. We were able to see all the animals we had wanted to see, and even got to see a live kill up close.
In summary, they are excellent at what they do, and will go out of their way to ensure one has a wonderful safari experience. Definitely recommend.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Deep impression, Amazing
The Driver is good, cảreful.
This is the best in moment in my life when i can discovery many animal in reality. And Especial about the Lion, i can come close this lion couple even 1m! The Driver(also the tour guide)have deep knowledge about the wild!
Everything is perfect!
Thank a lot for this tour
FR
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
unforgettable, fascinating, wonderful - 15-day delta and dunes.
We had never been on a safari before, so we made sure that we did as much research before we booked as possible. Wild Dog Safaris came with personal recommendations, and, after reading many reviews, we took the plunge - and we were not in any way disappointed. It was the most memorable trip that could be imagined - between us, we took over 2,500 photos and snippets of video, we saw all the animals we could have wanted... and so on! There were only three of us on this particular safari, so it made it all feel rather more personal than it might have done in a large group, but we still think it would have been fantastic.
1. Highlights: there are too many, but the three nights in the Okavango delta stand out, the punting through the reeds, the close encounters with hippos, the peace and tranquility of the scenery, the expertise and friendliness of the local mokuru canoe polers. Also the three nights in Etosha will live long in the memory, the elephants at the waterhole, the rhino crossing the road barely twenty yards in front of us, the herds of zebra, antelopes of various kinds, wildebeest, the birds, tawny and fish eagles, kori bustards, ostrich, to mention only three - we are still dazzled by their beauty and variety.
2. The Wild Dog Staff. If you get a chance, ask for Sam and Stevie as your driver/guide and cook respectively. They were amazing - always ready to help, always on hand, knowledgeable beyond our wildest expectations, and providers of super food, no matter what the shops did not have on their shelves! They were simply brilliant. We actually felt sorry for Sam, driving long hours on gravel roads that jarred your arms out of their sockets and made your teeth rattle for hours afterwards, but no matter how tired he must have been, he always was there to help if we needed it.
3.The accommodation. We had the sense, as it turned out, to ask for two camping mattresses each, and we were very glad we did so, as some of the sites were rather rocky. The tents were fine, in need, if truth be told, of replacement (there were holes in the mosquito net windows - with the inevitable consequences, there were holes in the rip-stop nylon - with identical consequences, and one or two of the window zips did not work, but that was no important. The groundsheets were in perfect order, and, for all the rain we had, we were absolutely dry inside, so the purchase and use of a aerosol can of "Doom" was a very minor (and short-lived) irritation!
4. The campsites. The three days of hotel in Swakopmund were very welcome, of course, but the campsites were generally very acceptable in what they offered. True, two of them had no water for a period of time (in one, my wife had to go to the bar to tell them, as I was in the shower!, and at the second, there was no running water of any kind for about 12 hours), but they were all very different and offered different experiences. They all had a bar and a shop with varying wares for sale, and the sanitary blocks were always clean (though remember to bring your own soap and loo paper). Some had a swimming pool though the colour of the water was frequently rather intimidating. Of the sites we visited, Guma and n'Kwazé were the most attractive, memorable and best organised, and perhaps Madisa the least.
5. The food. Stevie's organisation of the food came from years of experience. He bought what he could from the various shops we stopped at, and created lasagne, lamb stew, stroganoff, chicken schnitzels, kudu steak (because we expressed an interest in trying it) and so on - no two meals were the same, and none were less delicious than any other. Breakfast was usually cereal, yoghourt and coffee, but it had to be quick because we were usually on the road by 07.00, or earlier if we were going on a game drive. Picnic lunches were usually things like meat or sausage with salad and a roll, or bacon and scrambled egg if there was time.
6. The vehicle. We were in a Toyota LandCruiser, which was ideal. We could all see what we wanted to see, we could store our belongings easily along with the sleeping bags (which we hardly needed!), and the trailer took everything else. The LandCruiser had a lifting top which we all used to see the wildlife and take photos. Of course, when you are in a vehicle for 500kms of very uneven gravel road, you get a bit sore, but the stops were well-judged and just long enough for us to check we still had arms and teeth! The roads in Botswana we infinitely worse that the roads in Namibia (we lost the trailer at one point, through simply appalling surfaces (or the lack of them to be more precise), with pot holes you could bury someone in and no-one would notice!
7. The excursions. All of them absolutely fascinating. Apart from the game drives (which we found quite incredible), the highlights were possible the 5,000year-old rock carvings at Twyfelfontein (a UNESCO World heritage site), and the ride through the dunes just outside Swakopmund -an optional extra, but well worth the money, where the colours and the views are not to be missed. Again, the planning of the activities had been very carefully thought out, and was very successful.
8. Recommendations. There is nothing you can do about the distances covered or the state of the roads, so let's leave that out of it. However, regarding the driving, may we suggest that you give the mobile phone to the assistant/cook, and not to the driver - not only in case the police see the driver using it, but because the driver needs full concentration on some of the roads! The only other small thing related to the tents - you may want to look at them, with a view to replacing some of them fairly soon. But we are not going to take umbrage with the tents, as I said earlier.
Conclusions. We would whole-heartedly recommend this camping safari. You have to be prepared for camping and for roughing it a little, and to help with things like washing up, setting up and taking the tents down, but these aspects make the experience all the richer it - we are delighted we chose WDS, a wonderful, fascinating and enriching experience.
Make sure you read all the details of the trip, and you look carefully at the hints and tips that various people have written about going on safari - make sure, for example, that you take anti-malarial medication with you as well as the other jabs which are recommended - and you will have the trip of your lives.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
2 days in Amboseli
I went on the two day Amboseli tour as I only scheduled a long layover in Kenya. The tour was as expected and I was able to see elephants and Kilimanjaro! My guide was very informative and answered my one million questions questions hahaha.i definitely recommend African Sunset Safaris!
