US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An honest tour group
Circumstances required that I cancel my tour and, even during a pandemic, Saso lived up to their word and gave me a refund. Organizations like this deserve business and when I can travel again, I will be using their services.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime thanks to Antony who is trustworthy, fun, and knowledgeable! Highly recommended!
My girlfriend and I booked an 8-day Safari to Amboseli, Lakes Nakuru and Naivasha and of course the great Maasai Mara during September 2020, just a week before leaving! I had been corresponding with over 5 companies who each had a great reputation and strong offers but I went with Tazama Holidays and could not be happier!
This was the best trip of my life! I have been to 25 countries for holidays/vacation but this was one of the most special. Antony is the main reason for this. As a small business owner and driver/guide, he made the trip special. First off, he welcomed us at the airport and took us to our hotel, despite our 8-day safari not beginning until the next morning. My girlfriend and I felt very comfortable and confident in him from our first encounter. He has a warm smile and a calm, confident demeanor. Throughout the trip he was respectful, knowledgeable, patient, funny, and also very attentive. He also possesses a good command of English.
Antony was knowledgeable of landscapes, culture, history, and most importantly – the animals! He had a vast knowledge of birds and mammals. There was no question that stumped him! He also has a funny and anecdotal education style which is engaging and memorable. Antony is also adept at providing great viewpoints of animals for photography by predicting their next move. Antony has a like-new 4x4 Landcruiser in excellent condition which he kept clean for us throughout the trip, equipped with a fridge full of bottled water and internationally adapted charging ports.
He drove well on the game drives and was skilled in finding animals. We were often the first vehicle in front of lions, cheetahs, elephants, rhinos, hyenas, etc. He is very familiar with all of the parks from his 13 years of experience. He even was familiar with several families of cheetahs and lions. Personally, we saw 3 of the big 5 in the first 24 hours of game driving and saw all 5 during the safari. He went above and beyond to get us a great shot of a leopard eating a gazelle carcass in a tree, drove tirelessly to get us close up shots of a rhino and its baby, etc.
Antony has a humble and serving nature that makes the guests feel very special and welcomed. He remembered little details from the day before and always checked in on us to make sure we were happy with our accommodations and extracurricular activities including bike riding through Hell’s Gate NP and our cultural Maasai village visit. He took care of all problems that arose throughout the trip without fuss. Antony was always early and waiting for us before the crack of dawn with great eagerness and enthusiasm to get started.
My one regret is not listening to his recommendations for accommodations. I went against his advice on one and was disappointed I did not listen to him. His recommendations are truly for his clients' best interests. He was the most responsive person to emails and very honest throughout and never set false expectations.
If you are worried about COVID-19 and your ability to go then rest assured that Antony has a fantastic policy to ensure your confidence in booking and the Kenyan government is strict about following COVID-19 protocols. I even witnessed local police arrest citizens on the streets who were not wearing a mask. I felt safe the entire time.
I highly recommend that you get a tour through Antony at Tazama African Holidays. He puts an incredible amount of effort into ensuring that you have a wonderful trip. You will not be disappointed!
PS Here is a list of animals he found for us –
Pride of Lions, Parade of Elephants, Tower of Giraffes (Rothschild, Articulated and Maasai), Tawny Eagle, Leopard Faced Vulture, Dazzles of Zebras, Coalitions of Cheetahs, Herds of Water Buffalo and Wildebeest, Eland, Topi, Jackal, Dikdik, Vervet monkeys and Baboons, Mongooses, Flamingos, Warthogs, Hippopotamuses, White Rhinos, Waterbucks, Cackle of Hyenas, Impalas, Lola bird, Grant and Thompson Gazelles, Egyptian Geese, Cape Teal Duck, Hartebeest, Iguana, Crocodile, and Bats.
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience and extremely helpful people
I went for 4 days safari with Moraka and it was a great choice. Everything was organized perfectly and contact with Lathiper was extraordinary. Game drive was amazing, I had high expectations but it was way better than I expected.
Lathiper also organized Kili hike for me which was as good as the safari.
Moreover she help me with many other things like bus tickets, sim card etc.
People from Moraka were extremaly helpful and they were willing to help even once the safari I hike were over. Highly recommend this company!
Excellent professional and exiting
Being the first time experience with Bonfire I would say it was one of the best experiences I’ve had so far, our tour guide James Mwangi was on point. Very professional and experienced in what he was doing with daily briefs before our wild drives. The communications and planning from the office was one is a kind from Rose, it took me less than a day to know about Bonfire, their offers/rates and bookings. Their communication and feedback was very efficient. Am in love with Bonfire
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience...worth the wait and money!
I originally started planning this in Feb/March 2020 for my honeymoon. Immediately, Moses was very prompt in reaching out to me via Whatsapp for pricing and planning. Unfortunately due to COVID, we had to stop planning. I stayed in contact with Moses over the next few months and finally reached back out in August 2020 to plan for September 2020. He was, again, very punctual and articulate about the trip. Once I arrived in Dar Es Salaam, the following day, our guide Hassan picked me and my husband up at our hotel at 6:30AM and we drove to Mikumi Park. We stopped for breakfast and lunch along the way. Hassan provided us with great conversation and we all immediately clicked. Once we dropped our things in the camp around 3pm, we rested for about 30 min and did our first drive. We then did another drive the following day and then visited an incredible Massai village. We did not get to see a lion, although we did see vultures, but we saw EVERYTHING else in abundance! The food at both the camp and the other hotel 2nd night were both great. On the 3rd day, we returned to Dar with a packed lunch en route. It was sad saying goodbye to Hassan. We know we will for sure stay in touch. 100% recommend this trip and these guides. The price is very reasonable for 2 people and its nice to just be one-on-one with your guide/organizer versus a big trip.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Suberb service and high competence!
We had our perfect safari booked with Darren. He is super friendly and competent. Booking was very easy, they listened to our wishes and helped us figure out the perfect travel itinerary. I was so much looking forward to it... Unfortunately we had to cancel everything because of Corona. And although we had to cancel, the service of Darren still remained perfect. We tried postponing the cancellation as much as we could. And when we knew we had to cancel, he organised everything we needed for our insurance. I really hope that we can make this safari happen one day and I would not want to book it with any other tour operator. Thanks Darren & Co.!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Impeccable service and professionalism. All attention to detail was performed.
We booked a 2 night Serengeti safari at namiri plains. It wAs awesome. The planning, Customer service and professionalism was impeccable. They arranged pick up and drop off to and from zanzibar with was great and even held our excess bags as we went on the safari. A plus service.
The safari itself was great. plains is top class. A cut Above the rest. The service is second to none. Highlight of the year.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect dream come true experience!
These guys provided such a great tour! The schedule and activities were exactly as described and we had the freedom to spend as much or as little time as we wanted at each site including a very long time looking at the same tree lions. Our tour guide knew all the small unmarked roads very well making us feel in safe hands, he was also very friendly and chatty which really put us at ease. Leading up to the tour and while on the tour all emails and WhatsApp messages were replied to immediately which was reassuring. Meeting the local people, communities, and seeing the amazing animals so close up was just such a great experience, I would highly recommend touring with this guys! Thanks again! Ryan
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Outstanding Customer Service
I spent a lot of time researching safari companies before deciding on Compass Odyssey based on excellent reviews and initial communication. From the start, Darren was prompt and thorough with correspondence and information, answering all my questions (although most were covered in the excellent information package that was provided). Unfortunately our safari originally scheduled for late March 2020 did not occur as scheduled due to Covid. Throughout the process of heartbreak, cancellations, and dealings with insurance companies, Darren has been attentive, accommodating, and incredibly helpful.
Our safari was to be the trip of a lifetime for our family. It was not to be in 2020 but when it does happen (and it will!), it will be with Compass Odyssey. I have no reservations about recommending Compass Odyssey to anyone looking for a company with excellent customer service and a true sense of accountability to their customers and local business partners alike.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best experience of our life
We searched the internet for camping safaris and found Bobby Camping Safaris. We couldn't find a cheaper provider in terms of price, so we discussed everything by email and decided on the 8-day safari. We had to pay a 30% deposit. You have to pay the rest in cash on arrival. Since we didn't want to take so much cash with us, we transferred the full amount in advance via Transferwise. After landing at the airport, our driver Jolis picked us up. He greeted us very friendly, loaded our bags into the car and then drove us to the hotel. He was in a very good mood from the start and helped us with all our questions and problems. You can't imagine a better driver. The next morning we started with the first game drive and the first night in camp. Our expectations were exceeded after the first day. We saw so many animals and then we were surprised with very delicious and extensive food from our cook Elias. There was even a 3 course menu for dinner. We asked for vegetarian food and the cook implemented it really well. His dishes were delicious and creative. After the second day we decided to extend the safari for another day because we loved it. To do this, we spoke to the boss Murtaza briefly and he took care of everything for us. Jolis recommended us to stay one more day in the Serengeti National Park. He was absolutely right in his recommendation: on this extra day we saw many lions, a leopard and cheetahs. In general, Jolis is very knowledgeable about animals and also about African culture. You can ask him anything and he always has an answer ready. He's also very good at driving the car. He always asked if we were doing well and if we were feeling well. He treated us like his brother / sister. He has become like a big brother to us too.
