35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Rhino trekking on foot in Kenya
We have just returned from a fabulous safari in Kenya, where we stayed in two Saruni lodges in Samburu. Lots of lovely individual moments but especially loved rhino trekking on foot where we had the opportunity to get very close to a baby rhino. It was also great to be able to spend some time talking to the local Samburu people who have held on to the culture and traditions and see the great conservation work they are undertaking. Thanks to Rose for organising!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trustworthy and professional
My second trip to Kenya and transported again by Timeline Safaris. Last year I went to Maasi Mara National Reserve and this year to Nairobi National Park and Nairobi Animal Orphanage. Have seen all the animals in the wild except the mysterious leopard (although I did get to see the leopard in the Animal Orphanage)! Safe and professional drivers, trustworthy and with integrity. I wouldn't consider using anyone else. Thanks Joseph I'll see you again in 2019 !
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Natasha worked with us to plan safari experiences for a college biology class - for the 4th time
We visited Africa on Foot in South Africa, and Xobega and Tuskers in Botswana. All were fantastic experiences. We had really good wildlife viewing, as well as great interpretations of behavior and interactions by our guides and trackers, and familiarity with not only the abundant animals, but also the plants and how they are used. All 3 lodges had very comfortable accommodations, great food, and gentle hospitality. All the staff were friendly, polite, and ready to help us with any needs. Our bush walks at AoF were excellent, and my students got a chance to learn about birds, tracks, dung, and other sign as well as the vegetation, and the guides were very well prepared. Game drives were very productive - we got to see a lioness nursing her cub, leopards including 2 cubs, lots of elephants of all sizes, cape buffalo, rhinos, zebra, giraffes - and wild dogs! We spent time observing behavior, not just racing from animal to animal. On our last night, we were treated to a braai under the stars and a magnificent baobab. My students were amazed at all they saw and learned, and returned even more excited than before we went! I cannot say enough good things about our experiences, and the organization of our safari by Natalie!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Kruger National Park by Danielle
Visiting Kruger National Park was a cool experience. It is so vast and it's incredible how quickly the scenery changes as you drive through the park. I think the one downside is that because it's so big, it's sometimes hard to pinpoint the location of animals. That said, we had a heard of 20+ elephants walk right in front of our jeep, which was one of the coolest things I've ever experienced. It is 100% worth a visit!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Greater Kruger by Danielle
Greater Kruger offered so many different types of scenery, which made each bush drive unique. We always saw animals and it was just beautiful.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely life changing, surreal, and incredible!
Everything about my safari in South Africa was amazing! The people who worked for Viva Safaris were all so nice, accommodating, and incredibly knowledgeable. I learned so much from them about South African wildlife, foliage, and culture. The scenery in the bush varied by location, which made each place unique, and Kruger National Park was just beautiful. It was a great experience to see so many different types of landscape in one place.
We saw SO many animals, too! Elephants, giraffes, and various species of antelope were in abundance. Our guides also patiently, diligently, and expertly searched for lions, since that's all we wanted to see, and they did not disappoint! We were also lucky enough to see rhinos, hippos, wildebeest, baboons, and so many animal species I've never even heard of. It was a surreal experience to see all of these beautiful animals in their natural habitat. Truly breathtaking and life changing.
The lodging and food were adequate - definitely worth it at the affordable price point. The weather was perfect. Overall, my experience is one I won't soon forget and I've talked about it nonstop since I've been back!
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
City and Bush, Birding and Boating -- Zimbabwe Had It All!
From the time we arrived in Zimbabwe, my wife and I had nothing to plan or deliberate during our entire stay. All transportation was prompt, clean, and courteous. We enjoyed a sunset cruise down the Zambezi in Vic Falls, lunch at the gorge, and drinks at the bar at Bayete. Zambezi Sands was AMAZING and truly felt remote while also luxe. We enjoyed plenty of gin and tonic sundowners, a brief pontoon boat trip, many game drives with plenty of wildlife, and the real highlight was kayaking the mighty Zambezi River. We'll never forget being that close to hippos and crocs and the one section of rapids was a rush. Dinner was phenomenal, John and the staff were incredible hosts, and the nighttime campfires made us feel right at home with other guests we'd just met.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful and safe safari trip
My family and I value safety before all things. william was one of the safest drivers we had ever encountered. He always drove carefully and paid extra attention to my mum who had a bad back. He also made sure the car was safe to drive at all times. Our car never broke down during our journey and it saved us a lot of time and trouble.
william was also highly knowledgeable about animals. He was always able to explain the interesting facts about the animals to us, which made our trip a lot more insightful. He was experienced in finding the animals and we were able to see a great deal and meet our expectations.
We also appreciate yaneta safaris’ politeness and kindness (brought my camera and the bag which I forgot in the car to our hotel the day after we said goodbye and even gave us a lift to the town centre to run some errands). We really enjoyed our safari trip from yaneta safaris and we won’t hesitate to recommend our guide and his company to anyone who intends to go on a safe and enjoyable safari trip to Uganda.
EG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Masai Mara trip
I had a vey pleasant experience with Lilian who arranged the trip for me and my family to Masai Mara
The accommodation was perfect and the safari adventure was so much fun with the amazing driver Peter
Thanks a lot Lilian would love to travel with you again
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari experience
Two of us spent 9 days with our wonderful guide Roger. We saw a great deal of the Northern Circuit of Tanzania during our trip and finished with day at Lake Eyasi to see a local hunter gatherer tribe.
We spent a while researching our options and felt SoT offered good value for money with a good review history.
Roger was excellent. He loves birds and was able to offer a lot of knowledge about them, but was equally able when it came to the other wildlife too. His expertise was apparent when it came to busy situations - he was always a step ahead of the game and able to get us the best spot to view the wildlife before other cars moved into position. He taught us some Swahili and we enjoyed our long journeys with him.
The northern circuit is absolutely fantastic. We saw so much during our week there and I would highly recommend it. Soul picked out good lodges/tented lodges for us to stay in, and as others have mentioned, the hot lunches we had were the envy of other tourists everywhere! The car was comfy too.
The only thing I would mention is we had a day at Lake Eyasi at the end of our itinerary (as suggested on their recommended itinerary). It was certainly a worthwhile trip, but in hindsight very expensive - it was charged at the same daily rate as the rest of our safari, despite not incurring the same park fee costs etc. While worthwhile (and geographically convenient on the way home from safari), I'd consider looking at other cheaper alternatives to see the Hadzabe!
All in all, I'd highly recommend SoT for your Tanzania safari.