20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once In a Lifetime Adventure Honeymoon
My husband and I wanted an adventure for our honeymoon and we got exactly that! We explored the beautiful countries of Kenya and Tanzania and the island of Zanzibar! Our tour guides were amazing and kept us safe and comfortable in our private Land Rover. We had great food and bottled water provided everywhere we went. The tour was spectacular and we saw every animal you could imagine up close! No professional camera needed. Our guides spoke fluent English and we learned so much!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely knowledgable, friendly, efficient and very environmentally conscious.
I could not more wholeheartedly recommend a tour company!!! Very open communication before and during, organized, clean vehicles, and the staff knowledge was just amazing. We were driving back from a day trip in Mzomazi Park, and our driver points out a sleeping leopard in a tree probably 100 yards from the road. We could barely find the tree, much less the leopard and we weren't safely driving on a dirt road! All 3 drivers (one being the tour leader) had vast knowledge of the birds and animals, including how to be ecologically friendly in our viewing of them. Consistently we saw other tour companies race in too close, scaring birds and animals that we had been cautiously observing from a safe distance. I will say this was an expensive trip as vacations go, but the lack of hassles, excellent accommodations and meals, along with the amazing sightings just made it totally worthwhile. Despite traffic in cities and the culture being less sensitive to timeliness than Americans, we were always picked up to start on time. I would be almost afraid to do another trip because I just don't believe it could get any better. We saw lions 9 different days, had this spectacular leopardess with cubs sighting (we watched them for 2 hours), and overall saw 336 species of birds and 58 animals/reptiles. The tour was well balanced with efforts made to keep everyone in the group happy--had a lot of serious birders and photographers along, but still took time to see cultural and archeological sights as well as shopping. We totally loved the staff members and know you can't go wrong with this company on a trip of a lifetime!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredibly thorough and professional!
We had an amazing day experience with Soul of Tanzania and our guide Hope. The natural beauty is unsurpassed. I would highly recommend this experience and this company.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Dream Tour
Actually i stayed in DSM for 3 years and i have always dream to visit serengeti and ngorongoro but i have only vacation in x-mass. And this x-mass(2021) i planed to visit my dream place then i tried to communicate several tour company with instagram then i found that Raymond gave me the best price. I scared cz its my fitst time in staying in tented camp but Raymond gave me the hope and send me some picture to ensure Security. I really appriciate his behavior and manner. And when i reached there i saw that everything can be arranged very nicely. Im totally impressed his arrangement. Thank you Raymond and his company to support me to fulfill my dream. Also the tour guid habib was vastly experience and polite we really enjoy to visit serengeti and ngorongoro.
35-50 years of age
Simply careless and borderline dishonest
We had a terrible experience having rented a unit in Diani Beach Golden Sands Diani Kenya from Acheche tours. The unit was advertised as one thing and when we got there quite different. Very many things were not working and the entire complex where the apartment is located is derelict condition. Elevators not working, busted ceilings boards, pool with overgrown grass and no pool chairs.. I can go on forever. My key grip is with Acheche tours. They did nothing to resolve the issues. Ann claimed not to have known about the condition and yet took the money. And simply stopped responding to us. You plan your trip with Acheche at your own peril
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime
Reviewed 2 days ago via mobile
We had a wonderful experience with lion king from inquiry, payment, and all the way through the safari. The accommodations were great and each location was able to provide vegetarian meals too. Our trip was over the Christmas holiday and each location made he holiday special.
The safari itself was a once in a lifetime experience. Our guide Salehe was very knowledgeable regarding the animals and each location we went to. It was clear he knew the parks inside and out. Each day we were in disbelief with the animals he found (big 5, giraffe, cheetah, leopards, and so many cubs). Our group of four had a private vehicle and Salehe was with us the whole trip.
Highly recommend lion king - exceeded our expectations
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best trip ever!
We worked with the Kibo Guides to create a perfect itinerary for the 8 day trip. Our Guide, Shabani, was absolutely the best. The accommodations were exactly as described and very close to where we were going to do our game drives. One thing that I like about Kibo Guides, is that they do not limit the driver to a daily milage limit as some other companies do. So, we had the privelidge of driving all day long and seeing more of the Serengeti than others may have. Our trip was everything we had hoped it would be. Thank you Kibo Guides!!
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Collins is punctual, social and very kind
Collins is a good driver, very careful and very welcoming. We arrived in Nairobi on time and he knows all the kenyan routes very well.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Perfect planning, incredible experience!
When planning our trip to Kenya we contacted a number of travel agencies, from the initial contact and proposal we had a good feeling about KingTomondo Safaris. The communication was to the point, Lisa understood immediately our preferences and tailored the itinerary accordingly.
The proposed itinerary was a 7-day safari through Tsavo East, Amboseli and Tsavo West, the lodges and camp sites where carefully selected all offering amazing views in prime locations in each of the parks.
On the first day of our Safari we were met at the hotel by Aziz, our guide/driver throughout the entire journey, an amazing and charming person with a lot of knowledge about the fauna and flora of the parks we visited. For an amateur photographer as myself it was a pleasure to have Aziz at our side, never in a hurry and allowing enough time for taking photographs. During our trip we where able to spot four out of the Big Five animals.
Lisa and KingTomondo's team am are very involved and will assist you with all the practical arrangements (airport transfers, hotel bookings, ... or even a last minute hot air balloon safari.
Despite the COVID pandemic we had safe journey, KingTomondo and all lodges handled everything in a professional manner, this should not hold you of visiting Kenya and it's parks.
We'll definitely return to Kenya and will book with Lisa again!
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ruined Honeymoon
We chose Bencia for a first safari experience during our honeymoon with a 6 days safari (2 full days in Masaï Mara + Nakuru + Hell's Gate, Nairobi to Nairobi).
Our initial plan had to be changed because of COVID test that we had to do at least the day before leaving. Bencia told me that last night we won't do in Naivasha/Hell's Gate but in Nairobi. What I didn't know was that we would have to sacrifice 1 full day and 1 night at Masaï Mara (which was of course the heart of our Safari) because of that. Of course they didn't tell me as day/night in Nairobi is not the same price as day/night in Masaï Mara. The safari cost didn't change at any moment.
The problem is that I never received any new plan, I think there was a real communication problem there from Bencia.
We only did one evening and full day next in Masaï Mara, not even the next morning as planned also because we had to be quickly to Nakuru for I do not know which reason because we arrived there at noon and left for safari at 6pm, all those lost hours we could have spent in Mara...
After this evening safari, I started contacting Bencia about our planning, they just said that we should do safari on the morning and head to Naivasha where we could do an activity that we would have to pay ourselves. I started to be angry and asked them (my contact was Alfred) why skipping one full day in Masaï Mara to be in Naivasha with nothing provided ? I asked them to provide us an activity as I was the one being stole and of course they first refuse. They even said that they would offer me activities in Nairobi and Hell's Gate, they are very funny in this so called ''company''. I paid for a 6 days safari, got stolen a day in Masaï Mara in exchange of one day in Nairobi but they continued talking about offering me things that I paid for... After a long discussion, I finally had a word from Bencia saying they would pay activity in Naivasha !
The next day, after only a few hours of safari in Nakuru (driver always had good excuses to quickly end the day or push us to do extra activity), we arrived in Naivasha. Other surprise there, we were not in the good hotel and when I compared rates of 2 hotels, 1 night in the one that was supposed to be booked was at USD 430 and the one we were in at USD 165. I gently asked for an explanation and a change or an upgrade during a long moment but Bencia never wanted to upgrade us, saying that it was the ''same level''. What a kind gift from them for our honeymoon !
We arrived in this hotel at 11:35 am and I had to struggle once again with Bencia (still Alfred who didn't want to get me his manager)@ to get our promised activity. Finally, at 17:00 after that our driver disapeared (even Bencia couldnt reach him) we were taken to our 1 hour boat ride, finally !
Last but not least, when we arrived at 3pm for check in in Nairobi without having any lunch, we discovered that Bencia booked only bed and breakfast. Reminder : I paid and signed and they signed to a contract for 6 days saying that all meals were included. There, once again, I had to fight during 2 hours to get our lunch (at 5pm bon appétit !) and also dinner.
This is where we met Cyprian from Bencia who listened to this story and tried to get us our meals and organized excursion the day after (of course Alfred from Bencia lied to me saying that he had booked excursions in Nairobi so we missed elephant orphanage).
Thanks to Cyprian, last day we were able to go to Nairobi NP for a last safari. That does not compensate at all the rest but I guess we will never received anything from them.
If you want an unbelievable experience, especially for honeymoon, I would not recommend Bencia, they are not tousism professionals. I would have done much more organizing it myself from Paris than them from Nairobi.
PS : Next to this comment, Bencia contacted me to remove my comment in exchange of some money, that tells the level of such company...