US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded Expectations
The safari was way beyond incredible, and our wonderful guide Edward could not have been nicer, more knowledgeable or better in any way. In a word - amazing! We saw all the animals over the course of the safari very close up, saw a huge variety and loved every minute. The accommodations were all better then described, the staff at each wonderful and friendly. Zanzibar was relaxing and peaceful and nice to explore. The people of Tanzania are wonderful, friendly, and genuine people.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fove Reasons Why you should experience Botswana with Wild Ridge Bush Safaris
Five reasons why you should use Wild Ridge Bush Safaris for your Botswana trip
I recently returned from a two week trip to Botswana that was organised in Botswana by Patricia Ridge. It was my second visit and the whole thing was wonderful. Here’s why.
1. Guides
Patricia used two guides for our group of 12 teachers and students. Both Gibson and Jameson were brilliant. So experienced and extremely friendly ; very willing to share their knowledge of animals, birds, plants and people.
We camped in Moremi, Savuti and Chobe and the roads can be very challenging. We always felt totally safe and were in awe of their driving and mechanical skills.
The guides were expert in finding animals often in intimate circumstances free from crowds. These included Lion, Leopard and African Wild Dogs. Just brilliant.
2. Campsite Team
Along with the two guides we had a team of three who set up our camp each day. “Policeman” ran the camp. What a lovely bloke! We had our tents serviced each day and he spelt out “welcome” in petals on our beds. All the guys were superbly approachable and built up a great rapport with our group. We were able to recharge our cameras each day which was brilliant for quite a large group.
3. Food
Patricia provided us with a genius cook called Rasta. Every night as we gathered at the table, under our canopy he would proudly announce the meal of the day. We had great steak, chicken and pasta. Every meal had incredible flavour. When we were out on game drives there was always a great lunch and memorable tea and coffee stops.
4. Jump St. Chalets
Wild Ridge safaris are based in Maun, a short ten minute drive from Maun International Airport. Both of my Botswana experiences have started from this lovely unassuming location. Patricia has a number of individual chalets that have their own character and bird name. I stayed in Flamingo. There is a small pool. I loved the birds around Jump St. My friend and I had a list of over 20 species before we had even got into a safari vehicle. There were Hornbills, Boubou, not to mention beautiful starlings everywhere.
The staff were so helpful and typically charming as is everyone in Botswana. I was sorry to leave but I knew what lay in store on safari and we saw wildlife almost as soon as we left Maun with our guides. It was great to meet up with Patricia again and indeed she met up with us in both Savuti and Chobe to see how we were getting on.
5. Variety of programmes
We are already in discussion with Patricia about a possible future itinerary that would include the central Kalahari and overnight camping in the Okavango delta. I would go back in a heartbeat.
Murray Robbins (U.K. teacher)
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent and efficient service
Chalo Africa was not only efficient but also very responsive and were able to handle our situation which was complicated by the fact that we were traveling with little internet access and cc payment difficulties. i highly recommend them.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Afroriginal made my dream come true!
We had the most wonderful and exciting holiday and safari organized by Desiree from Afroriginal Tours! From the first email contact, Desiree was very responsive and creative and proposed different options for our route and she created our own holiday-website. The holiday and safari itself exceeded my expectations! Perfect route and lodges, everything organized in detail with Fay as our great guide. Thank you so much for making my dream come true!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Custom Safari
We booked our honeymoon 10-day Tanzania safari in Ruaha and the Serengeti through Paul Tickner, and were so glad we did! While booking, he was in constant communication about our preferences, giving us advice and a good idea of what we could expect at each camp. Once we were on our trip, we began to truly appreciate the amount of coordination required! Everything was arranged perfectly - flights, car transfers, hotels, safari camps. It all went off without a hitch!
Regarding Ruaha specifically, we found the park to be wonderful! The animals stay close to the riverbed during dry season, so it's common to see many different animals (baboons, giraffes, impala, wort hogs) all together at once, which is truly amazing. The days are hot, but not unbearable, and there aren't as many cars as you'll find in the Serengeti, so it's a more personal experience.
Could not recommend Paul or Ruaha more highly!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Most Amazing Family Trip!! Excellent Service and Organization
We went on our first family safari to the Masai Mara in Kenya with our six children in late August during the peak of the wildebeest migration. Sangeeta understood our family needs and requirements and arranged an itinerary that was comfortable, kid friendly, and educational. As a result the family was able to experience Africa in a way that we never imagined. We witnessed the wildebeest migration river crossing, saw the big 5, visited a local school, went on walking and night safari tours, and much more all in just 5 days. Our tour guides were extraordinary!!! They kept the kids engaged and excited at all times. Sangeeta and the Chalo Africa team were communicating with us during the entire trip via a Whatsapp group chat to ensure that everything was always perfect. I highly recommend planning your next safari with Chalo Africa.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very humorous, very professional, very good, to Uganda strongly recommended
Frank is a very professional companion. Has a wealth of experience。
He helped us to choose the accommodation and food are very good。
The most important thing is to help us get the permit of gorilla。
With him, brought us a good memory，Strongly recommend you to find frank, the trip is also arranged very well
IE
20-35 years of age
Perfect blend of adventure and relaxation
This trip had so many iconic East African experiences, and was just so much fun. If you want to go on safari and also want to experience real Uganda, go with these guys.
I loved the mystery of going on a trip I hadn't planned myself. We received an itinerary but I purposely didn't look up anything as I wanted to the excitement of seeing genuine new things, a hard thing to achieve these days. I put my trust in Colm & Peter and they didn't disappoint. The beauty of the country and the warmth of the people surpassed all expectations. There is so much to see and do in Uganda I came home with a list of things I'll have to go back and do.
What I liked about Kennedy Safari Tours was that they were fluid and easy going. They really listened to what the group wanted in this really discreet way, and then just made it happen, they didn't miss a thing. They knew I was into birdwatching and managed to fit that in for me even though it wasn't planned. In fact if you're into birds in any way, you need to go to Uganda. Every hike or game drive we went on we encountered incredible birds, and the local guides were more than happy to identify them.
They use guides who have decades of experience and who are passionate about their parks and the animals. They're responsible, especially when bush camping and leave no trace. Much of the accommodation we used were community projects run by locals, so in this sense they are really supporting small local business, and in turn their wider communities.
What I also liked was that the guys were as excited by the wildlife and the things that we encountered as we were, so it felt like we were all enjoying the experience together. Small subtleties like that make for a more authentic experience.
The trip was so affordable. They have obviously put in the time and effort to seek out an itinerary that is affordable without having to leave anything out, whether you're a volunteer, a student or just someone who wants a rich experience that you don't have to spend a lot on. I feel like I could go again next year and it not be a big deal, with flights from Ireland being so reasonable.
It's hard to pick a highlight as I genuinely loved every day. I loved the wild and remote places like Kidepo National Park, river swimming and standing under waterfalls in Sipi Falls, also the coffee tour in Sipi Falls. Safari from a boat on the Nile in Murchison Falls NP when we saw a herd of elephants drinking along the shoreline. The stunning trek to the Ik Tribe and the whole experience of meeting the tribe was very special. Evening game drives, early morning game drives! Tracking chimpanzees in Kibale Forest and getting to spend the whole day in the rainforest. The food! ( Thank you Peter! ) All things I'll never forget.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was an amazing experience and one of the best vacations I have ever been on.
This was probably one of the best vacations that I have ever been on. Our tour was especially geared to children. I have gone on many vacations with Disney Adventures and Disney Cruises and this tour beats all of them! My kids learned about animals, the ecosystem and the culture. I highly recommended this tour to everyone.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Experience of a lifetime, our every expectation was met in a professional manner by the team.
From day one, every single aspect of dealing with Wild At Heart Tours and Safaris was professional, polite and knowledgeable.
Their service was in a nutshell was infallible ( error-free, unfailing, faultless, flawless, impeccable, perfect, true, uncanny, precise, accurate, meticulous, scrupulous) This extended to every member of the team from booking, to the guide Jared and the whole tour itself.
We will be back soon !