US
Heavenly adventure with Nkuringo Walking Safaris
Seeing the endangered mountain gorillas was on my bucket list, and I was incredibly fortunate to get referred to Nkuringo Walking Safaris. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life--not only coming into contact with the gorillas, but our guides were attentive, kind and exceedingly knowledgeable. We learned so much from our guide in Nkuringo, who grew up in the villages there. The Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge was beautifully situated on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Brenda and Lydia upgraded us to a family cottage, which was amazing. Hot water bottles at our feet and all. The food was wonderful, and the people were very hospitable and attentive. We felt very well taken care of. We had 3 short flights in small airplanes that were smooth and beautiful. We'll never forget this amazing experience--I want to go back.
CA
Repeating Customer
I went on my first last year but didn't get to see everything. Due to Henry's impressive service and quality i booked my second safari with him, this time to see Serengeti and Kenya. The service only got better. Thumbs up Henry.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
professionalism, flexibility and kindness
I recommend Shemeji safari & tours for their professionalism, flexibility and kindness. Emma gave me all the information I needed several weeks in advance (emails, skype discussion) and she accepted to form a group, which is very convenient if you travel solo. The guide Ely and the cook Godson are very friendly. A 4 day safari is a good option.
AE
Great tour experience
We were 2 people seeking a outdoor adventure trip in September. The highlights of the tour being the gorilla trek in Rwanda and Nyiragongo volcano trek in DRC were very well arranged by Nicholas of Africa tours and our guide Bernard was always there to see everything went smoothly.
All our queries and requests to fine tune our tour were immediately responded to thru Whatsapp, emails and phonecalls.
All in all, everything went very smooth and according to the plan, which we were actually not expecting! Will definitely recommend them and wishing them all the best!!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing, transformational experience!
In all candor, we were a bit concerned whether a small company based in Toronto would provide a safari trip and accommodations that were up to standard. But this trip far exceeded our expectations. The lodges were spectacular. The private safari was a real luxury. We had one small issue at the start of the trip: The itinerary suggested that dinner at the originating hotel in Arusha would be including. Our guide informed us that it was not and, admittedly, the language in the itinerary was a bit ambiguous. But an email to Alym at East Africa Wild Adventures quickly resolved the issue: Our wonderful dinner was covered with no fuss!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari!
I did a lot of research and made several inquiries before deciding to go with Grace and Awaken to Africa. It was a great decision. Grace had so much first-hand experience, and she patiently answered our questions and provided recommendations and tips that were spot on! I also liked the fact that the company was jointly owned by Grace in the U.S. who covers the planning, and David, a Tanzanian, who owns the ground operations in Africa. Grace's attention to detail and her communication skills were top notch. I felt very comfortable that she had covered all the bases and prepared us well.
We stayed a night just outside of Arusha, then spent the next 8 nights at 4 different camps across the Northern circuit with our Awaken to Africa naturalist guide, Albert. He was very personable, knowledgeable and a great spotter and tracker of animals. He not only had a keen memory of all the roads but also of all the bumps and dips! Of course we saw both the Big Five and the Mara river crossing a number of times. We also happened to see 2 lion kills in action just a couple of hours apart! Albert was always on top of things, and seemed to be thinking two steps ahead. He was also quick to smile and laugh, and very accommodating. We felt safe and very well taken care of with Albert. He was such an enjoyable person to be around.
The time of the year is very important to picking the optimum locations to visit, and Grace suggested wonderful accommodations for us to choose from. Also important is unlimited mileage to make the most of the safari drives - Awaken to Africa has no limitations. And the overall key factor to a successful safari is the guide, and we were very lucky to have Albert as ours. Our Safari was memorable and even more than we hoped for. A big thank you to Awaken to Africa!
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Endless Summer Tours provide that "special experience" just for you
All our queries were answered patiently. Payment methods were arranged to our satisfaction. Tremendous personal service. We were met at the airport and taken straight to St Lucia & were on a river trip viewing hippo, crocs,Fish eagles and African kingfishers before the end of the evening. Excellent B&B, fantastic food. Then on to Umfolozi - Our indefatigable guide showed us elephant before we even entered the park. Great lodge accommodation (elephant and nyala below our balcony), good food, memorable barbecue by starlight and hours & hours of game viewing and animal photo-opportunities with our skilled, knowledgeable and tireless guide.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best experience ever
This was an outstanding service who were happy to serve our every need. Changes in schedule and location were handled without issue and the prices were very reasonable for such a great trip.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wow! What a Trip!!
Having been to Mana Pools, ZM (twice) on safari, I was a bit underwhelmed when my sister and sis-in-law invited me to join their intrepid group of safari newbies on a trip to Kruger N.P. The thought of sitting all day in a 4 x 4, without getting out and about on foot made me pessimistic about this trip.
It was with this preconception that I reached Skukuza and made contact with P.K. Safaris – well, Bernhard Bekker, Proprietor….and Hennie, his assistant and younger brother to be exact.
What I experienced over the next 5 days all but blew away the preconceived notions that I had arrived with!
These guys were awesome! They were great guides, knowledgeable about local wildlife and viewing conditions. They knew the areas extremely well, were obviously well connected with other fellow professionals – there was a continuous two-way flow of information re: wildlife sightings – which meant that they were able to rapidly deploy to these specified locations, enabling our group to see and experience some truly memorable moments. Up until this trip, my long standing disappointment had been that I had been unable to see leopards and cheetahs in their natural environment…. whilst the cheetah still remains elusive, the Bekkers (and PK Safaris!) managed to get us to seven different leopard encounters! Truly outstanding moments include:
• a stalking leopard lying in wait in a bush near a waterhole…. for unsuspecting impala to come to the water’s edge…we held our collective breaths for an attack – which unfortunately did not materialise (the wind changed and the spooked impala bolted)! Notwithstanding this, the drama of the situation was rewarding in itself, not to mention the numerous photographs it generated
• a leopard that had dragged a fresh impala kill up a tree…and proceeded to gorge itself in full view of this awestruck group…!
Apart from multiple sightings of small prides of lions, Bernhard and Hennie also contrived to serve us not one, but two encounters with separate pairs of mating lions!
I am an amateur wildlife photographer, with some experience behind me….and it quickly became apparent that Bernhard was an expert photographer himself. He shared his expertise with me, and my less experienced fellows unselfishly, and with equal enthusiasm… If any of us required a different viewing angle – or needed to repeat a botched shot – it was never too much…these guys moved those vehicles to optimal or desired positions….and their Nissan off roaders are fitted with gimbals (GimPro equipment) which long lens enthusiasts will see as a huge bonus!
In addition to the above, we managed a surfeit of giraffe and Kudu, a smattering of sable, nyala and bush buck, blue wildebeest, wonderful trysts with a Variable Sunbird, lilac breasted rollers, saddle billed and marabou storks, fish eagles, a gymnogene, bateleurs, a tawny eagle, and snake eagles….and many elephants (the place was awash with them!) …. not to mention the (black and white) rhino sightings!
Last but not the least, Bernhard and Hennie are great fun! Self-deprecating wit, acerbic humour, and an awfully good thick skin to be the butt of a joke – they had these traits in big dollops, ensuring a hilarious few days! AND…. they serve a great braai!!
I give this outfit 5 Big Stars! I heartily recommend them to any who read this…. You will not regret hiring them for your safari trip and game drives!
Here’s wishing you all Happy Safari Days and Wildlife viewing!!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent 3 week Zanzibar holiday
East Cape Tours organised the most fantastic 3 week self-drive round-trip in Zanzibar.
We were picked up from the airport and transferred to Stone Town, where we spent 3 nights. Then we had a hire car delivered to our hotel and we proceeded to travel all around the coast of this beautiful island for the next 2 and a half weeks.
It is one of the best holidays I've ever had, every detail was planned perfectly. All excursions and trips were booked for us according to our preferences, and their choice of accommodation was brilliant. I can't wait to return.
I would definitely recommend East Cape Tours.