50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Safari
We stayed at Chitwa Chitwa in Sabi Sands, the lodge was spacious and our accommodation had a fabulous view of the water hole where we saw herds of 100 strong elephant bathing, hippos, crocodiles and all manner of antelope. The drives were excellent with some exciting close encounters with leopard and lions.
Food and service as good as anywhere we have stayed.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Simply amazing!!!
Since me and my friend decided to go on our first Safari in August, an exciting and new experience started from arranging the program until being back home. After contacting Quest because of a friend's recommendation, the arranging became easy and they gave us the confidence from the first time to give on their hands what it was going to be the experience of our lives.
Emmanuelle and Naiman were working efficiently and patiently during 3 months, dealing with numerous changes in the program that we proposed. Finally, we got a totally personalized Safari, with our own itinerary and combining diferent type of accommodations according to our budget.
They both were in touch with us all the time, also during Safari and even being with a highly qualified guide,just to be sure everyting was ok.
We met a friendly staff in Arusha, Isaak is an expert guide, English and Spanish speaker that looked after us to have a nice experience and being sure we were enjoying. He's an expert of animal's behavior, so he was fast finding them and he could explain us many things about them. Pascal, our cooker, was so kind. He was preparing very nice meals, different every day, and nutritionally balanced.
Actually, I got impressed, the food was tasty and delicious, and how Pascal could get it with just a portable camping stove...? No idea. But even better that in the tentded camps and lodges we visited after.
The experience was unforgettable! These guys are very professional, they handle it confidently being sure everything was running smoothly. They help us with transits from Nairobi first and to Zanzibar after Safari and they took care of us all the time.
I'll contact them next time, for sure.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Cape Town, Kruger, Victoria Falls,…Above and beyond what we had hoped for
Traveling of any sort - but especially international travel - comes with its own headaches. In my experience, it's simply an unavoidable part of the whole package. Traveling with Compass Odyssey, however, defied that assumption from day one.
I was extremely impressed with my first contact with Darren and Kate about possibly setting in motion a trip to South Africa for my 24 year old daughter and I. The emails were answered promptly, professionally, and always with the kindest banter. We quickly hammered out the details, and once tickets, lodging, and regional flights were booked by Compass Odyssey, Darren helped us find and book our international flights.
Just as he patiently expressed over and over again, prior to our setting foot into South Africa, Compass Odyssey had every little detail worked out, and there was absolutely no reason to stress about our upcoming trip. The pre-trip information packets we received wholly covered every aspect of our trip, and I swear I read all the information 3 or 4 times, yet a few issues - visas, money exchange, tipping, cell phone - kept me up at night. Within the first hour of arriving in Cape Town, with Darren’s guidance, and helping hand, I knew my only job was to turn everything over to him, relax and enjoy!
From our early conversations, it was obvious that Darren loves what he does, and does it extremely well. Coming into this trip, my daughter and I were especially interested in the history of South Africa, especially as it pertains to Apartheid. We are walking away from this trip with a massive amount of knowledge that is grounded in the impact the nation's history still has on the country today. Darren knows South Africa so well that he is able to offer his guests the full range of experiences - from the best lookout points along the coast to learning the local lingo, from history lessons over shared meals to surprise tickets to see "The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek" at the Fugard Theatre. Darren not only understands the complexities of Cape Town and South Africa at large, but he also understands his travelers and is quick to regularly offer multiple options to make their trip even more enjoyable and educational.
While in Kruger, Compass Odyssey booked us with Senalala Luxury Camp, a wonderful extension of the personal care we received from Darren while in Cape Town. The adrenalin filled drives, the bush walk, the meals shared around one table with guests from all over the world, combined with the lazy afternoons watching animals visit the watering hole…perfection.
The final leg of our trip was Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Victoria Falls. Darren once again lined up the perfect local guide for us, Mortimer. We were able to tour the Falls on both sides, attend the Boma Feast, take a beautiful sunset cruise down the Zambezi River, and learned an immense amount about the natural history as well as the local history from our guide. He was knowledgeable, helpful, and kind, and allowed us the free time to explore the area as we wished.
We are exceptionally grateful for the attention to detail that Darren and Kate put into their work. It truly shows, and it made our trip one beyond our wildest dreams.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Both consultants and guides do anything to make your safari an excellent experience
From the first contact through email until the drop of at Windhoek AirPort, the overall experience has been great. We booked 2 safari's. One to Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia and the Namibia experience. We were both camping and we stayed in lodges. the camping experience was very good it exceeded our expectations. Very nice to be sleeping outside and to be able to hear all animals outside. And the lodges were so nice, with gamedrives and sundowners to remember. The drives were sometimes long but the bus was comfortable and air-conditioned. We can recommend Blue crane safari, you will be in very good hands.
IN
Great experience & Good Coordination
A 12 days trip to Kenya , Me and spouse alone . Private tour and the best part of the tour is our Guide /Driver Mr Shem, a Knowledgeable and very humble person . Mr OT was excellent in coordination . Met him at His office and from the next day the tour started . Tsavo _, Amboselli , Nakuru , Naivasha & Maara . Mr Shem was very cooperative and made us feel very comfortable . Everything was well organised . Baloon safari was awesome - a lifetime experience , pl do not miss it . Have patience in Massai Mara ,Natures Unfolds at its own course and our Guide was very patient and even suggested us to few locations where get to see Lions and Leopards very close . If it had been a 4X4 vehicle Mr Shem would have felt comfortable and he was at its best in driving with the Vehicle given to him . An wiressless Radio would have been a added advantage which was Missing.
We are planning our Next trip to Massai Maara very soon ..., of course with Kenya walking .., Mr OT - will meet you soon .., Keep it Up team.
RO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A fair offer for a two days Safari
Pretty old vehicle but in fair condition, the driver was very helpful and polite even though sometimes too quiet.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Team - Great Experiences
Makasa did an excellent job at organising our trip. They picked the perfect lodges and accommodations, according to our tastes and budgets. The staff (drivers, safari guides, mountain guides) were 100% competent, reliable and always an enjoyable company to be with during the trips. In case of problems one can always reach the owners via email or phone and they will find a solution (in our case: organising medical care and re-scheduling due to unforeseen sickness).
We did a 4 weeks tour, starting with a trip on the Mt. Meru, covering three of the major national parks and ending on the beach in Zanzibar. Makasa proved to be a fully competent one-stop-shop for the entire trip. They have an extended network of business partners and family members over the country that their guests can benefit from. No need to find a driver, park ranger or a safari guide or mountain porter – they’ll do it for you and you just relax and enjoy the safari.
We chose Makasa because close friends of ours booked with them the previous year and recommended them to us – now we will recommend them further.
BR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect safari
I had a perfect safari with these guys! For a whole week we visited the main parks in Kenya (Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha), and it was amazing! The guide, Peter, is very experienced, and he knows how to follow the right tracks to put you face by face with the Big 5! We saw so many animals and beautiful places, it was an unforgettable experience!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Responsive and reliable
Despite the good reviews, I was a little worried about using an operator that I found on the Internet to book my Fly-in Gorilla tour to Bwindi. This was my once in a lifetime opportunity to see the gorillas and I didn't want anything to go wrong. Matoke Tours proved to be everything I could wish for in a tour operator, and everything went perfectly. Lionel in the office was very responsive to all my emails, providing quick and helpful responses on all my issues, while Ronald the driver was always on time in a clean modern 4WD, was an safe driver on terrible roads and was friendly and informative. He was more than happy to wait patiently whenever I wanted to take photos, or while I was out on the gorilla trek and even when it looked like my plane back to Entebbe might not be able to land because of the strong winds. He even offered to give up his Sunday to drive me for 4 hours to another airstrip if necessary (which in the end, it wasn't, fortunately). Mutanda Lake Resort, while fairly rustic, has the most glorious view across the lake to the volcanos. Don't expect 5-star, but the staff are obliging, and the food is pretty good considering that everything except the vegetables has to be brought in. For birdwatchers, a sunset trip on a leaky boat to see the vast range of birds is a must. The gorilla trek itself at Nkuringo was a Bucket List experience. I would highly recommend it for people who are fairly fit, though even the less fit would probably be OK with the help of one or two of the wonderful porters. Overall, a great experience.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable adventure with Bella Africa safaris
We truly had an amazing time in Uganda. Our guide Bella showed us only the best of what the country has to offer, in true 'Hakuna Matata' style. From the thriving wildlife we got to see giraffe, elephants, lions, rhino's, zebra's, hippo's, crocodiles,.., to the impressive nature sights and intriguing village culture. The best way to discover the beauty of Africa, away from the mass touristic beaten path and traps. Uganda is called 'the Pearl of Africa' for it really IS a hidden gem!
My personal highlight was our encounter with the mountain gorilla's. Our hiking trip in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was breathtaking. Stumbling upon a gorilla nest an getting the chance to witness 2 blackbacks courting a female gorilla with her baby up in a tree bush was nothing less than magical. We were even lucky enough to stand just merely 2 meters away from the head honcho of the pack, the infamous silverback gorilla, who gloriously presented himself. Goosebumps all the way! The permit may be quite expensive, but take my word, it's worth every penny!
Everything was taken care of by Bella. She was always punctual, very friendly and concerned about our needs. Above all that she treated us like friends every step of the way, be it during travelling by jeep, boat or on foot. I would highly recommend Bella Africa's services. The rates are more than reasonable and you get to explore the country with somebody's who's skilled and truly passionate about the country, its nature and culture.
Highly recommended!