CH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari with exclusive Wilderness Trail, an experience that is always in good memories....
I was 3 times with Exclusive Wilderness Trails on Safari. From this company I can only tell of positive experiences and recommend with a clear conscience. We had our safari organized everything very well, whether at camping and at the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge. His excellent knowledge of animals, birds, vegetation, people and culture impressed me. I visited the national parks Lake Manyara, 2x Ngorongoro crater, Serengeti, 2x Tarangire. A short notice from my side (the evening before) of an additional 2 persons, was professionally solved. I highly recommend from Exclusive Wilderness Trails and don't want to miss any of the 3 safaris.
Thanks David
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything we expected and more!
For anyone planning to do a safari in Kenya, we would highly recommend you contact Mr. Otieno at Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris. He is extremely professional in his work, responding quickly to email questions to ensure that your vacation of a lifetime is worry free and enjoyable. Aside from the very affordable price, which is largely dependent on your accommodations, we chose Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris because they guarantee everyone on the safari will have a window seat and limit the tour group to 6 people max., while providing a vehicle large enough to accommodate 8 people, so the journey is very comfortable. This is quite important as many reviews don’t mention the fact that the travel time between game reserves (Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara, and Lake Naivasha) can take 5-7 hours depending on traffic. We met Mr. Otieno the day after we arrived in Nairobi, and we were pleasantly informed that out of our 4 person safari (us and some other couple), it was now going to be a private tour for just my girlfriend and I, as the other couple that we were scheduled to travel with had requested to start at the end of the itinerary and to visit the game reserves in reverse order (Maasai Mara to Amboseli). Again, this displayed the professionalism of Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris, in that they did not charge us additional costs for a “private” safari, nor did they try to shift our travel dates to fill the vehicle with other people. Our 8 day safari was an absolute delight and definitely a trip of a lifetime! Our driver Zachery was great, spending the full day out in the reserve, sharing his incredible knowledge of the animals and the terrain. Our cook was Sammy, who made us wonderful meals each night, a true chef in the kitchen. For the last night of our safari, at Lake Naivasha, Mr. Otieno surprised us with an accommodation upgrade at the famous Elsamere Conservation Center, where each night the hippos would wander up from the lake and graze on the lawn surrounding the dining area…a perfect ending to the perfect trip. The only minor issue we had on our trip was that our drive from Nairobi to Amboseli game reserve took longer than expected because of traffic, so we weren’t able to make our evening game drive, which wasn’t an issue as we spent the entire next day (7:30am-5pm) out in the reserve. As well, Mr. Otieno was very professional by refunding us the entry fee for the evening safari drive. Thanks again Mr. Otieno and team, for a great African Safari experience! From Michelle and Ian (in Toronto).
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Top Safari Operator!!! A+++++++++++ Joseph Mwangi is an Excellent Safari Guide
I visited four different game reserves in Kenya with Joseph Mwangi of Nature Wonderland Safaris in August of 2016. Joseph knowledge of the parks and its fauna was amazing. He knew exactly where to go for me to get the best photo opportunities. I spend 10 days trekking the great parks of Kenya and all 10 days where amazing. I'm going back to Kenya and will select Joseph's tour company again. I highly recommend his services. He is an outstanding gentleman with excellent knowledge of the Kenyan National Parks and Game Reserves.
SE
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The wellplanned tour gave us the very best of Kenya together with your fantastic guide/driver.
Everything worked out very well. The tour was quickly confirmed. All our questions were answered. The service was excellent. Anthony, our guide/driver, was fantastic. The camps where we stayed in Mara, Lake Nakuru and Mount Kenya were all very nice. The food delicous. We stayed two nights in Masai Mara, one night at Lake Nakuru and one night at Mount Kenya. This tour is just great. It could be worth it to extend the tour with one more night at Mount Kenya. To relax and enjoy the view from the camp. We do hope to be back !
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Always ready to provide help and so efficient
The travel consultant had very well understood my needs and expectations regarding my safari experience. And finally, although many lodges were fully booked, she found an accurate solution for my family.
Same for the rented cars, thanks to her professional network, she found also cars even I had some special requirements.
Moreover, she was always ready to answer from my questions and to provide help/suggestions regarding my trip.
Obviously, she knows very well her job and the environment to provide accurate information.
Well down !
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing adventure
I knew I was going to need a travel agency to book our safari / Cape Town adventure after I spent a weekend online trying to figure out the ins and outs of South Africa travel.
I emailed about 30 different travel agencies with our budget and travel desires. Thierry from Biwakwango came back with the best offer in a timely manner :-)
Thierry was able to secure in country flights, transportation and seriously wonderful accommodations for us! We were not looking for luxurious resorts, he sent us to the Umlai and Shindzela camps and both were perfect! We then stayed at a lovely B&B in Cape Town. Thierry was always quick with a response to my questions and gave me many options to choose from. It was such a painless process, I highly recommend Biwakwango to anyone needing a travel agent when going on Safari.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
To ve avoided
Walking in Nairobi streets, one guy offered To take us To their office for information. We wanted To go safari in Meru National Parc. We entered the office for information and went out with our safari booked, 4 days and 3 nights sleeping in the parc in a banda with the driver and the cook for 1300 USD(our f ault, we should have gone elsewhere To compare. ..)We paid 10%, supposingly for them To organise the trip and were supposed To pay the rest of it the next Day in cash. So the next Day, the driver came To take us at out hotel and took us To the office To pay the rest of the amount. The problem is that we were not able To withdraw so much cash but surprisingly the credit card machine that did not work the Day earlier (we asked To use it) was working but we were taxed 5% of the total amout for bank fees... So we paid and went off for the safari. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch and then went To the supermaket so that the cook could but food for the safari. We finally arrived in Meru after 9 hours drive. When we arrived, we were finally unable To sleep in the parc...and were taken To a nice place outside the parc. We had 3 game drives instead of 4, the cook was not very gifted and the only one thing we asked To the driver (going To the hippopool) he said yes but did not do, with no explaination, except when we asked , he said it was too dry so no hippos. .. apparently according To the local people there were hippos To be seen...imagine our deception. .. Finally on our way back, we stopped at a restaurant and ordered one coke, they ordered two sodas and then we ate together. Then the went for checking out and a waitress brought us the Bill for our soda which we found a bit expensive...in fact the guys vas tried To make us pay for their sodas too behind our back! The best meal We had was prepared buy the local cook of the hotel and our cook pretending he made it ... So see the mentality. .. maybe tipping them would have ended in a better experience. ..
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Once in a lifetime
Encounter Africa went above and beyond all expectations. Joseph, our driver, picked us up from the airport at 1am and had so much energy and excitement, we knew we were about to have an incredible week. By the end of the week, Joseph was family. He always went above and beyond making sure our experience was a 5-star experience.
The chimp trek: This was a great experience because we had an experienced ranger who knew where to find the chimps on the ground. We were the only group that found chimps on the ground, everyone else only saw the chimps high in the trees. I would recommend spending $70 more to have a full day of habituation with the chimps. You end up paying $220 for the permit instead of $150. Once we finished the chimp trek, we were off to see the Wetlands near our lodge. This is a local non-profit that is protecting the wetlands from being developed into farmland. On this walk, you will see a wide range of birds and monkeys. If you are lucky you might even see some chimps.
The gorilla trek: Incredible. I know many people that have done gorilla treks and they end up walking all day and end up having to follow the gorillas as they move. I think our group was very lucky because we found the gorillas fast. The gorillas didn't really move once we found them, so we spent an hour with them and it was pure magic. We started walking at 9am and were done by 11am. Just know, the gorilla trek is at a higher altitude, so walking up a mountain suddenly becomes hard because you are trying to find your breath.
The lodges:
Kibale Forest Camp was a beautiful lodge with a nice atmosphere. The food was good and the staff was incredibly nice. They have a short 15-minute hike on the property, but if you go slow you will see different types of monkeys.
Broadbill Forest Camp was all about the view. Our tent had an insane patio looking out into the jungle. The food was good and the staff was amazing. The chameleon walk is a very slow paced walk that they offer where you look for the three-horned chameleon. The bathroom was a bit rustic and the tents have velcro doors. Overall, the people and the view are what make this lodge a comfortable place to stay.
Encounter Africa provides a unique experience because you are helping the local communities. Your money isn't being spent on a westerners investment property, it is being spent on small local businesses that ultimately contribute to providing good jobs to the surrounding communities. I highly recommend you use Encounter Africa for any of your Uganda/Rwanda travel plans. I know we will :-)
DK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Everything just went very well. Perfect trip
Communication good and quick response
The driver always came on time - the game drives were just perfect and the driver was eager to show as much as possible. The accommodation was perfect except that the staff was "too eager" to make our stay at Ashnil perfect.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Just as great the second time around!
This was our second 8 day camping safari with Armadillo, and yet again it was an unforgettable experience...
Morris our tour guide/driver/cook was brilliant throughout our safari and worked constantly for the 8 days to ensure that our family group of 6 was very well looked after. Morris has excellent local knowledge as he has worked within Kruger Park for many years and was able to answer any question we threw at him! Not only about the animals but also about living and surviving in the bush.
We were very impressed with the food provided on the safari, all food was freshly cooked by Morris and he was able to fully cater for 6 people including one vegetarian/gluten free guest without problems.
All camping and other equipment on the truck was clean and in top notch condition, all the camp sites we visited on our safari were lovely with clean, great facilities.
Kruger park is a beautiful place, and Truck Norris is the best and most memorable way to see it! We would highly recommend Armadillo and we will surely be using them again on our next Kruger Adventure!