35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Chobe National Park by Aaron_PM
With an experienced guide and camping in the park, we had immediate access to the animals and scenery immediately.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not the Africa I was expecting. Awesomely suprised.
The Okavango Delta was a location that we had heard a lot about, but had seen little of. So when we decided to head to Botswana, we put the Delta on our must do list. Was one of the best decisions we made.
From the flight from Kasane airport into the campgrounds, to the drive from the bush runway to our tented site it was spectacular. Three days of seeing all types of animals, Lions and Leopards, to Elephants and Painted Dogs.
I would highly recommend the Delta to anyone who wants to experience ALL of Africa. Also, with the introduction of Rhinos, you can't go wrong!
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic safari experience
Initial communications were what drew us to Eastco. Simon was responsive and willing to tailor an itinerary to our needs and budget. On arrival we were met by a driver from the company. From that moment everything went to plan and exceeded expectations. Payment was smooth and they even organised a driver to take us around arusha the day before safari. Our driver, James was just fantastic. He was warm, friendly and a great insight into tanzanian life. I would have liked more communication on the slight changes to itinerary and accommodation that happened. That being said everything worked out probably better than the original itinerary as we found Tarangire to be deserted due to bad weather and it didn't really warrant extra time there. James had no problem driving long distances in search of something different and every day we took a lunch box to ensure we got the most from the day. In the Serengeti we always seemed to be perfectly placed to witness something spectacular and we enjoyed our 3 night upgrade to a luxury tented camp.
I would highly recommend Eastco. They know their stuff and nothing was too much trouble for them
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of our best private tours anywhere in the world, with a great guide
My wife and I went on a two-week safari with Duma Explorer this April, 2015 and it was a great trip; one of the best private tours we’ve taken anywhere in the world, and at a very good price. The owner Stacy planned the trip and we were guided by Shange. We were initially concerned about spending two weeks with someone in a Land Cruiser, but we particularly liked Shange, who was lively, fun, knowledgeable and particularly good at spotting animals. He has guided Prince Philip and actor Daniel Craig (James Bond). When my wife needed to contact her doctor back in Atlanta he helped her make the call immediately on his own cell phone. He’s one of our favorite guides, ever. He speaks perfect English and gave us a rich sense of Tanzanian culture and wildlife, filled with history and stories. (He has also started his own small school for poor children. He will talk about the school if you ask; we got a chance to see some of the adorable children at the end of the trip.)
It worked well to plan the trip by email and a Skype call to Stacy and we were able to tune the trip to our needs (mostly comfortable tented camps, combining cultural experiences with seeing animals). We stayed the Ndarakwai Ranch in West Kilimanjaro to get over jet lag, Tarangire Safari Lodge in Tarangire National Park, Isoitok Camp in Masaai county near Lake Manyara National Park, Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge overlooking Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge overlooking the crater, and the Kiota and Chaka camps in the Serengeti. All were comfortable with good food and service.
Our trip was at the end of the rainy season when it’s cooler, less crowded, less dusty and less expensive, but also was sometimes more difficult to see cats in the high grass. (But Shange was able to find a lot, anyway).
Some particular high points of a great trip:
• Walking safari in the Ndarakwai Ranch; we will always remember seeing elephants and giraffes for the first time in nature.
• Spending time with the Hadzabe hunter-gatherer tribe, Datoga tribe and the Masaai near Lake Eyasi. We got a glimpse of how these people live, not very different from centuries ago. Shange and the local guide Hasim were able to visit tribes off the beaten path.
• The Isoitok Camp has extraordinary food and deep commitment to providing clean water to nearby Masaai villages.
• Ngorongoro crater is a Shangri-La for animals; we saw thousands in a few hours.
• The Kiota and Chaka tented camps in the Serengeti, owned by Duma Explorer, were extraordinary: comfortable with remarkable service and a sense of being in the bush, but perfectly safe. Kiota, the newest camp, has hand carved dual sinks in the ensuite bathroom!
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Just what I expected and more !
I discovered this young company totally out of random researches and consider myself lucky ! My trek to the Kili was fantastic (Rongai route). I was really well taken care of by Sylvia before and after Kili (she picked me up at the airport with Martin ; they drove me to my couchsurfing adress, picked me there the next day, took me back there after the trek...). As for the trip itself I couldn't dream of a better one especially thanks to my my guide, Ernest, whom I found absolutely delicious, nice, careful and professional. I really enjoyed my week in his company and since he speaks good English we had great discussions all the time.
Concerning the preparation, Joao (mail contact) was a delight and always ready to give all the informations you might need (and even more sometimes). I highly recommand this young company, and also to check out the homestay experiences they offer aswell (I stayed as a volunteer in Majoe village). Thanks guys !
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Formidable and mind-blowing gorilla adventure
I came across gorilla tour booking safaris travel packages on the internet, and I just liked them because the prices were affordable on our side. On our arrival we were picked by a nice guy, Henry, who gave us a brief history of the Pearl of Africa Uganda. He knew the routes so well because we reached at the exactly agreed upon time. We went to Bwindi Impenetrable forest where we had the memories of my life: Seeing gorillas play was so formidable and mind-blowing for us-we never imagined that they enjoy themselves.
Our communication with gorilla tour booking safaris was really awesome. We made a wire money transfer for gorilla permits and accommodation booking; they bought them and sent us scanned copies: we really had a very constructive communication on all matters from food to accommodation, and the tour. They demonstrated such a high level of professionalism, and we enjoyed it.
HK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Awesome Lifetime Experience in Tanzania
Me and my friends went on for Safari and trekked Kilimanjaro with the team from African Scenic Safaris. Amanda has assisted us a lot starting from our initial enquiry and planning very efficiently. We went trekking for 6 days and the guides were professional and we made to the top. The food, the tent, the people were all great and all these were important to make our trekking success. Our guides were Ami and Daudi, and they talked and shared a lot with us during our trip and made it much more fun! We went to Safari afterwards for 4 days. The team rearranged the schedule for us so we could catch our flight on the last day. Although our schedule was a bit tight, we were able to see the big 5 and migrations of the wildebeest.
This was my first time to Africa and it has just been awesome. The team of African Scenic Safaris definitely provided what you needed and served us the best. Not only treating the clients well, they also address the potters fairly well. I highly recommend people visiting Africa to join the Safari and Trekking with them! :)
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An excellent adventure, lots of great mammals and birds, guide and support staff were the best.
My Letaka 6 night mobile safari was part of a 3week trip to Southern Africa. I needed to keep costs down, which is a bit tricky in Botswana, but Geraldine at Letaka was really good about working with me on that. The Letaka mobile safari was great. We saw dogs, lions, leopard, lots of elephants, many other mammals and a long list of birds. (Also a couple of good reptiles.) It's warm and a bit rainy in January so the logistics got a little challenging for the staff but they pulled it off very well. The trip exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend Letaka.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A trip to remember !
Kenya budget safaris were the perfect company for me. Our booking went quick and easy. We were met at the airport and taken to meet our safari-people.
The wonderful Esther was the lady fixing everything for us. It all went quick and smooth. A truly sweet and lovely lady. Our driver Stanley was such great fun! He has a lot of knowlage and founde a lot of animals. We learnd a lot about Kenyan wildlife, and had a blast. The tents were a good sulution for people on a budget. Simple, but good. The food was nice. All in all we had a very good trip thanks to our safari-people :)
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A beautiful/lovely holiday arranged by TailoredMadeSafaris that ensures every detail to serve us!
With a lot of preparation in advance Tailor Made Safaris (TMS) gave us a beautiful holiday. We wished it would never end. TMS is good organised and works with one mission in mind: To ensure a lovely and careless holiday with the finest game drives in great parks with beautiful places. Careless by making it easy to travel through this part of South Africa by using a personal made travelbook, navigation, telephone and personal contact during the trip. TMS selects the best places to stay and the wishes of the customers are their command!