Fantastic Safari Arraned By Makasa!
After a couple months of research by my husband, we decided to work with Makasa Tanzanian Safaris for our trip this summer. As many people say, a safari in Africa will probably only happen once, and there's a lot of pressure and questions about how to 'get it right'. We spoke at length via Skype with the owner Selma - told her our main goal was to see as many great animals as possible, and to stay in tent cabins. We didn't want to stay in luxury lodges, although all the tents, whether in the 'bush' or not were amazing! I will be reviewing them separately on Tripadvisor. Back to Selma. My husband was so impressed that we were speaking to the owner (along with her husband Ngomi), and that she took the time to really listen to us and help us craft a safari that would achieve our trip goals. They send you an itinerary that includes pick up at the airport (at 2 am!!!), and details about each day and each night's accommodations. In fact the first morning we had a delightful breakfast with the two of them as they greeted us before we took off on our adventure. We went to national park preserves: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, three nights in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. We were wonderfully and ably guided by David for the entire trip in a huge Toyota Landcruiser with a pop top for easy viewing and photography. The guide is key. David had worked for the company for several years and was amazing. He was a phenomenal driver (you have to be - he wound up helping several stuck drivers). At each park he told us he couldn't promise what we'd see, but he always had a 'nose' for finding all the great animals, and was able to identify and tell us all about the trees, birds and lifestyles of all the amazing creatures we saw. And boy did we see beautiful creatures. We were blessed with good cameras, but David is blessed with the ability to find them, get us in good position and often with no one else around. In fact, because we both had long zooms, one night he went into a town and had bean bags made for us to be able to better position and steady our cameras. Now that's above and beyond. If I could give Makasa 10 stars I would.
Helpful notes: Although Makasa will send you a very nice 'before you go' doc, here are my words to the wise:
Bring 1's, 5's and 10's in US dollars dated 2009 or later. Dollars are widely accepted and the TZ sterling notes are not needed. No need to get your visa in advance. When you arrive there's a window before you go through customs. $100 cash for US Citizens and $50 cash for all others. Bring cash for a tip at the end of the safari for your guide. Bring a good camera. You'll be happy you did. Each person should have their own binoculars. It makes spotting and observing extra fun. Don't dress like Steve Erwin - it looks silly. You probably won't be fighting thru the bush - you'll be sitting in a nice vehicle. Wear comfy clothes for warm weather - although it gets chilly at night. Embrace DEET. It's only for two weeks and its a necessity. Really. Get your Yellow Fever shot at Walgreens. Its expensive but the so-called 'travel doctors' are a rip off. Ask your doctor what other medicines to bring or shots to get. We also got tetanus and Hep A. We brought along prophylactic drugs (not rubbers).
And most important: Book your safari with Makasa!
ML
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Adventure, Great Food, Great Fun from Windhoek to Vic Falls
My wife and I went on the 9 days Windhoek to Vic Falls trip with guides Manni and Jason. We had a great time. Communications from Wild Dog leading up to the safari and during the trip were great - we felt prepared before setting out and had no issues finding information on the website or through emailing with Wild Dogs (Memory). The camping gear was great and kept us warm in near freezing weather and the food was excellent. The knowledge of the guides was much appreciated and their contacts at the camping sites ensured that we were comfortable and taken care of. I would highly recommend this trip.
NL
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Flawless vacation
We're just back from a tailor-made safari and golf vacation in Tanzania.
Makasa organised a tour just as we wished, including a day of golf.
According to Murphy's law always something has to go wrong , but this time the law was not applicable.
Everything was perfect. Perfect organization, perfect guide (thank you Humphry), perfect weather (25 degrees and sunny), no mosquito's, no health troubles.
We saw everything we wanted to see (animals and yes, even the Oldupai gorge) and had a great last day of golf with Ngomi.
(For golf players: Safari and golf is a perfect combination. Who can say he/she played golf in Tanzania!).
Excellent Safari Package
Excellent Safari Package
Thanks to Kikwetu Cultural Adventures for a safari well executed. My husband and I together with our two children had a 7 days trip to Kenya in the month of April. This was our first time in Africa. At first we never knew how to go about the safari planning until we came across Kikwetu. Kenneth was quick in replying to our mails and within a short duration he gave us a perfect itinerary at an affordable cost.
The safari was well organized and the driver/guide was charming and professional. We enjoyed our safari very much and the seven days seemed very short. We will use this company for our future tours in Kenya. We recommend Kikwetu to you and be rest assured that you will get the value for your money.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
PERFECT
I used this company many times and every year it was perfect and better.
The owner know very well wildlife and the best places for to find game.
He loves nature.
All is the best for a nice wildlife safari trip!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional customer service
The friendly and knowledgeable personnel made my family's first time stay memorable. My only regret is spending only 2 days with them. I am looking forward to another opportunity to visit Zambia.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Super self drive trip with Tailor Made Safaris!!!
We 're just back from our 24-days self drive trip in South-Africa. We booked this trip with Tailor Made Safaris and that was a very good decision!!! From the start we had very good contact with them and everything you wish for is possible.
Our trip brought us to Drakenberg, St Lucia, Hluhluwe-IMfolozi,Kosy Bay, Ponta D'ouro. Tembe Elephant Park, Mlilwane and Kruger. Mountains, beaches and wild life. In one word FANTASTIC!!
Our accommodations where great. Most of the time we had self catering and our own braai.
So if you have plans for visiting South-Africa start with Tailor Made Safaris!!! They enraged everyhting for you included a persenal routebook, GPS and African phone. Go for it!!!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
All went as per the itinerary- awesome!
Thank you Charles for being so precise and helping us pick the best option for our holiday, your response speed was terrific i felt like i was on a telephone call with you with all our emails. Our driver was excellent all the way and went extra mile to make feel at home - Thank you Vincent.
You can be sure I will be back with my family.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful experience
This is the 2nd safari we have done with KETS in 2013 we did a 16 day Safari & in 2015 we did a 8 day Safari & we hope to us them again. Great accommodation at all lodgers Wonderful guides with great knowledge about the animals we were looking for. We booked our safari from Australia & each time we would email KETS with any questions Paul would reply with in 24 hours We would recommend KETS to all safari travellers .
20-35 years of age
Film Crew Fixer Services- Excellent Experience
I engaged Encounter Africa Safaris to help has arrange various services, including media permits, kit bond (for customs clearance), ground transportation and security for a television shoot in the Kampala area.
Right from pre-production, Chris in the office was very helpful in providing information on what permits we would need and the process to obtain these. Communication was very clear and Chris responded to my emails quickly and was always available on the phone.
Once our shoot started, the crew were met at the airport by Paul and Tolbert who cleared the kit through customs and drove the team to the hotel. Throughout the shoot they were very helpful and flexible, which is key as a shooting schedule is always changing!
I massively recommend Encounter Africa Safaris if you need a fixer in Uganda, my experience with them was consistently professional and efficient!