US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Responsive, reliable, committed to serving their clientele
Hamadi was very good at communicating and helping me to set up this unexpected opportunity for a very short 2 day/one-night safari. Winnie, my guide for the two days ,was very reliable and knowledgeable about the animals and ecossytem. I traveled alone as an older single woman and was very comfortable throughout - last minute changes, on my part, came up, and Hamadi was very flexible, and again a reliable communicator.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
WOW! What a rush!! This was the adventure of a lifetime!
My friend and I spent the entire month of July in Tanzania under the care of Adventure Makers. We had the time of our lives! The accommodations were spectacular and ranged from having a balcony overlooking the Ruaha River with its herd of hippos to luxury tents in the Serengeti right in the middle of the wildebeest migration. Our guide, Stephen, spoke beautiful English and was a laugh a minute. He was also quite skilled at finding the animals in the bush - he seemed to know all the secret locations. His knowledge of the natural history and myriad of cultures in Tanzania was unmatched. You could tell he is very proud of what his country has to offer. Needless to say, a month in the bush means something is bound to go not quite as planned. After all, This Is Africa. But Stephen handled any little hitch seamlessly and in such a way that it added to the overall positive experience of the trip. I would, without hesitation, recommend Adventure Makers to anyone considering an African safari.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience and a very exciting trip!
We went to a 7 days safari trip in this year’s thanksgiving week. The weather was beautiful, comfortable during the day time and a little bit chilly in the evening, so you do need a jacket. This operator has competitive price. The trip can be tailored to accommodate your interests, very flexible . Our guide/driver Fredy is very experienced and hard working young guy. He would do extra efforts and drive extra miles in the game drives to take us to see all different kinds of animals. November is a short rain season in Serengeti National Park area, but don’t worry, it only rained 2 nights in the week when we were there and some drizzles in one day, but gave us an opportunity to see a small scale of migration, because some zebras and wild beasts migrated back to Tanzania. Even a small scale of a migration, there were thousands of animals and the dust stirred by animals can be seen miles away. We were really amazed. Another breathtaking scene was 4 lions, 1 female and 3 males, came to the road and walked with us. If I dared I could touch the hair of one male who passed by just outside our window. Also we were happy with all the hotels/ tent we stayed. Excellent food and very friendly people and good services. I just wanted to say we had wonderful time over there and truly appreciated Fredy’s efforts to make every day very exciting for us.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Coordinator was great but driver was rude
The coordinator Angela G. was extremely helpful and accommodating. I highly recommend her!
The driver Simon M. made inappropriate comments, was rude, drove unsafely, and was passive-aggressive when we made inquiries (that were paid for in the itinerary). His tour of Lake Nakuru National Park was rushed and we had to insist to get to spend time viewing the game (again all prepaid for).
The meal and tour at the Kericho tea plantation hotel that we requested was extremely disappointing: the food had an insect and the waiter did nothing about it, the paid tour lasted 15 min only and we only were allowed to see a tiny lot that is unused but had old tea bushes. Deviating to Kericho was unfortunately not worth the money.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trustworthy company, extremely well organized, great price and service, and great tour guides!
Just came back from a 4-day safari with Meru Slopes this past December, 2017. Amazing company and safari!!! If I ever end up doing another safari, this will be the first place I check for rebooking! My friend did all the pre-communication in advance with Geoffrey, so I can't speak from personal experience about setting everything up, but I was told that Geoffrey (the owner of this safari group and the Arusha Tourist Inn) was very good in responding on WhatsApp and answered mostly all of our questions eventually. They do require cash deposit of approximately 30% up front via wire transfer, but that seems perfectly normal for most safari groups. The rest is paid in cash USD upon arrival at the Inn. All accommodations were what I expected or better than expected. especially for the price! The meals were way better than I was expecting, and there was always extra food each night. Geoffrey and his staff go above and beyond to help us be comfortable in the best way possible! Before I start, Let me say that I do go car camping several times a year here in CA and other US States at national parks, and backpack as well several times a year, so I am somewhat used to doing this kind of stuff. For a more detailed review of our itinerary feel free to read below:
Arrival Day: It was arranged that someone would be at the airport to pick us up when we arrived in Tanzania at Kilimanjaro Airport...the driver (Emmanuel) went above and beyond for picking us up. My friends and I got separated on our flights in and missed our flights to Tanzania from Kenya. My 2 friends arrived 2 hrs later than originally expected, and the Emmanuel was waiting for them, and took them to a local restaurant while they waited for me to arrive. I showed up 5 hours later (around 11 PM) and they showed up with my friends to pick me up as well. The drive from the airport to Arusha Tourist Inn (in Arusha) is roughly 1 hour drive. Emmanuel is really friendly, and never felt unsafe in his car while he was driving.
We arrived at the Arusha Tourist Inn (which is I believe also owned by Geoffrey, the owner of this safari group). The location is a bit weird for an Inn at first arrival, considering the front door is facing an alley with no signage outside, just a sliding door, and behind a private gate, but otherwise it was fine. You enter from the alley, then walk upstairs and the lobby is there. We were greeted by Geoffrey and given 2 separate rooms. Rooms were fine, actually better than what I was expecting. There was hot water (kind of), flush toilets, and all rooms have mosquito nets around the beds as well, so during peak season, I could see that being extremely useful. No AC or anything, so it can get hot at night fyi. Also only a bar of soap provided, no shampoo or body wash or lotion, so make sure to bring your own toiletries.
Day 1: In the morning was given a meal from the restaurant downstairs as part of the Safari booking, and loaded the car and headed out on our day 1 with a different driver, who was extremely friendly and enthusiastic and answered all of our questions! Did a few hours at Tarangire National Park where we saw tons of wildlife up close. Amazing experience!!! We were dropped off at a place called Lilac Lodge (believe there are some reviews of this place on Tripadvisor, but essentially glamping) near that park for our first night, where our driver handed us over to a new driver, and the staff at this campsite lodge thing took over from there. Lilac lodge was pretty nice...a gated little area with tents for some groups, a bar where you can buy drinks, and also wooden cabin lodges (which is where we spent night 1 at). I've stayed in Yurts, lodges, cabins, etc, and this one was no different. Has beds, a flush toilet, and shower. not the cleanest shower, but I would say on par with other kinds of similar accommodations, so it was nice, also better than I had expected. Really good box lunch during the day (burger, chicken leg, and some other snacks and box drink). Also really good dinner and breakfast the following morning was provided at the lodge. Bring your own toilet paper FYI because none of the places have it outside of the Inn.
Day 2: Serengeti National Park, which is a 4-6 hr drive away, so day 2 is really just getting out to the park and straight to the campsite. Did get a flat on the way there, but that was fixed in about 30 minutes or so, so no big deal. I guess flats happen, so just don't be upset or anything if it happens to your truck. :) Second driver was also really friendly and able to answer all of our questions! Also saw tons of wildlife, which is what you would want from a Safari. Second night accommodations are in tents, like a car camping campsite. Bathrooms and showers were not quite as clean as the first lodge, but hey, it's tent camping, so you really can't expect much. We were given tents, a mattress pad, and sleeping bag. All things are used and may not be in the most clean condition, but it works and does the job. If you have a thing about super clean bedding, bring a sleeping bag liner with you, which is what I did, and problem solved! FYI this is camping in Africa, so there will be wild animals around at night, which is to be expected. Saw a few ___ cats (bobcat-sized animals) or something in the campsite before heading to sleep...but once again to be expected in the wilderness. Your tour guide will tell you what to do and not to do, but yeah, just don't wander around at night outside late night or anything and you'll be fine in the tent. More than enough food for meals once again. Bring a flashlight/mini lantern or something (preferably with the red light to not attract the bugs), because there wasn't much for lighting for the first half of our dinner when we were there. Flip flops might also be advised for the showers. I didn't have them and was okay, but wish I did.
Day 3: Morning for a few hours in Serengeti, then go back for lunch at the campsite and then head out to Ngorogoro National Park. This drive was also a few hrs away, and when we arrived, mainly just went straight to the campsite again to set up camp. Night 3 camping accommodations are way nicer and cleaner than the previous night. Still in a tent, but the bathrooms were much cleaner, and eating room was completely enclosed with lighting and tables already, etc. All meals are as always great food, and way more food than we could eat. FYI, they do have armed guards supposedly at this camp place, so at least you know there won't be anything too dangerous there, but they don't manage the wildlife that can be there. I woke up in the middle of the night and there was some buffalo or something a few ft away from a few tents over. I was told there were zebra and some other animals grazing right next to tents in the night too. pretty awesome!
Day 4: wake up, spent a few hrs driving in Ngorogoro then go back for lunch, pack up, and headed back to Arusha Tourist inn for our last night before ending the following morning. After tent camping and lodge camping the few days before, the Inn was really nice to have. Dinner was provided as well as a little to-go box for breakfast which Geoffrey gave us, which he really didn't have to, but were grateful that he did. Emmanuel came to pick us up, and take us to the airport the following morning, and once again was timely and just great in everything!
One tip I do have, is if you are thinking about doing a 4 day safari or longer safari, 4 day gives you a good taste of the safari but I would have wished for one day extra in Serengeti or Tarangire. You will most likely see almost all the animals you would want to see from 4 days, but it will be short, maybe only getting 4-5 hours of safari each day, and the rest is camping or traveling. Some of the longer safaris and include Manyara. Manyara we were told by our guide is extremely dense trees and you are mainly looking for birds and can be quite boring. If you are not interested in bird watching, skip that one and spend more time in Serengeti or Tarangire.
Overall, amazing experience with a really great company! Honestly, all the companies follow the almost the same itinerary and stops, and the lunch boxes are all the same across the board. What makes this company stand out from the others is the price, and the service they offer! Geoffrey and all of the guides and drivers and staff really go out of their way to help us and make us feel at home. I never once felt unsafe with them, and it's a bonus that the owner of this safari group also owns the Inn, so it makes everything smoother with the arrival and departure, and with what they can give us for meals, etc. The drivers also really know their animals, and can spot stuff so fast...and they were always completely honest with us with everything. We were also able to see the Big 5 (Rhino, Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo) and a ton of other animals! The safari is really just an amazing experience that I think everyone should do at least once in your life. If you're okay with tent camping/glamping, I would not hesitate to suggest Meru Slopes for this over the other 700 safari groups! Thanks again for an amazing experience! Your company and safari really made me fall in love with Tanzania!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
exciting and memorable experience!
Going on Safari with Steve, is fantastic his knowledge is great and he will keep you entertained the entire time, you will not get bored. Tanzania is great for Safaris and Steve just made it better! Fantastic experience and very well done.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Simply a perfect safari with Greg Adventures!
We went on a 5 days safari with this great company. It was really a wonderful experience from our landing in Kilimanjaro Airport to the departure for Zanzibar. Pick up at the airport, first night organized by the company and 5 days simply perfect! Pick up new and perfectly working, staff always tidy and professional with their uniform. David, our guide, knows like everything about wildlife and habits and he was always at our disposal, ready to wait hours observing lions or looking for cheetahs as well as ready to run for making us look the black rhino! And what about the dinners and lunches prepared by Ray? Delicious!!! These guys really made go our trip the extra mile!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3 day Masai Mara with cool driver
This review will be long but I will tell you everything I could.
The tour is actually below $300. I guess maybe I went to the off migration season. I’m solo/female which actually have to share a room with another female so I paid a little extra to make sure I’ll get my own room. Our group was lucky because turn out it’s only 3 people total so we feel like a private tour. Haha
It’s a van not Jeep but this price you will always get a van. The van is an open roof. There are 3 seat rows. They said maximum will be 7 people so that means 2 people per row. Everybody gets window and 1 will be at the front seat next to the driver. The front seat will not be able to stand but you get the nice view as well. The passenger side, definitely the 1st and 2nd rows are the best because you can get to stand easily to the roof and last one in the back can get to stand too but quite difficult and have to share with the middle. Like I said we are only 3 people so plenty of room to move around for us.
Karibu offered airport pick up or hotel pick up for free while the others charge extra for airport pick up. My flight supposed to arrive at 5am and Robert said no problem to pick up that early but I was delays 2 hours and they still wait for me! I was so impressed. I was so scared on the plane that they will leave me behind and I can’t call or contact them because I was inside the plane already so there was no service and it just parked there for technical problem. As soon as I got off, I call right away and he said still people wait for me outside. Thank you, Karibu.
After the airport pick up, we headed to the city to pick up another 2 and we made a cash payment USD on the van. Then we drove off to Masai Mara national park which took us around 6-7 hours but we had lunch break and souvenir stores in the middle. The road was good for the first half and you can sleep but the second half were so rocky and dusty. You definitely cannnot sleep and have to find something to cover your nose.
The accommodation is actually better than I thought. It is not exactly what they say on the website but the same class/level. Mine called ‘Miti Mingi Ecocamp’. You will find out there will be a lot more people from the other tour joining as well so I guess they have all connections. It’s like a place for budget travelers. You get to sleep in the big tent with your own bed. The bathroom is en suit so no sharing. There is no lock only zipper and they have hot water all the time but light only certain hours in the morning and night. No more light after 10pm. No internet. No outlet in tent. You have to charge everything in the dining room in centaines hours. They provide the 2 kind of sockets. One is normal local(same like England) and another one the same type of American can use but always busy. So if you are from America like me, bring your own adapter to make your life easier. The meals are all included and surprisingly good and a lot better than I thought. Come early because almost the end everything almost gone. I guess they don’t wanna make more to waste the food for left over. Water is included and you get from the driver. We actually didn’t get the water until almost the end of the first day. We should have mentioned it earlier. I should minus one star for this but there are still plenty of good things.
After arriving first day, right away 1 game drive started around 4:30pm. The driver will take you out until almost dark. The second day will be all day long game drive which will be 2 separated with lunch break at Masai river. There will be a park ranger show you around no extra fee but you have to tip him. The second day is the highlight since it’s the longest drive. We saw lions and elephants on the first day and all big 5 on the second day! Yay! It was really really nice. Oh, there are actually bathrooms you can use during the day. 1 at Masai airport(yes! Airport in the middle of the park) and another one by the river but don’t expect much.
The drives are really adventurous and somehow relaxing also. We saw a lot of animals more than just big 5. I was really happy.
On the second day from the program, the drives supposed to finish around 4:30pm and then it’s your option to visit Masai Village $10 cash extra. Then there will be one more drive on the third day around 1 hour before leaving. However, my tour is different. We stay in the park longer until 6:30pm I believe. It was a long day drive from dawn till dusk so our driver suggested it was too late to see Masai Village already. How about we skip the game drive on the third day and visit the Masai Village instead. It will be on the house. Since we saw all the big 5. We’re ok with his offer. It was nice to always see something new. After that, we head back to Nairobi and everybody gets hotel drop off for free as well.
It was really really nice experience and very adventurous. If you’re type of easy person and travel on a budget, this is perfect for you. It’s safe for a solo woman. You don’t get out alone from the tour to do anything tho. Of course, you can’t expect luxurious accommodation and decent meal. You have to be prepared to get out of your comfort zone to eat and live easy because until now still I can’t think about taking any friend of mine. I’m pretty sure they will complain how difficult and inconvenient things will be. But put it on the bright side, you are in Kenya and you pay a lot less than the other so just live with it. My tent has some small amount of water flooded after the rain and my bathroom has a big hole on the wall covered with paper but I can still live with it. So like I said you have to be kind of easy and more on adventurous side. It’s not even a budget hotel but a camp! If you’re ok with it. Go ahead and book this tour rather than spending more even if I’m sure people who spend more will have decent experience as well but if you have limited budget, this is it to explore.
What make you take this tour and what different from others? I guess seriously every tour agency has almost the same schedule and accommodation. They even have walkie talkie while driving so every driver can communicate and get to drive to see animals quickly. So you pretty see almost the same scene with other tours within the same day but what make I go with Karibu and what make me really happy and satisfied and feel lucky I picked this one is their service and the driver. They reply email quickly. They’re very attentive. They have been in the business for long time so they know what to do. I asked them so many questions. I emailed them like I guess almost 10 times back and forth. Popping every new question everytime I’m curious because I have to compared with the other tour to make a decision. I even asked about the bus to go to Tanzania and they have this option available. They’re the second quickest to response tho but their price is cheaper than the first reply so I went for them. What really matters is the game drives which I know everybody hope for the highlight of the trip. Our driver is Raymond. He is really awesome. He is actually driver and guide. He doesn’t talk much like a tour guide style but he has skills. He will answer with helpful info if you ask but mostly he stay quiet but I kind of like that. It’s more peaceful and not annoying. What make the really big impression of him is his skills and knowledge of directions. There are so many times that we are the first car to see animals. He knows where they are. He really has good eyes. He said he’s been driving with Karibu for 7 years already if I remember right. We were so surprised when he found animals that very hidden in the wood. We’re like ‘omg, Raymond, how did you know!’. The other van just drove pass the same spot and didn’t notice. There was the route that Raymond took us and we were the only car there alone for the whole route. It was nice and relaxing. We found it very exclusive. Lol. He surely has skills for this business and that makes it different from the others. At the end of the second day everybody in my group was so happy. We stay silent and enjoy the drive and I just said, guys, I’m so happy I made a right decision and the rest of us felt the same way. Thank you Karibu for the memorable experience.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic locations, wonderful and knowledgeable guide
Our journey from Victoria Falls to Cape town was wonderful, the trip of a lifetime. The 3-4 star lodge accommodation exceeded our expectations and a lot of the lodges were in fantastic locations. One was up on a huge ridge accessed by 4x4, another in the middle of the desert accessed again by 4x4, yet another in the middle of nowhere, others were right on river banks etc. We travelled towards the end of Sept. which is a great time for game viewing but Victoria Falls doesn't have a lot of water at that time because it's just before the wet season. We didn't find this a problem as we thought the falls were still spectacular and we enjoyed being able to actually see some of the huge gorge which would normally be covered in water.
Our truck / bus was not air conditioned but we found it was quite comfortable with the open windows. Bring a cushion if you have back problems or just like a little more comfort as a lot of the journey is over unsealed roads. Viewing the animals from the bus was easy due to the many windows. The truck also had a large fridge at the back which we could use to store drinks and snacks. Our guide recommended a daily rotation system in the cabin so everyone got to move around and chat with everyone else which worked well.
Speaking of our guide, Kembo would have to be one of the most knowledgeable guides. He was questioned incessantly about subjects as diverse as the flora and fauna, the economy, the history of european invasion, the history and language of the local tribes, their daily lives, education, aides and many other subjects. He always responded in depth to any question. Add to this, his ready smile, his exceptional organisational skills and his wonderful sense of humour and you have a guide made in heaven. A lot of us actually cried, including the men, when we said goodbye to Kembo at the end of the tour.
The game viewing was exceptional. We saw the big five and lots and lots more animals. Again Kembo was great, all we had to do was shout and he would stop the bus and back it up so we could see whatever animal one of us had spotted. Having said that, Kembo was also an expert game spotter. He would often stop the bus and we would wonder why, until he pointed out a lion under a tree in the shade or some other animal reclining in the shadows.
After the game viewing, our visits to Damaraland, the Namib desert and the Kalahari were truly exceptional. We particularly enjoyed our 10 km return hike in the Namib desert to the massive dunes. We began the hike in a sand storm which made for spectacular photos and lost hats. None of the other tour companies take their visitors on this hike, they go by 4x4, as can Kiboko clients if so desired, but for us this was one of the highlights of our trip.
I suppose the only place we found boring was Calvinia, the stop before Cape Town. It seems that there used to be lots of wildflowers in Sept. around the region but they have disappeared due to climate change. The town of Calvinia may be historic but there is virtually nothing to see there. We thought that this was a comfort stop as to drive all the way to Cape Town would be over 800 kms and too far in one day particularly for the guide who is also the driver. It's just one of those necessary stops. Bring a book, do your washing and think about the fantastic things you have seen in the past few weeks and what you have waiting for you in Cape Town. The restaurant where we had dinner and breakfast was very interesting with lots of old, historic implements and books etc.
We had a very special trip with a great company. Although the landscape, accommodation and safaris were wonderful, we would like to emphasise how much Kembo, our guide, contributed to our enjoyment of this trip. Four of our friends have already booked for next year after hearing about our experiences, two are going on the north south route and two on the south north route. Both in September.
Kiboko is recommended by us without any reservations.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good organized and very friendly atmosphere with a fantastic driver for the gamedrives.
I was always very good informed about any changes of the tour. (Lodge fully booked, roads blocked ...) The safaris were very interesting and the driver did always his best to see the animals quite good.