US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Experience!
Never in a million years did I think I would go on a safari. But with little convincing as I am a very adventure- driven person, my bff and I decided to go. Odyssey Safaris was easy to work with, their itinerary was on point, and it turned out to be the most special and unique vacation I've ever had. Our safari guide, Charles, was so kind, knowledgeable, and fun. Our flight to and from the US to Africa was rough. Both going and coming home were very long travel days (30+ hours). However, it was all worth it because the trip itself was so wonderful! Of course we saw the Big 5 animals, plus the cheetah and tsavo cat! The housing/lodging was great, plenty of food options to choose from, and everyone we encountered was so accommodating. I would highly recommend traveling with Odyssey as their company knows how to safari the right way!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
My friend and I did the tour from Bush to Beach with five days of Safari in the northern National Parks and afterwards four days in Zanzibar.
It was a perfect trip, we had such a great time! Everything was so well organized, from pick up at the airport over accommodation to the Safari itself, we really had to worry about nothing and could just enjoy the splendid wildlife of Tanzania. It was amazing how many animals we saw and our driver Paul did his best to spot them and was always so patient when we couldn't get enough of the lions or elephants. He left no wish unfulfilled and was a funny and reliable guide as well as a very good and safe driver.
The lodges were marvelous and the food delicious, there was really nothing to complain. The staff was always friendly and eager to help with any problem. We were sad to leave the National Parks behind but Zanzibar made that up. We stayed in the Ocean Paradise Beach Resort which is such a nice place to relax, beautifully arranged and with amazing food. Snorkeling was nice as well! And just the colors of the ocean at low tide with the boats lying on the beach is worth the visit.
For the booking we were quite spontaneous and were not flexible concerning the date, World Air Travel and Tours was the one company that just adopted the program to our wishes. And Elias, the Sales and Operations Manager, replied always immediately to our questions and demands.
All in all we had the trip of a lifetime and are eagerly waiting for a repeat.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best safari to Maasai Mara
Me and my husband and 3 kids took the 3 days maasaimara safari. we were very happy with the service and the attention to details by Bison Safaris on our dietary needs and especially because of the children .No hidden costs at all on the rate given .
we recommend Bison Safaris to any traveler and we look forward for our August safari to kenya again with Bison Safaris .
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Pembury took the worry out of S. Africa trip with their knowledge, suggestions and professionaliosm
We picked Pembury to help plan our trip thru the internet with their great reviews. We were never disappointed and Anya Visser met and exceeded our high expectations. We try to go to daily Mass and Anya found the Catholic churches, Mass times and walking directions for us and changed our itinerary to attend Sunday Mass. All transportation and transfers were perfect. We missed our flight connection due to bad weather and called Anya late at night to let our transfer know about our situation, no problem. This entire trip was wonderful with great safaris and felt secure knowing Pembury and Anya were a phone call away if a problem occurred.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Airtickets for International Travel
I wanted to buy airtickets for international travels. I had a lot of difficulties to manage several issues well for the urgent need. I came to Arkman who sells high quality tea. I was told that Arkman is also a travel agency. It is the first time that I asked Arkman to help my travel. To my surprise, Arkman handled it very professionally with good price, quick response and customer-consideration.
BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Please, do not go on safari with Tembea East Africa Safaris !
We ( a party of 4 ) went on a Tanzanian safari with them out of Arusha.
They seemed reliable, as they were also appearing on Safari Bookings. But what a mistake I made !
When requiring information and quotation, Evangelina, reservations staff, was extremely helpfull and replied by email always within the hour. I did some research, so I gave her the names of hotels / lodges I would stay in ( Arusha - Tarangire - Lake Manyara - Ngorongoro ). She also quoted me the price of this week safari in " all-in formula ". I specifically asked her if this would include all drinks in the lodges ( whether alcoholic or not ) and she replied me yes !
When making the reservation, I had to pay a 60 % deposit. I did this by bank transfer. Damian, the accounting staff, was very eager to get the money, as he wrote me already the next day where the money was. I told him to be patient, since it takes a while before a bank transfer is done between Belgium and Kenya. After 4 days he got the money. Suddenly, he asked Evangelina by email ( with a copy to me ! ) if she granted me the usual discount. Seemed, that by paying the balance 6 months before the trip ( instead of paying cash upon arrival ), I could get a 3 % discount. Of course, this was a trap !!
Upon arrival in Arusha, Mr Issa ( the manager of Tembea ) was there at the hotel in order to collect the balance. He tried to switch my first lodge at Tarangire into a campsite, but I refused.
First day ( a visit of Arusha National Park ) everything went well. Comfortable jeep, excellent driver who gave us a very good explanation with spectacular binoculars. At the end of that day, we made an appointment with him for the next day, when we would leave Arusha together for the one week safari.
Next day... nobody came at the agreed time. More than 2 hours later, a wreck of a jeep arrived, with another driver, who's english was very poor and difficult to understand. He also had binoculars ( when I specifically asked for ) but they did not work !!
With this wreck of a jeep we went on safari. From day one, a warning light was appearing on the dashboard, that the oil level of the brakes was too low. Twice we had a big mechanical problem and had to go to a local garage for a while. The worst mechanical issue was that on the last day, decending from the Ngorongoro Rim to Karatu, we had NO brakes at all for 30 km !! A horrific experience !!
Also, in the contract, they allowed us to go twice into Lake Manyara. But once there, this was refused and only one entry was paid for. The driver would have liked that we would be back in Arusha before lunch, instead of dinner, so to cut our safari by half a day. But this I refused of course.
Besides this, all lodges refused the all-in formula. When I contacted Mr Issa, he said to keep all the receipts and that he'd reimburse me at the end of the trip, back in Arusha. Guess who didn't show up ? He was stopped at the Kenyan border ( he said ) ?!?!
I later on emailed all the receipts to Damian, and he replied me every two weeks, that the refund will be done.
Guess what ? Nothing of all this happened of course !
When asking Mr Issa and Mrs Evangelina some explanations about this trip, no reply came.
They obviously are only after your money. They do not care about customer service at all. They only cheat, lie and mislead you !
Hopefully this will help you to have a wonderfull safari, as Tanzania is amazing !
SI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari experience in Tanzania with Foot slopes.
Me and my boyfriend were in November on a 3-days Safari with Foot slopes. We visited Ngorongo crater, Manyara Lake and Tarangire. It was great. Everything was good planed. They picked us up on Arusha airport and brought us to our hotel. The next morning the safari started. Our driver was really kind, communicative and he also knew many things. The accomodation camp was great. It was clean and nice, all people were helpful, always smilling and kind. I would always go with them again.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding!
This was the first safari for me and my friends and Mmilo and our guide, Willem, did not disappoint. Service was for our sunrise safari was professional-- it was seamless and prompt. As for the safari experience itself, Willem was extremely knowledgeable about the park, its animals and the vegetation. We are a curious group, and he was able to answer all of our questions thoroughly. Willem is patient; he would slow down or back up to ensure that we got a chance to thoroughly observe the animals, and was very respectful of the animals. On the other hand,we witnessed guides from other companies speeding through the experience in an effort to catch the next animal. We were able to see three of the Big 5 during our one-day experience. And lunch at Bakubung Lodge was wonderful. Willem also took pictures throughout our day, which he shared with us. The lodge is beautiful, and modern yet cozy. The scenery, service, food and drinks were great. My only regret is that we didn't have time for a multi-day safari. I'll definitely be backand will plan accordingly!
EG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lifetime experience; we are definitely coming back!
Literally everything was far beyond any expectations we could have had. The tour itself was incredible, we did 8 days in Kenya, taking us from Nairobi to Samburu, Sweetwaters, Lake Nakuru, and Masai Mara. The team put endless effort in making sure we don't miss a thing, even accomodating last minute requests. The guide was incredibly punctual, dedicated and knowledgeable and went out of his way to make sure we saw all there is to see (completing the big 5!) We couldn't ask for more.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mountain biking in Maasai lands, 7-dat Kilimanjaro climb on Lemosho route, and Tarangire safari
We originally had contacted Ernest at Worldwide Safaris about running the Serengeti Marathon in November 2016. However, we switched plans and instead did a 1-day mountain bike safari in the Maasai lands, then a 7-day climb of Kilimanjaro via the Lemosho route, and then a 1-day safari to Tarangire park.
Planning was excellent and Ernest came up with an itinerary that matched our needs perfectly. Our guides were also very good. We had some rain on the mountain at lower elevations, but managed OK. The route was beautiful and not crowded. Our climb of Kilimanjaro was successful and we then saw pretty much every type of wildlife that we could hope for in Tarangire park.
The trip was not cheap. Our crew and facilities on Kilimanjaro were actually more than we needed and we could have been happy with less. There were some unexpected expenses, especially with the scale of gratuity. However, after conversations with other travelers, it appears that we still got decent value for our money. Given the chance, I would choose this operator again, maybe just with a little bit less support on the mountain.