US
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a great experience to visit in Kenya
I just came back from Kenya in June and i was so happy of the 4 days safari to masai mara and lake Nakuru and the service i had from sun splash! Erick responded my email quickly, it was a great safari I enjoyed. Thanks
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing safari
My boyfriend and I came back from Kenya in June and we were so happy of the 4 days safari to masai mara and lake Nakuru. The road to masai mara are rough though we truely enjoyed and a lot of knowledge! The driver was very safe and polite, Thank you very much Erick!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Great Experience
We recently used Liselle from Sun Safaris to co-ordinate a large portion of our 5 week trip to Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique (travelled April/May 2016). This was our first trip to this area but out second to Africa. We communicated with Liselle over 12 months to make sure our trip was exactly what we wanted. After much research and a couple of changes along the way I'm glad to report we had the perfect trip. Liselle was an absolute delight to deal with. Nothing was too much trouble and she always came back to us promptly offering suggestions and her own personal experience.
I've pasted my reply to her regarding our trip below:
We’ll start with Desert and Delta in Botswana..... This experience was wonderful – we absolutely loved Botswana. It was a great way to start our five week holiday. The accommodation, service and guides in all of these lodges were exceptional. The balance of 3/2/3 nights in each of the lodges was perfect. It gave us the opportunity to experience the best of each lodge. We particularly loved Savute in Chobe as the wildlife proliferation here was fantastic. We were fortunate to experience the migration of zebras, as well as seeing large herds of buffalos, wildebeest, elephants and good prides of lions. Every drive here was quite a wonderful experience. We also loved the smaller lodge concept as the service was personalised and it felt like we were treated as VIP’S. Flying between lodges was also great as it ensured you made the most of your time at each lodge.
The Illala Lodge was perfectly positioned in Victoria Falls. We were fortunate to get an upgrade here to a suite and it made for a very comfortable stay. We took the flight over the falls and this was one of the highlights of our stay.
Nottens was a lovely little boutique lodge. The Manager Dale and his wonderful staff made for a most memorable stay. The lighting at night time, superb food (some of the best we experienced on our whole trip) and really nice accommodation left a lasting impression. This lodge has got it right and we felt that it was value for money. Again the smaller lodge appealed to us. We met some lovely people over great food and great wine each night and the guide and tracker went the extra mile to ensure we saw maximum wildlife during our drives each day.
Massinga Beach Resort was situated in a really pretty place. This lovely resort (albeit is a 2 hour drive from Inhambane Airport) was very comfortable and had spacious accommodation. This was a perfect place for us to relax and unwind after 4 weeks of non-stop activity. The resort is a little isolated but we did do an afternoon trip into Massinga town one afternoon. Apart from that there aren’t any real activities outside of the resort. We enjoyed swimming, reading, drinking and eating to excess during our stay here. It really is a great location for honeymooners or for people wanting some downtime. A gorgeous little resort on a beautiful stretch of the Indian Ocean.
Africa has left an indelible mark on us again....we plan to come back in a couple of years time and maybe do the Garden Route and experience another reserve such as Timbavati. When the time comes we will be in touch.
Thanks for all your help in contributing to our wonderful holiday
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent safari to Amboseli!!
Airports and Beyond Tours was truly great. We were linked to them via Flyga Twiga company. Our group was comprised of people from all over the world, many of whom had not been to Kenya before. The company gave our group overview of the trip before it began, and our guide was extraordinarily friendly, organized, and professional. He really made the safari a great trip. Our guide was very knowledgeable and informative regarding the animals, their behaviours, and around conservation efforts in Amboseli national park and kenya in general. We were able to see lions, excellent views of lines of elephants, and a host of other animals. I would definitely go on safari with them again!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic four day safari in Serengeti with brilliant Jackpot Safaris
I want to start by thanking manager Andrew and his wonderful team at Jackpot Safaris for arranging such an incredible safari for us in Seronera area of the Serengeti.
Our trip started with us (three women aged 25 to 35) being collected from our hotel in Arusha. We were greeted by our lovely guide Johnson who treated us like royalty and spoke excellent English. The journey to the Serengeti took around five and a half hours. The drive was very smooth and the scenery, picturesque. Along the way, we stopped off at: a Maasai village (a must – an incredible experience); the Lake Manyara view point - the views of the flamingos on the lake were absolutely beautiful and; the Ngorongoro crater view point, which was simply mind-blowing. As we approached the Serengeti main gate we spotted a small pride of lions; two females and one male sleeping peacefully. This is the first time I have seen lions and I must say it was very exciting. Johnson knew lots of facts about lions and was very forthcoming with his knowledge. I felt very safe being with such an experienced guide out in the bush. We arrived at the camp just before dinner and had a lovely meal by the campfire. The tents and camping equipment were great and we had restful fist nights sleep at the camp.
Day two of our safari was most exciting, we woke up at dawn and went on an early morning game-drive. Johnson suggested going early in the morning as it is the best time to see the animals and boy was he right! We saw giraffes, elephants, zebras, impalas, water bucks and buffaloes. I couldn’t quite believe how lucky we were to see such animals in their natural habitat. It also felt as though Johnson knew exactly where to find the animals as we saw so much on our first proper game-drive. We returned to camp for lunch and went out for an afternoon game-drive. We saw more of the same animals but were fortunate to observe two male giraffes fighting – absolutely fascinating how such tall, and gangly creatures can fight and look so elegant whilst doing it! We returned to camp for sundowners and watched the sunset as herds of wildebeest and zebra migrated in the distance.
Day three was more exciting than day two. As advised by Johnson we left camp early for a game drive. Johnson was informed of a cheetah sighting nearby, so we raced to the location. We saw two cheetah cubs – one male and one female playing in the grasslands. We watched them frolicking in the grass and climbing trees for around two hours. It was amazing to witness something so special right in front of our eyes. On our way back to camp with stopped by a waterhole and saw the biggest crocodile asleep in the shade. That was very cool. Johnson said it was rare to see a crocodile in that area so we were very lucky to get a sighting.
Day four was our last but brilliant day. We ate breakfast at the camp, packed up and departed mid-morning. Johnson took us to the hippo pool – smelly but worth it to see all those cumbersome creatures basking in the water. On our way back to the Serengeti gate we were fortunate enough to see four leopards – a female with her three cubs. Johnson suggested we follow them as they didn’t look full and they would probably hunt soon. Unfortunately, we didn’t see a kill but a couple of kilometers away from leopard sighting we witnessed two lions mating!
We had a brilliant, life - changing time with Jackpot safaris. They are professional, friendly and experienced. I will definitely book my next safari with them.
NL
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bella was our guide during tour with Matoke
Bella was verry friendly and helpfull. She takes time to explain everything during the tour.
Every day was Bella time and we heard the things to do the next day.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic tour of Uganda and Zanzibar with Matoke. Very helpful, friendly, professional staff!
My partner and I began our 12 month world tour in Uganda. We knew Africa was going to be our first stop. But were unsure which country would be best. After looking at the various safari options available, Matoke tours stood out to be the best value for money, with the option to tailor our trip to our preferred route, choice of accommodation and decide which vehicle we would prefer. After countless emails to the extremely helpful Lionel at Matoke offices we arranged our 10 day safari tour of Uganda and 4 day relax at Zanzibar. I always received a prompt response with all the exact info requested and couldn't have asked for a smoother booking process. The tour itself was fantastic! Our guide Big Sam was very friendly, professional, informative and helpful. He took us safely, comfortably and efficiently around Uganda sharing his vast knowledge of all the different places. The trip wouldn't have been the same without him! We booked budget accommodation throughout Uganda and every place we stayed was very clean, the staff were very welcoming and the food was of a high standard. Our whole experience with Matoke tours has been faultless. A very professional, genuine, friendly and helpful company. Highly recommended! Providing excellent experiences and creating wonderful memories. Thanks again to Lionel and Big Sam!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazon employees are so friendly and professional. quality services is what makes them unique.
In general, its amazing to work with amazon because they are thorough in their service delivery.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great first time experience in Africa with Big Time Safaris
We did the ten day Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater tour. Right from the start we were picked up from the airport, which we felt more comfortable with than finding our own taxi. We had an extra day before our safari started and John Obae, the CEO/President of Big Time Safaris, came to the hotel to make sure that we were alright and made sure we would not be bored during the day. He set up a wonderful day touring the different attractions around Nairobi. I was very impressed that they made this extra effort to ensure that our visit was excellent.
The drive to Masai Mara is long and rough, but there is no way around it. Great experience driving through rural Kenya. The Eco Lodge was more than satisfactory as we had our own tent, which included a large bed and private bathroom. Food was great. Our guide made every effort to ensure that we got up close to all animals (Thanks Patrick). You have the opportunity to go to a Masai Mara village. Allen, the Masai man who shows you around, speaks excellent english, but be prepared to purchased some of their merchandise.
Arriving at Lake Nakuru, the hotel that we were supposed to check into was full, but we were quickly taken to another hotel next door and given rooms. The water level of the lake has risen substantially over the past several years to the point where all of the flamingos have left to a different lake. The itinerary says that there are flamingos there. It was still a nice drive around the lake and we did get to see a group of rhinos.
At Lake Manyara, the accommodation is absolutely sensational and far exceeded our expectations. The name of the accommodation was Panorama Safari Camp and we had private "igloo" rooms, great views of the Great Rift Valley, electricity, wifi, very clean bathrooms, full service bar (accepted major credit cards), singing/dancing, and an acrobat show. The game drive itself is a little slow, but you can't expect to see animals constantly.
Camping in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater are both more than adequate with the Ngorongoro site being a little better equipped (warm showers and plug ins to charge electronics). Remember to bring warm clothes as it is quite cold over night and in the early mornings. Both game drives were good, but not quite as good as the Masai Mara Reserve only because there are fewer roads, limiting close access to animals.
Our guide, Lenus, and chef, Hodgie, were great. Hodgie can really cook and we were never close to being hungry. Lenus was very easy to get along with and liked to joke around. He was also very knowledgeable about the animals.
Budget hotels that are provided are also more than adequate. Warm showers, wifi, breakfast, etc.
Just allow yourself to go with the flow while on the tour. Things can change quickly, but you are always taken care of.
Lastly, not enough can be said about Martha at Big Time Safari. We were in contact with her for many months leading up to our safari and also during our safari. She is always quick to tend to all our needs, such as booking hotels and arranging drivers. Her customer service is truly exceptional and she made our time here run smoothly.