US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari experience: safe, fun, and worth every minute
If you are looking for a luxury safari, this is not your company. If you are looking for an adventure in the African Bush the way that South Africans do it themselves; if you are looking for safari guides who truly care about the plants and animals of South Africa above all and who want to share those with the world; if you are looking to have some fun, to get a little dirty, and to see a part of the world rarely seen anymore in its raw beauty, Armadillo is for you!!
I'll start off by saying that we booked this particular tour because it perfectly fit our timeline and budget. We were looking for a low-budget, camping tour that would really allow us the time and flexibility to see the animals and terrain of Kruger. We are 3 young men from the USA who have extensive travelling, camping, and adventuring experience. This was the only safari we could find that fit everything we wanted for the timeframe we had. We did the 8-day safari with 5 nights in the park and a trip to the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre and Elephant Whispers as well as the Blyde River Canyon.
I am SOOO glad we went with Armadilo!! They gave us everything we wanted and more!!
This is truly an all-inclusive company. From the time we were picked up from the airport to the time we were dropped back off at the airport in Joburg, we never lacked anything. The food was certainly plentiful, filling, and tasty. We would buy the occasional snack at one of the park shops, but even as 3 big guys used to American-sized portions, we were never hungry. The tents we used were spacious and sturdy, and we were provided with sleeping bags, pillows, and comfortable, 4-inch mats to sleep on. Drinks were available in an honesty bar on-board the safari truck whenever we needed for a very small fee. Potable water is available from taps at all of the campsites as well.
Chris and Simon (his son) were our guides. Chris is truly an expert of the African wildlife and fancies himself a birder as well. Not only were they great at spotting animals for us, they could identify most species with ease as well as give us more in-depth information about them. We did see all of the Big 5 including a Black Rhino, as well as a Sable Antelope, Cape Clawless Otters, and several other rarely seen animals. Yes, we were lucky to have seen them all, but Chris and Simon really helped create our luck. They were not simply tour guides who were doing their job, happy to be rid of their customers at the end of a game-drive. They became friends and companions who were fun to be around. Along with their combined knowledge, well... it was a privilege to be with them!
The last thing to note here specifically is the safari truck. It is no ordinary vehicle. This thing was custom-built specifically for taking groups on safari. There are some pluses and minuses of it, but in all, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. First of all, it is completely enclosed. That makes it feel far more secure than the traditional open-sided trucks you may be expecting. That does sometimes limit the visibility of animals if they are directly in front of or behind the truck; however, because it stands a good 15 feet above the ground, you are so far above the other vehicles that you will see things they could never see. We were eye-level with girrafes and elephants. We could see above the road-side brush and small trees. We could even see over the top of any other vehicles that would pass by or park next to ours. One major caution: If you have a difficulty with ladders, this may not work for you. Because of its height, you have to climb a ladder or steep stairs to get in and out of the truck. Also worth noting is that it has an on-board espresso machine for those early morning game drives and a charging station for all your electronics which takes standard South African AND European plugs.
So, in summary: we were hoping to go on a safari to see the animals of Kruger. What we got was an adventure much more fulfilling than that! We thought this would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip to South Africa, and all of us want to go back even more now than we did before. And I can tell you this: If we were going back, we would definitely go on a safari with Armadillo again in a heartbeat! I hope to keep in touch with Chris and Simon as well.
IL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful tour operator!! Warm recommendation and a great experience.
We just got back from an amazing two weeks trip to Tanzania which was orgenized by Zohar African safari company. We traveled with our 4 children (7,13, 18,20) and it was great from the begining to the end. Lilian and Ken attended all of my requests (and i had plenty) from the moment i first contacted them until we got back home, they did everything to get us the best of everything. Lilian orgenized perfectly every little thing for us and went over (seriously) to all lodges prior to our stay, to make sure we will have what we asked for. We had a warm, knowledgable, funny and gentle guide with us, which was also a great musician. We loved to have him with us. We wanted to meet the locals as well as to have a great safari, we got what we asked for, and more! Safari at the Serngeti is an exciting experience and we also visited lake Maniara and the Ngorongoro crater. We met so many intersting people and had a great expeience getting to know local tribes and vising the villages with local guides assigned to us by Lilian. Both guides knew so much about the locals that we visited, it could'nt have been the same without them. All in all, if you are looking for a tour operator in Tanzania to orgenize your dream vacation, do not hesitate to contact Lilian and/or Ken, i am certain you will not be sorry. This company is reliable, and you will find everything orgenized even better then you asked for.
And here are some tips if you go on safari- Do not forget to bring a good camera with great zoom and also some good binoculars if you can. I do recommend to have at least one night in a tented camp. Its great! Do not carry too much with you, if you change your accommodation every day and don't miss meeting the locals. Get some snacks before leaving to the safari, it may come in handy with kids.
We went on April, the wet season... and had a great weather, not too hot, not cold, and not too much rain either so it was perfect, and the savanna was all green and very beautiful with lots of baby animals....
Thank you Lilian, Ken, and Sammy, you have all made our trip perfect. We loved Tanzania.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Competend, friendly and reliable firm
I booked the 3rd trip with Impala Tours and was always a contend customer. Impala Tours is very competent and makes a point of quality e.g the car we had, had good tyres, the lodges were well selected. If there are problems or questions, you can always call Yvonne or Andre.
It was not my last time travelling with this Company!!!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent value; wonderful trip
I had a wonderful experience with this trip. The travel was seamless, the staff helpful, the lodgings lovely, the food excellent, the wildlife terrific. You will be driving a great deal - some days upwards if 5-6 hrs. But I'm not sure how else you could see as much as we see; if you have back issues it could be problematic, but if you're ok with it and make sure to take care of yourself (stretch, etc.) you'll just love love love the experience. I'm very grateful.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful safari experience in East Africa
After 2 months' busy working, there comes another vacation, and it's time to go over our wonderful East Africa safari journey and to thank Kessy, our guide and the operator of Tanzania Destination Safaris Company. Thanks for your careful consideration and good arrangements!
Our route had a total distance about 2500km, covered the most beautiful area of Kenya and Tanzania. With the professional safari guide, we succeeded to see the big five, special five and many beautiful view beyond our expectations.
Kessy has a good language talent. He can speak English, Swahili and Italian. He also has good communication skills, solving problems abilities and is punctual. He always confirmed the next days plan with us in advanced, and will do as we planed strictly. So he's a reliable guide and friend.
Alfa is our driver and animals guide who has brought us a lot fun, excitement and animal knowledge. He drive fast but safe. He is brave and attentive. He is also very patient that he taught us how to separate from different gazelles over and over again till we all managed.
See you, beautiful East Africa, beautiful Tanzania, beautiful Lengai and beautiful Massai people, I will come back again!
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Hakuna Matata
"Hakuna Matata" (No worries). African Comfort Zone Safaris were trustworthy experts in Safari games. John and Joshua can tailor-made the trip to your request (if you wanted to stay in tent to hotel room accommodation, to bring you back to airport, etc.). The tour guide is very experienced and he definitely know where to hunt. I will book again with them for my next Safari trip.
IN
A wild experience in heart of Tazania
The trip was arranged very well. We received information before the trip which helped us pack, and plan the luggage contents. Everyplace the driver showed up on time and were courteous. Over all we had a great time. Price for the trip was higher than our expectations.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience start to finish
Pembury tours was amazing, from the day I sent my inquiry I was contacted within 24 hrs by Tammy and we started going over options. She gave us great advice and helped us find exactly what we wanted, there is no way that I could have planned this trip without her. I would recommend Pembury tours and specifically Tammy, to anyone thinking that they would like to plan a trip to Africa.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Incredibly awesome
I did a safari with orange and I can only say i will do it again and again because the experience was unmatched. I have done many safaris before but this one was just above par. What i needed to do was just a phone call and my preferred destination and Alas! they do the rest. Try them and will never regret.
Thank you Orange Adventure
Efficient and extremely helpful
The safari tour at Wild Ivory Tree Lodge was the most fantastic experience in the bush we have ever had. We saw Cheetah and Leopard everyday. We will definitely be returning.