NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic tailor made Service, extremely knowledgeable
We have done lots of safaris but this one stood tall over all of them.
We were personally picked up on our arrival at airport by Mr Armand Grobler. A very dynamic, energetic and charming young entrepreneur. Everything was taken care to make us feel a welcomed. Attention was given to have special activities for our 2 girls, 11 and 13 age.
We saw all the big 5 up close, with total respect for the wild life.
In short we loved and truly recommend the experience.
Look forward to our next time
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent adventure and trip of a lifetime!
Last year, Philemon has helped me to organize a Kilimanjaro hike. The hike was scheduled in December 2017, although the booking was made months prior. Communication was great, and Philemon was transparent regarding what was included and what was not, and also his recommendations. No one could have done it better.
I chose the 6 day Machame route for Kilimanjaro, which offers 5 different terrains and beautiful scenery throughout the hike. My guide, Agrev was very knowledgable about the mountains and we chatted throughout the entire hike. The team consists of 5 porters and a chef. The team was very friendly and my stay on the mountain was very comfortable. The chef cooked delicious meals, 3 times a day for me. I truly enjoyed the varieties of what was served all the 6 days I was on the mountain. It was a successful hike and I summited on the 5th day.
Thanks to Aardvark for making my trip unforgettable, showing me your beautiful country and giving me the best experience. A shoutout and a big thank you to the guide, Agrev, the chef-Simon and porters (Musa, Chobiz, Tadois, Alfredi and Andrew) for a wonderful week in Kilimanjaro.
SI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari with Pride of Africa Adventures was a great experience!
PAAS organised for us 8-day trip. Kenya; first day they show us around Nairobi where we get all the information about safari trip. Next day we were on our way to Amboseli national park. We had our driver and personal chef. Both guys were amazing - everything was exactly like we agreed. Thanks to our experienced guide/driver we saw a lot of animals and had a great 2 day of Kenya safari. Then we went towards Tanzanian border, were Tanzanian driver pick us up. He was on time and we were in Arusha just according to schedule. For the next 3-days we were in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which was amazing, we also went to see Lake Eyasi and visit a tribe Hadzabe where they show us how they live - how to make a fire, hunt etc. We also visited Monduli village and meet the local people. From there they took us to the airport and we were on our way to Zanzibar for the rest of our vacation.
Pride of Africa Adventures organised everything for us, from airport pickup, safari, drivers, food, hotels, plane ticket … so they did a great job! Thank you, Stephen and the rest of the team, for this great experience - you gave us more than we were expecting! I would definitely choose them again for any kind of organisation in Africa!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Attentive and friendly operations made for a fantastic safari
I am mid-50s American male making my first trip to Kenya and on safari. I was traveling home on some much anticipated R&R from my job in the Middle East, and decided to treat myself to a few days to relax en route home.
I had no real idea what lay before me, but I packed for all sorts of contingencies, most of which never even came to consciousness while on my trip with Flights and Safaris.
I had decided on an itinerary covering 4 nights and 5 days, covering Amboseli NP, Lake Naivasha (and nearby Hell's Gate NP), and Masai Mara. My dates on safari were Monday, 4 December to Friday, 8 December.
I was interested in rustic camps to include those within some of the protected reserves, but as I sleep with the aid of a CPAP (positive air pressure) machine, and the camps generally turn off their generators at night, I would have been miserable and sleepless. So, I researched the lodges, and asked Flights and Safari to provide me a quote for staying where I could avail myself of a good night's sleep. My costs went up from the camping level, but I thought it still affordable. And the food, 3-meals a day, was surprisingly good and better quality than expected.
Robert, my driver and guide, arrived promptly at my downtown Nairobi hotel on the morning of our start, and took me by the offices to complete payment, and secure the luggage I was leaving at their office while out of the city. I was surprised (and elated) to find I was the only person going on our trip, so, poor Robert, he was answering my questions for a full 5-days, as I had him all to myself.
Robert was very patient, knowledgeable, funny, and had a very good eye. I can write that he located not one, but two (2) leopards during our time at Masai Mara, which made for a very rare experience within his past tours. He amazed me with picking a large owl out hidden high in a tree from at least a 100m distance. He has been touring Kenya as a driver/guide for 12 years, and I can't recommend him highly enough here.
For those looking for details, I will try to provide those herewith.
The drive from Nairobi to Amboseli took us perhaps 4-5 hours. The traffic on the main route between Nairobi and Mombasa was quite heavy, but once we left the main road, we had open roads.
Upon arrival at the AA Lodge just on the outskirts of Amboseli National Park, I was shown to my cabin, and then to the restaurant for a delicious and well-catered lunch. (The AA Lodge was a very beautiful place, ideal for a couple's getaway, and I wished I'd had my companion and more time just to relax and enjoy the fauna, the pool, the sunshine, and for a clear glimpse of Mt Kilimanjaro's peak. Surprisingly, the first week of December, the customers seemed to be me, Robert, and a young French couple. It was otherwise deserted.) I stalked some baboons hanging around one of the elevated water tanks, went for a leisurely swim, and relaxed until our 1500 departure for the park and my first game drive.
Amboseli did not disappoint (though the clouds on Kilimanjaro persisted, denying me a view of the peak throughout my stay) with baboon, impala, zebra, ostrich, 2 male juvenile elephants, and a female giraffe and her baby all visible within the first 5 minutes following entry to the park. From there, it only got better, with encounters with many elephants, and sightings of all varieties of birds, African buffalo, hippos, gazelle, impala, waterbuck, and even a rare sighting of a female hyena and three juveniles egressing an in-ground den in daylight. We spotted and watched a male lion from a distance, and his 4-5 female harem laying in a group taking in the afternoon sun, totally impervious to our presence. We lingered there watching the lions for probably 30 minutes, with the only sound hear at all being that of the idling or starting of engines on passing or departing safari vehicles. The quiet was amazing.
Robert timed our return perfectly, as we passed out of the gate right at dusk, returning to our lodge for dinner and sleep.
The next day was a long day in the vehicle returning via Nairobi and then heading West to the Great Rift. It probably took us 7 hours to get through heavy traffic and down the steep Rift road to Lake Naivasha. After settling in there, Robert kindly took me to Hell's Gate, and then retrieved me from my bicycling ordeal again at dusk. The following morning he had me to the Lakeside for another private ride, this time in a boat out on the lake for about an hour.
We drove that late morning to Masai Mara, and after a delightfully hard shower, we took a long drive into the reserve.
Again, on Thursday, as I had opted out of the usual visit to a Masai village (or mock-up thereof, designed to sell local craft products) and the balloon ride, Robert kindly had arranged a picnic lunch, and we took an all-day drive through Masai Mara reserve.
Friday was a long drive back up the Rift road, and into Nairobi, where we arrived in mid-afternoon. After a stop off at the office to collect my luggage, he had me deposited at Jomo Kenyatta Airport before 5pm, for my late evening flight out to Europe.
Robert was great; the itinerary worked very well for me, and he was generous in sharing his binoculars with me. The front office was prompt in their communications with me, and flexible in meeting my wishes.
Only one critiques to offer- The AA Lodge at Masai Mara does not provide electricity at night, which I had stipulated as a necessity for lodge bookings, so I did not sleep well.
For my own part, I would suggest that visiting Hell's Gate in late afternoon was not well advised (it was my suggestion) and the visit was curtailed due to darkness. I would have done the boat ride on the lake at that time, and tried Hell's Gate the next morning before our trip to Masai Mara.
Flight and Safaris, and the Kenyan wildlife, provided an excellent, wonderful, memory-filled adventure, and worked well with me in designing my itinerary. The vehicle was reliable, Robert was a fount of knowledge (and patience), the vehicle was clean, safe, well-maintained, and spacious (when there is only one passenger!)
The lodges were all clean, comfortable (no a/c, and wishes for electric fans to move air in the night should be requested, in advance, or upon arrival), and spacious. I stayed at the AA Lodge in Amboseli and Masai Mara, and the unbeatable Sopa Mara lodge in Lake Naivasha.
EG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
FANTASTIC SAFARI IN TANZANIA
FANTASTIC SAFARI IN TANZANIA
I highly recommend the services of Regional Tours & Safaris. I had been doing research on tour companies and had almost overlooked the initial response from them. When I followed up by email, Maturaf called and WhatsApp me to find out more about what I was interested in so that he could make the right recommendations We choose the itineray “5 DAY MAGICAL TANZANIA MANYARA NGORONGORO SERENGETI from his website. We had several conversations and adjusted the itinerary and lodging according to our interests. I felt very comfortable that things would work out and they did - perfectly. Everything went very smoothly. The driver guide NOVA was a superb guide, easy to be with and able to spot animals at a distance. Maturaf discussed each of the lodging choices so that I felt comfortable with his recommendations. I truly appreciated the private safari as we spent much more time in the parks and did not need to return to the lodges for lunches. Instead we took box lunches (not particularly a fan of them but we preferred this to wasting time to get to the lodge, eat, and return to game drives). I did do some comparison shopping and felt the cost was reasonable. As this was a fairly expensive trip for us, I did take out travel insurance which I am happy to say we did not need.
I don't think you can go wrong by selecting Regional Tours & Safaris for your safari in Tanzania.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
For best fun and educational experience
Its all fun professionalism and cost effective. Friendly staff who are very knowledgeable in their field.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Enjoyable vacation
I went with my Family to hiking/ trekking trip with Lakeside tours. we had a trekking to Rwenzori mountain , cycling on the crater lake, game drives, lake tours , Chimps and Gorilla trekking. We enjoyed the trip , they accommodated our changes to the original plan, our guide Bonny was so so helpful and supportive. he managed all the changes we asked for during the whole trip - change in accomodation, change in trip starting time to suite us after long Journeys, changes in lunches and dinners - even during the trip itself he would bring all needed water , fruits and juices.
the bad side were the Car which was very slow and aircon was not working , due to this fact - as well as the bad roads conditions- we spend longer time travelling from place to place . The choices of hotels were not the best , we had to change the hotels twice , last one we refused to get in the hotel, and we had to search for alternative at midnight. at the end they provided us with the accomodation we asked for.
A two day trip to mountain Elgon National park
i have copied and pasted it for you here
Based on the very positive trip advisor reviews we booked a 2 day trip to mount ELGON national park and used them to arrange our car transport and accommodation.
I found the service and response of this travel agency to be excellent. Easily 5 stars. My emails were promptly responded to and everyone showed up when they were supposed to.
The trip was very good, our tour guide and driver were friendly. We had a good time driving through the hills. Experienced the Sipi falls, flora and fauna,the people and cultures, all these and so much more not forgetting snapping photos. I would do It again for the experience.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari honeymoon
We chose to spend our honeymoon in Tanzania, booked with Simon at Mwema Safaris, and it was amazing.
Simon was always on hand throughout the planning and budgeting stages to help with recommendations on where to stay and what to see and do. He was able to offer various accommodation options, according to our budget, and we opted to stay mid-range rather than go to budget or 5* extremes, and we were very happy with our choices. Simon arranged all our transfers, accommodation, meals, park entries and we had an internal flight.
We opted to do a 4-day private safari and visited Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara (we are sociable people, but would totally recommend a private safari so you don't have any other group members to worry about!).
Our guide was aptly named Goodluck, and he was very friendly and knowledgable about the areas we were visiting and the animals - he was definitely our good luck mascot, as we were lucky enough to see 4 out of the Big 5 (no leopards in sight, but we did see tree-climbing lions, which was pretty awesome!).
We would definitely recommend Mwema Safaris and hope to be able to return and book with them again.
Thank you Mwema for making our honeymoon memorable!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
spetacular
very open, assertive and friendly,, all hotels proposed were clean , food delicious, the safaris completely amaising, professional guides teremendous ladscapes and accomodations perfect and safety