35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Third African adventure booked by this company, absolutely wonderful without any incidences!
I have no hesitation in recommending African Encounter to book any future travel to Africa. They provided unlimited information and recommendations to support a wonderful holiday experience within the allocated budget. The companies which are used within the Continent of Africa were extremely professional and provided a wonderful service to their tourists. The whole experience was uneventful and lived beyond our expectations. i will be booking with this company on my return visit, never considering anyone else to arrange our travel.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent advice, organization and follow up during the trip
I was recommended Peter and his company BestDay Safari to exchange on the trip I wanted to do my daughter to see wildlife in Africa.
From the start the exchanges with Peter were very good, Peter spent time to exchange and understand our vacation objectives and helped us to progressively shape our ideal vacation. Peter was very patient and had good avice in sequencing the time we had in the most suitable way.
Once finalized, the journey summary provided by Peter was very clear.
We were very well welcomed when arriving in Tanzania, for the briefing session and meeting with our guide and driver.
The organization of the trip was very well made and we learnt a lot from our knowledgeable guide on the wildlife, while the choice of loges was very well aligned with the guidance for accomodation that we had shared during preparation.
This journey was a lifetime experience and I can warmly recommend Peter and Bestday Safari for the great advice, their experience, sense of organization and the very good and friendly contact.
NO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Fantastic Safari with Warrior Trails!
We just arrived home after a spectacular, unforgettable, private 13 day safari for me and my husband through the Northern Circuit of Tanzania with Warrior Trails from Feb. 14-27, 2015. Although I have not been in East Africa before, I have traveled to various countries in West Africa for work over the past 20 years. For those of you unfamiliar with doing business in Africa, do not be concerned with working with and transferring money to Warrior Trails in Tanzania. For those safari newbies, do not be afraid booking with a local Tanzanian company rather than the more familiar, famous, international travel company names. Those companies will just be subcontracting out to local companies anyway, you will be paying more money, and your service may not be as good. Also, do consider and price out a private safari (private vehicle and driver) rather than being part of a larger anonymous group. There is no comparison with traveling in a vehicle with 360 degrees of viewing room and no one’s schedule other than your own. The price is much more reasonable than you would expect and may be comparable or cheaper to a group rate with the larger autonomous international tour groups.
Warrior Trails is an impeccable, professional, dedicated, honest, local initiative-supporting tour company. The office staff (in our case, William) is one of the key reasons we ended up choosing Warrior Trails after submitting enquiries to numerous companies. His responses were detailed, options were varied, and our back and forth communication always quick.
The owner of Warrior Trails, Clamian Kitesho met us in Tanzania before we set out on our tour and also at the end of our trip giving us the comfort that our needs would be met. His commitment to bettering the local Maasai villages and education for the children is admirable (a percentage of his company proceeds go to building and supporting a local school complex). With my experience working in Africa for 20 years, I tend to have a suspicious view towards some African charitable operations due to corruption. In this case, I have no qualms whatsoever in donating and supporting the Nashipay Maasai School. During our tour, we visited the Stage 1 school outside of Arusha, and met the teachers and some of the students who must rotate in the classroom due to the overwhelming response of local parents wanting to send children for education.
Our driver-guide for the entire 13 days, Frank Sabore is the reason that our trip was one of the best we have ever had (and we travel a lot!). Frank is thoughtful, well-spoken, kind, competent, careful, funny, happy, intelligent, flexible, conscientious, humble, sharing and very educated about the flora, fauna, and culture. I cannot come up with enough positive adjectives to describe this amazing, outstanding individual. He has eyesight comparable to Superman and can find things hidden to normal individuals and anticipate movements of animals and birds so that you can be ideally placed for very close observation and picture taking. We trusted him implicitly for making decisions on when and where to go throughout the day, and our evening meals with him were very enjoyable.
We stayed in a mix of accommodations at our request, including 4 different mobile tented camps (very fancy camping for me, as I am geologist have spent weeks camping while doing field work), a hotel, a very nice tented lodge at Lake Manyara and a fixed lodge. All of these facilities were good, some quite excellent.
In our 13 days some of my favorite sights included: 11 Black Rhino including a mother and baby in Ngorongoro Crater; 9 cheetahs in 4 hours in Ndutu (3 of which were tiny babies which looked like honey badgers); a lion lounging in a tree in Ngorongoro conservation area. However, it the trip was not just about ‘the Big 5’. It was also about so much more: a wide variety of beautiful exotic birds (Frank knows them all), a large band of playful mongoose, stunning flora and especially developing an understanding of the Tanzanian people and the land they live in. An extraordinary experience we will never forget.
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful trip with an excellent safari company!
We booked our tour in early january, so there was not much time to set everything up. We had a 12 day tour which took us from Entebbe to Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchison Falls. We drove all the way by car. This was a bit exhausting, but you get to see country which is pretty interesting. However the trip was a real success. Richard, the head of the company, is a very eager guy. We experienced some problems with the lodging, but Richard sorted it out pretty quick. So in the end it was a great journey with an excellent tour operator. I can really recommend booking with Tamani Africa Tours!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A wonderful introduction to Kwazulu Natal
Booked with Tailor Made safaris following a recommendation and were very pleased with the service. I have mobility issues but a plan was made to help with this so we could experience wildlife, the battlefields and some of the Drakensberg. We loved the Zululand Rhino Reserve, St Lucia and Huhluwe-Omfolozi. The tour of Isandwala and Rourke's Drift with a Zulu guide was inspiring and fascinating, and the Drakensberg were everything we had expected. Great accommodation, good catering and a comfortable vehicle, all at an affordable price. We would happily use them again and indeed hope to do so in the not too distant future.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Game Drive on one of a kind Truck, Hospitality was second to none
We have done the 5 day catered safari trip with Chris and Nicky, the owners of the Armadillo Overland Safari and Adventure Tours. It was our 1st safari trip. The accommodation was top notch and every meal was hand prepared. Chris and Nicky are very knowledgeable about various animals, birds, wildlife that we have encountered in our game drives. They had a genuine passion for nature and its occupants. For the 5 days we were a family of 8, never felt anything less. We have seen 4 of the big five except Leopard, though Chris had tried very hard to locate one for us. The panorama route was a memorable last piece to our adventure. They have also dropped us to our hotel in Santon, 20+ km from the airport at 8:30PM at night. I have to mention the one of a kind truck that was used for the game drive every morning, afternoon and overall transportation. That is one of a kind and there is no other like it in South Africa Period. They had everything you will ever need (pillows, blankets, binos, glasses, books, water, beer, wine..) + the loo(bathroom) in that truck. If you are looking for a safari, i promise, they will show you a good time with awesome food, a passion for wildlife and a lasting friendship. Now ask yourself when was the last time you thought like this about a service provider. In the sea of safari providers they are truly exceptional.
First class trip
Our first time visit to SA we left everything in the safe hands of Simon and his team at Native Escapes. Communications were superb and the itinerary well planned to meet our needs. Organised accommodation throughout the trip was faultless and the driving notes provided between stops were extremely useful in judging travel times and linking with points of interest along our tour route. As our trip coincided with celebrating a big birthday and wedding anniversary all the hotels had been primed in advance and we were treated to bubbly, chocolates and birthday cakes along the way (nice touch and much appreciated). Hence the best thing of all about booking with Native Escapes is the personal touch, we really felt as if it was friends who had organised the trip for us not some sterile remote booking agent. We would highly recommend Native Escapes and consider using again if and possibly when we revisit South Africa again.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Rose Did It Again!
You really did it this time Rose! We had an amazing time from seeing two very small buffalo calves being rescued by Rangers from a watering hole to being chased by a very cross elephant! Firsts in both cases and the highlight of our holiday!!
Everything ran like clockwork as per usual! We have done quite a few safari's now with Rose and wouldn't dream of booking with anyone else!!!!!!
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
excellent service and keen to meet customer
Fuímos de safari y el trato fue excelente, tanto Sammi el chofer/guía como Nico , el cocinero, son personas maravillosas que harán la estancia difícil de olvidar, no tengo palabras para agradecerles el interés que pusieron en que todo saliera bien y estuviéramos contentos. felicidades de corazón!
Mi única recomendación es que en el agua del río hay esquistosomiasis, así que si te sale un ronchón muy urticante a los pocos días de estar allí ve al médico de medicina tropical cuando vuelvas a casa, puede confundirse fácilmente con una alergia, el tratamiento es sencillo y muy efectivo.
Por lo demás es una experiencia 100% recomendable, seguro que no te arrepentirás.
We went on safari and the treatment was excellent, both Sammi the driver/guide as Nico, the cook. Wonderful people who made our stay difficult to forget. I can not thank the interest put that out of all our liking. Guys, congratulations!!!! We had a very good time with you that we will never forget.
My only recommendation is that if you go to Hippo Camp beware with river water and douche, there are schistosomiasis in the water (nothing surprising in wild places) and if you have a very itchy rush some days after the trip go to tropical doctor for treatment when you come back home.
The rest of the experience is amazing, 100% recommended.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First trip to Africa
I had a good time in Tanzania with this local agent. It locates in Arusha and knows very well about Safari and Mountain. They offer many plans which meets your budget so it is better to ask them first. I highly recommend this Agent.