IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exellence Tour operrator!!
just a note to say how special you made our safari. From meeting us at the airport, even with a delay, to the stay at the marvelous Impala hotel , to the safari itself and a final transfer to the airport.
The punctuality by John our guide and Abu our cook plus their attention to detail were admirable. The skills, knowledge and enthusaism was very much appreciated by us both. We saw more animals,with a greater variety, than we could have hoped for. Each day was inspiring and our meals were of local, fresh produce and very tasty. Finally thanks to Peniel for his tireless efforts to organise this special week and his prompt replies to all our e-mails.
Mike and Janet
Incredible trip to Tanzania with" Lights on Africa"
Before our trip with Lights on Africa Destinations & Safaris, we have to admit that we were a little nervous since your operation lesser-known that some of the massive tour operators in the area. We were a group of 13 people from India, However, from the moment we met the Lights on Africa Destinations & Safaris team in Arusha, it was clear we had made the right decision and were in for the trip of a lifetime.
Our tour guide, Adam, was a complete joy to spend time with. He was very knowledgable of the local wildlife and customs and was eager to share his knowledge with us. He was extremely accommodating during the trip .
Our Chef Joseph, was equally enjoyable to be around and always had a smile on his face. His food was delicious and provided great comfort after long days on Safari. When we specially requested Banana Pancakes for our final breakfast, Joseph happily obliged and made the best Banana Pancakes we'd ever had.
If given the chance to return, we would gladly use Lights on Africa Destinations & Safaris again and would specifically request the services of Adam and Joseph. We will be recommending your tours to all of our friends in India. Thank you so much for providing an incredible life changing experience.
All the best,
Idhant
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari experience in a package
With a clear and detailed explanation of the safari, Dan started our safari with a bang. I have visited East Africa before on short trips mostly business (mingled with quick visits here and there). This time, being on a long holiday with my sweetheart, we wanted to enjoy and experience the beauty of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania as a whole. Dancom was a great place to start with. We enjoyed the Coastal breezes, exceptional tours, magnificent travels while being taken care with courtesy and professional services. I will recommend Dan and his team anytime for a true East African experience.
US
Value for my money
value for my money, the people were kind, the tracks were on time, my husband and I had a great experience, it was great meeting the manager Mr. Githui
RO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
very well organised tour , good services , professional guide and driver
The safari was perfect, our guide Jackson had a very sharp sense of spoting the wild-life so we had the chace to see almost of the wildlife we expected. Comunication was ok , service also ... though people living in Kenya should change a bit their perspective as they are only focus on "money " to help them promote their comunities.. and so because of this all the tourist are filling harrasted by theor presssue and attitude.
My personal advice for the tour companies that are working with the touristis that they all shall try to talk with the comunities ( Masai villagers , tribes we visit during safaries ) so that they change a bit their behaviour : they are way far from tradition and their main purpose is to swindle the tourist without practically offering anything in exchange.. they only think they are entitled to help for free... we promoted and sustain their comunties just by coming to Kenya and paying the visist to their villages... feethat do not include anything... just entry to booma... anything more they exect payment for it . First I think that they should do somthing to improove their life-style conditions, easy things that will not affect their traditional leaving in any way or change their spirit ( for start clean their spaces. We visited Wasini protected coral island.. and everywhere you could find pets, bottles, canns between mangrooves and corrals... not a nice sight and the community did not understand what " protection " means .. they are ony interested in the entry fees and not too much in protecting the nature ). Everybody knows what to expect when travel to Africa, but enviroment and wild life need to be protected , not explored so much.. in Masai Mara is a real chaos, every car is travelling free from roads, totall mess and stress for the poor animals ..and this year was poor in tourists - about 30% then ussual ...I do not want to imagine how it was in " good days "... in Lake Nakuru and Amboseli thinks are much better organised and car follow only the roads route , so animals are not so stress). MAGNIFICIENT AFRICA - a wonderfull land full of wild-life and tradition , one in a ife time adventure.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
ATI Holidays Exceeded All Expectations
ATI Holidays planned a 12 day self-drive itinerary for my friend and I.
When we decided to travel to Namibia, we began planning by reading extensively about the country, and prioritizing our list of what we wanted to see and do. As this was our first trip to Namibia (and Africa!) we decided we felt more comfortable with some assistance from a local tour operator but did not want to take a group tour. Our price range fell into the one to two dollar sign "$" category in Lonely Planet (when comparing accommodations), and I was ambivalent at how much additional cost working with middle man might incur. However, I began conversations with a representative at ATI Holidays as well as one other Namibian operator, and learned quite a bit it the process. ATI was slightly more expensive, but I felt that their package was more comprehensive (honestly it was the inclusion of auto insurance and an emergency cell phone into the package that sealed the deal for me) and therefore I felt more comfortable with them.
Pre Trip:
ATI representative Monica was extremely helpful with setting up our program and listening to our itinerary requests. ATI has fixed itineraries listed on their website, but worked with us to adjust the itinerary based on our preferences of what we wanted to see and do. Our finalized itinerary began in Windhoek, then we drove up to Africat , Etosha, around to Grootberg, Swakopmund/Walvis Bay, Sossusvlei, and circled back to Windhoek. ATI's pre trip packet with travel details was also extremely helpful.
Upon arrival:
Although we would be traveling on our own, Monica, our ATI representative, met with us our first day to bring us trip materials including a carefully labeled map, cooler for water, and cell phone, and to help facilitate the delivery of our rental car. We felt very taken care of with emergency numbers, preparatory anecdotes, and a rental car that was far nicer than we anticipated.
Along the way:
Each accommodation was nicer than the one before (except for our final night in Windhoek, which was a pension we added on at the end). Based on our review of each lodge in guide books, it seemed as though they were out of our price range. However, they were all quoted to me again within a reasonable ATI holidays package. For those of you who are debating working with an operator or not, this is certainly one of the benefits: negotiated rates.
During my trip prep, I found reading reviews and traveler experiences to be very helpful, but it is also important to understand a bit of the background of the person who is writing the review. So now a bit about my friend/travel companion and I:
We decided to plan a vacation together as best friends who both enjoy travel. We are American women in our late 20's. We are outdoorsy and athletic, but did not want to have to worry about pitching a tent every night and therefore opted to stay in lodges (it is vacation afterall). This was our first trip to Africa. I work in customer service and logistics in the luxury educational travel industry (and am very picky!). We had a limited amount of time to travel and wanted to focus all of our energy on getting to know one country as best as we could in the time at hand.
Namibia speaks for itself. Drop dead gorgeous landscape and natural wonders. A solid tourism infrastructure that is still relatively undiscovered. Even at Sossusvlei, we never felt overcrowding.
I highly recommend at least beginning a conversation with ATI Holidays. You will be glad you did.
SG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A memorable, exciting and well taken care of experience.
The client contact Ms Kathi Simon is most thoughtful, efficient and helpful in all the times of communication/interacting prior to the trips. She is alsways assuring and meticulous in planning and expedient, thus, well prepared us for the trip.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
fantastic family safari
I recently took my family on a safari to the national parks with John and Anton. They were both great with my kids. They were very knowledgeable about the animals and the land we visited. We met local Masai and learned about their lives and community. I would highly recommend taking your safari with Open Africa Safaris if you want to make sure you will have a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable trip.
A lifetime Trip to an amazing Country
Me and my husband travelled to Tanzania for a safari with Lights on Africa Destinations & Safaris. First we planned our safari with Peniel (our trip coordinator) through internet. He was very pleasant and always responding quickly to my many many questions. He took the time to really understand what we really wanted and made sure we got it. Then he met us at the airport and brought us to our hotel for our first night before our safari. He explained everything to us and was very thorough. We really liked him. He is a very special person to us. Then we met our first guide for 1 day Winnie. Very nice young fellow. Then came David for the rest of the safari. What can we say about David. Well he is one of a kind. Very nice person and one thing that we noticed is that he is very helpful with everybody. We had so many laughs with him especially him and my husband. Very knowledgeable. We saw lots of animals. We also had the honor of meeting his family. What a nice family and we were so well received. Then there was our cook Richard…Wow what good food we had. And he was always so eager to help. He made sure our flap tent were open during the day while we were gone on a safari drive or if it rained made sure they were closed. Very nice person. He even made us a cake all decorated and Happy New Year written on it since our safari started on jan 1/2015. We also got to meet his family. They were so nice. Well all in all we want to say that we had a fantastic time with fantastic people that we now consider our friends. Thank You everybody for making our trip so memorable..
It was unforgettable experience with Open Africa Safaris!
My abiding memory of the Maasai Cultural Trip to Monduli is the warmth with which we were received by the communtiy, and the genuine insight we got about the Maasai way of life through sharing in some of their daily activities and celebrations.
The success of the trip was also due to the close realtionship that Anthony and John, have with the Maasai community.
They grew up in a community nearby and understand the language and culture. They ware therfore able to help ensure that we all had a truly enriching experience.
Not to be missed.
Elizabeth Jordan UK