US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Service & Unforgettable Experience
This was my third trip to Kenya, but my first safari and visit to Coast. We went with The Holiday Dealers (THD) for our group of five because they were highly recommended by a friend and they certainly did not disappoint. David's service was amazing each step of the way, from initial discussions to handling issues during the trip (due to hotel staff, not THD). There can be some delay with emails so we found it best to use WhatsApp and its voice calling feature to communicate. The recommendations he provided proved very appropriate and everything was as described or better (imagine that!). All of our transportation arrived on time and the drivers were friendly and listened to our questions/input. That is HUGE when traveling internationally. This was probably the best trip experience my wife and I have ever had, and we've traveled to quite a few destinations, and a lot of that has to do with the personnel and recommendations provided by THD. I will definitely use David and THD again when booking our next excursion in Kenya and would highly recommend them to anyone who asks.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A safe, memorable and thoroughly enjoyable trip!
I was looking for a reliable and knowledgeable tour leader to take a small group of 6 people on a safari tour and Andrew was extremely good in both these areas. He was able to facilitate a fun, informative, and safe tour and we had a fantastic time, thanks Andrew!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Trip of a Lifetime!!
Our trip was with our adult son and daughter-in-law, celebrating her PhD in Psychology - something we had long been anticipating - and Augustine and his team did not disappoint.
We arrived in Arusha very late at night - my only change would have been to have scheduled one additional day at the hotel in Arusha. While Arusha itself is not a wonderful destination, we started out our first morning more tired than we would have liked to have been to begin such a one-in-a-lifetime trip. Our hotel, the Kibo Palace, was very comfortable with a nice restaurant and pool, so it would have been nice to have had a leisurely day there before we started. However, Augustine had nothing to do with this planning - my fault! Just be aware, if you are planning something similar!
Our first camp was the Maramboi Tented Camp in the Tarangire National Park. There were some animals relatively close to the camp so a thrill right away! On our game drives through the park we saw a lot of bird life, wildebeests, and a small herd of elephants. Tanzania is having a drought so Lake Tarangire is very low and the normal flamingo life there is much less than usual - but still impressive. Augustine also arranged a walk with a Masai tribesman that afternoon, so very interesting to hear about his life and culture. The Maramboi Tented Camp was very nice - nothing luxurious, but a good spot for our first safari camp - we felt like we were in Africa and not in a hotel. Beds were comfortable and food was good! Nothing not to like!
We spent two very nice nights at Tarangire - lots of animal sightings and information from Augustine and Casey, our driver. Our next stop was the Tloma Mountain Lodge at Manyara National Park. The area was more lush and green than Tarangire and there is an area where they grow coffee on the grounds of the Lodge. In the park, in addition to the "usual" animals - zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, and warthogs, a sighting highlight was a hippo pod with many hippos lazing in the sun. We enjoyed a massage at the Lodge while we were there, also! The rooms at the Lodge were also very comfortable, and food was very good.
After two nights in Manyara our next stop was the Ngrongoro Crater and the Sopa Lodge. The landscape was again different than our other two stops and the Lodge was lovely. On one of our game drives we saw a rhino and baby - quite a distance away, but a thrill to see one of these elusive creatures! In general, much animal life in the crater! We also spent some time with a small Masai village in the crater learning about their lives and culture. Sopa Lodge was a lovely place to stay - great views of the crater and excellent food.
Two nights in Ngrongoro and off to the Serengeti! On our way there we stopped at the Oldavai Gorge, where the Leaky's discovered many relics of early human life - fascinating! Our first night in the Serengeti was at the Seronera Lodge - lovely setting and dinner there, but our last two nights were at our favorite camp - the Bologonja Undercanvas. Some people may have felt this setting was too rustic and not enjoyed it, but the four of us loved it! No wifi, no TV - other than "Bush TV" - a campfire before dinner, but comfortable tents and beds with ensuite bathrooms and very good food! There are only ten tents so a small group and very international - some Canadians and Italians were there when we were there. My wish was to see the Great Migration so our first full morning there we headed out to the Mara River to see if we could see the Wildebeests attempting to cross. Thank goodness for Augustine and Casey's expertise - we didn't see the hundreds of thousands cross the river en masse, but we did see several hundred of them make the crossing, after finding just the right spot and lots of patience!
Our last morning we made a flight back to Arusha, went to the Shanga River House for lunch - an interesting tour there, seeing how disabled people are trained to make lovely beads and other local products out of recycled bottles and glasses. We also had a delicious lunch there!
We were scheduled to go to a hotel close to the airport in the afternoon before our flights home - but we realized the ticket we had purchased for our son and daughter-in-law on Kenya Airways would not be valid due to a change in my credit card due to fraudulent activity on the card. Augustine took us to the downtown office for Kenya Air and took several hours of his time to help us get the situation resolved so they could fly out that evening.
All-in-all, Augustine was most professional and attentive during our ten days in Tanzania. Everything was stress free - at least for us! Both Augustine and Casey were excellent guides with much knowledge about everything having to do with Tanzania - wildlife, plant life, culture, etc. I would not hesitate to recommend Augustine's Adventure Africa to anyone wanting to plan a safari to Tanzania!
A great tour seeing some amazing countries with wonderful scenery and wildlife
The pre-tour comms were great; the tour lived up to expectations
NL
Best birdguide ever and very friendly person, who want to make your trip unforgetable
Frank is a very friendly guide who arranged your trip from beginning to the end perfectly. You can ask him everything you want what you prefer to see in Uganda and he will arranged it. He knows everything about his country, all about nature, very excelent bird-guiding, but also he likes to invite you by the local people. And yes that makes your roundtrip special. Because Uganda people are very friendly. All together makes Frank proud of his beautifull country. So i recommend Frank to all of you who is interesting in making a roundtrip through Uganda (or/and Rwanda) Safari Njema=goede reis.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant!
From "Hello" to "Goodbye" Makasa Safaris provided excellent and professional service in planning and facilitating our safari. We worked with Selma to plan a 3 day trip on rather short notice. Communication was easy and thorough. Selma gave several options at various price points, never rushed us, and was always willing to answer our questions. This was our first trip to Tanzania so it was especially nice to have someone at the other end who fully understood our concerns and interests. Our guide, Tom, was the best - super fun, accommodating and knowledgeable. He was committed to our boys who wanted to see the Big 5 and take pictures of every bird. You will be within feet of lions, elephants, zebras. Your camera will capture amazing memories of giraffes, rhinos, and birds! We learned so much about the animals and habitat from Tom. He also helped us understand the culture, geography, economy and government of this beautiful country. Our accommodations were lovely - perfect for relaxing and replenishing at the end of the day. There are so many safari operators to choose from (I know, I researched them), but you need look no further. Watching how we were treated and how Tom managed the safari compared to others we saw, we know we found the jewel and give our highest recommendation for Makasa. Competitive price, above and beyond service, and an experience we will enjoy forever.
NZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Shuttle Service out There!
We have used Pro Shuttle many times, often with last minute bookings and they have come to the rescue every time! Very reliable and friendly! Honestly the best service available out there! I can highly recommend them and we will be using them again for our tour to Cape Town next year.
BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great !
Frank is a great guy and an excellent guide ! Always laughing, always in a good mood, very knowledgeable and willing to go that extra mile for his customers ! Couldn't have wished for a better person to show me the wonderful country Uganda is.
IL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
krugerpark s.africa with viva safaris
great-great-great
all the package was corect, with great places to stey , good food , excellent guides and with a lot of patiesnt
JP
Great support
Although we ended up joining tours included in our hotel, Patrick helped us a lot coordinate our plan during our stay. He was very helpful and I would definitely ask him for the next visit.