50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding safari experience
Having never been on a safari I wasn’t sure what to expect. This trip exceeded all my hopes. Communication before the trip was excellent. We were picked up on time but our outstanding driver/guide. Accommodations were comfortable with good food.
The first day we were surrounded by nearly 50 elephants and I told our driver that he would not be able to top that in the remaining 4 days. He just smiled and said, “We will try!” Every day of the trip contained a wide variety of animals and each day had an amazing highlight (elephants, leopard and cheetah, a pool of 40 hippos, Wildebeest as far as you can see, mating lions). Our driver was full of interesting information about the animals we were seeing which added to the experience.
The only minor issue I had was the vehicle. We were in a Nissan truck and it seemed the Toyota Landcruisers were a bit more sturdy and therefore less bouncy.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Most Amazing Adventurous
We had the most amazing adventure in Uganda and I cannot speak highly enough about the flawless planning and execution by Freka African Holidays. They were SO easy to work with - and delivered us with a fantastic trip at an excellent value. The tour partners were knowledgeable and skilled at every stop, The resorts were spectacular and even the chartered flight personnel were attentive and excellent. We would love to go back and if we do, Strongly recommend Freka African holidays !!!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Avoid at all costs
Return customer & always recommended / sent customers here as service provided before was as expected but rapidly gone downhill ever since. Booked into a shoddy hotel last year during the Nairobi tour & charged at a more expensive rate than other similar agents in the area but because of my continued loyalty, I overlooked that & put the “way below par accommodation” down to experience and instead, complained to the hotel directly.
This year I was planning on booking my trips again with them starting with the Mombasa full dayer- again, more expensive than others but because I built a rapport from before I stuck with them. Paid for lunch in advance but on the day after the meal I was informed that even after a starter and a mere main with a few soft drinks I still had to pay half the bill !
Full day trip turned into a half day as halfway through, the guide informed me that he had to leave and that the company was aware of this the night before, leaving me driving around aimlessly round town minus a guide till I was back at the hotel which I could have done in a taxi for a fraction of the price.
The next day I thought it would be an easy resolve given my continuous loyalty to the company over the years and extra custom I had got them through other clients. A sheepish sorry was what I got- I thought I’d give them a break and not suggest a refund for half a service but instead just what I paid to the meal be took off my next trip which was a £1300 Maasai Mara trip- this was declined. I tried my best to make the agent Harrison realise that if I didn’t get the equivalent of £15 off that I would go elsewhere.
Subsequently after days and days of back and fourth messaging reminding me of how he couldn’t get it any less and that a sorry is all he could offer as that he would be doing it for free if he took that off with guarantees that I wouldn’t get it cheaper elsewhere, I decided I had listened to enough of this salesman pitch & took my business elsewhere- best thing I could ever have done. Ofcourse after going elsewhere the discount could now surprisingly be applied although by this time I had made my mind up,
The Mara Safari that he couldn’t take off £15 I now got £195 off and also made a hefty saving on the Nairobi trip but on this occasion was booked into a really nice hotel and comfortable car and made to feel like my custom was valued at the end.
I am fortunate that I return to kenya every year. I would hate to think that if I visited it just once, these customer service issues would be my lasting memory. Shop around if you want a better service, guaranteed customer service if issues come up and definitely more reasonable pricing.
Everything is good till a problem arises - clearly there is no procedure on how to resolve issues. Refreshers on customer service are urgently needed as running on luck & hoping that no problems will come up is just not good enough in an industry where competition is round every corner.
Being scared into thinking you are getting a good deal because they compare their prices to the ones in the hotel is just smoke & mirrors. Be smart
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Megan found us the perfect honeymoon safari experience
My wife and I spent a while doing research and talked to several groups to find the perfect balance of price, location, and luxury we were looking for on our 3 night safari as part of a honeymoon trip to South Africa. Megan Warrington and her team understood exactly what we were looking for and found the perfect option for us (Jock Safari Lodge) that we wouldn't have uncovered otherwise. Not only that, but Discover Africa was so easy to deal with, very responsive any time we had questions, and provided just the right amount of communication in the lead up to our trip.
Frankly, I didn't expect to enjoy the safari experience as much as I did. But it was incredible and now I'm trying to figure out a way to do it again. I'll certainly be contacting Megan and Discover Africa for their guidance next time as well.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Four-day packed full adventure
Fast, effective communications. Every promise fulfilled. The tent is a good size and the sleeping mats are comfortable. We were able to see four of the big five game animals. Most others I talked to only saw three. Additionally, we were able to see many more rare wild animals that I never expected to see! Laurian is a very experienced driver and animal spotter. His insight on each animal was very informative. Daniel is a great stomach engineer. He even went out of his way to serve us some of our favourite fruits. Would highly recommend.
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari in Kenya
We took 6 days safari + 1 day in Nairobi with Heritage of African Jungles. During this time we visited the Masai Mara, Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli national parks. We saw the most animals in Masai Mara. We are very pleased with our driver Francis. If we had to decide again, we would probably extend the safari by 1 day to be able to reduce the pace a little and enjoy the atmosphere of accommodation. During our trip it rained a lot, although it should have been a dry season, but the rains were mainly at night and did not bother, but the temperature was very nice (max 25 degrees, at night min. 17). If you would like to help local residents, try to do it wisely - handing out sweets through car windows teaches begging. Try to find a support organization operating in Kenya before going online, e.g. the Polish "They Have a Future" Foundation - ask them how you can help.
MX
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Escellent Safari with Gilmag Experts
Gilmag is a great company. We were impressed right from the start of planning the safari - the way inquiries were handled promptly was very impressive. We have nothing but high praise for Gilmag Safaris. Mary was so gracious and expertly positioned to handle all our queries. Our guide Gilbert was extremely knowledgeable. He took us to 4 parks and also cultural tour of Lake Eyasi. We are convinced we were provided with the best guide possible. Going on safari had been our dream for decades, and we are glad Gilmag Safaris made it a reality.
We stayed in both mid range and high end accommodation. Lake Burunge and Tanzania Bush Camps were our favourite. In overall, we had a high class safari at very affordable price. Gilmag Safaris is quality oriented and are good at what they do - delivering epic Authentic African Safari. I cannot recommend a better safari company to choose for your trip in Tanzania. Viva Gilmag Safaris.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Experience
My wife and I went for the 3D4N Serengeti and Ngorongoro safari with Suricata Safaris. It was a fabulous experience. We were picked up at the airport by Leonardi who was friendly also helped us get a local simcard in Arusha.
Our chauffer was Lewis and the chef was Dionis, both amazing chaps. Dionis is very funny and makes amazing food.
In Serengeti, we were able to see lions up close while eating a buffalo, and they passed right next to our jeep! We also saw a leopard, two cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, hippos and other smaller animals. We came back to comfortable tents. Ngorongoro too is very beautiful and it is much easier to spot animals here. We saw lions, buffalos, wildbeest, warthogs up close. We also saw elephants. Lewis was very patient for pictures.
All in all, I would recommend Suricata Safaris to everyone for an unforgettable experience!
RO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great tour operator. Exceeded my expectations!
I had a good communication with the manager, Isaac and a great time with our driver and guide, Anthony! The experience was great and the company is professional. We did not encounter any trouble with the lodging or local staff. Also got to spot lots of game, in the 4 parks we traveled! I warmly recommend this team and tour operator!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
There Was So Much We Loved About Our Trip!
Since returning home from our very first safari in Tanzania, we can’t stop reminiscing on all the breathtaking memories we had in the wild and are already thinking of our next trip back!
With 6 of us all together, mom and dad, 2 sons, and 2 daughters-in-law, on our first trip together in Tanzania, we felt so well taken care of by our excellent safari guides and at each of our accommodation sites.
Happy World Safaris took care of our every need so that we were able to enjoy our time together witnessing unforgettable moments with the Big 5 and many more. We were blown away each day and amazed at how each day seemed to top the day before.
Some of our treasured moments include viewing a gazelle giving birth and the baby calf’s first steps, lions lounging on tree branches, vultures and jackals flocking in and competing over a fresh kill after a cheetah wrapped up its meal, a water hole viewing that started out with 2 elephants splashing in the water, then 2 zebras taking a drink, and then an endless herd of wildebeests appearing out of nowhere and taking over the water hole! What a treat to capture it all on video and pictures to relive and share with our family and friends!
Being there during the end of December 2019 also gave us precious viewings of the young, including lion cubs, leopard cubs, zebras, elephants, hippos, wildebeests, warthogs and so much more!
Thank you Joseph for setting up the trip and we also can’t say enough wonderful things about our guide Zebe! He shared with us his extensive knowledge of the animals, enthusiasm for the experience, and stories of his favorite safari moments. By the end of the trip Zebe had become like part of our family. He was such a big part of what made our trip a trip of a lifetime.
Thank you so much Happy World Safaris. We can’t wait to return. Asante sana!