LB
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
wonderful experience during the holiday
we booked a 5 days Kenya safari via Khanga safari,and had a wonderful experience! Lawrence the coordinator was very professional,patient and cautious with our questions and provided the best price among all operators we had reached out to.Tom,our tour guide was always on time,friendly and very knowledgeable about the animals ,culture and parks.The jeep was in good shape and had no issue during the tour.
overall,we loved our holiday,the preparation as well as the coordination.We took so many photos and really enjoyed our time.thanks to Lawrence and Tom they are the best.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Swindled by this company--avoid!
I was slated to do a 4-day trip to Nogorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara with this company back in October 2015. A day after I made the payment in full ($410) via M-PESA, I was informed by a company representative that the safari was canceled because the company director (Kristen Hubert) had had a serious accident on her way to Diani. Completely understandable, and I asked them not to rush with my refund, given the circumstances involved.
Fast forward to November: the company director's husband (Georgette Hubert) gets in touch with me and tells me that he will make a refund ASAP. However, since November 19, I have heard nothing from him, in spite of several reminders. Since I did not wish to be insensitive, I was patient, realizing that there could have been medical complications associated with Kristen's accident. However, intriguingly, since then, the company has continued advertising for safaris on their Facebook page (since then taken down) and has actually organized safaris for clients, as vouched by one of their recent clients with whom I have been in touch. To me, this reeks of corruption and hints rather strongly that I have been swindled of my money, as they are quite obviously flat-out ignoring my emails and Facebook messages. Considering that we are now in April, I do not envision receiving my money back again. That being said, I wanted to post this cautionary message, so that other travelers are not swindled by this company.
Overall we are happy with the trip
Overall we are happy with the trip, it was exactly what we wanted. The program was excellent, the accommodation first rate and logistics handled seamlessly. there was a small issue with the transfers between 2 towns, but it was sorted out very quickly as soon as we pointed it out.
Camping in samburu
Mobile tent camping in the wild of the Samburu game reserves was an experience that we could not have had if we were safely packed into a permanent tent on a platform in a significantly expensive accommodation. Learning to use a bush shower and toilet was fun and adventurous.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
More than we expected
We were a group of 7 people and shared a common dream of visiting Africa. It came true recently when we made a trip to Northern Tanzania. We started with contacting several tour operators and finally zeroed in to Bright. From our first email exchange with them, we felt a positive vibe and hoped that we can partner with them. Msangi is the owner of the company and a wonderful person. He chalked out a initial draft of the itinerary and asked for our suggestions. We suggested few changes and he incorporated them all. Special mention should be made of Lake Natron. Lake Natron is an off beat attraction with no proper connectivity. Most of the tour operators were not ready to cover this place and discouraged us from going there. But Msangi readily agreed to it without a slight hesitation. This is what was really the deciding factor in the favour of Bright. And we are thankful that he agreed to take us here; for this place is really unique in its landscape and a different world compared to other parts of Tanzania. You can see Ol Doinyo Lengai (Mountain of God) - an active volcano on way to Lake Natron and drive through volcanic ash strewed paths. Feel free to call him up to discuss your plans as I did. Everything was arranged meticulously and per the plan agreed upon. We all flew in from different parts of the worlds and arrived in different times. Separate pickups were sent to the airport and one even at midnight. We visited Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Lake Natron NP, central and western Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The vehicle provided was in top shape, fitted with charging points and a minibar. The lodges we stayed were all very good and top quality. To be frank given our budget, we were overly surprised at the quality of the accommodation provided. And finally special mention must be made of Osman, our guide. You will be lucky to have him as your guide. He is a very pleasant person with a smile on his lips always. He is very knowledgeable about the wildlife and would patiently answer all our questions. He is a very good spotter and spotted a lioness on a tree top at Serengeti which just blew our minds off. He is also a good and safe driver as we came to know when we drove to Lake Natron. Overall, it was a wonderful trip, much beyond our expectations. Asante Sana Osman, Msangi and Bright African Safaris.
My Tanzania safaris
I travelled with my husband's parents, a total of 3of us, in October 2015. Our guide onema, drove us through Arusha, Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater over 6 unforgettable, wonderful days. I don't know why people focus so much on The Big Five, but we saw those and so very much more! We were so glad to have a guide who has an eye for the critters because we would not have known what to watch for in looking for the less common animals and we might otherwise not have spotted them. Rukia has a good eye for places to stay. My all time favorite place was maramboi Tented camp and I was so sad to leave after only one night there. Everyone at every location except The Rhino Lodge was exceptionally attentive, showered us with personal attention, and bent over backwards to make our trip as rewarding as possible. The only thing I wish were different is that, although the food was good in the evenings at all of our locations (some better than others!), we were served African food only a couple of times, and instead served a solid interpretation of Western food. Morning was always Western foods which was nicely done but forgettable. The worse food was the box lunches. Some research should be put into packable food items and suggestion of variety. Although we were hoping for more authentic dining options, I am aware it would be difficult for them to accomodate the variety of dietary restrictions they are presented with and still remain authentic. So in summary, we weren't there for the food, thus the food didn't effect my "take away" from the experience. I loved this trip and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates nature, wildlife, and who wishes to preserve memories of these animals while they are still around. Helpful information for travelers: Because so many are involved in the upkeep of each place, many working in the background, tips are given at the time of departure from each hotel/tent camp, including tips for meals, housekeeping, etc, you leave it in a designated box and the owners (or someone) distributes the total to all of the working staff.
NZ
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Madagascar Safari
organisation was excellent from the time we stepped off the plane in Johannesburg until we departed on our way home. Arrangements in Madagascar were everything that we could hope for with every little detail attended to by our wonderful tour guide,Anthony. This tour is more of an adventure trip and requires a certain amount of fitness but all aspects are adequately covered and at no time did we feel that we were not able to cope with the demands of the tour. Wildlife and scenery were spectacular and we were made to feel like family.
Maasi Mara safari
We had a great Safari and Paul (manager) did a good job in communicating via email to all my queries. I had to transfer 50% as a deposit which I was a bit afraid off, but it worked out okay. He was flex to our needs and was there at the appropriate times to pick us up.
Richard the driver guide was easy going and made sure we saw all the animals in the park.
Highlight of our trip to South Africa
After researching, for what seemed like forever, for safari options to take from our short stop in Johannesburg we opted for the three day Classic Kruger Park safari with Wildlife Safaris. I am glad to say it was the highlight of our holiday to South Africa. We had a small group and a fantastic tour guide, the wonderful Hoppy, which meant it was a very personalised experience and there was very little we didn't see. We saw all of the big five right up close and so many different animals and birds that we lost count! It also didn't feel rushed at all, despite the short timeframe. The booking process was very easy and the Wildlife Safaris team were always very prompt in replying to any queries I had. I would recommend them to anyone looking to go on a Kruger safari. I would also like to thank Hoppy for his vast knowledge on what seemed like absolutely everything and such a great experience!
Breathtaking, destination and an absolute awe-inspiring trip!
Fantastic place to spend ones time. Nature at its finest. Peaceful with the the potential to see animals in their natural environment. All the facilities at the camps where clean and the staff were friendly and professional.