20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Flying Safari with Gorillas and Big Game - Wow!
My partner and I traveled to Uganda primarily to see the mountain gorillas in Bwindi. The safari that was put together for us by Experience Uganda was perfect, Kevin was very quick to respond to our enquiry and was very professional in addressing our questions and concerns. It was clear for us that Kevin had a wealth of knowledge about Uganda and his recommendations turned out to be brilliant. For example taking breakfast in 'the bush' on our final morning!
All aspects of the safari went very smoothly and we really enjoyed meeting Kevin and Leslie and their friendly team at their hotel in Entebbe on our first night. It put our minds at rest and from that moment on we relaxed and enjoyed a wonderful and exciting safari. The gorillas were simply incredible, the lodges and food were of very high quality and the professionalism of everyone we met was not to be faulted!
We highly recommend Experience Uganda and we are already planning a return visit with friends of ours in the near future!
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Neil is awesome
With our group of volunteers, we had a great time with Neil (the tour operator). Every day there was a splendid breakfast, perfect to start the (early) morning! At first safari seemed boring, because we were very unlucky in finding the big 5, but Neil knows so much about nature, about birds and of course about the big five. I would even go back, just for his hippo imitation, so funny! I would definitely recommend Jewel of Africa Safaris to all of my friends!
OM
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing wildlife safari experience! :D
I booked a 3-day group joining safari. It was really fun though very short. I would love to go back to Kenya and see more animals!
We stayed at Lenchada Camp, not bad for a budget accommodation. Lights out at 10PM, lights on at 5:30AM. They serve mostly vegan food in the buffet, but it's always good to mention your dietary preference.
I do recommend Karibu Safaris. Communication is excellent. If you just want to see wildlife and not looking for something luxurious, book here. This is the cheapest price I found on the internet. The people I was with booked from different operators, so just remind the driver what's included in the price.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable Safari in Rwanda
I booked a 7-Day tour of Rwanda with International Golden Tours and Travel Agency. Frank contacted me with additional information and the booking process was fairly straightforward. The proposed itinerary included trips to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, the Volcano National Park, a Gorillas safari, a trek up to the Bisoke Crater Lake at 3,711 m, as well as a hike in the Nyungue Forest Park and its Canopy. I loved it! Rwanda offers a great diversity of landscapes from breathtaking hills and valleys to stunningly beautiful lakes and dense forests. This involved traveling from the center of the country all the way north and then all the way south. Thanks to Frank's great logistical arrangements, the trip went without a hitch. It was very comfortable with great guides and security arrangements. Overall, I was very impressed with the organization of International Golden Tours and Travel Agency and very happy with my trip. I highly recommend this tour to anyone considering a safari in Rwanda.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful and very helpful!
It was very easy to book through KrugerPark, the person we dealt with was amazingly helpful and made the whole process very pleasing...
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible!!!
I chose to do my Kilimanjaro climb with Nyange Adventures, as when I arrived in Moshi they were the company that everyone was talking about and happy to recommend. I met a few people who had done climbs, safaris, and day trips with them, and every one of them had a million great things to say about them... and now I know why! From the moment I walked into the office I was greeted by Praise and his team, no hard sell, no pressure to book with them. They simply guided me through what they could do for me and gave me a great price too. They were very informative and had answers to all of my questions. I needed equipment hire from them, and the gear they provided was first class. Praise always says, "come as a client, leave as a friend", and that is so true. Their customer service is very professional and I really felt like they did everything they could to make sure my climb was perfect.
On the climb itself, I honestly can't think of a single way to improve it. My guide, Davis, was a true gentleman with perfect English, endless amounts of knowledge, and he was great fun to be around. On the first day he gauged well the fitness of everyone in our group of 6, and was able to support us and advise us perfectly. I have a real problem with my lower back, and Davis was experienced and willing with some basic physio that really helped. The food was something I was worried about, as I didn't want to go hungry on the mountain. I couldn't have been more wrong! The food is in huge quantities and was absolutely delicious! I reckon it was as good as any meal I had in Moshi itself. The chef was the happiest person on the mountain, who obviously enjoyed his job and took great pride in the food he produced. The team of porters that Nyange employs were honestly amazing. They were diligent, friendly, and always smiling. Even with the language barrier we were able to develop relationships with them, and were warmly welcomed to each camp as we arrived, all ready for us. Tents are pitched, hot tea is waiting, and food is on the stove. Perfect! The tents, sleeping bags etc are really warm, clean, and in great condition. Each and every morning I was woken with a cup of coffee, a huge bowl of hot water for "washy washy", friendly smiling faces and a team that really made every effort to make sure we enjoyed our climb. Summit night was especially tough, and I know for sure it would have been a lot tougher without the positive attitude of Davis. He is obviously heavily experienced and with his words and encouragement made us feel that we could climb Everest! Like I said, there is no way I can give a single negative about the whole experience. 100%!!!
Knowing that the company I chose was ethical, and paid and treated their staff properly was very important to me. Having spoken to Nyange's team, and heard just how much they respect and love working for Praise, I know that I found a company that does all of these things. Even when we got back to Moshi we went out for a drink with Praise, and everyone knows him, comes over to say hello, and have a great deal of time for him. I even learned that for every safari and Kilimanjaro climb he does, he donates a percentage of the profit to a local old folks home. Amazing!
I enjoyed my climb so much I booked a safari with Nyange too. Just like my climb, it was perfect. Professional, relaxed, knowledgeable guides, great price, and a first class vehicle. My guide, Moses, had an answer to every question we had, and even though he had been a safari drive for 20 years, enjoyed the weekend almost as much as we did. He was a man who is proud of his country, and was so happy to share it with us.
All in all, I can't recommend Nyange enough. I have had some very bad experiences in the past with other companies, and some very average ones. In my years of travel I had come to expect average service, but Nyange have changed that. I thought I'd leave Tanzania with unforgettable memories of animals and the mountain, which I have... but what I really left with was unforgettable memories of the people, and Praise and his team are those people. Thank you again guys, for making my time in Tanzania perfect!!!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gap year in Uganda is so amazing
To really grasp the joy of a gap year ,you need more time and money. As ladies in our early-middle twenties; this was far much enjoyable. We took off this time because we wanted to explore what the world has to offer and us ,being biologists. I think it made sense to visit Uganda which is commonly referred to as the pearl of Africa. It was great joy for us for all the experience. The country is so much enriched that it would take us years to truly understand its nature and wildlife. We were thrilled with the gorillas and how to react around people. This was more than biology coming to life. what more shall I say? Thank you gorilla tour booking safaris for being organized, I enjoyed our Guide, Mr. Francis, especially when on the 7-day of our trip to Uganda.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Totally unforgettable experience on Mount Meru!
We had heard of Active Tanzania from some friends who had booked a tour with them several years ago when they were much smaller in size. We found the information, service, helpfulness and general friendliness during the inquiry and booking process totally amazing and 120% satisfactory. They even helped us find a certain hotel in Zanzibar and managed the booking for us and their recommendation of a hotel in Arusha was super as well. Payment was easy as well and when we got there they picked us up from the Arusha bus station, checked our gear and briefed us and then made the four-day trip up and down Mt. Meru a totally unforgettable experience. We were so impressed with the way the tables were set for meals, the high standard of the food considering the guys had to carry every single thing up the mountain... Our guide Stanley was outstanding in his knowledge about the area, his friendliness and easy-going personality made the whole trip such a joy and even when physical fatigue and pain wanted me to quit he encouraged me and was patient enough to climb up the summit with me very slowly.
We would do a tour with Active Tanzania again any time and can only recommend them highly! Well done, guys!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful
I hired this company on October 2015 while I was working in Rwanda to do gorilla trekking in the Virunga Mountains. Reginal (the owner of the company) and his driver were very punctual when picking is up at our hotel. They drove us up to buy our permits and then to the mountain where our journey to see the Silverback gorillas began. We did not bring gloves, so Reginal let us borrow for free, which was a blessing. To prevent our cameras from getting damaged by the rain, they let us use their digital camera for free and later emailed us the pictures. After the trek was over they were waiting for us to take us to a small market where we picked up our trekking certificates. We shopped around and they patiently waited for us to finish. Then they took us back to our hotel. They were very nice and professional during the whole trip. I liked this company so much that 2 weeks later I hired them again, this time to go see the Golden Monkeys. Reginal went with us on this tour and was our personal photographer. We had a lot of fun with them. I stronly recommend Rwanda Eco Company and would definitely hire them again.