US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Had the most amazing time of my life with Odyssey!!!!
I bought a Groupon to go on the Kenya Safari with Odyssey and it did not disappoint, in fact, exceeded my expectations! The tour guides were wonderful- accommodating and very knowledgeable. The hotels were all wonderful- in great locations, great staff, great food, clean. We saw every animal we could possibly want to see. The guides would coordinate with each other to find as many different animals to show us. We even saw a leopard hunt and kill a gazelle right in front of our eyes! They seemed to know all the good places to find the different animals, even the ones that are elusive (like leopards and cheetahs). We saw everything way up close, some only 5-10 feet away from our car. It was unbelievable!!! This was a once in a lifetime experience, and I would have no hesitations in recommending Odyssey. They just went above and beyond!
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Accurate, friendly, skilled; definitely value for money.
Swift and accurate answers to questions during preparation-phase, friendly and skilled staff and personnel, adequate facilities, good driver/guide, nice cook, good program with adequate adaptation, first two days all by ourselves and thereafter nice companions. Guide responded patiently to our answers and wishes, never impatient or in a hurry. Succeeded in showing us the big, the small and the ugly five.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Probably the best 3-day Kruger Safari available on SafariBookings
Broadly, the Safari was as described on the website. Minor adjustments here and there based on weather/availability etc. Adrian is a terrific guide who's extremely knowledgeable and is also a good cook. Lungisani and Benjamin were also really helpful. Lungisani is pretty good at spotting animals from a moving car. We were able to view the Big 5 (leopard on the night drive conducted by Kruger) as well as many other prominent fauna in the park. All in all, it was a great experience.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly and professional staff + enjoyable safari
We had four different tours with Mr. Shabani:
1) the 5-day safari visiting Lake Manyara / Serengeti / Tarangire/ Ngorongoro Crater (we also saw rhino),
2) half-day walking tour of Arusha city (main market and famous landmarks),
3) 1-day tour of Kilimanjaro without hiking (banana and coffee plantation, cave and waterfall) and
4) 1-day hiking tour of Arusha surrounding (visiting locals and their real life, banana and coffee plantation, waterfall).
They all went very well and we enjoyed them very much. Mr. Shabani and his personnel (the guides, the driver and the cook) were very friendly and professional. The price was very attractive with the service that we received. We definitely meet them again, if we come to Arusha.
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
just... fantastic!:)
The company answers emails very fast. Prices are really competitive in comparison to other safari companies. We were supposed to start our 3 day safari on 12th of January morning but due to flight cancellation we arrived in the afternoon. We were afraid that we would miss the safari but the company agreed to move the first day of our safari to 13th without additional cost - they were really understanding and flexible. That was very kind! The stuff was really nice - driver/guide sees everything (this is important during safari - if you are not experienced you don't know where to search for animals and you may miss lions lying on the trees, etc;))) and provided a lot of interesting information about the wildlife and the cook was sooooo nice (and the food he was preparing for us was delicious!!) This company is highly recommended! I would go with them again:)
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7 great days with our guide Charles in North Tanzania!
Be booked a 6 night/7 days safari (Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorogoro Lake Eyasi visiting Hadza Tribe) with ISIA. We choose them from Arusha based companies because of their quick and detailed communications upfront and their offer was good.
We loved our trip and Charles was a great guide. He knows a lot, sees a lot, clearly loves nature and wildlife and is a cheerful heartily guy and a very good driver. We felt very well and save the whole time with him. The safari travel plan was a very good choice for us and ISIA did a good job in organization, everything worked quite well. We were happy with the camps we chose from a list of options we got from ISIA, especially loved Kati Kati and Maramboi.
We couldn't do our booked walking tour due to weather conditions. So I asked ISIA to refunded the amount and they did after our return home promptly.
So overall we had a great experience and really loved it!
But we have to confirm what several other guests already reported here and on tripadvisor:
Our car was quite run down. In fact all the others we saw on our trip looked newer. Our guide managed problems with the car very well so we barely lost time while he had to fix things (except day one when we had to wait for almost 2 hours for a new car at the supermarket before even leaving Arusha). We are aware that car break downs are quite usual with this road conditions and its somehow even part of the adventure but we would really appreciate if ISIA get new ones to allow the guides to focus 100% on other things and give the guest a bit more comfort. Headrests and working safety belts should be mandatory.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Really Enjoyed Safari with Bush 2 City
Had a great experience with them. Ali, our guide, went above and beyond a number of times. The airline lost the luggage for multiple people in our group, and without our guide and Bush 2 City we would have had a tough time getting it back. They contacted the airline, and hand delivered all of their luggage while we were in the middle of our safari. We didn't miss a minute of our awesome safari because of it.
We also got to see some amazing animals throughout the week, and they accommodated our requests to search for specific animals. We got extremely close to many lions, and even saw a recent kill. Overall great experience and the lodges we stayed at were great as well.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An eventful Safari
We enjoyed a wonderful Safari. The extraordinary service started with a small welcome-present at the airport. The service included many on time transports, everything was clearly arranged. If we had a problem, our coordinator helped us to clear and solve it.
We also had a lot of fun with our Safari driver. This guy had bride spread knowledge of wildlife in the natural parks and he told us a lot in well understanding English. It was amazing when he spotted animals when we even didn´t expect, that there could be anything. He really cared that we enjoyed the trip without worrying about any problems and that for he showed a remarkable ability of dealing with unwelcome problems.
Ever of this few unwelcome problems were caused of the safari-car. This was neither the fault of our guide nor of somebody else, but everything could be fixed usually quickly and creatively.
Except of the car everything was satisfactorily and we could enjoy a great time in the natural parks. The company convinced especially with unique care and service. We really can recommend them.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memories for a lifetime
We stumbled across Chris and The Safari Partners during an internet search. We had been in contact with two US-based tour operators and had been disappointed in their proposals so we broadened our search. Reading the other reviews on this site prompted us to reach out to Chris and the rest is history. He listened very closely to our wish list and took the time to understand the type of experience we wanted. The result was pure magic.
Our trip consisted of 3 safari camps in Tanzania and mountain gorillas in Rwanda. The safari camps were Asilia properties and I cannot say enough about this wonderful company. Each property is totally different. The Highlands, with its futuristic domes, is high up and has amazing views. The accommodations were superb as were the food and staff. Ubuntu, a mobile camp, is homey and comfortable; it's incredible how they operate at such a high standard in the middle of the Serengeti. Finally, the all-women Dunia camp is charming and cozy. Leaving each camp was like leaving family and friends. Asilia must be commended for its high standards, excellent staff and community development.
Of course, our main purpose was to see wildlife and, in that regard, our expectations were met a thousand times over. The guides in each camp were wonderful, very knowledgeable, passionate about their work and eager to please. They know the territory like the back of their hands and are expert at spotting wildlife in the most obscure places. We were blessed to see a wildebeest giving birth, lions mating and countless other slice of life moments on our numerous game drives.
To top off an incredible safari experience, we took a sunrise hot air balloon ride. The Serengeti Balloon company is a top-notch professional outfit. The operation is run like clockwork and the result is a magnificent overview of an beautiful landscape filled with wildlife, and followed by a hearty champagne breakfast.
The final leg of our trip was Rwanda to visit the mountain gorillas. We spent a night in Kigali and visited the Genocide Museum. Although a difficult series of exhibits, it is a must-see. Then on to the mountains. Our accommodations here were so-so but they were incidental to our reason for being there. The purpose was to trek up the mountain and spend an hour with the mountain gorillas. At times, the climb was tough as we were slogging through dense jungle but our guide and the porters were skilled and patient in getting us there in one piece. Our family was the Hirwa (or Lucky) group. The huge silverback sat calmly as we entered his domain and allowed us to enjoy his rambunctious family. A female with 7-month-old infant also let us observe her mothering skills while several juveniles played on the ground and in nearby trees. An hour passed by in a blink and then we had to leave this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I would highly recommend Chris and The Safari Partners. This was a bucket list trip and the memories will last a lifetime.
KR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Mara Safari Experience
I enjoyed the Masai Village visit .
overall i can say my safari was excellent .
Maggie is super in her work .