EG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience
this was my first safari, I can say nothing during the trip made me uncomfortable, I had a great time and met new people and made friends.
everything was well organized from arrival till departure, Sami the driver was very nice, also the hotel I stayed in before the safari was good and the staff as well.
The safari as whole was a great experience, John the driver was very good he showed us every saying and he was so helpful and even helped me to make a call to Cairo as I didn't have a mobile SIM, it was very nice of him.
the only negative thing I can say was switching the van because John had to take other customers to Massi Mara on our way to Nakuru with no heads-up, the van we switched to was a seat less so 3 people was crammed in the back seat and it was not comfortable.
except for that, I believe Karibu provided an excellent service!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
If you want a budget safari, this is definitely a budget safari.
Tour itinerary looked great and Cate was very friendly, but she neglected to tell us that the total payment for the tour was due on Day 1. This resulted in some scrambling to withdraw cash from an ATM but we were limited by ATM withdrawal limits. There was no option to pay online with paypal or with credit card! Finally at the end of the tour Cate had told or driver a different amount than what I truly owed (a $10 USD difference) and also told the driver that was should pay him extra for dropping us off where we were staying in Nairobi even though this was included on the itinerary (in addition to a regular tip).
Our itinerary told us to be picked up at George's Cafe at noon, by 12:30 we were still waiting and called Cate. Cate had apparently (forgotten?!) to call a driver and our driver finally showed up at 2:00pm with no clue about what our itinerary was. To his credit, he was able to take one look at our itinerary and then figure out what hotels he wanted to take us to. There were a lot of extra costs that were not described in the itinerary unfortunately. I ultimately didn't mind paying, but if a boat ride was listed on the itinerary I would have appreciated knowing that it would cost me $100 in cash. While the extra expenses were no big deal, a heads up would have been nice, unexpected expenses can be frustrating.
Our tour driver, Johnny, was friendly but apparently lies to KWS to try and get resident rates for non-residents (this was from a story he told us making fun of the stupid white people who "forgot" they were supposed to be going by fake names). This was disheartening to hear about because this is a big loss of money to wildlife conservation. I'm a resident and my traveling partner was not and luckily Johnny did not try to lie to get resident rates for her. It was a slightly odd interaction.
The hotels we stayed in were clean with excellent food but no hot water in any of them unfortunately. Johnny seemed to have a poor understanding of when meal times should be and how often people need to eat because lunch was at 4pm on Day 2 (he seemed to think we could skip it?!). He also tried to skip lunch on another day right before a long hike (who skips lunch before a long hike?!). He often told us dinner couldn't be ordered before 7:30 (resulting in multiple meals at 8:30 PM!) but the kitchens seemed to be open and working as early as 6 because there was always waitstaff ready to take our order when we arrived. He also often ate with us, which I normally wouldn't mind, but he would order too much food for us (even when we told him we couldn't eat that much) and then guilt us with cultural values if we didn't clean our plates. He subsequently also couldn't clean his plate, but would then offer up some excuse about the food being bad. Overall a bit odd.
Johnny was also getting a bit old and in failing health (coughing and wheezing which made us a bit uncomfortable) and it was clear by his driving sometimes that his eyesight is no longer the greatest. There were a few speed bumps he missed slowing down for and game driving in parks is not his forte! I spotted the rhinos and lions we saw and he stopped at a buffalo once thinking it was a rhino. He also bragged that he would find us a leopard but never did. (I've seen leopards before but the boasting was strange). In general our driver was friendly, but nothing like the kind of service I've had on other budget safaris.
We stopped at multiple curio shops and they are usually expensive, but I've never had someone try to sell me a shuka (usually cost 600ksh and never worth more than 700ksh) for 4,000ksh. I was surprised that knowing that I'm a Kenyan resident Johnny would still try and take us to a place this ridiculously expensive. After they tried to scam us once Johnny actually took us there a second time. (???). He also added in a random stop at a girl scout memorial for people that I know nothing about and the man there asked for donations of any size so I at least thought offer 100ksh but he then turned around and said that wasn't enough. Was getting a bit sick of Johnny taking us to people who were just going to ask us for too much money. Especially since we told him that were not interesting in gift shopping as we were planning on doing that in Nairobi.
The itinerary was great, but at the end of the trip I wouldn't recommend trying to cram as much as we did into one week. Spend at least two nights at every location so that you get a full day at each. Cate added a few extra things to my itinerary beyond what I requested and I trusted her to know what would make a good trip but now I wish I'd asked to cut some of those extra locations.
Good things: Because it was budget we ate a lot of ugali and nyama choma which I love. Food was always delicious. Parks themselves were beautiful and wonderful.
TL;DR: The organization and communication was poor. Driver friendly but not very skilled and in bad health/bad eyesight. Would not recommend. You can find better budget safaris than this, or just rent a car and do it yourself.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing Kili climb - highly recommend EAV
The team were great, from our guide to the chef to the porters. They always went out of their way to help us and we're smiling, patient and kind. It was the little things on EAV that made a difference - hot lunch every day, always eating in a tent, hot water to wash, and our own toilet. Seeing other groups looking miserable without these things made us appreciate EAV even more. We had a smoother climb with longer to acclimatise because EAV was so organised. We also saw other tour groups risking people's safety; this was absolutely not our experience with EAV. We were recommended them by a friend and I couldn't speak more highly of them. Really honestly, go with EAV.
UA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Best Family Safari with Bison Safaris
Amazing safari it was -easy to book as Maggie was really helpful. Took care of our dietary needs . Great Safari driver we had ,James was exceptional. We cant thank Bison Safaris enough for an amazing experience. We highly recommend Bison safaris to travelers .
OM
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Highly Recommended
Thanks for giving us valuable opportunity to explore Kenyan game parks i.e. Massaimara, Lake nakuru & Amboseli with an amazing skilled driver. We enjoyed a lot than we expected. We were taken care very well until we finished the journey. Special thank should goes to our Driver James who put full efforts to show us unforgettable sceneries. Finally I highly recommend Adventure Africa Expedition for those who have idea to visit Kenya.
PK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent!
The trip was very well planned accommodation comfortable. Food is great. The driver/guide is experienced and knows every part of the park.
Overall amazing experience and recommended!!
DE
Very nice Country! Good Tours!
We decided to do the Maranatha Tours and it was not a wrong decision. They have shown us the country from all sides an espacially the animals are wonderfull. Very good drivers and friendly people. We will come back again!
Thank you
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely lovely & memorable time in Uganda
It is hard to express how wonderful Paul is, but I will do my best. He is such an incredible guide, and made each day of our trip unique and special.
We started our trip in Entebbe, and from there traveled to Lake Mburo National Park, filled with zebras, giraffes, warthogs, impala, monkeys, cape buffalo, waterbucks and one lonely lion (among many more). From Lake Mburo, we traveled to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest - the highlight of our trip. We trekked for two different days and met two different families of mountain gorillas. Though the trekking was physically intense, to be in such close proximity with the wild gorillas was such a humbling and magnificent experience. We also spent time in the village with the wonderful people of Bwindi, which was equally humbling and wonderful. The Ugandan people that we interacted with were kind, happy and gracious.
From Bwindi, we traveled to Murchison Falls National Park, which was another highlight. Paul took us on several safaris, where he pointed out leopards, lions, hyenas, giraffes, elephants, many different kinds of birds and many other kinds of animals. Paul has a depth of knowledge to point out the hundreds of different varieties of wildlife we saw, and also has an eagle-eye to spot them.
Our time in Uganda was truly special, and we cannot thank Paul enough for sharing his country with us. His kindness, generosity, excellent driving skills, friendly laugh and welcoming nature made our trip one that we will never forget. We cannot wait to return!
US
Excellent safari!!!
A fantastic trip all together! I contacted several tour agencies and i choose Safarihub as they were very helpful and flexible when it came to organising the trip. They were very prompt in answering all my questions which was very important as i was planning the trip in a hurry. During our trip the driver Mau was an excellent guide sharing all his knowledge of the parks, animals, plants and birds through out the trip. He was very respectful of the animals and at the same time made alot of effort to find all the animals we wanted to see.
We were lucky enough to see the big five, leopards, cheetahs, ostriches, crocodiles, jackals, jackals, gazelle, giraffes and many more and alot of it is due to the effort put in by Mau.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Liars, cheaters, scammers
I booked with this company in December 2015 for a safari in March 2016. I was required to wire over $4,000USD to reserve my safari. After doing so, I noticed a few bad reviews so I contacted them about a partial refund if I changed my mind. The refund policy was provided at the time of deposit allowing for cancellations on a tiered level. I then booked with another well-known company and proceeded to request my deposit money from Tembea. They stalled for many months consistently telling me that they would send a refund April 2016. With lies and excuses it was then promised at the latest November 2016. I went on my other safari in March, as planned, and could see evidence of disreputable companies waiting at the reserve gates or being denied entry and realized I had made a better choice on my second try. I have to date received nothing from Tembea but excuses and promises never kept. At this point I have realized I have lost my deposit completely. Choose another company. Very unscrupulous vendor.