BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
unforgettable & incredible experience
Hi
i spent 10 days in safari trips with my best friend and it was my first time in green Uganda.
Our guide was very competent and took time to explain us everything , stop in beautiful places during the road for pictures (we r photographers) and make a perfect logistic time in bookings tickets for parks/bookings and managing the time schedule to maximize in the best our vacations.the safari itself was an unique experience in 2 naturals parks (Murchison falls and park Elizabeth) with the gorillas trekking.I could not imagine better vacations without Twaha (our guide).We felt happy and very satisfied from this amazing African vacations and from the best service we got from Wild Jungle Trails.fair prices and best services.we could not expect more.
Anysia Spivak
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Magnificent! Educational and exciting.
Nicholas was great in organizing our 4-day tour in Rwanda. I highly recommend The Flame Tree in Kigali for a quick overnight beforehand. Eric and Enos were guides for our 10 person group of friends, and we can't over stress how fabulous and well-informed they both are. Rwanda is beautiful and at present a shining example of a nation prospering under good leadership. There is not a scrap of litter on any street or property, and the whole country seems to be under cultivation. The concept of National forgiveness in the wake of the genocide is something to behold. The Gorilla View Lodge in Volcanoes Natl. Park is outstanding in all ways. We loved the staff and grounds where birding was exceptional. Bravo Gorilla Trek Africa!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Adventure of a Life Time!!!
My husband and I traveled to Tanzania from New York for a 4 day 3 night tenting safari (Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater) with Focus in Africa for our honeymoon!! Prior to arriving, we were comforted having several email conversations with Nelson. We flew Turkish airlines (which was great) but unfortunately missed our connecting flight to Kilimanjaro and had to spend the night in Istanbul, Turkey. ****TIP-- make sure you have a few hours between connecting flights. Each country has specific international protocol and it takes time!!
As soon as we were able, we email Nelson to inform him of our delay and that we would not arrive to Kilimanjaro until the next night -1am! We were very concerned that he would not see this and that our pick up would be waiting for us- but he responded back within the hour and said we would be all set the next night. This was a relief. Luckily, we had a day in between when were to start our safari for situations just like this happening**** TIP- plan to have that extra day!
When we arrived to Kilimanjaro airport our pick up was waiting with a sign with my name on it. He drove us about (1hour) to the Outpost Lodge ( this stay was included with the safari). The Lodge was perfect and we were able to get a few hours of sleep before meeting up with our safari guide- Beno.
Beno was amazing! Right away we felt at ease with his caring personality. We were extremely excited to start our adventure and loved that Beno thoroughly communicate what to expect each step of the way. We arrived in Arusha Town to meet with Nelson. We met at a coffee shop and he went over what to expect over the next couple of days and then we paid the rest of the safari fees. We used USD to pay for the trip and only exchanged a little money for souvenir shopping. The coffee shop was next to a large store and Nelson encouraged us to go in to get any other necessities before the trip. ( we grabbed some caffeine and exchanged some money ) :) even though, honestly, we were so excited we didn't need it :)
Then we were off! Beno drove us to the town bordering Lake Manyara Park. We dropped off our camping gear at the site and then went on our way to Lake Manyara. Each park that we went to ( Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongnoro Crater) Beno got out to register the vehicle and pay the fee. We did not have to pay any money at all on the trip other than souvenir shopping and tips to Beno and Peter at the end of the safari. ***TIP other sites suggested 10-15 USD a day for tipping we suggest more if you are extremely happy with your safari. We tipped 25 USD a day to Beno and 20 USD to Peter and gave an extra 10 to Beno because he drove us unexpectedly extra to our next destination.
Lake Manayara was amazing and we even witnessed a dust storm go through--hundreds of baboons running toward the lake! After our day adventure at the lake, we went back to the camp site, had dinner and went to bed early. There was a performance but we were working on 0 sleep so we went to bed. Our tent was a military style canvas tent, we had two cots, sleeping bags, sheets and pillows. It only rained once (our first night) and not a speck of water was in the tent.
The next day after breakfast we headed to the Serengeti. Traveling from each park was an adventure in itself and we were able to soak in the beauty of Tanzania. The entire trip we saw the big 5 as well as hundreds of other species of wildlife. We are extremely grateful for Beno’s knowledge of the animals, birds, and plants. He literally knew the names of every animal and bird we saw. He spotted out leopards in a tree that without binoculars we could not see. He even (with binoculars) pointed out a rhino that was miles in the Ngorongoro Crater! Lions walked right by our vehicle, cheetahs ate lunch with no care, we even witnessed an Ostrich mating! We saw several baby animals too.
Our vehicle was a well-kept Toyota Land Cruiser. It had a latch roof so that when we entered the parks we could stand and site see. While it was a bumpy road (African Massage) we did not get car sick. I think it helped having the fresh air and standing was great fun too.
We were very happy that my husband and I were the only tourist in our vehicle. Other vehicles were jammed packed full of people and look extremely uncomfortable. Other company vehicles looked worn and not well kept *****TIP—request to be alone or pay extra if needed. It is 100% worth it. We are not anti-social people but we wanted to soak in as much of Tanziania as we could and we feel like we learned so much from the intimate experience with Beno.
Along the way we also stopped at the Massai Village and learned about their way of life. This was very interesting and worth the extra fee. This is the only time when we had to pay out of pocket. They leave this up to the tourist depending on if they want to stop or not.
We are extremely grateful that we were fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet Beno.
While Beno was our guide Peter was along with us and he was our amazing cook. Peter made delicious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for us. We enjoyed everything that he made and we appreciate the pride that he had for what he does. He always made sure we were happy with the meals and that everything was to our liking. He was a pleasure and we enjoyed meeting him and his company!
The entire trip was remarkable due to traveling with Focus in Africa. We are so fortunate to have had this experience and we will never forget Nelson, Beno, and Peter's hospitality!
IT
50-65 years of age
Excellent trekking on Kilimanjaro
Our trekking on Kilimanjaro (6/12 January 2016) was a great experience, very well organized from Savannah explorers. The staff is friendly and professional, John and Nianda are excellent guides, the chef prepared very good food.
Roberto, always available and very kindle, found for us the best solution about dates, with suggestions about route and laggages.
Asante sana.
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Washington the great
The communications with big time holiday is quick and professional and to the point and questions are awnsered with speed.
The service was excellent Washington the driver i had was a real pro whom helped with everything.
Saw the whole big five in a day and a half awesome stuff. the tour the accomodation the whole package lived up to the expectations i had and superseeded them.
I didnt know there was going to to be a shower available so i didnt bring a towel so dont forget your towels people :) i could probably have gotten one but it didnt cross my mind to ask for one ;)
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The experience of a lifetime.....
From the moment we were greeted at the airport to be taken to our hotel in Nairobi with a huge smile, we could tell we would be in great hands for this trip which lasted 12 days. From that point on, every employee of Baisy Oryx Tours was an absolute delight to be with. Helpful, courteous, knowledgeable and most importantly, genuinely authentic..They lead us through deep slums of Nairobi to the savannas of Samburu, and Masai Mara, to the beautiful edge of the Menenge Crater. The rides from place to place over miles of African roadway were always wonderful as the guides knew everything about their country from the fauna/flora and geology to the political issues of the day, to the day to day lives of the people. We stayed at amazing lodges or tented sites adjacent to the parks, always comfortable, friendly , and with an abundance of delicious food. The guides were expert at locating the animals and allowing excellent view points while respecting the animals. The trucks were new and as comfortable as they can be given the nature of Kenyan roads and the open savanna. My wife and I travel quite a lot and we both agree that no trip will ever match up with this one and Baisy Oryx tours was a large reason for this.We cannot speak highly enough for the experience they created and the friends we made.
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
6 days Safari + Panorama Route
That was the experience of our life!!! Our family of 4 have spent 6 days in Kruger on board of Truck Norris. Everything was perfectly organised from the very beginning - Chris patiently and quickly responded to all my questions before making a final decision, than we were picked up from Jo'burg and the tour began. We were on camping safari, full equipment was provided by Chris - tents, sleeping bags, mattrecess, pillows, chairs, etc. Chris took care of us all the time - he was our guide, safari driver, excellent chef and storyteller. It was nice to sit at night near campfire and have a chit-chat on different subjects.
Travelling in Truck Norris was sooo comfortable - a lot of space, big windows, a fridge with stocks of cold beer, coffee machine and toilet. As we sit much higher than in standard safari vehicles we had better views. We saw so many animals! Chris has amazing knowledge of Kruger nature and he is happy to share it with his guests. Additionally our games were not strictly limited as in other safari operators, we spent at least 7 hours on games a day. I'm pretty sure that it is the best value for money.
I have to mention the delicious food prepared by Chris himself - that were home-made meals like pasta, steaks, curry, salads, etc. - quite different from my imagination of camping food (that was my first time sleeping in a tent :-)).
All in all - the only what can I do is to strongly recomend Chris ans his Armadillo Overland Safari & Adventure Tours. You will not be disappointed!!! Chris - once again I would like to thank you for your hospitality, patience and wonderful time we have in Kruger. Big respect for your hard work to satisfy your guests.
AT
20-35 years of age
Excellent, but beware of details
Kenya is incredible! No matter with which tour operator, airline or travel agency you go there you should be satisfied. You can have beach holiday, city trips, wildlife viewing, climbing mountains - all of it in just two weeks time. Regarding our trip to Masai Mara with Kenya Tour Budget Safari, which was supposed to be wildlife viewing tour. Definitely to be recommended, but with some observations. Why you should choose this or similar company which uses minivans for safari inside the national parks (Masai Mara and Nakuru) - because the roots are the same for everybody - you view the same animals and use the same infrastructure. There is really no sense to pay two or three times more just for riding a jeep. The majority of drivers are experienced and know where and when to go. If financial aspect is not important for you then you can choose a flight on a small plane from Nairobi. Thus you will avoid the quite bumpy road.
What was not ok in our trip: you pay not too much, therefore you live two nights in a tented camp just outside the Masai Mara national park. A real tent would be fine for me, yet the owners of the camp have decided to use (in their opinion) improved tents - with the shower and toilet inside the the tent! Each tent is for several people, so unless you are a group of close friends or a family, it becomes really uncomfortable. And there is no alternative - like a common shower or toilet somewhere else in the camp. The shower is with cold water only, but if you are in good health it should not make problems.
Next negative point - all flamingos from lake Nakuru have left, yet the organizers did not inform us about it. And finally - the small business of the tour drivers - "optional" boat safari in lake Naiwasha. One hour for 30 USD :) In the beginning nobody wants to go there, because there is nothing to see except malaria mosquitoes. However the driver speaks with everyone individually and says that all the group wants to go to Naiwasha. And of course you are expected to join the group. So, speak among yourselves and beware of such practices.
In general - I want back to Kenya!
DK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Friendly, efficient and everything we hoped for
The main reason for visiting Uganda was going to Bwindi to see the mountain gorillas (which was amazing). Since it involves a lot of driving we decided on a five day tour including also a chimpanzee trek.
From beginning to the end we were very pleased with Encounter Africa Safaris. Good and efficient communication with the head office through email - and a very competent and punctual guide/driver. Everything ran very smoothly. When one guesthouse mixed up the reservations (T.I.A. - this is Africa), we were upgraded to a better place before we found out there had been an issue. As a foodie I even quite enjoyed making stops on the long way back to Kampala to buy different vegetables.
Would we do anything differently if we could? Maybe spend an extra $600 for an extra day at Bwindi ... Seriously, the only thing we were talking about was wanting to go back. Or arrange a little longer tour that went into Rwanda to do one more day with the gorillas and a volcano trek. I'm sure Encounter could set that up.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I was really amazed by the quality of their service and their professionalism.
They were open, friendly and attentive to my requests. I was sincerely satisfied with the service I received. The only thing I regretted was not being able to stay longer!