Getting muddy in the Serengeti
Kusini Safaris
- Located In:
-
United Kingdom
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Member Of:
- African Travel & Tourism Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $400 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
If I had one operator to choose it would be Paul.
Paul was my driver who took me to Tandala Tent Camp near Ruaha National Park. I found Paul extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the region we were driving through. He knew about the people, their way of life, and if something came up that he thought was interesting or you thought was interesting he would stop to make sure you understood whatever it was that you wanted to see. Twice on our trip he stopped to show us interesting wildlife along the way. And his knowledge of birds astounded me. Be it sound or live bird he knew what it was. His love of helping to protect the wildlife of Africa is to be commended. When I decide to go back I will contact Paul to help me with my safari. He told me before I left to go home that he would make sure things would be arranged with whatever I needed. I would recommend Paul services to anyone that wanted to have a fabulous time on safari in Africa. As a matter of fact, I have told some of my friends that if they ever decide to go on safari that I have someone they should contact. That person would be Paul Tickner.
Custom experience, personalized service
Paul was great to work with. He put together an excellent custom package for us based loosely on what we saw on the Safari Bookings website. He was very conscious of our budget and came in with an excellent package that met our price point. He was super flexible when we wanted to change. Best of all, his communication was great. He answered all our questions promptly as we were preparing for the trip.
On the ground in Africa, service was awesome. Paul is a very knowledgeable guide, but even better he is a great communicator and made sure to focus our game drives on the things we wanted to do. Paul is very personable, and it was easy to have a great time on safari with him.
Highly recommended. Southern Tanzania was great - we saw all the game at half the price and none of the people.
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best travel organisor ever
We never went on a safari with Paul, but he helped us setup up an amazing trip to Mafia Island including flights and transfer. He's polite, knowledgeable and professional. I can really recommend him.
Efficient, knowledgeable and spot on recommendations.
We were looking for a secretive and relaxing getaway on Tanzania's Mafia island. Paul Tickner Safaris' first recommendation was Ras Mbizi lodge and it was absolutely spot on. Deserted beach, wonderful staff, great food, interesting activities, all for a very reasonable price. PTS booked flights and nights efficiently and professionally, keeping us informed every step of the way. Highly recommended!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My Iringa Experience
I had the opportunity to experience this amazing safari experience in March 2014. Paul was a fantastic guide, very knowledgeable in his field and enthusing passion in wildlife conservation. An accomplished photographer himself, Paul's expert tips on wildlife photography add a special bonus to his tours.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Undzungwa and Ruaha
Paul arranged a bespoke Safari in a short space of time at very competitive rates. But that was just the start of a very tailoured adventure with someone who not only enjoys Africa but is knowledgeable too, so able inform at the right level. Tanzania is not as developed as other countries which is part of its charm, so be prepared to get close to nature, the people and understand that life is simply wonderful. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, call Paul.
Email Ngaire | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I had a wonderful safari.
The safari definitely lived up to my expectations. Ruaha National Park is an outstanding park, easily rivaling any of it's more famous northern counterparts. The accommodation was great - I couldn't recommend Tandala more highly. Paul and Hannah at Paul Tickner Safaris are lovely people, who are passionate about what they do and have fantastic local knowledge. Communication was a little slow at times, and they are probably not the cheapest company, but they are extremely trustworthy, know what they are doing, and will make sure you are well looked after.
Reply from Kusini Safaris
Posted on Oct 21, 2016Our apologies for the slow communication Ngaire and we're glad you enjoyed your safari, hope to see you again in southern Tanzania!
Email Garrett | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic safari, but wish he would give full disclosure of his commission fees
Our safari was excellently organized. We loved the entire experience and our stay at Mwagusi in Ruaha exceeded our expectations. Paul even helped us add another member to the safari 15 minutes before we departed. Our only frustration was that he would not disclose to us his commission fees or break all the costs down for us. He would only give us a total cost for the safari and was unwilling to tell us what percentage of the total cost was commission for him. As far as we know, he could be charging 5% or 50%. He does not publish the information on his website and we asked on 4 different occasions, but each time he refused to tell us. Nevertheless, he planned a great safari for us. If you don't mind not knowing what you are paying him to organize the safari, then I can recommend him. If you need full disclosure of the costs, then you should look for someone else.
Reply from Kusini Safaris
Posted on Aug 9, 2016Hi, Garret, I am very pleased that you chose to visit the southern highlands and Ruaha and doubly that you enjoyed your safari, as a small company promoting southern Tanzania; this is the result we are looking for. We are disappointed that the commission issue has reflected so poorly upon you, despite apparently enjoying the safari so much.
For the benefit of anyone else reading your review I should provide some clarity over commission, which I also did each of those 4 times referred too. As a small company, word of mouth recommendations and our customer service is everything and we take any suspicion of deceptiveness very seriously.
It is not the industry standard, nor are we obliged in any way, to divulge what our commission is. This is our policy for a number of reasons, none of which are designed to mislead our customers. There are a lot of moving parts and complicated pricing involved in designing safaris, which are largely of no relevance to the customer. In the same way as many other businesses, if we were charging 50% commission it would be very difficult for us to compete in the market. For example, if one buys a plane ticket online, one takes the price and times preferred. What the agents' commission is, how much the airline buys it's fuel for or how much the pilots make every month, are matters for the company itself.
We are under no illusion that there are certainly some travel companies out there not delivering on what they promise and with the information available on the internet, customers are more aware of their expectations not being met. However if one tries to plan and organise a safari, particularly to southern Tanzania, using information solely from the internet, things are likely to unravel, and this is where our role comes in. We won't tell a customer how much money we make but we will go well out of our way to make sure they get the best possible safari, something we feel is reflected in the reviews on this page.
Similarly, it is always the customer's prerogative to receive quotes from however many operators they wish, or indeed to organise the safari themselves, and choose the price and itinerary that suits them.