Gofan Safaris & Travel Africa
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, KATO & ATA
- Tour Types:
- Mid-range & luxury tours with set start dates and a fixed itinerary
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $1,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
IN
Email soumik basu | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
not a very good experience
we went for a 11days trip to kenya and tanzania with family of husband wife and minor kid.we went with masai safari which provided a wonderful trip in kenya.they had sublet the tanzania part to gofan.when we arrived in arusha things were ok but not nice as mr meena from gofan met us and intially refused to provide water in the car which after some pressure and telling that i will call up masai safari to sort out issue mr meena did at last provide it.our driver guide joseph was good and we di enjoy our next 2 days in lake mynara and nogorongoro.the trouble started on the 3rd day when we reached the gates of serengati national park.we were made to wait 5 hours with food and little water as the great mr meena had not paid the park fees.we called hime after 1 and half hours and he continously lied that it will take only 10 mins more.ultimately nearly after 5 hrs without lunch and a small kid we managed to enter.we missed the game drive we were to do and went to reach our camp at about 4.30 to 5pm.NOT A SINGLE APOLOGY OR SORRY FROM GOFAN for this weird behaviour..there are lots of good reliable operators.my suggestion go look somewhere else.
DE
Email Emilia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Was communicative and nice
It was a nice trip, but too expensive. In the national park we barley saw animals. Just few giraffe and elephant. Even the time in the national park was way too short for this money. That was very disappointing.
CA
Email Jet Belgraver | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable and affordable
Booked a weekend tour to Amboseli National Park last minute with GOFAN. The pick up was prompt, the driver/guide very knowledgeable. We did an afternoon safari upon arrival at the AA Lodge. Decent clean rooms and food and the next morning, another safari. Saw loads of giraffes, elephants, monkeys and other wildlife, definitely a highlight. Back promptly on Sunday late afternoon. Recommended given the price, accommodation, the ease of booking last minute and the nimble driver!
SA
Email Mahir | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5 days tour in Kenya
I have booked several tours with Gofan to different places within Kenya. Their service is reliable and trustworthy. I visited masaai mara, nakuru and naivasha which were unforgettably beautiful.. Special thanks to Gofan staff, Maria, for her support and guidance.
US
Email Kyle Waggener | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari, Wonderful Driver
I can't say enough nice things about our driver, Onesmus. He was an excellent driver both in heavy city traffic and rough roads in the bush. He was an excellent wildlife spotter and was very knowledgeable about the wildlife that we saw. He was the first driver in Samburu to find the Leopard the day we were there. I am an avid birder and was pleasantly surprised by his knowledge of birds considering the focus on mammals for the safaris that we chose. We did the 7-Day Vintage Kenya Safari with an Amboseli Extension before that. I always felt that he had our safety and best interests as his number one priority. The only reason that I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 was that the itinerary that we were given prior to the trip was off a couple of times. An early morning game drive in Samburu was scheduled one morning that we had to skip due to the extremely long drive to Lake Naivasha. I really didn't mind but it seems that the drive time was underestimated on the itinerary for a couple days of the safari. It wasn't the drivers fault. It just takes longer to get to where we were going than the itinerary stated. The itinerary for the morning at The Ark Lodge also had the times mixed up. For example, it had us going on an early morning game drive, then having breakfast and then checking out. In actuality we had breakfast, checked out then went on the game drive. Very minor things that didn't effect how much we enjoyed the trip but necessary to get 5 stars. I would also like to commend the tour director for managing the lodging situation due to the election and overbooking by one of the lodges. We were bumped out of a couple of lodges prior to our staying there and he was able to book us into a different lodge and a luxury tented camp that were equal if not greater than the original plan.
Email Kate | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful, Safe and Knowledgeable
Soloman was our tour guide for our days in the Masai Mara and was excellent at spotting both the "must see", big animals and also the smaller animals; different birds and mammals. He was able to share his knowledge on the different animals which was incredible. Whilst driving, we were able to sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery without lots of information being shared which we appreciated to be able to take it all in. Soloman was a safe driver which given the track conditions was much appreciated! We felt safe leaving our bag of food in the vehicle (not recommended to take into our tented accommodation due to monkeys) and there wasn't an issue at all. It was a fantastic experience and would do it all over again and appreciated an excellent tour guide to make the experience what it was!
Gofan safaris were very accommodating with our last minute changes of plans.
Solomon was phenomenonal in helping us to feel safe and enjoy the whole experience, ensuring we had enough water, toilet stops and as 2 young single white women we felt so safe with him.
FR
Email Damien BOSSUT | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Do what they say with good service
Very good agency, flexible, quick in the response , absolutely no problem with them , good sense of service, recommend this agency
US
Email Calvin Lee | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Truly Memorable Trip
Some background. We have traveled extensively in North America our home territory. We also covered a lot of Europe and Asia having lived and worked in both locations. That being said South America, the Middle East and Africa remained uncovered when we retired some 10 years ago.
This trip was long time in the making, planning started in 2019 with the trip to occur in September 2020. Circumstances beyond our control delayed the trip until 2023, some three years later. We were fortunate in that GoFan survived and that the passage of time did not result in significant price increases or penalties.
Why Gofan? Like others I sounded out friends who had done safari in Africa and a mate who I worked with when we lived in the UK used GoFan on his first trip to Kenya. He and I discussed itinerary, accommodations and expectations. I put the trip out to bid with my long time tour operator Country Holidays of Singapore who had more recently been absorbed by Scott Dunn and the aforementioned GoFan. All for a private safari for two people, about two weeks in total and driving rather than flying between parks/sites.
We ended up going with Gofan as the pricing was significantly less and were thrilled with our trip. As we were driving not flying between parks, there was less of a need to stay inside the park confines likely resulting in lower accommodation costs. Communications with GoFan were excellent and they were very responsive to queries. Note, always good to download and know how to use WhatsApp, the defacto universal communication tool.
We were met at the airport by our driver/guide Onesimus who was exceptional and a huge reason the trip was a success. His knowledge of the terrain, parks, and wildlife was excellent and he also gave us big insights into the country and people. His calm demeanor and experience always put us in a good place. We got the big five in the first week and totaled three leopards and fourteen cheetahs during our two weeks. Even Onesimus said we did well
AE
Email Sarab | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A whole family experience
From the moment we were put in contact with Gofan the communication and personal touches shone through. We were able to craft a safari experience that met our needs from cost to driving times. Upon landing we felt like we were a part of the Gofan family- everyone was lovely and shared their country with us with kindness and knowledge. It was clear that each member of the team knew the ins and outs of the parks and hotels. It was really an extraordinary never to be topped experience.
US
Email Malina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
personable
I cannot say enough good things about my safari experience. From the planning to the execution of the trip, I felt completely free to voice my opinion and to make sure that everything met my expectations. Gofan was referred to us by a friend (we were initially not planning on going on safari during our trip to Kenya), and the referral was spot on! I reached out approximately 2.5 months before our trip to begin setting things up. Allison was patient with me and answered every question I had. She gave a number of different options in a variety of price ranges and trip lengths to show the different types of experiences we could have. We had some issues when it came time to remit payment (due to the online payment system not accepting our US credit card) and she and her team worked with us to try to get it sorted. When we were unable to fix the issue, she arranged to have a team member meet us when we arrived in Nairobi to accept the payment in person.
We had a slight miscommunication on the time of the morning pickup the first day of the safari, but she and her other team members quickly sorted things and provided us with a new pickup time to take place an hour later. (It was barely an inconvenience because they pick you up from your home/hotel/airbnb.) When we met our guide, Francis, I immediately felt safe and taken care of. He was extremely communicative through our drives to the various locations and made sure to share history about each area we drove through and answer my very constant questions about anything and everything. At each stop (restroom break or arrival at a hotel), he let us know when we should meet and asked if we had any questions.
During our 4-day, 3-night safari we hiked/biked Hells Gate, drove through Masai Mara, and visited a Masai village. Our 3 nights were split between Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort and Mara Treetops Luxury Camp. Both of the locations were extremely unique and provided opportunities to see wildlife up close. The food and service at both locations was amazing, but the service at Mara Treetops was the best I've ever experienced.
While on safari, Francis asked us what animals we definitely wanted to see, and made sure that we saw every animal we could. The only animal of the Big 5 that we were unable to see was the rhinoceros, but it wasn't high on my list of animals I wanted to see in the wild. He also humored my interest in all the different birds in the Mara and stopped a number of times to allow me to gawk at secretary birds, ostriches, helmeted guineafowls, and marabou storks.
I would definitely book with Gofan Safari again. It is the most memorable trip I've ever taken (and I travel quite frequently), and the value for the cost is unmatched. I've already recommended Gofan to countless friends and family members due to the great experience we had.