CA
Richard is the MOST careful driver we have ever had.
We asked Richard to be our driver and guide. We have had many Safari experiences in several countries, and Richard is the best driver we have ever had. He slowed down for the many pot holes and ditches we drove through during our 14 day Safari. Over the years we have had many drivers and some have gone so fast over bumps that we were bounded out of our seats and hit our heads on the roof of the vehicle! We truly appreciated Richard's driving skills and the care he took to make sure we were comfortable.
We saw many areas of Tanzania, and our favorites were:
- Balloon ride over the Serengeti
- Tarangire National Park for the MANY elephants there. We took tons of photos and videos of elephants close to our vehicle (Tarangire park has tsetse flies, so take good bug repellant)
- Ngorongoro Crater is amazing for seeing almost every species of animal in one day. If I only had one day for a Safari, I would go to Ngorongoro
We also went to Lake Victoria, but it was a long drive to get there, and we felt it wasn't worth the travel. We enjoyed our boat ride on the lake and seeing the local fishermen, but it is not a place to see any wild game, and is not as set up for the tourists.
DK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our safari was good and we did see the animal for the first time
We had very good communication with our tourguide from elimunwildsafaris.com, and the hotel was good.We did see the animal and it was our first time
NG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Adventure of a lifetime in Bwindi
I had a very good tour experience with this company.Very professional staff and assured value for money.I recommend for anyone who wants to trek Gorillas at Budget and mid range level.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
best safari experience possible!!
I can 100% recommend best day safari. from the start to end of the experience, they were nothing but the best! extremely professional people involved with this company and excellent planning and execution. since we started planning our safari, peter was extremely timely and helpful in his responses and recommendations. he clearly knows his line of work well and is excellent in customer service. he set up a very well timed 4 day safari for us because we were short on time, but we didn't feel like we missed out on anything. the first day our jeep developed technical issues and they immediately brought a new jeep for the next day which experienced no issues. also, the first night, our transfer "hotel" was not up to our standards (actually it was really scary, loud and dilapidated) and as soon as we told peter, he changed our transfer hotel for the return trip without any questions asked and this hotel was very nice! we booked the premium package and all of our hotels during the safari were excellent. like really once in a life time type stays at each place with insane views, service and great food. the only thing I didn't like was the boxed lunches from this grade A hotels. it was disappointing to get a box full of nasty packaged foods like chips/candy/crap I would never eat otherwise. these lunches need to be revamped asap, given these hotels are charging 400-500$ nightly rates!!!!! otherwise the breakfasts and dinners provided were truly excellent. I want to mention though the real standout of our experience was our guide, Gottfried. he was SO SO educated in all things safari including finding and identifying animals/landscape/answering literally any question you may have. he was truly wonderful! you could tell he loved his job and was very good at it, very impressive knowledge and you could tell he really wanted us to have the best experience possible on our safari. he wasn't just there to drive us around maybe happen to run into some animals. he went out of his way to find the rare animals and explain every last detail about animals/landscape/culture/everything possible!! this safari was the experience of a lifetime and other than the first transfer "hotel" we stayed at and the gross boxed lunches from the high end hotels, I would not change a thing (also keep in mind the safari operator has nothing to do with the lunches, it is up to the hotels). if you have a chance to book the premium experience, I would say it is worth the money, especially at the lake manyara and ngorngoro hotels because they are truly once in a lifetime stays. I give highest recommendations to anyone looking to book with best day safari and we are already planning our next trip with them ! (hopefully kiliminjaro!)
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Most wonderful vacation experience
I most want to say how much I appreciate the excellent work of Justin. He not only set out an outstanding itinerary that went off perfectly but also was so very responsive in helping us during our journey. One of my daughters luggage did not arrive in South Africa. Justin was easily available by phone and text and went out of his way to get the luggage delivered to the lodge in Sabi Sands. His level of service exceeded expectations. All of the drivers, guides and staff were professional and engaging. The game drives and animal sightings stupendous. The lodges were beautiful and the food fantastic. I cannot recommend PaperJet and Justin highly enough.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
3 day Taita Hills and Salt Lick
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Wildlife Sun Safaris. I made a request through the Kenya Association of Tour Operators website and James responded promptly. We agreed the itinerary by email. On arrival in Kenya, everything was well organised and delivered exactly as promised. The driver/guide was experienced and knowledgeable, and he took care of all the details.
NO
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very well organised, good guiding,many animal experience, all 3 lodges very good,also the meals.
Very good planning and communication with rapid answer to all our questions.
Good service and very good driver and guide (Livingstone) who knew all the animals and how to find them.
The safari was very varied with 3 different lodges and everyone had something different to show us on the safari.
We were satisfied with 2 nights in all 3 lodges.
The safari was living up to our expectations.
NB ! In Norway we always use seat belts when driving on motorways and we will recommend this except on the safari trips.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Comfortable and relaxed trip with Fika Safaris
Recently me and my family traveled with Fika Safaris to Masai Mara. We stayed at Camp Ilkeliani. Robert put the trip together with much concern, because originally we had another hotel in mind, but suggested in the travel proposal was Ilkeliani Camp. For me, a less-known camp. That was very nice and surprising, that way you really get presented a personalized trip. Big plus: the car is yours alone and you will not be put together with other travelers. This is common in other travel companies.
On the trip itself, our driver / guide Amos ensured we felt at ease and comfortable. He testifies of experience and professionalism and has a good sense of humor. Also, I was amazed at his vast range of knowledge; he knows to answer all questions about the wildlife and landscape. He also prepared a lunch in the African landscape, with views of hippos! Every day he came by at dinner to ask for us and talk the next day through. This way we could tailor our journey to our own desires.
The small scale camp was very comfortable and quiet. The tents were spacious and offered everything you need, but you still feel like you are camping in the wild. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were good and in the right proportions. The staff is very friendly and there is a lot of attention to your stay.
In summary we had a fantastic trip, set up very personally and with care!
UA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well done, guys!
Nyati (especially Terence Mutsvanga) thank you very much for organizing our trip. With your help we had a great possibility to see the 'other' Zimbabwe with its advantages, problems, future challenges and very nice people.
Thank you for your professionalism, reliability and easiness in getting into contact.
Our driver (John Chiringa) had also met our expectations in relation to high professionalism, safety driving, as a guide and a very nice person.
It was a great vacation we will never forget.
All the best and good luck.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Superb 4 day trip by Heri Africa Tours
As it was our first time to travel to Tanzania, it was a bit overwhelming to even start planning a 15 day trip to the country - starting from Dar Es Salaam to Moshi and Arusha then Zanzibar and back to Dar. Through a friend's personal recommendation, we contacted a local guide who gave us a ridiculous quote for a 7 day tour. Frustrated, we asked for help from other expat friends who work in Dar and searched for budget tours as well. Luck turned out when we found Immaculate's Facebook Page. Immaculate responded well to most of the questions we asked re visas, yellow fever vaccination, transits, and most importantly - details on our planned Safari trip. She gave us a detailed and clear itinerary for Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro and to our surprise, a quote which suits our budget. Two weeks before our trip, we've been in close contact with Immaculate to sort out the minute details of our trip, making sure that we maximize our time, save on costs and enjoy. Immaculate was very helpful in dealing with our hotel reservations (giving us choices and tips), bus arrangements (Dar to Moshi), and flight bookings (Arusha to Zanzibar). She gave us advise on how to improve our 15 day itinerary and gladly answered all our questions (even calling the immigration in Dar just to make sure we had the relevant info re visa and yellow fever vaccination).
When we reached Moshi, she volunteered to pick us up from our hotel and give us a free tour to the waterfalls and hot springs since she has a client doing the tour anyway. It was a very thoughtful offer and by doing that we met another lovely traveler who later became a friend. In Arusha, Immaculate took us to our hotel, making sure that we had everything we need and that we're comfortable. In the morning, we were picked up on time by her friendly driver and the 4x4 car ready for our Safari.
The whole Safari experience exceeded our expectations. Earlier on, we were warned by friends and other travelers about fly by night tour operators, sub-standard services, etc. especially when taking budget Safaris. Turned out, we had the best experience with Mike (driver and guide), Immaculate (managing director) and John (chef). Immaculate joined us during our Safari, making sure that we enjoy our trip and all our needs were met. Mike, on the other had, did his best to answer all our questions and patiently showed flexibility to accommodate our requests. John, our wonderful chef, was also very friendly, flexible and accommodating.
In the 4 days that we were on Safari, we enjoyed every bit of it. Each day was carefully planned, packed with game drives and other side trips. We enjoyed the special trips to the Maasai villages, buying a goat for our barbecue dinner, a quick visit to the Olduvai Gorge, and picnics near the lake and under big trees in the savannah. Immaculate made sure that what's on the itinerary was followed and not rushed.
On our last day in Arusha, Immaculate showed us around the city before our flight in the afternoon. We enjoyed visiting the Cultural Arts Center, containing amazing artworks from various artists not only in Tanzania but in Africa as well. The whole morning was relaxing. A few hours before our flight, Immaculate took us to the airport.
Our whole experience with Heri Africa Tours made us appreciate our trip to Tanzania even more. There was no dull moment during the trip, communication was very efficient, the driver and guide provided was very friendly-humble-knowledgeable and fun to be with, arrangements were superb, itinerary was completely followed, no extra or additional charges even when we were with them for 6 days (for a 4 day trip), personalized service, and professional way of handling our needs. I couldn't ask for more.
We also organize tours in the Kurdistan region of Iraq (www.kurdistantours.net) and so we know what it looks like to have quality service. Immaculate and her crew surely exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend their company to anyone who wants to experience Tanzania in a meaningful way.