NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An excellent tour organiser and even more wonderful guide!
I just returned from a lovely trip to Kenya. We were there for 10 days out of which 4 were arranged with the help of Apodiformes Tours. Our journey included visiting Kenya's most stunning destination: the Masai Mara.
A big shout out to Fred as a tour operator. We had numerous concerns/ questions prior to the booking and he was patient yet prompt to clarify everything. Even after booking, he was personally there to pick us up and had arranged the travel and put us up a wonderful lodge in the park, called Sentrim Mara.
What made the whole experience even better was our guide and driver, Kim. Kim has an immaculate eye-sight and understanding of the reserve. He always ensured we had the best views of the animals while understanding their behaviour. He was always before time and excited to show us around the park. Thanks to him we were able to spot 4 out of the Big 5, namely Lions, Elephants, Buffaloes and Rhino. From driving along the Tanzania border to bushes of the savannah, we left no area uncovered.
The experience of being a spectator and watching all the lovely animals in their natural habitat was surreal. Would highly recommend doing it at least once and that too with Apodiformes Adventures (more specifically, with the fire combo of Fred and Kim).
Note that it might appear expensive but in our opinion was worth every penny.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Trip, Highly Recommend. Great experience with Charles and Salina Wild
We had a brilliant trip with Salina Wild. Communication was great before the trip - every question answered and lots of helpful tips. We loved spending time with our guide, Charles. He was incredibly friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the animals, areas we visited and life as a guide. We learnt so much and saw all the big 5 several times. In our trip we went to Masai Mari, Nakuru, Amboselli and Diani Beach. Everywhere we went had something new and beautiful to see, ranging from multiple lion prides, illusive leapards or herds of dozens of elephants. We even spotted a pod of wild dolphins at the marine park in Diani beach. We'd highly recommend this once-in-a lifetime trip with Salina - and you'll be extra happy if you end up with Charles. Thank you Charles and Henry, and all the staff at every hotel. We will never forget waking up to a herd of zebra walking past the tent.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Splendid travel organizer for Namibia
Thanks so much Hanneke for putting this amazing week together for us! Memories to last a lifetime... Hanneke was very accomodating during the planning of our trip, always helpfull and patient for our changing needs. Also during the trip she was always available for assistance within minutes. Thanks a lot for everything!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
We had a 6 day, trip of a lifetime with Telly Africa, during our honeymoon, visiting the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Tarangerie National Park.
Our guide Joseph was absolutely exceptional. He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and just great to be around for our entire trip. We saw all of the big 5, and Joseph knew a lot of information about literally every animal, bird and landscape. He was also always on time, had a clean car every day, had plenty to keep us hydrated and fed, and was a great photographer! He deserves more than 5 stars.
The trip was also very well organised by Mohamed and team. Hotels and lodges were lovely. We did the balloon safari which we highly recommend!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jackson & his crew were 100% AMAZING!!!
This was my first safari and I had no idea what to expect. Because of the size of our group, we needed 3 vehicles. We were very pleased with the price of the tour. Jackson and 2 other drivers picked us up on time. The vehicles that we rode in were clean and roomy. We were able to get amazing photos with the lift up roof. Jackson and his crew were very knowledgeable about the animals that we saw - and we saw many animals. Not only did they have interesting facts to share, but they knew where to find the animals. They made frequent stops for us to have time to take pictures and just observe the animals in their natural habitat. We were never rushed from point A to point B. When I return next year, I will be booking Uganda Family Tours & Travels again!
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great ideas and service very quick and helpfull we had the best trip ever in Tanzania!
Karin from Green Hippo Travels was the best and a great help for our once in a lifetime trip. We wanted to see the crossing of the migration in the Mara River in the Serengeti. She came with great ideas and beautifull tented camps in Tanzania. Very good value for money she is very reliable and was very quick with the itinerary and we could add everything we wanted till the last minute.
The whole tour of 8 days was fantastic, we had the best driver/guide ever, Silva was so kind and knowledgeable, he has eagle eyes and made this trip even better. Next time we want Silva again he added so much to this great trip. We saw so many animals and birds in Tarangire the crater and Serengeti.
We defiitely want to go again in the future and offcourse with Green Hippo Travels!!
Thank you so much Karin for everything you did.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience!
We went on the 7 day safari to Amboseli NP, Nakuru, Naivasha, and Mara. Overall, we were able to see and do more than we could imagine!
From the start, Steve was very responsive to our questions and concerns. He was flexible with specific needs we had for travel. He understood how to help us make the right choices for our trip.
We were very impressed with the places we stayed. I would recommend doing the luxury stays, totally worth the money and Ramja Safaris picked places that were unique and added to the experience.
As for our guide, Patrick, he always had a positive attitude and was knowledgeable about the parks, animals, and Kenya itself. He clearly is passionate about what he does and in getting to share that with you.
This was a trip that I would say before going on it was very outside my comfort level but Ramja Safaris made it easy and enjoyable by what they offered and addressing any concerns quickly. Thank you!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bespoke holiday at bargain price. Impeccable service
I did quite some research upon safari holidays, since they can be quite expensive.
I was impressed at Bienvenido's prices and enormous arrays of safari options. I was enthused by the trip from Nairobi to Mombasa, covering game parks along the way. It saved us needing the hassle of an internal flight.
Communication was excellent, Kennedy was clear and helpful. The trip could be fully customised - a bespoke tour without the crazy price.
I was almost wary of how much cheaper Bienvenido were, compared to the competition. There was no reason for concern. We were picked up by Jed, our star driver. He was absolutely fantastic, all week. We had laughs, good conversation, and he was extremely committed to us getting everything out of the trip that we could. He drove an enormously long day through the Masai Mara, working tirelessly. He dragged every minute out of Nakuru park, getting us back through the gate just before closing. He took us to Lake Naivasha, on the way between Nakuru and Amboseli, which made the day far longer (he then pushed on with the drive, keen for us to see Mount Kilimanjaro before sunset). Jed was a hero for us.
Bienvenido offered us 3 tiers of accommodation. We chose the most basic. I thought that it might be quite primitive, but there was no problem whatsoever. Even with the cheapest option, Bienvenido find you comfortable and pleasant accommodation. It ranged from being a bit limited at Miti Mingi camp in Masai Mara, to an actual hotel in Nakuru, to a lovely big "tent" in Amboseli, to a cute lodge in Tsavo.
The minibus was more comfortable than expected. A Land Cruiser would have been slightly better, but that naturally comes at greater cost. It was the only small element that felt slightly less premium on the tour. However, the minibus is a remarkable off-road vehicle, and a 6 foot person can easily stand up when the roof is lifted for a game drive.
Overall, I cannot recommend Bienvenido highly enough. They are a fairly small company that are completely committed to providing amazing tours. I wish them every success, which would be thoroughly deserved.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
All three- Steven, Patrick and Umara were fun and worked hard to enable us to see all the animals.
I did many months of research on different Safari Companies and found that Jomert Gorilla Safaris was attentive to what I wanted to experience. I mainly worked with Umara in the planning stages deciding when to go and what we wanted to include in our trip. He was patient and helped me put together an itinerary that was beyond my expectations! Umara was always sending emails with new details or questions. When we had a problem with our VISA ( make sure if you are going from Kenya to Uganda, that you have the East African Visa that includes both!) Patrick never left our side!! I feel that for the cost of the trip which lasted 2 weeks, we had everything we could ask for. Great accommodations and such beautiful scenery. I would highly reccommend Jomert Gorilla Safaris for an experience of a lifetime.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari and Beach Honeymoon
We booked our safari and beach combination honeymoon through Dancing Zebra Safari and had an amazing experience! In order to arrive at our final itinerary, we had multiple discussions with Jessica to ensure the safari covered what we were interested in seeing and that the overall honeymoon would be tailored to our preferences, budget, and expectations.
Through her guidance and expertise, we decided to go to Tanzania for a Northern Serengeti safari followed by a visit to Zanzibar - and from that point forward, Jessica took care of everything. She is a prompt communicator - always quick to answer any question no matter how big or small. She made me feel at ease on multiple occasions when I was anxious about our first safari (there's so much to learn!) in addition to planning my wedding.
We had the most wonderful experience. Our safari camp was spectacular. Because of their relationship with Jessica, they gave us the best accommodations available on the property. They welcomed us with sparkling wine, arranged a surprise private sunset happy hour on our 2nd to last night, and a surprise dinner under the stars on our last evening. Everyone at the camp was so warm and friendly - we really felt so welcomed our entire stay. The tent was luxurious with a wonderful view - we even saw animals from our room on multiple occasions. Our guide was hired through the camp and he was absolutely outstanding- the perfect combination of knowledgable, friendly, and accommodating. He made every day so fun and informative, and was critical to our experience. My husband is very knowledgeable about the Serengeti and the animals there (which is why we were so eager to go on a safari) - and so enjoyed chatting with our guide about their shared love of the animal kingdom. We were sad to leave camp, but excited to embark on the 2nd part of the trip.
We went to Zanzibar to get to explore more of beautiful Tanzania. Our resort was opulent, the staff was friendly, the food was excellent (my husband is a chef and raved!), the beach was stunning, the villa was incredible - it was the perfect way to relax after our days on safari.
Jessica took care of all aspects of our trip except for our international flights from NYC to Tanzania. This included accommodations, drivers/transfers, and domestic flights. She provided extensive information on how to prepare for the safari, suggested packing lists, information guides, etc. Everything went flawlessly - she was clearly communicating with the staff at our camp/resort to ensure that we were well taken care of.
We are already dreaming about our next safari trip - and would highly recommend Dancing Zebra Safari to anyone who is considering going on the trip of a lifetime.