50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The name you need to know for travel in Africa
While we usually organise our travel ourselves, travel in Africa was a complete unknown so we opted to go with a travel agent. Selecting African Ubuntu Safaris was the first best step in the trip of a lifetime. Our agent Cuan McLaren, listened to our trip ideas and budget and came up with a range of appealing options based on his extensive experience as a travel agent and guide in Africa. When we had to change part of our travel plans he came up with the perfect Plan B.
From Cuan’s suggestions we chose the Jenman’s 23 Day Intimate Botswana Zimbabwe Encounter Small Group Safari. Jenman’s is a well-respected company which develops amazing itineraries at reasonable prices (given that travel in Africa is very expensive).We were in good hands with our knowledgeable and efficient guide, Thulani, who dealt with any minor hiccups that arose, and our driver, Tham, who kept us safe on some very dodgy roads. Local guides were used wherever possible to ensure we got the best local information on our trip. Two small plane flights were included to reduce the amount of time spent on the dusty bumpy roads, which we really came to appreciate! The itinerary, which included houseboat time on Lake Kariba, was varied and interesting. Days were often long but this is an unavoidable feature of African travel and there was downtime wherever possible. There were so many highlights but the beautifiul Matobo Hills deserve special mention as does the sunset views at the Shashani Matobo Hills Lodge. Accommodation was varied, interesting and comfortable. The traditional thatched huts of Planet Baobab was a highlight. Last but not least, the dizzying variety of animal and birdlife made every day an unforgettable adventure.
Post tour we spent time in Cape Town in the perfectly located Commodore Hotel, minutes away from the Victoria and Alfred wharf. After a tour of the Cape Peninsula, including Seal Island and the penguins of Boulders Beach, we relaxed in the wineries of Franschhoek, a perfect end to a busy few weeks. Our fabulous B&B, Maison Chablis, was another great choice.
Cuan organised every detail of our trip with great care and often went above and beyond. Thank you for interrupting your own family holiday in Africa because you wanted to cover some issues to your satisfaction! Thank you for the tip spreadsheet to help us work out what tips might be needed and when!
We cannot recommend Cuan and African Ubuntu Safaris highly enough to anyone thinking of going to Africa. We certainly will be contacting Cuan for any future travel there.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari!
Booked our 6 day safari with Jocky Tours. We went to Masai Mara, Nakuru/Naivasha and Amboseli. We saw so many animals (big 5 aswell). The camps were very nice, the food was good. Also our guide/driver Jeff made this trip! He knows a lot about the animals, find the animals, drives safely. Thank you Jeff! I can recommend Jocky Tours.
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very quick reply with friendly support
The agency itself was super nice. They answer all my questions and solve my problems in a proper way.
However, since drivers are from a different company, it really depends on how lucky you are what kind of driver you will have.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A great company, can recommend it!
We recently went on a family tour of Uganda, and it was an incredible experience! Our guide, Jackson, was absolutely fantastic—knowledgeable, friendly, and always ready to answer our questions or go the extra mile to ensure we had a great time. He really made the trip unforgettable.
Uganda is such a beautiful country, and thanks to Jackson, we were able to explore it in depth, from the stunning landscapes to the vibrant culture. The accommodations were excellent, comfortable, and well-suited for a family. The food was a highlight as well—delicious, varied, and gave us a true taste of the local cuisine.
We would definitely recommend this tour to any family looking for an adventure in Uganda. It was a perfect balance of relaxation and discovery!
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
good
the journey with johny Jackson is great.johny take a long time safari everyday to let us see more. we see all big five and many animals. surely I will give johny a big five star. it's a perfect trip with good price.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic from start to finish
Our selected 7 day safari came with a very professional yet personalised service. We experienced an eclectic mix of high quality tents and lodges.
We wish to publicly express our extreme gratitude to the whole Team of Extra Miles Unique Adventures, especially our guide, Daniel who could not have given more to ensure we had the trip of a lifetime.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
good
Johnny Jackson is a good guide.strongly recommend to go with him. we are lucky to see many animals but no crossing river and no Mt. Kilimanjaro. would suggest to go Safari on peak season like July and August.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing!!
We have just finished an incredible safari with Omar. He was an amazing guide - so knowledgable, friendly and funny, a joy to be around! He taught us so much about the animals, the landscape and the culture and we saw all of the big 5 and more!! He was a competent driver and we felt very safe with him.
He made our safari as special as it was - thank you for an adventure to remember forever!
We booked the tour through Mary at Enjoy Rejoice Adventures - she was so incredible you helpful, quick to respond and nothing was too much trouble. She organised every detail of our safari including airport transfers, internal flights to Zanzibar and hotel drop off at the end of our trip in Zanzibar. We are so grateful for her to making our trip so stress free.
Amazing holiday all round.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highly professional and experienced tour operator
Working with Susan was a pleasure - she took time to understand our requirements, was knowledgeable about every aspect our holiday, was highly responsive to the many questions we had both before and after we had booked the trip and put together a fabulous itinerary. Every detail was taken care of for us which was hugely valuable given the complexity of a trip covering multiple destinations. The value of having Susan supporting us was apparent from the first day of our trip when our international flights from UK were cancelled and the first 48 hours of our itinerary had to be modified - we were so grateful for her help taking care all the changes. All in all a great experience.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely Amazing
We did a 5 day trip with Serengeti smiles and it was absolutely incredible, Barnabas our guide was great, and made sure that it was the best experience possible, there wasn’t a single animal we didn’t see! Even the rare rhino we saw. I couldn’t recommend them enough it was a life changing experience 10/10