US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome safari and kilimanjaro hike with Monkey Adventures
We chose Monkey Adventures for our Kilimanjaro hike and Tanzania safari and I am extremely glad that I made the right choice!
After some basic research on Tripadvisor and other forums, we shortlisted Monkey Adventures and sent a mail across to them to enquire, and we had a lot of questions as this was the first time we were visiting Africa. Nyani was very quick in responding to all our queries, and help us through the payment process to book their tours.
We opted for the airport transfers, as we knew it would be better to have a complete package than to arrange for it ourselves, (and honestly, it is worth it if you are a group of 3-4). We were picked up by the driver and dropped to our hotel in Moshi. We were briefed about our trek the same evening and were ready for our ascent to the ‘Roof of Africa’. Next morning, we picked up the gears from the rental stores as we went to the Machame gate. We had a great company of porters, cooks and guides. The porters ensured we found a nice spot to pitch our tents. The crew was very friendly, and motivated each of us, when we were tired or lost hope of continuing any further. It would not have been possible to reach the summit, if not for the support of these amazing people. Frank was an amazing guide and we are grateful for having him on our attempt to scale Africa’s highest peak. It was tough, but we did it! We also received certificates for having completed the trek. It was a sweet gesture and will be a valuable possession for me!
After the trek, we went to Arusha the same day, as recommended by Nyani. We took rest at our Hotel in Arusha, and were greeted well by the staff there. We had booked a 2 day safari to Tarangire and Ngorongoro crater. The accommodation that they had selected for us (Simba Tarangire Lodge) was so amazing. Masai was an amazing guide. He had great knowledge, ensured we were taken to different parts of the park safely, and showed us many animals. He also had a good sense of humor and made sure we had a great time. The best part was this was a private safari, with just the four of us, and the guide. Hence we never felt cramped for space.
After the safari, we were dropped off at the airport. It was an amazing tour and thanks to Monkey Adventures, our African Holiday was a truly memorable one!
East Africa is our new favorite holiday destination and I would highly recommend Monkey Adventures! They are great.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Surikata safari
Went on safari for 3 nights, 4 days to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. Stunning scenery with amazing variety between the campsite. Our guide was Rocky, who was brilliant and made the trip a lot of fun. He was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and found lots of lion for us. Hilda was our cook who made us loads of delicious local food throughout the trip. Highly recommend this company to anyone looking for a fantastic experience like no other.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We loved it!
We had such a good time. Everything was really well organised. Our guide was just great and the chef, she did the best food we could have wished for. We were very lucky to see all the animals we saw. Easy and simple camp sites.
Just a great experience we could recommend to everybody!!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Andrew - Thoughtful, helpful guide
We chose Kenya for our honeymoon and Vacay helped the experience live up to every expectation. Our guide, Andrew, was fun on the road, adapted the days to what we felt like, and ensured we had great experiences. Also, while we fell a bit ill near the end of the trip (do NOT let this sour you on Kenya, it can happen anywhere and was still great!) Andrew went above and beyond making us comfortable in our travels.
ES
Phantastic organization, excellent guides, different game viewing different reserve, friendly staff
A wonderful safari adventure, unforgettable, unique. Well, very soon we noticed what Charlotte meant at the welcome meeting: "You will get the real feeling of Africa.." Yes, the treehouse and especially the 1 bed with 1 blanket a bit small for 2 elderly women.... but it was part of the adventure. We enjoyed the warm nights on our terrasse with nothing but the stars above, listening to the frogs, zicades and grills with a bottle of wine, slightly shattered of the daily activities, but happy. My phone had died the 2nd day because of the power cut and I had forgotten my PIN number - how wonderful that has been! Me who has a 24 hour service with my mobile clinic, cut off completely!!! Phantastic!
Charlotte always caring that everything is well organized and everyone o.k., Victor planning the next day program, the guides so enthusiastic explaining their nature, animals, plants, the staff always friendly and with a smile on their face, everything well organized. We have been the oldest ones (and to learn how to climb onto the jeeps without looking like grandmas) and the ones with the longest stay. Luckily we found a very nice group and we have been together most of the time. In the evening interchanging information about other countries, customs, cultures,. We have been a Southafrika couple, two Japanese women and an Australian chap, and we from Germany and Austria. So even more information!
Wonderful photos are reminding me, I put quite some all over in my house.
Thank you very much again and hopefully Viva Safaries stays like this and in future will go ahead offering unforgettable, wonderful safari adventures!
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely Amazing Experience
Our group of 5 went to Tanzania a week ago. We found Gilmag Safaris online and soon realized that we had discovered the right company. It was a week long trip and it was well organized. We had correspondence for months prior to our trip. The trip itself was exceptionally well organized. Our guide Kessy was fabulous. His wildlife knowledge was impeccable. He made sure our expectations were exceeded.
We loved our accommodation; food was exceedingly delicious. Our highlight was Tanzania Bush Camps in Ndutu. I can't hesitate to recommend Gilmag to anyone wishing to visit this stunningly beautiful country.
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DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
African Jungles created an absolutely amazing experience for us - we highly recommend this agency!
Please find below our experiences with African Jungles and the team (especially with Naomi, our safari agent, and Peter, our driver)
The tour & destinations:
In the beginning, we booked a fix tour to Ol Pejeta and the Samburu Conservancy as well as some city trips within Nairobi. However, we also had some private tours organized by ourselves but Naomi made everything possible so that our already planned trips fit perfectly into the travelling schedule. Additionally, as we experienced some troubles with an external driver, Naomi very short termed organized some transfers for us what we highly appreciated. Every transfer was ontime, the driver was on site even before we were supposed to meet and we never felt "lost" or somewhat similar during the whole trip.
The parks as well as the trips (Giraff Center, Safari Walk, Nairobi National Park and Sheldrick Center) gave an amazing insight into the Kenyan wildlife, we saw so many animals in their natural habitat (including big five elephants, rhinos, leopard, lion, buffalo) and the service at the camps was really good.
In Ol Pejeta, we joined the tented Sweetwaters Serena Camp. The camp is totally fine, staff is super friendly, weather was lovely and we saw many animals including the Chimpanzees at the sanctuary and the last northern white rhinos.
In Samburu, we joined the Ashnil Camp. The weather was rather hot and we experienced our first "Kenyan rain" but however, we had amazing game drives and the camp is very lovely as well as the staff. We saw many cats during our game drives but also giraffs, zebras and many more.
For Nairobi, we particularly recommend the giraff center (ever kissed a giraff in your life?) and Sheldrick Center as both conservancys do a really great and sustainable job. The Nairobi National Park is a great experience especially if you want to see rhinos and the Masai Giraff. The Safari Walk is a great experience in case you have not seen all cats during the game drives and to learn about how the rangers handle the wildlife at the parks.
We enjoyed every day to the fullest!
Communication & Service:
Getting in contact with African Jungles and Naomi was very easy and we always got very quick responses when we had questions or problems with our travelling schedule (even on the weekend or very late in the evening). Naomi was always very clear about the plans so we knew everything in detail right from the beginning and there were no "hidden costs" or anything else unexpected in the end. Everyone from African Jungles was even more than kind, helpful and always available for us. As our travel schedul was a little confusing in the beginning and we had some major changes during the planning phase, we also highly appreciated Naomi's patience and support.
Additionally, I would like to point out that we never had the feeling that the agency only wanted to "sell a tour" but asking about our goals and expectations, Naomi nearly customized our trip and gave very good advices on what to do and what not. We noticed this when we talked to some guest from other agencys during our stays at the camps where they complained about their agents not paying attention to what they actaully wanted to do.
The paymant was very easy, too, and even though our bank had no problems transferring the money, Naomi and her team also offered to assist in any case what gave us a good feeling.
When we arrived in Nairobi, there were some colleagues from the agency waiting for us at the airport so we instantly experienced a welcome-feeling and were super relexed about the trips ahead. Great!
Driver:
Our driver Peter did an amazing job, always in a good mood, teaching us a lot about (wild)life in Kenya. On the roads as well as in the parks, Peter has been a very careful driver, paying high attention to our well-being and always made sure that we are happy. Within the parks, he knows where to spot the rare animals and we thank him for many unforgettable moments including a hunting leopard, leopards and lions with their cubs, breathtaking sunsets and much more. Additionally, we also thank him for the patience when we needed to stop again for another 500 pictures of the same zebra we spotted 5 minutes ago ;-)
All in all, we must thank Naomi and her team for all the effort to make our trip a journey we will never forget - asante sana!
We highly recommend African Jungles and when we come back to Kenya for another vacation, we make sure to book our tours with them again.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly and Knowledgeable
We were in Tanzania staying at the Harbourview in Dar es Salaam. The front desk connected us with Nodven when we were looking for tours of the area and a possible safari. The next morning we were introduced to Patrick and Gloria, who proved to be wonderful tour guides. Patrick showed us around the Dar area and we were able to take in the beaches, museums, markets and other local points of interests. Patrick also made a point of giving us more of a local experience, eschewing some of the more "touristy" things. Instead we went to the fish market, a local pub, and the market that is used by the Tanzanians rather than the over-priced and kitchy tourist market. That was great! The next day we visited Bagamoyo to learn about the slave trade and see many of the buildings and ruins associated with that time, as well as a local college where students are taught to raise and harvest fish, and build and run fishing boats. Based on these two days we felt comfortable lining up a three day safari for the next week with Nodven.
The safari was to Mikumi National Park. We spent a long day driving around the park with a local tour guide and were so fortunate as to see 4 of the "BIG 5" African animals, as well as many other species. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the area, characteristics of the animals, and knew where were the best places to look for them. The next day Patrick drove us to Udzungwa National Park and we did a beautiful hike up Sanje Falls, enjoying a picnic lunch at a lookout over the scenic valley below.
During the time we spent with them, Nodven took care of all our needs, including meals, drinking water, and excellent hotel accommodations while on safari. They were knowledgeable, and did their best to ensure we had a unique and informative time exploring this area of Tanzania.
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
when we said what we want to see, the guide fulfilled our wish.
all great, very friendly service, a guide with great knowledge told interestingly.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safaris to the paradise of animals
Last June I went to Kenya with my family and my friends. It was amazing experience that I had never had before. The safari tour was so interesting itself and the communications with the company was very good as well. Our driver as well as the tour guide, Silas was very nice, funny, responsible and experienced and we had such a good time together. The whole group wanted me to say hello and thank you to him. He and the company is highly recommended to everyone who wants to see the beauty of Africa.
