IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable experience
Soul Of Tanzania has confirmed the excellent reviews on the internet sites proving to be a tour operator ready to satisfy my every desire since the planning of the trip that included both safari and sea stay in Zanzibar. They always responded to my emails promptly. I discovered with great pleasure that our guide, Daniel, speaks perfect Italian that made the safari experience even more engaging. It has proved to be an exceptional guide, very prepared on the behavior of the animals and an excellent knowledge of the birds also, has a glance out of the ordinary. The vehicle we used for the safari has proven safe and reliable with all the comforts. I also confirm the winning choice to serve hot meals for lunch instead of packed lunches. Thanks to Soul Of Tanzania I lived with my wife an unforgettable experience without any unexpected events
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
nice Kilimanjaro trip
my friend with me(33 and 35 women, not very strong) went to Kilimanjaro Machame route 6days with adventure(kilimanjaro safari).the guy in charge Castro Kapela is very good. the guide HONEST is very professional, he help us went to the top. guide assistant Mr Peter is very good too.
we are not very strong, and we do not exercise regularly. so we don't have confident to the top.
Machame route 6days is very hard, i strongly recommend Machame route with 7days, it's more time to adjust yourself.
day1 is easy, hiking in rainforest. from about 1800m to 3000m, about 5 hours.
day2 is harder than the first day. less tree, and more rock, some time have to climb with hands. from about 3000 to 3850(shira camp), about 5 hours. It's the shortest time all the tour.
day3 is very hard. long way, up and down. from3850 to 4600(lava tower) to 4000(barranco camp). about 8hours.
day4 is also very very hard. long way, difficult to climb(especially barranco wall). 4000 to 4100（karanga camp, if Machame route 7days, you will stay in this camp. it's better to take a break.） to 4600（barafu camp）about 10hours(lunch break 1 hour). we arrived barafu camp about 4pm, after dinner, we got a short sleep，then wake up in 11pm, and start climbing to the top in midnight(12am).
day5 is the hardest day. it's very cold and sleepy. we followed the line and keep moving slowly. from 4600-the top. we used 8hours, yes we were slow, but we did it.
after that, from top-barafu camp, about 2 hours. then have a rest, went to high camp 3950, about 2 hours. totally 12hours.
day6 is very easy. from high camp to Mweka gate 1640, about 3 hours.
tips: bring a vacuum cup, it's very useful day5.
use 7days is better than 6days.
a private toilet is comfortable.
a professional guide is very very important, my guide Honest is very good.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Adventures with Chimpanzees
I was very impressed with the communication before going on the Safari. Our contact in the office was prompt and very easy to communicate with about our Safari desires.
Our guide was a great driver and went out of his way to make sure we saw all the animals we wanted to see. He was accommodating and easy to talk with.
I enjoyed our location of lodging, the Simba Safari lodge was really quaint and the staff were so friendly.
I had an amazing trip with Uzuri, ThankYou so much for everything.
IS
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great servis good people
Exelant, we saw many animals and Tony our guide knew how to find them :)
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Excellent Adventure - The Trip of a Lifetime
My husband and I just returned from a trip with Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris to Uganda to hike with the Mountain Gorillas and to Kenya for game drives/safari. It was an outstanding trip - well-organized, with excellent guides, good lodges and incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It was the trip of a lifetime.
One of the things that really stood out to us was the professionalism, knowledge and absolute dedication to make sure that we were having a great experience of both the owner of Kenya Walking Survivor Safaris (Mr. OT) and the guides. In Uganda, we had Peter - who went out of his way to make sure we saw everything we could and who took such pride and delight in sharing his knowledge and love of his country with us. This young man has such heart - and he really cared about our experience. In Kenya, we had John - we affectionately nicknamed him 'Smilin' John" because - you guessed it - he always had a big smile and was FuLL of positive energy. He made sure we were well taken care of and he patiently answered ALL of our (many, many) questions. He also was exceptional on game drives - he knew every animal and his behaviour AND within the first 12 hours of being in the Maasi Mara - we had seen the big 5 (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo). Actually we saw four of the big 5 - on first game drive on the way to the lodge. He is a master tracker. And an incredibly kind and caring human being. We enjoyed our time with both Peter and John - in fact, they added so much to the trip, I can't imagine it would have been as good without them.
I know it's not easy to choose a tour company for Uganda and/or Kenya. It can feel overwhelming and - especially when you choose one that is local - you worry about everything. Kenya Walking Survivor Safaris is an excellent company - and worthy of your trust. Before we left, I must have sent Mr. OT more than 2 dozen emails asking questions about specifics (I am a planner and a worrier!) - and he answered every one of them with care and kindness - and very quickly. I often wondered if he ever slept or was just there answering emails to me! This is a company filled with people who want you to have a trip of a lifetime and who go out of their way to make it happen.
Everything was organized and efficient, we always felt safe and secure - and the tour we choose with Kenya Walking Survivor Safaris provided HUGE value for our money. If you are considering booking with them - do it now! You will have your trip of a lifetime!!
--- Original review (Jan 6, 2019) ---
I am going on a safari and silverback gorilla tour with Kenya Walking Safaris in mid- February. I just want to address a few comments I have seen online because I feel that as a result of a horrific car accident, this company and its people are being criticized unfairly. (I will update this review post-tour). In my experience to date – this is a great tour company with exceptional people who care about giving their clients an amazing experience in Africa.
The owner of the tour company (Mr. OT) was in a terrible car accident in the fall of 2018. He was in a coma for several weeks. As a result – there were some issues with communication. As soon as Mr OT was able to return to work (thank goodness he recovered!) – he began working to sort everything out. Were mistakes made by his staff – yes. But a) they were trying there their best in a very difficult situation and b) as soon as Mr. OT came back, he went to work putting everything back in place.
One person in our group had to cancel for personal reasons and it took a bit of time to get a refund. She got her refund – and Mr. OT apologized many times about the time it took for her to receive it. Let’s give this man and his team a little bit of compassion and cut him some slack – I have read all of the reviews and everyone who needed a refund appears to have received it, they are working hard to sort out anything that happened because of Mr. OT being IN A COMA!! And it matters to them.
This was a serious accident that almost took Mr. OT’s life. That he is back at work – making sure everyone is taken care of is a testament to his – and his company’s – integrity and honesty. He – and his team care – and are responsible, responsive and proactive. I have emailed them with A LOT of question of over the past few weeks. They answer quickly, provide information that is useful and have gone out of their way to ensure that the trip we have planned will be great.
I own and run a small company and if something horrific like what happened to Mr OT were to happen to me, there are many elements of it that would abruptly come to a halt. And some of my clients would likely be inconvenienced. That is just how life plays out sometimes. In my experience with Kenya Walking Safaris, they have done everything possible to make up for the issues a very small number of people faced because Mr OT was so seriously hurt in a car accident. They care. And – they have been more responsive and professional in their communication and planning with me than many other tour operators I have worked with on other trips.
The best thing I can say about this company is that if a member of my family or a friend was considering booking a trip with Kenya Walking Safaris, I would encourage them to do so.
I have posted this on several review sites because I feel strongly about the integrity and honesty of this company and Mr. OT.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unfortgettable trip
We did a 6 days safari-trip with jocky tours. They were very helpful in setting up a itinerary according to our ideas and made some suggestions themselves.
James, our driver, was an extremely nice guy who knew a lot about all the animals we saw. Everything was very well organized. Accomodation was good, the food as well. All for a very reasonable price. Totally recommended.
IM
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Easy company to work with and Ronnie was a fantastic driver/guide
We used Uzuri to organise a 12 day itinerary to see as much as Uganda as possible. Correspondence with Edris was swift and easy in tailoring a bespoke itinerary for what we wanted and what was possible. As with any safari the most important part of the safari, once tailored to your needs, is the driver/guide and we hit gold with Ronnie. As well as a great guide he was an excellent driver, very knowledgable and a truly nice guy too. We even offered to adopt him on the last day haha! Anyway, in brief, the company itself was a pleasure doing business with and we couldn't have asked for a btter guide so I highly recommend using this company. Or trip started with collection at Entebbe airport then headed south through Kibale for the chimpanzees, then Quenn Elizabeth National Park, Ishasha, Lake Mutanda, Bunyonyi, gorilla trekking and then over the border into Rwanda for Golden Monkey trekking, finishing in Kigali. Thanks Uzuri, we hope to be back to do the northern areas soon. Cheeeeers
CA
65+ years of age
tour operator need to be much more organized with info before the trip
The trip itself was excellent . The guides were terrific , accommodations were great and they were very accommodating. Scenery was great, bikes were good and itinerary was well planned .
However the details of the countries really started in Uganda . Needed info on Rwanda as well .
Communication from Canada wasn’t great,. I need to ask many questions. Lists and details needed to be sent out automatically ahead of time .
I would definite recommend Prime
Safaris
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extrordinary and unforgettable experience
We had a wonderful and unforgettable safari!
We spent a lot of time looking for the right company and it was one of the best decisions we made when we booked our safari experience with Soul of Tanzania.
Our guide, Pius, was very helpful and experienced, he has tremendous knowledge of animals and answering our questions with patience.
Our 7 days safari to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro conservation Area, South Serengeti, Central Serengeti was amazing experience for us. Pius is a very good driver which is important on the Africa bumpy road and he had good relationships with other guides which is very helpful for us to get information for finding the animals.
During our journey we were offered hot lunches with cold wine. Overall, we would highly recommend Soul of Tanzania and especially Pius as a tour guide.
Also we would like to thank their Journey Desiner Lious, Supvisor Ben and whole team for helping us to get an unforgettable trip in Africa.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
He knows all the animals habits, and name of all the fauna
This driver is at the top of his game (pun intended) . A pleasant chap with a great deal of expertise. One safari we came upon 2 stuck Landcruisers, Maina got out surveyed the large mud hole, then proceeded to drive us past the two stuck 4x4s in (at that time) his 2x2 van. More recently we have enjoyed his nice comfortable Landcruiser. You cannot go wrong with Bush Eyes Safari.