35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
Classic Journeys Africa provided us with an amazing time. Mathew was very helpful and made all the information very interesting and exciting. He was very professional and very knowledgeable. He made us feel more like friends than customers. The company provided us with a variety of activities. It was worth every penny.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
I have always dreamt of going to Africa and my trip exceeded all my expectations by a factor of 10.
Our guide, Paul, enhanced our experience immeasurably. His knowledge base is phenomenal. The facts he has stored in his mind about the animals, insects, trees, reptiles, flowers and most especially about the birds could fill volumes. He shares that knowledge in a warm gracious manner even when asked for the ninth time to id the same bird. He provided insight into the culture and practices of the people, especially the Maasai and some history of the country, He is a skilled driver. Paul's enthusiasm and love of nature made every discovery all the more incredible. He was so considerate in making every effort to meet our wishes. He is a consummate professional with wonderful people skills. Paul will absolutely be an asset to any organization fortunate enough to have him on their staff. I was also struck by many other aspects of our trip such as the density, proximity and diversity of the wildlife. -The magnificence of the endless plains, vistas and the unique environment of Ngorongoro Crater. The soft spoken warmth of the people and consistent dazzle of the smiles given often and easily. -The tremendous variety of birds and the incredible range of sizes, shapes, colors - amazing and you could actually see them because of the openness of the terrain. The itinerary was so well planned and provided exposure to the wealth of varied experiences. We were very happy with all the lodges and tent camps you selected. Each one had their own individual flavor and the staff at each was very accommodating and gracious. The pre-trip communication was timely and efficient and I very much appreciated your assistance and input in coming up with our final itinerary. The packing list was great and very helpful to one who has never been on a safari. I would definitely recommend your company to anyone interested in going to Africa. There are a couple of items I thought you might consider. One, is providing visitors with reusable plastic lunch containers to eliminate the one-time cardboard boxes provided and maybe providing each person with a reusable water bottle (maybe with your logo on it) filled from one large bottle to cut down on the plastic bottles. The other frustration was trying to recharge camera batteries; if you could have an operational converter in the vehicle it would be great. I could go on and on and on about how incredible, fantastic, surreal, stupendous, unbelievable, over the top my adventure was but I'd still come up short. So asante sanna again and again.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing adventure in uganda
Bella organized a great 12-days safari to Murchinson Falls, Kidepo Valley, Pian Upe and Sipi Falls for me. During the booking process she was very responsive and made sure I had everything that is needed.
After the tour started she adapted the itinerary perfectly to fit my preferences, so that I got more unforgettable nature walks and views.
I liked her chosen accomodations and enjoyed every activity.
Although there were some long travel days(with often terrible roads) and I did not get to see every animal I hoped for, Bella made sure that this trip was a wonderful experience!
Experience level: first safari
I experienced warmth and friendly environment.
Communication and service are very amaizing,I spent 5 days with Erick,its was so interesting,driver guide was good with me.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Wonderful Safari Adventure from A to Z (A-mazing A-nimals to Zzz's great lodges)!
Viva Safaris exceeded all of our expectations! It was so wonderful that Viva Safaris picked us up from our home in Johannesburg and provided travel all the way to and back from the safari. The drivers were friendly and very professional. The group had a great lunch on the ride there and back and the opportunity for great photo ops at the beautiful Blyde River Canyon! The stay at both lodges was fantastic... beautiful scenery, clean comfortable rooms, delicious meals and a wonderful staff. All of the safari adventures were exciting. The animal sightings during the spotlighting tour was a bit scarce, but the entire experience was still wonderful, and we saw all of the Big Five the next day at the Kruger Park safari tour! The only thing I would change is not staying for one more night. :) Money very well spent! We can't wait to come back!
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent first safari experience
We had very good contact with Anne for safari planning. She was very reactive and could provide us all information needed to make our decisions and design the whole trip. She welcomed us in Dar Es Salaam and made us feel confortable for our first travel in Africa. Our trip combined safaris in Selous, Ruaha and beach hang out in Zanzibar. We liked very much all the places where we stayed and recommend warmly Afric'Aventure.
To mention some of our highlights: amazing to sleep so close to the animals (seen elephant, hyenas, girafes closed to the water when waking up; heard the lions during the night), bush breakfest, lions sightseeing, boat safari, visit of authentic masaï village... Very good memories!
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience !
We had a very excellent holiday because of the various stays : mountains, safari tours and Cape Town. Accomodations were great, luxury, friendly! Communication with the staff of Tailor made Safari's was before and during the trip very, very good. Everything well organized! Our next trip to Africa will be with Tailor made Safari's ! Thank you so much!
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very friendly and a very good service!
Tailor Made Safaris made for us a very nice trip to the Elephant Coast. In the 3 weeks we have seen a big variety of animals and beautiful landscapes. The guide was very nice and frendly and has a lot of experiance. The guide from Tailor Made Safaris took us to the most special and beautiful places in this area and show us a lot of wild animals. We have visited a lot of very nice and high luxury resorts. South Africa is a very beautiful country with very nice people and this is a reason once to go back to South Africa. We want to thank Tailor Made Safaris for the hospitality. Keep on going!!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5-day Viva Safari in Tremisana Lodge near Kruger
Our 5-day safari at Tremisana Lodge near Kruger Natl Park exceeded expectations for my wife and I. Our trip started with a flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg, where we stayed the night at a comfortable but inexpensive Safari Lodge near the airport which Viva Safaris helped us to reserve. The next morning we had a 6-hour drive to Tremisana that was part of the package, arriving at the Lodge in the late afternoon. That evening we went on a 3-hour night drive where we saw a black-backed jackal mother (with cubs in a nearby termite mound), elephants (mothers and children), and numerous impala (the fast food of the bush). The following morning we went on a 'bush walk' just after sunrise where our guide, Rex, and his partner, Elias, tracked a black rhinoceros and her 2-year old daughter. Rex predicted that the rhinos would be near our jeep when we returned there an hour later, and, sure enough, they were happily munching twenty feet off the road upon our return. We were so close we could see them use their protuberances to strip the leaves off the branches, hear them chew the vegetation, and see the young rhino communicate with her mother in response to our presence. Prior to returning to the jeep we had seen a group of hippos next to several crocodiles in the river, and a troop of baboons across the river. Rex and Elias also showed us some of the 'little five' along our hike, and their communication with the group while tracking the rhinos at a distance truly enhanced the experience. During the middle of the day we enjoyed the small pool and lounging chairs, interacting with other guests from around the world. During the evenings of our stay we regularly went on drives, and saw many different types of animals, including giraffe, kudu, duiker, impala, steenbok, mongoose, hyena and others, often with their young. We were astounded how much wildlife there was considering how badly the drought seemed to be affecting the vegetation, but the lack of vegetation made seeing the animals easier, I think. Other highlights of the trip were the full day we spent in Kruger, where we saw small herds of wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, impala, Cape buffalo, a pride of lions with the alpha female protecting a recent kill, a recent impala kill stored for safekeeping in a tree by a leopard, a lounging leopard under a tree just 30 feet from the jeep, and many other amazing sitings. We also enjoyed our visit to the Maholoholo Sanctuary, where we learned about the devastating impact that modern civilization has on these magnificent creatures and we enjoyed petting an 'ambassador' cheetah, feeding the vultures and watching an adult male lion take raw meat from our guide. Our trip to the private game reserve Tshukudu was also very enjoyable as we got within 50 feet of a pride of lions napping in a dry river bed. The male and female roared in response to the engine noise of our jeep. We saw a baby hippo with its protective mother in one of the water holes there as the sun set. On our farewell drive the morning of our departure, we experienced a poignant moment when we saw four lion cubs, one of whom had somehow gotten on the 'wrong side of the fence' and was chuffing at her litter mates. The three that were on our side of the fence were in obvious distress at the fact that their litter mate was separated from them, and all four were communicating with each other. Despite the immense size of Kruger Natl Park, which Tremisana Lodge is adjacent too without any fencing separating the two areas, this experience reminded us that habitat loss is one of the major problems facing the many species we encountered during our stay. Overall, we thought that Viva Safaris provided us with a terrific experience for a very affordable price. We enjoyed the breakfasts and dinners prepared by the kitchen staff that were served outdoors, with a troop of velvet monkeys playing amongst themselves and often attempting to play with the guests, the warthogs and yellow hornbills eating the leftover fruit disposed of by the staff just outside the protective fence, and a curious genet exploring the area around our dinner one evening. Everyone we talked to who was on safari with us wished we could stay 'just one more day' because every day yielded something unexpected and memorable. We appreciated all the hard work from the staff at Viva Safaris and felt like we had made a lasting connection with many of them; we can't wait to visit again!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
4 day gorilla and golden monkey treks
It was a wonderful trip. we were picked up at the airport by our guide and driver in a comfortable Toyota Land Cruiser and taken on a tour of Kigali. Transferred to our lodge for three nights. The accommodations (Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge) were clean and comfortable, the food was very good. the lodge staff was excellent. The nights were cold and the in room fireplace and hot water bottles in your bed were a welcome surprise. The treks were fantastic seeing the gorillas and the golden monkeys was special. The Arrive Africa staff was also excellent from the planning, getting the permits and the field staff that took excellent care of us. It was a well planned and executed.