DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience going through the nort of Kenya
Our crew Godie and James did a great job showing us the beatiful north of Kenya. Our personal highlight was going through Chalbi and Lake Turkana. Also the food was super delicious amazing African meals and fresh fruits every day! We will be back for one of their other trips!
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Budget Masai Mara Safari
Arrived on a very early flight and was able to start a 3day Masai Mara safari the same day. Airport pickup, was brought to a house nearby to rest for a couple of hours and shower, then driven to the centre of Nairobi to join the other tour members. Communication was excellent prior to my arrival and everything ran smoothly. The safari itself was amazing, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hippos, elephants, cape buffalo, wildebeest, ostriches, hyenas, jackals & many other animals and birds our driver was able to somehow spot and identify. As it was low season I had my own huge tent in our camp for two nights, the food was also excellent & there was plenty of it (buffet-style).
The only downsides were a German couple in our van who stayed at a more upmarket camp far from ours, we spent a bit of time making the bumpy journey over there to pick them up every time, but our driver made up for lost time by staying longer in the park. Also beware that the last 70km or so in the van to get to the camp are on probably the worst road I have ever been on in my life, but for the price of this tour it's worth putting up with.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good experience
Great experience at a quite affordable price. They pick you up at the border. They are very responsible and help you with everything, from equipment rent to hotel booking. I strongly recommend to count with them!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Encounters with gorillas a must
Our tour which covered both Uganda and Rwanda, was quite big - 14 days which dragged on with little to do. The highlights were definitely the gorilla and chimpanzee encounters. I wouldn't recommend the national parks in Uganda as very little to see. Make sure your tour guide is experienced and has knowledge of the area and animal tracking.
US
Experience level: first safari
amaizing experience .... with the best guide ever.
bubbling welcome with a bottle of champagne was just a fantastic surprise , the driver Jackson was excellent and experienced . when it comes to guiding and driving off road looking for animals , he is the best . for an adventurous safari , it can only be Tazama... thank you Jackson and Antony Gitau.
US
Glad I chose Barafu for Kili trek
I had a great time climbing Kilimanjaro and couldn't have done it without Raphael and his crew. The summit day was brutal and Raphael pushed me harder and I was able to make it to the top. Excellent crew, porters and cooks. I wanted to do the 7 day Lemosho route but after the second day, I knew it would take 8 days for me. Raphael had gladly accommodated my request.
Chance is a very honest and professional guy to deal with. Right from the airport pickup till drop off, everything went so smooth and their service exceeded my expectations. I did a lot of research and spoke to a number of different people who had booked through Barafu and was glad I chose them.
Climbing the mountain itself was pretty tough and the summit day can get brutal. But when you make it to the top, it's such a rewarding experience. I am already looking forward for my next climb to Mt Meru.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A life-changing experience
Having read books on Africa and heard the stories for over 60 years, finally I had the chance to experience it. Absolutely fantastic - the people, the animals , the landscapes and all bought together in a compact form by John Cooper and African Adventures. A series of emails prior to the trip help set the scene and make sure we were prepared for the excitment to come.
My trip was just two weeks and started in Harare, Zimbabwe travelling to Great Zimbabwe, Matobo Hills, Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls and finally Chobe River in Botswana. The adventure started slowly allowing participants to feel the atmosphere - then the tempo increased -the animals got bigger -more dangerous - as we were able walk among elephants, rhino, and also view from bunkers as they visited the water hole. Vic Falls was a welcome break and allowed a few days shopping interspersed with helicopter flights over the falls and sunset cruises on the Zambezi.
Finally the tour reached its' climax -Chobe River and floating amongst the animals in the Pangolin Safari photographic boats. This is certainly not the cheapest safari but the money is well spent in getting to the best spots and having the flexibility of a small group tour. John was most attentive and ensured each persons needs were taken into account with his planning and tour delivery.
I am looking forward to going back
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Honeymoon in Africa!
My wife and I travelled on our honeymoon throughout the Serengeti, Ngorogoro and Tangire National Park. Our tour guide was Arasto who was absolutely incredible over our five day adventure. From the start, we knew that we were in good hands. Our guide drove for hours and hours, answered any questions we had with pleasure and an upbeat attitude. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner together and can say that we made a friend by the end of our vacation. For anyone considering a safari in Tanzania, we highly recommend "It Started in Africa".
Travelling in September was great because it was dry season. The weather in the day-time was hot to say the least; but overnight temperatures dipped and bringing proper clothing is important. The guide will look after the rest and ensure you have a great time. We said from day number one, as long as we see a cheetah, we will leave Africa happy. Arasto patiently watched for hours and hours until we found the rare cheetah. You could truly tell he loved his job! Would definitely go back, incredible experience!
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g297913-d4997591-r472229875-It_Started_in_Africa_Day_Tours-Arusha_Arusha_Region.html#
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Seeing the places I wanted to see, the way I wanted to see them
This was the second adventure that I had been on with this company. I wanted to see something different even though it was hard to imagine a better selection than I had seen first time. Before the trip, I was well informed by a series of emails on all aspects of African travel. We even had a meeting of the group to get to know each other.
I was away for 5 weeks and the trip covered over 6000kms from Capetown in South Africa up the West Coast of Africa - Namibia, Botswana and I finished in Vic Falls, Zimbabwe. On a trip this long there were many unexpected events - some good such as rare animal sightings -pangolin, black rhino and more, and some not so good such as being bumped from a planned stop for some reason. In every case, John Cooper was able to use his knowledge and contacts to obtain an alternate of equal or better quality.
The group was generally under 10 people - some joined and left- and this enabled a very flexible itinerary to take advantage of local conditions or special sightings. The trip was planned to limit the number of long drives and where possible to stay an extra day or two in interesting locations.
This was another once in a lifetime experience for my wife and I made possible by African Adventures and in particular John Cooper.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best service and best adventure thanks to Safari Online
Walter from Safari Online organised such a great experience for my friends and I in the Kruger. I think he’s the most helpful person I have ever worked with.
Let’s start with Sunrock Guest House since that was our first stop. The rooms are super comfortable and the oversized two head showers were a treat after a long plane ride. We had a chance to speak to the owners when we arrived and they were so lovely and welcoming. They organized food packs to take with us on our shuttle to the Kruger, since we left before breakfast. Definitely recommend this place.
The shuttle ride to the Umlani Bush Camp took about 7 hours because of road works but we had plenty of stops so the trip was broken up well. The shuttle is comfortable and the company supplied us with enough water for the trip.
Umlani Bush Camp was just perfect. Rustic but very comfortable. The staff were so lovely and accommodating that at times we felt a little overwhelmed with how attentive they were. Each day the safari guides made it their mission to make sure we had a really great adventure. We had all the luck and saw every animal we wanted to see and more. On our last day, just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we had the opportunity to watch two male lions stalking a leopard hiding up a tree with his kill. The leopard eventually made it away safely. On our last night we stayed in the Umlani tree house, about 500m from the camp. I would totally recommend this to anyone visiting Umlani. It was a night sleeping under a sheet of stars listening to the sounds of the beautiful wild. Before we went to bed our torch caught the eyes of a hyena, a buffalo and a herd of impalas - as confirmed the next day by the tracker. We requested a night in the treehouse as soon as we found out about it on arrival, but perhaps to ensure a night there people might be able to do it before they arrive. Definitely recommend the Umlani Bush Camp to anyone visiting Kruger.
Walter, thanks again for your help organizing a memorable adventure, answering all our questions so quickly and and being thorough with sending us all the details we needed for the trip. You helped make the trip as awesome as it was. If anyone I know plans to visit South Africa I’ll be sending them your way.