MY
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
It was a great reward!
Everything was perfect! African Welcome Safari organised for us a marvelous 10-day safari which allowed us to discover Victoria Falls and the stark, otherworldy beauty of Botswana. It was really one of the best and most luxurious ways to experience the highlights of Botswana and its world-class game viewing!
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely seamless safari experience!
My girlfriend and I booked a 6-day safari with Wild Root Safaris. We had an absolutely fantastic time and we 100% recommend them. I can easily say that of the 5 times I have been on safari, this was by far my best experience. The person in charge, Mathew, used to be a guide on Kilimanjaro before co-founding the company with a Canadian around 10 years ago.
In November of 2015, I found Wild Root along with a few other operators on SafariBookings.com. I emailed to see the prices and itineraries they offered and most of them got back to me. Of the replies, Wild Root was the fastest and most personable, addressing all our questions and giving us several options. As we are students, price was a concern and we wanted to make sure all costs were accounted for. Mathew did an excellent job of this and was extremely helpful regarding suggestions for accommodations and places to go, things to do, etc. Even though park fees went up significantly from the time of reservation to the time of travel, Mathew honoured the booking price, something a luxury tour operator didn’t do for a family we met on Kili.
We then sent our deposit through to Wild Root so that the bookings could get underway. Sending a large amount of money to someone you have only spoken to via email is nerve-racking, but everything worked out absolutely perfectly. As our safari was in July 2016 (8 months after reserving), we touched base every few months with Mathew to make sure everything was booked as planned. We tried calling the hotels and lodges, but their communication was sub-par to say the least. Mathew assured us that everything was set up and that we would have a great time – how right he was!
We planned to meet with our guide in Arusha at our hotel after climbing Kilimanjaro. After some time at the hotel, the hotel staff told us Mathew and our guide, Issa, had arrived. They showed us the vehicle – an absolutely gorgeous, brand new Toyota Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof. Mathew and Issa went over the safari with us and addressed any questions we had, something we were extremely impressed with.
The next 6 days on safari were spectacular. We went to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and then the Ngorongoro Crater. The wildlife we saw was phenomenal. Issa was incredibly punctual, knowledgeable, caring and wonderfully personable. My girlfriend, having never been on safari, was very keen to see the ‘Big 5’. Issa made sure of this, the highlight of which was watching a lion stalk a Thomson’s gazelle for 45 minutes and just miss its prey. All of the lodges we stayed at along the way were superbly comfortable and the food was delicious.
Aside from the safari, Issa took us to several markets and suggested prices for items, what to look out for, how to bargain for the best deal, etc. He was always watching out for our safety: once when we were in a market stall for a long period of time and out of his view, he came looking for us to make sure we were okay. We ended up getting some fantastic bargains because of his advice and have some fantastic souvenirs.
At the end of the safari when we were back at the hotel, Mathew met with us to discuss our trip and make sure everything went well. We let him know just how impressed we were and how much we loved our experience. Wild Root certainly exceeded our expectations! We definitely recommend them as well as our guide, Issa. Knowing how great our safari was, I wish I booked our Kili trek with Wild Root as well. Thank you to Wild Root for making memories to last a lifetime!
IN
20-35 years of age
Request David for having Stanley as your driver/guide
First of all, the price they offer is unbelievably cheap!!!! Though the accommodations & food are very basic, but we never mind on those little things. We were there to cherish the biodiversity of Kenya and Absolute Holiday Safaris enriched us with lots of lifetime memories.
We had an 8 days' package in Kenya including Masai Mara,Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasa & Amboseli. Though they usually offer a 7 days' package in this circuit, but we requested for an extra full day in Masai Mara & David arranged accordingly. We were clubbed with different co-travelers on different national parks, but everything was on time & we had not to wait a long time for anybody in anywhere. David is a very kind & really helpful guy. 'Now our office is not you tour operator's office. It is your home in Nairobi.'- He said on the last day. And it was really that! Our trip with them was ended on 8th August and our return flight was on 9th evening. On 9th morning, we checked out from our hotel, kept our luggage in David's office & went to visit Nairobi National Museum. Though it was not included in our package, but David arranged a car for us to the museum & later dropped us on airport. And this entire arrangement was 'absolute'ly free of cost!!!
From the 3rd day of our trip, we got Stanley as our driver cum guide. He has immense knowledge & insight about animals & birds. He has good spotting capability and knows exactly when & where to stop the car to capture great wildlife photographs. Our one & only one complain about Absolute Holiday Safaris is all other drivers are not as sincere & efficient as Stanley. Having a good driver/guide in any game drive matters a lot. If any fellow-traveler is planning to book Kenya trip with Absolute Holiday Safaris, I will suggest him/her to request David for Stanley as your driver/guide.
FI
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Outstanding service and attention to details to an affordable price.
As a photographer, I travel to Kenya twice a year. Therefor I am really happy to have found E-trip Africa to arrange all my details. Their utmost attention to details along with excellent communication and service skills has made all my trips to Kenya to be of an outstanding quality. I'm happy to recommend E-trip to anyone who is looking for a stellar safari experience.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing country, with wild nature and exotic and luxurious places
This was one of my favorite destinations until now. We did many activities (diving, snorkeling, boat trips, many game drives some on our own, village visit) and saw so many wild animals. We traveled only in a small part of South Africa Kwazulu-natal, but it was more than enough. It was an amazing experience very well organized at an affordable price. Our accommodations were part luxurious and part basic, which I think it is a perfect combination.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our increadible journey.
We contacted Flash Safaris amongst other companies. We chose them because they were fast to respond, had good ideas and the lodges/tented camps looked really good. When we arrived we met Magda and Edward. They took their time to show us around in Arusha and explain our safari thoroughly. Our driver/guide was Charles. He seemed somewhat introvert at first but in no time he made jokes with us and told us everything about Tanzania, the animals and the nature. We felt very safe with him. He is an excellent driver! He did his best to please us and show us the beauty of Tanzania. And it is very beautiful! The nature and animals were fantastic, we even saw the big five! The lodges and tented camps were our home away from home, with super friendly staff. The food was really good, but we didn't had ugali so the last night Edward took us out to taste this typical Tanzanian dish. Everything we wanted or asked for they provided us. If we would go back, we would go with Flash. An extra thank you to Henry wo helped us arrange our trip. He was very honest about everything and gave excellent advice. Thanks Flash Safaris for an unforgettable trip!!
SA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceed Expectations
The service was exceptional from the very beginning. I got prompt response after initial contact and all subsequent correspondence were very cordial, helpful, prompt and professional. The safari itself was lots of fun and we had an enlightened patient guide and cautious driver in one person, Mr Omari. He was very experience and competent with good awareness of the local cultures, the various animals and the environment. Accommodations in all three locations were perfect with good food to boost. We were a family of 5 and the children had a blast. Beacon took care of all logistics from the moment we exited the airport to departure out AF Nairobi.
MA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
friendly people, and peacefulness
friendly people, and peacefulness. Tanzania has a more sustainable model for Safari and is not blindly going after mass tourism market - thankfully !
we decided to retake the same safari with Mercury Tours again
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari tour Amboseli and Tsabo
We were a group of 5 who decided to go on a 3-day safari tour. Everything went as expected and I must also say that sometimes even better than that! The lodges were great, both the installations and the food, and we got everthing explained by our guide during the safari. A great experience that I can truly recommend!!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our six day safari was the most incredible and memorable trip of our lives.
We just returned from a six day safari that included Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. From the beginning, "It Started in Africa " was responsive to all my emails, answered all my questions and the prices were reasonable. Our guide, Joel, was the best. He was knowledgeable, patient and friendly. He met us at the airport and was with us the entire safari. We saw the big 5 but more than that we saw wonderful scenes such as a small elephant nursing, lionesses hunting, cheetahs stalking and much more. Joel was willing to go further into the parks away from the majority of the vehicles so that we could experience these incredible scenes. The roads are bumpy and dusty but in spite of that Joel made any discomfort worth it.
Our accommodations were great. Very comfortable with fabulous views.
Each day surpassed the previous day. Cannot say enough about the friendliness of everyone I dealt with at the company. Best trip of our lives!!