CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
I went on the 6 day canoe trip from Kariba to Mana Pools. It was a rich experience that allowed us to experience the animals and nature in a very intimate way. It was a bit scary at times to feel so vulnerable with the animals, however, our guides made us feel safe. They are exceptionally well trained and comfortable on the river, especially our lead guide Manu. It was truly humbling to be able to spend these days with the guides and animals in such a beautiful environment.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely fabulous tour operators.
I have just completed a 2 week tour with Twiga in Kenya. Our driver, Humphrey, was fabulous. Full of information about the animals and birds, and if he didn't know he'd look it up for us. We saw all the big '5' as they say plus some very elusive animals, like the wild dogs. We saw a cheetah stalking it's prey, and hippo's, crocodiles and birds galore. We also saw the annual migration of wilderbeasts. I highly recommend this company.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing adventure and memorable experience with The Great Adventure Africa
I and my boyfriend had a 4 days adventure in the 3 major parks in Tanzania as part of our vacation. We found a really nice group, we were 6 individuals in the safari jeep. Our guide (Gabriel) was so much experienced, he made our tour very satisfying and enjoyable. He would answer to every question about animals and nature, thus creating an amazing experience.
The 3 nights in camping were an adventure in the middle of tanzanian parks. You could find animals like zebra and gazzeles just outside our tent. A chef cooked different fresh meals everyday lunch dinner and breakfast. You will find your tent ready every night.
We saw all the major animals from a very near view. We also visited the archaeological sites with evidence of human origin like Olduvai Gorge.
The trip was really adventurous, created a life memories and we also made new friends.
I recommend The Great Adventure Africa for an amazing tour experience in Tanzania!
UY
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I felt scamed. They did not comply with the agreement
At first Stephen responded quickly and provided me with an itinerary according to my requirements and clearly stating what was included and what was not and the price. I had requested other quotes and made my choice by ranking the number of safaris proposed, a room for myself and accommodations in nature environments. All this in the month of January I also contracted with them for 8 days in Uganda (which they subcontracted to another company) After having sent the signal, I have questions specific to the trip to which Stephen does not answer directly and that is where my distrust begins when I see that there is no transparency and clarity in the communication on his part.
After requesting an invitation letter from both countries for the purposes of applying for the visa, I found out from the Ugandan agency that my room was going to be shared. It wasn't what we had agreed upon. Words come and go, 2 weeks away I am leaving for Nairobi. I don't know what happened between them but in Uganda I was always in a private room. I will go on to detail what was established in the itinerary and I did not have:
- pre and post accommodation. I had pre but no post. I insisted on that, it should have been in Uganda (I paid Pride of Africa, so they had to have arranged it) but I had to pay for the accommodation myself. - They charged me U$30 for the deposit transaction, which should have corresponded to them, (this is stated in our WhatsApp conversation), having already paid the part that corresponded to me here. - the most serious. They took away 4 safaris from me...4!!! One in Masai Mara, another in the morning in Nakuru, another in the afternoon and a night safari in Bothelli (which was the only night safari there was) Instead, on the day we were supposed to have a safari in the afternoon and evening, they take us back to Naivasha and leave us at a lodge at 1:30 p.m. (a place with no park or anything to do), "to rest." ". I'm not going to Kenya from Uruguay for 7 days to rest, needless to say. The day we went to Hells Gate, they gave us 1 hour by bicycle, they did not take us to one of the parts that are allowed to go in the Devil's Throat itself, (they took many people there and it is a spectacular view) and then to drive to Amboselli to get there and do nothing again. When I wrote to Stephen complaining about these things, he always told me about other things and never responded. I told him I felt cheated. The group was 7 people that we had hired from different agencies. The itinerary responded to what they had but my itinerary was different
- The first 2 days they put me to sleep in a room with another person, it was not what was agreed upon either. - It is not my first safari experience. The animals will be notified very early in the morning, 6:30, and in the evening. We always left after 8 am and long before sunset we had returned to the rooms, greatly reducing the safari times. This also greatly reduced the chances of seeing animals. - drivers are drivers, they are not guides. They don't explain anything to you and they don't show anything that doesn't break your eyes either. By the way, they are not at all friendly in their treatment either. - They have a radio in the car to communicate with other cars in case they see animals. One of the safaris left with the radio not working. - on the last day, we were supposed to have a picnic lunch on the way but we rushed it and dropped us directly at the airport - The pack lunch, the times we had it, in my case I am a vegetarian, consisted of 2 loaves that inside had, literally, a very small slice of finely cut tomato and an equal one of cucumber, plus an egg (sometimes) and a banana Although this and eating rice and beans every day is not what worried me. As I said before, I don't go to Kenya for food or to rest.
- the only place we had accommodation in nature was at Amboselly Niati Safari Camp. A very beautiful environment with the stunning view of Kilimanjaro....full of cockroaches that walked inside the bed, through the toothbrush...tremendous I reiterate, everything was very cordial with Stephen until the sign. When I complained to him that it was not what was agreed upon, (especially my insistence was on the safaris) he told me because I was the only one complaining. I was complaining Stephen, I told you at the time and I'll tell you here too, because I was the only one who had another itinerary. It should be in another group, or you should have made it clear to me that there were changes, refunding my money or repairing it in some way. That's why I told you that I felt cheated and I still feel cheated. I am a born traveler and I have been to Africa several times, in conclusion it is the worst company I hired in my life. I have my detailed itinerary and all the WhatsApp messages available to anyone who wants them.
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very very nice, So recomended, woow
Spectacular! A highly recommended experience, Deo's team treated us like kings, Safari with a 2-year-old girl, they gave us all the possible facilities, the accommodation was very luxurious and clean, the food was great, the main day of the Safari we had GOOD LUCK as a guide, he is super friendly, he cared and made every effort to see all the animals, we saw everything including a pack of 7 lions and leopards... Thank you so much Deo for everything, we are delighted.
(automatic translation from Spanish)
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a great time in Amboselli and Masai Mara thanks to Jocky tours, especially our guide Joshua!
Our tour guide Joshua was brilliant, he was so knowledgable about the animals and the park. We saw the big five and even got to see the Mara river crossing! It was a brilliant experience and great value for money. If you’re booking with jocky tours ask for Joshua!
SK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Samburu and Aberdare safaris
We had a really good guide, which made our safaris unforgettable. I think he is the best. He had a really lot of experience. For example, nobody had seen leopard in Samburu for 4 days, but he found it. There was a really good communication with this company, they prepared for us the best itinerary according to our needs. Please prepare for paying deposit which is 100% few days before safari start. They can also be flexible if there is something missing to you or you are not enjoying any of your itinerary. We should go for 2 days to Aberdares, but once we found out there is a quite dense forrest and animals are rare to see during the day on game drives, they offered us swap for hiking on Mount Kenya National Park where we see some interesting animals.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thank you Zohar team for an Unforgettable Experience
Going on a real African safari has been on my bucket list for decades. So, when we finally decided to go ahead with it, I spent a very long time searching for the best possible travel experience contacting and comparing many different companies. Zohar stood out from day one, initially thanks to how both Jacqueline at first and later on Lilian communicated with me. I had a million questions which were always answered promptly and with a lot of patience (as I do tend to go into a lot of detail 😊). This reassured me. Lilian adapted the itinerary to our wishes and did her utmost best to stay within the budget we had fixed for this trip. For every day of the tour, she proposed a selection of lodges to choose from.
We just came back yesterday from our 12 day vacation in Tanzania. The first 6 days were fully organized by Zohar after which we spent 5 nights in Zanzibar. Upon arrival, when we stepped out of the airport our safari guide (Solomon) was there waiting for us. When we got to the car we were presented with refreshing towels and fresh fruit juice. We also received water bottles with our names on to use during the safari.
As we arrived late at night, we had scheduled to take a day to relax and leave on safari on day 2. Both Lilian and Solomon took out time to come and see us in our lodge to give more detailed information and useful tips to make our safari experience as good as possible. I was very happy to be able to meet Lilian in person after having communicated with her by email for so long.
Over the next 4 days we visited Tarangire, Manyara and Ngorongoro National Parks and we also made a cultural village visit (Mto Wa Mbu) and an authentic Masai cultural visit. Solomon was with us every step of the way. He is extremely knowledgeable about nature, animals, local culture and was able to spot the wild life from miles away. He is also a very good and safe driver. We were truly impressed.
Our first game drive (Tarangire) happened to be on my birthday. I never mentioned this but somehow when we arrived at our lodge late afternoon, there was an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne with my name on the label and a card from Zoha waiting for me in our room. As if that was not enough, I also received a birthday cake + sing and dance after dinner by the staff of the lodge.
All along the 6 days Lilian and her team stayed in touch with us through a WhatsApp group that she created a few weeks before our departure. Before our departure Rachel was in touch with us through the group to share valuable tips on what to know and pack for the trip.
We spent our last night not too far from the airport to catch an early flight to Zanzibar the following morning. I really appreciate that Lilian took out time (on a Sunday) to come on see us personally to say goodbye even though she just returned from a very long drive and was really tired.
Conclusion: I never experienced this level of customer service and personal attention anywhere in my life. I have travelled a lot over the years (personal and professional) so I am quite qualified to compare. We will book with Zohar again for sure and I advise anybody reading this review to do the same, you will not regret it.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience, 100% service oriented
The service provided by the people from Shammah Wonders is out of this world. I've been to many hotels and restaurants in Western countries, including 5 star superior hotels and Michelin star restaurants, and let me tell you that Shammah Wonders' service level is definitely up there with the best of the best for a fraction of the price.
We had a private safari, which actually was private from the beginning until the end. I double checked with Justine whether this was actually a private safari, because I received similar offers from other companies where it was a shared safari. Shammah Wonders had by far the best offer I received. I don't know how they do it, but somehow they have the best price, the best guides, the best hotel and a fully private safari. I'm not complaining. :-)
Our Safari guide Eli and the trainee Tiko were very knowledgeable about the animals and the park. They made sure we had a good combination of chasing through the park towards something that was spotted by other guides (e.g. lions hunting a giraffe), and being by ourselves in wide open spaces full of animals. The bush walk led by Simba was an unforgettable experience as well.
Some noteworthy highlights:
- We even joined Eli after hours to the local bar, where we danced with the local people
- My girlfriend was sick during the airplane ride back (not at all the fault of Shammah Wonders of course), and the Shammah Wonders taxi driver patiently waited for almost 90 minutes before we drove off to the hotel
- We got a free upgrade to an amazing room in a nearby camp
Don't even bother comparing this to other safari companies, you've found the best one. ;-)
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service in the Pearl of Africa
Had an outstanding 3 day mountain gorilla trek. Our tour guide Joseph gave us an amazing experience. Will definitely be booking with them again.
