IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The big 9!
We travelled on a Safari trip for our honeymoon with Savannah Explorers and it was absolutely amazing. Everything about the 4 day trip was incredible. Our guide, Jackson, was so knowledgeable, professional, kind, and friendly & he brought us on an incredible trip to Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater. We saw all the big 5 plus much more (we actually saw the big 9!) often super close, we were lucky enough to see a 1 month old baby elephant with its herd only 5 meters from the car! - it was so special and we will remember this trip forever. 5/5 would recommend, our expectations were blown away! Also everywhere we stayed was so nice along the way! Thanks so much Jackson & everyone at Savannah Explorers!
Sarah and Kieran
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magnificent
From the reservation to the day of the safari everything went on very smoothly and Richard together with the team were the best when it comes to organizing the safari. We had a time of our life with a super amazing guide and we were able to see all the animals we would have wished to see. I would highly recommend them if you are booking your safari.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience |North and South Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater & Arusha
While we truly enjoyed our trip, I believe it’s important to highlight both the positive and negative aspects to help improve future experiences for other travelers like us.
Negative Feedback:
- Vegetarian Meal Mix-up: Despite informing both three months before our booking and again two days before we arrived in Zanzibar that we are vegetarians, there was a significant lapse in communication regarding our meals.
On our first day in Seronera, we received lunch boxes with chicken. My wife unknowingly took a bite of a chicken samosa, which is deeply concerning for us, as eating non-vegetarian food is against our cultural and religious practices.
Even after notifying the lodge about this, we were served eggs the next day. As a result, we skipped two meals during our stay at Ikoma because of this miscommunication.
The lodge claimed (as per our conversation) that we were served vegetarian meals, but only a portion of the meal (biscuits and a sandwich) was vegetarian. As we had paid for a full board, we expected all the food to be vegetarian and were disappointed that this was not the case.
Dinner at South Serengeti: During our stay in South Serengeti, the only food option available for us at dinner was potato wedges, as the main course was beef. The chef explained that had he been informed about our dietary preferences, he would have prepared a suitable meal. This further confirmed that our vegetarian preferences were not communicated, leading us to miss out on yet another meal.
Overall, this communication gap around meal preferences caused us to skip three meals, which was frustrating given that we had paid for a full board plan.
Positive Feedback:
Beautiful Accommodations:
Each accommodation during our stay was absolutely beautiful, luxurious, and exceeded our expectations. They provided a very memorable experience, and we thoroughly enjoyed the comfort and ambiance.
Welcoming and Helpful Staff:
Across all locations, the staff were warm, welcoming, and always ready to help. Their hospitality made us feel comfortable and taken care of throughout our journey.
Julius – Our Outstanding Safari Guide:
This is by far the highlight of our trip! Julius, our safari driver and guide, was exceptional. His knowledge, helpfulness, and attention to detail truly elevated our experience. He was very accommodating with the difficulties we faced regarding the food and made sure that we were taken care of in every possible way. Julius is an absolute gem and deserves full credit for making our safari unforgettable.
We did enjoy our holiday overall, but I believe addressing these issues could make the experience even better for future travelers.
US
Experience level: first safari
Got to see a lot of different animals
Jocky Tours placed us with individuals from other groups in a Jeep with a guide called Kikitu. Kikitu was a wonderful tour guide! He is very well-connected with the other guides in the area, so he was able to communicate constantly and find the animals we came to see. We saw all Big Five in just 2 game drives with him! His English is excellent, and he is very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna in the area. I appreciate how he aptly answered all the questions I plied him with. Note that he does play some very loud local remix radio as he drives (which I did not mind, preferring that he be comfortable on the long drives from the city). Additionally, the seatbelts in the back seats do not work, so be doubly prepared for some bumpy journeys (as you would with any other safari group)!
Kikitu is extremely charismatic and well-liked by everyone we met in Kenya! Our Jeep quickly became accustomed to expecting him to talk enthusiastically with everyone we encountered. He would also help other tour guides find the main road or get out of a ditch. He goes the extra length to ensure your tour is efficiently conducted, by clearly explaining the next day's itinerary at the end of each day. On our last day, he also worked to ensure that we were placed with another driver taking a more efficient route back to Nairobi (rather than having us remain with our original group, many of whom were heading to another destination).
We never felt pressured by him to partake in any particular activity he had in the itinerary (we did not want to go to the Maasai Village, for example), and he never questioned or pushed us otherwise, which I greatly appreciated in contrast to much of Kenya's hustle culture. That said, PLEASE do your own research to ensure that the itinerary items are activities worth your personal time and funds. When a tour company arranges your itinerary (with activities involving particular groups or 3rd party companies), your only freedom is the right to decline, if you suspect any part of not being worth the price. We ran into some issues with Jocky Tours in the beginning at their office when they forgot which hotels/lodges we'd negotiated with them, and subsequently refused to honor the price we had previously agreed to. It took over half an hour and showing them multiple conversations on email and WhatsApp for them to finally honor our original tour. I appreciate that they eventually came around, but would have much rather preferred (and indeed had expected) everything to have already been set and prepared beforehand, as already agreed. We were understandably very anxious upon being told at first that our safari wasn't going to work as planned, the very morning of our planned departure!!
Tour company aside, I enjoyed my time with our guide Kikitu very much and would highly recommend him to any tourist, if you could get him!
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable safari with Chabani!
We had the chance to go on a 4-day safari with Chabani, and the experience was simply exceptional! Chabani is a passionate, dedicated, and incredibly knowledgeable guide. He gave his all to provide us with the best wildlife sightings and unique moments. Thanks to him, we experienced magical and unforgettable moments, surrounded by the beauty of the wild. If you're looking for an authentic and memorable safari experience, we highly recommend Chabani without hesitation! A true 5-star experience!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great 2 day Chimpanzee trekking tour!
We had an amazing 2 days with Emmanuel. The 2 day Chimpanzee trekking tour allows you to get a little of everything Rwanda has to offer from history, culture, business, and nature. Emmanuel took care of everything and was very knowledgeable and a safe driver. Highly recommend this tour and thus company.
Very good service
We made a safari plan very last minute and Angelo helped us a lot, we had the best time! We stayed for 3 days and visited Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything was organized so good we didn’t have to worry about anything
We had an amazing trip to Tanzania we’re we spent at an incredible resort and had the best time when we were on safari. The service was very good at all places, very kind and genuine people.
It is a lot of money but then you don’t have to worry about anything. Everything will be fixed for you. The only thing you have to do is enjoy.
Our guide was amazing as well and so was the food when we were in the lodges. Everything was clean.
We loved it and would definitely go back
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very professional and friendly
Our team of four have enjoyed a fantastic adventure and experience with Phine Safaris. They have been extremely professional, friendly and supportive to make our ascent to the summit of Mount Kenya an unforgettable experience.
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the BEST trips and guides in my life: Botswana and Victoria Falls
I participated in the „7 days Botswana Magic and Incredible Victoria Falls“ tour in September with my sister and boyfriend, and I can truly recommend it!! I think it covered all the must-see spots in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Our guide, Tafara, was kind, helpful, knowledgeable, and really professional throughout the entire trip. Even though I’m not confident in speaking English (my English level is between B1 and B2 level) and a bit shy, he was patient and attentive, always making sure I felt comfortable. He created a warm, welcoming atmosphere that made the experience even more enjoyable. Tafara went above and beyond to accommodate our requests to the best of his ability, and even made additional suggestions that were even better than what we had in mind. Thanks to his recommendations, we made the most of our extra time even more fulfilling experience. The driving time to the next destination is sometimes long, but it was good chance to take a rest and Tafara explained about everything what we could be interested in and answered our questions. You can see the wild animals on the way too, not only during the game drives. Tafara stopped the car when we found interesting animals to take pictures and explained about them. He is divinity one of the best guid who we have experienced!!