50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A wonderful introduction to an amazing country
Julian and I first met Pieter and his wife, Tessa, at a travel show in London in 2009. Their friendly and personal approach immediately appealed to us, so when the time came to plan our visit to Namibia, we turned to Pieter. He provided initial ideas for an itinerary, but was very patient in working with us to put together a tour to suit our interests, timetable and budget. As an example, at our request Pieter incorporated kayaking among seals in Walvis Bay – a unique experience that was as new to Pieter as it was to us. That flexibility extended to the tour itself. Pieter made sure that we covered everything we'd planned, but he was also happy to deviate where he thought our experience would be enhanced. One instance of this was when he added hours to his driving day in order to show us the Orange River.
Pieter's sturdy people carrier is designed to carry six people, but there were just the two of us on this trip. Fortunately, Pieter is an excellent travelling companion and very good company. He is extremely knowledgeable about the history, geography, politics and social aspects of Namibia and shares what he knows with enthusiasm. Where he really comes into his own though, is with his encyclopaedic knowledge of the flora and fauna of his adopted country. This ranged from being able to tell me the name of more or less any bird I spotted to turning the car round to go and take a closer look when I thought we had run over a cobra in the road (we had, but fortunately it survived the experience and we got an unexpected close-up view!). In a country as photogenic as Namibia, Pieter's interest in photography was a bonus. It meant that he was just as happy as we were to stop and take that special shot.
We stayed in a wide variety of accommodation, which was, without exception, clean and comfortable. Particularly memorable was Terrace Bay, a government run lodge in what was an old diamond mining community right on the Skeleton Coast. In a country, which, while generally safe, does not have the infrastructure that we are used to, it was also good to be with someone like Pieter, who knows the country well and is always prepared and resourceful when the unexpected occurs.
All in all, our trip was one of the most memorable we have ever had, due in no small part to Pieter. Apart from all our wonderful experiences, we came away feeling that we had made a friend, and indeed, we have since met him in London and remain in touch.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
5-AlivewithClive during four days in Kruger tops great adventures that Michelle and I have enjoyed
Christine was incredible, informed and patient during our efforts to book a safari into Kruger during a busy month in South Africa. The continued professionalism and personal care of Wildlife Safaris was realized by the equally fine work of Clive Alborough, who seemed to sense locations that of the many exciting sightings Michelle and I enjoyed. Clive was patient, instructive an invaluable was we clumsily snapped our keepsake photos. Clive is a fine human with a deep feeling for The Kruger and its wondrous wildlife inhabitants. What we experienced was both fulfilling and joyous. As rather seasoned world travelers and animal lovers, we are grateful for Christine and Clive and the warmth we found as guests in Joberg at Wavery House managed so personally by Jonathan. These people are great ambassadors for South Africa.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Southeast Africa at your fingertips
I was looking to travel to Tanzania with my mum in 2012 and had decided to visit a game park and Pemba (Zanzibar), but had no idea of how to go about organising travel to get there or where to stay.
Chris at Indigo Safaris was a wealth of information, helping us to choose places that would suit us best, and then helping us to book our accomodation and organise domestic flights. This was particularly important as it is difficult to liase/book with small companies like the boutique airlines when you are overseas.
Chris has always come across as friendly, knowledgeable, reliable and,most importantly, someone who loves Africa.
Since our trip I have enjoyed hearing about his other planned safaris, even thought I have been unable to participate, and also hearing about his personal adventures and viewing some stunning photographs.
I would highly recommend Chris and Indigo Safaris to anyone planning a trip to SouthEast Africa, whether looking to join a safari group or obtain information about self-travel.
EASTCO excellent planning, knowledgable operater,and caters for individual ideas.
Here is our trip report from our safari to Tanzania with EASTCO, last September.
This was not our first trip to Tanzania, so we didn't do a normal safari.
We flew with Emirates from Melbourne to Nairobi and stayed the night at Silver Springs.
The next morning EASTCO had organised a private transfer for us to Arusha which was much more comfortable than the shuttles I had taken in the past.
Flexible departure time ,no crowds at the border, and more time to see the sights.
We spent a couple of days in Arusha visiting the markets , Arusha National Park to see the Colobus Monkeys and stayed at Momella Lodge. We stayed here before, my last time was over 10 years ago. The views of Mount Kilimanjaro across the plains each afternoon was the reason we came back . It has been renovated since my first visit and lost a lot of its charm I think as well. I was a bit surprised at how close to the park some of the farms and houses were now.
We then went to Ngorongoro Crater and stayed at the Wildlife Lodge for 2 nights. This was a special place for me as I stayed here on my first visit to Tanzania in 1985. No zebra steaks this time! But the views from my bedroom window were as spectacular as I remembered.
We had two trips into the crater, one early morning which was okay , but it was blowing a cold wind and we did not see as much as I would have thought. The afternoon drive was fantastic, a bit warmer and also not so many other safari goers. We did also manage to see a couple of black rhinos quite close near to the forest.
Then we headed to the Serengeti Wildlife Lodge again for 3 nights. One of the reasons we stayed here was the swimming pool which was built into the rocks, as we were travelling with a 9 year old child and wanted somewhere to relax as well as see the wildlife.
The Serengeti was superb as usual, lots of lions and 2 leopards, we also had a bit of rain and found some migration an hour or so away. The many hyrax around the lodge was constant source of entertainment as well.
The last part of our trip was a visit to Tarangerie, still one of my favourite parks and I never get tired of watching the elephants.
We stayed 1 night at the Safari Lodge , really enjoyed the views and the swimming pool.
We stayed 2 nights at Boundary Hill Lodge. The rooms were very private and the views spectacular over the valley below. I really enjoyed a bath on the veranda while taking in the views and the serenity around me.
We visited a Masai boma, it was about an hours drive to get there ,but the sheer remoteness only added to the overall experience. We did a night drive as well and saw a few impala, genet cat and bat eared foxes.
I think the combination of the Safari Lodge and Boundary Hill Lodge was perfect, two different experiences completely.
Everything on our safari with EASTCO was excellent and I am already making plans for a return trip. So far I have only been during the dry season, so I am looking forward to seeing the Serengeti in March.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
a unforgettable safari - this was pure adventure!
It was perfect! kenya is such a great place to having a good chance seeing the Big Five! I have been in South Africa in Kruger Nationalpark and it was nice too. But you can not compare this. kenya is so a lovely country - very friendly people, great food, wonderful accommodations.. even our guide was talking in german...In africa! (: See my video on youtube: http://youtu.be/QlkHCs54Amw
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Kenya by Simon Kunz
People are so friendly and they let you really welcome in their country.
Fantastic Trip. Exceeded Expectations.
Brian is an experienced and excellent guide. His Land Cruiser was comfortable for our family of four. On our 10 day safari we saw more animals and birds then we could have imagined. Too many lions to count all close to our vehicle. We saw lions and cheetahs hunting. Countless elephants wallowing in the mud and water. Brian is trustworthy and really seems to enjoy his guests. Our 23 year old daughter celebrated her birthday while on safari and Brian made sure it was special. We'd recommend Brian's company to anyone looking for a Tanzanian safari.
EG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Experience
Our honeymoon was in Tanzania in November 2013. It was split into beaches at Zanzibar and Safari in Tanzania mainland…The safari part was organized by Shadows of Africa and it was beyond amazing. Natasha, owner of Shadows of Africa, has provided us with excellent and prompt support at all stages whether at preparation or during our stay. Also, she helped us with great advices, tips and some arrangements for our other part of stay in Zanzibar, although it was not related to her offer.
It was a 4 days Safari, exploring Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro crater. We have booked Medium accommodation and venues were all perfect, clean and at nice locations with great views. Having at least one night in a tented camp is an experience that we shall not forget and shall not be missed :) Our driver and guide was friendly, attentive and punctual; and we have almost managed to see the big five (the rhino was a bit far away :)). The weather was excellent, however, it was almost end of dry season, so big part of lake manyara was dry and lands were of much less greenery, however, it was still rich of wildlife and we enjoyed our time.
This was ana experience beyond expectations…If you are into wildlife and considering going over there, there is no room for hesitation, just book now :D
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome Adventure
As a "last hurrah" family vacation with our University attending children we selected a safari with Gametrackers. It was what we hoped for and more. We saw a tremendous range and quantity of wildlife. It became quite a game to spot the next animal. Our driver/guide was very knowledgeable and personable. He made sure we saw all the highlights. Our accomodations and meals were excellent. My husband and I had been on safari 22 years ago so our expectations were low. We were very pleasantly surprised by the top quality lodges and wide variety of food available. We were very well looked after. Thank you Gametrackers!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Welcoming the New Year in Kenya!
From the warm welcome at the airport in Nairobi, the Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris representatives have been amazing and very professional. The food was delicious, the camp fire was amazing.
The Masai Mara was amazing from the moment we arrive to the time we left. We saw a huge amount of wild life, including lions, cheetah, elephants, giraffe, hippo, and more. The wide open plains provided great opportunity to see the animals as well as the most brilliant sun rises and sun sets. Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris staff is a great company with reasonable price options and the staff was excellent and make the stay with them memorable, leaving you wanting to return in the future. The food was great. Our kids (3) enjoyed this unique experience. After all, it was worth the bumpy ride. We highly recommend this company.