CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dream Come True Honeymoon
My husband and I had the great privilege of experiencing Tanzania for our honeymoon through Lion King Adventures. While I had minimal part of the planning process, I highly enjoyed every single day of our honeymoon. Lion King Adventures organized hotels, transportation, our guided safari, and a day visiting a community-led NGO. We started our trip in Zanzibar, and I was incredibly impressed with how seamless everything felt. We arrived at the airport and the porters guided us directly to our driver, our driver brought us to our hotel, and we booked into our hotel with no issues. Our days in our first hotel, Zanzibar Serena, was an absolute dream. Lion King Adventures coordinated for us to have a guided tour through Stone Town with a third-party and then again perfectly coordinated transportation and check into our next hotel on the northern part of the island in Nungwi, Hotel Z. We enjoyed lazy days on the beach, in the pool, and scuba diving before again being driven to the airport with plenty of time to fly to Arusha in the Tanzania mainland. While we didn't interact with Lion King Adventures staff during our stay in Zanzibar, everything felt coordinated and we had contact information for a Lion King Adventures administrative staff member if anything went wrong (which it didn't).
Once we got to Arusha on the mainland was when Lion King Adventures guide and driver, Tuma (sp?), picked us up from the airport and drove us to our hotel. Right off the bat Tuma was friendly, asking us about our holiday in Zanzibar, teaching us a little bit of Swahili, and answering any questions that we had despite not being our safari guide for the remaining days. We stayed a night in Mount Meru Hotel, and then were picked up by our safari guide, Ozzy (Oswald) in the morning.
I cannot say enough good things about Ozzy. He boasts 10 years of experience, a well-maintained and luxurious vehicle (Mbogo) that my husband and I enjoyed to ourselves, and a fantastic personality that we loved interacting with for the entirety of our safari. We saw every member of the 'Big 5' and more. Food was delicious, and I consistently found myself looking around at lunchtime and feeling more spoiled than other tour groups. Ozzy was communicative, transparent, accommodating, and honest - we always knew the plan for the day and any input we had was implemented. We requested a last minute (literally the day-of) night safari that was organized with two quick phone calls, and we were given options on how we wanted to proceed with a few of the days. Our first day was in Tarangire National Park, and we immediately realized how knowledgeable Ozzy was about the history, environment, and wildlife in the park. After learning my favourite animal was the lion Ozzy kept his ear to the radio and informed us when he heard one was spotted - we ended up witnessing a lioness hunt a warthog on the first day. I was mindblown. Ozzy stayed and let us gawk and photograph the animals for as long as we wanted, even though I'm sure he's seen millions of zebra, wildebeest, and gazelles. We stayed in Maramboi Hotel 'Luxury Tent' (which is more of a cabin) Chatu, which had good food, a comfortable room, and we were able to spot mongoose and warthogs a stones throw away from the room. Our second day was in Lake Manyara National Park, and again Ozzy smiled as he pointed out many animals we would have otherwise missed. Ozzy was also a hero that day, coming to the aid of a private vehicle stuck in a mud puddle. He stopped to help without hesitation, and towed the vehicle out to many cheers from the passengers and other safari tour groups alike. It's such a warm reassurance to know that your guide is a genuinely good person, not just for money but because he has a big heart. We stayed in Escarpment Hotel cabin #14 for the night and again enjoyed a comfortable stay with beautiful views of Lake Manyara. We spent 2.5 days in the Serengeti and despite the size of the park and multiple days of rain, we saw cats (lions, cheetahs, leopards) every single day. We stayed in Nyota Hotel in the Serengeti (my personal favourite) and enjoyed phenomenal food, a comfortable room, water buffalo, hippos, zebras, and hyenas outside our cabin at night, great views and a generous happy hour (drinks for free). From there we travelled to Ngorongoro Conservation Area where we saw our final member of the 'Big 5', the rhino. I nearly cried, realizing that it could be the first and last time I ever see a rhino in the wild. Ozzy comforted me, explaining that rhinos in the crater are heavily protected by the rangers and are often seen with babies. We stayed in Karibu Lions Paw Hotel, which was my husband's favourite due to the cooler climate on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. The views from the balconey were breathtaking, the food was yummy, and again we had the privilege of seeing an elephant right outside the dining area.
Ozzy taught us some conversational Swahili, and other staff made positive comments and exclamations when we used it. He also was very open about how 'mzungu pricing' can happen and told us how much he would pay for clothing, food, trinkets, etc. We enjoyed dinner with Ozzy on his time off, despite having friends in the other guides that stayed at the hotels, and got to know a little bit about his family and his life in Tanzania.
When Ozzy dropped us off at the airport, he helped us with our luggage and hugged us goodbye. I felt sad that we had to leave such a wonderful person and experience behind, but I feel so grateful for the memories Lion King Adventures and Ozzy gave us. I highly recommend this company and Ozzy (Mbogo vehicle) specifically. Our honeymoon was literally a dream come true, and it wouldn't have been possible without Lion King Adventures or Ozzy.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolute value for money
This was a very special trip for us, as I was celebrating my birthday and it was the first time for us visiting Tanzania. I had connected with Serengeti Africa Tours on the internet and received their detailed itenerary. They even made the small changes as per our requirements. Safina was always very helpful. From making changes in the itenerary, to helping me out with a must have list, to guiding on what to pack and all minor help all through the trip. Right from Arusha airport, we had a timely pickup. A nice stay at Arusha. We were received with a gift of a t-shirt and a to do list before we set off for our jungle adventures. We went to 4 game reserves. Arusha, Tarangeri, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. With Abu and David as our guides. They always helped us getting the best pictures from the best spots. We had the best views and spotted all big 5 with endless photo ops and the best trip. The stays were comfortable as well. In Ngorongoro, we also met with the Masai Tribe and spent time seeing their lifestyle and dancing with them. Chef Mathew is the best. The food we ate on the safaris and the dinner spots were simply delectable. He even took extra effort in helping me out when all my luggage had gotten wet with the sudden rains. The best we could ask for.
Our last day trip was extremely special with Kelvin. We went to the Materuni Waterfalls and did the coffee tour and this lunch was the most special one as it was completely homemade and we could taste the love in the food! Thank you Serengeti Africa Tours for one of the best experiences of our life! Our hearts are full and we carried memories for a lifetime! Some of the sweetest people and the best sights to remember forever!
Tanzania will be etched in our hearts forever!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Outstanding company,well managed and highly commendable
Second time in the last 3 years doing a safari trip with Compass Odyssey,this time we had a 3 weeks or 23 days trip including stays in,Namibia,Botswana(Okavango Delta,Khwai River and Mababe area,Zimbabwe,Hwange National Park and Senalala lodge in the Klaserie private reserve area.Everything once again went as advertised,from all flights to ground transport to excellent safari guides and abundant wildlife in all places visited.At Senalala was our second time and we had a very enjoyable time there.All meals were excellent and the customer care and service was as customary beyond expectations.As stated my first time with Compass Odyssey,if you are planning on a trip the Southern part of Africa,this is the company to go with.Compass Odyssey run by Darren and his wife truly delivers.We have the pleasure and honor of meeting Darren at the end of our stay in Hoedspruit and without a doubt as I mentioned to him,I will be doing a third trip with them again.We really appreciate the integrity and expertise of Compass Odyssey putting life dream trips together so I highly recommend this company to anyone dreaming of an unforgettable trip to motherland 🙏🏻🐆🦛🦏🦓🦒🙏🏻
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Could not be better!
Everything about this trip was perfect! From booking, to the guide (John), to the accommodation, everything was smooth, comfortable and beyond any expectations imaginable.
ID
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A dream come true for us, amazing gorilla trek and trip around Uganda & Rwanda
We booked a 4-day tour with Bamboo Ecotours with the following itinerary: Kigali-Lake Kivu-Gorilla Trek @ Bwindi-Kisoro Coffee Tour. It was a big group of 7 of us, and we are really satisfied with the company and its staffs and definitely recommend booking a similar experience with them. Our guide/driver was Fred and he's been super kind and informative. The hotels that we are staying too have been incredible, and the highlight is our 2-night stay with Gorilla Leisure Lodge: super attentive and friendly staffs, and the warmer on the bed just really made our day.
Awesome tour of Kruger, private reserve and panorama route- fabulous guide for our family of 6
Rickus was fantastic from The moment we first made contact. He was able to customise the package to meet our family needs. We were mum and dad and four kids age 17, 16, 12 and 9.
We had so much variety, stayed in accommodation with pools which the kids loved, we enjoyed private, open top jeep safaris.
Rickus was so informative and he quickly became our friend. We saw all the amazing wildlife and Rickus was so good at spotting it including cheetah and a leopard pair, with all the big 5 and many other beautiful sights.
The food choice was great and we enjoyed eating at the different restaurants in Kruger and at the lodge.
Everything was extremely well organised, safe, interesting and hugely enjoyable. Safari sundowners with beautiful sunsets are moments we will treasure forever.
Rickus also put us in touch with a guide in Cape Town to bespoke a jam-packed few days there for us at the end of the holiday.
A fantastic trip from start to end, and we couldn’t recommend them highly enough. A truly brilliant experience.
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Experience with Spirit of Kenya
We had an amazing journey with Spirit of Kenya. The tour was well-organized and offered a great variety of activities. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and friendly, making the entire trip truly enjoyable. The accommodations provided were comfortable and in beautiful locations. I highly recommend Spirit of Kenya for anyone looking to explore the wonders of Kenya. It was truly a memorable experience.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Truly wonderful safari of Serengeti with Top Tours
We chose Topy Tours because we wanted local knowledge and expertise and to support the local economy, not an international tour corporation.
Jackson the owner was incredible-
firstly, he was extremely informed and an excellent communicator; secondly, we were able to shape our own, private Serengeti safari within our fairly tight budget gained great value for the price; thirdly, I changed my mind on our dates & itinerary a couple of times (😲) before finally booking and Jackson was incredibly patient and helpful 🙏
Ally our driver & guide was exceptional. He is super knowledgeable about the Serengeti, friendly, relaxed and open to whatever we wanted to do & wherever we wanted to go. We couldn't have asked for more.
Having been to the Kruger & Nambia we were expecting similar experiences. We had no real idea how completely unique and stunning the Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater were. We do now and will be returning to Tanzania as our favourite East African country & safari destination ❤️
We would highly recommend Topy Tours for all the reasons above and we will use them again!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great life experience
The tour was a great experience that we will never forget. Uncomplicated pre-planning and pick-up as well as the great tour with our guide - easy, friendly and exciting, communicating in English was no problem. Our guide did his best to make sure we saw everything, so we went home with no wishes left unfulfilled. Big 5 ticked off! Accommodations were as expected and vegetarian meals by arrangement were no problem. We would recommend it to anyone.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
23 Days Kilimanjaro Trekking and Safari in Tanzania and Kenya
We had booked an 8 day Kilimanjaro trekking on the Lemosho route followed by a safari trip across Tanzania and Kenya. For the Kili part of our trip Safariline subcontracted to a local Tanzanian operator (Seven Wonders), who did an amazing job. All five members of our group made it to the summit, and we felt very well looked after throughout the entire experience. We also very much enjoyed the friendly and good natured atmosphere they created around us.
For the safari part we had asked Safariline for budget accommodation, so we could save a little money. They picked a variety of campsites, fixed-tent camps and hotels, which - with a single exception - were all quite good and allowed for an attractive price. I particularly enjoyed the Nyati Safari Camp at Amboseli which was very comfy and had a gorgeous view of mount Kilimanjaro.
Organization was generally good. Rose, the manager, was always easy to get in touch with and responded quickly to any questions or requests we had. There was a small hickup when they changed the schedule in Kenya without notifying us. (They only rearranged the order of things. Nothing was left out.) For a while that had me worried I might not catch my flight back home. It all went well in the end, but I could have done without the added suspense.
The heart of any safari is of course the game viewing. For us that was more than excellent, which to no small part was owed to our two drivers. They took us to all the major parks of the region. Both of them were highly skilled in the art of finding the best spots and then positioning the car in such a way that we would have the best possible view. The animal encounters we had far exceeded my expectations.
I would recommend Safariline to a friend any day.