US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional
Tapestry of Africa planned and executed a phenomenal safari tour of Tanzania and Kenya. It was a luxury tour, with knowledgeable and caring tour guides, comfortable safari vehicles, exceptional hotels/lodges and many well planned safari tours.
Planning and booking with Matt was an absolute pleasure. Matt gave some great recommendations, suggested many well thought through alternatives and helped plan around all my needs!
Hilda booked all the places and provided great details on what to expect. Hilda and Matt were fantastic in helping us replan as I moved some dates and extended some stays and added some flights. They were a joy to plan and book with.
The Kenya and Tanzania guides they arranged were fantastic! We got to see all the big five (many times), plus lots and lots of animals, birds and reptiles. It was a truly mesmerizing experience, mainly because the guides knew where to take us at what time of the day.
Visited Nairobi, Masai Mara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro, Arusha, Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Serval and Amboseli NP’s. All accommodations were five star, all food was exceptional and the safari times were well paced.
I would absolutely recommend booking with Tapestry of Africa for all your African safari and travel needs. I certainly will be booking through them again very shortly.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Matt and the Tapestry of Africa team gave us an East Africa safari experience that we won't ever for
This is a long review so apologies in advance.
Last August we travelled to Africa for the first time. We joined a small group (16 person) safari tour that travelled overland from Zimbabwe to South Africa. It was an amazing holiday and we saw things we’d only dreamt about and it left us wanting to see more.
We knew we wanted to visit eastern Africa, roughly where, when and for how long for. We also knew that even 16 was too many. SafariBookings is such a great resource to search for operators that can deliver what you’re after. We were amazed to find for not a lot more than last year’s trip we could actually take a private safari.
Tapestry of Africa was one of a couple of companies we contacted. One was very well established and Tapestry was a very new operator. We were initially looking at Kenya and Uganda/Rwanda. Both companies responded quickly and with great options but they weren’t working for us. We asked Matt if they were operating the 20 day Grand Kenya and Tanzania Expedition we’d seen on SafariBookings and when Matt said yes, we knew it was the tour for us. We also really liked Tapestry’s payment and cancellation policy.
Matt worked to make the tour fit our budget and our needs. We weren’t looking for a luxury tour. Mid-range is our thing. For medical reasons we just needed a guarantee of an ensuite bathroom. Matt prepared a quote with the details of proposed lodges and mid-range looked pretty amazing!
Over the next short while we worked closely with Matt to get the tour to be exactly what we wanted. We then added a friend to the tour and now it was just a matter of counting down the months until we made the long journey from Australia to Kenya.
We had more questions and these were answered quickly by Matt and Hilda.
Regular emails were sent to us with important information regarding what to expect, and to remember to organise visas and vaccinations. The one list that wasn’t really great was the packing list. If we’d used the provided list and packed for four weeks we would have needed an extra vehicle!! Every lodge we stayed at for two nights offered laundry. Our advice is to pack light and smart and plan to wash regularly.
As a gay couple we also had some concerns about travelling to two countries with laws/policies that could affect us but Matt assured us the safari industry was welcoming and not to be worried.
Itinerary - five stars
Price - five stars
Communication - five stars
Our friend travelled on his own to Nairobi and arrived early on the same day as us. Albert met our friend at the airport, and Kevin, another Tapestry staff member, met us. My partner and I are quite independent travellers and we booked our own airfares, and the hotels we stayed at the start and end of our tour.
The safari. Just one word describes it - amazing.
Our guide to be Jackson contacted me the night before to let us know what time he would be at the hotel to pick us up. He was there waiting for us the next morning when we came down from our room. It was a surreal experience to realise that Kigwara, the Landcruiser safari vehicle in the hotel driveway, was just for us.
Then we were on our way to Meru National Park and it was very clear we were all going to get on fantastically. And we did. Jackson was brilliant - funny, caring and organised. He was a great driver, a great spotter and became a great friend.
Safaris are always pot luck as to what you’ll see. Go expecting to be surprised. We chose not to travel in high season to try to avoid the crowds. It means the animals might not be as abundant but it also means you might be alone when you do see them. And see them we did.
We visited Meru, Samburu, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara in Kenya before crossing into Tanzania. For all of us, Samburu was the highlight of Kenya part one. Gorgeous landscapes, an amazing lodge and so many animals. Big five and special five already seen in the first four days of our safari!
On the whole, travel days were quite short, nearly all under five hours. The one day that was very, very long was when we crossed the border into Tanzania and travelled to the Serengeti. Considering the Mara and Serengeti are the same gigantic reserve, 13 hours is a long day, lodge to lodge. One thing I have to stress here is to make sure that you have the little vaccination book with your yellow fever vax recorded. Our friend had the vax but not the book, and had to pay USD50 to get one.
Ernest, our Tanzania guide, was very different to Jackson. Quiet and reserved but so knowledgeable and a great wildlife spotter.
The Serengeti was awesome. 40+ lions over two days. Ngorongoro was like being in a giant open range zoo. Lake Manyara and Tarangire, elephant heaven.
Only one itinerary glitch. When we drove straight past the entrance to Lake Manyara NP I asked Ernest why we hadn’t entered. I showed Ernest our itinerary and he just wasn’t aware. A couple of quick phone calls back to the office and the issue was resolved. Lake Manyara was really fantastic. I’m glad I spoke up.
Then it was back to Kenya for elephant overload - Amboseli, where we went on a balloon ride gazing at a perfectly clear Kilimanjaro, and finally the two Tsavos.
You can’t do anything about the roads and some of them are bad, REALLY bad. Be prepared. Into and out of our lodge at Masai Mara won the prize for worst, followed closely by the road out of Lake Naivasha. The road from Serengeti to Ngorongoro was high speed corrugated hell as well.
The seats in our vehicle were super comfortable, and for three the vehicle was perfect, as we could slide the first and middle row seats to make more room for each of us.
Our lodges without exception were all excellent. We slept in a mix of large safari tents and permanent structures. We had just one issue. This was at Fig Tree Camp after our first night and it was resolved by Jackson the next morning. Don’t ever hesitate to raise issues with your guide. They are there to help you.
For me the highlight was Acacia’s Enkirari Wilderness Camp in the Serengeti, a tented camp surrounded by gnu and zebra massing before the migration. Meals were usually served as buffets, were freshly prepared and there was good variety. Some will of course not do it, but I ate salads and fruit, and drank cocktails with ice and suffered no ill effects.
Hilda and Albert were in constant contact via WhatsApp, checking how things were going and asking us to let us know if anything needed following up.
We can’t recommend Tapestry of Africa highly enough. If I could have, I would have turned around and retraced our steps in the reverse order.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Unforgettable Safari Experience with Goldfinch Adventures!
From the moment we booked our safari holiday with Goldfinch Adventures, we knew we were in excellent hands. Every detail was handled with care and professionalism, making the entire experience seamless and stress-free.
Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly passionate about wildlife. We saw the Big Five within the first two days—lions lounging under acacia trees, elephants on a peaceful march, and even a rare glimpse of a leopard. The game drives were timed perfectly, and the vehicle was comfortable and well-equipped for photography and wildlife viewing.
The accommodations arranged by Goldfinch were beyond our expectations. Each lodge blended luxury with the natural beauty of the landscape, offering breathtaking views, delicious meals, and the warmest hospitality we’ve ever encountered.
What stood out most was the personalized touch throughout our journey every moment felt curated just for us. We returned home with memories that will last a lifetime and a deep appreciation for the incredible work Goldfinch Adventures puts into creating truly magical safari holidays. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a meaningful, thrilling, and beautifully organized African adventure!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tapestry had outstanding communication throughout our trip and a great personal booking experience.
Tapestry of Africa was the perfect choice for us.
After doing a group tour in southern Africa the previous year we realised that this time we wanted to maximise the time spent in the national parks with the animals so Kenya was perfect. I was looking for a longer trip, around 3 weeks, that was packed with safari days.
There were only a few companies I could find doing longer trips that included Tsavo N.P. We wanted to go to Tanzania as part of the trip, specifically the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. I found Tapestry on Safari Bookings as they had a perfect trip listed.
Tapestry had amazing communication and flexibility when booking, allowing me to get my dream trip to everywhere I wanted to go for a suitable budget and timeframe.
Matt at Tapestry will make sure your trip is exactly what you want, you won’t just be another booking as you will be with some other companies. We also contacted a larger company who were too pushy to get the sale, only focusing on telling us how many reviews they had.
We had separate guides and vehicles in Kenya and Tanzania but we had a great time in both. Our guides were both very experienced, friendly and professional (and we had a really great time with them). Thanks to the knowledge and networking of our guides, the overload of animals we saw made sure that our cameras were never put away.
We will go back for another trip in a few years and we will talk to Tapestry because they listened to what we wanted and we trust them to deliver a great trip.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great drive and sightings
Had a great few days in the company of morning star and with Willy being our guide- driver. He did an excellent job in helping us with sighting in the 4 days of our trip. We did a rare sighting of serval cat and others. Overall will highly recommend the tour group and our guide Willy.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing personalised experience through towns and national parks
I did a 9 day tour through Kenya and Tanzania with a friend through Morningstar safaris.
The communication from the director was prompt, and the itinerary was tailored to our interests.
We were picked up at Nairobi airport and then spent the next day with our guide going to places we wanted to see - the elephant orphanage, giraffe sanctuary and Kazuri beads.
Our first guide Rono was very friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable, and provided us with some incredible up close views of animals. The Masai Mara was the highlight, as well as the hot air balloon.
For Tanzania our guides Chris and Eric were able to teach us about Tanzanian culture, food and wildlife, and you could see how proud they are to be Tanzanian and safari guides.
Unfortunately our vehicle had some car troubles which meant some unplanned lengthy stops to get it fixed, but this wasn’t the fault of the guides.
The accommodation booked was incredible, a highlight being the Serengeti Embalakai Lodge, where we heard a lion prowling around at night and the glamping tents were beautiful.
Private tours are costly, but for the ability to tailor it to our interests as well as have room to see all the animals and take photos, I thought it was worthwhile.
To note: Drinks are not included at the accommodation throughout the tour - alcohol or soft drinks, however water is.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
African safari wonderful
Our tour was great and we covered all the big 5 and many more animals. Our tour guide Jackson was extremely knowledgeable and new every detail of every animal and was well experienced. We had a good time and covered all what we wanted.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely knowledgeable and amazing!!!!
Imani and the entire team was so wonderful!! The greeting we received when we first arrived was the best ever!!! With the live music, refreshments and snacks!!! I can’t say enough about our tour guides David and Julius!!! They showed us so much and could spot the animals so quickly!!! The accommodations, lunches, and dinners were so great!!!! Everyone was so friendly!!! The staff and the places we stayed were so wonderful as well!! The safari tours were so amazing!!!! We went with the entire family and all 10 of us were just so impressed with everything! We miss our tour guides David and Julius and Imani was so nice as well!! We’ve been to so many places around the world and this by far was our favorite!!! Imani tours was top notch from the day we arrived until we left!!
Very helpful
We booked with Emmys safari, our guide for the two days was amazing think he was called Toni, made sure we got as close as we could to animals and gave us plenty of time to sit and watch them, he also was very knowledgeable . Hotel we stayed for the one night was beautiful and couldn't fault. Emmys was always on hand and available by phone or message when we had slight problem with flights being delayed which is out of there control. Thank you for amazing experience you have us
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience, stunning sights.
We had 6 fantastic days seeing Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, plus an 8k hike up through the rainforest of Kilimanjaro’s foothills. There was so much to take in, especially just how close we got to animals living in their natural environment- more than 50 notable species that you could only find in zoos back home.
This company was so easy to deal with, professional and responsive in dealing with our enquiries - that’s why we chose it. They delivered everything they promised and more. A really important part of that was how excellent our driver and guide Gilbert was. He could spot the animals, unerringly, from miles off and was very informative about the wildlife, but also about the culture of this part of Africa and the Maasai people, whose home it is. He delivered us safely and promptly to everywhere we needed to be. All we had to do was let him know our preference and we just sat back and enjoyed it in the comfort of our huge jeep!
Massive thanks to Ndutu Green Explorers and to Tom for his excellent planning and communications and making us feel very privileged with memories (and photos) we will treasure.