35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
10 Days Masai Mara Samburu and Bwindi National Parks
My Mum, brother and I went to Africa for our holiday. Being the tour leader I had to plan everything on my own. At first I thought it gonna be stressing and time consuming. To my surprise, when I contacted Kenya Walking survivors Safaris, all my burning questions were all answered and within two days, we had finalized everything! Kenya’s parks are all great. In Uganda we did the trekking and although my mum is aged, she managed it! It is not only fun but also, excersising .All our accommodations were budget but they were comfortable. Our cook-Sam made delicious food while in Kenya. Thank you Mr. Otieno for your good work .God bless!
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
From the moment I started planning the safari for a group of fellow travelers I was smitten with African Big Five Safaris. My contact was Mary, as she was always very professional and open to our changing needs (we started off as a group of 4 and ended up as a group of 8) and dates. The reviews I read led me to expect a first class safari; that is what Mary promised and what I feel we got. I had read about the experienced and personable guides but we did not imagine just how knowledgeable and friendly they would be. Edmund and Hamid knew all about the wildlife and birds. They joined us for dinner on the second evening and taught us much about life in Uganda. All in all they made us feel very special and as if we were the best clients ever, which I expect is how they make everyone feel!
We had 2 vehicles as 8 would be too many for one, and were glad we did as 4 to a vehicle was perfect and gave us lots of room to move around while we were in the park. The seats were comfortable for the long drives to and from the park and there was a big cooler full of bottled water we could help ourselves to. On the way up to the park we stopped to pick up some fruit from people selling at the roadside, and had a lovely lunch near Masindi. Edmund and Hamid adapted our walk at the Falls to our needs. They made sure we saw some of the Big 5 on the way to our accommodation - Fort Murchison Lodge - which was excellent also.
On the second day we had a fabulous safri drive that lasted all morning, and our guides made sure we saw many animals including lions, and in fact we saw all the Big Five except for leopards. We could not get over how many animals we saw, and, as someone interested in birds, I was amazed at the variety of colourful birds. At around noon, we stopped in the park to eat our lunch near the various oribis and other antelopes. In the afternoon we went on the 3 hour boat ride up the Nile to Murchison Falls and back, which enabled us to see many of the same animals by the water's edge, as well as water birds, hippos and crocodiles. Day two was another full day which I will never forget.
The third day we drove around the north side of the park and to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary near Masindi, where we walked to find the rhinos after driving to the area where they were known to be feeding. The guide from the Sanctuary was very interesting also, and we were well protected by two guards who watched the rhinos at all times to interpret their body language and keep us a safe distance away. The guide made sure we were able to get photos of ourselves with the rhinos in the background.
On the way back through Kampala we learned a lot about the way of life in this fascinating country. It was a sad farewell when we finally reached our hotel in Entebbe where our conference was to be held. We will never forget the great time we had with Edmund and Hamed! Thanks to all at African Big Five for helping us have such a memorable time.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Armadillo Safari & Adventure Tours was fabulous! Chris is an excellent guide and chef!
The Armadillo Safari & Adventure Tour did an outstanding job! The safari experience far surpassed my expectations. Chris is a natural host! We'd spot an animal and Chris knew to stop so we could relish in the moment. The Tour was organized, pleasant, and by far the best vacation I have ever experienced! I recommend
The Armadillo Safari & Adventure Tours! Thank you again Chris!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kenya and Zanzibar trip
I took my girlfriend in Africa for an engagement surprise. Things really went down cool as we visited both Kenya and Tanzania. Among the parks that we visited were Masai Mara, Samburu, L.Nakura and Amboseli. After the long game drives and the bumpy roads, we flew to Zanzibar to relax. Generally everything was good, cant regret.
Great Value for our money
My family and I have just returned home from a long holiday in Kenya. It was the best safari that we have ever witnessed. The co-ordination between Mr. Otieno, the driver and all the lodges was amazing and great. All the food served in all those lodges was great. The rooms were also classic and comfortable. Though our budget was abit low, we ended up getting the best rooms and services we had not imagined. All the parks that we visited had almost all the animals. The driver did not hustle much looking for them; I would say we were just lucky. My family really appreciates KWSS tremendous effort to make us happy...
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything went like clockwork
We were met by at the Kilimanjaro airport by Godfrey - who was our excellent guide for the next 6 days in Tanzania. He was very well educated in all the relevant sciences - botany, zoology and geology - and so could provide in-depth information on everything that we saw during our time in Tanzania.
The transfer to Kenya, while complex (flight from airstrip to airstrip, driver to border, another driver to airstrip, another flight), went very smoothly - always a driver waiting for us.
And our time in Encounter Mara was phenomenal - including seeing the rescuing of an elephant that had been shot with a poison dart.
In all - great guides, great accommodation - well organized - and it was clear that those dealing with us in Africa appreciated Chris and the work he does behind the scenes from Vancouver.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Planning, lodging, game parks/reserves and guide knowledge/friendliness all exceeded our expectation
E-Trip worked with us to plan the trip we wanted, often going the extra mile. With their experience, they offered suggestions to enhance.
Upon arrival, everything ran like clockwork. The knowledge of each country's guide was much appreciated. Each worked to find animals and situations where we would see all of the natural splendors of East Africa.
Lodging per our preferences was also very good. Each site staff was pleasant and accommodating. Food was ample and tasty.
We are so glad to have selected E-Trip as our coordinating company. Not being fond of tours, we hoped instead for a personal experience - one not burdened with boilerplate activities and unenthusiastic guides. E-Trip delivered a trip of a lifetime with great memories of people we met, lodging to remember and experiences that were just awesome!
Highly Recommend for Safari
A group of 7 of us from the United States participated in the 5 day/4 night camping safari in July 2015. The highlight of the trip was seeing the big 5! The guides and cook were also excellent and very knowledgeable. Aardvark did an amazing job coordinating everything beforehand and actively communicating and answering our numerous questions before arriving. I would highly recommend Aardvark Expeditions for any of your Tanzania travel needs!
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Four times with Bubezi is not enough, we want more!
We have been with Bubezi four times now and I think that already says how we feel about Andy and Quintin, operators, chefs and guides all in one. With their knowledge, experience and respect for wildlife and nature they gave us always the best time on the safaris someone can get. Every question about the big animals but also the very small ones and the birds, they have a qualified answer. If somebody spotted something, like lions with a catch, they will go for it -if the people agree- doesn´t matter how far it is, so your afternoondrive might end up as a nightdrive with the best, goose-skin experience you could imagine.
They are 100 % reliable, emails are answered the same day, call them at any time if you have a question or your plans have changed, they will try to make things possible.
Four times is not enough and so we´ll go again with Bubezi for more adventurous drives.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic!
I wanted to do something special for my partner’s birthday who was flying in from France to spend a couple of weeks in Kampala. Murchison seemed like a relaxing option to spend away from the hot dusty city. Having organised a stressful trip to Kidepo National Park in 2012 by myself, I wanted someone else to do the planning this time. We had a budget in mind and some rough ideas of how we wanted to spend the two days. Once we communicated this to Kombi Nation Tours, we sat back and relaxed as they took care of everything.
From start to finish, everything went like clockwise. Steve our tour operator kept in constant contact with us prior to the trip. He gave us several price options within our budget and managed to include all the activities and game drives we wanted to do. The driver provided by Kombi Tours was professional, friendly and knowledgeable. Murchison River Lodge, where we stayed, was an absolute dream. The food, accommodation and vista were excellent. I wanted a relaxing trip where I did not have to plan or worry about anything. Kombi Nation Tours delivered this and much more. Thank you Rachel and Steve for organising such a wonderful trip!