US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Accommodating and excellent experience seeing calving season!
We had an amazing and unforgettable experience on our safari with Baccari as our guide! The experience is one we will remember forever! Seeing these animals in their natural habitat like this is so eye opening. We went during calving season and did a 5 day safari in February. We went to Tarangeri, Serengeti, Ndutu, and Ngorongoro crater. Seeing the great migration near Ndutu during calving season with all the wildebeest calves was a highlight! Because Baccari was a great guide we were able to see so many amazing animals like birds and lions and dik diks and rhinos. Baccari listened to what we wanted to see, and made sure to stop by and see the animals that interested us the most! The lodging was perfect and extremely nice at each location, with exceptional food. It was initially booked as a solo trip; but the company was accommodating and was able to allow me to add a friend to the itinerary with only 1 months notice. They were also accommodating about picking us up at the airport, as our arriving flights had to be different.
Only thing preventing it from being 5 stars is that there was some mistake regarding admission to the national parks and conservation areas, resulting in us waiting for extended periods of time at the park entrances. Also; they were a bit slow to respond to emails and answer questions when planning the safari, but I have heard that is typical for Tanzania!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Really good day out, just a couple of adaptions to make the day great
The price was great for what was included. The day started a bit sour for us though. Collected at 5am, for a 6:30am flight to be told we was on a 09:30am flight. We had to sit and wait for hours. No clear instruction at the airport. They also confiscate all bug spray which we wasn’t informed of which was quite stressful as we wanted to protect from mosquitos. Once we boarded the plane it was a pleasure from start to finish. So many animals at Mikumi and so many babies. Would 10/10 recommend. Just wished our collection time matched our actual flight time especially as we had a flight at midnight back to London it just made us more exhausted than we needed to be. 10/10 lunch at Mikumi though!! Arguably best food we’d had in Tanzania
NL
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It had all that I was looking for in a holiday
For me have a month holiday was great first been on island of mafia and then going on safari after visiting waterfalls seeing Kilimanjaro and the finished my holiday in Zanzibar perfect holiday
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable Experience
Thank you so much to Great Lions Safari and to Justus for my tour in Uganda!
Justus communicated the itinerary with me beforehand and kept in contact. He was an excellent driver and used lovely accommodations during the tour.
I would recommend him to others; thank you for hosting a truly memorable experience for me.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was good safari trip, come across excitement moment with friends in creater. I enjoy safari trip.
I had good safari trip,lot of new and excitement experience within and outside the creator, communication and service were superb. I recommend to use Lasi Tour for safari.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional tour experience with knowledgeable guides and seamless organisation-highly recommended!
We had an incredible experience with Netherken Safaris and Tours! From start to finish, every detail was expertly handled. Our guide was knowledgeable and personable, making the tour both informative and enjoyable. The itinerary was well-planned, allowing us to see all the highlights while still having time to explore on our own. Thank you for providing such a memorable adventure!
The only thing I personally did not like id that the guide asked for 20 dollars tip from each of us. That should be up to people how much are they willing to give. Ut was a bit uncomfortable.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic tour guide!
Post
Overall, my safari experience was a mix of highs and lows, sprinkled with valuable lessons for future travelers. Here's my detailed review:
Before delving into the adventure, a vital tip: When booking through TripAdvisor, be aware that there are both luxury and budget options available. I mistakenly chose the budget option without realizing there was another tier. For those seeking a more lavish experience, it's advisable to book directly through Lenchada.
Here's what I wish I knew beforehand:
* During the safari, you'll rarely leave the vehicle, so there's no need for specialized "safari" clothing or hiking shoes.
Day 1:
Positives:
* Promptly picked up from our hotel at 7:00 AM, we arrived at the Lenchada tented camp around 2:45 PM, making a single stop for sightseeing, souvenirs, and restroom use along the way.
* The evening game drive in Maasai Mara was a highlight, lasting about 2.5-3 hours and offering sightings of three of the "Big 5" animals.
* Despite the long drive, the abundance of wildlife and stunning photos made it worthwhile.
Negatives:
* The camp's electricity was only available from 5:30 - 7:00 AM & 6:30 - 10:00 PM in the dining hall via a generator, making charging inconvenient. No outlets in room and lights only work during generator operating hours.
* Hot water in the tent's bathroom was inconsistent, despite assurances of continuous availability.
Day 2:
Positives:
* Full-day safari in Maasai Mara, lasting about 10 hours.
* Unique a sighting of a pride of lions (17!)
Negatives:
* Woke up at 5:30 to charge camera/phones but generator had issues and didn’t work until 6:00 am when we had to leave for the day.
* Lunch consisted of unrefrigerated items (6+ hrs - lunch meat, yogurt & chicken), leading to concerns about food safety as a non local. Limited restroom availability also influenced the decision to not partake.
* Some periods of the safari felt slow, with minimal wildlife sightings as we hunted for specific game or travel from location to location; no one’s fault - nature provides and can’t be rushed.
Day 3:
Positives:
* We had the option to visit a Maasai Village before departing for a travel day ($20 per person), providing unique cultural insights and experiences.
* Interaction with the locals and participation in traditional activities added depth to the safari experience.
Negatives:
* The visit to the Maasai Village included high pressure sales tactics to purchase goods from villagers. Instead of enhancing the experience, I felt swindled and disheartened detracting from the positive aspects of the trip.
* Discomfort from flies and cow manure was unavoidable at the village site.
Day 4:
Positives:
* An early start at 6:30 AM took us to Lake Nakuru, where we completed the "Big 5" sightings with memorable encounters with rhinos, flamingos, and a RARE leopard sighting!
* Brief hippo boat ride allowed for unique photos not available in the previous parks visited.
Negatives:
* The shortage of meat during lunch due to multiple groups converging at the same time was disappointing, impacting the overall dining experience.
* The presence of mosquitoes at Chambai Safari Hotel posed a problem, affecting the comfort of our stay - leave windows closed if at all possible (no a/c in room).
* Staff advised dinner at 7pm at arrival but then woke us in our rooms at 5pm to get our order and advise that dinner would be at 8 pm - dinner did not arrive until roughly 8:30 while we sat and waited as the only diners.
Day 5:
Positives:
* We enjoyed a scenic walk in Hell’s Gate with sightings of zebras and giraffes along the way.
* Visited geothermal generation station which I found very interesting!
* A quick but satisfying lunch capped off our safari adventure before being dropped off at the hotel around 2:30 PM.
In conclusion, while the safari experience was fantastic and filled with unforgettable moments, there were notable drawbacks. Positives: Staff throughout all of our stays were kind and helpful. The vehicle was in fantastic condition, immaculate, and had one window for every person which was great (especially for those of us who get car sick). During the safari, there were no constraints to getting the perfect photo, I always felt like I was right in the action either by looking out the window or over the pop up top! Our guide did everything to get us into the position to see the best animals and was in constant communication with other guides via radio and cellphone to ensure the best experience for every group. The relationships between guides was impressive and enhanced the experience, we would have missed the pride of lions and leopard otherwise! As far as drawbacks, the food was repetitive and very limited in selection, accommodations (specifically the hotels) lacked basic amenities such as functional TVs. Additionally, better communication regarding restroom breaks, lunch times, drive times, arrival times, etc. would have made for a better experience but truly, I couldn’t have asked for a better guide to get us right into the action of it all!
Guide: 4.5/5
Animal Sightings: 10/5
Accommodations: 3/5
Food: 2/5
NO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Poor
Safari is really Nice.
Afrika is a disaster.
It is no good wibes going on holiday to su h a poorness. Its so Nice in its beaty
Cruel to se all the poor people
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well done
Communication with the rep/sales (Deus) was excellent. Driver-guide Kalvin was also polite, punctual and knowledgeable.
Points to improve though are vehicle - could have been newer (keep in mind very dusty and shaky roads, so additional comfort would not harm), program though good - I was not aware of Tarangire national park, hooked only by the big names of Serengeti & Ngorongoro - so it was a perfect addition, but more precise info would have been nice, especially about times - as from Tarangire to Serengeti it took almost the whole day and not just 1,5 as it was stated in the program.
Also it feels like that you should better know what you want on safari - otherwise stops times might be either too long or too short.
Accomodation was quite good, especially Baobab tented camp.
Lunch could have been better - lunchboxes are provided by accomodation mostly, but we spotted also one group being catered with metal pots instead of humble lunchboxes, so there is room to grow (consider to buy some snacks in advance )
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good and always a quick response
We did the 5-day tour to Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire NP.
The booking went very nice and we got a lot of recommendations regarding the perfect places for the season.
Everything was well organized, all the pick ups and drop offs went smoothly. We could always contact Fransisca and she would respond very quickly.
The hotels we stayed in were good (especially in Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara).
We saw a lot of animals, especially in the Ngorongoro crater - that was the place we enjoyed the most and would definitely recommend.
