20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant safari experience
I've recently returned from a four day safari experience with Shadows of Africa Tours. From start to finish my group and I were treated to a flexible and enjoyable trek through Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorogoro Crater.
Our group opted to sample a range of accommodation options during the trip, but from the budget to the heights of luxury - it was clear that Shadows of Africa had carefully vetted all lodges & hotels to ensure they met quality standards. Every lodge had WiFi, pleasant facilities, and accommodating staff.
Our driver, Timo, was a font of knowledge when it came to the Serengeti. His keen eyes were a source of wonder for us - he was even able to spot a Serval Cat from a good 500m away! When he wasn't directing our attention to another beautiful animal in its natural habitat, he was quiet and allowed us to chatter away noisily in the back of the car. While Land Cruisers are far from limousines in terms of comfort, we had ample room for ourselves and our belongings, and were grateful for the vehicle once the roads really devolved.
Over the course of four days we saw the entirety of the 'Big Five' and almost every other animal we'd hoped to see, with only the cheetah eluding us. We got some stunning photos of bull elephants, lions, and even a leopard resting post-kill. I couldn't have been more pleased with the sheer variety of animals we encountered.
The pre-trip communication from Jake was great, and it was a real pleasure to get to know him and the rest of the Shadows of Africa team while we were whiling away time in Arusha after our safari. Special mention to the feast that was the packed lunch that Natasha provided for the first day of our trip. More food than I could eat!
The real charm of SoA comes in the fact that they're designing a tour specifically for your group. Even once the itinerary was set, we were free to request later or earlier starts as our mood desired. When Lake Manyara looked like it might not yield great results due to the weather, we were quickly and seamlessly shifted to Tarangire instead. You don't get this kind of flexibility in large group tours.
An experience I'd not only recommend to friends, but one I am likely to repeat someday in the future.
Absolutely amazing experience
When I started planning my trip Uganda, I emailed different safari operators to find out more about the options offered in their webpages. The answer I got from Emma Hill from Go2Africa was fast, complete and very useful. I asked for further information and I always got back very complete answers about all my questions in many many emails. Go2africa made a tailor made itinerary that fit all my needs and demands.
My communication with Go2Africa was by email and it was very efficient. It was very easy to make the payments, and everything during the trip happened as planned. The attention from the local travel operator was exceptional, our guide was absolutely professional. All the lodges where we stayed fulfilled our expectations and we have absolutely no complaint about the trip.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Serengeti is amazing
Serengeti was all I had expected and then some. The animals, including the Great Migration, and the birds were beautiful, accommodations were unique and comfortable, and even at the more heavily-populated visitor centers at the entrances there was no trash or papers/plastic around.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
friendly knowledgeable and fun
We had a great time with Enos our guide. He was accommodating, extremely knowledgeable about Rwandan affairs, affable and one of the nicest people I've ever met. Olive was easy to work with and the whole trip was an amazing success. Would thoroughly recommend them - especially Enos.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Disappointed.
We chose Kazinga for their flexibility, good reviews and prices. With another couple of friends we spent 9 days of game drives in three parks of Tanzania.
When we saw the 4X4 car picked us up from the airport in Dar, we already said it started badly. It was an old 4X4, 18 years old, in poor condition, with smooth tires! Of course we had a puncture. In addition to the nine days, he broke down twice and stopped two days.
The organization safari was bad, with trip totally undervalued times (4 hour trip turned into an exhausting 11-hour trip!)
The guides were friendly and reservations had been made and paid.
Finally, we cut and preferred to fly at our expense, to go from Ruaha park to our hotel on the Indian Ocean.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
South Africa HHW
First we would like say thanks to our Agent Ute Sonnenberg. She organized us an amazing travel with a lot of experiences and challenges. The first section in Kruger Park with a Photo session with Ute was a very nice time with a lot of animals (we saw all Big 5 and additional the 2 other Big's like Hippo and Shitas and as special highlight the Wild dogs where only 146 dogs exist in Kruger) and friendly people from the "Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge" and "Kirkman’s Kamp". Also the relax time in Swaziland where we walked a little bit and the treatment time in the "Pakamisa Private Game Reserve", on Rocktail Beach (direct on the Indian Ocean) with a beautiful beach with very less people and the New Year celebration in the "Lily Pond Country Lodge" were a very nice vacation variation. And the travelling and stay at last station in Cape Town (staying in the Abbey Manor lodge at the foot of Table Mountain) showed us the vastness and beauty of South Africa.
Even a short-term desire for a trip modified on first Christmas Day was executed immediately.
Because we were traveling with a rental car only the travel route planning, we will do better next time (shorter distances because it takes more time than expected between the stations).
We never had the feeling that it was dangerous for us in South Africa
Many thanks for the great vacation.
Hella and Hans
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A very enjoyable time with a very nice family run company.
We travelled with Safari Joe on a family holiday in 2013. Although we are regular visitors to Kenya's coast we decided to embark upon an adventure camping safari to the Masai Mara and Lake Naivasha on this occasion. The service that Safari Joe offers is outstanding and we were thoroughly spoilt throughout. We were very impressed with the Safari Trucks as we had excellent viewing from them. Meals were delicious and I think we all gained a few pounds! A big thumbs up from the whole family!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
great, well-organized safari exceeded our expectations
Our trip to Tanzania with Makasa Tanzanian Safaris was great. They organized everything for our in-country stay, starting with arranging our flight from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar. The driver was waiting for us at the airport in Zanzibar to take us to our hotel on the other side of the island. He was courteous, friendly and informative. He and all our guides spoke perfect English, so there were no communication problems. Makasa also arranged for our tour of Stone Town and a spice farm, again with a terrific guide. They suggested a hotel in Zanzibar which sounded very nice, but because we wanted to do snorkeling we chose another closer to that activity. They made all the arrangements. In other words, they give suggestions, but are willing to work with you to meet your needs. They also arranged the driver to return us to airport in Zanzibar and they had made the plane reservations to Kilimanjaro, where we were again met by a very friendly, courteous driver. We had thought we wanted to do only a 4-day safari, but because of distances and time of year, Selma suggested a 7-day safari. We are really glad we took her suggestion. Four days would have definitely been too short. On the morning of the safari our driver/guide met us at the hotel and we were off! Not only was he a very good driver and very pleasant, but he was also very knowledgeable about the animals, their habits and habitat. He spoke fluent English as well as fluent Spanish. The safari allowed us time to see the wildlife without ever feeling rushed--plenty of time for pictures--and we also had the option to visit a Masai village.
The accomodations were great--Rhotia Valley tented camp the first night, 3 nights at a tented camp in the Serengeti and the last 2 nights at Sopa Lodge at Ngoro Ngoro Crater. It was nice to experience the more rustic accomodations first and then have the last 2 nights at the lodge. Great planning on Selma's part to do it that way. And the rustic accomodations were not really roughing it at all--tents, but comfy beds, hot water, showers and flush toilets and solar lanterns. And you could hear the birds and other wildlife from tents.
I also liked that profits from both Rhotia Valley and hotel in Moshi go to support an orphanage and a school, respectively. Sopa Lodge was nice, but at all the other places since they were smaller and more casual we were able to interact with travelers from different places--Spain, Norway, Sweden, France.
We also took a day excursion to a waterfall at entrance to Kilimanjaro Park, and you could also do a day hike on Kilimanjaro trail. Since it was the beginning of the short rainy season we viewed the Great Migration in the Serengeti. Amazing!
I highly recommend Makasa. They are experienced and know what they are doing and will take care of everything.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best tour operator in all of Tanzania
Deo & his crew are one of the most well respected tour providers in all of Africa. What makes them stand out so much from others is the quality of the guides. The guides you use for your trip greatly determine how enjoyable a time you have and they have the best. I recommend this company to any and every person considering going to Africa. Use them and you will not be disappointed!
NO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Superb service throughout fantastic Tarangire/Serengeti/Ngorongoro 4 day safari adventure
Our party of four had never visited Africa before and chose Benson Safaris recommended by friends who resided in Tanzania - and they provided great advice and assistance long before even booking the trip. 4 days is a bit short for all of Tarangire/Serengeti/Ngorongoro, but do not skip any of it, rather add a day or two. We saw all the big five on multiple occassions, masses of wilderbeast and zebras on the plains and many other great animals and each park has its distinct flora and unique splendor. An absolutely overwhelming experience for life! Our guide Issa was extremely knowledgeable and managed to always put us in the right spot at the right time. We highly recommend this operator for safari tours.