JP
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The response is quick.
I was quite anxious about choosing a local tour, as it is difficult to determine whether a company is trustworthy. Given the circumstances—and despite the time difference between Japan and Kenya—I chose this company because they were incredibly responsive whenever I reached out and answered my questions immediately. However, the tour didn't use the company's own vehicles; instead, it brought together people who had signed up through various different companies. The members were staying at different hotels, which made the rounds very time-consuming. The driver often failed to arrive on schedule, resulting in a waste of time. Although an ample supply of water was supposed to be provided during the tour, it was not replenished for two days, and requests to have it restocked were ignored. I think the tour itself was fairly ordinary. However, the failure to provide a water supply strikes me as a major oversight. While I assume this was the fault of the subcontractor chosen by the company, it raises the question: what would the experience have been like if they had selected a provider that owned its own vehicles?
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Adequate
I have headed this review ‘adequate’ as I feel Big Apes should have prepared me more for my trip. It was by chance I found out when reading about Uganda, that I needed a visa. Thankfully these are very easy to obtain on line however if I hadn’t read this, there would have been a delay at the airport. Also, I had not been advised to take gloves for the trek because of the thorny shrubbery I would be walking through. My fellow trekkers were better prepared and I felt at a disadvantage. Similarly I did not know I needed a photocopy of my passport for each trek. Thankfully my driver Ben was able to sort this and I hope he was reimbursed. Being aware of these small matters would have been greatly appreciated. After the confirmation of my booking I did not hear anything until I emailed the company two weeks before my departure when I received an acknowledgment and advised of what time I would be collected from my hotel.
However, after the comments above I cannot praise my driver enough. Ben was polite, courteous and professional and looked after me throughout the whole of my visit. He made sure everything was sorted and even managed to arrange an alternative activity after I fell one day and could not trek the next. I cannot praise him enough.
CA
Experience level: first safari
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Daneesha *********
After experiencing Tarangire and Serengeti, you get less exposure to animals. The stand outs were the Rhino and the flamingos
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall, very average. Lacking atmosphere and not comfortable.
Rather expensive for what felt like a very average experience. Accommodation was as expected and quite nice. Food was also ok, nothing special.
Vehicle very old, rattly and not very comfortable. One of the oldest we saw. Which was a shame given how long you spend it it every day.
The driver was similar to an Uber driver, hard to communicate in English and lacking detail or any excitement at all. Gave up asking any questions.
The overall experience felt disappointing and lacking given the mid to high range price. Recommend keeping options open.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Pre-sale Enthusiasm vs. After-sale Silence
Additional review: Their attitude before and after the sale is completely different. After the sale, I needed them to provide some documents for insurance purposes. I emailed them several times but received no reply at all. The contrast is striking. It feels like they only care about making a one-time sale and have no interest in maintaining customer relationships or encouraging repeat business. If you are planning to book with them, please keep this in mind.
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great driver but always late
Tiyani is great, but not sure how the agency arranges their pick ups with other passengers. Out of the two times I’ve been with Safari Link, they were late both times.
GR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Kenya trip and poor experience in Tanzania
We booked a 7-day safari with Mama Savana for August 2026, which included Nakuru Lake (1 night), Masai Mara (2), Serengeti (2), Ngorongoro Crater (1) and after we were supposed to arrive to Moshi.
As we had never visited Africa before, we had so many questions and so many options to consider (for example hot-air-balloon). Alex answered all my questions and made everything clear. Our payments were confirmed fast and generally during the preparation phase everything was okay.
Our journey in Kenya was excellent, we saw Africa’s Big 5. Our driver Sanita did his best, he was always discreet but there for us and did his best for sure. During our transportation from a location to another, he was stopping every 2-3 hours for WC and was careful while driving. Also, Sanita knew every single road in Masai Mara. He went us around the park and stopped for every single animal we wanted to see. Despite his English was poor, we could communicate and understand each other well.
The vehicle was in fair condition. The lodges and camps we stayed in Kenya were good, with kind and helpful staff. The food was delicious and the nature just amazing!
Unfortunately, as to Tanzania, I can’t say the same good words. There were so many things which made us upset. Initially, the vehicle was in a very very bad condition: the seatbelts were useless, the windows couldn't open, neither the doors (from inside), the screenwashers didn't stop working making that terrible irritating noise, the front glass was cracked, the roof was leaking after the rain and control panel was out of order. Altogether the vehicle was unacceptable and even dangerous for such trip like this one.
The day we crossed Isebania borders, we got a flat tire in Serengeti. This didn't happen out of the blue. Since we were trying to get to Serengeti as soon as possible, we were going very fast and our car was fishtailing in gravel road, which was really scary btw, given the condition of both roads and vehicle. Then I told to our driver Joseph to stop for toilet, in order to cool down the speed and because after borders no station was made for this purpose! After 10 minutes we reached Serengeti gates and then we realized that we don't know where we are going! Thus, we were driving back and forth across the Serengeti trying to find our place until we got that flat tire. As a result, we arrived really late and slept a few hours before our flight with hot air balloon and all-day safari! Many thanks to the driver of the hot-air-balloon office who showed us the road that night.
During all-day safari we didn't explore Serengeti at all but were driving around the camp the same roads again and again and again. I imagined that our vehicle was in such bad condition that our driver was afraid to move away and tried to stay near to the camp. Eventually we told Joseph to drive us back to the camp. The safari had already been ruined.
The day we left Serengeti the vehicle had another damage. This time it was fuel tank. So, we were late once again and didn't have enough time to explore Ngorongoro Crater.
The last day instead of Moshi we were going to Arusha despite I told Joseph a thousand times that we were going to Moshi! Still can't get those spontaneous changes in the schedule 🤷🏼♀️ As we were told, we were supposed to go to the office and then change the driver 🤷🏼♀️ If so, why I wasn't informed prior?
And last but not least. In Tanzania we ate privately with my husband just once in Coffee Lodge due to the lodge policy, while all the other days there we were having our breakfasts, lunches and dinners together with our driver. In my opinion, drivers should be discreet as people come to Africa for holidays and seek private time with their family.
All these things happened in Tanzania degraded the whole experience which in my opinion doesn't correspond to the cost of $ 7,240.00 for 2 pax.
RU
mediocre experience
Overall, a very mediocre experience with a few main issues:
1. The company tries to find the cheapest tickets, which resulted in schedule changes that reduced the safari time in both directions, as well as long layovers. Also, the organizers didn't buy the tickets immediately after receiving the prepayment, but waited another 3 weeks (presumably hoping to find cheaper tickets), which in my opinion is an unfair practice.
2. An extremely lazy driver who suggested heading to the camp as early as 4:00 PM. After I refused, he drove around the safari for another half hour and then, without a word or asking, took us to the camp and dropped us off at 5:00 PM—1.5 hours before sunset. Most other drivers came back around 6:00–6:30 PM. Also, before our flight, he dropped us off an hour earlier than scheduled, claiming he was only paid up to that time.
Minor drawbacks: Various smaller issues, such as a 5% extra fee when paying via a payment link instead of a bank transfer, unexpected USD notes demands on the penultimate day, and at the airport, for some reason, they met us with website nickname instead of our actual names (even though they had passport details).
On the plus side: A good camp.
Good safari, but let down by organisation, communication and the condition of our vehicle
We did a 6-day safari with Judeson, visiting the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli. Overall, we saw some incredible wildlife and had some really memorable experiences, but a lack of communication, professionalism and organisation issues throughout the trip unfortunately affected our experience.
The start of the trip
We were told we would be picked up at around 6:40am and expected the long car journey to Masai Mara would begin from the moment we were collected. Instead, we were taken to an office where we waited for around an hour for Laurine, with very little to no communication about what was happening, why we were waiting or how long we would be waiting. We had woken up very early and were already tired, so spending the first hour of the trip sitting in an office, unsure of what was happening, was a disappointing start. We appreciate that delays can happen, but simply keeping us informed would have made a big difference. Hopefully this is something they can improve on.
Organisation and communication
Unfortunately, the lack of communication was a recurring theme throughout the trip. On Day 3, we were told we would be picked up at 7am to head towards Lake Nakuru. However, we ended up waiting around an hour for three other couples to complete the Maasai cultural tour before we could leave. We then waited for another 30 minutes even after they had all arrived, again without being told why. This was particularly frustrating because we had already done the cultural tour ourselves on the first day, after arriving at our camp near the Masai Mara, so nobody had to wait for us.
The extra waiting time could have been used to sleep, start the journey earlier, or potentially have more time at our next destination. Alternatively, we could have done the cultural tour with the rest of the group on Day 3.
Because of the 2 hour delay in the morning of Day 3, we only stayed in Lake Nakuru for about 2 hours. We felt this could have been handled much better, particularly if we had simply been told in advance that we would be waiting for another couple.
Another instance was that at the end of the trip, our driver randomly stopped at a gas station and told us to get out of the car for an Uber to take us home in Nairobi. This type of last minute and hectic communication was consistent throughout the trip.
Lack of communication and organisation was an issue during longer drives too. We were rarely told beforehand how long the journeys would take, how many stops we would make in order to stretch our legs or take toilet breaks, or when we would be stopping. Having a clearer itinerary and better communication about timings would have made the trip feel much more organised.
The safari vehicle
The vehicle was probably our biggest concern. The jeep was incredibly old and, on one occasion, was expelling smoke. We expected a mini fridge in the jeep as stated in our quote document, but our vehicle didn't have one. We experienced many tyre changes during the trip and the jeep even broke down at one point due to a broken spring. Having looked at other vehicles on game drives, this car looked like the oldest and was at points the slowest.
More seriously, on one occasion the vehicle broke down completely and we had to hitch a ride with another safari vehicle back to the accommodation. Interestingly, this gave us a very clear comparison between the two vehicles. The temporary replacement vehicle was noticeably newer, more robust and much better equipped. It was less dusty, had air conditioning and even had a fridge. The contrast made us realise just how basic and uncomfortable our vehicle had been.
Our usual vehicle also wasn't properly sealed. Even with the windows closed, we could visibly see dust coming into the vehicle through large holes and gaps itself. Given how much time you spend driving on dusty roads during a safari, this became quite uncomfortable, and at times we felt unsafe. The temporary replacement vehicle that took us back to the accommodation had no such issues.
All this unfortunately meant less time looking for animals, and arriving late to national parks due to frequent stops at car mechanic shops during the journey.
We understand that safari vehicles are used extensively on rough terrain and that they won't necessarily be new, particularly on a budget safari. However, we expected the vehicle to be in a reasonable and safe condition for a six-day trip.
Lake Naivasha and additional costs
We also weren't aware that the Lake Naivasha boat ride did not include the walk on Crescent Island. This was an additional $33 per person. Every other person on our tour had this booked prior, and it was only us that were not informed of this addition. We don't have an issue with optional activities costing extra, but it would have been much better to know this beforehand. More transparency about what is and isn't included in the itinerary, and which activities have additional costs, would have helped us budget and make informed decisions.
Food
The food was fairly basic, which is understandable given that this was a budget safari. Dinner at the camps/hotels was generally okay, and packed lunches were provided for the days when we were out on game drives.
That said, the packed lunches were often very disappointing. On one day, for example, we were given three pieces of white bread with butter, along with two boiled eggs. It wasn't particularly enjoyable, especially when you're spending a full day travelling and on safari. This isn't necessarily Judeson's fault, as the food is provided by the camps/hotels, but it's worth mentioning for transparency so that future travellers know what to expect.
Tour guides and lack of organisation
We had the safari with other couples who were spanish speakers. They were therefore given a spanish tour guide, who would mainly speak in spanish rather than English. We thought it would be okay as the driver spoke English, however he rarely spoke to us during game drives as he was concentrating on the road and he relied entirely on the Spanish tour guide. This meant we had to rely on the spanish couples to translate and tell us what each of the animals were at many points during the game drives. This is poor organisation on Judesons part as we would have preferred to have had an English guide.
Maasai cultural tour
We also did a Maasai cultural tour, which was interesting and gave us the opportunity to learn more about the local community and culture. However, we found the experience uncomfortable in parts. The person conducting the tour was extremely pushy about buying souvenirs, repeatedly telling us that purchases exceeding $40 would help support local schools. At one point, we felt surrounded by people encouraging us to buy things, which became quite uncomfortable and made us feel pressured. We understand that buying souvenirs can be an important source of income for local communities, and we were happy to look around and support local sellers. However, we would have preferred to make our own decision about whether and what to buy, without feeling pressured. This wasn't something we would necessarily attribute to Jusedson themselves, but we think it is worth mentioning for future travellers. We learnt a lot from the cultural tour and appreciated the opportunity to experience it, but the sales aspect could have been handled in a much less forceful way.
The positives
Despite these issues, there were definitely some highlights. Seeing the wildlife in the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli was an amazing experience, and we had some unforgettable moments throughout the six days. The safari itself gave us the opportunity to visit some incredible places and see animals in their natural environment, which is ultimately what we came for.
We also appreciated the opportunity to experience the Maasai cultural tour and learn more about the local community, despite the uncomfortable pressure to purchase souvenirs.
Overall
We had some genuinely amazing experiences on the safari, but the trip was let down by organisation, communication and the condition of the vehicle.
For a budget safari, we understand that there will be compromises, and we weren't expecting luxury. However, basic communication about timings, delays, additional costs and the day's itinerary would have significantly improved our experience. We also think the vehicle should be properly maintained and sealed, particularly when guests are spending so many hours travelling in it.
HU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A memorable safari with some disappointing experiences
I booked a 9-day safari with this company, visiting Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mburo National Park.
The national parks were absolutely beautiful, and the trip offered unforgettable experiences. My guide was friendly, helpful and always willing to assist me, which I really appreciated.
Unfortunately, there were several disappointing aspects of the tour. None of the charging ports in the safari vehicle worked. I believe functioning charging ports should be a basic requirement in a safari vehicle, especially when travelling for several days and relying on phones and cameras to capture the experience.
Another issue was tipping. At several activities, staff explicitly mentioned that tips were expected. Considering that I had already paid hundreds of dollars for some of these activities, I found it disappointing to feel additional pressure to tip.
I enjoyed staying at most of the accommodations, with one major exception: Rwakobo Rock Lodge, near Lake Mburo National Park.
On the evening of my arrival, I was asked what I wanted for breakfast the following morning, and I ordered seven boiled eggs. However, after breakfast, I was informed that only two eggs were included and that I had to pay an additional $10 for the other five. The explanation was that most guests only eat two eggs. The problem is that nobody informed me of this restriction or the extra charge when my order was taken the previous evening.
It is ridiculous that a property advertised as a four-star hotel cannot provide a proper buffet breakfast and charges $10 for five additional eggs. Furthermore, my room had neither air conditioning nor a fan, while several geckos were crawling around inside.
Unfortunately, the experience at Rwakobo Rock Lodge completely ruined my day and left a bitter impression of the entire safari. It was particularly disappointing to end an otherwise wonderful trip on such a negative note.
Overall, the national parks and my guide made this a memorable journey, and I enjoyed staying at most of the accommodations. However, the problems with the vehicle, the pressure to tip and, most importantly, the final accommodation significantly affected my experience.
I am giving this safari 3 out of 5 társ, primarily because of the experience at Rwakobo Rock Lodge, which substantially diminished what should have been an excellent final day of the trip.
