FI
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Value for money
8D/7N safari + SGR train tickets to Mombasa. Communication with Franklin was very swift but a bit lacking with final confirmations (like that third was to be paid in cash). I was surprised when transferred/sold to another company, is this tour operator or travel agency? The other company however was excellent so no complaints there.
In the end everything went well except a small detour that I asked and was accepted, then later revoked with a bit shady "official letter" and in hindsight I can't see how it would have fitted in our program. Simple apology when plans changed would've sufficed since this was a budget trip.
Thank you for a memorable safari!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
excellent!
We had excellent and professional service from Benson Safaris. Our driver and guide made sure we had everything possible to facilitate our stay throughout the trip. Even when we had some travel hiccups at the end of our trip (NOT Benson's fault), the company worked with us directly to develop alternative plans - always keeping our safety and enjoyment first.
Our trip was spectacular from start to finish. The accommodations were beautiful and truly more luxurious than I could have expected. The daily visits in the incredible parks were filled with animals and finding and spotting interesting creatures was a special talent of our guide, Zablon. We always felt very well taken care of. The overall experience was a fantastic one - highly recommend this tour and Benson's Safaris for your next trip!
KR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Peferct operator for a perfect place on the Earth
Going to Kilimanjaro had been my dream for many years, thus having a great amount of expectation. The spirit of kilimanjaro team and guide Rama together met my expectation fully, and made the trip memorable and successfull at the same time.
From the beginning, they answered my inquries with such details, got me ready for the adventure. It would have not been possible for me to reach the top without their support and help. Food was enough and good, my tent was always ready in advance, equipments were adequate.
Rama was such an experienced guide who knew know to deal the difficult situation, and tried to communicated with me as often as possible to ensure I was doing alright. We had good conversations along the way!
I am so thankful for their making my trip worthwhile, and definately recommand them.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent, Communicative, Flexible
An affordable yet high-quality experience. Our tour guide / driver was wonderful, the accommodations were good and we certainly enjoyed seeing all the animals! We appreciated the flexibility when we added extra days before & after, and when we wanted to add an additional stop to our package.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptionally planned, robust and thrilling experience
This was my and my wife's first southern African experience and it far exceeded our expectations. Our Discover Africa coordinator, Cayleigh, was an effective listener in planning our 3-week expedition and easily accommodated any changes that we requested. Cayleigh was responsive and easily accessible through various communication methods. The safari experience itself was, at times, simply jaw-dropping in seeing the megafauna, birds, insects, and reptiles. We experienced seeing more than 55 different animals and over 100 birds. We traveled by land, water and air. Seeing the big 5 was truly special!! Our accommodations met or exceeded all that we could hope for, including more food than we could consume! Our guides were very knowledgeable and engaging. A truly special and life-enriching experience, one of my two "bucket list" excursions. I highly recommend engaging Discover Africa for your safari planning needs. Thanks so much Cayleigh!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Victoria, from African Portfolio is amazing!
I just returned from my vacation, and it was perfect! Victoria, from African Portfolio is amazing! I researched many, many travel agencies and I spoke with many, many agents. Victoria was so patient and so understanding, especially since I was nervous (I was nervous because I was traveling solo). Never once did I feel unsure or confused about where to go/be. My guide Garth in Cape Town was brilliant. His knowledge of history made the tours even better! Through him I got to see the real Cape Town. Victoria picked the perfect lodge for me, Notten’s. There are no words to describe Notten’s. The drives, the guides, the food, the staff, the view… spectacular! I highly recommend Victoria! She will make your trip unforgettable and perfect!!!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We had a great experience on our 7-day Uganda safari, Firante Gorilla treks are beyond amazing!
We had a very good experience with Firante Gorilla treks and Kelly as our guide. We loved the clean accommodation and the staff that were so welcoming, we felt at home in all the lodges that we stayed. Our guide took good care of us and he was so well informed, I recommend this experience to anyone travelling to Uganda.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible safari with Mara Triangle
Lucy with Mara Triangle Safaris planned an incredible 17-day safari and beach trip for me and my husband at a very reasonable price! Lucy was so helpful in answering our many questions and handling all of the details. In every respect (including our guide Kevin, accommodations, animal sightings, ease of travel), it was well beyond what we could’ve hoped for. I highly recommend Mara Triangle and would certainly book with them again.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Grand Gorillas and Clever Chimpanzees Fly-in Tour
Four day fabulous trekking and tracking tour. Nicholas provided us with a seamless itinerary filled with amazing lodges, food and sights. He was respectful, cooperative and super helpful. He went out of his way to help ship a lost item of ours
James the Incredible guided us through Uganda with kindness, compassion and an extensive knowledge of the local culture.
The mountain gorillas were astounding and peaceful. We are in our late 50s. The trek was steep but manageable and beautiful.
The chimpanzee tracking was exhilarating and exciting.
I strongly recommend this tour and hope to do it again some day😊
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Alphar is simply the best
If you are a herping fanatic like myself, do not come to Africa with unrealistic expectations. Unlike in the neotropics or SE Asia, you will not find tallies of 20+ snake species over 1-2 week stay. Searching for reptiles in tropical Africa is tough work because of the thick terrain, some species are illusive and on the whole reptiles are thin on the ground. Alphar regularly and succinctly reminded us of this fact via his catchphrase: 'We can not dictate nature'. If you are thinking: 'This sounds like a faff, why bother?'; I can assure you, what Uganda lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality.
Simply put, Alphar and his team at Herping Tour Safaris provide you with the best chance of finding some of Uganda's iconic reptiles. He and his guides are extremely skilled and have unsurpassed local knowledge. What's more, I found their commitment levels to be outstanding (e.g. Alphar was 15 metres up a tree before I knew it to collect a Jameson's mamba!?).
I would also be doing a disservice by not mentioning aspects away from the dense jungles and swampland. All the local guides we used (William, Charles, Nicolas, Patrick, Pato, Brite and Brian) were all very friendly and very attentive even to my broader interests e.g. insects. Joan was good vibes and helped things run smoothly. Last, but not least, Alphar was simply the best guide I have experienced. He was extremely optimistic and friendly, if we needed anything he would arrange for it, no matter how small. Wherever we went, Alphar garnered a great deal of respect from locals, hotel staff etc and I can totally see why. Simply put, he somehow managed to simultaneously be a professional tour operator and a friend.
During our tour we managed to see 7 species of snake, which was very lucky. These included my 3 top targets: Rhinoceros viper, Atheris hispida and Gaboon viper. We also greatly enjoyed Chimp trekking and shoebill watching! Thanks for everything Alphar and Herping Tour Safaris, it is less of a case of 'if' we will come back and more a question of 'when?'.
