50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding from start to finish
Wow, wow, wow
We found Goldfinch through a comparison website and from the initial response their attention to detail was evident from the start.
Kelvin put an itinerary together that suited our requirements, not the other way around. (2 adults traveling with teenage daughters)
We did a 17-day itinerary which took us to the northern and central Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro creator, Tangeria national park, a trip to Materuni waterfall on Mount Kilimanjaro and to Zanzibar.
On booking a 40% deposit was requested and if paying by credit card there is a bank charge of 3.5%. (On the balance we had the option to pay cash or bank transfer with the 3.5% bank charge, we were never chased for the payment and chose to pay 4 days before departure)
We chopped and changed a few bits after we had booked but was never an issue, we received an updated itinerary from Kelvin every time showing the increase or reduction in costs.
Our Safari guide Emanuel was unbelievable, spotting animals that other operators had driven past (lion, hyena, Rhino to name a few )always getting the best spots to see the animals, waiting for us to tell him we had seen enough before moving on. While other rushed from A to B we travelled at a pace that fitted the adventure, taking in the forever changing landscapes and other animals. He started as a guide and finished as a friend.
All the accommodation was to a high standard and the food as well. All the staff are so friendly and accommodating they make you feel really welcome from the moment you arrive.
The 3 nights we stopped in tented were the best, hearing the different animal's noises were brilliant and seeing Wildebeest and Water buffalo roaming was great.
We had so many once in a lifetime moments, from doing the Hot Air Ballon ride, seeing the great migration river crossing and the awaiting crocodiles, leopard in a tree, Cheater mother and her 4 cubs, lion cubs running past the jeep, Elephant's brushing by and seeing 11 rhinos' in Ngorongoro, with 4 of them less than 30ft away on my birthday is a moment I will never forget.
The walk to Materuni waterfall is challenging with a lot of ups and downs, steps and slippery bits, takes about 45 - 60 mins each way but the views in the valley and the waterfall are spectacular. There is a coffee experience attached to the day, we just did the tasting as we were pushed for time, but was very nice.
Our final leg of the trip took us to Zanzibar, we chose the Rui Palace as we have experience of the brand, again didn't disappoint.
We did 2 trips, organised by Kelvin to Stone Town going to Prison Island to see the giant tortoises and then onto a sandbank for lunch, both very busy but worth going. Second trip was to Salaam caves to swim with the turtles, we went very early to avoid the queues, was worth the early start.
All in all, we cannot praise Kelvin, Emanuel and the team at Goldfinch enough for making the trip and our eldest daughters 21st birthday a once in a lifetime adventure.
Cannot recommend highly enough
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great and knowledgeable company. Best tour guide (Name: Papa John)
Amazing masai mara safari experience. My tour guide was Papa John. Very fun, knowledgeable and kind guide. Taught our group so much about the animals, safari and surrounding area. Make sure you ask for him next time you book. The tour company was also very responsive and competitive pricing.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good operator with excellent guide Erasto!
Our Guide Erasto was a very friendly guide and driver. We went with a family of 5 to Tanzania. He explained everything very good and he had a voice that was loud and clear. He gave lots of information about Tanzania, The parks, the animals, the food, the trees, the Masai and many more! We could ask him everything! Our kids of 23,22 and 20 loved him. He was very pole pole and hakuna Matata!
For the organisation a possible point of improvement: give Erasto a better Jeep. This one was old and lots of other jeep could drive faster.
The tour went from tarangire park to Lake Manyara park, to Serengeti and then to Ngorongoro park. It was very good!
The tour : 5 stars
The guide: 5 stars
The jeep : 2 stars
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional guide: experienced, knowledgeable, reliable, and incredible at spotting wildlife.
We cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience with Zawame Travel, and especially about our incredible guide in the Maasai Mara. He was truly one of the highlights of our entire safari, and we feel so lucky to have had him guiding us.
From the very beginning, it was obvious just how experienced he was. He seemed to have an instinct for exactly where to go and when to go there, and he was exceptionally skilled at spotting wildlife—often noticing animals that we never would have seen on our own. Thanks to him, we had so many extraordinary sightings and experiences in the Mara.
What impressed us just as much was how expertly he navigated the landscape. He knew the roads, terrain, and wildlife areas incredibly well and could maneuver the vehicle into excellent positions for viewing and photography while always making us feel safe. He was a terrific driver and was consistently punctual, reliable, and professional.
His knowledge of the Maasai Mara was remarkable. He taught us so much about the animals, their behavior, the ecosystem, the landscape, and the region throughout our time together. We could ask him seemingly anything about what we were seeing, and he always had an informative answer.
We also loved how well connected he was with the other guides throughout the Mara. Everywhere we went, he seemed to know people, communicate with other guides, and stay aware of what was happening across the reserve. You could really see the value of his years of experience and the relationships he had built.
Most importantly, we genuinely enjoyed spending our days with him. His expertise, professionalism, enthusiasm, and dedication elevated the entire experience. After continuing our safari elsewhere in East Africa, we appreciated even more just how exceptional he had been. The quality of a guide can completely transform a safari, and ours in the Maasai Mara set an incredibly high standard.
We are deeply grateful to Zawame Travel for giving our family such a memorable experience. If you are considering a safari in the Maasai Mara, we wholeheartedly recommend them—and we especially recommend our guide. He helped make our time in the Mara something we will remember for the rest of our lives.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent and highly recommended!
Booking the one day trip to Mikumi National Park from Dar es Salaam was really easy! The communication from Winfrida was excellent throughout and Maarufu, our guide, was super lovely making the game drive really enjoyable! We learned a lot from him about the wildlife. Mikumi National Park has lots to offer; it was above expectation!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional Tour Operator
We recently booked a last-minute 5-day safari to the Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru with Rocktrek Safaris Limited with friends from the USA. From the itinerary planning to the safari itself, the team proved their professionalism. I would like to thank our tour driver-guide, Duncan, for his professionalism in handling us. We plan to use them in the future
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience, we’d recommend!
We had the 4 days safari tour and really enjoyed it.
We didn’t know that you don’t get the 4 full days, so the first day we got an Arusha city tour which included the Cultural Heritage Art Gallery and two markets which was really interesting to see.
We came from Moshi (which is 2.5 hours from Arusha instead of the airport pickup which would’ve been 30 minutes max.) they made sure to pick us up from there which was really nice, thanks to Kelvin. After the trip we were also brought back.
The next three days we joined two other couples. The tour guide, Samuel, was great. He knew a lot about the animals and answered every question we had if he could. Also our cook, Elijah, was amazing. (Even though he is just learning English, we could understand him very well!) The food was good and had a lot of variety so there’s something for everyone. We even had two vegetarian people which worked great.
It’s good to know that there is a shower, but there’s a possibility of it being cold, which worked for us because it is not that cold.
We saw all of the animals from the Big Five, the ride itself was good. There was enough space and drinks for everyone. If you do get hungry, the cook makes sure you can take what’s leftover from breakfast or lunch to eat in the car later.
We’d really recommend and again a big shoutout to Samuel and Elijah (and Kelvin)
PL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic trip in Moremi Game Reserve and Okavango Delta
It was not our first time in Botswana so we knew well what we wanted this year: Okavango Delta was our main goal. So we asked exactly for that and our expectations were fulfilled. We had a fantastic time in Moremi, and then Okavango. Everything was perfectly arranged: the camp for us, the staff who cared for everything we needed, food, dinner: soup, main course and ... surprise (a desert). And beautiful landscape, and animals (lions, leppards, hippos, elephants - a lot, crocs, antilopes, .....), walking, mokoro, boat. Everything we needed to have fantastic holidays. It is not our last time in Botswana, we start to plan next year....
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Experience！
We had an amazing experience with Kilipath African Safaris!
Everything went very smoothly from beginning to end. Happy was incredibly friendly, responsive, and helpful throughout the entire process. She always replied to our messages quickly and made sure everything was well arranged. Even while we were already out on the safari, she continued to check in and assist us whenever we needed anything.
I also mentioned to Happy that I wanted to celebrate my birthday during the trip, and she surprised me by arranging a birthday cake! It was such a thoughtful and unexpected touch and made the trip feel even more special and memorable.
The safari itself was fantastic. We saw so many animals and were lucky enough to see all of the Big Five! Everything was smooth and well organized, so we could simply relax and enjoy the experience.
We had a wonderful time and really appreciated all the effort Happy and the team put into making our trip special. Thank you so much for an unforgettable Tanzania safari. Highly recommended!
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible
Happy was extremely responsible and always replied so quickly. She answered all of our questions patiently, and even when we had a few adjustments to the itinerary, she helped us organize everything perfectly.
When we arrived in Arusha, everything went exactly as promised. The team was very organized, and there was always someone available to help whenever we had questions.
A special thank you to Happy for surprising us with a birthday cake — I had honestly already forgotten about it! The cake was delicious, and everyone was so welcoming. It was such a thoughtful surprise and made the trip even more memorable.
Our tour guide, Lawrence, was also very professional and experienced. He always made sure we had the best chance to see the animals and was great at spotting them quickly. He drove efficiently but safely, and he constantly checked in to make sure everyone was comfortable and doing okay.
I also got very lucky with the group I travelled with. Everyone was wonderful, which made the whole safari experience even more enjoyable.
Overall, everything was very well organized, and I’m really grateful to Happy, Lawrence, and the whole team for making the trip such a great experience.
