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.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An all round great experience
I arranged all of this online, mainly focusing on the kind of experience we wanted and then the reviews. The balance of the safari was good - we had river, game drive and walking safari over 2 nights 3 days. We had a single guide as our driver with a good vehicle collecting us from our friends house at the expected time. The journey to Selous Park was long (5 hours) - we could have done the train but was glad to experience the communities and life in Tanzania along the way. During the game drive we had a fully cooked lunch served to us (alongside other safari vehicles) at one central point, which also had toilets was good. Our particular driver had less knowledge on birds but had a bird book to support us all. He was however very knowledgeable and trained on all the animals. We saw everything we wanted to (including an amazing elephant experience), and while Selous does not have the plains of Serengeti, our driver reminded us that the Serengeti was majorly overcrowded in comparison (Selous is the size of Switzerland and only has 10,000 visitors per year). Finally, the accommodation facilities were as we expected and good for a remote location (we chose mid range). The food was good, and the staff were excellent. Would definitely recommend and do again, possibly even with budget accommodation as the option next time.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Nelson and his entire team come highly recommended!
Nelson and his entire team come highly recommended!
We booked an eight-day Kilimanjaro tour with him, followed by a six-day safari that included a hot-air balloon ride. Nelson accommodated all our wishes and was extremely flexible whenever we had new suggestions or ideas, ensuring we had a truly unforgettable trip. Whenever questions arose, we received incredibly quick responses.
The organization of the Kilimanjaro tour and the selection of our mountain crew could not have been better. We felt we were in excellent hands at all times. Nelson had prepared everything perfectly, so we were accompanied up Kilimanjaro by a highly professional and well-coordinated team.
We certainly wouldn't have reached the summit without our mountain crew. The accommodations (including the tents), the food (meals were freshly prepared for us three times a day), and the support during the hike were outstanding. Our two mountain guides were very experienced, and we were incredibly grateful for their expertise. The entire team worked hard every day to ensure we lacked nothing. The men and women involved deserve the utmost respect for what they do for tourists day in and day out.
The choice of hotels following the eight-day Kilimanjaro tour was fantastic, and all our requests—such as having a large bathtub—were met. We were absolutely delighted; the beautiful, comfortable accommodations left nothing to be desired.
All transfers, as well as the domestic flight to the northern Serengeti and the meeting with our safari guide there, went smoothly and were completely stress-free for us. Our guide, Dulli, provided us with truly unique experiences. Thanks to his extensive knowledge and experience, we were able to witness the Great Migration crossing the Mara River. We saw the "Big Five"—but also the "Ugly Five." Another highlight was the hot-air balloon ride booked through Nelson’s agency; everything was perfectly organized. Floating over the Serengeti in a hot-air balloon shortly after sunrise—observing the animals and the traces of their nocturnal activities from the air—was an incredible experience. The champagne breakfast that followed is also highly recommended.
We were incredibly lucky on the drive to the Ngorongoro Crater; our guide, Dulli, spotted a cheetah, giving us the chance to take truly spectacular photos. What an encounter—for all of us. It was wonderful to see that our guide was just as thrilled by the cheetah sighting as we were. The Ngorongoro Crater was the crowning finale of our safari. Seeing black rhinos there fulfilled another major wish of ours. What majestic animals.
This was our second visit to Tanzania, and Nelson had been recommended to us. We made a conscious decision to choose him and his company. It was also very important to us to know that Nelson pays his team fairly and respects and values their hard work—especially the mountain crew, who perform superhuman feats to enable guests to climb Kilimanjaro. We would travel with Nelson and his team again in a heartbeat. The value for money was excellent, and the selection of hotels and lodges was fantastic—places where you could simply feel at ease. There wasn't a single negative aspect to our trip.
We would like to thank Nelson and his team for making such an unforgettable, magnificent, and impressive journey possible for all of us. These are memories and moments we will cherish for a lifetime and hold deep in our hearts!
Asante sana 🙏🏻
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent at what they do
Fauziah was excellent throughout the booking process. He kept us informed and updated every step of the way, which made organising our trip really easy.
We had a couple of issues with transfers during the trip, but these were sorted straight away with the help of their local contact.
After an early 4:30am start on our first day, we were picked up and taken to Nairobi Airport for our flight to Amboseli, where we went straight out on aa amazing game drive. It was 1pm before we reached our lodge and had something to eat, so a snack along the way would have been greatly appreciated.
Our guide in Amboseli, Richard, was fantastic — very informative, professional and a genuinely lovely person. David, our guide in the Masai Mara, was equally wonderful. They both went above and beyond to make our safari experience so special.
We got up close and personal with so many amazing animals, and the whole experience was simply incredible. It was an unforgettable adventure, and I would definitely recommend booking with Monkey Adventures.
