20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari, and great deal!
We just returned from a 5 day safari with Meru Slopes and Tours. The price was very affordable for a fantastic quality of a tour! We saw the big 5, and had a very similar experience to those who paid much more for a safari. The food was fantastic, we slept in both a permanent tent (with a real bed) and a pop up tent, and we loved having both the quality of a mattress in the permanent tent, and the excitement of sleeping in a tent surrounded by wildlife (especially on the rim of Ngorogoro, simply amazing). I'm not positive that the campsites are the same for all of their tours, so you need to be a bit flexible in where you stay, but our experience was really great. I don't believe we stayed in all campgrounds as initially quoted, but it also seemed to be a better quality than was quoted, so it was a pleasant surprise.
Our guide was fantastic (we had 2: Estome and Mosa), and worked very hard to help us see the big 5 (it is very difficult to see the Rhino, but he got us there in time to see it). Both guides were fun to be with, knowledgeable, so it seems the company has a great supply of guides. Our group we were traveling with was also so much fun. That is definitely the luck of the draw, but we were pleased. The food was great, their system in place is very unique in that you have your own cook, and it's very pleasant to have a warm meal at the end of the day. The food was fantastic, and again, the budget element of this tour was not felt.
Geoffrey was also great to work with, which is why we ultimately chose Meru Slopes. He was the MOST responsive out of all the tour companies. It can be a little strange organizing the tour from a different continent, and his quick responses were very assuring. It was also a pleasant stay at Arusha Tourist Inn, a very simple but chill place before and after the safari. The inn itself is filled with backpackers going on safari or climbing Kili. Beginning with picking us up from the airport, and then the return connection, it was easy and hassle free, and a fantastic deal. We also paid them a bit more for them to organize a trip to the waterfall in Arusha on the way back to the airport, which was above and beyond. We explored Arusha a bit, and Geoffrey even offered to take us to a party on New Years Eve, but unfortunately we got in too late to go, and instead walked around and watched all the fireworks. Sidenote: we didn't have any problems in our wanderings around Arusha, even though some say to be wary at night, just don't carry bags that can be snatched. The longer we were in Tanzania, the more we felt very safe and felt the friendliness of the people. The safari definitely is safe, so no need to be worried about that.
Things to be prepared for: Be a little flexible, it is a budget tour, it is in Africa, and you will be camping. We were a little worried when we arrived when we were told we were doing 4 days with one group, then the 5th day with another, but it was very seamless and was not a problem. They worked hard to make sure we got the dates we wanted, so I would count that as a positive. Their priority was to ensure we had a nice safari, and they were always concerned how we were doing. Also, the foam mattress under the sleeping bag was very comfortable, but a little musty smelling. We aired them out before putting in them in the tent, which helped. Bring toilet paper, as the campgrounds do not stock it. The roads are very bumpy to the Serengeti, and dusty. Of course, not the tour's fault, and everyone takes the same road (including the luxury tours), just be prepared.
Overall, our experience was simply incredible, and I would highly recommend this company for a fantastic and surprisingly affordable tour.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
We could not have had a better safari experience.
We arranged our visit to Arusha and the game parks through Frida Sway at Urafiki Lodge near Arusha. She welcomed our family and provided a comfortable, friendly home from home for our stay.
She put us in touch with Quest and we had a provisional plan before we arrived in Tanzania. After arrival we discussed further options and our final plan included Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Serengeti.
Our guide, Salim, was excellent....very knowledgeable, friendly, fun and completely reliable. His English was perfect and his knowledge of animals and birds was extraordinary. We shared New Year's Eve with him and the staff and other guests at a bush camp and brought in 2017 round a campfire. An unforgettable experience.
The accommodations arranged for at Country Lodge, Karatu, and the bush camp were ideal and everyone made us feel very welcome. Thank you, Salim!
Quest also arranged a local community coffee tour where we learned a lot and, again, felt very well looked after.
Thanks to Frida and Urafiki Lodge introducing us to Quest we could not have had a better safari experience.
Thank you, everyone.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience
We went for the first time to Africa for safari. This was unforgettable experience. Everything was organized perfectly. Our only problem was if the thousands of pictures and videos that we took were in focus.
Our guide, Alladin was amazing. He not only showed us all the animals, but he fulfilled any of our requests like to take us to local market or Masai village etc. He patiently answered thousands of our questions and he made our trip so much better.
I would highly recommend E-Trip Africa.
BR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good and reliable. Recommende
We got a 12 days tour. Everything according to what was hired. We made part of the payment in advance and the remaining in Nairobi. Mr Otieno was very correct and kind. Good lodges with nice food. Tented camps are very good and confortable. Lodges located in wonderful sites with fantastic landscapes. Good car cleaned everyday. They have Toyota AWD vans made specially for safaris. Extraordinary tour guide, very careful driver, with perfect knowledge of the environment and animals. Very kind people everywhere. If your time is short go to Masai Mara where you can see more animals. Amboseli is a wonderful wetland very interesting as well. If you have time take the full tour. We will be back to go to Uganda. But always keep in mind that it is a safari in Africa not a coty tour in Paris. Lots of dust and unpaved roads. Road side restaurants could be better but I think that there are not too many options. Go and enjoy!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fun on a budget
We are not a well off family. And I promissed mu family a tour. N1 Tours worked out a tour. We har an awesome time on a budget. And Christo showed us how to have fun on a budget
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super !!!!
If I decide to repeat Safari in Tanzania, I'm sure I will do it with Hekima Safaris again. Everything was perfect and exactly how they promise. No unpleasant "surprises ". We spent with Hekima Sf 3 days on Safari (Serengeti and Ngorongoro) and one day trip aroud Kilimangaro with Jackson
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most wunderfull time. Great gide. Good staff. Lott of knowlegde. Very good service.
Good communication. Reliable people. Very good service and very good places to stay.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful safari!
We used Masaai Wanderings on a recent trip to East Africa and can't say enough good things about them. They put together a wonderful 7-day itinerary in response to what we were looking for and included parts of the Serengeti, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and Lake Manyara. Our guide Chris was very knowledgable about the region and the wildlife which greatly enhanced the trip. The accommodations were all unique and added so much to our experience. The company was very easy to work with and responsive throughout the entire planning process - I highly recommend them for any future trips.
“Good, trustworthy safari company, great driver”
Of all the safari companies my wife and I looked at, we ended up choosing Africa Unike Adventures & Safaris based on price, itinerary, and lodging. We ended up being really happy with them. There was a small issue with payment (something to do with currency exchange involving our respective banks), but Eunice, the owner of the company, did not make a big deal about it, which for weary travelers at the end of a long adventure, was much appreciated. Eunice herself was generally very kind and helpful, and the company allowed us to substitute a lodge that we wanted to stay in with one they had originally suggested at no additional charge, so that was also very nice.
Our driver and safari guide was Henry, and I would highly recommend him if he is available. That's who we had, and we thought he was great. Super knowledgable, seemed to know everyone, and was willing to go out of his way to find all the different animals, even the harder-to-find ones like the jaguar and rhino. He was also always willing to answer our ignorant traveler questions about not just the wildlife, but Kenya, the people, the culture, and everything in between.
We did a 4-night safari to Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, and Maasai Mara (2 nights here). I would also highly recommend this trip. Nakuru is a small National Park surrounding a beautiful lake. The small size of the park meant that we were able to see a bunch of animals in a short period of time. There is no game drive in Naivasha, although included in this safari is a boat trip on the lake to do bird watching and hippo hunting. The lake is beautiful around sunset. Finally, Maasai Mara is huge, and provides that classic African safari experience. So definitely a must do.
The one downside was that our trip also included a drive up to Lake Bogoria to see the flamingos, which are becoming harder and harder to find. I would definitely skip this because the drive is long and you can barely see the flamingos, so it was the one aspect of the trip that we thought was really not worth it. Otherwise, everything was excellent.
For accommodations, we loved the three places we stayed. Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge is a relatively new place that is built up on a hill with gorgeous views overlooking the lake. Watching the sun rise over the lake from our porch was especially beautiful. Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge was spectacular in a different way—here, there is a bunch of game that literally walks around on the hotel grounds. You even need a chaperone to take you to and from your room at night because there are hippos grazing out on the lawn. As I said, there was no game drive here, but the game came to us so it was a nice substitute. Finally, in Maasai Mara we stayed in the Sarova Mara Game Camp. We wanted a tented experience, and this seemed like one of the better ones. It was definitely nice, had the best food, great staff, really nice tents with good showers, and it was actually in the park.
I'm sure there are probably other places that are equally as good or better, but we were very happy with the three places we stayed.
Finally, the price for 4 nights was about $1400 USD per person, which included the game drives, all the food/lodging, the boat trip on Naivasha, and a lunch buffet at Carnivore in Nairobi on the last day. Overall, we thought the price was worth it. Most of the safaris we looked at were between $1200-$1800, so this seemed reasonable compared to other companies.
All in all, I would highly recommend booking a safari through Africa Unike Adventures. Don't forget to ask for Henry!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Experience!
We used Amahoro Tours on a recommendation from a friend. They put together an itinerary to take us to Lake Kivu (including boat tour) and a trip to Musanze to visit the gorillas. Our tour guide Kevin was amazing and had a lot of local knowledge about the areas we visited and the history and culture of Rwanda. The visit to Red Rocks Camp in Musanze was a great addition and we were able to experience some of the local art forms from a group of women. I highly recommend using them if you want to travel through Rwanda.