50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Malaki Was the Guide Who Made My Serengeti Dream a Reality
We had six days with Malaki as our guide through Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, and I'll be back with Malaki as my guide.
From the airport pickup onward, Malaki felt like an old friend, handling every detail and special request we had seamlessly and with ease. I found out about Malaki through a friend who works at a 5 star luxury hotel chain in the USA; her colleagues all use Malaki Safaris when they vacation at the hotel chain's Serengeti location.
Malaki is an expert in wildlife and conservation and it was fascinating to talk to him about his guiding experience. He found the Big Five for us and he was just as thrilled as we were watching the wildlife. Malaki is kind, patient, easy going, knowledgeable, very professional, fun, and has fascinating stories about his guiding experiences, wildlife sightings, and the local Maasai culture. We learned a lot from Malaki and really enjoyed his company.
My trip to the Serengeti was my childhood dream, and Malaki made it entirely perfect. If you're planning a safari in Tanzania, ask for him, every detail will be perfection and you will be taken care of. I'm already looking forward to going back.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly Effective & Efficient
We had a great experience and got to see basically every animal we wanted to, even the elusive big cats (leopard, cheetah, lion). Our driver Timothy was amazing! He was such an experienced, efficient, effective driver, easily shaving off 30+ minutes when getting between national parks. He was a friendly guide and exceptionally knowledgeable about the best places to see all the animals. He was kind and accommodating. Would highly recommend.
If I had one constructive feedback, it would be that I'd hope the tour guide be more informative to tell us details and fun facts about where we're going and seeing, but we still had a fantastic time and I'd definitely still recommend Morningstar as well as our driver.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime. Just magical ✨️
So glad I booked my safari through Dallas. From the first interaction Dallas was prompt and clear with his communication. We started our research 8 months in advance, from day one until after the safari, Dallas kept in touch built a rapport and made me feel secure and confident about my plans. He provided guidance and support while I stayed in Arusha on my own as a single mother with my 2 children until rest of my family joined for the safari few days later. We had an amazing time. We saw all the animals including the big 5 on the first day. The Lodge we stayed in was so welcoming and comfortable. Hot air ballon was such a unique experience. Our transfer driver and safari driver were both so polite and professional. Dallas added his personal touch to visit us at our villa before the safari started as introduction and met us again once we were finished. Really made us feel like we mattered. Highly recommend Dallas for anyone looking to book a safari. In the future will book with Dallas for my safari in Kenya.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Bad management
We chose Marakele specifically because we wanted to give our grandchildren a memorable African wildlife experience before they leave the country. We paid a considerable amount for what we expected to be a safe, well-managed and unforgettable experience. Sadly, the reality has been profoundly disappointing.
What concerns us most is that this was not simply a matter of minor inconveniences. A number of basic service and maintenance failures occurred during our stay, culminating in a situation that we consider to be a serious safety concern.
1. Extremely restrictive accommodation times
We were only permitted to access the tented chalet from 15:00 and were required to vacate it by 10:00 the following morning.
While we understand that SANParks has established check-in and check-out procedures, the very limited time available to guests is disappointing, particularly when compared with other comparable wildlife establishments where guests are generally permitted to remain until approximately 11:00.
Given the amount charged for the accommodation, we expected a better overall guest experience.
2. Repeated electricity failures
During our stay, we attempted to cook in the chalet, but the electricity repeatedly tripped.
This was extremely inconvenient and prevented us from properly using the facilities for which we had paid.
3. Basic maintenance not attended to
There was also no functioning bulb in the lamp in our room.
This is a basic maintenance issue that should have been identified and rectified before guests arrived. It is difficult to understand how accommodation can be handed over to paying guests without such elementary checks being carried out.
4. SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN – GATE TO THE WILDLIFE AREA
The most unacceptable incident occurred the following morning.
We wanted to enter the gated area to see the wildlife — which was, after all, one of the principal reasons for bringing our grandchildren to Marakele.
When we arrived at the gate, the intercom was not working.
We contacted reception for assistance. Instead of providing a safe solution, we were instructed to get out of our vehicle, open the gate manually, drive through, and then get out of the vehicle again to close the gate manually.
This is extremely concerning because the instructions at the gate clearly state that visitors must not leave their vehicles.
There is an obvious reason for such an instruction: this is a wildlife area.
We should not have been placed in a position where we were effectively required to choose between following the safety instructions or following the instructions of reception.
Even more concerning is that the receptionist informed us that the gate had apparently not been working for some time and that everyone entering the area had simply been opening and closing it manually.
If this is indeed the case, we find it completely unacceptable that SANParks has knowingly allowed this situation to continue.
A malfunctioning gate in a wildlife area is not a minor maintenance problem. It is a potentially serious safety hazard. Visitors should never be instructed to leave their vehicles in an area where they have explicitly been warned not to do so.
5. Unacceptable attitude from reception
What made the situation even more upsetting was the manner in which our concerns were handled.
While we were trying to explain our concerns to the receptionist, she repeatedly laughed.
We found this behaviour extremely inappropriate and disrespectful.
We were not complaining about something trivial. We were raising a genuine concern about a malfunctioning gate in a wildlife area and the safety implications of being instructed to leave our vehicle.
A paying guest raising a safety concern should be treated seriously and professionally.
The impact on our grandchildren
The purpose of this trip was particularly important to us.
Our grandchildren are leaving the country, and we wanted to give them the opportunity to experience South Africa’s wildlife and create a wonderful memory of their visit.
Unfortunately, because of these circumstances, they have not had the wildlife experience we specifically planned and paid for.
This is incredibly disappointing for us as grandparents.
CZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wild and nice
We had a great time, we had a private tour with Sebastian and he was the best!! Go and enjoy😊
BR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Surprising
Tanzania proved to be a welcoming country with abundant, spectacular wildlife. It boasts wonderful, world-class hotels and professional, well-organized safari companies (such as Lion King Adventures), making the experience much safer and more comfortable—allowing you to enjoy nature without worrying about the rest.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing once in a lifetime experience! Martin was incredible and the team planned an unforgettable
We had an incredible safari with our family of five and would highly recommend this company and, especially, our guide Martin.
The wildlife was amazing, particularly getting so close to elephants. Staying inside the parks was another highlight—we could hear lions calling at night, with some only about a quarter mile away!
The hospitality at the lodges was fantastic, including the warm welcomes and singing when we arrived. Martin took care of everything, including lunches on game-drive days, and was incredibly knowledgeable and patient with our kids.
Our 5-year-old became so attached to Martin that by the end of the trip, he genuinely felt like part of our family. We’ve already recommended Martin and this company to a close friend and would gladly recommend them to any family planning a safari.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Kenya Safari experience
We had a fantastic trip with Morning Star tours, Alice was very responsive and accommodating to our requests. Our Guide/ driver Timothy made the experience worth it by giving us the best seat in town every time to get the best shots and experience, he was an amazing driver and got us to places in great time. He knew when the animals were lining up and would cross our path and took us to sightings in time.
One suggestion would be to give a 48 hour window between selecting the accommodation and making the initial 40% deposit, we unfortunately did not get some of the initially selected accommodations and were offered alternatives.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service, great follow up and wonderful driver/guide
We went on a 7-day Safari trip to Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Nakuru, and Maasai Mara. Alice from MorningStar provided excellent service - very prompt and thorough follow ups, attention to detail and providing options as we had some date changes to be incorporated initially. Timothy was our driver-cum-guide and he is a very skillful driver and very knowledgeable about the various animals/birds, and knew exactly where to stop to capture the best views of the wildlife. We had an amazing experience during this trip and would highly recommend MorningStar Tours and Travels.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
Amazing tours with great guide! Myself and my wife did the Masai Mara tour and had were fortunate enough to get James as the guide. Everything was perfectly planned.
James was our guide, who picked us up from our hotel in Nairobi and took us everywhere. 100/10 guide with amazing positive energy and extensive knowledge of the area. In the short time of us doing the tour, we saw what sometimes takes several days to see (from lions, elephants, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes…etc). James was a great skilled driver with excellent communications skills and friendly attitude. I would highly recommend him - as it felt like speaking with a friend than just a guide.
The camp we stayed at (zebra plains) was also extremely well put together with great customer service.
Overall, the tour was great value for money and I will surely be recommending Morningstar to all friends + family going to Kenya!
