SA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great
New experience, great wildlife, many things to do, the people was kind , i tried hot air balloon, safari by visit Masai Mara with masai village, clamping,
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Wildlife Tour by Lulu Safari's but we wish we had more time!
Ours was a private tour that we modified to 11 days without issue and got a great price from Lulu Safaris.
Picked up perfectly from the airport at the correct time, even though the flight was delayed, then a brilliantly arranged method of getting us to Mabamba Swamp for our Shoebill tour - we went by canoe whilst our bags and guide waited for the ferry. That saved us a lot of wasted time.
We saw lots of animals on the tour, but the drives were a lot longer than described meaning we didn't arrive to hotels until very late in the day, then leaving at dawn the following morning! With a different hotel almost every night, we should have had an extra five days to pace it more slowly.
I was hoping for many many birds but struggled due to not spending enough time in one place to search so I missed on some targets but the Chimps and Gorillas, Lions, Elephants, Rhinos etc made up for it.
I would recommend a data Esim at the very least, just in case. Our guide did arrange for a portable router so we had wifi in the jeep which was a great boost.
I would also recommend a LOT of small notes - USD or UGX - as there are a LOT of local guides, rangers, porters, hotel staff etc to tip as well as your main guide.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A journey that truly surprised me
Kenya completely exceeded my expectations. From the moment we arrived, the country revealed itself as a place of extraordinary beauty, calm, and authenticity. It was a truly unique and unforgettable experience. Our visit to the Masai Mara National Reserve was absolutely breathtaking. Seeing the Big Five within just four hours felt almost unreal. The park was wonderfully peaceful at the end of November, with very few jeeps around, allowing us to experience nature in its purest form. The sheer number of animals and the vast, open landscapes created moments of silence and awe that will stay with me forever.
We were especially glad with our guide, Kennedy from Update Travels. His knowledge, professionalism, and calm presence made the safari even more enjoyable.
The visit to a Maasai village, however, was more mixed. While we genuinely believe the Maasai people are sincere and proud of their culture, the experience itself felt somewhat like a tourist trap. Some individuals asked prices that felt excessive, which took away a bit of the authenticity and created an uncomfortable feeling of unfairness. (seeing smartphones and iPhones alongside traditional attire made the experience feel less genuine than expected.)
That said, this does not diminish the overall magic of Kenya. It is a country of powerful contrasts, deep beauty, and unforgettable moments. The landscapes, wildlife, and tranquility of the safari alone make Kenya a destination that leaves a lasting impression and invites you to return.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent experiemnce!
Beki picked me up right on time, safely drove me to an historical area of Addis, showed me around along with another part of the city while also explaining much about the history and culture, taking me to a great museum and more. I highly recommend Beki Kibret as a great guide and he speaks good English as well. very polite and profession as well as fair and reasonable in cost. Anyone who choses to use Beki as their guide is assured to have a great experience!
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
excellent tour operator
Oscar and his team from Zambezi Expedition took exceptional care of us throughout our 8-day journey across Botswana. We made several last-minute requests, including additional safari game drives in Chobe National Park and changing one day from the Okavango Delta to the Moremi Game Reserve. Even though we asked for these changes only one day in advance, everything was handled flawlessly and helped make our dream safari a reality.
All safari guides and drivers were extremely kind, professional, and knowledgeable, and they did a fantastic job throughout the entire trip.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Perfectly met my expectations
I chose the six day safari option at Tremisana Lodge. Great choice this. Not luxury accommodation, but nice enough little chalet to myself, with decent size bathroom and bed with mosquito net. And a lovely pool in the middle. Meal;s were all good too. Totally met my needs. it seemed best to fit the time I had available before I needed to be back in London and the amount of time actually out on game drives. And was a reasonable price. But of course what you actually get and what it says in the brochure can be different things. However, I have to say I was almost totally satisfied with absolutely everything on this trip. And I am not that easily pleased!
I mean usually things are fine and you shrug your shoulders at a few minor things that are disappointing. But this was brilliant in almost every way and I certainly fancy using the same company, Viva Safaris, again. Booking was easy - I got lots of helpful whats app messages leading up to the trip. Organisation was spot on in every respect. The main guides were great and head guide Luke just superb - balance of knowledge and personable without overdoing it. The itinerary was cleverly put together. I finished up being a very happy customer. And it was the right length for me. I felt ready to go home at the end but enjoyed everything in between. Saw all the big 5 in one day at the Kruger, and there were two trips to the Kruger itself, other days taken up with drives and walks around the lodge area and reserve.
NZ
under20 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Super excited experienced and accomodating, and wonderfully friendly.
Our guide Isa was absolutely spectacular fetching us from our lodge and even checking we were fine to get there from the airport initially, despite our short 3 day trip he managed to squeeze everything out of it for us making above and beyond effort to make our experience memorable; organising a Mokoro river trip, local village tour, tracking lions, stopping at any hint of interest on our drives, and sharing his valuable knowledge about all the animals we saw. Our campsite team were also so lovely our chef Ollie making us delicious food every day and even going far enough to create amazing gluten free meals for us. As well as a wonderfully set up site by Victor and Calvin boiling even boiling water for us to shower with in the evenings.
The setting and experience of the totally wild safaris was like nothing imaginable making you feel safe and comfortable and looked after in the breathtaking surroundings of the reserve with animals wandering through the camp site so close and the wonderful calls of animals can be heard during the night.
I could not recommend Isa and his team more enthusiastically, after this experience I can honestly say there is no better way to spend your time in the reserve and surely not many who would create such a memorable experience in Botswana.
Thank you Isa, Ollie, Victor, and Calvin
NZ
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Hakuna Matata- means no worries. Made everything work
I thought the itinerary had to be pretty fixed but we had an issues with visas and were not able to get our entire party into Uganda to begin the safari. Dav worked with us and reorganised the entire first day. Our guide, Godfrey, was a great communicator and made what was a stressful beginning seem like it was all in a days work.
We upgraded a couple of the lodges and feel it was worth it (try Buffalo Lodge). Dav delivered on everything they promised. We think that the game drive in Murchison was the best but we missed at least one of our Murchison drives due to a late start. The gorilla trek was amazing.
There are three things we would change. We would try and spend more time in Murchison, we would miss the Kanzinga channel boat cruise and one the last day if you are staying at Itambira Island Resort you can’t fly out from Entebbe until late in the night. We ended up changing our plans at the last minute (at our cost) to stay closer to Entebbe as we had to fly at 4.10pm. The trip from itambira to Entebbe is 9+ hours. Even then it was touch and go to get to the airport.
Dav is a very professional company and they made everything run smoothly. Our guide answered our 100s of questions. The 4*4 was comfortable and always clean.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Efficient, knowledgeable, excellent customer service
We booked our Zimbabwe trip with Cultural Vibes Travel & Tours following a recommendation from Nhongo Safaris in South Africa. Tongesai is a great communicator, and the booking process was quick, easy, and well organized. We were happy with the quote provided and were able to easily pay online. Tongesai was waiting for us at Victoria Falls Airport to take us to our accommodation. He has arranged an amazing whirlwind 48 hour visit, that was packed with a sunset cruise on the Zambezi, Morning Game drive, he accompanied us on an amazing walk of the Victoria falls and arranged an African experience dinner in the evening.
It was so memorable, and everything we wanted! Overall, it was an fantastic trip, with a great guide, and we would highly recommend it for anyone considering a trip to Victoria Falls. For our next visit, we will definitely be reaching out to Tongesai and thoroughly recommend to all our friends.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very responsible, great communication
Ollie, Minnet and guide Theo really made our trip to Namibia. We didn’t have a lot of time so they customized the trip just the way our time allowed. Communication was excellent. Namibia was a wilderness and I was glad I booked the tour instead of renting and DIY- ing things. Great experience. Very grateful
