JP
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Flexible and friendly
In our limited planning process Rodgers was very prompt in response with any questions. Also flexible trying to make the trip to fit our preference and requests like no other agency. Finally the price was appealing and we decided to go with them.
Safari was fun, accommodations they booked for us were all good, the guide Charls was responsible man and keen to our needs who we were comfortable to be with for whole 6 days. We are content of the trip.
NP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It’s good
It is definitely value for money with good service. It also provides special discounts for diplomats. Overall experience was good.
BF
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organized
The team was friendly and communication with them was made easy
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service offer by Dominic and by David, our fantastic guide, good prices.
Dominic was very helpful and always avalaible. He helped us with our e-visa for example. We loved the service offered by David, our second guide. He was so kind, calm, good listener. He took great care of us. We saw and learned so much with him during the games drive.
Good price for all that we got.
DK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable, good safari
We were on a 5-day safari (mother and teenage daughter).
The first impression of BaboonBudget was good, Jemimah replies to all questions very fast, which was very reassuring for me. Easy and fast communication signals trusworthiness to me.
I also think we got a lot of value for money, even though other guests in the same tour were less happy with the lunch options while travelling. But keep in mind that this is a budget safari in Africa, you will eat Kenyan-style. We liked it. Accomodation was also fine.
Our driver, Titus was really, really good. He knew a lot and shared it with us, and did his best to keep all people in the jeep happy. A really good guide.
A few things that could be improved - to a neurotic European, seatbelts are important, and they were usually not working in the middle seat in the back.
Sometimes people had to change cars, because some were continuing to other parks and some wanted more time where we were. This could be a bit confusing.
Lastly, when going back to Nairobi, we went with three different drivers, and didnt know until the day before. We also had to leave our luggage in the hotel on the last day, and another driver picked it up, but we were not informed until it had happened. Things were under control surely, but it would have been nice to know what the plan was. This may just be a cultural difference though. We did get back to the right place and time, and had a great safari!
ES
We had a really good time!
We loved to have a tour guide as Vianny. He helped us with everything checking in, checking out, explaining the animal, s behavour and so on. Vianny made ud feel safe and calm The driver also a good one, very experienced.
SG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extensive and informative
The museums were great and Tinyiko gave very good commentary throughout the drive. I learnt a lot from his sharing and experience. It would have been great to have a bit more time at the Apartheid Museum but overall, it was a good tour to experience the must-visits in Johannesburg.
GR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Must do if you only have one day in Joburg.
Great tour of you have limited time in Joburg. Gives you the opportunity to see the city’s highlights. Our guide Tiniko was really knowledgeable which was very much appreciated.
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari Experience, But Some Organizational Issues
The tour was customized to our preferences, which we really appreciated. For the safari portion, our guide Richard was excellent — incredibly knowledgeable about the animals and wildlife, which made the experience even more special.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see any rhinos. In hindsight, we would recommend spending an extra day in the Ngorongoro Crater and skipping Lake Manyara, where there wasn’t much to see.
During the booking process, a few accommodations were suddenly unavailable and had to be changed, which was unexpected and a bit disappointing. That said, the safari accommodations that were arranged were well selected overall — some felt slightly overpriced, but the staff was always very friendly and the food was great.
Since it was our honeymoon, we were told all rooms would be upgraded to honeymoon suites, but it seems there was some miscommunication between Akondo and the hotels, as a few properties were not aware of this.
Our stay in Zanzibar, unfortunately, had a few issues. The original hotel was not worth the price — the rooms were not well maintained or clean, and the food was below average. Thankfully, Boris helped us find an alternative hotel, which we appreciated, but it did involve some hassle, difficult conversations, and another 1.5-hour drive across the island.
Additionally, we had booked full board for all accommodations, but upon arrival in Zanzibar, we were told only half board was included. For the premium price we paid, we expected everything to align with our booking confirmation.
Overall, it was a unique and memorable experience, but the organizational aspects could use some fine-tuning — particularly around booking accuracy and communication.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome trip!
We had an amazing time with Meru Slopes! Our tour guide Andrew knew everything about the animals and plants we saw on safari and took the patience to answer all of our questions. The communication with Almachius went easy and was very friendly as well! Bewaren that in the tour information it says binoculars are included. But only our guide has his own personal binocular with him, not company property. He shared it with us. Another improvement could have been our first night at The Tourist Inn. Our room wasn't clean, towels smelled and had stains on them and you could hear street noise outside. Sleep was hard to come by, but ofcourse greatly needed when going on a safari sleeping in the wilderness in the nights to come. The last night we had the same hotel booked. We didn't want the same experience as before so we switched hotels for our last night. If you go low budget ofcourse you will have some low quality accomodations, but for us having a good nights rest and a clean shower/towels was non-negotiable. Overall we would definitely recommend Meru Slopes! We had such a good time, saw the big 5 and felt we were in good hands. Asante Sana!