ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid January
We went to Gombe NP (amazing chimps) and Selous Game Reserve. As it rained during all of our stay, the second safari experience was terrible. No animals, roads in the worst of conditions possible. 7 hours from Far Es Salaam are too many for this park. next time I would spend more and go to Serengeti, at least the money would worth it more.
Generally speaking Tanzania is quite expensive
TN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Its fantastic and magnifique
For me its a New expérience and fantastic but whe have a problem with masaraii people Always u need to pay them ???
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Chaotic and not according to plan
Would absolutely not recommend doing a shared tour with this company or its sister companies.
Whatever company you book with (there’s a large number of them under the same umbrella), it doesn’t seem to matter, they all send you off with drivers where you’ll be flip flopped to different groups and drivers every day based on where they can fit you. Everyone in the groups were given different itineraries that were never followed. Usually you picture joining a shared tour where you and the other few passengers all get on the bus doing the same itinerary, for the most part. But no. I felt bad for the drivers having to juggle so many ppl with different plans and most ppl were frustrated as they didn’t get to do the itinerary they were given, and the drivers have to deal with all the frustrations when it’s not them who planned everything so poorly. And it got annoying being moved constantly to different vehicles and groups, sometimes twice a day, or waiting so long in roadside stop places to meet with other vehicles to switch passengers.
Your itinerary will change from what they tell you, and when you inquire about it they just say too bad you’re on a shared tour, no flexibility. Also they just seem to put random things in the itinerary that they must know are untrue. Like a few times writing “you will arrive at your next hotel in time for lunch”, yet the drive is double that time and lunch is on the road and we don’t arrive till evening. Unless the driver takes much longer routes than needed due to dropping different passengers off places etc. either way, receiving accurate info in the itinerary should be made a priority. Itinerary said arriving in Nakuru hotel in time for lunch then evening game drive. We didn’t even make it in time for game drive, and arrived at hotel at 7:30pm. No possible way with the route we took would we have made it in time for lunch at hotel. We left Masai around 8am. It also says this about amboseli but we didn’t leave till late morning and arrived at 7pm. And it said game drive in amboseli in afternoon yet we got no drive. Just drop to hotel. When I asked they said we’d make up for it by doing drive on last morning, since we paid $60 park fee, yet the “drive” was just racing from gate to gate lasting an hour and barely stopping for animals we briefly saw in our speedy exit.
They pack the vans to the max, despite website saying max 7 pax. It’s so cramped and sweaty, there’s not enough room for everyone to see out at the same time to see the animal sightings. So some will sit while others sweaty armpits are pushing into your face. One will sit in front with driver so not even having the option of standing to see out the pop up roof. The only way I’d do a shared tour again would be if the company guaranteed max 6 passengers.
The 12 hour days in the van are not ideal. Most lodges and everywhere I went in SA was sunrise, and sundowner drives. Leaving you some nice time at the lodge to rest and enjoy lunch. Even if your itinerary says different (like mine did), you will be doing 12 hour drive and not returning to lodge mid day. Mid day is so hot so it’s sweaty in that van with 8 ppl and the animals are often not out in the open when it’s that hot mid day.
There were a small amount of ppl I talked to on the trips that were happy with the way they organized. Well maybe not happy but they just were chill and didn’t mind. So if you’re very easy going and don’t really care about sticking to the itinerary provided, and don’t mind the constant change ups, and aren’t picky about personal space in the van and better viewings, then it would be fine for you! I know some backpackers and travellers who aren’t fussy and it would work out great for. I’m just not one of those people, as were many ppl on the trips. In one of the instances where we had to leave our vehicle to join another group as ours had to drive half the group elsewhere, we got into a Jeep. That was a much more comfortable vehicle, so I’d definitely recommend spending the extra to go in one of those.
MY
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari was ok.
Poor communication between tour operator and driver. Timings for the 2nd day was messed up. Did not stay in the Lodge that was promised
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
reliable operator, even if the choice of certain accommodations leaves something to be desired
reliable operator, even if the choice of certain accommodations leaves something to be desired both in terms of comfort and food, as well as the fact of bringing together people from different lodge which leads to wasted time and stress and luggage which also accumulates inside the car.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Mikumi National Park by Carl Hagen
We were lucky and saw many animals!
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Carl Hagen
Lions in trees and beautiful landscapes
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
the scenery was beautiful, but the overall experience was average
We joined a sharing tour of mid-range accommodation for 6 days safari to Masai Mara, Naruku, and Amboseli. The safari was fun, but it was below expectation.
Highlights:
1. Before the day of safari, they picked us up at Nairobi airport on time, and helped us to buy the SIM card outside the airport.
2. During the days in game drive, the guide tried his best to find more animals. We saw the big five in different parks.
3. Jambo Mara lodge for the first and second nights was pretty good and satisfying.
Lowlights:
1. At the first day of safari, they asked us to wait for the pick up form hotel at 6:30am, but we waited until 7:30am. During the waiting time, no one told us where the driver was.
2. Before we booked the tour, the agent said 5 to 6 people sharing a car each and person getting a window seat, but we were 8 people in a minivan and some of us should be seated at the middle seat.
3. During the days, we got 1L of drinking water a day for each person, but sometimes only 500ml of water. (There’s no drinking water in the camp, so we didn’t have enough water for some days)
4. About the food. At the third night in Naruku, the dinner in the hotel gave each person only 3-4 pieces of meet and little vegetables. At the fourth night in the camp, the food of the restaurant had run out in 10 minutes after they served it. In addition, we had the same lunch boxes for 4 days. (At the third day of lunch, we had the same lunch box, but who booked for budget tour had a buffet inside the rest area.)
5. The most disappointing thing is the accommodation.
*(1) At the third night in Naruku, the light bulb burned in the first room we stayed, and there were no water in the sink in the second room.
*(2) At the forth and fifth nights in Amboseli, it was a nightmare. There was more than 50 mosquitoes in the room, and even like 10 mosquitoes in the tent. We asked for the help to the staff and the travel agent, but no one was trying to solve the issue for two days. The camp shut down the electricity after 22:30pm, but no one informed us about it. There was no hot water or even warm water in the room for showers. There was almost no signal in the area, and the wifi of the camp was not working at all. We saw someone was complaining about the camp on Google Maps, but everything is still the same.
6. At the last day, the driver dropped us off at the Namanga border around 10am, but we wait until 13:00pm for the bus to Arusha. During the time we were in the border, the agent who helped us to pass the checkpoint asked us to give him more money to buy the SIM card for us, and even took our lunch box with him to ask for additional tips.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Well organised trip
As i was travelling alone, Alytexx organised my airport pick up, all accommodation and to join a safari tour with a 3rd party.
The tour had between 5&8 people in the van, 8 was too many and uncomfortable edpecially for trying to take photos.
Accomodation was generally good although food was always buffets & mixed quality & i ended up with a very upset tummy.
Ali was helpful and went to the Airport to collect my bag, which had been misplaced by BA, and got it safely too me with support from our driver.
CY
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Etosha National Park by Aris
We experienced our sole disappointment at Etosha Resort. Very substandard and unfriendly in general. Bad accommodation and overpriced. We left a day earlier than booked.