35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Unforgettable afternoon in Kruger with a passionate guide!
My husband and I booked a shared afternoon safari in Kruger National Park during our honeymoon trip to South Africa, and it was one of the highlights of our stay in Hazyview.
Communication before the tour was clear and quick, and pick-up was right on time. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the park. He took the time to explain animal behaviour and always made sure everyone in the vehicle had a good view.
We were lucky to see so much wildlife: elephants, buffaloes, impalas, vultures, hippos, giraffes, hyenas, warthogs and more! The atmosphere as the sun set over the bush was simply magical.
Great value for money and a very reliable operator. We would definitely recommend Africa Moja Tours and Safaris to anyone visiting Kruger!
FI
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable second trip with Buyaga Safaris!
I have just returned from my second trip to Uganda with Buyaga Safaris.
Last year, before my first journey, I was really afraid of being disappointed. I was worried that cultural differences, travel delays, car breakdowns, or poor sanitation might ruin the trip. I feared food poisoning, getting scammed, spicy food, or insect bites.
In reality, it turned out to be the most vivid, feature-packed, and unforgettable trip of my life—quite possibly the best one ever!
That’s why I came back a second time. Even though we followed the same itinerary, every single day felt completely new and fresh.
Our guide, Ossman, was simply irreplaceable! He is an exceptional driver, highly reliable, and tireless. He knows every single turn on the Ugandan roads by heart—even in total darkness! He shared so much with us about Uganda's nature, history, traditions, wildlife, national parks, and local culture. He is a truly fascinating and delightful person. If I ever travel through Uganda again, it will only be with him.
To summarize my experience:
Itinerary: Very rich, diverse, and engaging. Every day brought something entirely new.
Vehicle & Driving: Extremely reliable.
Lodges: Comfortable and wonderful overall (the only minor downsides was dim lighting at night. You have to have a good flash-light).
Food: Excellent, like dining at a high-end restaurant.
Safety & Hospitality: The local people were exceptionally warm and friendly. I never felt unsafe for a single moment.
Wildlife: Our guide went above and beyond so we could see an abundance of wildlife—lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, and a huge variety of birds!
I highly recommend Buyaga Safaris and Ossman as a guide!
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent and wonderful
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We had an amazing safari experience! Everything was perfectly organised, and the whole trip was unforgettable. A special thank you to our driver, Michael, who was absolutely excellent! He was very friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and made sure we had the best experience possible. We felt safe and comfortable throughout the journey, and his passion made the safari even more special.
We saw incredible wildlife and enjoyed every moment of this adventure.
Thank you, Michael, for making our safari so memorable! We highly recommend this experience and would definitely do it again! 🐘🦁❤️
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Franklin is the best!
Franklin was absolutely amazing! He took us around Rwanda and Uganda to places I would never have been able to find and navigate myself. Especially when you go to a place as unsure as Uganda, I felt very safe knowing Franklin was there for us to help. He would go out of his way to make sure we had want we needed and ready for the hikes and treks. Also very cool how he can drive one way in Rwanda and switch to the other side in Uganda.
The tour itself was awesome. The hotels got better and amazing every night. The last one was the best on an island. We chose this company amoung others because the price was right and it had great ratings.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Franklin was so amazing, friendly and easygoing.
The tour was absolutely wonderful from start to finish! The accommodations were fantastic, with amazing staff throughout.
Frank was an excellent guide—organized, super friendly, proactive, and knowledgeable. He even went out of his way to find a shoe shop that sold hiking shoes when I realized I had forgotten mine. He truly goes above and beyond for his clients, and his dedication made such a difference in the overall experience.
The trek itself was incredible, but definitely not for the faint of heart! I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who isn’t physically fit. Make sure to bring proper hiking shoes, gloves, and a mosquito face net, which would also be very helpful.
Thank you, Frank, for everything! You were absolutely wonderful, and you made this trip truly memorable. 😊
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
**Prepaid balloon safari not funded; promised reimbursement never received**
Based on my family’s experience, I would not recommend booking with Josero Tours and Safaris Ltd.
We booked a six-day Kenya safari for 12–17 October 2026. We paid our deposit on June 3, and Joseph Sero demanded the remaining balance on August 16—57 days before departure, despite the quote specifying full payment within 30 days before the tour started. We paid as requested so our arrangements could be finalised.
Nevertheless, two of the three hotels specified in our package were not secured, and alternative accommodation was substituted. Joseph acknowledged in writing that Sopa had not been secured following waitlisting.
The most serious issue concerned our included hot-air balloon safari and breakfast. Although we had already paid Josero for this experience through our package, Joseph asked us during the trip to pay the balloon operator ourselves. He said he was in Tanzania and unable to make payment, and repeatedly promised to reimburse us upon our return to Nairobi.
To avoid missing the experience, we paid an additional $1,500: $1,200 by card and $300 in cash for what we were told were landing fees. We received the balloon experience because we paid separately—not because Josero funded the prepaid arrangements.
Joseph subsequently confirmed the $1,500 reimbursement in WhatsApp messages and emails. Despite repeated follow-ups and a final extension until October 30, no reimbursement had been received as of November 4, 2026.
I am pursuing the amount through an American Express billing dispute, which remains pending. Any recovery through my card issuer would address the financial loss, but would not change what happened during our trip.
My concerns are supported by the itinerary, payment records, and Joseph’s written acknowledgments. Having to pay again for an included activity and repeatedly chase an unfulfilled reimbursement promise undermined our trust in this company. Based on this experience, I advise other travellers to choose another operator. However, our tour guide, David Sasine, was a wealth of knowledge and the only positive element of our experience with Josero Tours and Safaris.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely fantastic from beginning to end. Excellent communication, organisation and experience.
We had the best experience with Topma Tours and I would highly recommend them and would definitely use them again. I found safaribookings.com via a google search and had to fill out an online form. I thought oh this is rubbish no-one will reply I'm sure of it and literally within 5 minutes I had a response. Not just a response but an enthusiastic, friendly, informative response and this quick and friendly response was what prompted me to book the whole holiday. Max who I was in contact with answered any question I had over the course of the next few days. Some might say that's his job but he went the extra mile....and more. Late into the night, early in the morning. Always a response and a real want to help sort out minor problems. The tour company is extremely professional but of course you don't really know until you arrive at the destination. We were picked up at the airport by a lovely driver, George. He then dropped us at the airport the following morning for our flight to Masai Mara. Flights also organised by Max. When we arrived at Masai Mara airport we were met literally on the dirt track by our wonderful guide Reuben. Reuben was our guide for the whole safari over 3 locations and he even dropped us at the end to our final hotel in Nairobi which was a couple of hours away. Reuben was amazing. We couldn't have asked for a better guide. He was kind, calm, extremely knowledgable and his clear love for the wildlife was what made our experience with him even more special. He tried so hard to find everything for us (and he succeeded!) and to make our trip as magical as possible. One day we went out for 10 hours and he found out that I love sunsets so he offered to take us out again to watch the sunset and he managed to find a lioness with her recent kill lounging with 3 male lions in the setting sun. It was unbelievably special. We were so thankful to have Reuben as our tour guide. The accommodation was also beautiful. Especially the Enashipai. Wow, wow, wow, beautiful hotel and grounds. Just want to go again. Very grateful, would definitely recommend this company.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The worst safari experience we have ever had – would not recommend
Unfortunately, our experience with Camptrek Safaris was extremely disappointing, both during the safari itself and in the way the company subsequently handled our complaint.
We chose Lake Nakuru specifically because seeing rhinos was one of our priorities. We fully understand that wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, and our complaint is not simply that we did not see any rhinos. The real issue was the significant gap between the professional experience advertised and the service we actually received.
Our itinerary promised an experienced wildlife guide. However, Eric, our driver-guide, did not demonstrate the wildlife knowledge, initiative or communication skills we would reasonably expect from an experienced safari guide. This was not our first safari, so we know what a good guide should offer: clear communication, information about the wildlife, explanations of timings and plans, and coordination with other guides to locate animals.
He had no visible radio or walkie-talkie to communicate with other guides, nor did he have binoculars. We often had to ask him to stop so we could photograph animals ourselves, and the additional time spent looking for rhinos did not appear to follow any clear strategy.
The organisation of the rest of the day was equally poor. We were told that the transfer from Lake Nakuru to Naivasha would take approximately one hour, but it took more than two and a half hours. We arrived at Sopa Lodge at around 3:45 pm, after the scheduled lunch service had ended, and had to rush our meal.
The situation at Crescent Island was particularly unacceptable. We arrived at approximately 5:13 pm, only to be told that the island had officially closed at 4:30 pm and that the walking safari could no longer take place. Nobody had warned us beforehand. We were eventually allowed in only after we firmly challenged the situation, but we had barely 15 minutes on the island – a far cry from the walking experience that had been described to us and that we had paid for.
Communication throughout the day was extremely poor. We were rarely given clear explanations about timings, delays or arrangements and were left having to ask questions ourselves. The minivan provided was also extremely uncomfortable on the rough roads and terrain. It had been described as a comfortable vehicle, but a suitable 4x4 would have been far more appropriate.
Unfortunately, our disappointment did not end with the safari. We contacted the company in the hope of receiving a proper explanation and a fair resolution. Instead, the initial response focused on defending Eric by emphasising that he was a senior driver-guide with extensive experience and suggesting that we read his previous guest reviews. This did not address the specific concerns we had raised. Our requests were subsequently rejected, and no refund was offered.
There is another point that we consider particularly serious. Camptrek Safaris’ quotation explicitly stated that the company was a member of KATO (Kenya Association of Tour Operators). We trusted this representation, only to discover later, directly from KATO, that Camptrek Safaris is NOT a member. We find this deeply concerning, as this was information presented to us as part of the company’s credentials when we were deciding whether to book.
This was, without question, the worst safari experience we have ever had, not only because of the service itself but also because of the way our complaint was handled afterwards. I have never written a formal complaint or a negative review about a travel experience in my life, but this is one I simply could not let pass without warning other travellers.
We feel genuinely misled by the difference between what was promised and what was delivered. We will never use Camptrek Safaris again.
We strongly advise anyone considering booking with this company to exercise caution and carefully verify the level of guiding, the vehicle provided and the company’s professional credentials before paying. We cannot recommend Camptrek Safaris.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience and very well organised
I had the best safari experience with Jocky Tours! Everything was very well organised and the accommodation at Sopa Lodge was fantastic from the service to the food and more.
Our tour guide Richie was nothing short of amazing. He is super friendly and very knowledgeable about the animals and tour, great fun!
I would absolutely recommend this tour, Masai Mara did not disappoint and I have great memories and experiences to last a lifetime!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our driver, Simon, provided exceptional service by ensuring our safety and well-being prior to depar
The tour guides are highly enthusiastic and possess extensive expertise regarding safaris. They are well-prepared to address any inquiries with a professional yet personable touch of humor.