FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We are amazed by all these animals.
This safari was really great, we did Tarangire one day and Ngorongoro Crater the other day. We were really lucky because we saw a lot of animals, it was so amazing. However, if I can say something, I would say that the guide could give us more informations about what we saw. It was interesting but we would have liked more discussions with him to understand much better all the animals and they way of life.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The tour operator was good and carer person to all tourists
Both communications, all services and value for money together with tour itself were good.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extremely responsive and an absolute pleasure to work with!
I debated between a 4 and 5 star but ultimately went with 5.
The 5 stars part -
From the moment I reached out to Nsavi they were so very responsive and kind and warm and thoughtful. The whole planning and booking experience was high end from a service perspective. They helped us through every part of the journey. When we had trouble confirming flights from Kilimanjaro to Kigali, they stepped in and helped with Rwanda Air; when my mom broke her foot on the way to Tarusha we reached out and asked if they could get us a cushioned boot for my mom and when we arrived they had what we needed. The tour operators in Tanzania were thoughtful and extremely engaged. We felt they really wanted to provide a great experience for us. The operator in Kigali was very engaged, friendly, genuine. I truly cannot say enough great things about the people we were with day to day.
The 4 star part -
I wish they set our expectations about the conditions of the lodging, the Tanzania roads, and tipping. We chose the mid-range option for lodging based on reading reviews of the hotel options for both mid-range and high-end. We decided to go mid range because the Google ratings of the hotels were all about the same and the difference in price, for us, did not justify the potential for a better experience. The first hotel in Arusha, rated a 4.1 or 4.2 on Google, was very unpleasant. The sheets and towels were dirty. We were there to literally just sleepover and leave so we didn't ask to change any of that, and honestly, I'm not sure how much better new ones would be (we had 2 rooms and both had similar conditions). The other hotels were nicer but it was also extremely cold in the rooms. The hotel in Kigali did have hot water bottles and a space heater which felt like heaven!!!
We were there in July and based on Accuweather the temp was around low 60s in the evening but felt much much colder. We didn't expect it and weren't properly prepared for that.
The roads in Tanzania are mostly unpaved and extremely bumpy except for the highways. And while you don't think much of it, it's very impactful when you're traveling for hours and hours on those roads and then come back to a very cold unpleasant room. Again - not Nsavi's fault at all! I do wish they prepared us in some way for that. But now you will know :)
Finally, the tipping. Yes, in the tour docs it does give you a general expectation of what to tip. However, everywhere you go and everyone you encounter is expecting or asking for a tip. I wish we brought USD (or Euros) with us. We ended up going to the cash stations to take out money. That's the other thing - it's better for them to receive USD or Euros vs local currency. Again, a stronger "heads up" would have been great.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Go for the mountain gorillas, the rest is OK but Tanzania for the other animals if you can do both..
Our 15 days in Uganda were excitng and fun and the gorilla trek in the Impenetrable Forest was outstanding . Our lodges were mostly outstanding and the Turaco Treetops was the best. That said, some advice: Skip Kampala City, don't spend an hour more than required--there is nothing of real interest there--the "historical stuff" is lame, the sites unimpressive and and the rest of the city is just dirty and crowded and very, very poor. The botanical garden in Entebbe is nice-ish and do take the boat tour into Lake Victoria from Entebbe to see the Shoebill Cranes on your way in or home--amazing. Bring lots of cash in small denominations of shillings--the hands are always out and every place you go you will be assigned rangers, guides, helpers, porters and whatever (aside from your own guide). I spent over $700 in tips before my main guide tip of $300 (he was funny, not great, but he had our back). If this is your one trip to Africa you will have an excellent chance of seeing many of the main animals, but aside from the incredible gorillas you would do better in Tanzania (where we have also been). Last piece of advice, and I hate to say it, but don't fly Ethiopian Airlines if you have an alternative. Some parts of the experience are great but the customer support if anything gets messed up in the slightest is just awful (our seconf try with them).
ID
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The great operator in Tanzania
The guiding team was great and excellent service Kilimanjaro Unforgettable and keep up with the good work ahead!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life altering 1 of a kind experience
It was outstanding. Wisdom was a fantastic guide and a wealth of information.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great tour operator with good care for their customers.
We went on a 4-day tour through Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti. As for the safari, everything was great - we managed to see the Big Five! The only downside was the tented camps, which were a bit run-down. Highly recommended!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tshepo was well informed and knowledgeable
Enlightened us with the history and highlights of the area
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good safari experience
We had a two day safari, flying from Zanzibar to the Serengeti and driving back to Arusha via the Ngorongoro crater. Communication was very good before, during and after, very quick responses and a dedication to provide a good service. The safari guide was great in ensuring we got to see as many animals as possible, communicating with other guides to find out the locations of where wildlife had been spotted and getting us there quickly so we could also spot them. The guide was professional, knowledgeable and determined to give us a great experience. The bush camp in the Serengeti was very good, we chose the comfort option (it s like glamping) and this was ideal, and importantly a local business run by local people, their service was excellent. We were very lucky to see so much... lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffe, elephant, zebra, impalas, warthogs, birds, gazelles...the list goes on. Overall a great experience and a very good local safari company
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Overall a great experience
James our driver and guide was great, he was a great driver and guide, constantly pointing out wildlife on our game drives and regaling us with facts and information. He was also an extremely safe driver, which is even more impressive given the state of some of the “roads” he had to navigate. The only reason I haven’t marked this as 5 star is that he was asked to pick up an additional person to take them to Lake Nakuru and consequently our whole group had to leave Lake Nakuru earlier than expected as the person needed to get to the airport early. It was not James fault but did mean we had less time there. James made up for it by altering the itinerary so we did the boat trip in the evening instead of the following day but you could tell he felt guilty about what had happened. Other than that the experience was great. Yes the hotels were basic but they met our needs and the other people on the trip were nice. Everyone we met was very welcoming and I would recommend the trip to others.