CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First African Safari .... Absolutely Wonderful
Once the decision was made to do this grand African Safari it was with the understanding that this may be the one and only Safari therefore it had to be great and by way of custom itinerary. After much searching Mike Haines of Safari & Co. was referred via a friend of a friend. Mike sat down with us, listened to our desires and concerns, gave his views and came up with a preliminary itinerary which ended up being the final version after a few minor tweaks. Based on the time of year and our desires it was suggested the countries to visit should be Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. The Rwandan inclusion was a personal must for the gorilla trekking experience. The itinerary was action packed with THE most beautiful lodges and locations and couldn't have been more perfect. The custom itinerary was truly the best way to go and ultimately, cost wise by no means the cheapest, but certainly the most effective for our needs. During the actual travels there were a couple of times when things came into question but in forging onwards the reasons for all became clear. During the planning stages Mike explained each lodge/location, the reasons for the suggestions and when 1 particular location was mentioned by us Mike gave a negative facial expression. When asked why the facial expression Mike was very honest in his answer and when we did see the location during our journey we remembered that expression, understood why and nodded in agreement.
As this was the 1st time on the African continent and not knowing what to expect there was much trepidation about the whole trip however everything, guides/drivers/transfers, ran so smoothly. All of this pays tribute to the fact that Mike is obviously well versed in his field, well connected with the required tour operators in Africa and understands his client's needs and desires.
Just as an aside....upon first meeting Mike we immediately liked and felt comfortable with him especially after he explained that he was a TICO member which helped to raise the comfort & confidence levels further.
Safari & Co was the right choice. If the future holds a 2nd African Safari Mike will be the 1st call.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Travel Made Easy
Planning to go on an elephant safari in South Africa from Fort Lauderdale,Florida seemed like an overwhelming task however, l lucked out because I luckily found and used African Welcome Safaris. Every detail of our 3 day adventure was taken care of, starting with a driver meeting us at the airport in in Cape Town. All needed documentation was made available to us so we knew exactly what to expect for each day of our trip. I would highly recommend using African Welcome Safaris and will use them again on my next trip to South Africa.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience
This was a unique and unforgettable experience. Our guide, Imani, was very knowledgable, friendly and was a great at spotting the animals. We saw lots of animals which made for some amazing pictures. I would recommend a safari and using East African Voyage to anyone. Thanks.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thank you Go2Africa!!!
Sharon Kemp from Go2Africa was awesome! She is one of the friendliest people and her absolute love and passion for Africa is very clear. She seamlessly stepped us through everything, offered some terrific recommendations and answered every question (and there were many) without hesitation. Every detail was perfectly arranged and coordinated. It was so wonderful having to have the chance to meet Sharon during our time in Cape Town. Only problem our "once in a lifetime" trip exceeded our expectations as we are now planning our next visit. Thank you Sharon our trip went off beautifully. It could not have been better.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
I had the most amazing trip. It was all I dreamed of and mor
The safari was extremely well organized. The service from Odyssey Safaries was very professional. I had no worries or concerns. I have the highest respect and reguard for our guide, Erastes. He was very knowledgeable about the animals and made every effort to show us all of them, the big and the small. I would recommend Erastes any time as a driver and a guide. The accommodations were 4 star and the variety of food choices and quantity was excellent.
EG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the best trips ever!
I definitely recommend these guys. They are flexible and helpful, they sorted a place for us in Moshi and later in Dar and Zanzibar!!.. The trip was worth every penny. Our guide Nelly was hilarious and the cook Davis prepared super delicious food.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful landscapes and plenty of animals in few days
We went for a five day tent safari and were really satisfied with the trip. Camping in Serengeti was the best, tented lodges were nice but less interesting. We saw all the animals you could possibly hope for thanks to our driver who always went to the right places. Dinner was always very tasty. Mike was very helpful, driving us around in Arusha ;-). To sum it up: Great experience for little money!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
great value and unforgetable experience
booked my 4-day joining safari directly via their website but found them here. everything was well organized. Staff (Jackson) was really helpful and could answer all my questions as it was the first time for me to go on a safari. trip started in moshi and they picked me up from my hotel which was not far from MJs office which made everything very convenient. the driver (Tony) who was also the guide was the perfect man for that job. enthusiastic, friendly, easy-going and with a great knowledge of the tanzanian nature. the whole trip (serengeti, ngorongoro, tarangire,...) was perfect for me as i saw everything i wanted to see in a limited time. as i´ve never done a safari before and didn´t know if i will like it, i thought 4 days might be enough for the first time. at the camping sites our cook (David) prepared delicious meals and i still wonder how he could do with the limited equipment they had on the campsites. well done!!! To come to an end i must say that i would book again at MJs if i come to Tanzania again! Sounds too perfect maybe, but it was! the only thing was that i didn´t see all "big five" which is for sure not their fault... ;-)
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Loved it!!!!!!
This was SUCH a great adventure and all the people working for Odyssey were super from beginning to end. The first test happened when we arrived in Nairobi at 3am but our luggage was not there too! Eliud and Lucy were there to meet us and checking on our luggage and making reports was a slow process causing delay at a time when you would want things to go smoothly so that you could get to the hotel. They were both happily accommodating and just took this in stride. And actually, finally getting our luggage the next day took a great deal of persistence on Eliud's part but he finally was able to get it for us-----his graciousness was remarkable! And then we were on our way!!!
The accommodations were very nice....."tents" in the tent camps are not what we think of as tents. They are very large rooms with very large bathrooms and are very clean. They have hardwood floors and sliding glass doors to the back patios. Just watch when you open the door to enter or leave your room that monkeys or baboons don't try to run in! They are all over in all sizes but tend to keep their distance. No real problem.
John was our driver and he was such a nice, fun guy! Our vehicle was marvelous! Everyone had a large window, plenty of room and the roof would raise up if we wanted. We could be out on our game drives as long as we wanted to be but we were usually ready to come back for dinner and we weren't interested in going out at night although it was possible. The animals are fairly easy to find and are used to vehicles; so they don't run away. And all of the drivers communicate with one another so there are usually numerous vehicles parked to watch. (Some of the animals are so quiet that you feel that you could get out and mingle...but...mmmmmm.....probably not!) Be prepared for many VERY bumpy roads-----John called it an "African massage!" LOL....
I recommend this trip to everyone......it is such an adventure and Odyssey played a big part in our enjoyment our trip. They were always right there to do their very best to see that everything was just right----if there were any problem, they happily took care of it. Accommodations were very nice and the food was plentiful and always prepared very well. We saw all of the animals and met the nicest people EVER!!! I would LOVE to go again....and with Odyssey!!!
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had an amazing safari trip to Kenya this October - a 12 out of 10!
Our tour was well organized with top of the line accomodations. Our safari driver was the best from picking up at the airport to our departure at the end. We saw all the main animals and visited two villages to drop of supplies. It was the adventure of a lifetime!