US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Both JP and Bakkies are fantastic.
We went for two tours back to back with gotouchdown. JP was our guy in Cape Town tour. He took good care of us in any way he can. We stayed in Stillness for the entire week. The amenity was not the best in my opinion. However the staffs and chiefs were great. We had the best restaurant experiences in Cape Town. It seemed each was better than the last one. Hands down for the restaurant selections. Bakkies was our guide for Safari tour. We love him. We love the two nights stayed in Dunkle estate, such a beautiful piece of property. Humala and Seasons is so so. Unfortunately, the only time we have Wi-Fi in our room was in Dunkle. We saw many animals. Lion park was totally not worth it. We felt sad to see the condition the animals in. They are in big cages there. The safari in Pilanesberg is top notch.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very well organised, prompt communication and good service.
We took the four day safari to Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. It was a great experience, very well organised, the pickup and drop-off from the airport and the accommodation and meals the day before and after make it all a very convenient experience. Nelson was very prompt at answering questions on WhatsApp and before booking, he sent us a clear plan and price and it all went ahead as planned.
We saw lots of animals, our guide had unbelievable eyesight and he was very experienced and spotted animals in the craziest places, which was amazing!! We missed him saying a few sentences about the parks to introduce them but when asked questions he was very knowledgeable. The food was amazing, really tasty, fresh and varied. The vehicle was comfortable and there were plugs to charge phones in both the vehicle and the dining halls of camps.
The reasons this review is 4 starts:
The camps were better than expected, clean tents, clean toilet facilities, most had free wifi and it was well organised with the chef and camp staff setting everything up for our comfort. However it would have cost little extra effort to make sure that there was toilet paper and hand soap provided and that the sleeping bags and pillows are washed. They were very smelly. Luckily we had a roll of toilet paper in our bag but I can't imagine what we would have done in the middle of nowhere without any. The washing I think is simple and part of basic hygiene, especially when travelling with a limited amount of clothes, you don't want them to be smelly like the sleeping bags.
There was no wifi or hot water in the hostel for the night before and after. Again, we had a sim card so wifi wasn't a massive issue, but I think most travellers would either expect wifi or expect to be warned to buy a sim card. Same with the cold water. On the safari I understand that it's difficult to provide and we kind of expected that and coped. But it would have been nice to know there is none in the hostel either.
Overall it was a great experience and we would book again without hesitation, but these few things are simple to improve and would have a very positive effect.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Book with Pinnacle, Don't hesitate
I can’t recommend Pinnacle strongly enough, from the administrative team (Frazier, Jasmine, Kevin) to the Guides, Chef and Porters in Kili, they looked after me every step of the way.
I must give a massive shout out to Yassin my guide- he was always in high spirits whilst making sure my safety and acclimatisation was paramount.
The meals that they provide are great, Accommodation before Kili and after was good enough.
Book with Pinnacle and you won’t be disappointed.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Hyrax Safari- May 2022
Overall, our Hyrax Safari was great. Travelling with 3 little ones aged 6, 4 and 3 is always an adventure, but Evans our driver helped our family to manage the schedule. It’s our 3rd safari and this one was done on a much tighter budget than our other safaris. We noticed a difference travelling in the matatu vehicle, instead of a 4x4 safari vehicle. It was definitely not as comfortable but it was a fun experience and we enjoyed the bumps and being thrown about the roads (genuinely). The game drives were fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed each day animal spotting. We like the campsite, very hospitable and friendly (staff were fab!) even though basic. The only downside to the trip was the vehicle did feel a little full at times, we would definitely prefer to have a vehicle to ourselves next time. Ultimately, Kenya is absolutely stunning and we love the wildlife and wilderness, there’s just nothing quite like it.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional
Very reliable,punctual, excellent and we'll trained staff. Definitely doing this again.
IL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great service, very nice people
We had a great time.
The booking process was good and fast. We got all our questions answered quickly and courteously.
The travel was perfect, Julius our guide was awesome!
Highly recommended
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari for a great price.
We went on a 5 day safari and were very impressed with the tour. The food was excellent and the campsite was like glamping. The hotels we stayed in had swimming pools and were nice. The Masai Mara game park was amazing and we saw great animals. There was however a lot of travelling on the trip which we were not made aware of. Our guide Albert was very capable and punctual however we felt that often we were not told the details of the day and he perhaps lacked enthusiasm. Overall would recommend this trip to others.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stay at the top with John & Kasaka tours. I strongly recommend it to you.
We opted for the 3-day formula with 2 days of safari and 1 day of hiking.
The Mikumi reserve is a beautiful reserve with many animals and above all it is not overcrowded with tourists or tour operators! We were able to see Lion, Buffalo, Elephant, Giraffe, Impala, Wildebeest, Zebra, Monkey and so on!
The hike is just amazing, very easy to get to (with family and kids no problem) for a great view of the waterfall and a view of a wonderful stretch of Tanzanian land once at the top. The guide who accompanied us was great, and will explain the virtues of the different trees that make up this forest, a part of Tanzanian history as well as the discovery of certain animals living in this forest.
The price / quality ratio is very good.
We slept at the Morio hotel, it is quite rustic but it can do the trick. On the other hand concerning the meals you will not be disappointed.
Finally to finish, John is very professional and responsive regarding exchanges by email and his tour operator deserves more attention!
(automatic translation from French)
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari with a good guide
We spent 3 days in Selous with Isaya : safari by boat then a full day in the park and walking safari. All was very well organised : Isaya (and Francky) came and pick us at our hôtel in Morogoro and then we went to Selous. We slept at Mloka Lodge with Isaya and Francky : this lodge is very great. Safari was also great : we saw a lot of animals specially girafe and one léopard. Isaya gave us a lot of informations about animals and his country, it was very interesting.
We spent 3 good days with them.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great itinerary and guides, and but a couple things need to be tightened up.
Generally, for less than a two week trip, the itinerary was perfect to get a great flavor and feel for what South Africa has to offer. Essentially the first week is for a Safari out of Johannesburg with the second portion being a number of days in Cape Town. We cannot say enough great things about the guides and drivers at all locations. Top notch! They went above and beyond what could have been expected catering to our schedule and “off tour” trips and experiences.
The price was really a great value considering all that was included. You get to see and do so much. For a ten day tour, you come away feeling that you have accomplished a lot of what you need to say you have seen and gotten a feel for South Africa.
However, there are a couple things which need to be tightened up to make this a true five star experience. There is no way to say this that doesn’t sound like an entitled tourist, but here goes. The bar set up at Hamala Lodge has to be updated to service its guests. One example. on the first morning of our several day Safari tour based at the Humala River Lodge, one of our party ordered a Bloody Mary. The bartender, a great young gentleman named Blessing, could not have been more accommodating and was able to make several Bloody Marys. The other half of the group also staying in the Hamala River Lodge at the same time, heard our order and also ordered Bloody Marys. Turned out that the 6–7 Bloody Marys completely wiped out the bar’s ability to make Bloody Marys for the rest of our stay. It would appear to be a very easy fix to have either a greater supply of Bloody Mary mix available to the bar or have someone run out the approximately 45 minutes – one hour to the town right outside the reserve to resupply the bar with Bloody Mary mix. Again, not a big deal, but such an easy fix.
The seafood restaurant for lunch in Cape Town prior to the boat tour should be deleted from the itinerary. It’s a tourist trap with no real flavor or anything special to either Africa or Cape Town. A more traditional African restaurant would be a much better option.
More importantly, there was some transfer issues that, again, would appear to be easily addressed and corrected. On the first day on our arrival from the US following a 14 hour flight, 9 passengers were transported from the airport in an 8 passenger van to the Seasons Resort. The last thing I needed was to have to sit on an armrest of the van for about the hour transfer to the Resort following that long flight. Again, not. a deal breaker, but Go Touchdown knew how many would be on the transfer, and could easily have provided more suitable transportation.
Lastly, one of group was completely left off the flight to Cape Town. Fortunately, we caught the error and we’re able to have the fourth person in our group added to the flight. Inexplicably, that same person was given a different flight back from Cape Town to Johannesburg. We were unable to get them on our same flight. They had to take a much later flight which was delayed causing a big rush in Johannesburg to make the flight home. Lastly, and again, as all the flight arrangements had to be left to Go Touchdown, and particularly after leaving this person off the flight to Cape Town, not having them booked on the same flight as the rest of our party to Johannesburg is just inexcusable.