Five stars for George, he was the perfect guide. Minus one star for Hell’s Gate bike ride.
George was our guide for the first four days, and he made them amazing days. He is not only a good guide, but a good person to spend many hours with. He was incredibly knowledgeable about all the animals we found. He knew how to find the more elusive animals (leopard, cheetah) and often we were the first safari van to find one of these special animals, due to his understanding of their movements and habits. He was patient in waiting for good viewing angles and opportunities. And he answered all our (many, many) questions about the large animals, the small ones, the birds, the bugs, and the plants. He even explained larger topics like the Kenya’s history and culture.
His personality was a perfect fit for us. Calm and present. He was attentive to every question, but did not fill silence with meaningless chatter. He thought carefully about his answers to our questions, and clearly understood the science behind the natural world. We really appreciated the space he gave us to talk amongst ourselves, or just enjoy the sounds of nature.
For the final day, George left and Obama became our guide. He was friendly and full of jokes. We visited Hell’s Gate that day. The park is nice, with some dramatic geological features and populations of zebra, impala, giraffes, and buffalo. The negative was the bike rental. We asked Obama about price but were told to wait and see, even after he spoke to the bike tour guide on the phone. When we met the bike tour guide, Obama explained his guide fee as 300 shillings, but the man corrected him to 1500. Then we had to pay a bunch of small fees, including the guide’s park entry fee and even his bike fee. We rented the guide’s bike for him, from him. The guide had a thick accent and a frequent cough. He mostly pointed to animals.
Only later did we see other tourists without guides and realize the guide was optional. We asked for some privacy and our guide rode ahead and mostly let us bike at our own pace.
One purpose the guide apparently serves is scaring away buffalo by clapping. So give the buffalo plenty of space and clap them away if they’re too close - they can be dangerous.
Finally, Alan was a responsive organizer and answered our emails promptly. Much appreciate that
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Brilliant!
Aroni (Arouni / Rooney) went above and beyond! He was very knowledgeable about important sites along the route. He was always punctual and courteous and drove well.
The tour was such good value and we saw so many animals even though we only did a one night safari. Accommodation excellent!
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Extensive tour: Malagasy Travel
Since initial contact, Malagasy Travel were extremely helpful, efficient and prompt with all replies. They adapted their offering to my needs and finally I opted for a group tour of Madagascar, offering an extensive visit of the Island. It was a 15 day tour covering South, East and West.
We were given an itinerary and were warned that there would be some long days driving. However many of the highlights of the island were covered and the trip offered good value for money compared to other tours I saw offered by other companies. While the tour was enjoyable, the reality was that we spent much longer in the tour bus than anticipated (three days over 12 hours a day, and most days at least six hours!) Admittedly this was due to deterioration of the roads during lockdown, and beyond Malagasy Travel control. Malagasy Travel listened and tried to take on board our concerns and slightly adapted the itinerary to try and make the travelling less arduous. However it was still unavoidable and way too long to spend on the road in a bus which was far from comfortable! Overall I feel that I saw most of Madagascar through the van window. On hindsight I would opt to see less of the island but spend longer in each destination. Madagascar is a beautiful island, the people are warm hearted and friendly and I shall definitely be back.
IN
I recommend them
I had a good experience with Safari Trackers. Got great pics of different animals in their natural habitat. I was lucky to get to witness the wildebeest crossing Mara River. My guide Charles knew all yhe good spots for animal viewing. Would definitely recommend them to anyone visiting Tanzania for safari experience.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
efficient
Very good rangers, lovely lodges, fantastic parks!!! Food in lodges very repetitive, this is the only negative point. All the rest great
CH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing people in an amizing landscape
We visited Tarangirie, Ngorongoro an Serenget Nationalpark. All are very different and worth to visit. During migration the Serengeti is unbeatable!
Being accompanied by papagei tours made us feel in professional and careful hands.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great wildlife experience
We enjoyed this trip so very much. Both the two days of safari - in which we were brought to 2 parks with plenty of wildlife - as well the last mountain hike to the Materuni waterfall and visit to a coffee village. The food was also good and tasty. The guides were skilled and good company. The communication with Jackson was very good from the moment we booked the tour intil the end where he helped us with out further travels in Tanzania. Topy Tours is a good choice if you want a great experience for a budget price.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great budget package
Had an amazing time in Kenya with Karibu safari, there was a lot of time spent on the road to get to the various locations but it was all worth it!
During our 7 days Castro was our guide and exceeded our expectations! Castro is an excellent driver and where other tours got stuck in the mud(literally) we would just fly on through! Castro was able to get us closer to the lions and cheetahs than I ever thought possible! (And I’ve been on alot of game drives)
All in all great value for money and would definitely recommend Karibu!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Time and Wonderful Tour But a Rocky Start
The vacation was wonderful and the staff in South Africa were helpful. However the staff in the United States was not helpful when I was on the ground in South Africa. They only communicated with one of the travelers (my friend) and did not send me my itinerary until I touched down. I reached out through email while on the long flight to send me my itinerary so that I knew who was meeting me at the airport. This caused problems with meeting the gotouchdown guide on the ground. They also didn't keep my contact information for communication so that the guide could call me in an emergency. I was only given the contact information of the South African contact from my friend who they did keep in contact with. Nonetheless when I was able to get in contact with the SA staff they were responsive and apologetic. However, I ended up spending money on a cab that wasn't needed. After the initial hick-up the trip went smoothly. The resorts were great and the experience on the safaris was life-changing. I would do it again as the resorts and value for the money was excellent. However, I would only work with the South African contacts as they were the best.
DK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We saw a lot of wild animals
Since we booked the 2-day trip to Tarangire and Ngorongoro, there has been a good follow-up and information from the organizer. Always quick answers to our questions. We could adapt the trip to suit our wishes and needs. We were picked up at our hotel in a slightly older Safari car, which, however, could do what it was supposed to. Our guide was friendly and very accommodating. In the parks we saw many animals and the guide had a good network to get to the places in the parks where the animals were. The overnight stay between the two parks was at a lodge with spacious rooms and good food. An organizer that I can recommend.
(automatic translation from Danish)