20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Joseph our driver was great. The organisation however was awful
We booked a private transfer from Johannesburg to Krueger. This was booked for pickup at 07:00. The transfer was for 2 pax and we paid 4,500 Rand. We booked through MoAfrika tours but the transfer was with SafariLink (the vehicle we were picked up in had branding for both).
We were contacted by SafariLink on WhatsApp to reconfirm the booking details the day prior. The re confirmation stated a pickup time of 09:25 which was incorrect. We confirmed the correct details with SafariLink via WhatsApp on two occasions during the day and were told the booking was updated and we would be collected at 07:00 as expected (on both occasions).
On the day of pickup we checked out of our room early, missed breakfast and were ready for a leisurely drive to Krueger. We were ultimately picked up at 08:30 after lots of calls and messages to try and work out where our driver was.
Unfortunately the administrator at SafariLink who had confirmed the 07:00 pickup via WhatsApp had not passed the details onto Joseph. This meant we had to drive directly to Krueger with only a 5 minute stop along the way in order to ensure we did not miss any of our safari activities. The drive is c6 hours with no stops.
Joseph did a great job of making the best out of a bad situation. He made time up, he contacted our lodgings to make sure they were aware of our arrival time and kept us updated on progress along the journey. The organisation by the team who sit behind Joseph though left a lot to be desired.
The transfer vehicle was clean, modern, good WiFi capabilities etc. Joseph was also a very safe driver and pointed out points of interest along the way.
I have provided a 3* review as we paid a lot of money for the private transfer and all it led to was extra stress and inconvenience (we should have just taken the shared transfer that was included at not extra cost). Were it not for Joseph this would be a 1* review. Was the pickup on time then this would be a 5* review.
If using this Company I would suggest triple checking your booking confirmation well in advance and in the run up to your journey.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Joseph was 10/10, but organisation from Safarilink lacking
We experienced an issue whereby our transfer was recorded on the system as being at 9am, however it should have been booked at 7am. We confirmed this with Safarilink the day before we were due to travel and thought it had been corrected. On the day unfortunately the driver was only able to pick us up at 8:30am due to the system error.
Thankfully, we had Joseph who kindly made up as much time as he could in a safe manner - he was brilliant, telling us about our journey and made time for a comfort break without leading to a delay. He did everything he could to get us to our destination quickly but safely which we appreciated.
Safarilink were contactable by WhatsApp and phone which was helpful. It’s a shame about the delay.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience, but it could have been perfect
The organization of the safari was very good, and the campsites were well arranged, with perfect meals and very kind staff. However, there were two drawbacks: we had to wait half a day for the guide and the guide for the last three days was not well-prepared and gave no explanations. I am sure that with a more knowledgeable guide we would have seen many more animals. On the other hand, I was very happy with the guide during the first two days and with the open jeep, which made the experience much more enjoyable.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Mt. Meru Trekking
We booked the Mt. Meru Trekking (3 days). The communication with Emanuel was always prompt and helpful. Our chef on the hike prepared great food for us
The hike itself was challenging but also fun. The problem we had was our guide Mike who started too late on summit day, so that we were rushed to the summit without any possibility to catch breathe or stop for drinking and didn't make it on time for sunrise. And the worst for me was his unprofessional behavior in challenging and dangerous parts of the mountain. But this rate is only because of the bad experience with this particular person not overall with the company.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fly don’t drive
The safari itself was fabulous saw loads of wildlife with a great guide also a great lodge (green fires)
However what is described as a 5 hour drive was actually over 8 hours. It was so bad we paid for a flight back to Johannesburg.
NL
Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Disappointing
We got a recommendation to contact Nature Travel for a safari in Namibia. However after a few emails discussing our trip and asking twice for a quote we didn't hear anything from them.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great tour but my payment was scammed
The safari tour itself was great, the driver we had, George was phenomenal. He tried really hard to show us all the different animals and was very knowledgeable and friendly!
However when we paid the deposit it was fine, but for the final payment we felt scammed as we communicated to the provider through email, someone had hijacked the email chain and offered me PayPal payment option instead. This, I had to pay again on the day of arrival. I have since contacted the tour company and thankfully they are investigating on the matter and have since taken action to prevent this from happening to others.
Therefore although the tour was good, please be careful with payments and make sure it is secure so the money actually goes to the safari company.
MT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Jesmond Lia
Perfect nature
MT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice, friendly and lovely people
We enjoyed the safari is amazing good stuff help full also
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ok
The camping safari is pure adventure.
However, there were a few things that didn't go perfectly.
We were reliably picked up from the airport by taxi. The taxi driver told us the safari started at 7:00 a.m. At the hotel, we were told the safari started at 8:00 a.m. The actual start time was 8:30 a.m., but we were misinformed. The safari itinerary was also changed (Lake Manyara on Friday instead of Tuesday), which isn't a problem in principle. However, this needs to be communicated. According to the description, the game drives last about 6-7 hours. In reality, however, they lasted a maximum of 4-5 hours, as we didn't start at the agreed time on a single day.
Some of the campsites were very run down, often with only cold water, and only one of the three showers working.
(automatic translation from German)