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)
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
No problems with tour operator, only Zambezi Trader information on the flight schedule was incorrect
Ichingo Chobe , experience was excellent , with good overall service. Recommend house boat on Chobe river , more wild life to view .
Transfer from one to another place was excellent .
Zambezi Trader - disappointing , waste of time and money . poor start to the trip on air transfer .
we booked thinking we going to the Lake Kariba(as per your tour package ) - trip is on the Zambezi River , did not go close the Lake Kariba
overfished river , limit number of wild life and bird viewing compared to our Chobe experience .
No spa , fishing only
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mixed Experience - Communication Needs Serious Improvement
We booked a mid-range safari with Hekima Safaris after reading many positive reviews, and while there were some great aspects to our experience, we were also disappointed in several areas.
We made our booking early in February for a September safari, specifically because of the positive feedback about Hekima going above and beyond for their customers. However, communication from the company was lacking throughout the process.
Two days before our arrival in Kenya, I messaged Hekima to confirm our airport pickup and overall itinerary, but received no response. As we were flying all the way from Australia, this caused significant anxiety — especially given the common warnings about scams. Even during our layover in Mumbai, I messaged again, only to see the message was read with no reply. Out of concern, I contacted the hotel we were due to stay at in Nairobi to confirm our reservation. While they did have a booking under our name, Hekima had not yet paid, so the hotel staff said it wasn’t guaranteed.
Eventually, after we landed in Nairobi around 5:40 AM, Hekima responded and provided a contact for our pickup.
We also learned at breakfast that Hekima had sent an external guide to pick us up, as the staff members were away on another safari. This gave us the impression that our safari may have been overlooked or forgotten, despite our early booking.
Communication after our deposit was made became noticeably slower, whereas responses before payment were immediate. This shift in engagement was disappointing.
However, we were especially disappointed with the guide in the Serengeti. He did not make an effort to connect with us, and we felt like the "going above and beyond" service we read about in reviews was not true in our case. The guide seemed disinterested and did not engage with us or go the extra mile to enhance our experience. He did mention he hadn't slept but there was plenty of time to sleep and rest after coming back from game drives in the evening.
At times, we felt uncomfortable asking for a few extra moments to enjoy the sunrise or take in the animals, as if we were inconveniencing him.
There were also issues with accommodation changes not being communicated in advance. One of the lodges we were taken to was not the one we had booked, and it did not meet mid-range standards – dirty showers and poor food. On another day, the same thing happened again, but thankfully, the alternate lodge was significantly better.
That said, there were definitely many positives too — don’t get me wrong. The guides made sure we saw all the animals we wanted to see, including the Big Five. The lodges (with the exception of one uncommunicated change) were fantastic, with great food and comfortable amenities.
On the day we were flying out, we were told by the airline that our flight was actually departing from a different airport. Jackson and Benard rushed back immediately, picked us up, and drove as fast as they could to the correct airport. This really helped us, and we can’t thank them enough for saving the day.
Overall, the safari had its highlights — and we especially want to give a big shoutout to Jackson for his support and professionalism. But unfortunately, due to poor communication, last-minute changes, and a lack of attentiveness at times, we can’t give Hekima the 5-star rating we had really hoped to.
There is definite potential here — but improvements in communication and customer care are needed.