AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari
Overall we had a good experience with Absolute Holiday Safaris. Coordination, lodge bookings, communication, pick up and drop off - all very positive. And competitively priced.
The actual jeep we were allocated was rather time-worn, but (surprisingly enough) made it successfully to and back from Serengeti...part of adventure I guess! Our driver/guide was attentive and welcoming, however I would have preferred if he had offered insight/info about animals and areas we visited.
CI
Regional organises good safari program particularly the part at Serengeti.
My husband and I had generally good impression about the Regional Tours & Safaris. We were satisfied particularly with our program arrangement and log location. The whole safari left us very good and deep impression at each every stop where we stayed. Tanzania is truly a beautiful country. We shared our good safari experience with our friends and recommended them to choose Regional as their agency for their safari trip in Tanzania.
SD
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good experience and was easy to deal with
The tour was my first safari in Africa. It was an amazing experience and exciting time very well enjoyed. The initial communications and arrangements were very good. Picking and dropping were on time and punctually done by drivers. The accommodation was marvelous and so food. All was excellent and I would like to thank the whole team and especially Martha. Hope to join you again for another safari trip.
FR
Paradise of the elephants
Facilement accessible par une très bonne route depuis Arusha,le parc national du Tarangire est surtout intéressant pour ses éléphants en matière de faune. Mais c’est bien ses paysages qui m’ont le plus touché. Notamment la rivière Tarangire presque a sec au mois d’aout laissant un sillage impressionnant au sol dominé par ses immenses berges .Il faut prendre la peine même si la piste n’ai pas toujours facile de descendre jusqu’au Silale au sud du parc immense marécage ou les éléphants se distinguent à peine dans les hautes herbes.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Flights and Safaris were friendly as well as professional in dealing with us.
The experience was memorable. Flights and Safaris were truly professional in their approach. The safari was money's worth. The driver was extremely good.
Scope for improvement : Accommodation in Nairobi was not money's worth. This should be included int he package. Food and restaurant service in Mara Sopa Lodge to be improved.
Otherwise everything was absolutely fine.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari Trip
Day 1: Arrived in Nairobi in the evening and our driver picked us up from the airport. We could not find our driver at first because there were so many people with signs picking up passengers. Due to the trouble we had finding our driver, I advise when looking for your driver to tell them you will be by the customer service area. I also suggest OT making a sign shaped like a number 1 so the sign will stand out. We checked in at the Hennessey hotel after a short ride from the airport. People were standing outside of the hotel but it is a gated. Hotel in my opinion is not a mid-range-luxury hotel (which is what we paid for). However it served its purpose for one night until our excursions started. If you stay at this hotel it is considered a 2 star when comparing hotels we are accustomed to in the USA. If you stay in this hotel make sure you are nowhere near the kitchen (room 108) because they start preparing breakfast at 4am. The breakfast was served buffet style. I didn't go for round 2 of getting another plate but it served its purpose as well. Also all restaurants make omelets so I took advantage of that after my first day. Beverages were served at room temperature. When our driver Sam dropped us off, he informed us he would pick us up at 8am and he was promptly on time.
Day 2: We drove to Massai Reserve the morning and arrived at the AA Lodge in time for lunch. Note road is bumpy but my main concern was our safety and we felt at ease. The hotel met our expectations and beyond. Very clean and even though there was limited internet access and no TV we didn't need it. Massai tribe came and entertained us with their ritual dances and chants.
Day 3: We took a hot air balloon ride and arrived to the site in time to see the sun rise. We had breakfast on the reserve and afterwards we had time for our second game drive. The service and food was grade A.
Day 4: Lake Narvasha was our destination today. We enjoyed the boat ride and had no complaints until it was time to check into Camp Carnelley. The room we requested was bandet 2 and was not the same room as described when booking the room. It had very old carpet with stains vs the hardwood as advertised. Comforters had stains and bathroom outhouse was not to our standards. The trailer was aluminum and it held the heat from outside which made it bearable to stay in the mobile home no more than for 5 minutes so we left the room quickly. We were told this was a campsite Lodge but it was a mobile home\trailer. We requested another room, preferably the one like the picture provided on their site as well as Walking Kenya site. They stated they were booked and the room was nonrefundable. Due to this we had our driver take us to the nearest lodge where we had to pay for our own room. We however were going to eat at Camp Carnelley since that is where our free meals would come from. After we checked into Fish Eagle Lodge that took 15 minutes max, we went back to eat dinner at Camp Carnelley. We could not eat at the lodge because they sold our room. Now we were out of a room that our driver was going to stay as well as food. We had to go back to our Lodge and purchase or meals from there. We did get a refund from OT of $160 but it was a month after our trip because they had to work it out with Camp Carnelly first.
Day 5 & 6: No complaints at all with Lake Narvasha and Kimojoro. Peaceful and serene setting.
Day 7: This is when things got tricky. Our next destination was Tanzania to go to Serengeti. As we arrived at the boarder we were not allowed because we had no proof of taking the yellow fever shot. We informed the officer the shot was taken but our yellow card was not signed properly. In addition we were told Americans didn't need to take the shot. I even confirmed with OT but we were given incorrect information. It seems if you are a USA citizen that steps foot in Kenya first that you WILL need the shot. If we came directly into Tanzania proof was not needed. We were told we had to pay additional funds to confirm USA has us on file for taking the shot. We declined and due to that we didn't go to Tanzania at all. I'm glad we waited to buy our Visa's for Tanzania and only purchased Kenya's visa at the time because we would have lost money from visa, game drive and hotel.
Day 8-11: We arranged with OT to book a flight and hotel to Mombasa for the rest of our trip and we stayed our remaining days there. We had no complaints with the exceptions of having to pay yet again for hotel and food.
Overall would I use Kenya Walking Survivors Safari again? YES!!! They were always professional, assisted with our needs and most importantly answered all of our questions. Some monies were lost but we gained an experience that was priceless!!!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
More than we expected
We were a group of 7 people and shared a common dream of visiting Africa. It came true recently when we made a trip to Northern Tanzania. We started with contacting several tour operators and finally zeroed in to Bright. From our first email exchange with them, we felt a positive vibe and hoped that we can partner with them. Msangi is the owner of the company and a wonderful person. He chalked out a initial draft of the itinerary and asked for our suggestions. We suggested few changes and he incorporated them all. Special mention should be made of Lake Natron. Lake Natron is an off beat attraction with no proper connectivity. Most of the tour operators were not ready to cover this place and discouraged us from going there. But Msangi readily agreed to it without a slight hesitation. This is what was really the deciding factor in the favour of Bright. And we are thankful that he agreed to take us here; for this place is really unique in its landscape and a different world compared to other parts of Tanzania. You can see Ol Doinyo Lengai (Mountain of God) - an active volcano on way to Lake Natron and drive through volcanic ash strewed paths. Feel free to call him up to discuss your plans as I did. Everything was arranged meticulously and per the plan agreed upon. We all flew in from different parts of the worlds and arrived in different times. Separate pickups were sent to the airport and one even at midnight. We visited Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Lake Natron NP, central and western Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The vehicle provided was in top shape, fitted with charging points and a minibar. The lodges we stayed were all very good and top quality. To be frank given our budget, we were overly surprised at the quality of the accommodation provided. And finally special mention must be made of Osman, our guide. You will be lucky to have him as your guide. He is a very pleasant person with a smile on his lips always. He is very knowledgeable about the wildlife and would patiently answer all our questions. He is a very good spotter and spotted a lioness on a tree top at Serengeti which just blew our minds off. He is also a good and safe driver as we came to know when we drove to Lake Natron. Overall, it was a wonderful trip, much beyond our expectations. Asante Sana Osman, Msangi and Bright African Safaris.
Maasi Mara safari
We had a great Safari and Paul (manager) did a good job in communicating via email to all my queries. I had to transfer 50% as a deposit which I was a bit afraid off, but it worked out okay. He was flex to our needs and was there at the appropriate times to pick us up.
Richard the driver guide was easy going and made sure we saw all the animals in the park.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
unforgettable experience
My husband and I went on a 7 day safari to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Lake Eyasi, Serengeti, and Nrongoro Crater with Bright African Safaris. I started pricing safaris and comparing itineraries from home about 6 months before the trip. Msangi Charema from Bright African Safaris stood out from all the other companies with his rapid and detailed responses to my questions. The price was reasonable for the two of us going on safari on our own with our own guide and cook. We had an amazing trip! Modhi was our guide and Jamal our cook. Modhi was a wealth of information about all the animals we saw. And the birds! He knew everything about every bird and could name the type of bird even when seen from super far away. We saw over 50 lions in the Serengeti and Nrongoro in 2 days! Jamal was a great cook who accommodated both my vegetarian needs and my husband's carnivorous preferences. I have already recommended this company to friends. I would be happy to go on safari every day, I miss my time in Tanzania!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Trip to Arusha, Moshi and Ngorongoro crater
Aardwolf Africa has good tour guides, well informed in their work and work with precision. The choice of the hotel was good for the team and worth the money. Team members were satisfied with the quality of service including the transportation from Nairobi through the various destinations and back. Communication before during and after the safari was excellent and appreciated.
I highly recommend Aardwolf Africa