FI
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service
I send a message to several operator, but Netherken was only one who really read and answer my question and gave personalized answer. It was easy choice for me. Our co-operation worked very well but unfortunately there was 2 quite big things what I'm not pleased.
1. I choose traveling to the Fig Tree camp by airplane. When I was returning back to Nairobi, plane didn't come at all and there was nobody on the airstrip who knows anything what to do. Mombasa air didn't inform us anyhow to the hotel or there was not anybody answering for us what we should do. Netherken's number didn't answer. I still don't know how, but we got 2 pilot's who bring we back to Nairobi just 1,5 hours late.
It's not so big thing, but somehow they should inform customers if there is technical problems and delays.
2. Don't by any extras beforehand!
I bought also Hot balloon safari many months before. It was mistake.
I get ill there (stomach ailment from the first lunch). Cause I couldn't leave bathroom at all, I couldn't go to the flight.
I was not happy when I heard that they will not return my money even they were selling those hot balloon flights there in Fig Tree Camp all the time for next morning every day. I mean, they didn't have to say anybody that all flights are sold out, and that way they didn't loose any new customer because of my illness. I feel it was not fair.
I didn't get it even from travel insurance cause I didn't understand that I should get doctor. Reception said that it's in Nairobi so I didn't think it's necessary after 1,5 days yet.
So don't buy any extras beforehand, you can get them later on the camp as well!
The Fifth Tree Camp is beautiful and very nice place and 1 game drive I had possible to join was amazing!
I can recommend that even my 2 deplorable experiences.
As well I can recommend Netherken as well. I'm sure they will develop communication between Mosambik air, The Fig Tree Camp and Netherken itself.
LU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Professional and experienced safari operation
Very professionally run safari operation. Right from the start we were very impressed by the responsiveness of Silas who somehow managed to respond to any and all of our requests literally within minutes. Nelson was our guide on the safari and he did a great job finding and maneuvering us in the best positions to view all animals up close. We travelled in a well maintained Toyota Landcruiser and Nelson was also very accommodating to last minute changes we requested to our itinerary. Unfortunately he was not able to finish the safari with us as he had to attend to a family emergency and Apodiformes clearly struggled to find a replacement for him on short notice for the last day of our safari (1 day hike in Mt Kenya Nationalpark). We ended up travelling a distance of 3 hours (1 way) in a worn out and unsafe (e.g. Seat belts and lights only partially working) beaten up salon car. Our driver Samuel was very attentive and nice but the last day of our safari unfortunately was not up to our expectations. Generally a 1-day visit to Mt Kenya we found is not worth it especially when travelling all the way from Nairobi. Overall we had a great time though and would like to thank Apodiformes for the nice experience!
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari exp. But don't deal with noah
I booked the safari experience from Wildebeest from aug 11 to aug 15th. Nairobi airport pickup - amboseli - Nakuru - mara and back to nairobi.
Our guide was dennis.
I had an amazing time, thanks to Dennis , the vehicle we were in was very good and Dennis made sure we felt safe. He made sure we had a great safari experience and we were lucky to see the migration crossing as well.
I would recommend the experience with Dennis to everyone.
The 2nd part of our journey to diani was riddled with troubles and we had to waste an entire day of our expensive trip because of Noah the owner/manager. Noah is the unprofessional manager who left us high and dry on 3 occassions -
1. He messed up our train tickets and we ended up wasting an entire beach day because of an early bus (our last resort) because of his unprofessionalism.
2. He messed up our mara hotel itinerary and we had to travel 3 hours extra late in the night and had the audacity to blame us for his goof up.
3. He tried to charge us extra park fees - 160$ for his own mistakes.
Notably, we got really bad seats in the train that he did book, his delay in payments for the park fees made sure we waited 20 mins min each time outside the safari gates.
Never once did he ever make an apology that was genuine.
Although my experience with widlebeest was amazing, I have a sour taste because of noah, would strongly urge folks who deal with Noah to document everything on email as proof.
5/5 for Dennis our guide.
10/5 for Kenya and the experience
-5/5 for Noah the owner/ manager.
3.5 for wildebeest, still one of the best experiences of my life minus the issues we had to deal with because of noah.
Go for it but be careful and document everything.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Lyndsey Deane
A small park and so condensed wildlife, we had amazing up-close baboon and elephant encounters here. A day is enough to see the best of what it has to offer.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best.
I had an incredible experience with Leisureway Adventure a Kenya Safari Tours, and I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for their outstanding service. Our guide, Sylus, was truly exceptional. He demonstrated an immense passion for his job and went above and beyond to ensure we had the best wildlife experience possible. Sylus' expertise and enthusiasm in locating various animals were truly remarkable, and his knowledge of the Kenyan wilderness added an extra layer of excitement to our safari adventure.
NZ
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly recommend. Professional, helpful and accessible.
A once in a lifetime trip for us creating lasting memories. The camps and hotels were excellent, the staff friendly and helpful and the food excellent. We were very well looked after. The animal life was abundant and we were able to view the great 5 within a few days. All of the safaris exceeded our expectations.
Some of the internal flights and hotels are linked and we did experience a couple of airline representatives that were not helpful and lacked good communication skills. At one point we were unable to find our representative at Entebbe airport. She was at the wrong part of the airport. We were taken through to departures with instructions to stay put and that she would not be lone. We waited approx. 3 hours past our scheduled departure time. Airport staff were unable to help as it was a charted flight. It turned out she was waiting for a couple of more passengers. However the pilots were sitting in the aircraft and were also unaware and had been sitting on the aircraft for 3 hours waiting for us. We had a long overnight flight from the Serengeti to Johannesburg and then had to wait another 2 hours to be flown to our camp as the airline was waiting further passengers to fill the plane. our itinerary stated our flight time and the airline were not helpful in accommodating us. Were were eventually put on a hot plane and waited a further 45 mins till the pilot arrived. We felt they were trying to maximize their seating and felt it was not conducive to a good holiday.
We still had a great time during our two and a half weeks in Africa and would recommend this excellent company but feel the situations we found ourselves in should be addressed.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good value for money
Safari
Initially me and my friend wanted to do a gorilla trekking only in Uganda but later on decided to extend our trip with a safari. We knew the price of a weekend gorilla trekking would be at least $1000, because the permits are expensive and since we were gonna be in the country anyway, we decided to extend the trip with other activities as well.
We chose this operator because it included all the activities we wanted to do at the lowest price. Other operators were at least $500-$1000 more expensive. The value for money is good. The accommodation you will be staying in will not be luxury, but that’s also not what you payed for. You are able alter the itinerary yourself and we did so with one of the accommodations. We felt as though our guide did not like the accommodation we chose as much as his initial pick, but we were very pleased with our change. It’s therefore good to know you can alter it, but the guide may have a few bad comments regarding your pick.
Peter is a very friendly guide. Especially in the preparation phase, he would respond to messages very quickly. My friend celebrated her birthday during the trip and Peter made sure a (gluten free) birthday cake was prepared and even bought a few gifts for her, which was very thoughtful.
The safari itself was great. We did not expect we had to wake up at 5-6 am so many times, so that was a bit of a shock and resulted in us being exhausted by the end of the trip. That’s why we do recommend to alter the itinerary slightly and have a few more relaxing mornings or afternoons in the schedule, because it’s currently fully packed with activities. We did not expect it to be this tiring, otherwise we would have put a few relaxing moments in beforehand. Additionally otherwise you are together with your tour guide 24/7 (all the activities + meals) and you feel as though you have no quality time with your travel partner able to relax.
The only disappointment activity wise were the lions at Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. One of the reasons why we chose this operator (besides the price) was because it included the famous tree climbing lions where others didn’t. Well during the trip we found out there was a reason other operators did not include the lions, it’s because they are no longer alive unfortunately. We were very shocked to hear this news and even more so because we did not think it was fair that it was included in our itinerary, when they are no longer there. When we expressed this disappointment to our guide, he did not understand. So be prepared that the famous tree climbing lions are no longer there. The park you visit to supposedly look for them, is great to visit anyway! They should however write down in the itinerary that the famous lions are no longer there.
Overall it definitely was a once in a lifetime trip and we were very happy we traveled with Buyaga. The tour it private so you don’t have to share your bus/car with anybody else, which means you always have the best seat to spot animals. Peter made sure he always hired rangers to join us in the car, who were very knowledgable on the area and the animal whereabouts. They even made us go off track sometimes to see lions up close, which was great.
Would definitely recommend this tour and operator!
DE
Well organised, tailored tour
We (3 people) organised a 8-day tour of Uganda. Home to Africa was very responsive in the planning phase, and the journey was adapted to our requests. We faced a small problem at our arrival in Entebbe, as due to a miscommunication our driver arrived late, but we managed to contact the agency and fix the problem. Our guide driver, Benon, was absolutely perfect. He has a genuine love for nature and animals, and doing game drives with him has been fantastic. His driving is very good. Also the accommodations chosen by the company were very satisfactory. We can warmly recommend them, and in particular, Benon.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledgeable guide found the big 5!
I had a great 2-night, 3-day Maasai Mara safari experience through SafariBookings.com. Thanks to our exceptional guide Raymond, a true professional with 15 years of game drive experience, we had the privilege of spotting the Big Five. Raymond's knowledge enriched our journey as we witnessed the mesmerizing wildebeest and zebra migration, observed a cheetah on the hunt, and marveled at the elusive rhino and leopard.
The Maasai Mara itself is a stunning park, and even though there were numerous other safari companies present, competing to get to the sighting first. Raymond's expertise ensured we reached the sights before others, adding an extra layer of excitement for us.
The camping site provided much-needed comfort after a day of exploration, offering amenities like hot water, comfortable beds, and charging facilities.
While the food was substandard, it was understandable considering the reasonable price of the trip. My partner is a fussy eater and struggled more than me. Day 1 we had lunch in buffet style on the road, with dinner in the camp, day 2 was breakfast and dinner in the camp with a packed picnic lunch while out on Safari. Day 3 was breakfast in the camp and lunch on the road. We opted out of lunch on day 3 with our whole group wanting to get back to Nairobi ASAP!
Our schedule included a thrilling drive from 4:30 PM to 7 PM on the first day, followed by a full day (7 AM to 6 PM) on the second. Unfortunately, the third day's visit to the Maasai village didn't match the excitement of the rest of the trip. While enjoyable, the very touristy village visit came with high-pressure sales tactics for overpriced items, slightly dampening the experience.
Raymond later dropped us directly at our hotel.
For fellow travelers, bringing cash is recommended, especially for buying beverages at the bar and offering tips to campsite staff and guides. If the group intends to visit the Maasai village, be prepared for additional charges.
Raymond went above and beyond, assisting us with ATM trips and money exchange when we fell short.
Overall, the SafariBookings.com Maasai Mara adventure with Raymond was fantastic, despite a few minor downsides.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
street food and community tours
The team at scb tours helped me and my friends from Denmark who were going to do their medical internships in Uganda. I had 4 Danish internee friends who were interested in rhino, chimps and gorilla tracking. I recommended scb tours and travel and they did an amazing work from the planning , effectiveness in communication. The well detailed itinerary, when it came to hotel bookings. Every hotel was on point ,food were delicious ,and my friends liked local food and the street Rolex (chappati rolled in fried eggs ) the driver and the guide were top notch.
Though they have to improve on their tour van as it broke down twice ,though they made sure that no activity was missed ,apart from that the trip went on well and our memories were captured as promised ,lastly the community tours ,the people of bigodi were the best especially the banana man ,who makes juice and gin or alcohol out of bananas plus the medicine man and the the ladies who performed traditional dances for us ,and displayed their weaving skills
In summary I would recommend scb tours and travel to my foreign friends ,penpals and medical internees
Thanks
Dr Rosemary