FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ruined Honeymoon
We chose Bencia for a first safari experience during our honeymoon with a 6 days safari (2 full days in Masaï Mara + Nakuru + Hell's Gate, Nairobi to Nairobi).
Our initial plan had to be changed because of COVID test that we had to do at least the day before leaving. Bencia told me that last night we won't do in Naivasha/Hell's Gate but in Nairobi. What I didn't know was that we would have to sacrifice 1 full day and 1 night at Masaï Mara (which was of course the heart of our Safari) because of that. Of course they didn't tell me as day/night in Nairobi is not the same price as day/night in Masaï Mara. The safari cost didn't change at any moment.
The problem is that I never received any new plan, I think there was a real communication problem there from Bencia.
We only did one evening and full day next in Masaï Mara, not even the next morning as planned also because we had to be quickly to Nakuru for I do not know which reason because we arrived there at noon and left for safari at 6pm, all those lost hours we could have spent in Mara...
After this evening safari, I started contacting Bencia about our planning, they just said that we should do safari on the morning and head to Naivasha where we could do an activity that we would have to pay ourselves. I started to be angry and asked them (my contact was Alfred) why skipping one full day in Masaï Mara to be in Naivasha with nothing provided ? I asked them to provide us an activity as I was the one being stole and of course they first refuse. They even said that they would offer me activities in Nairobi and Hell's Gate, they are very funny in this so called ''company''. I paid for a 6 days safari, got stolen a day in Masaï Mara in exchange of one day in Nairobi but they continued talking about offering me things that I paid for... After a long discussion, I finally had a word from Bencia saying they would pay activity in Naivasha !
The next day, after only a few hours of safari in Nakuru (driver always had good excuses to quickly end the day or push us to do extra activity), we arrived in Naivasha. Other surprise there, we were not in the good hotel and when I compared rates of 2 hotels, 1 night in the one that was supposed to be booked was at USD 430 and the one we were in at USD 165. I gently asked for an explanation and a change or an upgrade during a long moment but Bencia never wanted to upgrade us, saying that it was the ''same level''. What a kind gift from them for our honeymoon !
We arrived in this hotel at 11:35 am and I had to struggle once again with Bencia (still Alfred who didn't want to get me his manager)@ to get our promised activity. Finally, at 17:00 after that our driver disapeared (even Bencia couldnt reach him) we were taken to our 1 hour boat ride, finally !
Last but not least, when we arrived at 3pm for check in in Nairobi without having any lunch, we discovered that Bencia booked only bed and breakfast. Reminder : I paid and signed and they signed to a contract for 6 days saying that all meals were included. There, once again, I had to fight during 2 hours to get our lunch (at 5pm bon appétit !) and also dinner.
This is where we met Cyprian from Bencia who listened to this story and tried to get us our meals and organized excursion the day after (of course Alfred from Bencia lied to me saying that he had booked excursions in Nairobi so we missed elephant orphanage).
Thanks to Cyprian, last day we were able to go to Nairobi NP for a last safari. That does not compensate at all the rest but I guess we will never received anything from them.
If you want an unbelievable experience, especially for honeymoon, I would not recommend Bencia, they are not tousism professionals. I would have done much more organizing it myself from Paris than them from Nairobi.
PS : Next to this comment, Bencia contacted me to remove my comment in exchange of some money, that tells the level of such company...
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the best trips ever! Our first safari and everything went very smoothly
This was hands-down one of the best travel experiences I have ever had. I went with my husband to Masai Mara for 4 days/3 nights. Mwanje was very easy to work with and everything went very smoothly. He was very quick to respond to messages and even helped us arrange Covid tests before the return trip to the US.
We flew into Masai Mara via Safari Link. I was a bit nervous with the small plane (Cessna Dash 8) but it was smooth and quick, only about 30 minutes. The camp that we chose was andBeyond Kichwa Tembo, and it was spectacular. We saw the Big 5 and cheetahs up close. Kichwa Tembo is located in the Mara Triangle, which has a ton of vegetation and is very wildlife dense. You have the best chance of seeing black rhinos in the triangle (we saw 3), and nonstop elephants, zebras, giraffes, impalas. The Greater Mara, on the other side of the river, is much larger than the Triangle and is where the majority of camps are located, but there is more sparse wildlife. However, you have to go to the greater Mara side to see cheetahs. We had an amazing game driver at andBeyond, Ekai, who could spot animals from a mile away with no binoculars. He was very attentive to our requests and he knew that we wanted to see cheetahs so he got up super early to drive us to the greater Mara side to a spot where it is known that a group of cheetahs hang out. Masai Mara is very tough to drive through (it's a lot of off-roading, the "roads" are basically just light tire tracks from previous vehicles), and Ekai was an excellent driver. The skill of these guides is really something that is built up over years of experience of driving around. These plains are vast and endless, they extend as far as the eye can see, and many areas are undriveable because there are massive holes in the ground, or water, or trees. Yet our guide never got lost, he knew the most efficient way to get to places, he knew where different animals lived, and could even tell the difference between specific animals like lions based on their markings. His knowledge of plants and animals was extensive (I fact-checked afterwards a couple of times to be sure!). Every animal that we asked to see (even different birds), we saw! Not to mention -- a lot of these guides' families live far away and they stay in Masai Mara for weeks at a time or more without seeing them.
The other staff at andBeyond were also great. They assign you a waiter (our was Joel, he was wonderful), and a housekeeper (Simon, also wonderful) to help you through your whole stay. Joel arranged a special candlelit dinner and surprise cake for our wedding anniversary. The property is beautiful, the tents are absolutely amazing (they have everything in them from bug spray to bed warmers which they bring you at night), and there's tons of little things that they do to make it a luxury and fun experience -- one of my favorites was there's a little wooden cubby accessible from both outside and inside the tent where Simon would place coffee and hot chocolate in the morning. Also the food was excellent. I'm a pescatarian and had no trouble with the menu at all, there were a lot of options. There were a few babies/small children at the camp and I could see the staff went out of their way to help those families stay comfortable. andBeyond also offers a bunch of other activities. We did a visit to the local Masai village (highly, highly recommend), and also a walking tour. Our guide was Moses, who is of Masai heritage, and so he showed us all the different plants that grow in the area and what they are used for medicinally. A zebra walked right by us on the tour.
I have seen many reviews where people recommend Bataleur, andBeyond's sister camp, over Kichwa Tembo. I have no idea why, considering they are five minutes apart from each other and you would see the same animals. I've stayed at many top hotels around the world and I think Kichwa Tembo is up there with the best of them, and the aesthetic is more modern and appealing to millennials and Gen-Z. Bataleur and the other camps are decorated in more of a traditional colonial style, and although they are described as "nicer", it's not my aesthetic. Kichwa Tembo doesn't have bathtubs, only showers, which was perfectly fine for me, as I never take baths and it's really not a good use of water in a place like Masai Mara. I think also because it's been slower since Covid, there weren't very many people at Kichwa Tembo or generally in Masai Mara. 3 out of the 4 days, we had the whole car to ourselves. Oftentimes looking at the animals, we were the only ones out there --- unless it was a rare animal like a rhino. All the drivers have radios and tell each other the locations of rare animals they see so that others who are searching can also come over. On the Triangle side, when there are multiple cars they stay at a respectful distance and there is a 5 car limit rule that everyone follows. Only 5 cars can be up front and if there are more they have to hang back until one of the cars leaves.
I felt very safe in terms of Covid the whole time. All the staff and other guests wore masks and you are outdoors the whole time. There were hardly any mosquitoes at all (apparently the elevation is too high). Overall, the experience was just excellent! Can't recommend enough.
NL
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lovely people, who take great care to create the best possible experience for you.
We have been away for over a week with a tour every day. First we did the coffee tour which i was really excited about. This was a very good experience where i learned a lot. The people running the guides were very open and we had a great time with them. About all trips including safari, massia+ hot spring, waterfalls and mount kilimanjaro I was struck by how well organized everything was. The people are very flexible and work hard so that you as a tourist have the best experience. we certainly made a lot of friends for life. I didn't feel stressed the whole trip and knew I could count on Octavian.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Outstanding Safaris
I fell in love with Africa as a teenager. Fifty years later I took my first trip which was managed beautifully by Lappet Faced Safaris. Francisco, CEO, was exceptionally responsive to our requests. We told him what we wanted to see, gave him a budget, and he designed the perfect trip. He was very responsive to questions, and happy to do any tweaking we needed to do in order to fit our schedule.
He provided us with the perfect guide. I am not overstating. Our guide Michael was extremely skilled, very knowledgeable, and lots of fun! After we all loosened up, we laughed our way across Tanzania.
We tried to stay in tented camps for the most part, which was a good choice for us. If you want to hear animals at night, and enhance your experience, this is the way to go. I never once felt unsafe.
We are traveling with Lappet Faced Safaris again in August 2021, going back to see more of Tanzania. In 2022 Lappet Faced Safaris will take us to Kenya.
I would let Lappet Faced Safaris take me anywhere!
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bucket List Adventure done
“My wife booked a trip to Kenya through Keron Safaris for the two of us plus my 26 yr old son. The trip could not have been better, we started off with a two night stay at the beach in Mombasa (Diani Sea Lodge) and had a great time winding down after two days of flying. Then we went to Tsavo East for a day and a half, amazing! From there we went to Amboseli for another day or so, also fantastic. Next was a half day at Nakuru, by this time we had seen so many animals, at Nakuru we added whit Rhinos to our list. We finished up at Masai Mara for our last day and a half.
So much fun and great camaraderie with our guide Venant, I would recommend Venant to be your guide too. He is extremely personable and accommodating, not to mention he is a great driver. You'll need a great driver, as the roads and drivers in Kenya are terrible! Many thanks to both Kenny and Venant for ensuring we all had an amazing safari!!”
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
professionnal organizer listening what you would like to get!
Second time with Flash. But this time I brought my familly and we were 7 to come.
What an amazing tour!
we saw again the 5 bigs and many others with extraordinary time. Our 2 guides have an eagle view and they can see what you cannot see.
The selection of the lodges and hotels were perfect and always super place with confort and excellent service . a good balance between the confort and the respect of the nature and the local people.
I will highly recommend FLASH. But the key is to tell them what you like and do not like and if you do not know please listen to them. They will select a good trip for you. (as they did for us)
At last thank you again to the Flash Team who made my best hollidays of my life!
HU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Experience
It was a perfect 3-days safari tour with friends organized by Mazingira, which became one of the most amazing experience in our life.
Our guide Elisante picked us up at the hotel the next morning. We were so glad to have Eli as our guide. He is a true professional, knowledgeable, answering all our questions and very patient. Eli took care of everything we felt really comfortable and safe with him. The game drives were amazing with many many animals :)
Our Mazingira vehicle was a “pop-up roof” Toyota Land Cruiser, which was in a very good condition, well maintained, with built-in refrigerator.
Our accommodation and the food was perfect, everything according to our expectations.
Mazingira is an amazing company to book with and I highly recommend it!! 10/10
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable responsive company with great expertise, strong guides, per standards, competitively priced
We booked a luxury 6 day safari (first safari experience) in Tanzania for 2 persons, with Fur Tours & Trek, covering 4 parks Terengire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara.
Stayed over full board in 3 different Serena Lodges, well located in the parks.
Paid 100% upfront. Alternative is 25% downpayment, 75% in full in USD upon arrival. (Bank transfers do come with 3.5% bank commission.)
Very responsive upfront communications with owner Noel Mann, via WhatsApp to clarify offering and our wishes/requests.
Route and choice of lodges was optimized to minimize travel and fully benefit from the parks, with first park visited upon day of arrival (flight arrived 7 am) and last park visited on day of departure (flight departed 11pm).
Private safari jeep with same driver drove us through the different parks.
Jeep was a typical reliable reference customized Toyota Land Cruiser, with extendable roof, like 95% of the jeeps used by the other safari operators.
Great guide (Ashley):
-Great driver – The roads get often rough, steep, narrow, winding in the parks. It’s critical to feel safe and get safely to your destination
-Fluent in English and spontaneous, conversational guide - You spent full days together. It’s important to feel at ease and communicate freely
-Knowledgeable: performed studies in fauna & flora – Shared great insights and learnings on all animals and plants we crossed. Very educational.
-Sharp eye, well connected: Optimized the game hunt in function of tips captured on the internal radio. Knew were to find and spot animals. Saw animals we would otherwise just have driven by.
We saw all we were hoping to see and far more. Every day was spectacular.
-Dynamic and motivated: Passionate about his country and offering his guests the best experience possible. Offered early morning drives, with the awaking Serengeti at sun-rise. Learned us a ton about Tanzania and its inhabitants.
-Expertise & well connected: Previous park ranger experience. Knows the parks and the people inside-out. Managed to get us quickly and smoothly through the park entrances.
Value for money: This local company operates only with locals, is very responsive and dynamic.
There’s no middle-man commissions and heavy structure to finance, and they get good local deals with the lodges.
They’re hence able to offer very competitive pricing, sometimes more than 20% cheaper than other comparable offerings.
It was a true pleasure to travel with Fur Tours & Trek, and guide Ashley.
We’d warmly recommend them.
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highly recommended
Meru Slopes Safari Tours reached my expectations in terms of organization, quality of service and customers needs. All the staff was doing their best, the good was great too.
I highly recommended choosing the tour operator for your safari experience.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Came as a guest, left as a friend
Back from my first visit in Uganda, I would like to share my experience of my 8 day safari tour as a female solo traveller.
Travel consultant Catherine organized the tour according to my preferences and made sure everything runs smoothly. Any question or doubts I had were addressed promptly. My tour guide Ibaada was very polite and a responsible driver. He was there for airport pick-up and took care of the paperwork during the trip. He is calm and communicates fluently in English. I felt safe and comfortable in his company.
The Ganyana team put effort to ensure a positive experience and they were very responsive also during the trip on whatsapp. Especially in current times of pandemic, I was grateful to have chosen a reliable tour operator. Thank you Ganyana Safaris team!
