CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Choosing Africa Adventure Vacations was the best decision I made for this trip of a lifetime!
Choosing Africa Adventure Vacations was the absolute best decision I made in planning this trip of a lifetime to Uganda!
I knew that the right company and guide would make or break this trip of a lifetime. It was important for me to have a local company who employed local people and planning our trip was so easy to do with the office staff - it was seamless. The accommodations were great each stop we made and the food was as so yummy. I travelled all over doing a Chimpanzee trek, Gorilla trek, walked in the Bigodi Swamp, had game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, including the Ishasha Sector and relaxed at Bunyonyi Lake.
I had countless authentic adventures which have created incredible memories I will keep for the rest of my life (along with 6,000+ photos!), and it is all because of our Guide, Najib who made it happen for me. By the end of spending 8 days in a safari truck traveling with Najib, we became a family and I now feel that I have made a friend for life. He did everything he could to make sure that I had the best experience possible.
Najib is incredibly kind. Not just with me but with everyone we talked to. Judging by the big smiles people had when he greeted him, tells me he is a man of solid character who makes friends everywhere he goes.
I had so many questions about the animals, trees, plants, and the local people with their local traditions, languages and cultures - I was always so impressed by Najib's knowledge! He is a wealth of information and I talked his ears off. There were several things I wish I knew before I got to Uganda, such as:
1. Purchase Ugandan shillings instead of US Dollars - As a Canadian, converting to US is expensive and most of the more rural locations in Uganda, although they will accept US dollars, find it difficult to get to an urban area to convert it to usable cash. Ugandan banks are SLOW, and it took us quite a bit of time, out of our already packed itinerary, to get our money converted to shillings.
2. Bring some candy for the children - Everywhere we went the kids would give us huge smiles and wave, yelling "How are you!" in greeting. Even when we are speeding past their homes in the Land Cruiser they would run and wave. When I had a chance to stop, I wish I had treats for them. Later I bought some pipis (lollipops) from a local store, but not until half way through our trip.
3. You don't need to pack as much as you think you do and someone is always helping to carry your bag! It is difficult to get laundry done in some places, so just wear things again and again -- nobody will notice!
I can't say enough about how truly grateful I am to Najib who is 100% the reason I had such an amazing experience in Uganda.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Everything we ever dreamed of experiencing on Safari
We had an amazing experience in Tanzania in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Our primary goal was to witness the great wildebeest herd migration, and we experienced that close up, but so much more. Everyday in Serengeti we saw lions, chetah, and leopards, plus other incredible sightings. Our driver with Best Days Safaris was knowledgeable, and worked long, hard hours to show us everything we hoped for on safari. Best Days Safari organized the entire trip and really did an excellent job of filling each day with adventure and choosing great accommodations. The Serengeti was so diverse with its landscapes and habitats. The highlight day began with watching hundreds of thousands of wildebeest migrate towards Kenya, and then after patiently watching the herd movement, experiencing tens of thousands of wildebeest stampede to the Mara River and cross to the other side while several crocodiles waited on banks in the river, but chose not to attack. We followed that experience with an up close viewing of several male and female lions in some beautiful grasslands. The camps where we stayed were all excellent and very hospitable. Every day in the bush is an opportunity to see something that you have never seen before and Tanzania did not disappoint. We began the trip with three-days in Zanzibar followed by our 5-days in Serengeti/Ngorongoro Crater. Tanzania has all the adventure anyone would desire.
SA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Family Safari
The people in Tanzania are so welcoming and the country still feels authentic. We visited several parks. Tarangire Was our first and was really an amazing start. Smaller, but we still saw lots of big game, including lion.
Lake Manyara was also a nice park, the accommodation around the lake was beautiful with wildlife roaming around the camp. Serengeti was truly breathtaking, so vast and so many animals. A fair number of safari trucks, but it only felt crowded a few times when we stopped for a cheater or lions.
It was cool some mornings and we noted it was cooler at altitude. But by 0900 each day it was always pleasant, not too hot either.
We also visited Zanzibar. Stone town is a great place to visit. A day or two is all you need here I’d say. We then hit the beaches which were beautiful. We were disappointed that plastic waste did wash up on the beach most days. The hotel were great about picking it up each day, but it did come in on the tides.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
BEST SAFARI CREW!
I cannot say enough about the group. There are a lot of review on safari bookings, but to the extent you read this one, this safari group is the best one out there. The driver took time to answer all our questions and take us to all the right spots. The contact person quickly responded to all our requests and took care of EVERYTHING for us, even traveling to and from places. The cook was great. Overall, I could not ask for a better experience.
NO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beautiful and diverse national parks
We visited five national parks, all very different from each other and beautiful in their own ways. Masai Mara is a must with most impressive and accessible large fauna. Lake Nakuru for rhinos and incredibly beautiful yellow acacia forest. Lake Amboseli for the perfect picture of wildlife under Mt. Kilimanjaro. Tsavo West for mountainous scenery and the water hole in front of the Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge. And finally Tsavo West, for the sheer feeling of true wild space.
It was cold in Kenya in August! The temperature dropped under 10 degrees centigrade some mornings. We ended the trip at Diani beach near Mombasa, where it was raining less or more hard three out of four days. According to the locals, it has been raining there in August the last three years, although long-time statistics depict August as a dry month. We absolutely enjoyed Diani beach anyway.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
Awesome experience. Lots of animals in a wild and safe environment.
MX
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
After weeks of finishing the tour, at night my dreams continue to take me to Kenya
After weeks of finishing the tour, at night my dreams continue to take me to Kenya. The culture, scenery and the safety with the safari company was a dream
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lovely culture, lovely people, lovely country!
July is winter in South Africa, but the days were absolutely beautiful, and the cooler nights were crisp and calming. We were only in Johannesburg and Pretoria, and I would love to go back to see the rest of South Africa! I cannot recommend Safari Bookings website enough - they had great communication and made sure we were connecting with the tour offices we had booked. I also cannot recommend MMilo Tours enough! We had a pleasant 2.5 hour ride to our destination with the best driver who went out of his way to find us a Starbucks so we could take home a mug! Our tour turned out to be so much more than we expected. Beautiful experience seeing all the wildlife with a most knowledgeable and helpful tour guide. Fantastic trip! I hope I get to visit South Africa again!
NO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Amboseli National Park by Tarik Cicic
I'm not a birder but this must be the birder's paradise. I must have identified 40 species in one day.
NO
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by Tarik Cicic
Nakuru is more a park than bush. Incredibly beautiful though.