50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trip Ended Up a Massive Success Despite Covid Delaying It Nearly 3 Years
"After some initial issues around Covid rules the CEO, Colin made contact with us and very kindly allowed us to change our trip , as it turned out a number of times, due to the changing world that we were living in at the time. When we eventually went on our trip to Amakhala in March 2022 (nearly 3 years after our initial booking) the trip was a massive success. We stayed in Leeuwenbosch and loved it. All the staff and our guide were exceptional. Although the weather could have been kinder we saw everything that we wanted and our guide ,Ouboet could not have done any more and was always so cheerful and helpful. I would definitely recommend East Cape Tours and Cearl in particular who was incredibly understanding and patient with our regular changes (Thanks Cearl). It was also really nice to meet Colin in PE and chat properly.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Truly Exceptional
We booked with Rose early 2019 for our October 2020 holiday. Obviously Covid-19 happened and Rose kept in close contact the whole time. Every month we discussed the situation and every month we decided to proceed with travel for this year but with looking at perhaps having to postpone at the last minute. I am so happy to say we made it and have just got back from a truly amazing experience. If you are in doubt of whether or not you should travel at the moment, I would say definitely go. There are specialist Insurance Companies that will cover you to travel against Government advice and we felt safer travelling through Africa than at our local supermarket. Given that you more or less have the place to yourselves, why would you not. Go on, get out there……………
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
he is awesome. Much knowledge and fun being with him
It is pretty good experience especially our tour operator Anbros(I don't know the spell). He has much knowledge about everything of safari. If I come to safari again, I will definitely ask him to do the tour operator
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent and professional services
Best tour guide,well organized services, good vehicles and best in time keeping.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Two Amazing and Remarkable Safari Trips to East Africa with Africa Safari Classics!
I am nearly a year late in writing this review, but VERY Happy to do so! 2020 has been a very rough year for the safari travel business in Africa, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, international flights to Kenya have recently resumed and I hope my comments and observations here can help to generate renewed interest among potential safari-goers, as the industry slowly begins to recover.
We made our first safari adventure to Kenya back in November 2016, and booked our trip through Maurice Nzwii with Africa Safari Classics. We chose one of their 9-day itineraries ("Wildlife in Style"), which took us through 5 national parks and game reserves. It was an outstanding adventure, and we came home to Oregon (USA) determined to make a return trip as soon as possible. We came across some amazing airfares to Africa in the summer of 2019 (less than $650 RT from Seattle to Nairobi), and we booked our 2nd trip with Africa Safari Classics for November of last year. Once again, Maurice came through for us in remarkable ways, and gave us the single BEST travel adventure of our lives (followed closely by our first trip to Kenya in 2016)!
In planning a second trip to East Africa, we knew that we wanted to see more and stay longer. So, we extended this trip to two full weeks, and expanded our travels into Tanzania as well as spending our final three days relaxing at two beach resorts in Watamu (just north of Mombasa). We made a point of revisiting two of the parks we particularly enjoyed on our 2016 trip (Maasai Mara and Amboseli), both of which are true gems in the Kenyan National Park and Game Reserve system! We spent four days venturing in to Tanzania to visit the Serengeti National Park as well as the Ngorngoro Crater. We also made a point of visiting a couple new parks in SE Kenya (a private wildlife sanctuary in the Taita Hills and Tsavo East NP) as we made our way to the beach region along the shores of the Indian Ocean.
I cannot state this emphatically enough, but EVERY SINGLE aspect of this itinerary for our 2nd trip with ASC met or exceeded our expectations! First, I cannot find the words to convey how pleasant and satisfying it is to work with MAURICE NZWII from ASC in arranging all of our trip details. Travel costs in Africa had increased significantly between 2016 and 2019. Initial cost estimates for our two-week itinerary (excluding airfare) were nearly $6000 per person -- approaching double what we paid in 2016. However, after just a few rounds of email communications with Maurice, he was able to generate a revised and COMPLETELY satisfying alternative travel plan that was $1500 less, much more in line with what we were hoping for. Maurice is unlike ANY other travel agent I have ever worked with, and he is truly in a class of his own! He is totally dedicated to customer satisfaction, and he consistently communicates in a very friendly and timely fashion! He joined us for dinner on our first full day in Nairobi and he even met us at the Kenyatta Int'l Airport as we transferred for our return flight to Seattle. Maurice checks in with your driver EVERY DAY of your trip, just to ensure that everything is going well. You know you are in VERY GOOD HANDS when you set up a safari adventure through Maurice Nzwii! I cannot recommend him highly enough!
Let me say more about our driver as well, Boniface (a.k.a. Boni). We spent our entire 9-day trip in 2016 with Boni as our driver, and we had such a good time with him that we requested him once again for our return trip in 2019. And we got him! Boni has been a safari guide for 20 years, and he seems to know all the parks and game reserves like the back of his hand. He has remarkable vision and is able to spot all kinds of animals and sightings that the untrained eye would likely completely miss. Like his boss, Maurice, Boni is also completely dedicated to showing safari-goer's a great time! He will give you as much time as you wish to take photos or videos, or just to linger and enjoy what you are seeing. He also has a wonderful sense of humor, and every day brought multiple rounds of hearty laughter! We were SO Happy to travel with Boni once again and feel like we have become great friends! (It is worth noting that drivers cannot cross national borders, so our time in Tanzania was with another pleasant driver, Abdul. But Boni met us at the border once again for the remainder of our trip in SE Kenya.) We have become Facebook friends with both Boni and Maurice, and we continue to communicate with both of them that way, which is loads of fun!
I know this is getting to be a lengthy review, but let me also point out that we were completely satisfied with ALL the lodging accommodations that Maurice booked for us ranging from very nice hotels, to exotic tented safari camps, as well as relaxing beach resorts. They were all very nice facilities and we really enjoyed the variety! The service was consistently outstanding, the food was very tasty and satisfying (with no stomach issues at all across the entire two weeks). When Maurice brought down our travel costs by 25% from his initial estimates, we thought that might translate to staying at less appealing facilities, but that was not the case at all. We were not disappointed in the least with ANY of the 8 places we stayed at! Again, Maurice takes very good care of you!
Some final closing thoughts here. Our two trips to East Africa have been life-changing experiences for us, and have filled our hearts and minds with a treasure trove of wonderful memories! Both trips brought us to many different regions, covering large swaths of geography, and allowing us to see an impressive diversity of locales, landscapes, and local norms. It was interesting to note some of the differences between Kenya and Tanzania, something that only comes with international travel to new lands. We took both of our trips with Africa Safari Classics in the month of November, which we have found to be a very pleasant time of the year to travel. It is almost like a spring-time vacation during the light rains season, with all kinds of new greenery emerging, new water holes for the animals to enjoy, and the opportunity to see many newborn animals as well (oh, baby warthogs are SO cute!). It is outside the peak season, so there are far fewer safari-goer's. There were much heavier rains during our 2019 trip (and for the next few months in the region, we understand), but this did not create any inconveniences for us. It only added to the adventure, as we did have to contend with some low-level flooding in some regions. But Boni handled this like a real pro!! Boni did talk with us about his perceptions of the impacts from climate change in the region. Over the past 20 years, he reports seeing fewer trees from hotter, drier summers and a gradual decline in the numbers of animals as well. Our entire planet is being impacted by these changes, and it is not clear how many more years these kinds of travel adventures will even be feasible. If a safari is something you have ever dreamed of doing, we strongly encourage you to give this idea your utmost consideration!
We want to offer our full, heartfelt support to Maurice and his company, Africa Safari Classics, as they begin to bounce back from the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the safari travel industry. So many people in developing countries depend on the business generated by international travelers for their basic livelihood. You would not only be giving yourself a huge gift (and a possible adventure of a lifetime), but you would also be doing immeasurable good for the people of Kenya and Tanzania by taking the step of traveling to that part of the world! We cannot recommend this idea, and this company, highly enough!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Land Africa is truly the bees knees!
Tim at Land Africa is so easy to communicate with, he not only listens well to what his guests want to experience, he delivers with great and even pleasurably surprising results. Tim's sense of creating "family" with his guests leads to confidence in his abilities to put together the perfect trip. Not only were the guides superb in their intuitive care, they were knowledgeable about every facet of Tanzania; the culture, wild life, history, geology, anthropology, humanity, traditional arts and foods and everything of interest in which the country holds. It's amazing how much they know! Learning and Discovery was ultimate.
The vehicles were very clean and comfortable and we felt safe and secure as the skilled drivers navigated in the wilderness or crossing streams. The accommodations were beyond clean and comfortable and each location was just perfect...as they say, "location, location, location" and they had that in spades. Lodge and camp staff were so kind, attentive and extremely professional giving a personal touch to our every need or whim. I'm going back as soon as I can! Great job "brother Tim".
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exzellent and simply perfect!
We requested several quotes from different operators and ended up with Ambolele tours because the were simply the best for us. Communication, flexibility, price and the whole team were amazing
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very responsive and professional service
We used Ganyana safaris for a last minute trip to Jinja. The tour operator Juma has been very quick, responsive and professional in making our trip possible. Their vans are comfortable and well-serviced and well-priced. The company provides all types of adventures across Uganda. We sure will use their service and utilize their other packages again! Thank you Juma!
PT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Safari with Serengeti wakanda tours
A few months before the safari I started emailing Bartho and he never got tired of answering my many questions. He's an amazing guy who works to fulfill the customers experience. He even gave us the flexibility of adding more days to the safari which we did.
About the safari itself we had a truly magical experience. Ernest was one of the best tour guides we ever had. He was always willing to go the extra mile for us to see special animals in special locations and always asked us if we were ok with something. Dula was an amazing tour chef. We were expecting some sandwiches and some simple food but chef Dula put the bar very high in terms of quality. We had every day a 3 course menu for each meal and what amazing meals those were. Specially Dula's bread. Best bread we ever had. And all great local dishes and freshest ingredients.
Although we didn't get to see the big 5 we saw some very special scenes, leopard, and even a live cheetah hunting scene thanks to Ernest skill as a guide.
Even with a flat tire, Ernest and Dula kept it cool and managed the situation well.
In one of the last days Ernest asked us if we wanted to change our stop in Lake Natron and all because the lake wouldn't be as cool as we pictured, and to be honest I think it was a great call by Ernest because we managed to sleep an extra night in a lodge (which was very much needed) and we didn't get disappointed.
In the end of the Safari, Bartho made sure to meet me to get my feedback and the ins and outs of our safari.
This safari is so very well organized.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 17 day private Bush & Beach tour - Kenya & Tanzania
We recently returned from a 17 day bush and beach tour organized by James Oketch from Twinkle Star Tours, and we had an AMAZING trip!
After searching around and not really knowing where to begin, we decided to book this trip through Twinkle Star Tours as James was very responsive to our questions right from the beginning. We started planning this trip during the end of 2019, and as 2020 - and COVID - arrived our plans were, of course, up in the air with Kenya being closed to visitors. James was in touch with us the entire time and was willing to allow us to change the trip to 2021 with no fees, but when Kenya opened up we decided to go this year.
Our trip began with our arrival in Nairobi, we then spent time in Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Zanzibar, and Amboseli before returning to Nairobi.
Due to COVID, our trip details had to be changed a number of times. Many of the places were were scheduled to stay in were still not open, so James had to rebook our lodgings. He was always very communicative in this and in most cases we were actually upgraded to nicer lodgings! We also had to move our trip to Zanzibar to the middle of the trip instead of the end due to Tanzania not allowing flights from Kenya, and James handled all of this rebooking for us as well. Having him handle all of these changes was so relieving.
James met us at our hotel on our first morning and confirmed all of our trip details. We had three guides on our trip - one in Kenya (Peter), one in Tanzania (Hozza), and one while in Zanzibar (Abdullah). All of our guides were GREAT. I cannot say enough about how friendly, trustworthy, knowledgeable, and accommodating they all were. On safari you spend a lot of time in the car with your guide, and there wasn't a moment that we didn't feel safe or taken care of with our guides. Peter and Hozza were able to find all of the animals that we wanted to see - including the big five - and taught us so much about the animals, the land, and their beautiful countries. And Abdullah was very helpful and informative while we toured Zanzibar. James set us up with several tours while in Zanzibar, so we were able to go to Stone Town, tour a spice farm, and swim with dolphins!
I have read on here about the road conditions and driving, and I wanted to say first that you will be on some bumpy roads, but that is all part of the fun! The parks all have a maximum speed limit but those roads are not paved (for the animal's sake) so you should prepare yourself for a bit of bouncing around while you explore. We opted for the Land Cruiser instead of the minivan, and I believe that not only are they more comfortable, but they are able to get to some parts of the park that the vans would not have been able to reach. Also, as to the speed on roadways between parks - many of the company vehicles in Kenya have a speed limiter, so they absolutely cannot go more than 80kph or else the power cuts out.
The only stressful part of our trip was crossing the Kenya/Tanzania border at the land crossings two times. This had nothing to do with our tour and only had to do with the bureaucracy that is involved in crossing a border. That being said, our guides helped us navigate these crossings, including all of the extra precautions necessary due to COVID, and made the transition way smoother than had we been left to figure it out ourselves.
During our trip, we were scheduled to fly from Arusha to Zanzibar. At the last moment (after Hozza got us to the airport) we found out that the flight was moved to Kilimanjaro airport, about an hour away. Though this was frustrating news from the airline, it was great to have our guide with us to explain what was going on and to pack our suitcases back into the Land Cruiser and bring us to the correct airport.
At the end of our trip, our flight back to JFK left Nairobi late at night, so James actually set us up with a (comped) hotel in Nairobi for a couple of hours so that we could shower and change before flying home. He also met us at the hotel and brought his family along to introduce us.
Throughout the entire trip, our guides let us know that James had called to check on how it was going and to ensure that all was proceeding smoothly. James always answered my emails promptly, even when the time difference meant that he was replying after midnight his time.
I have no problem recommending James Oketch and Twinkle Star Tours, along with all of our guides, and would give him more than a 5 star rating if I could. This was a life-changing trip and was made better knowing that we had this company there to assist us with anything that could arise.