NL
We saw and enjoyed more than we could imagine beforehand
We (4 older Dutch people) searched the internet carefully for an organization that we could confidently estimate would make us a good offer for a 13-day safari in Kenya and Tanzania: (Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Amboseli and Tsavo West). We have had previous contact with three.
Silas from Apodiformes Adventures made us an attractive and relatively affordable offer. It could also be adjusted to our wishes. Communication via WhatsApp was extremely fast. Silas arranges and decides immediately. There was only some discussion about payment, but we also resolved that. We saw much more than we could have imagined beforehand. Many times the big 5 and beautiful other animals and birds in very different landscapes. The guides/drivers were very knowledgeable and correct. Nelson became our favorite, what a passion that man has. The spacious jeeps were good, a bit old in Tanzania, but good enough.
We thought the lodges we stayed in were fantastic.
In short, we enjoyed it immensely.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Well organised
We had a 2 days fantastic safari with Vision safari & tours visiting Tarangire national park and Ngorongoro crater.
Everything was absolutely amazing from the day we start our safari to the last day ! Our guide Kelvin was the best part of this safari tour as he explained to us a lot of things we saw during the safari.
We were able to spot different animals including the black rhino in Ngorongoro crater, lions, wildebeest, giraffes, buffaloes, hippos in their swamp at ngorongoro, lions and many other animals. Kelvin knew exactly where we can go and see animals, he is the best guide you could ask for your trip when you want to visit Tanzania! He made this trip unforgettable to us!
The accommodations we stayed were so nice and clean with great services too, the meals, drinks also were prepared well.
Highly recommended vision safari & tours for your safari trip to Tanzania!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Axis Africa were so accommodating and ensured our trip was well organised.
We had an amazing trip to Kenya thanks to Axis Africa and our fantastic guide Jack. From start to finish Jack was extremely accommodating and ensured we got to see and do everything we wanted. Although we were tight for time, Jack advised us on the best way to fit in everything we wanted, and was adaptable when needed to be. We were very happy with the accommodation provided. It was clean and comfortable. The food provided was also very good, and we were given packed lunches every day as well as breakfast and dinner. On the tour, Jack was hugely knowledgable about everything and ensured we saw as much as possible on the safari. Overall, the tour was fantastic value for money as it really was a once in a lifetime experience. I couldn’t recommend Jack and Axis Africa more highly.
BJ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I miss Rwanda, Incredible Experience
This was an incredible trip that I would recommend to anyone interested in Visiting Rwanda, our trip included Gorilla Trekking and Bisoke Hike, Safaris at Akagera with sunsets boat cruise. Our Guide Justin was outstanding he knows wildlife and Rwanda Culture, always patient and smiles, we were taken while exploring Rwanda. Cheers team
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely friendly and helpful
We had the most incredible experience with Issac at Estleon Adventures! From the moment I booked my safari to the day I returned home, they exceeded all my expectations.
The accommodations were nothing short of luxurious, with comfortable lodges that allowed us to immerse ourselves in the heart of the African wilderness while still enjoying modern comforts. The food was outstanding, showcasing delicious local cuisine, and the staff's hospitality was unmatched.
The highlight, of course, was the safari itself. Issac went above and beyond to ensure we had the best possible sightings of Africa's iconic animals (including the Big 5!!)
I can't recommend Estleon Adventures enough. If you're looking for a life-changing safari experience this is the company to choose. My safari with them was a dream come true, and I can't wait to book another with them in the future!
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
My tour had a great mix of activities and brought me to some of the most beautiful places in Rwanda. My guide, Abu was knowledgeable, super friendly and was able to accommodate all my specific requests even at short notice - This made my tour feel special and customized to my liking.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very professional
Everything was perfectly organized , from the airport pick up to the last day, not even a minor problem.
Great driver ( only car without a problem in 7 days) with a lot of expertise and knowledge if animals and nature, very clean and nice tented camp ( mid range) .
Hily recommended!
Special thanks to Monica Marani for the wonderful assistance!
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The complete Africa experience
We (me and a friend) booked a 10 day tour with Bushman going past all the highlights of the country with Joseph our personal driver. The program was well thought off - a good variety between safaris and other activities, despite the fact we love animals spending more than 2 days in a row driving through savannah landscape becomes boring - Bushman knows this and therefore makes sure that the program is diverse. We saw the big 5 and leopards in all national parks. We had an encounter with 50 chimpansees and saw a gorilla family with 3 babys. Bushman knows who to contact to give you the best experience. Furthermore the accommodation was amazing, the driving was safe and sound and Joseph became our companion - perfect experience! Extra point was the service: we were picked up from the airport the day before our tour actually started and they were flexible in dropping us off on any location we wanted.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unacceptable.
We have recently returned from your classic wonders of Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar safari, our honeymoon. We in fact left for home before the end of the booking due to the poor quality of the holiday. Up to this point we have reframed from leaving any reviews about Classic Journeys on your website or on any other platform as I feel it only fair to give you an opportunity to explain why the service was so poor first.
We originally had to delay our safari due to covid (no fault of yours). However, once we had changed the dates to ensure we would be able to go, your communication was terrible, waiting days for confirmation of payment and to get questions answered.
We were informed in an email that as we arrived in Nairobi our transfer to our hotel would be waiting for us at the airport with a sign with our name on it. This was the not the case and our driver was not there. I was unable to reach the driver on the number given to me for him via email. Thankfully a local taxi driver offered to use his phone to call and when we did get though our driver was in bed. We spoke to the office of the company as well and they said that they would get a driver to us in an hour, meaning we would have been left stranded at the airport for over two hours. This is extremely poor service! Our first impression of your company and the start of our holiday ruined, and our first time in Kenya an already stressful situation made extensively worse by Classic Journeys’ awful organisation.
Eventually we arrived at Longview Suites hotel. The hotel was not up to standard in the slightest and did not look like the photo on your website. Our room was metres from a building site (which was the view from our window) and the shower did not work. We were also only provided breakfast in our package on the day of arrival bearing in mind we stayed there for 24 hours and needed four meals during this time. We therefore had to pay more for this. We paid nearly 7000 euro for this holiday and it had become outrageously disappointing at this stage. I appreciate that building work and so on needs to happen but you as a company need to be aware of where you are sending people to stay and change locations accordingly as this was not acceptable. I can send photos as proof of this.
Day one in the bush, again let down. After a long drive we arranged with out guide to go on a nature walk once we had settled in. We arrived at the meeting point but our guide did not, Classic Journeys making a habit of not showing up to where they should be. Nearly half an hour after the time agreed, our guide arrived, and then told us there was no point going for a walk because of the weather even though other walks were going out. This information could have been sent to us and saved us the trouble of getting ready to go out. At this point plans for the next day were sorted as we had become increasingly stressed about meeting drivers at agreed times (note that we had to ask the timings of the next day instead of being told in advance). This as well was very difficult to sort despite being face to face. Again, not good enough and let down.
After one game drive in Kenya with a very mediocre guide who often gave us the wrong information (this information was confirmed incorrect by our second driver), we moved onto Tanzania. Once we arrived at the border, we needed to obtain visas. The link you sent us to obtain visas before arrival did not work and no guidance on this was given. When we were applying for our visas, we were told we had to pay a fee in cash which we didn’t have (again causing more unwanted stress). We were not informed at any point that we needed to take a lot of cash to cover the time away. Cash was needed for almost everything as well as tipping every member of staff we encountered (we were not prepared for this). We were told credit cards were excessively used and they were not and that included some of the camps we were staying on.
After crossing the border and changing cars we settled in for the long drive. We were aware it was a long drive and we needed to get to our lodge for the night, however on a holiday that as previously stated cost nearly 7000 euro, the last place I thought I would be eating lunch was in a petrol station. Completely unacceptable.
When we completed the safari part of our trip. We were given tickets for our flight to Zanzibar only to find that Hannah’s ticket still had her maiden name and did not match her passport. We made it clear that this was our honeymoon a name change cannot have come as a surprise. Furthermore, you confirmed receipt of Hannah’s updated passport information on the 16th of March 2023 which gave plenty of time to change the tickets, however this never occurred. This again caused undue stress on a holiday that should have been simple and stress free.
As we arrived in Zanzibar, Classic Journeys doing their usual and not being at the airport to pick us up. Two transfers and two transfers not there. When we eventually did meet our driver, the Classic Journeys office felt the need to message me and explain how it wasn’t their fault and that the plane had arrived early which it did by a few minutes. However, this is irrelevant and it is up to you and your drivers to be tracking the flight to ensure this does not happen. If the flight was cancelled would the driver be aware of it or would he wait outside the airport for hours on end? This is yet again unacceptable and poor service. Ensuring you are at the airport on time for a transfer is one of the most basic tasks and yet Classic Journeys repeatedly failed at it.
Uroa Bay hotel. We were sold a relaxing few days on ivory sands and clear waters in a lovely hotel. What we received was an extremely bad day (only one day as we were far to annoyed at this point and we flew home early) on a filthy beach in a hotel where everything was at an extra charge including water a basic human necessity. You as a company need to go to the hotels where you send people to stay and ensure that what you are advertising matches what you are delivering as this did not. The photo of the Zanzibar beach on your web site is clearly not at Uroa Bay. Nowhere in your emails or website did it say we would have to pay extra tax on arrival to the hotel, this was not listed in the ‘not included’ section. Photos again can be sent as proof. I cannot believe how this hotel was selected for this holiday an unacceptable choice. Also, on the so-called ‘private’ beach which had a security guard, locals approached to try to sell us drugs. That is not the kind of thing I expect on a holiday resort that has cost me so much. We felt that after the safari part of the holiday, Classic Journeys no longer were responsible and we were left at a bad hotel to fend for ourselves – this is different to the expectation of a relaxing few days in a luxury hotel.
This information on your website and that which was sent to us was not good enough and in some cases just plain incorrect. A standard day on safari as described by your company was, ‘up before dawn for coffee and a drive before returning for breakfast and then to take part in other activities. All this before another game drive in the afternoon evening time.’ This was not the case, early mornings but not in time for sunrise, leave the lodge do not return till around 1600 with no time to take part in other activities. What you are advertising is not what we received.
The itinerary that was sent to us was the only information we received before the trip and this was before we even booked it (which was two years ago due to postponing). There were no updates to the itinerary to fit to the actual timetable of the week and we were not even sent any information to prepare for our trip, for example, a kit list would have been useful. This, bearing in mind, being our first time to Africa and not knowing what to expect. When we asked via email what was needed for the trip, Classic Journeys replied with ‘just luggage’. I’m sure we are not the only customers you have that haven’t been to Africa before either.
This was our honeymoon, it cost us nearly 7000 euros for your package, excluding flights.
Communication was poor.
We were left at the airport twice.
Stayed in a hotel with a not working shower and was practically on a building site.
Were left waiting for our guide only to be told our walk would not go ahead.
Were treated to a lunch in a petrol station.
Were provided tickets for a flight with an incorrect name.
Stayed in an awful hotel that was not anything like the description or photos you sent.
Paid taxes we were not informed of and that were not listed in the excluded cost list.
Were offered drugs in our resort by locals.This is awful on your part and something needs to be done. The price you charge for the standard to deliver is unacceptable.
Thankfully the one time your driver showed up on time was to get us to the air port so we could leave the horrendous holiday earlier than planned.
Also apon return to the UK I have repeatedly tried to contact you about these issues through email, WhatsApp and phone call only to have all of them ignored.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Puntual, quick in respond, resposible
We booked a safari blue exprience and loved how smooth it went! Good car with air conditioning for transfer, attentive and friendly guides, tasty lunch. Reliable and recommended