US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Experience
I would definitely rate this company very well. I had a lot of concerns and questions about both booking over the internet and traveling to Tanzania. Alym responded promptly to all of them, and we could customize our package as needed. The trip itself went off without a problem and or guide was knowledgeable and helpful. I would not hesitate to book with Alym and his company again.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing safari adventure!
I really would recommend Lion King Adventures to everyone is looking for a great safari!
I had the honour to have Mr. James Mlanga our guide! This guy is great, kind, funny and always happy to reply the million questions we asked him during our time around Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro crater!!
He kept us informed about the wildlife and the surrounding areas, which was my Trip target .
His knowledges of the National Parks, animal behavior and cultures living there are great and high professional as well; he made our experience special and unforgettable! A
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience
We are a couple from Italy and we did a 5d/4n safari with Gosheni in Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro in August and everything was great. Our communication with the sales manager Pendo was very clear from the beginning, she made us an offer but was open to our suggestions and answered to all our doubts. The payment has been very smooth: a safe bank transfer deposit before leaving and the final payment with the credit card.
Once in Arusha we met the owner Peter who answered to our final doubts. Also at the very last moment we found 3 people joining us in order to have more fun and save some money. As promised Peter gave us back the difference for a 5 people Safari.
Erasto, our guide, was very friendly and informative. We had a lot of fun with him and we also learnt a lot about the animals, the parks and about Tanzania. I can say we found a true friend!
We saw tons of wildlife: lions (hunting!!), elephants, giraffs, leopards (9!!!!), cheetas, hyenas, hyppos, zebras, gazelles... and many more.
The car is very good: spaceful with a full openable roof, new tires, camera/phone charger, fridge full of water. Food is good and the tends for the public campings are confortable enough.
We also stayed 2 nights in Serengeti Acacia Camp. The rooms are big tends with a luxury bed and bathroom. The atmosphere ot the tentet camp is gorgeous and the restaurant excellent.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly Recommend Makasa and Mr. Rogaute!
1st time safari couple booked a private, honeymoon trip to Tanzania & Zanzibar with Makasa. We visited Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti.
Booking process: Quite easy. Safari Bookings reviews were very helpful. The Makasa team was responsive and provided honest feedback. I did a bit of research beforehand and had an idea of what I wanted.
Payment process: Wired payment and got confirmation of receipt. No issues. There wasn’t much contact with Makasa afterwards, which made me a bit nervous, but we didn’t run into any issues
Arrival/Depature: There was a driver in Tanzania and Zanzibar to pick us up. Had no issue with pick-up or departure.
Driver: Our driver in Tanzania was Mr. Rogaute. He is a freelance driver (not sure how many Makasa trips) but was wonderful, 5-stars. To be clear, he’s not the super-always-upbeat type of person. Some people want, expect, or need a driver to entertain them. Not me. I’m more of an introvert and the wife is an extrovert. It worked out perfectly for us. He wasn’t always bouncing off the walls with energy that would have aggravated me after one day. But the wife is friendly enough to keep conversations going.
During points on our trip, we had some relatively open conversations about cultures and politics. Very, very pleased with Mr. Rogaute. He is a knowledgeable safari guide with nearly 15 years of experience and knew where to find the Big 5. In addition, he’s one heck of a driver who went above and beyond to ensure his clients were happy.
Tanzania Hotels:
Kaliwa Lodge: Off the beaten path a bit. There wasn’t an easy way to leave the hotel area to go to Moshi but we didn’t spend much time here. It was an ok hotel run by Germans with quite an extensive whiskey selection. Food was ok but they ran out of some items during dinner buffet.
Maramboi Tented Camp: Probably my favorite Tanzanian accomodation. I’d describe it as a luxury, tented camp. All inclusive, very kind people, decent food, great pool overlooking Lake Manyara, and we heard many animals outside our tent overnight.
Kati Kati: Located inside Serengeti. I was a bit apprehensive about this place. I’d describe it as an upscale, tented camp. For a honeymoon, I was hoping for more but this place won me over with the customer service and friendly people. Food was good and plentiful but be aware that there is no place to charge your phones in your own tent (must be done at the dining tent) and someone must fetch you water to shower (late showers were frowned upon since wildlife is around).
Endoro Lodge: A nice lodge that has an indoor fireplace (yes, we did take advantage of this). We didn’t need to worry about wild animals on the hotel grounds at this location so that was refreshing after staying in the Serengeti. Enjoyed our stay but internet in the dining area was a bit suspect. I also didn’t like that safari drivers weren’t allowed to eat with their clients. This was the only accommodation that had this policy in Tanzania that we stayed at.
Next Paradise (Zanzibar): Boutique hotel on the northeastern side of the island. Stuart (manager/owner) was very friendly. The food was delicious and focused on freshly caught seafood from nearby markets. The dinner menu is posted at 3pm daily. You can either get half board or full board included within price of hotel stay. Rooms very nice and the relaxation of the hotel was a nice contrast to the long days in the jeep while on safari.
There are ‘beach boys’ in the area trying to sell stuff but the hotel employs Masai men to keep them off hotel property. There is also a tennis court and table tennis available.
The airport is about 1 hour away; northern beaches 30 mins. We took 3 side trips during our stay; 2 booked at the hotel. Stone Town/Spice Tour and then a taxi to the northern beaches were both booked at Next Paradise. I feel it’s a bit pricey but we got our own taxi who picked us up and waited for us until we were ready to come back. We felt safe so it was worth the money – although we didn’t try to do any price comparisons. We also booked a Blue Safari through Makasa that sailed to nearby islands which included beach time, snorkeling, fruits, water, lobster lunch, and our own personal boat & guide.
Next Paradise is a nice hotel that I’d recommend if you want to relax and enjoy some very good seafood.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari!!
We stay 7days and 6 nights safari!arusha, tarangire, manyara, 2 days serengeti and ngorongoro!incredible days we saw all kind of animals thanks to our great guide Masá who explained us a lot of things and thanks to our brilliant cook Abraham who did us really good food to have the energy to look for all animals!very nice people!
Finally thanks to robert too for the treatment and i tell everyone that this company is serious and good!i really recomend it!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Canoeing Safari Africa seen as it should be !
Have just spent a magical 4 days on the Zambezi river, traveling from Chirundu to Mana Pools. The guides were professional and really new their stuff ! Having lived in Zimbabwe for most of my life it was great to see just how passionate they were about the whole surroundings, as well as making sure we were safe and enjoying the privilege of being in the bush. Evenings were spent with delicious meal and a bottle of wine .... Our guide Takemore pointed out all the constellations, whilst we sucked in the view of the millions of stars, and the night sounds of the wild.
We saw plenty of game on the river and had great photo opportunities.
I would recommend this trip to anyone.
Our only bad moment was the unscrupulous and corrupt members of the Zimbabwe police, demanding bribes from the driver carrying us to and from our destinations. ( Cst. Maseke and Cst. Chauke from Kariba )
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our experience with African Comfort Zone Safaris was fantastic
Right from the beginning the experience was positive. John was extremely helpful in helping to coordinate our visit and provided clear instructions for payment. He was very attentive in the lead up to the trip and was always prompt to respond to questions.
Everyone on the tour was fond of our guide, Martin, who was very personable and kind. He made the experience fun for everyone in the group and was keen to help wherever he could. He also had a remarkable ability to spot animals and point them out driving closer to allow us the optimal view.
We were extremely happy with our safari experience. We came away seeing far more than we could have hoped to see.
I would thoroughly recommend this tour.
We had the most amazing holiday with you...
...and cannot thank you enough for organising an exceptional itinerary - it was marvellous and everything we could have hoped for.
We will be writing to Michael, our fabulous guide, to thank him personally. He was an exceptional guide, great company, very knowledgeable and we are in no doubt that his experience and lovely manner contributed enormously to our family having such a brilliant holiday. He even managed to get us to the airport in spite of 2 punctures and a further flat tyre necessitating a dash to a garage on a motorbike to get an urgent repair!! What a star *;). We have memories we shall treasure forever. We didn't want to come home and are all missing lovely Tanzania enormously.
35-50 years of age
Excellent safari company beyond expectations
My husband and I just finished our 3days Masai Mara Tour running from September 1-4, 2016 which for sure exceeded our expectations. Not only was the safari outstanding, mainly due to the professionalism of our tour guide, but the people were so warm and friendly that each day after the safari we felt as if we had come home to be with our long lost friends. The accommodation was comfortable and left nothing to be desired, yet in a setting that made us feel close to the unspoiled natural habitat of the animals that were around us. We want to do it again and probably will in the nearest future. African Sermon Safaris, our tour operator is quite professional and will definitely recommend the company to our friends.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Customized Nairobi tour
I had little time in Nairobi and wanted to see both the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Center. PAAS organized for me transportation from my hostel and entrance in both places, with a nice and very helpful guide, at a good price !