65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well organized, great staff and lovely trip
A lovely trip from Chirundu to Mana Pools. The staff and service was excellent and the camps were comfortable.
US
Absolutely Awesome tour operator.
Everything about MoAfrika Tours was great! They are professional and deserve every star they receive. I had a wonderful experience, and will cherish the memories for years to come. Many of the things I read about in books virtually came to life before my very eyes. I enjoyed two tours, and of everything Soweto has a place in my heart.
Thank you Mr. Kuthso, for sharing your knowledge. You are an excellent tour guide. Many blessings.
I would definitely recommend this company.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The BEST guides and professional company, exceeded expectations
We planned our Safari with Bright African Safaris in 2019, and had to reschedule several times due to Covid. With each change, Bright African Safaris was flexible and were able to maintain our original agenda. We FINALLY did our our “trip of a lifetime” in August 2022. We started in Nairobi, where we were met at the airport. We then went to Lake Nakuru, the Maasai Mara, Northern and Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tangire National Park, and Amboselli NP. A total of 13 days. Our guides, Ronny in Kenya (4 days) , and Hamis in Tanzania (8 days) , were so professional and extremely knowledgeable about all the animals we saw, as well as the flora and culture of all the areas we visited. We saw dozens of lions, cheatas, elephants, zebras, ostriches, wildebeest, impalas, gazelles, giraffes, warthogs, buffaloes, and even a very rare sighting of a southern white rhino mother and baby! Also a huge variety of birds, which was unexpected. Some of our sightings were so close we could almost touch them if we weren’t in the protection of our Safari vehicle. A highlight was Hamis finding two wildebeest herds crossing the Mara River. It was so exciting to see them jumping, swimming and struggling to reach the Kenya side of the river. Hamis knew just where to go and how to position ourselves to witness this amazing spectacle. Our guides were expert at spotting animals, and then educating us on the biology, ecology, history and characteristics of each animal. We learned so much that we hadn’t expected. We also visited a Masai Village, which was so interesting. We were so warmly greeted and educated on this important tribe. Our lodging was excellent and somewhat unique- a bucket shower in the Serengeti was actually pretty fun! Some of the lodges were top notch, and all of the staff were so accommodating. We can’t say enough about how important the guide is to a fulfilling Safari experience, and ours were just simply the very best. We felt like “friends “ by the end of the trip, and were sad to say goodbye. We highly recommend using Bright African Safaris for your Safari. We hope another Safari with them is in our future.
the most amazing experience
communication was always swift and the service from beginning to end was brilliant and well organized. basic accommodation but clean and comfortable and all you need . excellent value for money . brilliant and knowledgeable guides. Tasty food.
would recommend 100%
UM
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Smooth safari planning by Standard Safaris
I was meant to travel to Uganda in 2020, just after covid-19 deadly lockdown but postponed till 2022. I got in touch with Standard Safaris for a safari booking and Coleb was always quick to respond and help out. The responses were accurate and I was delighted to be offered a great package to Bwindi NP, Kibale and Queen Elizabeth NP which was an affordable offer. I was picked at the airport and transferred to my hotel for my safari. I had an awesome experience.
Thank you guys.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great value for your money !
We booked a 7 days Kilimandjaro climb (via the Machame route) followed by a 3 days safari in the Serengeti and Ngorogoro parks via Adventure Makers Tanzania in late July/early August. Overall we are really quite satisfied with the services provided and would highly recommend Stephen's company Adventure Makers Tanzania.
In order to assist future travellers, I've provided a comprehensive list of pros and cons below.
Pros :
- Great customer service : Stephen really goes above and beyond and does his darnest best to ensure that your stay is goes as smoothly as possible. When I mentioned to him that I had a stiff neck after having slept in a tent for 6 nights in a row whilst climbing up the Kilimandjaro and that I wasn't looking forward to spending another two nights in a tent during our safari, he made a few calls and got us 1 night in a lodge (at no extra cost!).
- Great value for your money : As we were travelling on a budget, we asked for quotes from at least 4 different companies and Adventure Makers was the cheapest one. Some of the higher-end ones were significantly more expensive (over 1500 euros more) and others within the same range were only slightly more.
- Fantastic staff : Our mountain guide and assistant guide were very competent and our safari driver/guide (Philip) was amazing ! Philip got us off the beaten paths and away from the crowds where we got to spend some 1:1 time with all of the major animals there were to see (aside from the rhinos but apparently they are notoriously hard to spot).
- Exceptional food : This was especially true of the food served during our climb up the Kilimandjaro. We were served three full courses each evening ! And plenty more for breakfast and lunch.
Cons :
- Stephen was not necessarily the most reactive in the weeks leading up to our trip. We realized later that this was largely due to the fact that we were writing to him on WhatsApp/by email. Since he spends most of his day driving (he does the client transfers to/from the airport himself plus some of the safaris), your best bet is to call him directly if you have got something urgent you want to discuss with him.
- You will be asked to pay for the safari either by international wire transfer ahead of time or in cash in person on your first day. As we were a bit weary at the idea of sending such a big sum of money to a foreign bank account without yet knowing who was behind it and weren't particularly keen at the idea of carrying 5000+ USD in cash, we asked if it was possible to pay by card instead. Stephen agreed to this but warned us that there was going to be a 6% surcharge. We later learnt that this is actually standard practice for all tour operators but it still represented an extra 200 USD. In fact, in hindsight, knowing what I know about Stephen, I would recommend you just wire the entire amount ahead of time. It will save you a lot of time and money and we can personally vouch for the trustworthiness of his business.
- While the staff was great, some of the equipment we were provided for the Kilimandjaro climb was a bit lacking. The sleeping bag that my boyfriend was provided had a few holes in it which meant that he had to sleep in the same position all night in order to make sure that the cold didn't creep in. Otherwise, you should be warned that Adventure Makers Tanzania doesn't provide a mess tent or a toilet tent which most of the higher-end tour operators usually provide. We really didn't mind though because each camp has pit latrines and our sleeping tent was big enough for us to eat in sitting down.
- The hotel we stayed in at Arusha at the beginning and the end of the trip was clean but one major inconvenience was that there was no restaurant on site which meant we had to get take-out. Moreover, even though there was hot water in the showers and a decent wifi connection, you had to actually ask for them to switch these amenities on which could take a while. We once had to wait over 2 hours for a hot shower ! It should be noted that Stephen knows about this and is considering changing hotels for future travellers.
In the end, all of these cons were relatively minor and it should be stressed that we really enjoyed our time in Tanzania. I definitely think that Adventure Makers is the right fit for you if, like us, you are travelling on a budget and are looking to get the most out of your money without skimping on any of the important things. A big thank you to Stephen for his incredible support !
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Able to accommodate us short term
We had a great experience with this operator. We arrived in Arusha on a Sunday night and met with Geoffrey. By the Tuesday we had started our 6 day Machame trek. All four of us summited with the brilliant guides Vincent and Emmanuel.
We were very happy with the price and experience we had. Emmanuel and Geoffrey are very good tour operators.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised Safari trip from Zanzibar
We were staying in Nungwi, Zanzibar and wanted a Safari which would start and end at our hotel. Though we asked around for various fee quotes, we ended up with uwanda tours. They offered us great service, picking us up by taxi to the Ferry and another taxi from the Ferry to Selous. We had a flight back to Zanzibar and a taxi brought us back to our hotel. The company is very responsive over whatsapp, when we ran into any issues througout our stay. As we had a late flight back 4 pm, we opted to alter our last day to another game drive. All in all had a great experience!
MY
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable!
I really appreciate that Malagasya had worked out a good itinerary, and most importantly had assigned a great driver (Mr. Jocelyn) for me.
I had a unforgettable tour, and looking forward to return to Madagascar to explore other part of it. This country is filled with tonnes of hidden gems.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Giltedge delivered on its promise of a tailormade, luxury safari experience!
After three years of planning and postponing, we were finally able to check "African safari" off our bucket list in July--and was it ever worth it! Tamera Laine worked with us every step of the way, through all our changes and indecision, even meeting with us on a weekend when we needed reassurance. If you are looking for an inexpensive trip to South Africa, do not look into Giltedge, but if you're looking for comfort, excellent service from the camp staff, knowledgeable guides, and attention to detail, Giltedge can't be beat. We wanted to see as much wildlife as possible, be fairly secluded from others, and have "en suite" bathrooms--and Giltedge delivered! Our tents were quite comfortable with king-sized beds, desks, WiFi (sometimes spotty), and hot water, but very cold at night during the winter season! To take care of that, there were three blankets on our bed and a hot water bottle under the covers, and on early morning safaris we were given heavy, warm ponchos to wear. We had no worries about eating or drinking anything we were served--food was excellent (often served buffet style) and water and alcohol were readily available. We really enjoyed the coffee breaks on our morning safaris, and the sundowners with those gorgeous sunsets in the afternoons. The way the guides could find the animals just by sight or by following their tracks in the sand was just amazing. Among other things, we saw hippos, a den of hyenas, a mama and baby giraffe, wild dogs, an ostrich, a pride of lions stalking a herd of Cape buffalo, and elephants that were so close to us in our blind, that we could have reached out and touched their huge feet. We have so many great pictures and memories... Thank you, Giltedge, for our once-in-a-lifetime experience in Zimbabwe and Botswana!
