CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing South Africa
South Africa is a beautiful country filled with adventures, scenic beauties and a lot to discover!
We had a great time with Viva Safari, all the guides were excellent, food and lodging were also great!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beauty, fun and education, all in one
We spent 8 days in Tanzania (3 days in mainland and 5 days on the island of Zanzibar). It was phenomenal to say the least. We are from the US so the flight was pretty lengthy but well worth the cultural exposure, sights and amazing treatment from all of the locals (tour guides and others). Silly as it is, even the animals seem to welcome you into their country. I did a separate review for my Safari experience with Yona and Justine. The Safari was my favorite experience. Learning about the Maasai Tribe, the crops and spices, their artistry, the food was all so intriguing. Zanzibar was a beautiful island with beautiful turquoise water. I never thought East Africa was a popular tourist area but Tanzania is a hidden gem (at least to a lot of US Americans who mostly travel to South Africa). I am spreading the word. Tanzania was my absolute favorite vacation spot to date.
CA
Experience level: first safari
This was one of the worst travel and tour agencies I have ever dealt with.
My review is based SOLELY on the experience I had in booking my tour. The actual tour guides and other people in South Africa were amazing.
My mother had purchased the safari tour In 2019, but was unable to travel due to Covid. In July of 2022 she was advised that she needed to rebook her tour soon or she would lose her money. For personal health reasons, my mother was no longer able to make the trip, so we contacted GTD to make the transfer.
There was a lot of communication between GTD, my mother and I, and it took almost 2 full weeks before anything could be done. GTD would communicate with my mother, without cc’ing me on emails, and vice versa. She had been told to include both of us on all emails so we could ensure that we were all on the same page.
The biggest “bottleneck” was I needed to confirm that what I wanted to do and when I could do it would be available before we did the transfer. I was not going to confirm anything or assume a travel package without knowing if I could do what I wanted. I finally got an email apologizing for the delays with an explanation that there were protocols that needed to be followed.
A quick explanation at the beginning would have provided clarification and I would not have been compelled to follow up so often. And yet, GTD didn’t seem to understand that I wasn’t going to agree to take on my mother’s trip if I couldn’t confirm what I wanted to do
The transfer was finalized at the end of July.
When it came time to pay, I only had AMEX or through my bank. No one had mentioned this beforehand. I had paid off my visa to pay for this trip, and then had to wait until I got paid again, because I didn’t have the cash. Knowing this at the beginning of the conversation would have been helpful so I could have planned better. Not everyone has $3000 cash sitting in their bank account at a moment’s notice.
I chose the tour that I wanted – Johannesburg and Cape Town, and then chose the add-ons that I wanted to do.
I stated that I wanted to do the Cradle of Humankind in Cape Town and then the Lesedi Cultural Village. GTD emailed me back to say that the Cradle of Mankind is in the Safari region and I would need an additional day to do it. I asked if I could cancel one of my safari days while I am in Johannesburg doing the safaris, and she said it was not an option. She said that it was too far away. I was a bit confused and upset because I didn’t understand why I was being presented with an option that wasn’t viable. I was willing to give up one of my safari days to do this but was told it couldn’t happen. And yet, when I was there, I was told that it was closed to public because of flooding - so what was it? Too far? flooding?
On August 11 we discussed the add-ons again, and I heard nothing back from GTD until October 5th when I emailed her (a third time) and cc’d the general email address as well. GTD called me and apologised sating that she had Covid and the hurricane had caused delays. Then she said that she had sent my add on request to someone else and that they hadn’t done it, and that it was now coming back to her to do, and she was overwhelmed with everything. I indicated that I recognize that there are problems everywhere, but a response of any kind would have been appreciated. The hurricane and her having covid did not happen in August or September. And quite frankly, I was getting extremely fed up with the delays and excuses.
On Oct 13 we talked about two other add ons (endangered species and District 6 Bo Kapp) and the shuttle and hotel I would need to pay for as I was arriving early. On Oct 14 I paid for everything that we had talked about … or so I thought.
On October 18 I emailed GTD saying that now that EVERYTHING is paid for, could you please send me a detailed itinerary. She replied back that she was happy everything was in order, and my detailed itinerary would only be available about 30 days prior to my trip.
On October 20 I received an email from GTD with the information and price for the District 6 excursion. I emailed her back indicating that I was confused … we had confirmed on Oct 14 that EVERYTHING was paid for, and all I needed was my detailed itinerary. She said no, she would have discussed this with me before she got me to pay. I replied that we had had this discussion, and I had confirmed everything on October 14. She called me on the phone and I explained it to her again, and I sent her the email again showing her where I said EVERYING and it was in bold. She apologized and said she misunderstood. At this point my frustration level in dealing with GTD was at it’s peak. I was done. I told her to forget it, I’m done, I’m not booking any more trips. And that was the end of it.
On December 1, I received my itinerary and was reviewing it and all of the other information. I was VERY surprised to read that I would need to tip about $10-14 USD a day per guide / ranger. It would have been nice for me to be told this at the beginning when I was speaking with Marie. Not a deal breaker, but advance information would be appreciated.
I have travelled extensively in the last 30 years, and I must admit, I have never had a more challenging time booking a trip as I have had with GTD.
1. The lack of understanding / clarification
2. Missing out on two excursions that I really wanted to do (Cradle of Humankind – I still don’t understand why this was presented as an option and then removed, and then District 6, because she misunderstood)
3. The delays between emails, and no follow up from her end – I was always the one following up to make sure everything was completed
4. Not providing valuable information at the beginning – i.e how to pay for the trip (no VISA option)
5. Not providing valuable information during the booking – i.e extra things that I will be paying for $10-$14 USD a day = $14-$19 CDN for me at 10 days, that’s an extra $200 roughly.
The above information was provided to GTD prior to my departure (I have updated it with some current info) in November. I was told I would receive a response as soon as possible. I got nothing - absolutely nothing. I even followed up two other occasions. On the third occasion I "threatened" to leave a negative review if I didn't' receive a response by Jan 26.
I got an email from Deon Barnard at Corporate. His response? Oh sorry? I've explain to her what she should have done, and that Canadian files are complicated. She should have gone to her supervisor. I don't think she realized how frustrated you were.
His response was a slap in the face, and I emailed him back, itemizing in detail the inconsistencies in his email. I have yet to hear anything back from him, and I highly doubt I will.
The trip itself was fabulous - South Africa is a gorgeous country - the big 5 are enthralling and the people are wonderful. But do yourself a favour and book with a different travel agency. Save yourself the heartache of missing out of things you wanted to see because of lack of communication, mis reading emails and flat out ignoring you.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
the tour operator is very accommodating and is always available to answer any questions you may have
Outstanding 5 Day Comfort Safari! We stayed in comfortable lodges with very friendly, attentive staff & super delicious food!
Our guide was Lordlugard, a super friendly guy who stayed with us throughout the tour. He is very experienced & has a huge knowledge about the animals, nature, history or culture of the country!
The safari was incredibly beautiful! Seeing all the animals in their natural environment and the different vegetations were amazing.
We highly recommend a trip with African Big Cats Safari! Ask for Lordlugard as your guide and you won't regret it!
SE
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Reliable and helpful
My six day trip to the Lower Omo Valley was very interesting and well organized. A good guide (Danny), a comfortable car and nice lodges/hotels made the trip most enjoyable.
Danny's knowledge about culture and nature was great. He also knew the names of all the birds we saw which I appreciated.
Since I was a solo guest we also had a flexible schedule. From time to time we also met friendly Haile who travelled with another group.
Since all costs were included I did not have to think about paying local guides etc. But they all appreciate a small tip.
I can highly recommend Finot Tour.
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best travel agency super professional with excellent guide
We were a group of 5 ladies, and we were a bit hesitant to book a safari with a foreign company, however booking with Yaneta safaris was a great decision.
They responded quickly, even during the night. They answered all of our questions tirelessly, explained everything, helped plan and provided the itinerary in advance.
The adventure itself was perfect and every single thing we aimed to experience was delivered. Yaneta safaris took a great care of us and our guide samuel was one of the best guides ever worked with. He was extremely helpful, curteous, knowledgeable, kind and made our wishes come true.
This adventure is definitely worth your time and money, Yaneta safaris is a proper company that is client-oriented and the tour guide was on the top of the game.we highly recommend anyone wishing to visit Uganda to contact them
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari Tour Company in Kenya: Wild Portraits Safari will make this moment unforgettable!
Had the experience of a lifetime thanks to Wild Portraits Safaris! Their passionate guide took us on a wonderful 7-day safari in Masai Mara/Navaisha/Amboseli parks (could have stay longer!). From the start, the communication was smooth and quick, they discussed with us our wishes and improved the plan using their expertise by explaining us how to optimized the traveling time and hotels to enjoy most of our time doing game drives. All our hotels were strategically proposed to get quicker in the parks for sunrise game drives (the bests!) and stay longer until sunset. They are passionated about wildlife and will provide you great insights on animals, nature, culture all along the journey with a fantastic storytelling. They look up for the best spots & sceneries while always respecting animals and their own space, and ensure you don’t rush from one animal to another (unlike most others companies) but rather spend quality time to experience animals in their own habitat (hunting, playing time, mothering). Wild Portraits Safari only selects guides with a passion for photography that would bring with them their own professional camera to capture any moments and share pictures afterwards with you, definitely a major plus and great value for money!! We highly recommend this fantastic human and nature experience thanks to friendly, relaxed, reliable, insightful staff. You can really feel like you are enjoying the experience with your guide, contributing to making the safari from great to exceptional!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very friendly and informative
When we had the safaris we weren't rushed, the communication was good and the guide was very kind.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All arrangements went ahead on time, staff were friendly and reliable.
Our tour consisted of travelling from
Zanzibar to the safari and back, and consisted of a river safari and full day vehicle safari.
Mr Martin and Mr Musa were excellent, they tried very hard to spot as much wildlife for us as possible. Martin was always happy to share his knowledge on the animals and answer questions, and Musa was willing to drive pretty much anywhere to get us the best views, no matter how much reversing and tough terrain he had to navigate.
A couple of slight frustrations were that due to a miscommunication with the other safari hosts, we ended up wasting quite a lot of time trying to meet up for the lunch break. Also if I were to book again, I’d choose the option to fly both ways (rather than Ferry and taxi there and flight back). It took around 8 hours from Zanzibar to the safari lodge on the way there, but the flight back was only around 30 mins! Not sure why they would organise it that way.
Overall, based on the service of our guides, I’d happily recommend this tour operator.
Extremely responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful with all aspects of our trip.
Sister Safaris was awesome at helping my wife and I plan our trip to Cape Town and to Kuname Lodge. SJ made everything so easy and smooth to work with. We live in America so we had a time difference, but SJ was still very responsive and helpful the entire time. If we ever go back we will definitely be using Sister Safaris again