CL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic first experience at Kruger Park
Ben is an excellent professional, friendly, enthusiastic, knowledgable and flexible.
He replied all questions on emails on time.
He arranged great accommodations at Satara Camp, which is laid back non pretentious and comfy, and to end my trip, at Kruger Shalati Train, which is Fantastic and luxury style
Ben was THE BEST TOUR GUIDE possible surpassing all my expectations. He has a wide knowledge of South Africa history, wild life and birds. He has excellent ears and eyes to spot all the animals, and I was really lucky to see many of them on my first time in Kruger thanks to him.
Also he arranged to take me to Blyde River Canyon for great views and pictures, with flexibility, which is very much appreciated.
This trip of 4 days in Kruger Park and the Canyon has been a total dream and beyond perfection thanks to Ben.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
best experience ever!!
choosing lion riders was the best decision we’ve ever made! we went on a few safaris with Johnson and he was hands down the best driver. i’ve never seen so many animals in one day! Johnson was super knowledgeable about everything and i’ll definitely be choosing lion riders again next time :)
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic
It was a very nice experience. Good price and good quality (transfers, hotel, game drives, all included and all was incredible!)
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable
All is organised and taken care of by Topy Tours, so customers can just relax and enjoy the rides
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Best tour operator you never see
That experience was incredible. Jackson know all about the animals of Serenguetti and me and my friends learn and enjoy so much
EE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent 3 day Safari trip to Nyerere National Park
We were looking for a safari in Nyerere Park from October 21st to 23rd, and only this company was the only one that reacted quickly and offered a suitable tour. We agreed on a free transfer to and from the airport. After this we had paid for the first part online, and for the second part we paid in cash in dollars to the driver.
We were quietly taken to the airport, where we left our luggage (which we did not take on Safari) with the agent and at 6 a.m. we flew to the mainland.
Upon arrival, we were met and taken to the camp. There we were accommodated in a separate house, the room was spacious. We were well fed, there were breakfasts, lunches and dinners included in the tour. At our free time from excursions, we swam in the pool and sunbathed. But we didn't have an electricity all the time, it was served according to schedule, which means that there was no Internet at that time.
On the first day we had an excursion to the village, where we saw the lifestyle of the locals, and visited a walnut factory. It was interesting and unusual.
In the evening we had a boat Safari, where we sailed along the Rufiji River and we were told about the local nature. We saw a lot of hippos, several crocodiles and many surprising birds. We met the sunset on the one of the islands, it was very romantic!
On the second day, we woke up very early, had a breakfast and went on Safari for the whole day. This time we were lucky and my wife and I were alone in a jeep. We rode around the park all day, so we were a little tired in the evening. Also at 1p.m we had a lunch at the camp, where we ate near a huge baobab. (By the way, there were also several big baobabs on the territory of our camp).
We saw several elephants, a lot of giraffes, zebras and antelopes, several buffaloes. A lot of warts and monkeys. There were a huge number of hippos and crocodiles in the river, they were so many of them and we drove right to shore. Unfortunately, we didn't see the lions that day, they were hiding somewhere far away. And in October there is a dry season, many animals migrated to the other side of the river to less arid places.
I liked everything very much, we came back tired, but happy.
On the third day we had a very interesting walking tour with a bushman in the surrounding area. There he also let me try to smoke an elephant poop, it was unusual, but I didn't feel anything nasty.
After this tour, we had a time to rest and sunbathe and at 3 p.m. we were taken from the camp back to the runway, where we were waiting for our plane. After that, we came back to Zanzibar, where we stopped by to get our luggage and went to the hotel. Everything went pretty clear and well, I can't say anything bad.
In general, I recommend this company!
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
excellent always listening
best guide, smiling, polite very attentive to people
I felt safe by your side
thank you very much peter
I recommend Peter with your eyes closed
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Safari!
Guides: Kevin and Raymond were terrific. They both have a wonderful and frequently uncanny knack for locating and finding significant animal sightings. They were diligent, friendly, professional, responsive to questions and concerns and they looked after us beautifully. Furthermore, they both went out of their way to make sure that we had an A+++ experience. Raymond was our driver for most of the Safari and he clearly has a gift for sensing when the major animals are going to be out in the park and where to find them. For instance, we got a spectacularly close up and rare view of two black Rhino's in Lake Nakuru because of his virtuosic tracking and driving skills. Kevin was so agreeable, particularly on our last morning in Amboseli, to take one final game drive and try and catch a sight of Mount Kilimanjaro which had decided to come out from behind the clouds that morning. Morris was splendidly supportive too!
Transportation: We visited four parks, Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli. The first van we were in had clearly been run into the ground by its driver. The seats were uncomfortable and the suspension was shot. I was worried that this was going to be our transport for the whole Safari. However, when we reached Masai Mara, we traded that van for a better vehicle and the difference was night and day. We spent the rest of the Safari in much more comfort. It's important to have a vehicle with good suspension when traversing some of the bumpier roads and some of the driving distances are quite far - comfortable seats are very important.
Hotels: The first hotel JAMBO MARA SAFARI LODGE was quite beautiful, the grounds were gorgeously landscaped and the room was comfortable, clean, fresh and modern looking. The staff were all lovely - particularly the dining room staff who were superb. I wish I could say the same about the food. It was, alas, no where near as good as the rest of the hotel. I think it would be worth their investing in an upgrade. I didn't go on a Safari for the food but this was truly poor. This is a shame given how attractive and well looked after everything else was in the hotel. Even the lunch was terrible. The WATERBUCK HOTEL was one of the better places to stay in Lake Nakuru but I did have to pay a little bit more to upgrade to a more comfortable room with a window and a little more space. It is definitely a venue that has seen better days but overall it was fine for the one night. The unexpected and wonderful surprise was the food which was just superb. I had some of the best food I have eaten in Kenya at the WATERBUCK, both at dinner and breakfast. It was beautifully prepared and nicely presented and very authentic. As with my entire stay in Kenya, the people working at the hotel were amazing. My last hotel, AA AMBOSELI LODGE, was somewhere between the two hotels. My rooms was basically a spacious, clean and comfortable tent with a more permanent attachment on one end for the bathroom. Food was good and the grounds were lovely although bizarrely, the most important sight in the camp, Mount Kilimanjaro, is largely obscured from almost every location. Eventually I found a little seating area by the main meeting room with an uncluttered view. (The grumpy and inexplicably annoyed receptionist was very unhelpful in this area - literally the only unpleasant employee I met on my entire two week trip to Kenya.)
I have rated the Safari highly because I think I got truly incrediblea value for my money. I paid for a midrange Safari and joined a group tour which kept the price affordable. This covered 6 days and five nights, all drives, all transportation, all accommodation and all meals. I saw all of the big five along with many other wonderful animal sightings. I experienced the trip of a lifetime, enjoyed the company of the people I met on the Safari who were lovely, had a 100% good experience with the staff. I am filled now with memories that will last a lifetime and am completely in love with Kenya as a country. It was the perfect balance the week I spent in Nairobi working before the Safari. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
A couple of notes if you are planning a safari: Amboseli is worth visiting for the elephants and the possible sightings of Mount Kilimanjaro. The mountain however does not always come out to play, and as with most volcanoes of this scale, is not always visible. We were very lucky however and Kevin was very accommodating in ensuring that I was able to get some good sightings early in the morning and in the evening. It is worth nothing however that the park has recently been ravaged by drought. Although there are still many elephants there, a quarter of them have died and most of the wildebeest have also died. This is due to climate change. I would go to the park again in a heartbeat but you should be prepared. Lake Nakuru was a long drive and one of the great pleasures of the park is seeing the millions of flamingos. Unfortunately, most of them had migrated by the time we got there and although Raymond salvaged the trip with a rare black rhino sighting, the rest of the park didn't have much to offer and it was a long drive to get there. Lake Nakuru was lovely and we took an excellent boat ride and had a close encounter with a family of hippos which was wonderful but I'm not sure it was with the time it took to get there. (It should also be noted that both lakes are heavily polluted and experiencing significant environmental damage as a result.) Unless you are able to see the flamingos - which are amazing, I would skip it.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
We went on an 8 day, 7 night safari in South Africa with Wandering Thru with stays spread out across two lodges. We stayed at Simbambili Lodge and Thornybush Lodges in the greater Kruger area. This was our first time going to Africa, and on a safari and it was the trip of a lifetime! Everything was amazing.
**We made sure that the lodges we booked weren't in fully enclosed reserves that are fully fenced on all sides entrapping the animals so they aren't exactly "wild" by definition as a result.
**We also made sure that the reserves we stayed at didn't allow hunting as we deeply care for the wellbeing and conservation of the beautiful wildlife.
We flew locally with AirLink from Johannesburg after spending the night at the Intercontinental at the airport to rest from our long international flight in. We found it to be very comfortable, safe and convenient. Road transfers between the two lodges were also very comfortable and safe.
Food was delicious everywhere, we drank the water and had no stomach issues, animal sightings were unreal! Surrounded by a herd of elephants, saw big 5, saw leopards almost everyday, lots neat birds, etc! The hospitality was incredibly warm, kind and caring. We felt at home and with family and friends everywhere we went. We didn't get any mosquito/tick bites but did take malaria as a precaution.
Would recommend to anyone looking to do a safari for a first time or not! We will return.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve by Sonia
Incredible sightings everyday, beautiful landscapes, saw big five, up and close with the animals on every drive!
Part of the greater kruger area and not fully enclosed reserve, with antipoaching efforts underway making it a great choice for folks interested in conservation and the protection of these beautiful animals!