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!
SG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazingly Wonderful Experience with a wonderful guide/driver
This is my first safari experience & it’s indeed an exhilarating experience. What made it even more memorable is the awesome guide and excellent driver, Peter who is an expert in navigating his vehicle and also has a good eye to help us look out for the animals.
The journey from Nairobi to Masaai Mara were smooth and pleasant. The safari experience was superb… being able to spot all the big 5s except the rhinos
AE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely very professional and service provided beyond expectations
Uganda perhaps is the most beautiful country in Africa and one of the most beautiful in the world.
Green, amazing nature, wild life, rivers and lakes make the country unique as well.
In Uganda are many things and many different activities that tourist can do but if you choose Prisha Tours you don’t need to worry because they will organize everything for you.
I must also emphasize the service, kindness and caring of the Director of the company Mr Shafic who was always there for me!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Nothern Frontier...
My Wife and I wanted to take a break from Nairobi... all we had was a sketchy plan to drive-up and explore the Northern frontier. So, we reached out to Muthoni of Thinkk.Travels to help us set this up and can I just say now that she is exceptional!
Muthoni meticulously put together 3 different itinerary options complete with route choices, game drives, park visits and recreational activities. First day saw us drive up to Marsabit town via Meru route. We got to visit the well conserved Marsabit National Park and the spectacular Lake Paradise. We stayed overnight at the Sand and Rock resort where you get good views of the Sun setting over the Marsabit hills.
The drive back down to Samburu was quite picturesque, especially the crossing of different climatic zones. From green, hilly, windy and rainy Marsabit through to the parched desert-like Laisamis and the semi-arid rocky outcrops of Merille... all the way to the Sarova Shaba lodge for a 2 night chill and relax stay... We had a bush breakfast, game drive at Samburu National Reserve all as part of the well organised package she had put together.
We then reluctantly drove back to Nairobi via the scenic Nanyuki route, well rested and rejuvenated. We will definately reach out to Thinkk.Travels for our next exploration drive! Asante sana!!!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They value their clients
On our tour to sipi falls, they made sure we enjoyment every bit of the tour at affordable price fulfilling all we agreed on
EC
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a wonderful experience!
We planned our safari tour with MoAfrika and we had a great experience. We went to Pilanesberg National Park and it was just perfect. The tour guide picked us up on time early in the morning and took us to the Park. Everything was well organized.
We did a full day tour and it was worth it. It was amazing to see all the animals, we had lunch, and a very nice ride back.
I would definitely do it again many time. This is suitable for adults and children. My 6 year old daughter was amazed!!