AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Lodges, Great Driver, Unique Experience
As we had a really great time on our 6-day private safari (amboseli, nakuru, masai mara) organized by african starpal safaris, I want to give some information about how we experienced the whole thing.
The communication with Paul was good throughout the booking-process. He answered all questions and responded quickly, wich was very helpful as at first we were quite unsure about booking our safari with a small local company based on a few online reviews. But everything went very smooth and we have nothing to complain about.
The Lodges we stayed at were great and we felt that we always got one of the best rooms.
In addition to that, I guess we had one of the best drivers/guides with Tom.
He took really good care of us the whole time, spotted animals from far away with his blank eye (we saw the big5 including 2 leopards which is really rare and a lion hunt + kill among a lot of other wildlife) and had a lot of knowledge about the animals.
The only thing that could have been better is the car. We opted for the (cheaper) 4x4 safari-van (instand of a Landcruiser) which in fact was a Toyota 2WD which was quite old and looked like it has taken a lot of beating over the past years. But then again, it was a really tough car and in combination with Tom's driving skills (which were simply amazing) we managed to cross offroad paths which I never thought were possible with this car. Tom sayed he makes it a 4WD and he kind of wasn't wrong about it. Still we got stuck once and also had to stop a few times because of minor technical issues but it actually wasn't a big thing for us as Tom was always able to fix it within minutes or knew how to "unstuck" the car. We felt safe and it kind of added some additional adventure to the whole safari-experience ;).
So if you are looking for a local safari-agency, give african-starpal a try and make sure you ask for Tom as your driver. If you don't want the additional adventure and you are going to masai mara consider to get a landcruiser or maybe try beforehand to insist on a 4x4 van.
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They provided all the experiences we had hoped for
Our guide Moses was 11/10, absolutely amazing. We saw all the animals you could wish for and more, beautiful landscapes, were told plenty of interesting information and as an added bonus he had a great sense of humor. I would without doubt recommend this trip and company to everyone. It was a once in a lifetime experience and well worth it! I would however say that the different parks are much further apart than we had thought, so be prepared for a few 8+ hour transfers with little to no safari on some days. In hindsight I would definitely have opted for the mid-range package not the budget, the mid-range accommodation we saw was many levels above the budget. Happy safari-ing
QA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Simply outstanding, from booking, to the tour, to our final moments in Kenya!
Thanks to SafariBookings, we found Fede Tours. I knew nothing about booking Safaris and had only public reviews to help me make a decision as to whether we would use Fede or one of the others we had sourced quotations from. The reviews were overwhelmingly positive. In fact, with no negative reviews, I wondered if the reviews were real… so, a little digging, and reading other reviews Fede’s reviewers had written, inspired substantial confidence. That, coupled with my experience of the booking process, is all I needed to be confident we had made a good choice.
Martin’s quotation came in quickly and was competitively priced. While some companies provide long, templated quotations (often with photos and other distractions), the quote I received was concise, complete, and easily understandable.
I communicated with Martin via email. Morning. Noon. Night. Responses to my queries came quickly.
Upon arrival at the airport (at 1am on Saturday!), Martin picked us up in the LandCruiser Safari that we would use to head to the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli, and around Nairobi. He dropped us off at our Nairobi hotel where we would stay until Sunday morning.
The one thing I should have done in advance was establish a WhatsApp conversation with Martin in advance… our flight was slightly delayed and being in touch that way would have been easier to alert him. I sent him an email upon arrival and quickly got in touch via WhatsApp to confirm our arrival and we arranged to meet right at the car, steps away from the exit at arrivals.
We had scheduled a day in Nairobi after landing and were met at our Nairobi Hotel on Sunday morning by Martin, who would introduce us to Frederick, our driver and guide for the week…. And what a spectacular guide he was.
Without saying too much:
Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, and Amboseli: each offer their own flavor or magic. This was truly an amazing experience for me and my family.
Frederick was constantly attentive - to us, to the radio, and to spotting wildlife (all while keeping us safe while driving). His almost two decades of experience truly shine through and his enthusiasm for sharing the experience with his guests was truly special. We all appreciated his explanations, the history he was able to share and his vast and specific knowledge of the animals we encountered.
For example: As we encountered a lone male lion on day 1, he wondered where the other two lions he is usually spotted with were. We stayed a little while to watch his movements and Frederick was quickly able to recognize when the lion began calling for his buddies, so we waited… and, from afar, they came.
To have someone that has intimate knowledge of individual animals, family units, feeding and resting grounds, felt like a safari cheat-code. The kids felt like we had “won” Safari.
The same is true as we monitored a mating pair of lions, tracked a parade of over 30 elephants (and were set-up for a close encounter as they crossed), encountered a leopard that had just hunted (it’s prey was still in the tree), tracked a cheetah through the grass, and watched as a Black Rhino crossed in front of our vehicle.
Of course, the national parks and reserves are not zoos, so no one could ever guarantee a sighting, but my sense is that our guide had all of the characteristics of a guide that would maximize the probability of an excellent safari. I cannot say it enough, enthusiasm makes a difference. And, more than “checking off the big five”, our experience allowed us to learn about behaviors, inter- and intra- species dynamics, and the rich history of the parks… challenges and opportunities.
In the way of lodging, the camps and lodges Martin arranged for us were all quite comfortable. Food was good, rooms were clean, locations were convenient, and they were all accommodating to our family of 5.
My sense is that Fede Tours is a smaller company that relies on a great price and excellent personal service to keep customers coming. If this is true, they deliver on both… 100%.
I highly recommend Fede Tours, without reservation. I’ve already begun sharing their contacts with friends and family. I also cannot wait to get back… every day was different and exciting!
A big thank you from me and my family to Martin and Frederick for an amazing experience.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Leslie was funny, very knowledgeable, and has an incredible ability in finding the animals!
This is the second time we have used Tanzania Choice Safaris and highly recommend them! Brenda is so organized and readily available for any of your questions or concerns that may arise. The second time we went our trip was delayed 2 years due to COVID which was a real bummer. Brenda was always on top of what was needed from us to make it a seamless experience and kept abreast of the changing requirements for us. Our guide this time was Leslie who was fantastic! Our first time in Tanzania we were blessed to have Kakasii as our guide and we were so amazed with his innate ability to know where the animals were. We teased Leslie (who is a relative of Kakasii's that he had some big shoes to fill! He was fantastic and we saw some incredible animals that we never thought we would see like the Leopard. We saw SEVEN! The accommodations were outstanding as well as all the staff that worked there. We thoroughly enjoyed EVERYTHING we saw and the people we met. Many, that I still keep in touch with. I have been so touched by this beautiful country and the people. It was a life changing experience for me and one that I will never forget. I am so grateful to Tanzania Choice Safaris for an amazing adventure. Brenda, Kakasii, their children and all the guides are incredible to work with, organized, and experienced. I can't wait to go back again for a THIRD time to see everyone again!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Leslie was so knowledgeable, so kind and so supportive.
We had an amazing safari. It was the trip of a lifetime for my husband and me. Leslie seemed to instinctively know where to find animals and also stayed in touch with other drivers to find animals.
I have mobility issues. I was pretty amazed and appreciative of one of our accommodations that had ramps to every cottage! It was awesome. Everybody was so helpful. It made for a wonderful safari.
Thank you for your work in providing such a great experience for us.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very helpful. Helped our safari adventure to be great.
A great safari adventure from start to finish. Leslie was a great guide and so important to insure we had a great safari.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic
We did a 4 day safari covering Serengeti, Ngorogoro and Terengere National Parks starting from Seronera airport and ending in Kilimanjaro airport. We arrived without much preparation but our guide, Thomas, managed to sort out all our problems and make our trip a truly memorable experience. Thomas was incredibly patient, professional, knowledgeable, and kind. We saw the big 5 but there were so many special moments such as seeing big elephant families with babies close by. We stayed in a tented lodge and a small hotel with great food and friendly staff.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect at all!
All service you will request will be done immediately. All questions you will ask will be answered and more.
If you will have special service you will get as soon as possible. You're always safe; mainly you can trust the driver to 100% - seriously.
Prices are appropriate in all matters.
We're very grateful for all services.
Thanks a lot!
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Available and friendly
Everything was perfectly organized. Communication very easy on WhatsApp.
Local guide tactful, friendly and an excellent driver.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Affordable Safari
We had one of the best experience with affordable price, after explaining what we wanted and our budget, they planned our safari exactly the way we wanted. The safari went well and the office organization was great. They were ready to help whenever we had problem with park gates. We will surely recommend this company to family and friends.