SA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The very best services ever
They are Very reliable and professional people.My entire booking process to Bwindi Impenetrable National park was seamless.I totally enjoyed the kind of treatment I was given and Iam craving to go back for more
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
great experience
We booked a trekking tour to mount meru for 4 days and a 5 day safari with greg adventures, and it all went perfectly. We got picked up at arusha airport in the middle of the night and had the opportunity to rest in villa poa before starting our trekking tour. We came in to a very friendly and family-like atmosphere.
We met judith with which we planned our trip via email from home, she explained us the stops for the next days and spontaneously took us for a sightseeing tour to arusha and to masai market where she helped us bargain for the best prices.
Our trekking to mount meru was spectacular, our guide was very competent and on the way down we even did some walking safari where we saw some elephants, flamingos, giraffes and buffalo. We had a private cook who spoiled us with fresh cooked meals, tea and popcorn.
A day after coming back to the home like villa poa, we started for a 5 day driving-safari (1 day tarangire, 1 day lake manyara, 2 days serengeti and 1 day ngorongoro), we slept for two nights in a tented camp and 3 nights in a nice big tent which we built up together with our guide. The guide knew every place in the parks and always had a joke up his hand. We saw all the animals, that you can hope for, including a lot of wild cats.
And we have to mention the safari-cook who did an amazing job.
We ended our experience with greg adventures with the transport to the airport. All in all, we really enjoyed our time, everything went smoothly and the price-performance-ratio was more then good. We can recommend planning your adventure in tanzania with greg adventures, special thanks to judith, loreto, freddy and abdu.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledgeable, attentive, professional and fun!
We had an incredible time on our 8 day safari through Tanzania and Kenya organised by the fabulous team at Mazingira.
Before we even got to Africa, we had extremely responsive and professional service from the amazing Johari, who was very helpful in organising our private safari to our every need, down to the last detail. She provided many options, gave great suggestions and responded to all my messages in an extremely timely manner.
When we arrived in Arusha, she met us at the hotel we were staying at the night prior to beginning our safari, to welcome us and brief us on what to expect. The next morning, we were then met by Lucas, our tour guide, and hopped in the car bright and early, heading to our first stop - Tarangire National Park. Throughout the safari, we also visited Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park and finally Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
I don't have enough positive words to talk about our experience with Mazingira. Lucas was the best tour guide! He was so knowledgeable, flexible, attentive and professional. He had an in-depth understanding of the wildlife and ecosystems, and was truly passionate about sharing his knowledge and promoting environmental conservation. This made our time on safari so much more interesting. His knowledge also allowed us to see all different types of animal behaviour. Lucas is also very charismatic and easy to get along with. We shared many laughs and deep conversations whilst on the road and sharing meals together. It was such a pleasure to get to know Lucas, and share long days with him.
The accommodation and food throughout the trip was to a very high standard. I am vegetarian, and this was very well catered for throughout the duration of our safari. The highlight was definitely Embalakai Authentic Camp in the heart of Serengeti. We watched baboons sitting in palm trees, giraffe and zebra roam the hills and even a cheetah run across the horizon, all from the deck of our tent. The night was filled with the sounds of hippos and hyenas calling and feeding. The food at the Camp was also phenomenal.
I am so glad that I organised our trip through a small, local tour agency, that is focused on the environment and sustainability. We can't thank Lucas and Johari enough for the once-in-a-lifetime experience we had on safari.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The place where my heart is ❤️
I visited South Africa for the 6th time and it will always be the place place for me to enjoy my holidays! I love the places I visited, the malls, shopping I did and most of all food and drinks
BR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very considerate, kind, respectful and willing to give us an amazing experience
We had the best experience ever with Mama Savana. Everything went beyond our expectations and all the times they were thoughtful to make it for us an unforgettable honeymoon. Alex was always helpful and our guide, Hassan, was very kind and wouldn’t save efforts to help us seeing all the animals and we were able to see all the big 5! He was also a very good driver, since it was raining a lot and he always knew what he was doing. This is a very important point, since when in a Safari you can be exposed to a lot of problems related with the car/the road, which are normal, but thankfully didn’t happen to us.
Furthermore, in another experience with a different guide, he said the clients who were coming from Mamasavana were always in a good mood, and we couldn’t agree more. We were really happy about all the experience we had. They even changed our itinerary last minute because they thought it would be more profitable for us, and we sure saw they were right!
Since it’s a very expensive experience and also very intense, it’s good to be with someone you can trust. We can say we enjoyed every minute of it with Mamasavana and it will be always in our memories! Highly recommended!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gorillas were an amazing experience! Would do it all again!
TRIP PLANNING & BOOKING
Our coordinator was great to work with and very responsive to our needs. We had a short fixed window to work within and wanted to do a lot, in which they were very accommodating. We received a highly customized experience, even accommodating last minute changes we introduced. In the end, we received a detailed itinerary was a plan for an exciting adventure.
TRIP DETAILS
It was 3 days in Uganda - river, chimps, tribe, and gorillas.
- Chimp Trekking Forest: Kalinzu Forest
- Gorilla Trekking Forest: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- Boat Ride: Kazinga channel
- Hotel 1: Buffalo Safari Lodge
- Hotel 2: Mutanda Lake Resort
- Tribe: Pygmies (Echuya Batwa)
Both hotels were great, but fell in love with Mutanda!
THE RIVER EXCURSION
We started with a boat ride, touring herds of hippos, buffalo, crocodiles, lizards, and birds among other river dwelling creatures. The guide was knowledgeable and friendly. While not the highlight of the entire experience, it was fun seeing giant reptiles and albino buffalo, as well as learning about ‘loser’ buffalo, removed from the herd.
CHIMP TRACKING
The hike through the forest may have been more exciting than the chimps themselves. We went during the winter when the chimps stay at the top of the trees for warmth, so we weren’t able to get close to the chimps, rather watch them walk along the tree traps and sleep. Highly recommend going during the summer when they come down to the ground for the cooler temperatures and you get better viewings.
GORILLA TRACKING
By far the highlight of the whole trip. We were able to see the gorilla family after 1.5 hours of walking, which is considered quick. We got up close to the gorillas and took lots of pictures. It felt shockingly safe, despite their huge size. Watching the baby gorilla play with grass and spin around was another little highlight.
THE GUIDE
Our guide was super friendly and very helpful. He was a source of information, and helped with things like exchanging money and covering when out of cash. A very joyful individual to be around. More than helpful and very flexible with our random requests. Thank you, Amanya!
TIPS FOR TRAVELERS
- Bring lots of cash and small bills for tips
- Bug spray
- High socks for ants that like to bite
- Prepare for rain, mud, and slippery ground
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Customized Birding Photo Safari
I scheduled a five-day birding photo safari with Nature's Wonderland to take advantage of a trip I was already taking to Kenya. Joseph built a custom itinerary to help me see as many birds as possible and coordinate around the rest of my Kenya itinerary. We built an aggressive schedule and he communicated with me regularly during my planning to make sure I had the right gear in my kit and that I didn't miss any of the planning steps for visa and other travel planning.
Joseph met me at the airport upon arrival (at 11 pm) and dropped me at my hotel for the night. I planned an extra day in Nairobi to allow me to adjust to the time difference (highly recommended) and Joseph took the opportunity to show me the Nairobi Nature Museum and brief me on the birds we would see on the trip. This proved extremely helpful (the museum has over 900 taxidermied specimens) as I was not very familiar with the birds of Kenya before my arrival - we would refer back to these specimens often.
Getting out onto the safari, I was very impressed with Joseph's knowledge of the birds and wildlife in Kenya - there was not a single question from me that he could not answer with great detail and extensive background on the subject. We visited several wildlife reserves at Lake Naivasha, Lake Baringo, and Lake Nakuru with excellent lodgings at each. I was expecting rustic lodges for this journey, but each place we stayed was a high quality accommodation that even my picky wife would have been happy to stay in.
Joseph also stopped at some of his "secret" birding locations, where we saw some hard to find birds - including some that exist in very few other places. All told, Joseph got me out into the field, seeing wildlife up close in great numbers (at one point, so many new birds that we could hardly keep up counting the new species). He also focused (no pun intended) on not just seeing the animal, but also making sure you could get in the right position to get the best possible photograph to capture a studio quality memory of the experience.
Overall, I was extremely happy with my work with Joseph from start to finish. Working with a naturalist who understands, not just the big game, but the birds and other wildlife as well, made this a truly memorable experience for me. Doing the birding safari, where I could hike the trails, hills, and savanna rather than only view from a Land Rover (which we did plenty of as well) was an added treat.
I should also add that Joseph's concern for my safety and security on this trip was even greater than my own - traveling with him was like getting to hang out with your older brother who knew everything and wanted to make sure you stayed safe while you followed him around. I consider Joseph one of my new great friends, and will definitely ask him to help me plan my next trip to Kenya when I hope to bring my wife along for the experience.
I could not recommend Nature's Wonderland Safaris highly enough for the outstanding service, superior knowledge, and excellent pricing compared to the big-name travel companies. My only regret is that I didn't schedule more time - each of the places we visited could have been a week's stay on their own, to fully explore the birds and big game there.
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
BEST CHOICE FOR ULTIMATE SAFARI!
We had a wonderful 6 days/5 nights trip with Zamunda from Arusha to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. We were picked up by our lovely guide Ally from our Arusha hotel and had a quick stop at the Zamunda office to finalize admin and get a briefing. Then we were off to Ngorongoro.
Ally was a fabulous guide - friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable about anything we wanted to know about nature and history throughout our trip.
We spotted so many lovely animals, including the rarer ones like cheetahs and rhinos. Well, Ally spotted them as he has that skill to spot really everything.
Everything worked according to plan and was thought through and we can highly recommend Ally as a guide and Zamunda is a tour operator!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The tour was quite okay. The connecting agent was equally good and ready to help
We were able to tour all places as planned. We got good tour guides and assistance was always readily available.
We however recommend that when booking for a family the air tickets should not be done separately especially when children are involved.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What an adventure!
We went on a 14 day safari to Uganda primarily to see the big apes. Through a friend who is a seasoned traveler around Africa, we contcted Mandela Safari Holidays. Right from their communication, we knew we had made a right choice. Our excursion involved rhino trekking, murchison falls, chimpanzee trekking, queen elizabeth, gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, and lake bunyonyi. The guide Joseph was very patient, friendly and informative. We want to thank Daniel ffor arranging us such an unforgettable tour.