50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Climbed Kilimanjaro with Paul and his team, a very successful climb, excellent service and care.
Paul and his team are fantastic, Kilimanjaro is a demanding and challenging climb and his team make enjoyable and achievable. The care and attention we received from the team was unbelievable. For a largish group of 11 we had 9 personal guides for the summit, these guys provided support and encouragement all the way to the top!
NO
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great price compared to a lot of other companies
I was very impressed by everything because of the fairly low price we had to pay. The communication beforehand was quick and easy by email, and they were very flexible with dates and everything. And all went smooth on the trip itself. We got to see so many animals, and our driver Arony really prioritized to make us satisfied. He had great communcation with the rest of the people in the park, and managed to find a lot of the big animals. He also had great knowledge, and told us everything we wanted to know. And I really liked the tented camp, it was budget, but very charming. We had a great time, no complaints really
NO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good sightseeing, bad food
The safari itself was pretty good. We got to see almost all the animals, and camping was very nice. We were given all necessary equipment.
The food on the other hand, was not what we expected. People in our group had various diets/allergies, and these needs were not met. The chef had heard nothing about our requirements although all of us had informed staff about this when we booked the safari. Since he didn't know about allergies and diets, he had not bought the groceries suitable for our diets. It was also difficult to communicate properly with the chef because of the language barrier. He did find a way to cook food that everyone could eat, but it wasn't optimal.
RS
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience, the devil lies in the details
We took a three days safari in Tsavo East and Amboseli National parks, starting from Diani Beach. Seeing the wildlife in their natural habitat is really great experience which could have been even better if we took care of some details.
During these three days, we spent approx. 24 hours in the van, either traveling from one place to the other or within the national parks. It is very important to rent a good car, with good suspension and air conditioning. The air conditioning is not going to help much in the national parks, since the roof is open for watching the wildlife, but it is essential on the way back from Amboseli to Diani Beach (11hours in the car). Make sure the car is in good shape since we had two car problems which required us to leave the vehicle (in the national park) and stay on the road in the middle of the day. The people were very friendly and helpful. Our guide/driver was doing his best to fix the problem, even colleagues from other agencies stopped and helped. But we could have been much better without that experience.
Altogether, it was challenging and unforgettable. :-)
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent trip with Luitours & Safaris
Very well organized safari tour, everything as described in the plan.
Great guide – Atif made the trip very safe (prefect driver) and interesting (he knew where to go, his experience in spotting animals was very useful). It was amazing trip and unforgettable impressions for us. We definitely recommend this agency.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful safari into real wildlife : a childhood dream became real
Superior guides expeditions did all what we admitted. This agency and its director Anna did for me all it could for my pleasure
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Ecovic is an excellent loving leisure and environmental conservation oriented tour operator
Well, when it comes to services, its really amazing. The staff is down is to earth and for sure i really recommend for other clients who are interested in environment conservation packages.
It was really a good experience working with the environmental conservation communities in Kibale forest reserve and on the Rwenzori mountain.
Hicking to the top was really a tough experience though enjoyable:)
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Adventure Of A Lifetime
On the drive down to the Masai Mara, my guide, Johnny told me Leopard were some of the hardest animals to track and hardest to spot. Even when you find them, they can disappear in an instant into the bush.
With this in mind, our sturdy little van rumbled down the dirt road that cut through the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Forget what you’ve seen in pictures, read in books, and saw on TV. The Mara is impossibly big. You can’t quite comprehend the size of it until you’re there watching it all stretch out before you.
We got into the Mara ten minutes before one, driving through the reserve to get to camp when a radio call came in that I didn’t understand until Johnny brought our vehicle a halt. He looked at me and smiled before asking if I wanted to go see a leopard. I nodded and we flipped around, racing to reach the sighting with another pair vehicles. I experienced my first leopard sighting around 1:30 and would see two more leopards before we left the Mara.
That was just a piece of my first day with Beacon and trust me it only got better from there! Johnny was an amazing guide and driver that any solo traveler would be lucky to have for six days.
Before departure, I looked around a lot and talked with a lot of different companies before finally deciding to go with Beacon. Robert played a huge part in that decision. He was always quick to answer my questions no matter how big or small they were and when I used Whatsapp to contact him and inform him of an urgent last-minute change to my itinerary, he took it in stride.
On the morning of our departure from Nairobi, he had the staff at the Wildebeest Eco Camp to tell me to take my time and have breakfast. I had originally planning to skip breakfast to make sure we got on the road in time, so being able to push back our departure so I could take time to eat was hugely appreciated.
Once we were on the road, Johnny was very friendly and was always ready to answer my questions about the places we were going to and the animals we would see. Rest stops were frequent and I never felt like I was trapped in the car, praying we would find a bathroom and there was never a time I felt unsafe during our 4 to 5-hour drives when traveling between parks.
Although going by air can save you time, especially if you're on a tight schedule, Seeing the country and its varying climates and terrain, paired with the cities and towns that you pass through on your route is an adventure all on its own. 80% of the roads we traveled were paved. The stories of the road to the Masai Mara, specifically it's final third, being an unpaved and teeth-rattling mess are very outdated. A large section of that road has now been paved and is a smooth ride. When you do find those few dirt roads, you know that its official, you're really on safari! So don’t let the possibility of having to travel by land intimidate you! You'll wind up learning a lot about the country you've traveled so far to visit.
Johnny and I traveled almost 700 miles during our time. From the Masai Mara to Lake Nakuru and finally to Amboseli. Despite the long days, his enthusiasm never faded. He always kept me informed on what our plans were and explained why we needed to make changes when changes needed to be made. Like when he recommended we do our evening game drive in Amboseli earlier in the afternoon when we arrived rather than enter the park and go through it only to leave and drive to the lodge (which took 20-30 minutes) for a short time only to turn right back around and go back into the park.
Johnny and I saw so much during our time together, from a surprise elephant crossing in the Mara that left me speechless to a three hyena standoff over a dead hippo in Amboseli that left me scratching my head for days after. The one thing I wasn’t expecting was how Johnny influenced me as we traveled together. I'm a pretty quiet person, and as a solo traveler that can make connecting with your destination and the people who live there, as well as the other travelers you come across pretty difficult. As the trip went on, seeing Johnny interact with the people we came across from Kenya Wildlife Service Rangers to other guides we drove past on the open road made me appreciate the massive community of people who make going on safari possible. In response I found myself belting out a hearty 'Jambo!' more and more and struggle through bouts of small talk as our journey progressed.
On my final day in Kenya, I was pretty sad to say goodbye to Johnny, take my sunhat off my head and strap it to my bag before moving my winter clothes from the bottom of my suitcase to my overnight bag in preparation for the transition back to a much colder climate. I have made memories that will last a lifetime, and I have some new friends that I cannot wait to see again the next time I am in the country.
When we left Nairobi Johnny told me that Kenya was a place with unlimited possibility, I can now say that he's absolutely right. I have traveled so far and it amazes me that there's still more to see and do. So if you take anything away from this review, it should be that a Kenyan safari will leave you with a mountain of good memories, hours of stories to share with your friends and family, and a sense of adventure that will only be satisfied by once again striking out into the wilderness in a pop top van, following a dirt road that runs past the horizon.
Robert and Johnny, asante sana.
I hope to travel with you again soon!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Spectacular! Our driver Peter and Benson made everything a complete family memory.
Pendo from Benson communicated with whenever we had questions. It was very professional and easy even with multiple changes.
The Safari was beyond expected and our expectations were very high.
Peter knew how far he could push our family each day and managed to score some amazing siting late in the day 3 times. We seemed to have booked an excellent time of year with lush greenery and 57 different animals spotted over our 9 days.
Safari is not a "vacation" but an adventure experience and I was glad our youngest of 3 was 18. We had 6 people in the Land Cruiser and that was a full vehicle.
We choose to mid - luxury level accomedations and were blown away by the places we stayed. Lovely to have a great room and food at the end of 8-10 hours on the road.
I would highly recommend Benson and especially Peter. In fact I'm sure I will be back.
Steve Negen - Age 58
Traveled with my wife, my 2 sons 25,22 and daughter 18 and a family friend 25 years old. Excellent ages.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great service of an excellent operator for an amazing experience in Uganda!
After the moment of getting in contact with them, they were really helpful. They answered all my questions and provided all the info I needed to plan the trip including my flights from Europe and made it an unforgettable holiday for me.
Once I landed in Kampala my tourguide (Onan) picked me up at the airport as planned and my 7 day safari trip started. He was a great driver, very obliging and answered all my questions, whether regarding wildlife or culture. All lodges, the 4x4, the safaris with Mega Wild in Queen Elisabeth NP, the Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest NP and the Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi NP were just amazing. Whenever there was some time left he suggested additional activities such as a visit of an orphanage, seeing some craters nearby or a community walk in Bwindi NP.
I definitely recommend Mega Wild Safaris as a tour operator. From A to Z great service and an awesome experience.
