SE
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Reliable and helpful
My six day trip to the Lower Omo Valley was very interesting and well organized. A good guide (Danny), a comfortable car and nice lodges/hotels made the trip most enjoyable.
Danny's knowledge about culture and nature was great. He also knew the names of all the birds we saw which I appreciated.
Since I was a solo guest we also had a flexible schedule. From time to time we also met friendly Haile who travelled with another group.
Since all costs were included I did not have to think about paying local guides etc. But they all appreciate a small tip.
I can highly recommend Finot Tour.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
the tour operator is very accommodating and is always available to answer any questions you may have
Outstanding 5 Day Comfort Safari! We stayed in comfortable lodges with very friendly, attentive staff & super delicious food!
Our guide was Lordlugard, a super friendly guy who stayed with us throughout the tour. He is very experienced & has a huge knowledge about the animals, nature, history or culture of the country!
The safari was incredibly beautiful! Seeing all the animals in their natural environment and the different vegetations were amazing.
We highly recommend a trip with African Big Cats Safari! Ask for Lordlugard as your guide and you won't regret it!
CA
Experience level: first safari
This was one of the worst travel and tour agencies I have ever dealt with.
My review is based SOLELY on the experience I had in booking my tour. The actual tour guides and other people in South Africa were amazing.
My mother had purchased the safari tour In 2019, but was unable to travel due to Covid. In July of 2022 she was advised that she needed to rebook her tour soon or she would lose her money. For personal health reasons, my mother was no longer able to make the trip, so we contacted GTD to make the transfer.
There was a lot of communication between GTD, my mother and I, and it took almost 2 full weeks before anything could be done. GTD would communicate with my mother, without cc’ing me on emails, and vice versa. She had been told to include both of us on all emails so we could ensure that we were all on the same page.
The biggest “bottleneck” was I needed to confirm that what I wanted to do and when I could do it would be available before we did the transfer. I was not going to confirm anything or assume a travel package without knowing if I could do what I wanted. I finally got an email apologizing for the delays with an explanation that there were protocols that needed to be followed.
A quick explanation at the beginning would have provided clarification and I would not have been compelled to follow up so often. And yet, GTD didn’t seem to understand that I wasn’t going to agree to take on my mother’s trip if I couldn’t confirm what I wanted to do
The transfer was finalized at the end of July.
When it came time to pay, I only had AMEX or through my bank. No one had mentioned this beforehand. I had paid off my visa to pay for this trip, and then had to wait until I got paid again, because I didn’t have the cash. Knowing this at the beginning of the conversation would have been helpful so I could have planned better. Not everyone has $3000 cash sitting in their bank account at a moment’s notice.
I chose the tour that I wanted – Johannesburg and Cape Town, and then chose the add-ons that I wanted to do.
I stated that I wanted to do the Cradle of Humankind in Cape Town and then the Lesedi Cultural Village. GTD emailed me back to say that the Cradle of Mankind is in the Safari region and I would need an additional day to do it. I asked if I could cancel one of my safari days while I am in Johannesburg doing the safaris, and she said it was not an option. She said that it was too far away. I was a bit confused and upset because I didn’t understand why I was being presented with an option that wasn’t viable. I was willing to give up one of my safari days to do this but was told it couldn’t happen. And yet, when I was there, I was told that it was closed to public because of flooding - so what was it? Too far? flooding?
On August 11 we discussed the add-ons again, and I heard nothing back from GTD until October 5th when I emailed her (a third time) and cc’d the general email address as well. GTD called me and apologised sating that she had Covid and the hurricane had caused delays. Then she said that she had sent my add on request to someone else and that they hadn’t done it, and that it was now coming back to her to do, and she was overwhelmed with everything. I indicated that I recognize that there are problems everywhere, but a response of any kind would have been appreciated. The hurricane and her having covid did not happen in August or September. And quite frankly, I was getting extremely fed up with the delays and excuses.
On Oct 13 we talked about two other add ons (endangered species and District 6 Bo Kapp) and the shuttle and hotel I would need to pay for as I was arriving early. On Oct 14 I paid for everything that we had talked about … or so I thought.
On October 18 I emailed GTD saying that now that EVERYTHING is paid for, could you please send me a detailed itinerary. She replied back that she was happy everything was in order, and my detailed itinerary would only be available about 30 days prior to my trip.
On October 20 I received an email from GTD with the information and price for the District 6 excursion. I emailed her back indicating that I was confused … we had confirmed on Oct 14 that EVERYTHING was paid for, and all I needed was my detailed itinerary. She said no, she would have discussed this with me before she got me to pay. I replied that we had had this discussion, and I had confirmed everything on October 14. She called me on the phone and I explained it to her again, and I sent her the email again showing her where I said EVERYING and it was in bold. She apologized and said she misunderstood. At this point my frustration level in dealing with GTD was at it’s peak. I was done. I told her to forget it, I’m done, I’m not booking any more trips. And that was the end of it.
On December 1, I received my itinerary and was reviewing it and all of the other information. I was VERY surprised to read that I would need to tip about $10-14 USD a day per guide / ranger. It would have been nice for me to be told this at the beginning when I was speaking with Marie. Not a deal breaker, but advance information would be appreciated.
I have travelled extensively in the last 30 years, and I must admit, I have never had a more challenging time booking a trip as I have had with GTD.
1. The lack of understanding / clarification
2. Missing out on two excursions that I really wanted to do (Cradle of Humankind – I still don’t understand why this was presented as an option and then removed, and then District 6, because she misunderstood)
3. The delays between emails, and no follow up from her end – I was always the one following up to make sure everything was completed
4. Not providing valuable information at the beginning – i.e how to pay for the trip (no VISA option)
5. Not providing valuable information during the booking – i.e extra things that I will be paying for $10-$14 USD a day = $14-$19 CDN for me at 10 days, that’s an extra $200 roughly.
The above information was provided to GTD prior to my departure (I have updated it with some current info) in November. I was told I would receive a response as soon as possible. I got nothing - absolutely nothing. I even followed up two other occasions. On the third occasion I "threatened" to leave a negative review if I didn't' receive a response by Jan 26.
I got an email from Deon Barnard at Corporate. His response? Oh sorry? I've explain to her what she should have done, and that Canadian files are complicated. She should have gone to her supervisor. I don't think she realized how frustrated you were.
His response was a slap in the face, and I emailed him back, itemizing in detail the inconsistencies in his email. I have yet to hear anything back from him, and I highly doubt I will.
The trip itself was fabulous - South Africa is a gorgeous country - the big 5 are enthralling and the people are wonderful. But do yourself a favour and book with a different travel agency. Save yourself the heartache of missing out of things you wanted to see because of lack of communication, mis reading emails and flat out ignoring you.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beauty, fun and education, all in one
We spent 8 days in Tanzania (3 days in mainland and 5 days on the island of Zanzibar). It was phenomenal to say the least. We are from the US so the flight was pretty lengthy but well worth the cultural exposure, sights and amazing treatment from all of the locals (tour guides and others). Silly as it is, even the animals seem to welcome you into their country. I did a separate review for my Safari experience with Yona and Justine. The Safari was my favorite experience. Learning about the Maasai Tribe, the crops and spices, their artistry, the food was all so intriguing. Zanzibar was a beautiful island with beautiful turquoise water. I never thought East Africa was a popular tourist area but Tanzania is a hidden gem (at least to a lot of US Americans who mostly travel to South Africa). I am spreading the word. Tanzania was my absolute favorite vacation spot to date.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing South Africa
South Africa is a beautiful country filled with adventures, scenic beauties and a lot to discover!
We had a great time with Viva Safari, all the guides were excellent, food and lodging were also great!
KR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best tour company in Tanzania.
Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I climbed the mountain for six nights and seven days, and it was arranged with Mohamed from Goldfish Tours(Please check their websites: https://www.goldfishtours.com/). I realized there are a lot of tour companies doing safari tours and mountain climbing in Tanzania, especially in Arusha and Moshi. I chose Goldfish Tours because first, I liked the name 'Goldfish.' It reminded me of a goldfish I had in my small jar from childhood. Second, I was comparing prices from many different tour companies, and I thought Goldfish Tours had a reasonable price for me compared to other companies. And third, even though Mohamed and I were in a business relationship, he approached me like a friend, not trying to talk about other things that could cost me additional money for climbing, etc. He was straightforward, simple, and friendly, making me comfortable asking him questions about the trip. I had a full day of resting after the climbing, and one of the things I enjoyed after climbing was that Mohamed showed me around the Moshi town area. I was planning to stay at the lodge, but I contacted Mohamed in the morning to ask whether he could show me around Moshi town, and without hesitance, he accepted my request and drove me around the city. He was a generous and kind-hearted person. There are many more things to mention about this trip to Tanzania because I genuinely had one of the most memorable times in my life. I want to visit again to Tanzania to meet wonderful people and arrange my trip with Goldfish Tours. Once again, please check out their websites: https://www.goldfishtours.com/
AT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very professional! Immediate responses to any queries. Excellent tour guide and tour team
As soon as I contacted Grayton Tours they always kept me proactively informed about the procedures to be followed. The hike was a truly fantastic experience. Jimmy, the tour guide, is a highly experienced mountaineer. Full of knowledge about the national park and the Mount Kenya in particular. He really looked after me, making sure that I am safe. It's a challenging hike, undoubtedly. So, I appreciated the "pole pole" attitude of Jimmy and the other members of the team. They adapted to my pace, which helped me succeed. As I felt so safe with them I will definitely explore other hiking tours with them.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent in every way!
We were so happy to have booked by Safari. The communication was perfect, we did a stunning dinercruise and gamedrive including braai with a nice group and our excellent guide. He brought us to so many lovely places and were especially surprised the rhinos that suddenly appeared in front of us. The Victoria Falls were really amazing and impressive. The hotels were excellent. All these days our guide Simon was giving us all his knowledge, advice and he was such a pleasant person. A trip never to forget.
KZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The organisation of the tour operator was very good
Everything was so good! We had a pleasant time during the whole tour. Thank you for this unforgettable experience!
VN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Value tour but very good
This is one of the cheapest safari tours I found out. But the service quality is very good. If you are someone who is not interested in too many comfortable rooms and instead focuses on exploring the wild, this is a great choice.
