20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Couldn’t have chosen a better operator!
From the moment we asked for a quote I knew we had chosen the right tour operator. We Skyped on several occasions to learn more about the tour and have our questions answered. We were given options for places to stay and our input was important. Whilst in Uganda everything was perfect, the trip did not disappoint and I would 100% recommend and use this tour operator again!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari Tour in Africa - Hands Down!
I contacted ABCS (African Big Cats Safaris) in October of 2022 to plan my wife's 50th birthday 'bucket list' trip for late January 2023. From the beginning, Justice & Naomi were amazing to help us plan it. The hardest part was trusting that we could send money by wire to a company in Africa, from the USA. I was definitely terrified I would never see the money again. I looked up other reviews of ABCS and only saw 5-stars - it seemed to good to be true. How amazing it was that it was even better! I’m so happy we trusted ABCS to do this trip. It went off without a hitch!
Our guide, Vanance Malisa was there to greet us on time, when we arrived and everything went excellent from the beginning. Initially, our flight into Killamanjaro on KLM was cancelled, so last minute, we switched to an Edelweiss flight and got the last seats. That change had us arrive 12 hours earlier than expected, but Emmanuel responded quickly on WhatsApp and arranged for Vanance to get us earlier. That was amazing!
We had purchased our Visas online ahead of time through Atlys, so that made getting through Customs upon arrival in Tanzania easier. Vanance drove us to the first night’s stay in Arusha. Along the way, he was very patient answering all our questions about what we saw as we drove along the road. He always was patient and always had an answer. He stopped at the Cultural Heritage Centre for us and we shopped for African crafts for a bit. Then we went to the Under the Shade Safari Lodge. Everyone there was great and our accommodations were great. We enjoyed time at the pool and caught up on jet lag, before a nice dinner. Emmanuel came and met with us to go over the trip ahead and ensure we were prepared. He also set expectations for safety on our trip. Great guy!
The next morning, we set off for Tarangire National Park. Vanance ensured we had plenty of wine, beer and water to drink on the drive. So much to see! After arrival at the park, Vanance was keen to get us in a spot where two female lions came out and he knew they were hungry. We can’t say enough about Vanance. It was clear he was the most experienced Guide in the park, and on all of our safaris. Other guides routinely came to him to ask for advise and information. He was the ‘king of all guides’ and we were so proud he was ours! Vanance ensured we stuck around to see the lion kill a Warthog. It was something rarely seen and so powerful and amazing!
The 2nd night was our best night - at Burunge Tented Lodge. The infinite pool and elephants out front made this experience amazing. The tents were comfortable. We could have stayed in this location for weeks.
The 3rd day was exploring along Lake Manyara through the National Park there. This was an enjoyable day which gave us a chance to see lions mating. Vanance took us to the African Galleria afterwards where we had the best cocktails of our entire trip while shopping around for t-shirts and more African crafts. That night, we stayed at Ngorongoro Marera Mountain View Lodge.
Ngorongoro Marera Mountain View Lodge was our least favorite of the trip. There was a hedgehog or other animal our chimney that kept us awake all night. The ‘massage therapists’ there turned out to also be our waitress and the gift shop clerk. They did a horrible job at their massage, with the waitress touching me inappropriately during the massage. The food was not good here either. We wouldn’t want to ever go back to stay at this location and recommend to others to not have this on their itinerary. Most expensive drinks too!
The 4th day was the best yet, exploring the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. We had no idea how incredible the crater would be and Vanance, as usual, was amazing at showing us around and ensuring we saw everything we could.
At our request, Vanance took us to visit a Maasai village on the way to the Serengeti. This was one of the highlights of our trip.
Our stay in the Serengeti was at Embalakai Camps, which we liked, but probably wouldn’t go back to. The first night, our tent flooded with water. The 2nd night, we had no water at all. The food was not great. We wished we had payed to stay up one level more. None of this was the fault of ABCS.
We did the Serengeti Hot Air Balloon Safari that Vanance set up for us. That was amazing. He got us to see every animal we wanted to see on our safari - and more. My wife was teary eyed when he dropped us at the Seronera Airstrip to fly to Zanzibar at the end of the safari. Vanance felt like a member of our family. We had trust and care for him.
Continuing on to Zanzibar, ABCS did a great job setting up our flights and when we landed in Zanzibar, they had everything in place for a guide and driver to pick us up and take us on a tour of Stone Town and to our hotel in a nice modern van. It was really incredible. They also arranged for our stay at Hotel Z, which is the best hotel we have ever stayed at. EVER!
We can’t recommend African Big Cats Safaris enough. They exceeded all our expectations and we have already heard from friends that want to book through them now too, seeing how great our trip was with them.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Ugandan tour operator
We would totally recommend Azas for your travels in Uganda!!!
From the first moment we contacted Azas, we have had a great experience. Prisca answered all of our questions and made useful suggestions about how to tailor our 12 days trip in Uganda. She was very responsive both on Whatsapp and via e-mail (contact them right away on Whatsapp). Once we arrived in Uganda, we were welcomed at the airport and a day later our trip started. Our guide, Julius, was one of the most gentle and knowledgable guides we have ever met. He made sure that we travel in comfort (the car was always in good condition, water was provided throughout the trip) and safely (he drove carefully, he always locked the car). He also made sure we were on time for everything (e.g. our hikes, tours). He was also a great spotter, which made our game drives a wonder.
We did have a small miscommunication, but essentially everything was sorted out by the team and it did not impact our travels at all. We also requested smaller changes during our trip and all were accommodated. For example, we added an extra day trip at the end of our journey and we also came back one day earlier from our hike and Prisca took care of all the organization.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Experience of a Lifetime
My partner and I have the most amazing tour of Uganda, from Uganda Family Tours.
Jackson made sure everything on the trip was perfect. I had lots of preparation to do as I was planning to propose to my girlfriend, and Jackson helped me by recommending some places with spectacular views.
All the hotels were nice, and the cost of food was included in our price. The only thing we had to pay for were drinks.
We had a 2 week private safari and also did the chimpanzee habituation experience and the gorilla trekking.
We got on so well with Jackson that we now consider him as a friend.
He was very knowledgeable about all the animals and parks and also arranged for tour guides when needed.
We would both recommend Uganda Family Tours to everyone (and have already passed on the info to some close friends)
SK
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
Thank you for the unforgettable experiences I had in Africa thanks to Home To Africa Tours and Travel. It was my and my husband's first trip to Africa and our fears were dispelled as soon as we arrived. We saw wonderful places, met wonderful nice people who took care of our comfort. Guides Jean Paul, Suleyman and Karim showed us the most beautiful things in their country.
Karim, thank you for your professionalism, care, willingness and for all the interesting information about Uganda that we learned from you. You are the best!
Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania - goodbye!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trip of a lifetime
We travelled to Tanzania in January and were looking to maximize our time on Safari so contacted Blue Lotus after significant research. Our flights were booked but we had erroneously thought we would like a hike up Kilimanjaro and then a short safari which we realized was going to be a packing nightmare. We contacted Blue Lotus with a very short lead time and after consulting over a whats app phone call, they had a good understanding of what we were looking for and put together our dream trip. To that end, they added the Serengeti, a horesback riding trip and some hiking opportunities to our original itinerary. Their extensive knowledge of the various parks, camps, wildlife viewing opportunities as well as other activities was evident in the itinerary that they created for us. What we were most impressed with was their desire to ensure that our bookings were made in eco friendly camps where staff are valued. Our driver, Clarence, was a lovely, knowledgeable, enjoyable travel companion who indulged us in our various special requests, the most important being where possible to head out early in the day so that we could siesta in the hottest part of the day, then heading out again as things cooled down and animals became more active again. It was a dream come true. We saw Arusha National Park, Tarangire park, the Ngorongoro and Empakai craters, the Serengeti and Lake Manyara. Yes, we saw the big five but we also saw SO much more! We really enjoyed every place we stayed, and slept in complete comfort every night. We would not hesitate to use them again and 100% recommend their services.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice and caring
Worth every penny. Our guide took the time to make sure we were able to see the big 5… We were able to visit Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti National park, Tarangire which included yummy picnics along the drive.
A lovely, unique trip
We visited SA for remote work in Cape Town followed by a safari at Arathusa Lodge. The lodge was lovely and our tour operator, who helped us coordinate the flights and accommodation, was a wonderful help throughout. Saw an abundance of animals and had a spacious, beautiful room.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Way Beyond Expectations
We found Webster 100% reliable, efficient & punctual.
He was also kind and considerate. He tailored our trip to our unique aspirations and we were thrilled by his suggestions.
For us the highlights included visits to the Falls, a village school and onward trips to Chobe and Odballs Enclave in the Okavango Delta. The arrangements worked perfectly.
We cannot thank Webster enough for arranging such a perfect trip.
Kay and Pauline, Derbyshire UK.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic day
We booked a one day safari to Selous game reserve and everything was just perfect. Pickup, flight, amazing jeep safari and transport back.
All employees were totally nice, Sympathie and helpful.
Our guide Tony could answer all our questions during the trip.