MY
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable, Accommodating, and Professional Safari & Tour Operator
James, operator of Jamie's Jungle Safaris, is a very experienced and accommodating man. He catered to our needs and requirements, including budget and time. We had a wonderful time on a 3 day safari at Murchison Falls, as well as the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. In my opinion, the highlights include the rhino sanctuary as well as the Top of the Falls experience. FANTASTIC. James operates a professional safari setup. He's also much into education and social work; seeking to expand the experience you can have apart from just the normal safari. He also encourages people to volunteer at various places and activities which benefit the community.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 8 day safari
We did a 8-day safari with CHALEMA in February 2023 and were entirely satisfied with everything: Joël immediately got in touch through whatsapp (also calling us in Switzerland) and listened to our ideas, at one point giving sound advice for improvement so that we ended up with a perfectly fitting itinerary for us that took into consideration the seasonal migration in the south of Serengeti (Ndutu) – this proved to be the ideal place for the most amazing sightings of wildlife! We were picked up at the airport by Praygod, our guide, who - although young (25 yrs) - spotted so many animals and knew exactly how to guide us to the best places. He was a great source of information for our thousand questions about life in Tanzania and a very helpful and friendly young man. We particularly enjoyed the local curries for lunch (instead of the lunch boxes with all the trash they produce) and Praygod even arranged a local Ugali dish for us. Our jeeps battery was quite weak at one point and the agency arranged for a quick replacement, sending one from Arusha to our location in very little time. We can fully recommend Chalema.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic 3-day tour of Etosha
Highly recommend Blue Crane for a Namibia safari.
I booked a three-day/two-night private tour of Etosha (Namibia) with Blue Crane and had a fantastic experience. I think Etosha provides a typical "Safari experience" and am glad I chose it over seeing the Namibian coast and dunes (although I hear those are amazing too and would tour them if I visit again).
By way of background, I was in Namibia for work and booked this tour at the last minute (i.e., about 7 days before the tour). (Note: This was during the off-season and they may not be as accommodating during peak tour months.) I solicited proposals from 4 tour operators; Blue Crane may have been a little more expensive than the others, but I think it included more meals and the online reviews were strong.
The guide picked me up on time at my hotel in Windhoek (8 am). We then drove to Etosha, stopping for lunch at a nice spot. We arrived at Etosha in the afternoon and ended up seeing 50+ giraffes, 2 elephants, hundreds of zebras, and countless other animals. I spent one night at Mushara Bush Camp and the other night at Okaukuejo Resort lodge (which has an amazing watering hall that borders the property). Blue Crane took care of all the details - the meals were great (and included in the price) and the lodging reservations were in order. Some visitors may not want to stay at the bush camp because it's very hot (you are "glamping" in nice tents) and loud (with jungle noises) at night, but it's a great experience for those who can handle the heat. There were a lot of bugs in the Okaukuejo Resort room, but hey, it's Africa...
My guide was Markus, who was very friendly, easy to understand, and had 15 years of experience and a lot of training. He had an amazing eye for animals and could spot them from a great distance. For example, by the end of day 2, we had almost given up on seeing a lion during my visit when at dusk he spotted a silhouette on a distant ridgeline - sure enough, it was a lioness. On the morning of day 3, we did one last drive through the park and he spotted two white rhino deep in the bush. It was fun to see him get excited about seeing some of the lesser known animals (e.g., African wildcat). He was very focused on making sure I had a great experience and was able to answer a host of questions that I posed about different animals and Namibia generally.
We were in the cab of a 4-door truck with air conditioning. I previously thought it might be fun to be in a traditional safari jeep sitting outside of the cab, but I think the dust on the roads would be very unpleasant and it could get very hot and unpleasant.
I strongly recommend bringing binoculars. Some animals are quite close to the car/road, but for the full experience, you'll want to bring binoculars.
My only barely negative comment on Blue Crane is that it usually took a full day for us to exchange emails. I'm in the United States (eastern time) and, unlike some of the other tour operators that I was talking to, I don't think Blue Crane checked emails in the evening (i.e., during my business day). But it wasn't really a problem.
I would hire them again without hesitation.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Australken is an amazing company offering a great personal service
We chose Australken over other tour companies, as Zippy was super efficient with arranging our safari trip, she was responsive, professional and helpful at all times.
Our safari driver Symon was extremely knowledgable and went above and beyond to ensure that we had an amazing adventure. He was polite and curteous and kept the vehichle clean & tidy. His English was extremely good and very articulate.
His knowledge of the animals and birds was outstanding, and his love for his job shone through.
The trip was excellent value for money, we stayed in 4 of the 5 Sopa Lodges in Kenya and all were excellent and highly recommended.
We travelled to Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Nakuru and Masai Mara
Overall a fabulous tour operator offering more than a personal touch. Highly recommended.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Un voyage de rêve
you can call on chalema with confidence, Joël, the boss is adorable, always available and very concerned about the well-being of his customers. we did the trek to mont meru joseph, our guide was very nice and the whole team adorable. then during the safari we were like in a dream, everything was perfect, Chabani, the guide, was very nice and the night at the Tanzania tented lodge was fabulous. we travel a lot and this is the first time we have used a tour operator and everything was perfect. Thanks to Joel and all his team. I highly recommend it!
US
Cosmos was the BEST. Totally present and an animal tracker at its core.
Seven By Far is 5 STAR! In African Safari Tours,! I am American, and have been to Africa before. As well as on 3 different safari with other companies. Seven By Far was truly the best safari tour company in every way! It was one of our best trips and definitely our best safaris ever.
Our tour guide Cosmos was everything and more, anyone could ever ask for. He was totally present with us. Not on his phone, not distracted, but really there with us. He took the care to listen to all that we said, even when we didn’t realize we mentioned some thing by that day or the next, we saw the animal that we spoke of., Sylvester, who managed our whole trip was supreme. His communication was timely and precise. He took care of every request and would go out of our his way to make our trip and vacation the best experience. Anytime we needed something he was sure to be there. He also went out of his way to see us on our trip on two different occasions. When we had an issue with the airlines, he took care of everything.
The Food was delicious and had so many many options to choose from. Including vegan and gluten-free. It was all fresh and amazingly good. The accommodations we couldn’t have asked better. The bed in the Serengeti in our big tent, was the best I’ve ever slept in any hotel.
I will be going back to Africa again in 2025 and I will for sure use Seven By Far tour company.
I promise you will not be sorry if you choose this company!
CZ
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect if you want a smooth and exciting experience.
We had an incredible 4-day safari (Taste of Kenya) in Nakuru and Maasai Mara. Within the first two days we saw all of the big 5. Our guide Charles was great at spotting animals and giving us more information about them. He was very friendly and funny, would definitely go on a safari with him again!
Spirit of Kenya was very easy to communicate with and all the booking went super smooth and we got exactly the safari we wanted to do.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Pre holidays Serengeti Safari
Booked our anniversary trip with burigi chato safaris. the safari was wonderful! The whole team knew what we wanted and made it into reality. They made us all very happy. We were able to create beautiful memories as a family and all with the help of burigi chato safaris company. I highly recommend them for any special safari schedule in Tanzania
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Shadows of Africa is a highly responsive company with experienced guides. Met our expectations 100%
In January 2023, my wife and I embarked upon a long-planned trip to Kenya and Tanzania with Shadows of Africa. Alona helped us plan the trip and created an amazing introduction video that sold me on Shadows of Africa. We wanted to travel mid-range and the camps and hotels selected were perfect for our needs. Our guides, Peter, Edwin and Ken were knowledgeable, experienced and were responsible for the amazing game viewings that we had. I have only good things to say about Shadows of Africa - highly recommend!
