US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve by Brian Nelson
amazing!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible experience from start to finish
We booked a 3 day safari at Black Rhino Lodge through Traipsing Africa and had the most amazing time. The lodge itself is beautiful, the rooms are huge! And so nicely decorated. We are far too much food while we were there but it was all so good it was hard to refuse! The restaurant has a deck overlooking a waterhole so we were able to watch the wildlife as we ate. The game drives were wonderful, our guide was very knowledgeable and had this amazing ability to spot wildlife from miles off! We loved every minute of it, would recommend to anyone.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience!
Loved every second of it! You definitely get a lot of value out of the trip!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Robert was responsive and staff friendly but............. NOT an overall great experience - Sadly
Robert was very responsive. In fact, I contacted a few companies and thought that I was working with Robert for a couple of weeks to find out that it was another company. A couple of days before I thought I was going on Safari, I found out from the other company that it wasn't Karibu and didn't think I would have a chance to go on a safari last minute. I called Robert and he said he needed to call me back to see if it was still possible. I was then confirmed for a 7 day safari that was to start in Masai Mara and then go to Amboseli as the last park. He also said that I could pay in Shillings since I did not have USD. (I was on a working visa and had been in the country for 3 months, so only had Shillings)
I was greeted a few days later by a driver who was picking me and taking me to the office to start my safari. I didn't think any of it. Got to the office and signed my paperwork and paid. Was brought downstairs and put in the same low rider vehicle that the driver picked me up in. I just thought the driver was taking me to the place were the Open top Vans or jeeps were going to be. After the driver started to drive out of town, I questioned him on the vehicle and he said no that it was just me and him and in the car. He then said, instead of going to Masai Mara, we were going to go to Amboseli first and go backward because the car can't be driven in Masai Mara. I told him that I was not happy and didn't think this was going to work. He said that even with a car, It wouldn't be an issue getting great pictures in Amboseli. After trying to contact the office and not getting through, I felt I had no choice and agreed. SADLY, not true.
Don't get me wrong, the driver was a GREAT guy...... and due to CoronoVirus and the country shutting the borders and airports down, I had to leave after the first full day. Karibu did give me a partial refund (only for 4 days of park fees - about 200) but I was hoping for more due to the fact that I was in a car that was so low, the undercarriage of the car came off and we couldn't go that far into the park because it would flood out or scrap. Plus trying to take pictures so low in this car with tinted windows was a nightmare. I only got one day and it really didn't give me the happy experience I was looking for. When I got home aside from the photos on the hilltop from lunch, they were not great!!!! Not from my cell phone or borrowed camera.
I took pictures of the car but it doesn't allow me to add them onto this review sadly. You will see what a disaster of a car it was for a safari.
Like I said Robert was nice and replied back quickly and Raymond the driver in the car was nice and felt bad. The staff at the tented camp was great too.....
If it wasn't for the LOW RIDER CAR, and the fact that they didn't refund me in full the money for the other 5 days, I think this company might have been fine which is the reason why I gave them 2 stars. I feel bad for rating so low but it just wasn't practical putting someone so low in a car with dirty tinted windows for a safari after they confirm via email that the vehicle was an open-top Van. I honestly would have rather not even gone and saved myself a lot of money.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our already high expectations of our 2.5 month long trip were exceeded! Thank you Compass Odyssey!
To say that our recently completed 2.5 months in southern Africa was a roaring success would be a huge understatement. Darryn, and his Compass Odyssey team, did a remarkable job of planning and organizing our 4 days in Johannesburg, our week in Kruger National Park and our 8 days in Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park and the amazing Okavango Delta. In addition, he gave us lots of invaluable advice and suggestions to help us plan, and bring to fruition our 7 week independent road trip through large parts of South Africa. Through the pre-travel planning process, Darren was exceptionally prompt in responding to all my questions and always provided detailed answers based on his extensive knowledge of sourhern Africa. During the trip, Darren routinely ‘checked in’ with Sue and I to make sure that all was good and that we weren’t encountering any problems en route.
Our Jo’burg and Victoria Falls guides, Chic and Mortimer/Ruth, are members of the Compass Odyssey team and were very helpful, interesting and exceptionally knowledgeable about their locales. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them. Thank you Chic and Mortimer and Ruth!!
Toward the end of our trip as the world was changing daily because of Covid 19, Darren was very helpful in communicating with us any information regarding our onward travel plans back to Canada. THANK YOU!!
We will be returning to southern Africa and will definitely be using Compass Odyssey’s services for our next African adventure. In conclusion, if you are looking for a South African based independent travel company to plan some or all of a trip to southern Africa, look no further than Compass Odyssey.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Worst customer service ever with too many lies.
Four years ago we did make a gamedrive on our own in Moremi N.P. Unfortunately we got stuck and so we decided in 2018 to go again, but now we did book a “professional” gamedrive. Not cheap, but we really wanted to see the park this time.
Unfortunately we did get disappointed again. In a very uncomfortable car and an incompetent guide we did not see what we wanted to see. The guide did not know his way around and lucky enough we had still the map of 2 years ago, otherwise we had to spend the night in the park for he could not find the exit. He was alo unable to find the Black Pool. So sad, because other guides did see some lions there. During the day we saw that nothing did work on the dashboard of the car and that the tires he no profile at all. Because the guide could not find the exit we left the park too late and therfore he drove too fast and if we had not seen a big whole in the road we would have ended up in hosptal. But the emergency stop he had to make because of this, was the end of the car as well. Gladly another car picked us up after a while and did bring us back to Maun.
Of course we did complain and the result was that we should get a refund and than the misery started. Because I am working in travelbusiness I did not go on the internet with this story, to give Bush Baby Call the opportunity to solve this issue in the proper way. He promised to refund us and that was ok with us inspite of our disappointment missing Moremi again. But now after 1,5 years we run out of patience and are really finished with all the lies he told us. A few examples of his OWN MAILS he did send to us:
04-01-2019 You have to check your account in about 7working days i have sent the money this morning
01-06-2019 As for us we will pay your whole amount within this month
16-12-2019 you dont have to make a bad review over $300,00. It will be unfair and you know it.I will send the funds to you.
30-12-2019 I will forward the money when i get back from holidays
02-01-2020 I am going to transfer the money on or before the 30 January 2020
31-01-2020 Can you kindly refresh me with the account details,i seem to have misplaced them,just came back from east africa,i want to forward the refund
04-02-2020 I will definitely send you the proof, i am doing a cheaper transfer method so i will send the proof once it is initiated, please let us finish this transfer,
13-02-2020 Hope this email finds you well, i will make a follow up when i get back to Maun from the safari, i had hoped u have already received it i will also forward the proof.
15-02-2020 I will be back on thursday, i will straight away go to the bank to find out and send proof.
20-02-2020 as far as i am concerned i am not refusing to send you your refund
And many more of these lies. We gave the owner enough time (1,5 years), but now we think the world should now what a lier this person is. Our advice: don’t book here. I think something can go wrong everywhere, but it is so important to solve the issue properly and he failed dramatically.
And many more of these lies. We gave the owner enough time (1,5 year), but now we think the world should know what a lier this person is.
MX
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything we expected and much more
We booked a 10-day tour in Kenya and Tanzania. We started in Masai Mara, went on to Lake Victoria, Serengeti, Ngorogoro, Tarangire and Amboseli. In Kenya our guide was James and he was superb. Always cool under pressure, it a was real pleasure to have had him. In Tanzania, our driver Jeff was very good as well; a fun guy who knew his stuff and knew how to repair the vehicle (as a matter of fact, if there is one thing we didn't like it was the vehicle in Tanzania; it eventually broke down 30 km from the Kenyan border). The Sopa hotels we stayed in in Kenya were nice, and they had some thoughtful details for Christmas and New Year. But for us the highlight were the tented camps in Tanzania; having zebras and gazelles grazing in front of the tent was so exciting. Hearing lions roar in the night was also exciting, but maybe for different reasons. During the 10 days we saw so many animals (but not leopards), and Serengeti was so amazing, looking over the plains and not seeing but wildebeests and zebras. The people from Natural World, from the very beginning, were absolute pros. Booking and payment was very easy and during the tour we were in constant contact if something came up. Many thanks to Duncan for everything! If you are looking for a great experience and peace of mind, this is a definitely a tour operator I would strongly recommend. We will cherish those memories forever. As these COVID-19 times are so very difficult, I wish everyone good health and stay safe!
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect organization! Highly recommend!
Everything was perfect, in time and according to the plan! The guides were very helpful and easy to communicate. Mack was also great. Thank you guys! I will highly recommend you to our friends and everywhere!
CH
An amazing and pleasant experience!
Everything was perfectly planned, the selection of hotels and lodges was great, the food offered was of excellent quality and the places visited were incredible. The staff in TekkoTours were very kind and understanding at all times and willing to show us the best of Kenya. We would definitely recommend this travel agency!