CA
A great experience - we had lots of fun while contributing to a good cause.
Our half day excursion was well organized. Pick up at the hotel was on time and in a comfortable vehicle. While we enjoyed the trip, the itinerary was different than advertised. A little disappointed that we didn't go to the market to pick up piglets and chicks, but still a great experience.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely wonderful!
From beginning to the end it was such a lovely experience, filled with great hospitality, kindness, friendliness, and patience from all the people who took charge of the logistics of our days and nights. The accommodation, meals and the soul filling hours on safari in the parks were all truly fabulous! And exciting! There was a seamless flow to the activities scheduled for each day and all we were required to do was to relax and enjoy it all; all logistics were cared for with aplomb!
I’d love to do it all over again!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely Excellent
My friends and I had an absolutely fantastic trip to Tanzania with Wild Gaze Safaris. Edwin proved good driver and even a better guide. He showed us the best of Tanzania at Tarangire National park, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National park. The crater descent was the highlight of the whole trip seeing myriad animal specials including the rare back rhino, a first for me. I have no reservations in recommending WILD GAZE SAFARIS!
TR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
From start to finish our expectations were fully met and often times exceeded!
From start to finish we were fully satisfied with the entire trip. In particular we appreciated Ben and his team's support and assistance in personalizing our tour based on his recommendations and our request. At the end of our first taster trip to Kenya we were able to experience a wide variety of parks and accommodations which will set the stage for our next visit. The team on the ground in particular Antony who picked us up from the airport promptly and guided us around Nairobi our first day did an outstanding job. The real hero of our trip was Mr. Jinu, our guide and driver for the remainder of our trip. Top of mind for him was always our safety and comfort and ensuring each and every day was fulfilling and meeting our expectations up until we reach the hotel on our last day. His knowledge of the landscape in each park and the wildlife was astonishing, and his experience in working with amateur photographers such as myself made it an unforgettable trip. He was so generous in sharing his knowledge, and we learned so much from him in the way he positioned our rig allowing me to get the right light , background, and angle as well as the need to wait, watch and observe for sometimes 30 minutes or more at a single site. Each and every day was full and he was constantly focused in maximizing the time out we spend. Each day the rig was cleaned, organized and ready to go. Other than being a great guide he is truly an amazing person with a love for nature and the life he showed us. Kudos to the entire team!
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most beautiful two-week safari in Kenya - just perfect!
Everything went great, from the booking and preparation to the end of our trip. We have seen many beautiful places and animals of course - hiking in Mount Kenya NP, game drive in beautiful Samburu NP and Sweetwater's Wildlife Sanctuary, relaxation and recreation on Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha, and finally the magnificent Masai Mara.
The accommodations were all very good and the food was excellent. A big thank you to our super driver/guide Patrick, he has kept calm in all situations and always brought us safely to the destination. We will definitely come back as soon as possible, there are still many places to visit in Kenya after our second trip, but above all the warmth and kindness.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing private safari tour!
We (me and my husband) did a 9 day tour, including: Tsavo East, Tsavo West, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara. We typically travel as our own adventure (rent a car, drive around and have all the freedom to change plans as you go), which we realized wasn't possible for Safaris, so we wanted a tour company with some flexibility. We really appreciated being able to pick the national parks to visit, pick the places to stay at, and even though the itinerary was pretty much set, we still have some flexibility in terms being able to stop for lunch or coffee etc, compared to taking a tour with a larger group. We enjoyed every single national park - our tour guide was very knowledgable, he was amazing at spotting animals, and really did his best to make sure we get to see as many animals as possible.
Tsavo East was a great start, there is not a lot of animals (compared to Masai Mara) but barely any tourist. We saw beautiful elephant families (red in color due to the soil color in the area). Tsavo West is very unique and remote park. close to the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, it's very different with many bushes. Even though that makes it harder to spot animals, it offers beautiful scenery. We also saw a leopard here. Amboseli is quite small but the number of elephant families were just breathtaking. Looking back - we would consider skipping Lake Nakuru, even though it's the only place we saw Rhinos, it's little bit out of the way and adds quite a bit of driving time. Finally Masai Mara is pretty awesome! The number of animals we saw in one place was just breathtaking, besides seeing few lion prides with cute lion cubs. Even though the park was also quire crowded with other tourist.
Overall very happy with our trip, and with Claudious tour company. The service was very personalized, besides the safari tour including airport pickup & airport drop off, lunch after Safari back in Nairobi, and Claudious and Francis checked with us few times during our trip how it's going. If we come back to Kenya we would definitely go with them again!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tour of a lifetime!
PaperJet Travel (Justin Perumal)
A little about the reviewers -- my husband and I (late 40s) are “type A” planners. When we travel, we book well in advance. We do a lot of research to figure out what we want to do, and then we research and hire guides that will provide a local experience. We do not generally use travel advisors. We made an exception for South Africa since it was a completely new area for us, and it seemed to be the best way to book a private reserve safari. We are so glad we did.
We requested a few quotes via “Safari Bookings”. PaperJet/Justin’s was by far the most detailed. He responded quickly and provided a variety of options based on our interests. We were sold! Now that the vacation is complete, we can say that we made the BEST decision.
Justin would later tell us that his company tries to do personality based bookings to tailor the trip to the individual. He definitely worked hard to tailor our trip for us. We went back and forth on so many options, and he was always helpful with suggestions and guidance. Throughout the entire process, Justin was always very responsive. For example, we had trouble finding luggage to use for the charter flight – Justin even offered his own (we bought our own so we could pack at home, but it was certainly above and beyond). Every little thing was well thought out and planned perfectly.
Our flight landed in Durban (closest airport to Phinda reserve), and Justin himself was there to pick us up and whisk us away for the 3+ hour drive to Phinda. Despite a slightly delayed arrival, we still had time to do a micro flight on the way. It was a nice way to start our adventures in South Africa and break up the drive. We enjoyed the conversation with Justin on the drive, too.
As an experienced agent for Phinda, Justin knew the lodges that had the best chance of animal interactions at Phinda, and made sure to include that request on our reservation. Yes!! We got lodge 6, and yes, it was magical when the elephants made their way one day to drink water from our plunge pool.
He also arranged other things for us, including airport pickup and a private full day tour in Durban. We had already researched exactly what we wanted to do (Monkeyland KZN, Distillery 031). Justin arranged for us to have a day with Thabo, one of his top guides. We loved our day with Thabo and learned so much about South Africa and the region. In addition to what we planned, Thabo fit in lunch at a very local restaurant for bunny chow and a city tour. We loved it all.
Overall, Justin did everything he could for us, and it all went as smoothly as possible. We fell in love with South Africa, and will definitely contact Justin the next time we are ready for a new adventure. He is the best!!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An Unexpected Masaai Meeting
In August, 2019, my family traveled to Kenya. During our stay we had high hopes of getting some time with the Masaai people. This was eventually made possible through Colin Murray and his team of extraordinary human beings. All started off well, as are the hopes of any tourist undertaking, general en-route chit chat, the sharing of life stories, how they/we got there, window staring, etc. A very warm atmosphere all around.
Upon arriving at the home of the Masaai, we were greeted warmly. There was something there though that was different yet familiar - instantly. You would expect a degree a hospitality from a group who routinely sees tourists pass through their lives, but as the day and events unfolded, the genuine open-ness, warmth, patience, integrity of this particular Masaai group...started to crack any unrelated boundaries and make you specifically wonder if there wasn't a deeper connection between you and them. I can only speak for myself, but I felt closer to them within two hours than I have with many blood relatives and people I call good friends at home. These Masaai retain something lost by many, something that I don't typically see in places I've been. A genuineness..an inviting nature, that is clearly contagious. So much so that as you start to dwell on time, you begin to realize that your day there must end soon, and this reality with these newly met friends must discontinue so that you may return to the touring vehicle. It is not a good feeling because your person wants to know more of them, how they go through each day, what trials have they seen, what are their thoughts on this ever changing world, who have they loved and lost, how do they engage the sun as it rises each day. Even in writing this, and again I only speak for myself, I feel their loss that I have put away like someone attempting to release grief through meditation. I whole heartedly wanted to shed my belongings and stay, right then, to understand them and myself more. My wife and two children (8 & 10), felt the same on the return, the only part of the journey which brought forth silence during the ride.
The Masaai, Colin and all the members of this organization have forever raised the bar of what I hope to find as I see more of this world. I wish them, our Masaai friends, and you the very best in your discoveries and adventures. We WILL be returning to see our lost family. Until then, I'll look upon our physical gifts of adornment from them, and remember their faces.
Thank you for this honor Colin / One Horizon Africa. Full respect
US
Very thoughtful and attentive, excellent tour operator!
Our experience with Make My Safari was exceptional, especially given the challenging time we were in Tanzania.
To start with, planning our trip was in January 2020. Every suggestion we made was welcome, carefully looked at and professionally dealt with. Adjustments to our trip were made by Talib, who has been more than timely and always responsive.
When we made a hotel reservation on our own, he gracefully accepted it and made sure we got the best price (Hyatt Park, Zanzibar).
Safari: Best experience ever! Our guide was Remmy. Very professional, excellent driver in difficult situations, patient, timely and was always on the lookout for wild animals. We went to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire. Remmy was always willing to take a detour if necessary so we will see more wild animals. Also, his knowledge of animals and birds was impressive!
Remmy also brought us to see a Masai village, that was not part of the original plan. It was a beautiful and educational side trip which we all enjoyed.
Accommodations during our trip were all excellent and so was the food and the prepared lunches during safari.
During our stay, as more and more airlines stopped servicing the USA and countries were closing their borders to foreigners (in our case Kenya), Talib contacted us on a daily basis and gave us information about options for us. He arranged for flights back to the USA, came to see us in the hotel in Arusha and made sure all was well.
I don't have enough warm and complimentary words for Talib and Make My Safari.
Everything was dealt with professionalism and personal attention.
We want to come back to Tanzania, and when we do so, Talib and Make My Safari (including Remmy as our driver and guide) will be our first and only choice.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This is one of the most memorable days we have experienced, ever, in all our travel experiences!!
What we expected and what was got was quite different. We expected a tour of a group of masai people performing for us, the tourists. What we got was a closeup, personal experience that was so far beyond our expectations. We had the chance to meet real people with real stories about their lives, some of the issues they have faced and how the One Horizon group have been a part of their recovery and ability to move forward. We can quite honestly say that this is a day that neither my husband or I will ever forget. We laughed and sang and danced with remarkable women. Their determination and resilience to do well and make better lives for their children have inspired us. We have recommended One Horizon to our friends and family. We don't do this lightly, we do it, because this group of people are making a difference and we were touched. On the issue of communication, the tour was a smooth running and fabulous experience. We just can't recommend this enough, just brilliant.