US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic People
Owners were very attentive to every detail and also made us feel like family. Would highly recommend them to anyone wanting to do a safari.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our favorite holiday!
We wholeheartedly recommend Southern Africa Tours. Craig and Bianca are experts in their field and dealing with them was a pleasure.
We told Craig and Bianca what our interests were and they planned a trip that was perfect for us. We had a fantastic time: 12 days of seeing and doing what we had hoped for. The memories of animals, sights and experiences will remain with us forever.
Before we return to Africa, we will first contact Southern Africa Tours to organize our next trip.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience
We booked 2 nights and 3 days in Amboseli.
It was great. Our driver Kevin was very nice and we saw lions and cheetahs with him!
The accommodation at the camp was amazing, as were the people who hosted us. We spent two magical evenings sharing and learning about Kenya.
Everything was well organised. Also, they are very responsive by message.
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good overall but 2 bad experiences! Do your research before booking
We booked a 4D3N midrange safari to Maasai Mara and lake Nakuru with hyrax. We had a great time with Hyrax Safaris and both my parents were extremely satisfied. We saw the Big 5 and our guide Solomon went the extra mile to show us the animals. He did all he could to show us a leopard and we ended up being the first ones to see it. He was also very knowledgeable on all the animals and shared interesting facts about each animal. He was also quick to rectify any problems that came up along the way. On the first day we had a flat tyre and Solomon took care of it quickly with the help of his other Safari guide friends. He also placed my bag in the wrong camp but quickly realised and had it brought back to me without 15 minutes. With the above being said, we had 2 BAD EXPERIENCE which you should read before booking Hyrax
Roselyn agreed to provide us Jambo Mara lodge and Saravo woodlands in her original quote. After we made the down payment, she told us that saravo woodlands is no longer available and instead proposed another accommodation. However, the other accommodation is much cheaper and there was no mention of discounting the price difference until I brought it up. She also did not apologise for her lack of oversight in accepting down payment before checking availability of hotel. After I brought up the price discount, she quoted us a discount which definitely did not seem enough. True enough, when I checked the hotel price online, the discount was supposed to be greater. When I brought this up to Roselyn, she did some calculations to show us that she was right. However, in her calculations she calculated the hotel price per person instead of per room, so the total cost was higher than what it should be. I pointed this out to her but she didn’t agree. In the end, I made it a point to call the hotel and recorded our call with them showing that we were right. Afterwards Roselyn told us that the hotel told them the higher price at first and that she will check with them and in the end she gave us the correct discounted price. While I do appreciate that she finally gave us the right price, it should not have been after such measures from our part. Also, it’s extremely hard to believe that a tour company which has been booking hotels for their business does not know that hotel prices are usually quoted per room and not per person. I do suspect that it was an attempt by Hyrax to take a larger profit but I will give them the benefit of the doubt.
Secondly, before our safari Roselyn provided us with an itinerary. However, during our Safari, our guide changed the itinerary without asking us first. To be specific the change was as follows. We were originally supposed to have a pre-breakfast game drive on Day 3. However our guide changed it to Day 2 and on Day 3 we did not have the pre-breakfast game drive. Yes, in the end we got the same amount of game drive. However, I want to point out that entrance fee to Maasai Mara is on a 80 USD/24 hour basis if you are staying outside the reserve. By doing this shift, Hyrax is able to pay only 80 USD for entrance instead of 160 USD. However, they were not transparent with this information. I believe this is done so that when unsuspecting customers such as ourselves ask for the safari price breakdown, they can quote the entrance fee as being 160 USD but get away by only paying 80USD and hence have an extra 80 USD profit. We would have been okay with this had they been transparent. It is not professional to change an itinerary after we paid for it.
The above experiences might not be unique to Hyrax and might occur with any tour companies possibly. So for anyone reading this review, please do your research beforehand and do not let them get away with your money! If the review is confusing but you want to understand more, feel free to contact me.
IL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very well organized trip with an excellent guide
We had a 8 day safari trip of bird watching and primates. It was very well organized. Our guide-driver, Amos, was amazing: fluent in English, highly intelligent, knowledgeable, kind and patient, He took care of everything and was just fun to hang out with. The amount and beauty of the species we encountered went beyond our expectations - a new wonder every day. We saw many of the Albertine Rift endemic birds and unique mammals (chimps, gorillas, lion etc.) with the help of excellent local guides. The activities were varied: game drive, hiking and boat ride. Communication with Hedmond, the sales manger was very good and everything went as planned. The service at the lodges was also very good. We highly recommend this company and guide.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best of the best in customer service, sales, and travel planning
Our nine-day private safari with Serengeti Clarity was a truly outstanding experience. From start to finish, the attention to detail was exceptional, and we were delighted with the knowledge and friendly demeanor of our guide, Ally. He and his colleagues worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that every aspect of our trip was perfect. We were consistently impressed with their dedication to making our safari the trip of a lifetime, and we can confidently say that they exceeded our expectations. If you're considering a safari in Tanzania, we highly recommend Serengeti Clarity - you won't regret it!
PL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great 4 day Serengeti safari
Thank you for organizing a wonderful trip to the national parks of Tanzania. Organization of the operator by Mrs. Sylwia HELLO TANZANIA at a high level, purchase of tickets, business, punctual transfers, very good contact. The driver picked us up from the Serengeti airport and took care of us as best he could for the whole 4 days. He showed great knowledge about animals, we felt taken care of and safe. Every day he greeted us with a smile, he tried very hard to make customers happy. He knew the area of the parks perfectly, he knew how to move to meet wild animals. We recommend the organizers Hanna C Polska
(automatic translation from Polish)
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrible, don't book with this company
When we asked a quote we received different photos than where he accommodated us. When we arrived we were in shock for the location, we asked to be moved immediately and Mr. Mika told us to pay for the upgrade. For 2 days in Lenchada Camp we had the electricity just for 3h per day, was from 7pm to 10 pm, in the tend wasn’t plate for recharge the cell phone. We booked for 2 persons for 1.700 dollars for 5 days, full board, includes Breakfast/ Lunch/Dinner/Drinking water. Driver/Camp/Hotel/Safari/National Park.
We had to recharge in the fake restaurant (was a small a dirty tend, and the food was terrible, the chef wearing very dirty). No electricity, no water to drink in the camp. We never meet Mr. Mika, he staid away from us.
In the our tour for 5 day were with us others 5 persons. One paid 550 dollars for Lenchada Camp where Mr Mika accomodated us, and the others 4 paid 600 dollars each for a good location in Enrock Camp.
Thanks to the driver for our safari Mr. Andrew from other company we recovered the shock of the terrible first 2 days in Lenchada Camp.
We give the good reviews for the driver Mr. Andrew, and bad reviews for Akoa Africa Tour and Mr. Mika from this company.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very well organized tour at a affordable price
Bearing in mind, this is a budget tour, the experience was fantastic. The quality of accommodation exceeded expectations, particularly in Zimbabwe, and the organization was terrific. Despite it being relatively cheap, we saw exactly what you would if you were on an expensive safari as we’re in the game parks next to the more opulent tours. Overall an excellent experience. The tour guides were very friendly and extremely knowledgeable, Regards, Steve Ramsay, and Karen Honner
BG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My new most favourite place in the world!
We went to Botswana with no expectations whatsoever, only knowing that the safari at Chobe could be a good experience. It turned out to be one of the most amazing trips we have ever done. The park, the nature, the animals - everything was juts spectacular. We camp in Chobe for 3 days and LT (our guide) was so knowledgeable of the park that it made the visit so much better. The hospitality was great and we are definitely looking forward visiting Botswana again!!