20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We were wishless happy with Suricata!
How do we start? We were searching for a company and choosed because of the recommendations. Would I choose a different company when we are back in Tansania? Definitely not! Traveling with Vincent (Guide) and Tito (Cook) from Suricata was one of the best decisions we made in our Vacation.
We were so lucky and we have seen all the animals! Asante Sana!
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Would go again
I am very thankful to have found this tour company.
My husband and I were traveling to Africa for the first time and were dying to go on safari.
At EATL we felt very well looked after. The employees responded to our wishes and were able to clear up any ambiguities in advance and answer our questions.
The safari was just amazing! A great experience that we don't want to miss. We saw many different animals, passed very close to some animals and from time to time we stopped for a while and were able to observe elephants, giraffes, lions, various monkeys, warthogs and many other animals up close.
We are enthusiastic about all the impressions!
(automatic translation from German)
CH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding Camping Safari (10-Day: The Okavango Delta & Chobe Adventure Trail)
We are absolutely lucky to have booked our safari with Moonstroll. What did us led to such a good review? Oh, there were many things and I want just to mention the most outstanding events, otherwise you would need to read a whole book.
We arrived happily at the airport of Maun, not so our baggage. As our 10 days safari (10-Day: The Okavango Delta & Chobe Adventure Trail) started already early in the morning of the next day, the manager of Moonstroll (his name is Monametsi) tried to figure out where our baggage is and to get it. We were so happy to hear in the second day that our baggage has arrived at the airport, that Monametsi will get it and bring it to us. Most things for the safari were in there. What we heard that if you have not a direct flight to Maun baggage is often delayed and it is advised to haven an extra day in Maun before a tour starts.
My wife and I had four people caring for us during the camping safari.
First of all, there was Ben who was our guide and driver. We were amazed how he was able to spot even small animals from far away. Without him, we would have missed most of them. In the sand, he also read footprints of animals and we followed them. Or he listened to birds’ voices or saw them flying and knew what other animals must be close nearby. Also Ben’s driving skills on sandy slopes were exceptional.
Then there was Gothata our chef. It was miraculous what meals she prepared on the fire. We expected to get simple meals but were surprised by a big variety of tasty meals.
Finally, there were Kennedy and Gaety. The gave all support that is needed for such a safari as put-up tents, helping in the kitchen, find firewood, and lots more.
Most of the time, all four work together as one team for safaris trips. You see this as they are working hand in hand, knowing each other very well and there is relaxing atmosphere.
Also the safari infrastructure was ways better than expected. We had a tent where you could stand upright and where was enough space for the luggage. For a shower, we always got warm water. The 4x4 safari vehicle was big enough, made for rough slope conditions and granted an almost 360-degree angle view for spotting animals.
All this we enjoyed as a private tour for a really fair price. Thank you so much for all the extraordinary experiences.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great tour
Gorilla trekking was incredible and our hotel stops in Bwindi and Bunyonyi were nice, clean and comfortable. Our driver, Farouk, was accommodating and allowed us to deviate from our set itinerary (we wanted to check out a tea plantation instead of a Kigali tour). Communication with Fred was also quick and easy. Our only suggestion would be for better organization in terms of specific locations - we were supposed to go to a viewpoint on the Twin Lakes but weren’t sure where that was. That being said, our driver ensured we still found a scenic viewpoint.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience and reliable operator - will choose King Tomondo again
This is the second time we went to Kenya and again we included a safari, this time a short 3 day tour of two parks. We wanted to start at Voi (a small town on the railroad from Nairobi to Mombasa) which was not a problem. Our driver Said who was to take us from there in the early morning even came to see us the evening before and ask about our well-being and wishes. We went to Tsavo East and to Ziwani - drives were always pleasant, we saw lots of animals from short distance and took innumerable pictures ... and the lodges King Tomondo had proposed were just great (Manyatta Camp and Voyager Ziwani Tented Camp, just wonderful, also the restaurant).
King Tomondo did not only take care of the safari itself, but also booked taxis (with good drivers) for us in Nairobi (from airport to station and back) and in Voi (from station to our hotel) - everything worked perfectly smoothly. We never had the feeling that anything could go wrong. We highly recommend and hope to book with them again on our next stay in Kenya.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A fun and exciting tour
We loved our tour with Home to Africa. The experience was made easy with lots of information and a very knowledgeable and capable driver. The 5 different places we stayed were all very welcoming and accommodating. We LOVED our time in Bwindi and the gorilla trekking was definitely a highlight. Considering everything we got to see and do I feel the price was very reasonable. Our driver Patrick was excellent.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing! Our guide was Peter. He made sure our trip was the trip of a life time!
I can’t say enough about the Safari. Seeing the animals in their natural habitat was incredible. Our guide Peter was very knowledgeable, funny and made us feel safe everywhere we went. The staff was wonderful. They spoiled us with great food and accommodations. Our beds had these warm hot water bottles in them every night! If we needed to leave our tent there was always someone there with a flashlight to lead the way. I would recommend Bateleur Eagle Safaris to anyone going. I plan on going back with my grandkids someday!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lion King delivered the trip of a lifetime!
If you are anything like me, when you want to find a recommendation for something or you need some reassurance in the decision you have made, you probably 1) ask friends, family, co-workers, b) read the reviews, or c) sort by user ratings and hope you picked the highest one. My hope is this review will help give you the comfort and confidence you need to book what will likely be the trip of a lifetime with Lion King Adventures.
Our Experience
After reading lots of reviews on both Trip Advisor and Safari Bookings to find the top few safari tour operators, I reach out to four different companies (including Lion King Adventures) and asked them to provide a proposal and an itinerary. From the beginning, Lion King stuck out as the clear number one. The team was super responsive, professional, and very flexible with our requests. The experience we were looking for was not an off the shelf experience, but something tailor made. This is something a couple of the other tour operators were not willing to do, and the one that was, wanted to charge a small fortune. So after a few emails back and forth with Lion King and loads of questions (from us) about the different lodges and parks, we dialed in our safari and landed on a 9 day luxury package. What came next was by far the scariest part of the whole experience and 99% of the reason I am writing this review.... The email from Lion King asking us to wire the money to a Tanzanian bank account...!! You can read the reviews, see the pictures, look at a very professional website and read very professional proposals, but if being asked to wire a fairly significant amount of money to a bank in Africa doesn't make you pause, and I am not sure what will.
... so, we trusted our gut, wired the money and hoped when we landed in Kilimanjaro someone would be there to pick us up. When we landed someone was there to pick us up, and the trip that ensued was the absolute trip of a lifetime and Lion King is the reason for that. If you read no further, just know that if you book with Lion King, book with 100% confidence and know they will absolutely deliver on giving you a once in a lifetime experience.
Our Guide
Our guide, Peter, was phenomenal; he was a wealth of knowledge about the animals, geography, geology and culture. He is also fluent in English and Swahili, which made it super easy to communicate. At the beginning of the safari Peter asked us what we wanted to see, so we laid out our list... Lion eating, Cheetahs, Leopards, baby lions, and the Mara River crossing. To see that list in a lifetime would be an accomplishment, we wanted to see it all in what was essentially seven days in the parks. Peter showed us everything we wanted to see (including the Mara River crossing, which we waited for five hours to see!) and some - we got to see a pride of lions hunt, we saw four leopards, and crossed off everything on the Big Five list. Peter's knowledge of the animals, terrain, and his command of the vehicle allowed him to get us the best angles for pictures and viewing.
When we booked the trip, we did not appreciate how much time you will spend in a Safari vehicle with your guide (at least 10 hours per day) so having someone that is friendly and easy to talk to is important. Besides the game drives, some of the best moments were simply sitting down for lunch to chat about life, culture, sports, etc... The guide is 90%+ the reason you have a great safari, and Peter delivered.
Vehicles
Lion King’s vehicles (Land Cruisers) are well maintained, clean and as comfortable as possible (the African bush is pretty unforgiving…). The vehicles also had charging ports and a refrigerator, which were nice touches. Peter cleaned the vehicle every day and ensured we were well stocked with beer, soda, and water. There is no radio (the only radio is for communicating with other safari guides) or music, which on the long transit journeys (driving between parks or camps) would have been nice. The roads are very bumpy and it's too loud to have a proper conversation, some music would have been great.
Our Lodges
We stayed at the Gran Melia (Arusha), Gibbs Farm, The Four Seasons (two nights), LaMala Kuria Hills (two nights), Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater Camp and Neptune Ngorongoro. I am not going to review each of them, there are plenty of reviews online. All these lodges are world class, with world class accommodations, I would highly recommend every one of them. Sanctuary was a tent camp, but still had running water, electricity, and Wi-Fi.
Gran Melia - Great property with a coffee plantation. The fitness center, pool and spa are definitely the highlights of this resort. The resort overlooks Mt Meru, which is a great 15,000ft peak just outside Arusha. It was a perfect place to recharge after traveling 30+ hours to get there before beginning the safari (I would highly recommend a recovery day before beginning the safari).
Gibbs Farm - Amazing property with farm to table experience. This resort has the best onsite activities of the bunch. The rooms were comfortable with all the amenities you would expect, plus some – including a fireplace and an outdoor shower.
Four Seasons - Their reputation doesn't really need a review... This is just a massive hotel/resort in the Serengeti. Nothing super special about it (it's a very nice luxury resort!), other than it had a fitness center (which we used both days, 10+ hours in the Land Cruiser is a lot of sitting and I think they are the only resort in the Central Serengeti with a fitness center) and the property. The property is located around a couple of active watering holes, so herbs of Elephant, Zebra, Buffalo, etc… just show up throughout the day and night to drink – that was pretty cool.
LaMala Kuria Hills - This place was phenomenal and if you want to see the crossing at the Mara River, this is absolutely the place to stay (even if you don't want to see the crossing, it's a great place to simply enjoy the northern Serengeti). The staff were world class, and the rooms were terrific. The outdoor space for each room was the best of the places we stayed, with a large balcony that overlooked the Serengeti. Each had a large sitting area, an outdoor shower and a private swimming pool.
Sanctuary Ngorongoro Crater - For being a tent it was super comfortable (and the temperature dipped to 38°F the night we were there!). There was a gas heater and electric blankets to keep us warm. The food was the best of any place we stayed (the lunch they packed for us the next day was spectacular) and the access to the crater (15-minute drive) is hard to beat.
Neptune Ngorongoro - This place is hard to describe in words. We have been fortunate to travel all over the world, this place is top 10 nicest places we have ever stayed. The resort sits on 50 private acres of farmland and coffee plantation. Almost everything they serve is farm to table. The rooms (they are actually individual houses that are ~900 sq. ft) are amazing with a huge outdoor space.
Final Thoughts….
This is a trip that you probably do once in a lifetime – it’s challenging to get there (30+hrs of travel), there is a lot of organization and planning to sort through (vaccines, visas, special prescriptions like anti-malarial) and it’s expensive. The worst thing would be booking the trip with a safari operator that fails to deliver on their end of the deal – give you the experience of a lifetime. You have to have realistic expectations when you book this adventure, things will happen - these vehicles get beat to hell and you might get a flat tire (we didn’t, but we did get stuck crossing in a stream… it happens, but there were other guides and vehicles ready to help); the faucet water isn’t safe to drink and if you accidentally drink some you might end up with a stomach ache; you are trying to find and watch wild animals – they are wild animals and they do whatever they want… there are no guarantees you will see everything; and at the end of the day, you are literally in the middle of nowhere - anything can happen in the middle of nowhere… These things aside, know that if you book with Lion King Adventures, they will do everything in their power uphold their end of the deal and give you a truly special and unforgettable adventure.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Par excellence!! In my experience, the best tour operator so far.
Our tour guide is very friendly. She explains everything very patiently and is very well prepared. Her services are amazing. She values the money and also cares for her clients money. Her fantastic knowledge about the country has saved our lot of money. Shikwaru adventures are 100% reliable. I am from India and lives in Germany, paid my tour fee in advance and she was with me for 14 days from airport pickup till dropoff.
About the tour- in game drives, we found all Big 5 and other (phenomenal) animals as well. Our city tours were fantastic and experienced the African culture as well.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent recommendations. Fabulous service and support.
We have used Taku from Falcon Safaris before for last minute trip bookings, and didn't hesitate to use him again. Some people plan and book their big African adventures a year or so in advance. I messaged Taku a week before we were going to leave 5 country overlanding roadtrip and started the process! No problem for him. He understood how we work and went above and beyond to make things work and ensure our trip was a success. I felt he was with us along the whole trip- I was in constant what app communication with him, and for 5 weeks of bookings, he was there for us. We stayed in some incredible places and we all loved every one of the different experiences. 2 of us were camping and then we also needed Accom in the same place for my mum so that was sometimes a challenge finding places that were nice for both camping + lodge/tent/chalet. But he succeeded every time. There was only one establishment that we didn't love, and he swiftly moved us out of there, got us into an incredible replacement and even got us a refund for the first one. (nothing wrong with the first one, but my mum didn't like the room!) all worked out well though.
I would be delighted to book another trip with him and Falcon- and have no hesitation of recommending their services.