DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very mixed experience with a lot of downsides
It took me very long to write this review, but I think it´s just fair not to write only positive reviews which is of course much nicer. But we would like to let others know what we have experienced. We have been many times to Africa on all kind of safaris from budget to high-end luxury, but never left with this unhappy feeling. So lets start...
I found kingfisher safaris on this website announcing a "private" mobile camping safari operating in Botsuana. Meanwhile they changed the announcement in "shared", thats what we ended up but expecting a private safari . I still have got a screen shot of the original advertisement to proof it.
But already the beginning was difficult. We were picked up late, Pilot arrived than eventually in a hurry, the car packed up with food, equipment up to the roof etc. There was no excuse. Instead he told us, that due to a late arrival of the trip the day before he had to pack new. At this time we were still fine. But as he stopped a little later at the main road offloading us with two chairs and a cooler box, he drove quickly away. My bag with everything like passports, money was still at the backseat and could have fallen off easily from the safari vehicle. We had no idea how long it would take and where he drove to. This was the first time I felt very unhappy. The rest I will write in keywords.
First the positive aspects:
- The staff was extremely nice and welcoming. Pauline the chef did a wonderful job. Elena the host, was such a warmly and attentive person and Collin did everything that the campsite was in a perfect condition.
-The locations of the campsites were magical.
-All the equipment was good.
- Our unexpected co-travelers turned out to be very lovely persons and we appreciated their company a lot.
Now the negative aspects:
- Guiding was less than mediocre. (here I have to be more detailed) I'm pretty sure that Pilot knows his stuff, but didn't show it to us. At Khwai Privat Concession he was only at the radio and driving us from sighting to sighting which others told him. He never was reading any animal tracks, always the windows closed never listening to alarm calls etc. At Moremi as there were just a few vehicles he had to work a bit harder. We wished he would have explained us more about the unique ecosystem of the Okavango Delta and all the connections between fauna and flora. Pilot almost never stoped for birds, mangooses etc. We felt racing from lion sighting to lion sighting, but none of us four was so extremely interested in them. Once I asked Pilot to stop at the zebras which have been in a wonderful light (we are photographers) but instead he was driving to the next lions. He never really attended to our requests. Maybe the worst was, that he was teasing animals , which is an absolutely unethical behavior. For example he provoked a male hippo to attack the car several times. Another example was playing hyena calls from the mobile to a lion family with tiny cubs.
- Logistic is not the strong side of Pilot. We tried to help and let him know before what kind of beverages we like to avoid buying useless drinks. Didn't work. The first evening we were offered an already open bottle of Merlot and I did write before that the only the wine we don't like is Merlot. After half of the time he run out of gin, and to mention we are not heavy drinkers. In the end no tonic water, no Coca Cola, no white wine, no red wine..... and no excuse.
- Driving style of Pilot was fast, sometimes reckless. We had to use the seatbelts first time on a safari. Pilot general did not respond well to criticism or suggestions. In this case when we asked to drive more carefully, he reacted grumpy and kept driving almost the whole afternoon without stopping and talking to us.
Summarising this was unfortunately our worst safari experience so far even though the magical nature of Botsuana and the wonderful staff of Pilot were hard to beat.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic 1-day safari from Zanzibar
We were a family of 5 and had Kelvin as our private guide for the day in Mikumi. Everything was perfectly organized, Kelvin was friendly and professional, very knowledgable about the good places to watch all the animals, we were even 'lucky' to see a leopard for several minutes. We highly recommend TanzAmerica Safaris.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional, excellent service
My mom and I had an amazing experience with Expedition Kenya Safari. Patrick and Willie were truly amazing. Patrick was courteous, his ability as a spotter and knowledge of animals was remarkable; on entering the Masai Mara he spotted a male lion! Willie was friendly and welcoming, his driving skills in pounding rain and knowledge of the Masai Mara terrain was amazing. We had so much fun. We highly recommend Patrick and Willie for their professionalism, planning/organizing, timeliness and excellent service. Looking forward to our next safari!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hyrax Safaris was great a phenomenal experience!
I had a unique, mind-blowing experience with Hyrax Safaris!! We decided to do a 3-day private Safari in a jeep and it was well worth the money. You pay for what you get, and I feel that I received the experience of a lifetime. The company's owner was friendly and extremely helpful from begging to end. Months, before booking, I inquired about the safari packages and options. The owner and assistant answered all of my questions thoroughly and in a timely manner. Furthermore, she was able to share additional information about the city of Nairobi regarding great hotel options for tourists. I would also like to give a huge shoutout to our safari game driver Aaron Kasaine Senei. He was phenomenal during the game drive. Aaron was nice, welcoming, and extremely knowledgeable about all the animals. I really appreciate that he was patient and allowed us to get as close as possible to the animals while giving us time to take plenty of pictures. Honestly, I was drawn to this company due to their ratings and I can vouch for the excellent service and communication, hence why I decided to leave a review myself. Please book with Hyrax Safaris, you won't be disappointed; 10 out of 10, would recommend it!
CZ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience
We enjoyed our 3 days Safari with Morning Star Tours. Alice cared about us as mother, we have great guide for Safari, the accomodation and food good incl. all services were excellent. Safari in Tsawo West And Amboseli park was unique and could fully recomend to others.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Boundless Africa Journeys is THE tour operator to use!
I can't recommend Boundless Africa Journeys highly enough! Our experience in Kenya with them was amazing! From the very start of the trip to the end, we were taken care of and shown all the beauty of Kenya, its people and its animals. Our guide picked us up at the airport and was with us the entire time we were in Kenya. He was knowledgeable, a very good driver and open to what we wanted to see and do. We liked getting up crack of dawn for best game viewing and he always said "Yes"! Annette, who owns and operates Boundless Africa Journeys was a pleasure to deal with. She created the perfect itinerary for us and checked in frequently to ensure all was going well. I would book another safari with Boundless in a minute! We saw MORE animals on this trip than back in 1998 on another safari. We stayed in a mix of wonderful lodges and tent camps. All were wonderful - incredible views, food was fantastic and service was perfect. It was a big birthday for me and Annette arranged at EVERY camp for a birthday celebration. What a magical experience overall.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Just perfect
We booked the 4-day safari. Our safari went through Tsavo West, Tsavo East and Amboseli National Park. My wife, our 11 year old son and I were all very, very satisfied.
Machut was our guide and driver. We benefited from his many years of experience right from the start. Already at the first stop he spotted a crocodile and a hippo with his trained eye. And the following days were just as exciting. We saw and admired all the big fives at the end of our safari. The lodges were also really great and exceeded our expectations. The locations of the lodges were all unique and the special thing was the watering holes for the animals. So we sat at dinner and we could watch elephants, zebras, buffalos and many other animals from a safe distance. A better entertainment is not possible on a safari.
But also the catering, the cleanliness and the service were completely to our satisfaction. Despite the long distances on partly improvised roads, Machut always drove us safely from A to B. We had unforgettable safari experiences. With this safari we had unforgettable days in Kenya.
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfection
This was one of my best trips ever. From the contact n answering my question to the safari, tent, food, drink, locations….. everything was perfection. I’m definitely coming back to see the Mara river crossing and I’ll book it again with Serengeti African Tours. Thank you for an amazing time!
SK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Safari with Great Company
This was our first safari and we couldn't have chosen a better company than Sino Africa Tours.
Jong coordinated the planning of our safari. He provided us with all the necessary information and did his best to include all our requests in the plan. He was very professional and helpful and focused on every little detail.
Our safari trip included visiting Masai Mara, Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Hell's Gate and Amboseli.
Solomon is the best tour guide and driver you could ask for. He made sure we saw all the 'big five' and many other animals. He was very knowledgeable and professional and gave us a lot of interesting information. He always drove us safely around the country and took care of everything. He had a sense of humor and was always in a positive mood.
The accommodation was well chosen, comfortable and the locals were fantastic. The food was always delicious.
Huge thank you for the fantastic memories and the perfectly organized safari. Great job and I can fully recommend you to all who are looking for special and memorable safari.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Enthusiastic, engaging and detail oriented
In the event that you need a genuine Safari experience in Eastern Africa, Monteero safaris is the best place to start. I can't express how grateful I am about how smooth the cycle was and how supportive and enlightening the team was in particular. We had the best facilities and a magnificent Safari thank you Alvin it was a great experience
