DE
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
v ery good organized and operated
Blue Crane Safaris organized me a private tailored tour about for two weeks and managed to give me a very good total image of Namibia and its people. Everything worked as I had expected. The tour was value of the money I paid. My guide/driver had a very wide knowledge of history of the country, as well as of all animals, plants etc, even over the look of night sky and stars. At the same time he was always ready to assist me if I needed any help and ready to answer all my questions. I had very enjoyable days on the tour of about 4500 km. The car was in a goog condition and his drive skills were excellent. If I am ever going to make a new tour in Namibia, I'll surely contact again Blue Crane Safaris.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional and dedicated to ensuring your trip is incredible!
I would give Duma Explorer 6 stars if Google would allow it. Stacy Readal who runs Duma organized the most incredible Safari in Kenya and Tanzania for my wife and me. We wanted a great first Africa trip where we saw lots of wildlife and felt safe and comfortable while having a great adventure. We definitely got all that, and much more! We are both very well travelled and this was by far our most favorite trip! We are left with the most incredible memories from the Masai Mara in Kenya and from the Serengeti in Tanzania! Our guide in Tanzania, Msangi was absolutely top notch, we loved spending time with him and he did his best to ensure that we had the exact experience we were looking for....true professional and fellow lover of wildlife. We are very grateful to Stacy and her team and would readily go on another adventure with Duma!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unmatched
With so many safari companies to choose from, deciding who to spend a week with can be a daunting task, especially when you're doing it from 8000 miles away. Most operators have good reviews which makes the selection process even more challenging. The very first email that I received from Caroline spelled everything out. Information such as total cost, payment options, and ability to customize essentially every aspect of the trip, was provided. She presented me with a detailed itinerary for our private 6-day safari (Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara) which included the parks we would be visiting, travel time to each location, what to expect at each park, and lodging information. I ultimately selected my own lodges to stay at but Caroline answered all my question, provided feedback on my choices, and made recommendations to maximize park and animal viewing time. I can't explain it but from my initial correspondence with her, I knew that I was going to book with Lion King Adventures.
To secure your trip, you have to make a deposit and then have until 6 weeks prior to your trip to pay in full. You can pay via credit card if you value security though that incurs a fee. The other option is bank transfer and there are a couple ways of doing that. I have never paid for a trip that way because of the absence of financial protection. However, I got over my anxiety and ultimately paid via bank transfer and it went without a hitch (Caroline provided very detailed instructions so it turned out to be easy). Once you pay the deposit, the reservation team (aka Rose) takes over. Rose made sure everything was set prior to us leaving. Due to one lodge closing its booking window, I had to book it on my own, which resulted in a reduction in my payment to Lion King Adventures. I miscalculated and ended up overpaying. However, Rose brought this to my attention and when we were picked up at the airport, the driver returned my overpayment in cash. I tell this story because it is a testament to the honesty and integrity of Lion King Adventures.
When we arrived, we were met by one of their drivers who drove us to our lodge in Arusha. The following morning, we were picked up by Gilbert. Gilbert has been doing this for some time and this was evident by the end of the safari. Not only did he turn out to be great at spotting animals but he understood their behavior and passed this knowledge on to us. He got us up close to cheetah (which are not exactly easy to find during rainy season) so that made both of our kids very happy. He was super nice (he is easily someone that you would become friends with), prompt, accommodating, and clearly enjoys what he does. He also takes his time. In the parks, we were frequently passed by other safari vehicles. The reason is that he was constantly on the lookout for animals and there's no way to do that well if you're in a rush. The only time he did drive "fast" in a park was when he knew he had to get somewhere fast in order for us to see something special, like a leopard eating an impala. How does he know this? He is frequently communicating with other guides to find out if anyone else has come across something interesting.
Lion King Adventures is a local family owned tour operator and it felt like it. Every person I communicated with prior to the safari (Caroline, Rose, Edward) and during the safari (Gilbert) went the extra step to take care of us. They said in their introductory email "The nature of safaris can be quite adventurous and Lion King’s number one priority at all times is your safety" and this was very obvious. I said that we were often passed by other safari vehicles in the park. We were also frequently passed by other vehicles when traveling on regular roads. While they were clearly trying to get to their next destination as quickly as possible, Gilbert as well as the driver who picked us up at the airport cared only about us getting there comfortably and safely. We appreciated this.
Thank you to everyone at Lion King Adventures for making this an epic trip that we will cherish forever.
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great
I didn't feel my life was in danger. However, there are many vagrants and many beggars. At the airport, you will be asked for a lot of tips. This was also an experience that made me realize the disparity. I was a little scared when I was asked to use marijuana only once. However, marijuana is not illegal in South Africa. Safari was perfect. I was able to see the Big Five. All the staff were helpful and friendly.
NZ
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable and great with communication
We found Odyssey delivered on all that they said. Accommodation was just as they described guides were all very good and each destination we were always met on time and given great advice.
DE
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A beautiful experience
We really enjoyed our safari. We were a group of eight people and drove in two cars. Our guides were really nice and helpful. Everything was well organised. We saw lions, elephants, hippos, a crocodile, giraffes, zebras and many more. The nature in the park is gorgeous. The accommodation was not as we expected, but for one night it was okay. Altogether we were totally happy with our safari an we can truly recommend this company.
DE
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very reliable and informative
After travelling many years in various African countries this was our first trip to Botswana. It was a beautiful experience, thanks to Seoganetseng and his crew. Seoganetseng – for most visitors better known as Sox - was very reliable and he organized a perfect safari, including Kalahari, Makgadikgadi and Moremi in the Okavango delta, some of the outstanding areas Botswana has to offer. Sox is very knowledgeable and an untiring guide. The atmosphere in the camp was beautiful, Daniel and Russel, Sox’ back up crew, provided everything you need in a bush camp from hot showers to fresh bread from Russel’s campfire oven! Thank you for the great time we had! Like to see you again.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Professional, well-organised, committed to making the safari meet the needs and wishes of the clien
Bush Troop Safaris organised a tailor-made walking safari to Laikipia. The trip included three days of walking through conservancies and common land where we were able to see a variety of game in a largely unspoilt and extraordinarily beautiful landscape. We were an older group and needs and our limitations were well considered and catered for. During the planning process, Jacqueline in Nairobi and Michael in Nanyuki were in regular contact to ensure that we were happy with the programme. The organisation on the ground was thoughtful and seamless: food was prepared and ready when we arrived at the various points, our tents were set up and ready, the food was tasty, well-prepared and plentiful. The staff running the camps were attentive, thorough and discreet. Our guides, two Samburu leaders, were exceptional and made the walk rich in information and detail - most importantly given that we were walking through elephant country, we felt completely safe in their hands. Without a doubt, the trip was great value and very, very enjoyable.
Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Perfect Safari !
As soon as I expressed my interest for a Kenyan safari package online, Meschak was in touch with me offering his expert advise and details. Although initially we wanted to do tour in Decmber 2022, with some other work we had to reschedule it to March 2023. Throughout this time period Meschak was in touch with me where he promptly answered our questions, and we negotiated over the itinerary, accomadation options and cost. This initial phase established the fact that they are very professional and always wanted to provide the best to their clients. On the day of our arrival in Nairobi, Meshack greeted us warmly and made sure we felt comfortable and our first day is perfect. We had a driver assigned at a reasonable cost for our first and only day in Nairobi and he gave us a good overview of Nairobi city and other closeby attractions which we enjoyed a lot. On day 2 we were greeted by Francis who became a part of our family for the next 7 days of the tour. He was very professional , polite, knowledgeable, respectful and patient which we loved as we had very long drives with him within parks as well as from one location to another. We highly recommend him as a driver/guide. Overall the itinerary was very well prepared with lot of thought given to make sure we were not too tired and we had enough time to experience the different landscapes and animals in lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara and Amboseli. On the last day Meschak met us again to say good bye and wanted to know our feedback so they can improve further. We surely recommend Alligator Adventures and Safaris without any doubt. We wish Meschak, Francis and the Alligator Adventures and Safaris all the best.
NO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience and service
We went on a 2-day safari with our amazing guide Gaston. We were picked up in our hotel in Dar Es Salaam and drove to Mikumi national park. On the way we had a few stops and got lunch on the way. We went for an afternoon game drive and were stunned by the park and all the animals we got to see in the short period of time we were there. We slept over in the national park and we were also here super positively surprised by the high quality of the rooms and service. The food was ok. The next morning we had a early morning game drive where we also were super lucky and got to see a lot of animals very close by. Our guide was very nice and a perfect fit for us. He told us some facts about the animals, but also allowed us to experience the wildlife in complete silence. The silence of the nature is what shook us the most! The sounds and views are truly amazing. For information, we saw lions, zebras, giraffes, hippos, monkeys, baboons, wildebeasts, elephants, birds, impalas and soooo on! We had an amazing trip and would 100% recommend KIHINDO Tours and Safaris to all our friends, and would love to come back one day!
