CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great. Very helpful and understanding. On time. Will recommend to others for sure.
Very reliable. Helped me to move from hotel to new hotel too.
Guide arrived on time. Excellent communication and service.
Probably we should have started early as given 6.00 am Stopped at a breakfast place but they were not ready and took time.
We only saw one lion resting and no leopards. The rest was good. Saw Giraffs , Rhinos, Zebras ,Impala's and buffaloes.
FI
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Zimbabwe & Botswana Game Tracker - worth the price, some challenges
We did Sunway Safaris Zimbabwe & Botswana Game Tracker (ZBa16) in March-April 2024 with a Sunway Safari truck and all together 12 participants and 2 guides. Here is a summary of the trip. All in all, the level of the tour operator was reasonable by Arfica's standards and the trip was generally worth the price. The guides were of a good average level and the arrangements were generally smooth. The food was average.
The car's safety level had some shortcomings (three-point seat belts were missing and a lot of loose items were kept in the passenger compartment), but the driver's driving skills were good. It is worth noting that the car is built on a truck chassis and the suspension is therefore very stiff. Spending tens of hours on bumpy roads in Africa is therefore quite uncomfortable. In addition, the car's air conditioning is insufficient for hot climates, so you should be prepared for discomfort. Contrary to what is said on the website, there is no drinking water tank in the car, but passengers are advised to buy their drinking water from shops.
The itinerary was mostly good. The biggest disappointment was that a few weeks before the trip, the tour operator announced that Khama Rhino Sanctuary was removed from the plan, as seeing Rhinos was one of the main reasons we booked this particular trip. It was replaced by Goo Moremi Gorge, where we did a small nature walk in a large group of tourists and where there was practically nothing to see. The reason for the change was that one of the couples participating in the trip had booked earlier flights, which is why we had to be at the airport earlier and therefore travel further the day before and miss the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. In my opinion, it is not fair that the route of those who have already booked the trip is shortened and destinations are left out, so that those who booked later can book earlier flights.
Another big disappointment on the trip was the game drive arrangements of the Hvange nature park. The itinerary promises 4WD game drives in the park led by a local guide. We also booked the night game drive offered as an extra. In practice, we got an ancient truck from the 80s and a non-English-speaking driver who couldn't drive it and wasn’t interested in the animals or guiding. At the very beginning, we got stuck twice in the sand, from which we had to shovel the tires and push the car (the safety instructions prohibit not getting out of the car, but we had no choice but to push the car out of the sand). After this, the driver refused to drive on the dirt roads anymore and only drove back and forth on the main road of the park, with the result that we saw nothing but a couple of elephants that were in the middle of the road. Also, the night game drive light used by the driver was so weak that you couldn't spot animals in its light. Despite our complaints, the Sunway safaris guide didn't do anything about it, but went himself to another car, which drove small dirt roads and saw a lot of animals. When we demanded a refund for the payment, the guide didn't even try to find a solution, but bluntly stated that we should pay for these "game drives".
There was also one very dangerous incident on our trip. In the Okavango Delta, a hippo attacked one of our group's canoes. A local paddler barely managed to keep the canoe afloat by jumping into the water himself and hitting the hippo with a stick, which broke in a flash. Fortunately, no one was injured, only the clothes and belongings of the people in the canoe got wet. However, the situation was life-threatening.
The accommodations were mostly as described, some quite basic, some better and even luxury.
The Great Zimbabwe hotel turned off the electricity at night to save electricity from 1-5, with the result that the air conditioning did not work and we stayed up sweating almost the whole night. You couldn't open the windows because of the monkeys and mosquitoes, which was very uncomfortable.
Okavango Delta tent camp was very basic, as promised. It was quite nice there as long as the weather stayed good, but on our last day there it rained non-stop, which made it quite uncomfortable. We also had to leave the camp in the pouring rain, so all our things were soaking wet after the trip.
Hermits Peak Guest Lodge in Matobo, Nkosi Guest Lodge at Victoria Falls and Goo Moremi Gorge Resort were the best and good quality accommodations of the trip, the rest were quite ordinary.
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly professional and welcoming Safari arrangement!
Among several other competing organizers Viva Safari distinguished by giving quick and clear information about the arrangement pre our visit. Thanks to Ms Landau. Once we arrived in Sout Africa we were most warmly welcomed and had four days of beautiful safari.
Special thanks to the the knowledgeable staff particularly Smiley, Nadine and Charl. We really enjoyed your professional and engaging "lectures" and guidings.
The transport from Johannesburg worked well however one of the four drivers did not feel as well skilled. I had to ask him to cool down.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Taras has Uganda at his heart. So knowledgeable and experienced
Alps Trendy Safaris was there with me throughout the whole safari.
Seeing the gorillas in Bwindi was the most touching experience. Not forgetting the funny seals at Kibale N P.
In general, i had one of the most memorable moments of my life. Good job done Alps team.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
He is an amazing person I’ve never met
If you’re seeking an immersive journey through the heart of Tanzania’s breathtaking landscapes and vibrant culture, look no further than Golden Memories Safaris. As an avid traveler, I recently had the pleasure of experiencing their hiking and camping tour, and it exceeded all expectations.
20-35 years of age
Sello was an excellent tour guide, with lots of personality and helpful information
The tour gave us a good feel of Soweto and allowed us to see all the key sites. It would be good to have more walking around and not as much sitting in the car.
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
He was adventurous and wanted us to see all the animals and best of the tour
I like the company. They are experienced planners and make sure to accommodate needs of the clients. We have been using the references and tour operators for a month during a study-field trip and had a close collaboration. Can recommend
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very helpful and creative..had various options for the types of trips we could take and activities.
We enjoyed our Easter weekend trip..They planned everything,all we did was mention the idea of a trip and they handled the rest.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was a wildly beautiful experience.
I really enjoyed my trip. Being my first time to go to the Mara i must say it didn't dissapoint one bit. The travel logistics from time keeping to the accomodation, to the game drive it was all quite commendable. If you plan to travel stress free reach out to Jocky Safaris they're your go to safari booking experts.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari is budget; experience is exclusive.
Booked via Trip Advisor. Went smooth and all was planned perfect. We were picked up at our hotel in downtown Nairobi and droppen at our car and driver. What I can say about our driver. Steve was a very good guide and an experienced driver. We had to return early and he showed flexibility and delivered us a the airport on time.
