CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our Kenya & Tanzania Safari Turned Into a NIGHTMARE
It has been 10 days since I finished my Kenya + Tanzania Safari trip. I still can’t get over what happened in Kenya, and I’ve been losing sleep over it. So I decided to write this down.
I started officially planning my Safari trip in October 2025 and discussed the itinerary with more than 15 travel agencies. Lincons from RAMESA ADVENTURE replied the fastest and could basically meet all our requests during communication, so we chose REMESA. But to my great disappointment, we made the wrong choice 💔
Our trip lasted 10 days, and many unpleasant things happened. The most unforgivable issues are:
1. Both spare tires on our Tanzania vehicle were unusable!!
Poor road conditions on Safari often lead to flat tires or getting stuck, which I consider normal. We even got stuck and had a flat tire once in Kenya, and everyone stayed calm.
But near Ngorongoro Crater, after our tire blew out, the driver tried two spare tires in a row — both were useless. One spare tire didn’t even have any tread left!
I really don’t understand how the vehicle was inspected before departure. Why was such a spare tire even kept?
The driver borrowed a spare from another vehicle, but we got another flat tire inside Ngorongoro Crater. In the end, even changing the tire didn’t fix the problem. We had to be escorted out of the park by Ngorongoro’s official vehicles. We barely had any meaningful Safari time that day.
2. REMESA changed our guide without consulting us — the new guide couldn’t find animals or solve problems!
When we paid the deposit in November, we confirmed with Lincons that our guide in Kenya would be Felix. Our itinerary was a loop: Kenya → Tanzania → Kenya.
When we returned to Kenya from Tanzania and arrived at customs, I called Felix but he didn’t answer. I contacted Lincons to tell him we had arrived, and only then did he inform us that they had changed our guide to Mark.
We reached customs at 10:00 AM, and Lincons said Mark was already waiting for us.
After finishing immigration at 10:40 AM, Mark was nowhere to be found.
We called Mark 7 times. He kept lying, saying “20 minutes away”, “10 minutes away”, “stuck in traffic”, making us wait from 10:40 AM until 12:30 PM!!
Later Lincons told us Mark had overslept and was lying the whole time.
Mark was clearly an incompetent driver. He didn’t even have a radio or walkie-talkie in his car.
We saw almost nothing in Amboseli. To avoid work, he took us to a restaurant to rest, claiming the animals hadn’t come out yet.
His driving inside the park was completely unplanned.
We later learned from friends that a cheetah hunt happened in Amboseli that day. Even if we might not have made it in time, Mark clearly had no idea — because he didn’t communicate with other drivers at all.
3. RAMESA failed to pay the off-road vehicle owner, leaving us stranded at the hotel and nearly missing our flight!
On our final day, the itinerary was from Amboseli to Nairobi Airport for our flight back to China.
After we loaded all our luggage into the SUV, Mark refused to drive.
His communication skills were terrible — he wouldn’t explain what was wrong.
Only after the hotel intervened did we find out: RAMESA had not settled the payment with the vehicle owner, who remotely locked the car’s engine, making it impossible to start (I’m not sure if remote locking is real).
Keep in mind we had already paid the full amount in cash before the trip started.
We called Lincons more than 10 times, but he didn’t answer or reply to any messages.
Afraid of missing our flight, we had to pay Mark the $250 that RAMESA supposedly owed the vehicle owner, just so he would take us to the airport.
Two hours later, Mark returned the $250, saying RAMESA had finally paid.
But this situation was completely unacceptable — we nearly missed our entire trip home!
There were other problems too:
Several camps we stayed at had almost no hot water.
We repeatedly asked for three bean bags before departure, but we never got them the entire trip.
We had been so excited for this Safari before we left. But after all these terrible experiences, I’m sharing this to help others choose a travel agency more carefully.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amaizing Safari
Incredible package delivery of Tour, Got the value for Money in this trip as the experience was amazing and the staffs who assisted us from the beginning to the end are much appreciated.
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great guide and fantastic Safari in Nairobi
We had a great experience with Kichaka Tours during our half-day safari in Nairobi National Park, which we arranged due to a long layover in Nairobi between flights.
The communication with Mercy during the booking process was clear and smooth, and they were very flexible with the timing when Kenya Airways rebooked our flight.
Before the safari, we visited the Giraffe Centre, which was a great start to the day.
Our safari guide, Richard, was excellent. He shared great explanations about the park, the animals, and the highlights along the way. He also made a real effort to find the best spots for wildlife viewing and photography.
We were incredibly lucky and managed to see almost all the animals we hoped for, including cheetah, lion, hippo, rhino, giraffe, buffalo, and jackals.
After the safari, we also got a quick city tour of Nairobi before being dropped off at the airport, which was a very nice way to end the experience.
Overall, a fantastic experience that we would highly recommend!
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
60th birthday celebration
Great experience across all the safari experience with excellent organization and guide. 100% reliable all the plans - balloon tour included. Great value for money.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly, reliable and helpful!
The owner of the company was a kind gentleman. He knew his job and was very efficient. He was very flexible with our schedule as it kept changing from time to time.
He provided great service when it came to communication and suggesting activities to do around the city. The tour itself was tremendous as we had a private tour and the driver (Richard) was very knowledgeable.
CA
20-35 years of age
Incredible - Kiliclimb goes above and beyond
We chose Kiliclimb based on a friend's recommendation from a previous experience, and they did not disappoint. Kiliclimb delivered above and beyond expectations for our 7 day Kilimanjaro hike along the Machame route.
For our lively group of seven 30 year-olds, the 29 Kiliclimb guides, porters and staff kept our spirits up with fun, positive energy, reliable gear, and some of the best food we've ever had while camping.
Above all, the Kiliclimb team knew how to deliver results day in and day out, especially on summit day. The team held an unwavering professional and positive attitude through all conditions.
We felt very fortunate to be in their care and would strongly recommend Kiliclimb to groups looking for a lively team that's more than just a guide.
Incredible from start to finish. Kiliclimb is building a special recipe for success!
Amazing service....
Everything was perfect. The communication, the service, the human touch. Moses was amazing and he went out of the way to make sure our stay was pleasant and we could enjoy our safari to the full extent.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional and very friendly
I was traveling to Uganda for work and was excited to have an opportunity to extend my time for a 3-day experience to see mountain gorillas (a bucket list wish!) and more of the country outside of Kampala. I chose this tour because it was locally owned, ethical and conservation-focused, very well priced, offered a short option (3-day) that fit my timeline, and had strong reviews on multiple platforms. The experience exceeded my expectations! My driver Eddie was professional and very friendly the entire trip. He kept us on schedule to the minute throughout the experience from pick up to drop off and made sure I was comfortable the entire time.
The booking process was easy and communication was consistent throughout. I appreciate that EAJS offers options for every part of the trip. For lodging, I chose the mid-range package and was blown away by the beautiful accommodations and views in Bwindi and on Lake Bunyonyi. The lodges were very comfortable and every plate of food was delicious. Every aspect of this package is curated with the guest experience in mind and to ensure you truly see and enjoy Uganda. Each person I met along the way was so friendly and welcoming.
Seeing the gorillas was a life changing experience! The rangers and park experience made it clear that the gorillas' safety and boundaries were most important, and we were still able to get within meters of the Happy family -- 3 silverbacks! Just incredible.
I cannot recommend this trip enough; you have to experience it! Don't hesitate, book with EAJS!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kakasii is King of the Safari Guides!
Tanzania Choice Safaris worked with us to create a safari itinerary that perfectly fit our safari experience requests. Brenda reworked our itinerary more than once to fit our requests. Kakasii was with us for our entire safari, staying at the bush camp with us. He took us to different areas each day, and we were in the vehicle all day looking at God’s beautiful creation. Amazing up-close and personal views of animals that we only see in a zoo in the US. Putting his years of tour operator experience to work, Kakasii would expertly place our vehicle right in the path of lions, zebras, elephants, and even more animals. These animals would walk right in front of our parked vehicle and practically pose for photos. I know I keep saying amazing, but it truly was AMAZING! The other guides knew and respected Kakasii, as they would share information along the way about animal locations.
I would be remiss if I failed to brag on the accommodations, which exactly fit our requests. Our tents at the Korongo Luxury Camp were truly luxurious. They were closer to luxury cottages than tents. The shower had better water pressure than ours at home, and the living area was so comfortable. The king sized bed was heavenly! We slept so well. The food was top-notch, every single meal. We were so spoiled! There were no fences to keep animals out, but we felt safe. An escort after dark was just a walkie-talkie call away. The animals really don’t want to mess with humans. However, it was cool to hear them nearby. I felt safe, and I didn’t expect to.
Our day in the Ngorongoro Crater was pure magic! It felt like Noah had emptied the ark right there in that hole. Everywhere we looked, we saw beauty and God’s majesty. We saw large groups of animals living side by side, zebras, baboons, elephants, gazelles, lions, rhinos, hippos, etc. What a day! Imagine our joy as we watched 3 mother lionesses walk right in front of us with their 6 cubs! We could not have scripted a better day looking at animals. It was like Kakasii knew our safari checklist, and he fulfilled it.
I highly recommend Tanzania Choice Safaris. You won’t regret going with an experienced company that knows how to make the most of your safari dollars.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Amazing Exoerience in Tanzania!
We began our Tanzanian experience in the Serengeti under the expert guidance of Jackson, our highly skilled and personable safari guide. Jackson's love of the Serengeti was immediately apparent as he excitedly pointed out the plant and wildlife. He also shared some interesting stories from his days as a Mount Kilimanjaro guide. Jackson also handled gathering all the supplies for our picnic lunches and stayed with us and assisted both times we needed to go through customs. During our time in Tanzania we stayed in wonderful huts, as well as a beautiful lodge, where in both places, staff members came in nightly to turn down the bed, spray for mosquitos and secure the mosquito netting around the bed. As all meals were included (and delicious) we literally had nothing to worry about throughout our stays. After the Serengeti, we traveled to the Ngorongoro Crater which was so different from the Serengeti but equally incredible. This entire tour exceeded all of our expectations! The hospitality level of Splendid vacations cannot be beat. This whole vacation was also a fantastic value, very reasonable prices so that we could even splurge on things like a hot air balloon tour over the Serengeti followed by a bush breakfast. We are completely thrilled with our entire safari vacation and cannot recommend it more highly!
