Loved the experience!
This was the trip of a lifetime! I don’t know where to start!! The safari was absolutely amazing, we got to see the big 5 and many many more animals. Communicating with the agency was easy and Lydia was very accommodating even though our arrival to Nairobi was a bit rough. The only thing I would suggest to improve are some of the accommodations. The first lodge in Masai Mara was really nice, I would say kind of “glamping” on a budget, the hotel in Lake Nakuru was excellent and the staff was really nice, but the last campsite we stayed at in Amboseli was far from what we expected. No hot water, very limited food options and the cabin looked under construction. Lots of bugs and other larger animals.
But overall the experience was really great! Would really recommend!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bait and Switch Scam - AVOID
We booked a 12 day Luxury+ tour through Kenya and Tanzania with Orongai. Despite Orongai confirming all the lodges were booked and paid for (included a number of the high end luxury AndBeyond lodges), itinerary we were promised was nothing like what we got. After 4 days of the 12 days, we cancelled the trip in the middle of the Masai Mara due to serious safety concerns and made our own arrangements to get home. We have never received a dollar of refund from Orongai despite multiple attempts.
Some key experiences:
- The vehicle provided was an old and unroadworthy 2WD van completely unfit for driving through national parks. Side door did not open from the inside, so you couldn’t get out without being let out from the outside. Driver was not a qualified safari guide, but a Nairobi taxi/van driver.
- We had our accommodations changed last minute or without notice from high-end luxury lodges to cheap tent accommodation. After this, we called ahead to the lodges booked according to our itinerary, and only 3 of the 9 remaining nights had been booked. Orongai was unable to be contacted and dismissed emails requesting the confirmation of bookings. We were stuck in the Masai Mara without knowing where we would be sleeping the following night.
- On the second day, we were forced to leave the lodge at 6am, missed the planned game drive, and had to sit in the unairconditioned van for 8 hours till we arrived at the next lodge. We had to use a pit in a village for a toilet break, which felt far from safe. When we arrived at the lodge, they had no record of our booking and hadn’t heard of Orongai. After an hour of the driver trying to contact Orongai to find out where we were staying, we then had to spend another 3 hours in the van to drive to a grossly inferior tent camp on the other side of the Masai Mara.
- Attempts to contact Orongai to confirm our lodgings and provide booking vouchers were futile. At this point, we discovered from reviews that others who had booked this trip had been held against their will, demanded more money be paid for fuel concessions, park fees etc, extorted, made to miss international flights and been in serious car accidents. Note: we couldn’t get out of the van from the inside!
- We realised at this stage that not only had we been completely scammed on the promised accommodation, activities included and itinerary in general, but we were not safe remaining on the tour, and informed our driver we would not be continuing. He became distressed and seemed petrified of what might happen to him if he did not deliver us to the Tanzanian border the following day. This only reinforced our fears, and we had another lodge come to pick us up as soon as possible.
We have been unable to get any refund from Orongai, and since the trip, I have experienced a large amount of serious fraudulent/scam activity on my email and personal accounts. This may be unrelated to Orongai, but seems more than coincidental.
I am sure if we continued the trip, this review would likely have far more sinister content. Glad we got out safely, despite out of pocket a very large some of money.
Bottom line: AVOID. Book your dream trip with a reputable travel agent.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best African Safaris...
This was one of the best organized tours I have done from start to finish. Communication with the company was excellent and the guide replies were always prompt and to the point. Our guide was wonderful and had great knowledge of the local flora and fauna and the accommodations and food were better than expected. I highly recommends Freka African Holidays to everyone. Thank you so much guys for your help and support....
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fun, professional, efficient and reliable.
My friend and I did a girls trip to Masai Mara.
We joined a group of other travelers and had fun. Wambua,our guide was the best.
Rose was fast to respond to messages and emails.
We saw the big five and had sumptuous meals. We are forever grateful to Hyrax.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely amazing and stress free. Best choice we made on that trip was picking Toto.
Our experience with Toto African Adventures was absolutely amazing. We were heaidng to Tanzania on our Honeymoon and had our previous plans for a safari fall through. I sent an email to them on a whim (knowing that email responses in Africa can be slow to say the least-tip:it's always better to call establishments there to get a response as they are not always on top of emails) before boarding our flight in Amsterdam, stating our desired lengh and type of trip and our budget. By the time we had landed in kilimanjaro 9 hrs later, they had responded with a detailed email with a price quote (that was under budget) and outlining exactly what our package would entail. With less than 2 days notice Japheth, the company director had put together a 3 day private luxury safari for us.
He even went a step further and discreetly let the staff at the lodge we were staying at know we were on our honeymoon and they went out of their way to set up private dinners for us under the stars. The price point was very good for all that we got. The accomodations were top notch and the Safari Jeep was modern and exceptionaly clean.
Our driver and guide, Ben, who is a seasoned safari guide with over 20 years of experience was so knowledgable and is probably the reason we saw so many animals in so little time. While no safari company can guarantee how many or which animals you see, we were fortunate to have seen a vast variety including 4 or the Big 5, such as;Elephants,Zebras,Lions,Giraffes,Water Buffallos, Wildabeasts, Hippos, Ostriches,Gazelles, Antilopes, Wild Boards, Monkeys and Baboons and even Rhinos. Our package included Game drives at Tanrangire National Park, NGorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. It would be hard to pick my favorite as all 3 had their advanteges but the crater was truly something right out of the Lion King. Tanrangire is renowed for Elephants which explains why we saw so many although we saw tons at Lake Manyara as well.
Toto African Adventures picked us up at our hotel in Moshi and dropped us off at Kilimanjaro Airport on our last day, saving us almost $100 US in shuttles or taxis and providing us peace of mind that we were in good honest hands. They offer stops at souvenir shops along the way so we were able to pick up a few awesome momentos from our time in Tanzania.
I honestly can't say enough great things about Japheth and his team. He was always quick to respond and was great about using Whatsapp to communicate as many of us foreigners are limited to wifi to communicate. 5 Star service from him and his whole team. We got in late Saturday night and our Safari wasn't set until Monday morning so Japheth offered to set up a day trip on sunday for us. We happily accepted and were treated to a delightful afternoon on a coffee bean farm, learning how they produce delicious artisanal coffee.The farmers family prepared an amazing traditional feast and we followed it up with a spectacular hike up to Mataruni Waterfall.
Epic fun and it truly it made our trip feel so much more authentic. We would highly recomment Toto African Adventures to anyone looking at coming to visit Kilimanjaro, Arusha or Moshi areas
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Better than expected
Everything was perfect. Communication was easy, service was outstanding, we got help and suggestions as to which camp to stay and the guide could not be better. He knows the park very well, has an amazing eye for spotting the animals, is very kind and a really nice person. I definitely recommend Mufasa, best price and probably best service too!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely great experience.
Extremely great experience on an incredible 5 days tour, really enjoyed the safari, I got to learn alot, in the wild and the people around, plus the guide and moving around Masai Mara, olpejeta and lake nakuru.
Our guide Federico was very knowledgeable and he knew where to take us to see the wildlife, we saw the big 5 that we were looking for. The accommodation booked by Martin was excellent with good food and a good staff.the entire team was informative responsive to all our needs. They accommodated alot of our wishes and helped us form together the most efficient trip possible given that we only had 5 days to see the entire vacation. Ahsante Sana fede tours and I would recommend my friends to choose fede tours. Thank you fede tours
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
MX
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
We loved the tour. We had an experienced guide who knows where to go and what to look for, he also showed care for our needs. Luxury plan is indeed very pleasant. The overall experience with the company was good except for a sudden change in plans of our last day of safari (A new client they didn't want to lose it, so the forced last minute arrangements). The solution was acceptable, but Natural Safari pretended us to pay the entrance of the new driver to the park, in case we wanted to finish the tour as originally planned. In general, it would recommend this company with no hesitation. Congrats Natural World!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
INCREDIBLE!
Mattaw Safaris gave us the most excellent experience with our group of 50! Every detail went so smoothly, down to the food, hotel accommodations, and overall experience navigating such a large group. Bud is amazing, we we will be back for sure! :) Thanks again for the unforgettable time!
