35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Outstanding birding tour
As an overall summary, we used Augur Tours and Dauda for arranging a full birding trip in Western Uganda - targeting some key species.
In consideration of travelling to Uganda, I had looked at many options for undertaking such a birding trip. Both with tour companies - and also independently. It was clear that neither offered me a suitable option for undertaking the trip I wanted - all of the tour companies being excessively priced, and the logistics of independent travel were off-putting. Using Augur Tours provided a perfect ‘middle ground’ option - the option for the trip to be arranged with the knowledge of Dauda as the ground agent with importantly the price being achievable within my budget.
Prior to the trip, Dauda took the time to understand our requirements and to put together an itinerary that worked for what we wanted to achieve. The communication prior to the trip was excellent - our questions responded to and the itinerary flexed and tweaked accordingly. Nothing was to much trouble.
And the trip itself? It was without a doubt - excellent. The logistics were seamless with everything sorted for us. We had no issues, gripes or concerns. Our accommodation was always to a high standard and located where we needed to be. Meals were excellent and timed to fit around our birding schedule. We were just free to bird - which we were able to do from dawn to dusk, capitalising fully on our time in Uganda. Dauda had arranged for us the use of a local birding guide, and Abia turned out to be absolutely exceptional. Without doubt the best birding guide I’ve experienced in 30 years of birding. Her unrelenting desire to find and show us more birds, and her outstanding ability to do so - was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the trip. We ended up with outstanding views of all of our top targets, as well as over 440 other species - and a bonus 40 species of mammal.
Following this trip, I couldn’t recommend more highly Dauda and Augur Tours. The trip exceeded all of my expectations and I am confident that any other birder looking for such a trip would find the same. Dauda has offered an option to get the best birding trip, flexible to your needs and that takes all the planning concerns out of it. You could not be in better hands.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
6 Day private Safari
Our 6-Day Safari with Suricata was an absolute life-Time experience. We visited 4 different national parks (lake Manyara, Tarangire, Serengeti and N‘Gorogoro, each of which is beautiful and non of which are the Same (with serengeti being my favorite).
We saw amazing landscapes and more different kinds of animals than we had hoped to see (seeing a leopard in its natural habitat was one of the true highlights).
Our guide was very experienced and managed to quickly drive us to the places where the most interesting animals could be found.
At night we stayed in tents, which are fairly comfortable. The only downside to a camping safari is the longer way to the toilet, which is a bit of a problem, especially when wild animals are near your camp.
The food was great and always more than we could eat.
I would recommend a safari with Suricata to anyone who likes adventures in nature.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect safari
It started with a good contact. No problem to change the itinerary or to change hotels or lodges. All our questions were answered very quick by Willis.
We did a 2 week tour (Masai Mara, Nakuru, Naivasha, Abardare, Mount Kenya, Samburu, Amboseli, Tsavo West).
Everything was well organized (airport pick up/drop off, good car,...) but gave our trip an extra dimension.
Manu was always in a good mood, his knowledge about the country and its animals is outstanding, he's a very safe driver which is very important.
Don't hesitate and contact Willis for your safari....
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Big Cat enable your Trip of a Lifetime
Ven is the King!!!!!
We had the AMAZING Venance and was so lucky to see the big 5 thanks to his brilliant knowledge. The whole tour was magnificent and if you are exploring other tour companies….don’t! African Big Cat really know their stuff and the moment they pick you up from the airport you are at ease.
It was the trip of a lifetime, made even better through our awesome guide.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Easy to work with
Our safari with Lenchada was amazing and we highly recommend their services. All of our questions were answered quickly and completely when we began exploring different safari options. We were very pleased with each of our accommodations, meals, transfers and all aspects of the trip. Our driver/guide was Wilson and he was excellent. He took care of us from start to finish. We highly recommend you ask for him when booking your safari trip. We will definitely request him if/when we return to Kenya or any part of East Africa.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent customer service!! the communication was always on time and provided insightful feedback
Wilderness Horizon Safaris is a good tour operator and I will be definitely looking forward to partnering with them for my next safari adventure!! From the inception they helped my partner and I find a safari package that matched our expectation and budget!! The communication was always quick and helpful!! The service we received upon arrival to the very end was very welcoming and friendly.
The chalet was clean and provided all the services needed. Equipped with hot water, kettle and a mosquito net! It was cleaned twice per day. The food was mouth-watering and filling. The chef did an excellent job! The service staff were very courteous. Our tour guide was very professional and knowledgeable and tried his best to show us everything the park had to offer. 10/10 would definitely recommend!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic tour, great value for money!
We decided to book with Suricata because it was the cheapest available option for a 6 day Safari. We are extremely happy with our choice. The guide was very competent, the food was delicious and the tents were more comfortable than we had expected - especially the beds were nice! The game drives where a live changing experience! I can highly recommend this trip.
In the beginning we were a bit unsure because we only received a confirmation per Whats App, so don't worry if you expect a more official document.
Some words of advice: bring shower gel, shampoo, soap, disinfectant, toilet paper (dry and wet) and towels because those are not provided. Luckily we brought most of it, so we were fine.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Don't hesitate...just book your trip and you'll be so glad you did!
From beginning to end, my experience in Tanzania with African Big Cats Safaris was perfect. From The Big Five, to the Small Five, to the Ugly Five, we saw it all! Words are insufficient to describe the joy of seeing elephants, lions, and giraffes throughout the day, then hearing the sounds of zebras and hyenas through the night, then waking in the morning to see warthogs drinking from a nearby pond just yards away from my tent. Thanks to the skill and patience of our guide, Endeni, we actually witnessed a huge herd of wildebeest crossing the Mara River. Traveling with him was like learning from a zoology professor with a playful sense of humor and deeply kind spirit. The company seamlessly handled the complicated logistics of nearly three weeks of safaris, cultural experiences, lodges, tented camps, picnic lunches, and special requests (like an unplanned stop at a bustling village market to buy another tote bag for our growing collection of local art!). I traveled with two friends, but would feel completely safe making the trip alone, knowing that from arrival to departure, every detail would be handled. Tanzania will change you for the better, and the staff of African Big Cats Safaris embody the best spirit of the country.
KR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Easy to communicate and provide whatever promised.
The owner Mohamed was great when I first contacted him. He brief what the tours would be and provide estimation with it. He is up all day, so whenever I contact him, he responded soon I sent the message.
The guide that we went with was Mtinangi who was very experienced and fun and also the communication in English was very good.
He showed us everything that we requested, and further show us the animals in very close spots by fighting with other guides for better spots.
Unforgettable 3 nights 4 days, and I highly recommend this company for the Safari Tour for who wants the best Safari experience.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Irresponsible and chaotic
My safari was « subcontracted » out to Big Five. I was supposed to go to Tarengire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater with an experienced guide-driver. The first day, we went to Lake Manyara (huh???) with a « guide driver » that didn’t know the place ( he kept going around in circles until we pointed this out, with pictures to prove it) or the animals (he tried to brush up with some borrowed notes when he thought we weren’t looking). The next day, he drive too fast, missed a bend and ended up ploughing through a ridge. While the passengers were more scared than anything else, he apparently damaged the radiator. The last part of the very long drive to a Serengeti campground was dangerous for the cook and driver, since they had to get out and refill the radiator several times. The last was in the dark, and we discovered afterwards that a mother lion and her three cubs had been very close. We arrived very late to the campground. The cook managed everything (setting up the tents, calling for another vehicle, cooking a very late meal) while the driver pretend to be busy. Big Five did not call to let us know about a replacement vehicle. I had been in contact with the people who I booked with, and they put pressure on Big Five. The next day, we had another car and driver (yaaay) and the day after yet another. The people I booked were surprised to find out that I had not gone to Tanengire. They came and got me and took me to Tanengire instead of an initially planned cultural visit.
This company is irresponsible !