ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfection and passion
Mamaland Safaris has surely been the best local agency in a country I have ever traveled to. Apart from logistics and wonderful attention, they give a passion to the trip that makes you remember it for a lifetime. It has been a spectacular journey: Bwindi, Kibake, Murchinson, Elisabeth Queen, Rwenzori are wonderful landscapes of a wonderful country. Hamza, Richard, Tony are amazing people who have made our trip more than perfect. If someone wants the best local agency to travel to Uganda, contact Mamaland Safaris, the best local agency in the country.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fabulous Uganda tour with Speke Uganda Holidays
This was only my second international trip since the pandemic began. Tony and the team at Speke made the planning effortless. They listened to what we wanted to include and devised a perfect itinerary. We had some last minute flight changes which required moving everything back by two days which they took care of immediately. I was so impressed by the responsiveness of the whole team. Our driver/guide, Vincent met us upon arrival at Entebbe airport and we were in good hands with him for the rest of the trip. The roads traveled were often unpaved, narrowed and potholed. Vincent did a wonderful job missing most of them while simultaneously spotting elusive monkeys and birds!! Each evening he washed and cleaned the interior of the car -we tracked in a lot mud! The highlights of the trip were definitely the three primate treks: chimps in Kibale NP, mountain gorillas in Bwindi NP and golden monkeys in Mgahinga NP. Definitely include all three. We enjoyed our game drives as well in both Murchison NP and Queen Elizabeth NP. We were thrilled late one afternoon when we had to yield to probably 200 elephants crossing the road right in front of our bumper! I highly recommend you book with Speke!
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect arrangement of a fantastic vacation
We have spent 3 weeks in Namibia in July, August 2021. The very friendly and competent staff of NIT has organized our self-drive safari just perfectly. Because of the very good knowledge of their country and readiness to hear our wishes and preferences they could offer us an excellent and really very individual trip in this magnificent country. That was our first trip in Namibia and it was very important for us and definitely of a greatest use, that we could ask all our questions and became the competent answers very quickly, not only before, but also while traveling. The choice of lodges and campsites corresponded our favor absolutely, we've got a new rental car and we could find all the necessary informations in our trip-description, friendly prepared by the NIT-Team. Everything worked out just perfectly smooth.
We are very grateful to the NIT-team for our impressive and unforgettable trip in Namibia and are looking forward to our next Africa-Safari. We will definitely use NIT-Service again and recommend it to our friends!
RU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7 days Safari with Gosheni - unique and the best experience ever!
I did a private safari trip with Gosheni on the first week of Aug. It was amazing 7 days trip, which included all major parks – Tarangire, Serengeti (Central and Northern) and Ngorongoro.
Gosheni delivered this trip perfectly front to back – starting from communication and discussions about the route, dates, accommodation options, etc, till the very last moment. Pendo was the manager, who arranged this trip for me. She was very polite and quick in answering all my questions and, more importantly, she helped me to finalize the plan by recommending some changes to itinerary, which proved to be successful. Accommodation suggested by her was also great and met my requirements from both level of comfort and budget perspective.
It's needless to say that success of your safari significantly depends on a guide. My guide – Wilson – deserves a dedicated note.
Wilson is the most experienced guide in Gosheni and this really matters a lot. He's very knowledgeable about animals’ behavior, very attentive and it seems he has eagle eyes – all this allows him to spot animals where one could hardly detect them. Thanks to him I saw so many animals I even couldn't dream of. Lots of lions, including a pride of 14 lions and a mating couple (!), cheetah's family, leopard (twice), serval, hyenas, jackals, elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffalos, different kinds of gazelles and antelopes, etc, etc. During our 2 days in Northern Serengeti we saw 4 (!) wildebeest crossings, all of them from a very good position, while two of them were just from the best position ever possible - I felt like I was sitting even not in the first row, but even closer to the "scene" to enjoy the most spectacular wild nature show in the world!
Wilson is a perfect storyteller and provided a lot of information and interesting facts about wildlife, Tanzania and Africa. In his career he also worked as a guide and consultant for such companies as BBC and Discovery while they were making their films about wild nature.
Also, from what I saw during this trip, I made a conclusion that being a safari guide is a quite difficult job. I believe it can be done well only by the person who really loves nature and enjoys safari guide role. Wilson definitely does love his job and he does care about his clients. Over our trip he constantly went above and beyond to ensure that I get the best experience and I’m happy all the time. Last but not the least, I cannot but mention that he's a perfect driver, who feels each centimeter of his car. I was very much impressed by his driving skills.
All in all, I should say that I had high expectations before the trip, taking into account all positive reviews Gosheni were given. Still, they managed to exceed them. The way they deliver safari product is extremely professional and set to a very high standard. Probably the only improvement I could suggest is for them to advise the clients in a bit more detail about suitable clothes for safari and expected temperature (it was rather chilly in Ngorongoro area).
It was the right choice to do safari with Gosheni and I definitely recommend them!
Asante Sana, Gosheni, Wilson and Pendo!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing
Savanah Woods Safaris gave me value for money. My safari departure and arrival were on time and they even threw in an extra night in the package I had booked.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stunning Safari in Serengeti and Ngorongoro, perfectly organized
I have to say that I contacted to several companies to organize my safari in Tanzania. Finally, I chose this one due to the great attention from the person behind, she really took care to every detail, Anita Ayo, thank you very much for creating such a nice experience :)
They offer exactly what it is written on the page. From that, you can modify slightly the route, days and sleeping places. In our case, my gf and me, we decided to go the 4 day / 3 night trip including Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
Regarding the safari, as always, depends on the luck you have to see the animals, we were lucky and we manage to see 4 from 5 of the big 5 (We missed the Rhino). But it is true that specially in Serengeti and Ngorongoro is incredible the quantity of animals.
About the sleeping places, in our opinion, it is a game change to pay more and select the better ones. Specially in two camps that we visited Serengeti Heritage Luxury Camp in Serengeti and Pakulala Luxury camp in Ngorongoro, the experience is incredible. It is difficult to describe with words, but to summarize you have luxury camps with perfect tends, perfect views from the camps, hot water in the tend, dinner with views and being close to the animals.
Just to finish, say that dont hesitate to talk to them and describe what you are looking for, I am sure that they will help you.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience and excellent value for money
We booked a 6-Day (Serengeti 3Days, Ngorongoro, Tarangire & Manyara) safari with Safari Soles and we were very happy about the service provided. We arranged everything via WhatsApp and we got always a prompt reply to all our questions.
We really had amazing 6 days, we saw plenty of animals and amazing landscapes. Our guide Chadi was the best introduction to Tanzania we could had, he was very knowledgeable about the animals and the parks, always trying his best to make our experience as good as possible, always nice and in good mood. The food prepared by our chef Godfred was very tasty and diversified and the accommodation was always clean and with everything we needed.
We really recommend this safari, it’s is a very good value for money.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Where everybody is somebody travel.
Best tour company in Kenya because its costs are reasonable and affordable compared to other tour companies. Best experience ever and very educated tour guide how understands every each and everybody regardless of their background. They have best services that one would wish for. Given a chance I would choose Savannah Woods Safari over and over again.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent guide and wonderful experience
We booked our safari of the Selous Game Reserve with Kihindo Tours in 2019, for 4 days and 3 nights. The safari with kihindo was an incredible experience, thanks to our young but very experienced guide Isaiah. During our safari, our gide made sure to do everything to find all the animals we wanted to see,and did not stop looking until he found them all, and then took the time to explain in details all there is to know about every species and to answer all of our questions.
We highly recommend Kihindo Tours for safari bookings for the excellent quality of service, the best value in the area and for the great people we encountered on our journey.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip of a lifetime! Exceeded our expectations in every way possible!
My wife and I spent two years planning this trip, so we looked at every tour service out there. Nearly all of them had great reviews, but we were able to narrow it down to a few that we reached out to for more information.
What set Shadows of Africa apart from the very beginning was how thorough and thoughtful their responses were to all of our (sometimes silly) questions. We often didn’t even know what to ask, but we wanted to be as prepared as possible for this trip, so we sent many emails to Shadows, and without exception got the answers to all of our questions and many more!
Our contact, Inge, spent literally months helping us make decisions about how to create the best possible itinerary based on exactly what we were hoping to do and see. She was so patient with us, as we made change after change to our trip. Dates, lodging, where and how to see the most spectacular wildlife Africa has to offer, we would approach Inge with questions about what we could add (like the hot air balloon safari that was one of the absolute highlights of the trip) or how to change our route to ensure staying at a certain location (like the Melia Serengeti Lodge…another highlight). Inge told us that Shadows of Africa understands that for many people, like us, this is truly a once in a lifetime experience, and she and the company will do everything within their power to make sure it’s perfect.
By the time we headed to Africa, thanks to Inge, we were perfectly prepared for everything in store for us. We had no idea that our already-high expectations were going to be exceeded every single day.
I imagine no two trips are alike, as with a safari, you plan your trip around where the animals move to during very specific times of the year. So, there’s no point outlining which route we chose for the particular dates we were in Tanzania, but we visited the following locations (sometimes more than once):
• Lake Manyara National Park
• Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area
• North Serengeti National Park
• Central Serengeti National Park
• Southern Serengeti National Park
• Arusha
Every location was wildly different and wildly…wild. If you’re even considering a trip to Tanzania, you know the appeal already. Lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards, hippos, rhinos, every type of gazelle you can imagine, etc., etc., etc. All in one of the most beautiful and unique countries on Earth. What we were not prepared for was the sheer amount of all of this wildlife and beauty. Around every corner, down every road. Something in every part of every park that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. And it just doesn’t end. And that’s to say nothing of the experience of visiting Tanzania. It is a completely sensory experience that words and even photos don’t begin to do justice. Speaking with the locals, eating the foods, driving the roads, and hearing and seeing everything Tanzanian culture entails can only be experienced in the flesh. We had friends and family who had been before, and they all said essentially the same thing. “It changes you.”
The last thing I want to say is that our trip would have been outstanding regardless of who we were lucky enough to have as a guide. But our guide, Moody Kabongo, may have been the best part of our entire time in Tanzania. From the time Moody picked us up at the airport until the time he dropped back off to head home, we were smiling and laughing. I honestly don’t know that I’ve ever met a person with the kind of infectious charisma Moody brings to every conversation. Every single place we visited; everyone knew Moody. I’m sure all of the guides are knowledgeable and friendly. You couldn’t last long in that business without those skills. But Moody is something special. If you’ve ever been around someone who seems to effortlessly be instant friends with everyone they encounter, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
It’s hard to imagine this trip without having Moody as our guide. He was a huge part of what made our time in Africa so completely perfect, so when you go to Tanzania, first…get in touch with Inge at Shadows of Africa, and second (and I cannot stress this enough), tell Inge you want Moody.
What was great:
• Communicating with Inge from beginning to end
• The truck! We had everything we needed, including TONS of space to move around to get the perfect view of all the wildlife.
• The accommodations. Every place we stayed, at every price point, was breathtaking.
• The food! Both at lodges/tent camps, and even more importantly, while we were out on game drives, the food was absolutely incredible. This is one thing Shadows of Africa does better than any other tour operator (now that we’ve been and eaten with and around other guide services), and it’s really not even close. Every meal we had was a) delicious and b) ridiculously elaborate. When guides are out on game drives during the day, they pack lunches for their clients, and usually will all get together and eat in picnic areas out in the bush. This is fun for everyone, because the guides (and their guests) get a chance to talk and have a good time over lunch before getting back out to the wildlife. What we found is that our meals, which were hot and prepared by the lodge that we had come from, were always met with longing stares from the clients with other guides. I’m sure their food was good, but Moody would set out our table full of hot food and wine and coffee and tea, and it just made our days that much better knowing that whenever we were hungry and needed a break for a bite to eat and something to drink, it was going to be every bit as good as the food we were getting at the lodges!
• The value. These trips cost a good deal of money. They involve traveling across the world, staying in (often) luxurious lodges and eating world class food, all while having a driver with you every step of the way that takes care of every need you might have. We saved a lot of money to go on this trip, and all I can tell you is that we’d do it again in a second. I never once found myself thinking we should have found a way to cut a corner here or there. We got every dime’s worth out of this trip, thanks entirely to Shadows of Africa making everything easy on us. All we ever had to worry about was running out of memory card space on our cameras.
What we would do differently:
• Now that we’ve done it, the only thing we would change is somehow figuring out how to do more. Adding another day or two. Visiting one or two more parks. That’s it. I only wish that we had found a way to do more. But we’ll be back!
