BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They need to improve certain areas
I did a 7 day tour with Karumuna Safaris as solo traveller. The good points:
- The cost was much lower compared to other agencies... But be aware that you get what you pay for. They delivered, but the accommodation was quite basic most of the times, and the guide and driver quite young and unexperienced
- They managed to organize everything in a very short notice. Richard went the extra mile to make sure I did not miss a thing, even though a lot of the attractions were fully booked. I missed the chimps during the chimpanzee tracking, but it's not their fault
- Flexibility with payment methods
The bad points:
- Henry, the guide, was quite unexperienced and he lacks customer service skills. There was a constant lack of communication, he was late (90min late on one ocassion) and disaorganized quite often (not even aware of the plan for next day). I communicated with him to find a solution together and he simply did not care and became even more aloof. He even got quite arrogant, i.e. I asked him why we were stopping so often when actually we were late to reach our destination, and he said "all the stops are strictly necessary". Truth is, some of the stops were for them to buy food for their families... Should not be a problem if you communicate it in a different way.
- Driving issues: we were driving quite fast in many occasions, to the point that we run once into a bumper without braking off and I literally went flying towards the front. They were stopped by the police and got a fine (not sure why) and also the van had mechanical issues which forced us to stop to get it repaired
- Trying to save money on silly things: for example, refusing to use the A/C in the car when it was quite hot and opening windows instead (so you are breathing fumes be getting dust inside) saying that the airco consumes too much petrol, or stopping to get bananas as a snack and asking you to pay 1000 ugx out of total cost of 2000, when 7 out of the 10 bananas were eaten by the guide and the driver
I personally found the experience a bit unfortunate, because with little effort it could have been much better... But I got the impression that they did not care anymore at some point (I haven't heard again from anyone in the agency, even though I'm still around in Kampala). The trip was quite ok but those small things sometimes can make a big difference... You might think I may sound picky, but I have worked and travelled in many countries in Africa, so my standards are quite low compared to the classic Western tourist. To summarize, go for them if you are in a very low budget but if you can pay more, I recommend you look for other options
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Private safari in three conservatives- big five + 1 spotted, excellent lodging in the wilderness.
We had a private safari, me and my two kids, ten and fourteen. We felt safe all the time. The guide Willy was excellent- with lot of of knowledge and respect for the nature and animals he guided us through Amboseli, Nakuru lake and Masai Mara national parks. We saw loads of wild animals including the big five plus a cheeta. As a bonus we saw a lot of the country of Kenya during the long drives between conservatives. Met so many nice and friendly people. Super tent lodges - clean, fresh and well equipped and perfect service.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
3-day safari; Tarangire, Ngorongo crater, Lake Manyara
We enjoyed the safari very much, and we had a great experience with Bujo Tours! Excellent services!!
NG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!!!
Upon arrival my husband and I were warmly welcomed by Paul and Janet , and with such a friendly atmosphere we had a fantastic start! The guide and tour was extremely good, very flexible (appreciate this!) and for that Motto Tours and Travel deserves a special thanks. They are such a warm personality and highly motivated guide (recommendable!).
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Newton was the best tour guide and transfer driver ever.
We had an awesome time on our trip to Victoria Falls and Chobe National Park.
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Outstanding and beyond all expectations!
Planning a tour to unknown territories is sometimes a challenge, not after having found Roam Serengeti Safaris on safaribookings.com. Reasons to go with Roam Serengeti Safaris were the great reviews and the fact that it’s a small locally owned business. Since the first contact with Mussa it was a pleasure to plan this 9 days Safari for a group of four to Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater and including some cultural activities. In his communication he is patient, straightforward and quick in answering all queries and he managed easily new arrangements when accommodations were not available.
The tour itself was amazing. Apart of the perferct organisation and excellent accomodation it was Mussas' inspiring way to make the tour something special. We always felt comfortable and safe with him. He is very experienced, high professional and incredibly knowledgeable. Additionally he has a very pleasing way to explain and tell about wildlife and nature. He was always eager for locating the best position for us to take perfect pictures. He was passionate about making our wishes come true.
I highly recommend booking with Mussa, he definitely goes the extra mile to make your journey an outstanding and unforgettable experience.
Thank you Mussa for these nine BEST DAYS!!!
EC
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience!!!
I was undecided between Tanzania and Kenya... Ever since the first minute communication with Bensons Safari with Pendo (unbelievably kind and efficient) or Benson was flawless and super fast and they convinced me about Tanzania. They arranged an amazing adventure for us in Tanzania, unforgettable game rides guided by our friend Peter, not only a professional and knowledgeable guide, but a wonderful human being, who now we call our friend!!!. My kids 17,15 and 10 managed to see all the animals in their wish list!!.
Special mention to Lahia Tented Lodge accommodations also and particularly the staff, Jesse,Eva, Joyce Ashura,James,Veronica and
Salomon... all of them made us feel pampered and special, they truly look that they love what they do and the privileged place they take care of!!. Our only regret was that our stay was too short.
I’ve always thought that an African Safari was a one and only lifetime experience but now thanks to Bensons team I know that hopefully this was only the first of many more to come ... unforgettable Tanzania!!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic trip to Namibia
Thank you Ines for organising a fantastic trip to Namibia. After working as a tour guide in Africa for Guerba 19 ago years for 5 years I wanted to take my family back to see what I had experienced. To organise a trip to Namibia at fairly sort notice at peak season you did wonders, your speed at replying to any requests, questions and keeping us informed was great. The trip itself was wonderful the only thing we had an issue with and could have been highlighted was when we got to the airport at Heathrow we were informed by Virgin that we needed birth certificates for our children to enter Namibia otherwise we couldn’t board the plane. A hour of frantically making phone calls and getting them scanned and sent to us got it sorted. So just a caution to any one else taking kids under 18 to Namibia. Apart from that everything ran smoothly and was a wonderful experience. The only place we were disappointed with was AfriCat due to our expectations from their website and all the signs as we entered the game park, that we would be seeing a range of African carnivores from Lions, Leopards and Cheetahs to Wild Dogs. In actual fact we were only taken to see 7 captive cheetahs, and their stated aim of the rehabilitation of these animals and was no longer happening. We were charged a lot and felt disappointed with the tour we had.
I would recommend Indigo to all my friends and colleagues so thank you again Ines for all your hard work in organising our trip, you gave us a truly wonderful and fantastic trip our family will never forget. We will be booking again with you THANK YOU
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very much satisfied
Everything was good. Only next time we would like to do lion tracking after sunset.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
High quality 4 day safari by local tour operator, best price perfomance !
We did a 4 day safari including Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengti. After long comparison with other companies we chose Kili Serengeti Guides for their professionalism and very good offer in terms of price and quality. Amongst the camping safaris, this was the only tour including 2 nights on the really nice Panorama Camp site with "African igloos" = mini bungalows offering a much better accomodation than a regular tent. Emman was very reactive and adjusted the usual tour to our need to be dropped off in Mwanza at the end of the Safari. He sent us extensive documentation and over all offered very good service. As for the tour itself, we were amazed just as much by the beautiful landscapes than of course by all the animals we saw. Our experienced guide and driver Mike was a fantastic company! Safe driver despite of all the rough roads, he taught us a lot on wildlife, nature and Tanzanian culture and life, spotted every animal from far away, always cared of our wellbeing.
Another very positive aspect was the cook, Paul, whose cuisine was truly delicious : a full dinner menu including very good soups, creative salads and differents dishes which were highly appreciable after a day on the road.
All in all we highly recommend this company!