US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poor experience
Never in my life have I written a negative review, so I honestly feel bad about this post. However, if I were a potential customer of Tanzania Mwangaza Safari, I would want to know this information.
I was volunteering at a hospital in Dar es Salaam for a few weeks and decided to splurge on a safari at the end of my trip. I chose this safari company because they were affordable ($1450 USD) and offered a 4 day/ 3 night trip that fit my time constraints. The communication and payments prior to the trip were excellent. Turns out that nobody else signed up for this particular trip so it ended up being just myself and the driver.
Day 1 - Departed right on time and the day went completely as expected on route to Selous. We did get delayed for 1.5 hour behind multiple trucks stuck in the mud and blocking the road, but that just goes with the territory of travel. Went on an evening boat trip with another group, with a French speaking guide, but he was nice enough to offer some info in English to me.
Day 2 - Driver showed up 1 hour late then had me wait while he went to the restaurant and ate breakfast. We then drove to Selous entrance gate where we waited another 1.5 hour for him to locate a guide for the day. I watched in envy as dozens of others tourists arrived in plane and jeep and went on safari while we sat on the side of the road waiting for the guide to arrive from the neighboring village. I just chalked it up to inconveniences associated with a budget minded safari. Other than that, it was a great day in the park with many animals seen.
Day 3 - Driver showed up 1 hour late again. The day was supposed to be a sort of game drive on our way through Selous park on our way to an afternoon game drive in Mikumi park. The driver told me he needed to drive quickly so he would not incur additional park fees. As a result, absolutely zero wildlife viewing happened as we drove at 70 kph through Selous. I thought the vehicle might completely come apart as we sped along the rough roads. We ended up with three flat tires we throughout that day. The spare tire and jack were not suited for the fixes so the driver and I spent hours that day collecting stones in the brush, crawling in the mud under the jeep to precariously prop up the vehicle, and stopping at a roadside tire shop. I am amazed that one of us did not get seriously injured they way we were forced to rig the jeep for the tire changes as the jack and stones repeatedly did not hold thus dropping the vehicle violently back to the ground. It took us 14.5 hours to make it to Mikumi that day so our planned afternoon safari definitely did not take place. It is a budget trip and all part of the adventure, right?
Day 4 - We made plans to go on a half day game drive in Mikumi prior to our drive back to Dar. Unfortunately, the driver showed up 2 hours late that day and was unreachable by phone. Mikumi was beautiful , but we only had two hours in the park before we had to make the 8.5 hr (normally much quicker, but we had to drive slowly because of the tires) trip back to the city.
I realize I am incredibly fortunate just to have the opportunity to go on safari in Tanzania. Perhaps my expectations were far too high for a budget safari. Looking at their current reviews, it appears I am one of the only customers to have a less than optimal experience with Mwangaza so take this negative review with a grain of salt. However, when I look back and realize we spent 31 hours driving, 8 hours waiting for the driver and fixing flat tires for only 8 hours of actual safari related time, I feel this trip was far from worthwhile in terms of time and cost.
In summary, even though the people at Mwangaza were very nice, I personally had a very poor experience with them.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip with Zohar too the Hadzabe en Dagota tribes was very wel organized and very interesting
Zohar booked for me one night in The Retreat at Ngorongoro which was a wunderfull place; looks like a paradice. The staff ,service and 'dinner in this hotel was perfect. The other day David, the ecxcelent driver off Zohar brought me too the Hadzabe and too the Dagotatribe; to meet this people who were very hospitable and friendly and to see how they live was for me an experience I never will forget. With some guys from de Hadzabetribe we went on a tripp into the woods too see how they hunt ; really great! Lilian, the owner off Zohar organised everything very wel and gave me a lott off information about Tanzania. I also stayed one night in the B&B beside here house which was also a very clean, quiet and beautifull place.
IL
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Rwanda, best tour ever...
Thank you dear Barak for such a wonderfull tour all over Rwanda and Congo.
Thanks to you we had the pleasure to experiance the butifull nature and people of Rwanda. I'm sure that without your knowledge and great attitude and patience our trip would not have been such a success.
Your luxary 4x4 car was very comfortable and your driving skills are excellent.
We hope to see you when we shall come to visit.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect experience at the best price!
Throughout our journey in Kenya, Sino-Africa demonstrated high level of professionalism and strong sense of responsibility. The designated officer was able to diligently follow up with us and respond timely to all queries raised prior to the travel despite time difference. The driver and guide assigned during the entire journey were experienced, caring and to the details. Through discussion with other travellers, we realised the price quoted by Sino-Africa was highly competitive, yet without compromising the quality.
We would highly recommend Sino-Africa to any guests who would like to get a true taste of the charm of Kenya and eastern Africa!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing service and experience
Traipsing Africa is professional, responsive and trust worthy. I highly recommend using their services for any African travel needs. We were able to get very large complex bookings completed seemlessly.
Thank you!!
Gregg
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Travelling with African Wanderlust Adventures was absolutely amazing experience!!
Travelling with African Wanderlust Adventures was absolutely amazing experience!! The entire process was seamless and perfect from sales to payment, easy conversation with Robert to our wonderful guide Joel! He has eagle eyes and made our safari very special.
Every game drive we went on was an amazing experience. We spotted so many animals and was all down to our very passion, caring and charming driver. He wouldn't stop until he had found what we were after!
We have been on safari few times before, I would have to say that this trip was better than all previous trips combined, thanks to Robert.
Don't be nervous about using African Wanderlust Adventures, they made our trip wonderful! Nothing went wrong and nothing out of place! Thank you, guys!
I recommend them for best safari experience.
SA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was one of the most exciting experiences of our lives.
Everything from airport pick up to taking us to Pilanesberg National Park to dropping us back to Jo'berg was extremely well managed.We booked 3 nights package with this company and enjoyed every bit of it fully. I will like to express my gratitude to none other Mr.Andre Retief & his team. He planned our trip & managed it in perfect fashion. Communications via emails and whatsapp were prompt,service was excellent,amazing safari experience at Manyane Resort,accommodation & transportation facilities were extremely nice & beyond expectations. For us, halal food was easily available wherever we traveled. Out tour guide Mr.Thhabo needs special recognition here for supporting and guiding us throughout our stay. Me and my wife will choose going to safari with this amazing company again and again with out any doubt. All the best wishes to SafariWithUs Team!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
My 3rd Amazing Safari with Amazing Memories Safaris
This is my 3rd time making my travel plans with Amazing Memories Safaris. It is not surprising to me why they have "Amazing" in their company name. You could not ask for a better Tour Operator. Anne and Joseph have become like family to me. On this trip, I even got to meet their young son. I was very excited about that but I think he found Baby Shark more exciting. Anne and Joseph's skills truly complement each other. From the minute I contact them to let them know I'm planning a trip, they are there to answer every question, make suggestions and run interference when a curveball comes up. Since this was my 9th trip to Kenya, they know the places I like, my allergies, that I like a full size bed (even though I travel solo), what I like to do while in Nairobi and that although I'm exhausted from the long flight, I bounce back pretty quick.
There is nothing that makes me happier after 17 hours of flight, than seeing my checked bag arrive, and then stepping outside the terminal and finding Anne, her husband Joseph, and my Nairobi driver and friend Joseph 2014 (I first met him in 2014) with smiles and enthusiasm. I know from that moment on, that even if I have a concern, all will be wonderful and I'll be taken care of.
I spent my full Nairobi day with Joseph 2014. He is so engaging. He is always prompt at picking me up to make sure we get to the public visit at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust with plenty of time to spare. He shares my love of the elephants too. This time, in addition to my usual elephant visits, Kazuri and Karen Hub market shopping, we also both enjoyed visiting a new gallery, Matbronze (at the suggestion of a friend). Then at the end of the day, we made our way to Carnivore Restaurant for dinner with Anne and Joseph and an evening of laughs.
Since rain heavily impacted my last trip in March 2018, it was suggested maybe I wanted to try coming in February as it typically is less rainy. I think Mother Nature missed that memo. The rains came early and although it didn't impact the wildlife I saw, it did cause some transport issues. Anne was always on top of it. It is a slower time to travel (good news is that lodging prices are less) (bad news is that the bush planes require a minimum of 2 seats being booked). The heavy rains had caused connecting bridges to be washed away so that meant that air strip and ground route changes were necessary. Anne would keep me informed via email and also let my guide Daniel know the latest updates. There is no controlling Mother Nature and sometimes you just have to go with it. But all was as they say, "hakuna matata".
This was my 5th time having Daniel for my guide. As a fellow photographer, he knows how important lighting and positioning the vehicle can be. We have a great time swapping photo tips, catching up on things since my last visit and solving the world's issues. He has an excellent ability to spot animals, a great sense of humor, communicates well and generally spoils me rotten. A guide can make or break a trip, and Daniel sure makes mine.
Time always flies so quickly and before I knew it, it was time to arrive back into Nairobi, to check into my day room and prepare for the long flight home. Even though sad to leave, it was wonderful to see Anne and Joseph and Joseph 2014 come to the hotel to hear about the trip, go over any concerns, and share more laughs before heading to the airport. Thank you to all for looking after me so well. I can't wait to see you again on my next adventure!
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wakanda Tours organized the perfect 5-day Safari for us
We went on a 5 day safari (Tarangire, Serengeti (2 days), Ngorongoro) with Serengeti Wakanda Tours and had the best trip we could have asked for. Communication, organization, service, and the team itself were excellent.
Bharti (one of the co-founders) handled all the communication previous to our travels. Bharti speaks excellent English and is a genuinely nice and honest person that helps you with all kind of questions before, during and after the trip. The organization of the transportation and safari were seamless and always on time.
If you book with Wakanda, ask for Andrew as your guide and Suleiman as your chef. Andrew speaks good English (he's also fluent in French) and knows everything about the parks and their inhabitants. Furthermore, he's an excellent driver (a skill that one shouldnt underestimate) and has eagle-eyes, which helped us spotting the following animals: Three groups of Lions, incl. cubs from less than 2 meters, leopards, cheetahs, servals, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, zebras, elephants, wilder beasts, monkeys etc.
Suleyman is equally cheerful and somehow manages to cook excellent food despite cooking on rather poorly equipped campsites on a nightly basis. As an extra he's also knows many things about the parks and animals and is happy to share his knowledge with you.
All in all, I can strongly recommend you to book with Wakanda. Other than many other providers, Barthi is not pushy and gives you all the time you need to make your decision. Wakanda also doesnt sell its customers to other operators in cases they do not manage to get a full group of six people.