20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent day trip to Ol Pejeta
We had one day free in Nairobi so we decided to go with a day trip organized by Ongeri Expeditions. The process from the planning stage to the actual trip was super easy - great communication throughout. On the day, our tour guide (Martin) was great. It was a long day trip but we really enjoyed Ol Pejeta and managed to see some things that we did not get to see during our previous 10 days of safari in Serengeti and Maasai Mara. Thank you to Martin and the Ongeri Expeditions team for making this day trip so memorable for us :)
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A truly memorable safari vacation
Our safari tour in South Africa, Victoria Falls, and Chobe National Park organized by Wild Wings Safaris was fantastic. We did a hybrid safari – a private reserve safari combined with Kruger National Park. We liked both the experiences and saw all the Big 5 animals and more. We started our safari tour planning about 4 – 5 months ahead of the tour and Ilaria Semprini-Sara, our tour consultant, was great from the start. She noted our interests and carefully planned the tour and made it efficient by suggesting airline connections and giving all the details in a mobile app. She was meticulous and all the transfers were on time and accommodations were excellent. In addition, our tour guide in Kruger National Park Simon was great. He is very knowledgeable and passionate about the birds and animals. The tour was well-organized with professional communication and organization. Highly recommend Wild Wings Safari’s and I would certainly plan my future tours with them.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic
Booked a 5-day solo safari trip with Mufasa Tours a couple months in advance. Caroline made the process very easy and was informative in providing details and answering questions. I was picked up at the Nairobi airport by my guide Julius in a land cruiser and off we went. Over the 5 days we hit Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru, and Maasai Mara. Each day was amazing and it only got better as the week went on. Julius was fantastic and I could not have asked for a better guide. He is well experienced having done tours for many years and was extremely pleasant to be around. He provided many interesting facts on the things we came across and played Kenyan hip-hop and reggae in the lengthy car rides which was a great vibe. The very first day, we saw 4 of the Big 5 (excluding the cheetah, which we saw the second day). Throughout the week, we saw all of the safari animals (too many to list!) besides the kudu, which resides in different regions than what we visited. A few of the countless highlights from each park:
- Ol Pejeta: Pet the blind rhino Baraka, chimpanzee chased another playfully with a giant sharp stick
- Lake Nakuru: A few thousand flamingos clustered at the lake, young lion cub that looked like Simba
- Maasai Mara: jackal hunting a baby gazelle while the mother successfully distracted it, crocodiles feasting and fighting over a dead wildebeest, leopard feasting on its kill in a tree, wildebeests/zebras river crossing
The final day, in the Maasai Mara, I was able to witness what I was most looking forward to, the Great Migration. We drove among massive herds which numbered in the tens of thousands and stretched for miles. It was a truly fascinating and magical experience which I will never forget, being among the sheer numbers of wildebeests and zebras. By the end of the tour, I had seen so many animals that I did not even do a double take when passing an elephant or giraffe. If you are at all interested in wildlife, enjoy the zoo, or watch Animal Planet, the safari experience is one you cannot miss!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent organisation for our trip
We spent 3 days at Greenfire lodge , had amazing food and wonderful accommodation . There was a great wine selection and we were very well looked after . The safari was excellent with 4 game drives and we saw lots of lions up close as well as giraffes, zebras, elephants, birds, crocodiles , hippos, black and white rhinos . Thoroughly recommended and hope to go back soon .
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent tour operator and highly recommended
I just completed my 7-day trip in Zimbabwe and Botswana and visited the Victoria Fall, Hwange national park and Chobe national park. The package was slightly customized according to my interest. Simon did a fantastic job arranging a wonderful trip for me. Everything was perfect. I really enjoyed this 7-day journey in Africa. In particular, I really liked the fact that Simon was always very quick in responding to my inquiries, which was very helpful. Highly recommended!
KR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not trustworthy
Treats foreign customers like an ATM. The attitude towards you dramatically changes before and after the payment.
1. Last minute itinerary change
Other tour operators notified me that due to the recent change in the park entrance policy, they only offer two-day safari tour. But Exciting Africa Holidays said their tour is three-day. To confirm this, I sent them an email and received a positive response, which influenced my choice for this tour. But, on the day of the tour, i was told that there will only be a two-day program due to the 'recent' change in park policy. That just spoiled my day.
2. Lying about drinking water
At the Nairobi tour office, I was verbally assured that the package included '1 litre of bottled water per person per day'. But upon my arrival in Masai Mara, I was told that there is no water to give us... I mean, why lie about water? If it's not included, just tell me, and I'll grab some in town! (fwiw, they did provide water at day2 after my complaint, but the emotional stress i had to go through on day1 was immense)
3. Lack of communication
They dropped us off at some random place, not the one we were supposed to stay at. We were totally lost. After I paid, communication between me, the tour operator, and our driver went from great to non-existent. If they had to switch the accommodation, that's fine, but give us a heads up! And there's even a signal in Masai Mara if you're with Safaricom.
When I brought up these issues with the tour operator after the tour, he raised his voice, telling me to send a formal written complaint. So here's my formal complaint.
This safari tour was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, but picking this operator was a major mistake.
For the record, I was more than satisfied with our driver Shadi, he was very kind and professional. I had issues only with the tour operator, Exciting Africa Holidays. (It seems like multiple tour operators pool the tourists and assign them to different vehicles)
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Supportive and helpful!
My fiancée and I had booked our honeymoon with Spirit of Kenya, with André supporting us through the entire process.
André made initial suggestions for the safari and then tailored our trip to exactly what we wanted, within our budget, offering a range accommodation levels and locations. We even added a stay in Zanzibar onto the end of the trip.
Unfortunately for unforeseeable health reasons, my partner and I were advised not to travel just 15 days prior to departure. Spirit of Kenya offered us a 50% refund on the total cost straight away (as per the contract) and were extremely helpful and supportive. (We were even offered to put the trip back by 1 year, but were unable to commit to that at this stage).
Spirit of Kenya, and André in particular, have been so helpful and supportive throughout the entire booking (and cancelling) process. Despite not going on the trip, I really cannot recommend them enough and we definitely plan on re-booking at some point in near future.
5/5 for helpfulness, support and value. Fully recommended.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari Co was responsive, listened to our needs and overall provided a wonderful safari experience.
From first contact with Kruger Safari Co they were extremely helpful in putting together options for our suggested date of travel. We booked our safari trip last minute and Wayne was great in terms of finding availability that worked for our budget and travel times. Getting to our accommodation was very smooth - the taxi bus was comfortable considering we had a 5 hour drive. On arrival the hotel Kruger Adventure Lodge had fabulous safari decor - a fire pit in their outdoor area and our rooms were extremely spacious. Most importantly we felt very safe in this accommodation and the reception staff were very helpful in providing guidance on how to access spa facilities and drivers. The safari experience was amazing. You can tell the local guides were close with the hotel staff which made everything feel very personable and seamless. We were brought in the 4x4 vehicles to kruger national park and our guides were brilliant in not only finding animals' sightings but informative on each animal we spotted. The staff were always pleasant and welcoming and nothing was ever an issue for them. We had a lunch packed each day for safari by the team and 3 course dinner each evening. Wayne the tour organiser was very attentive and checked in on us during our tour (which isn't common with tour operators) and was quick to resolve and address any issues we had. We wanted to do a night safari last minute and the hotel had no issue with organizing this for us and that night we had our own personal safari guide which was a highlight of the trip. That same day another tour guide brought us on the Panorama tour which provided fabulous scenery of south africa. I would advise to check the weather in advance of the Panorama tour as cloudy conditions leads to poor visibility for some locations. Overall we had a fabulous safari experience and tour of Hazyview in S.Africa and would highly recommend this tour operator and the hotel for a Safari experience.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very engaging and couteous
An exillerating trip to the source of the Nile in Jinja with exciting activities like tubing on the nile and quadbiking. They got as great accomodation and always ensure our safety.
FI
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Must have lifetime experience
I had a 10-days safari tour with Tubale. Tour included Ziwa rhinos, Murchison falls and NP, Nile boat ride, Chimp trek, Queen Elizabeth NP, boat ride on Kazinga channel, Gorilla trek, couple of local community experiences, on the way back passed through some zebras and equator. In short: the whole tour was just amazing, I will have these wonderful memories and experiences for life. The falls, even being far away from the capital are a must see, just feeling such power of waterfall is magical. National parks were full of beautiful flora, animals and birds, all you need is some patience and agility, remember it is as much your duty to stay alert and look around as your guide’s, animals may show up when you least expect them. Primate treks were literally mesmerizing and so emotionally rewarding to be so close to our closest relatives. Boat rides were super cool to see the wild life yet from another angle. Community experiences were interesting, to learn and see where and how local people live. My guide was Shafic Kabanda, he was just superb guide and made the tour such an amazing experience. Shafic is very knowledgeable, he will tell you so much about Uganda, flora, fauna, culture, traditions, food and even more. He was very patient, respectful and accommodating, had a really sharp eye finding animals and even smallest birds. BTW, please ask him to introduce you to local food, you won’t regret it! Booking rep Annette was very professional in her communication and made the whole planning and booking very smooth and easy. I highly recommend Tubale Safaris, Shafic and Annette and thank you guys for making my experience so wonderful!
