US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4-Day Masai Mara Safari with Accommodation at Crocodile Camp
When searching for a safari in Kenya, it is very easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of safari companies available, especially when booking from abroad, with no real possibility of face-to-face communication. Compounding this quandary is the lack of online reviews and resources with which to evaluate choices in a decision in which one is likely to make a significant investment.
What originally drew us to Gametrackers, therefore, was the fact that the company has existed for over 35 years, is an Eco-Tourism Kenya Corporate Member and is a member of KATO, a key tourism trade association in Kenya that has instituted high standards and a code of conduct that must be upheld in order to retain membership. Such safeguards protect against unscrupulous tour companies that deceive and exploit potential clients.
At a customer service level, however, Gametrackers proved to be superior in both response time and thoroughness. Our contact via e-mail, Judy, always responded to our messages the business day after receiving them and was helpful in addressing any of our questions and concerns. With such care, it was easy to place our trust in this safari company. Adding to this was the multitude of options of safari packages of varying length and location.
Concerning the safari experience itself, we will both easily state that it is and will remain one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. Lending to that was, of course, our sighting of a multitude of animals, from wildebeest, to lions, to hippos, to cheetahs, and elephants, all in their natural environment of the Maasai Mara, a landscape breathtakingly beautiful in itself. However, none of such sightings would have been possible without the expertise of our driver, guide and tracker Tim, whose knowledge, professionalism, and attentiveness to our needs were paramount. Tim is an encyclopedia of wildlife knowledge, able to answer almost any of our questions regarding the wildlife we spotted on our trip. And if he did not possess the answer himself, he was quick to extract a book that did or made a note to answer the question after returning to camp in the evening. He is also an incredible resource to two curious travelers, such as ourselves, who wished to know more about Kenyan culture, politics and society. But beyond that, Tim is an amazing person, whose intellect, care, eloquence, and affability contributed to our experience more than we could ever state. He is someone we were happy to spend our meals with, and who we would gladly continue to do so if he were not a continent away.
Accommodation at Crocodile Camp exceeded our expectations in both amenities and service. We expected to be sleeping on the ground in a small, pop-up tent, but instead spent each night sleeping in a mosquito-netted bed in a large, screened permanent tent with an attached bathroom, lulled to sleep by the sounds of the Maasai Mara night. All meals were home-cooked, and tasty, perfectly fitting to nourish after a long day of safari.
We would, without hesitation, recommend Gametrackers to anyone seeking an experience in Kenya to be remembered for a lifetime. We feel it is important to state that there certainly are accommodations available surrounding Maasai Mara with fancier rooms in 4-star resorts, more modern vehicles to drive around in, a pool to swim in, et cetera, and if such things are important to you, we were told that Gametrackers would gladly meet any of these requests. Simply stated, this is a company that deserves your business and will work to meet any of your needs.
TW
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
If you want to unplug, then this is the camping and safari experience for you!
This was my first safari and it surpassed my expectations. I didn't expect to see as many animals as I did. We saw a lion with a fresh zebra kill on our first game drive. Jane and Pini were excellent at spotting animals. Pini spotted a cheetah in Savuti that I could barely make out with my binoculars. Fortunately, it stayed put as we moved closer and saw that there were in fact two male cheetahs. Jane was also very knowledgeable about the birds. I also liked that she didn't chase the animals.
The staff was great at putting up the tents quickly and attending to our needs; such as water for taking a shower or washing clothes. They also cooked delicious meals and even made fresh bread. The tents were quite roomy. There was plenty of space for my gear. The cot was quite comfy to sleep on as well. It was also easy to use the toilet since it was in area attached to the back of the tent. We didn't have the fancy solar charging stations of some of the other companies, but we didn't have any problems charging our stuff in the vehicle.- Just remember to bring a South African adapter.
I felt safe in the tent even when some lions chased a huge herd of zebra nearby our campsite one night in Moremi. (I didn't open the tent, so I have no clue how many zebras were running but you could hear and feel them.) I also liked that our campsites were in the park, so we didn't have to drive far before seeing animals. Sometimes the animals even came to us. Elephants frequently came through our campsite in Khwai. One was directly behind my tent during our break between lunch and afternoon tea! The vehicle was also enclosed which was great on the early morning game drives and for dealing with the wind in Savuti. On quite a few occasions, I overheard safari goers in other vehicles commenting about our, "Warm car," when the safari guides stopped and shared info with each other when passing.
Communication was great. Jane answered all my questions in a very timely manner.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unbelievable Experience
We were SO thrilled with our entire experience with Denham Holidays and our 7 day safari in Kenya. We wanted to choose an eco-tourism friendly company and were happy with the communication from the beginning. We gave them an idea of what we wanted and they planned every detail. All transportation, accommodation, and meals were included. The lodges were fantastic and food was great. Honestly I can't think of a single bad thing to say. The price for what we got/did was perfect and I haven't stopped recommending a safari holiday with Denham to my friends and family (and strangers) since we returned. I must say that our guide Musa is what really made our experience special and unique. He is a seasoned guide who is passionate about safaris. We enjoyed getting to know him and felt lucky that everywhere we went, other guides knew and looked up to him.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience!
The trip was very beautiful and well organized. The guide was serious and professional, everything was perfect. We recommend to rely on Savannah Explorers for safaris. Thank you!
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect trip with a super professional agency.
Kiliholidays is a small but professional, well organized, easy to communicate with and at customizing the trip, agency. Mack, the boss, is very flexible and open to provide customized solutions for your trip, while Thomas was an amazing driver/guide,
Easily the best around, for an 8 days safari, together with a great cook as Daniel, who cooked us a great and diverse selection of vegetarian meals. Also Laurian, referring to a shorter trip, was a good driver, talkative and flexible as the good ones! Definitely super worth to experience!
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
First time in Tanzania with Kiliholidays
We were very happy about our experience with Kiliholidays. The communication with Mack went smoothly from the very beginning and we managed to customize our safari based on our needs and budget.
The safari itserf (northern Safari parks, 6 nights) was perfect also thanks to a great driver/guide Thomas and cook Daniel, both extremely professionals and pleasant.
We totally recommend Kiliholidays!
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A WONDERFUL LIFE EXPERIENCE
Good morning from italy
We just came back from tanzania after a wonderful safari with safarihub and everything went perfectly very well! We must thank all the safarihub staff starting from Victor who picked us up from the first day at the airport and brought us back to the last day.
Thanks to Calvin who assisted us during the entire safari and has satisfied every our single request.
Thanks to Jessica who explained every detail of our trip and thanks to Alfred our italian guide that showed us every moment of a wild wonderful animal world that everyone should know at least once.
Thanks guys for everything and, maybe, we hope to meet again.
In the meantime I will give your names to our friends in italy!!
Monica, luigi, alessandra e max
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Uganda wonderfull country!!
Our trip to Uganda with "Visit Gorillas Safaris" was fantastic, everything were well, the organization of de tour, the hotels that were very clean, the car was confortable and so on. We visited different places where we discovered how people live. Thanks our guide, Gerald, we could see hundreds of diferent animals, incredible landscape and the most special, the Gorillas, I will never forget this trip. Thanks.
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip in Uganda
We made our trip in February and it turned out fantastic. Our guide Gerald was very attentive to our needs and proved to be an excellent expert of de different places we visited. We could see many animals in his habitat and see the Gorillas was a wonderful experience.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Epic 13 day journey around Uganda
Libby has already reviewed this trip, but I'd like to add my appreciation of the whole experience. Uganda was incredibly interesting and Emma added to our enjoyment with lots of local knowledge and insights, and I'm sure his good nature helped to keep us on track and on schedule. His skills and know-how most likely also prevented unexpected mechanical delays with the vehicle. It was a very enjoyable trip and everyone got along very well. Would recommend Buffalo Safari Camps to anyone wanting a tailored tour of this beautiful country.