20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent guides, fantastic safari and Mount Meru experience
Great holiday experience with Kiliholidays.
We did the 4 day Mount Meru hike, followed by 5 day private safari tour. Very knowledgeable and friendly guides and porters.
Meru was excellent - really felt cared for. Lodging basic but comfortable. Only improvement would be sending a kit list before arrival - we hadn't done an activity like this before and weren't sure of clothing needed/if we needed sleeping bags (they were hired for us upon request) or what the facilities were/ whether water would be provided (bring water bladder if you have it; water is provided but you need to take a reusable bottle - these can be hired at entrance to Meru park.) A brief kit list would have put our minds at rest!
Also be aware of tipping rates when factoring in cash ($20 per day for guide, $15 for cook, $10 for porters up Meru; $20 - $30 for safari guide).
Safari also excellent - guide fantastic with 10+ years of experience. Accommodation was excellent, vehicle was comfortable. Saw the big 5, which was incredible.
Only improvement would be communication ahead of arrival - kit list etc would have made the process feel smoother. Once on the trip, however, the experience was excellent. Would recommend.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Resilient and resourceful people and beautiful landscapes.
We spent 9 days on safari in and near the Serengeti and were not disappointed. Experiences seeing the animals and plants from the documentaries was magical. The weather was great, high of 25C. We felt very safe with our guide who was incredibly knowledgeable and accommodating. Lodgings worked hard to make you feel comfortable and had good home cooked food.
MY
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional Kenyan Safari Experience with Charles
Charles was the heart of our Kenya adventure — professional, knowledgeable, and always going the extra mile to make sure we saw the best wildlife and enjoyed every moment; his warm personality, safe driving, and passion for his work truly made our trip unforgettable.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Expert driver, thoughtful planner—delivered many animals right before our eyes.
The Super Eagles charged a fair price and showed us lions, cheetahs, giraffes, and more. It was an unforgettable tour
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best experience within a budget
I was initially sceptical about the safari booking online as I didn't have direct reference (though some good reviews on the net). Completed 4 days Masai Mara+Nakuru safari. It exceeded my expectation. Definitely 5* for Maureen (sales) who responded to all my queries and a double 5* to John our tour guide cum driver who made our trip memorable. He ensured we saw the Big 5 and never missed single attempt to spend time for the right place in Mara. Thanks Jocky tours and would definitely recommend. I took a budget package. The Sankale camp was budget camp but will clean tent and toilet. Food was basic but budget was our choice. If you are with family, recomend to go with mid budget accomodation though there is nothing wrong in the budget.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly and knowledgeable
Overall.a great experience, the company made sure we were taken care of and that our accommodation were confirmed. We had a great experience and would recommend for future trips.
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
all good
Safari is an amazing experience and we saw almost all type of animals. August is a good time to go because of the weather and no raining. Cornelius is a very nice person.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly, eager operator with a lot of fun doing his job
We had chosen the 5 day safari and could absolutely recommend the tour. Our guide showed us a lot of amazing animals. He was very eager to give us the best experience during our journey. On our tour we had a lot of luck and could have seen all Big Five of Africa.
The different stops are totally different. That's why there is a lot of variety in the tour. From safari to a boat trip, cycling and walking into a gorge.
The first accomodation in the camp was not that good. It is very basic and in the beginning our toilet did not work and the light as well as the WIFI sometimes didn't work. But the other two hotels were okay.
The communication during the tour could sometimes be a little bit better. As well we recommend you to have US-dollars with you to pay the extra activities like the Maasai village, cycling or the walk into the gorge.
Even if there were some critical points it was a great experience with nice people and we would do it again.
DE
He was funny and always knew the best Spots.
The Safari with Meruslope was a great experience. We had a good driver who was also funny and knew many things about the parks. The food was tasty. The only thing to improve are some washrooms in the bush camps.
Overall it was one of the best things we ever did and I would recommend it to anyone who is considering it.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An unforgetable experience
We started our search a year ago. We contacted 6 companies, but narrowed it down to 3 when we saw some companies wanted you to pay on arrival in Tanzania. We spent a few weeks comparing the different lodges and accommodation. Joshua was our initial contact and we appreciated how flexible he was with changes to the lodges. We planned to visit in June, but told him seeing the migration was the main reason for our visit. At his suggestion, we changed to the end of July. What a great suggestion! We finally decided on a nine day / eight luxury safari.
Once our deposit was paid, Naomi was our contact person. We decided to add an extra day so we could see Mount Kilimanjaro. She was able to rearrange our itinerary so we do that. She also contacted us when we had to change lodges in Tarangire due to the lake being flooded.
A few months later we had a few questions and sent numerous emails which weren't answered. We finally resorted to writing a WhatsApp message, which was answered almost immediately. Somehow my emails went into a spam / junk folder. I can understand how that happens, but got worried when my two emails for confirmation of payment weren't answered. This was the only issue we had.
Our guide Obedi met us at Kilimanjaro Internation Airport. He was an amazing guide and was very knowledgeable on the vegetation, animals and birds that we saw. We really enjoyed his great sense of humor. Driving around Tanzania can be very hair-raising but I didn't ever feel unsafe with his driving.
The Operating Director Emanuel met us in Arusha to discuss our experience with the company so far and to discuss our itinerary. I really appreciated this personal touch. We met him after the safari too.
Our first night was spent at the Tumbuli Lodge in Arusha. We really enjoyed the relaxed environment and the grounds are like a botanical gardens. I would highly recommend it.
We spent two nights at the Intimate Camp Zebra in the Northern Serengeti. It was a few minutes drive to the Mara River to see the migration. The airstrip is also close by. At night we had wildebeest and zebra moving around our tent. I can understand why you needed a guide to lead you at night.
We got to see a few hundred wildebeest crossing the river. Obedi was in radio contact with the other guides, so was able to get us great viewing spots. At one stage everywhere you looked there were wildebeest. Amazing!
We saw lions every day. We also saw cheetahs, a leopard (stalking a wildebeest crossing the Mara river), herds of elephants, buffalo and numerous birds species. The only member of the big 5 we didn't see was the rhino. Obedi really went out of his way to find one in the Ngorongoro Crater, but unfortunately we didn't see one!
Our last night was spent at Kambi ya Tembo in the Western Kilimanjaro. This was our favorite lodge. Sylvester and his staff made us really welcome. There were only 2 safari vehicles in the camp, so we enjoyed the tranquility. The game drive was very unique and I suggest it.
We hoped to see Mount Kilimanjaro but it was covered in clouds. Maybe next time!
We would highly recommend Africa Big Cat Safaris. My friend and I had an amazing experience. The lodges were great and Obedi our guide was amazing. Ask for him when you make your booking. He was extremely patient when we wanted to stop to take photographs. He also makes excellent coffee.
One suggestion: If you have to get from Tarangare National Park to North Serengeti take a plane. The nine to eleven hour drive on dusty, bumpy, wash board roads wasn't fun.
