65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic guide, disappointing organisation
We had a wonderful 7-day safari from Arusha, through Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. It was intense and unforgettable, with too many amazing events and sightings to even begin to list here.
Apart from the magnificent animals and beautiful landscape, the best thing by far about the trip was Hamza, our guide. It would be difficult to imagine a better one: knowledgeable and informative, patient and helpful. He seems to know every inch of the parks, and worked hard to find us every animal we hoped to see, including crocodiles, tree-climbing lions and leopards. Moreover, he is a skilled driver, giving us the gentlest of “African massages” but able to cover long distances over dusty roads without ever making us feel unsafe. Being a guide is a tough job demanding a wide range of skills, and we had an intense schedule. Hamza made it all work beautifully, and always with a cheerful laugh or a little joke. If we return to Tanzania, we will certainly look for him again. Hamza deserves 5 stars.
Unfortunately, our experience with Dancing Simba, the booking company, was far less impressive. Poor communication and disorganised, seat-of-the-pants arrangements led to several problems – including a last-minute lodge change that added hours of driving, and a mishandled hotel booking in Stone Town – that effectively spoiled two full days of a relatively short trip. Along the way, we couldn’t help feeling that some decisions, such as the lodge change, may have reflected Dancing Lions’ own interests more than ours. Taken together with various signs of cost-cutting and disorganisation, this really let down an otherwise extraordinary trip.
In short: Hamza deserves 5 stars — but Dancing Simba only 2. Hence the 3-star rating overall.
Asante sana, Hamza!
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
safari good, driver bad
Safari was 5/5⭐️ because we saw the big 5 and went to nice places.
Driver (Ben) was 1/5⭐️ because he didn’t care about us a a group, he never talked with us, just when we asked something, he made us wait for 45 mins without saying anything and then he couldn’t even say sorry, he was very unsympathetic and cold, and when you experience a safari just once in your life, then this should not be your driver !!!
because „the driver makes the safari“
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Jan
crowdy, feels more like in bigger zoo than an adventurous safari
FR
under20 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Surprising
The parc it self is amazing and offers a good diversity ou animals and plants to see. However when I've been there I saw that the part with the white rihnos of south was completely invaded with sickle bush which is a invasive species. It isn't eaten by any animals and make the grasse not to grow so we saw some impalas with skin on the bones.
We still saw a lot of animals even a troupe of baboon that we did not expect to see. The bird view offers a perfect spots for photos an observation. Most of the animals appeared to be used to human presence.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Where do the money go
When in Kenya, you cannot help but wonder where do all the money go? You’re paying quite a price for a Safari, but everything around is dirty, poor and badly maintained.
US
Very friendly and informative
Very well done information and interesting
Good time has by all
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
sorry to rain on everyone's parade, but our experience dealing with Clyde was not satisfactory
We travel to Zimbabwe in June. From the get go, we said we are flexible with our dates. In the preplanning we were not given an option to fly from Joburg to Chilo Lodge, instead, we lost a day and a half and around $1000.00 , Clyde sent us from Joburg to Harare, staying overnight, and taking a charter flight back south to Chilo.
The option to fly directly to Chilo was discovered by me later in the planning, when according to Clyde dates could not be changed, which was a false information.
All the camps we stayed in, indicated that dates could be changed.
Clyde arranged a transfer between Chilo and our next camp at Chesakwe by road (4:30 hours of torture) which we could have instead flown (were told by the driver).That option, again were not given to us.
when the guest house in Harare were mentioned, I requested a change to another place, which was granted.
Closer to our departure, I discovered that Clyde booked us back in the guesthouse without consulting us.
All these unfortunate planning, took away a lot of the pleasure one has in participating in a safari , no matter which country you visit.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Pilanesberg Game Reserve by Astrid van der Watt
The roads are in a bad state.
Not many animals to be seen when compared to Kruger National Park.
MY
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good.
Good Safari trip. James, our driver was very good. Informative interpretation. Amboseli Park was my highlight. Resorts & food were great.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A few Issues and an Inexperienced Guide
Unfortunately, our trip did not meet the 5-star expectations that led us to book this experience. From the outset, there were a number of concerns that impacted our overall enjoyment.
On the first day, we were left waiting outside the Genocide Memorial for over 45 minutes. Our guide dropped us off at the entrance and said he would park the car and return, but he never reappeared. We tried looking for him around the area and the vehicle, but he was nowhere to be found. We never received an explanation for what happened during that time.
The driving throughout Kigali felt unsafe and erratic. The guide frequently seemed unsure of the directions, and on multiple occasions, we had to assist using Google Maps. It was evident that he lacked confidence driving in Rwanda and was unfamiliar with many of the destinations on our itinerary.
Communication was another major challenge. Instructions and updates were often unclear and lacked the level of professionalism we expected. While it was clear that our guide meant well and was trying to do a good job, we strongly feel he needs further training and more experience to meet the standards promised.
Additionally, prior to the start of the trip, we attempted several times to pay the remaining balance ahead but did not receive the invoice until the final day of the trip. We were then told we couldn’t leave the lodge until payment was made — despite unreliable Wi-Fi and power outages that made it nearly impossible to complete the transaction promptly. This situation made us feel as if we were being held hostage, which was stressful and unnecessary.
That said, we do want to acknowledge and sincerely appreciate the support we received from the company during the trip, especially when we had to cancel the Golden Monkey trek due to a health issue with my partner. The understanding and flexibility shown during that situation were truly appreciated and made a difficult moment easier to manage.
While there were some highlights — notably the incredible gorilla trekking and a few lovely accommodations — these moments were overshadowed by the logistical issues and lack of professionalism throughout the rest of the experience.