BE
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
efficient and knowledgeable
We did all the safaris we expected and came back on time, the program was pretty flexible
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service and communication
Wonderful safari experience. Easy booking and excellent communication. All ran very smoothly. Nothing was too much trouble. All accommodation during the safari was of a high standard (sopa lodges). We booked weeks safari and our guide, Joseph, was brilliant. He was polite, punctual and very knowledgeable. What a fabulous guy. The experience was worth every penny and I highly recommend Beacon Safaris.
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Above & beyond Safari experience
What an amazing experience, can’t thank Kanje enough. Brilliantly organised, tailored to our requirements and competitively priced. The hotels were all fantastic, the food amazing and the country stunning. But the biggest accolade was our tour guide Johnson who went above and beyond to make our trip completely perfect. Tirelessly patient with all our chatter and endless questions, he was extraordinarily knowledgeable about wildlife and all things Tanzanian and beyond. He was so friendly, nothing was too much trouble and he shared our excitement at seeing some rare sightings. Request him for your tour, you won’t be disappointed - what a star!
Tanzania certainly lived up to its reputation for having the richest wildlife in Africa; we saw a leopard within the first hour of our first game drive, followed by all the big five numerous times over, every native animal and their babies and many wonderful birds too. Up close and personal with lions 3m from our jeep, elephants surrounding us, curious giraffes in droves, zebras crossing the road in front of us and baboons everywhere, not to mention the incredible wildebeest migration that was just continuous!
Our tour included 3 days in Serengeti, the Ngorongoro crater (highly recommend), lake Manyara, Tarangire and Arusha National Parks. We also did an amazing hot air balloon ride with bush breakfast (highly recommend) and a walking safari. Particularly loved the Lahia hotel in the Serengeti and Maramboi lodge at Lake Manyara, both had stunning settings and were the height of luxury.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant safari! Reasonably priced and great communication.
My family enjoyed a great few days in Lake Naivasha and the Masai Mara. David, our guide was very knowledgeable and we saw loads of animals. Communication with Bob beforehand was great - eye responsive and polite. Good value too. Highly recommended!
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My trip was fantastic and first safari experience
My trip was amazing. It was my first time visiting Kenya and as a solo traveler i was a bit nervous about the trip. But Bison Safaris made my trip an easy one. Starting from the airport pick up until the drop off it was smooth and everything was tailored to my liking and needs. The team was amazing during my visit specifically Maggie and my tour guide, they were both helpful, friendly and great people.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
David Forbes is a deeply knowledgable, enthusiastic, dedicated, funny, warm, wonderful safari guide!
We had the most amazing five days with David Forbes of Ukhozi Tours in August 2021, first in Kruger National Park and then at a fantastic lodge in a private reserve nearby.
He found the ideal camp in Kruger, catered and cooked our meals and deftly drove us around the park for thrilling wildlife sightings, including a litter of indescribably adorable hyena puppies.
One day he heard a distant trumpeting sound and led us to a stunning standoff between a bloat of 17 hippos and a herd of elephants.
He shared his deep knowledge and appreciation of the natural world and his wonderful sense of humor.
You will have the time of your life if you can take a tour with David.
Susan Adams
New York City
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
very professional and reliable operator with great experience in Namibia, Botswana for any kind of a
got very detailed planning with good ideas and proposals. All needs have been adressed professional and fast. Best value for money fron organising car, tours and lodges! Highly recommended to get out the best experiences for the holidays!
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Easy, nice, reliable but greedy
The communication with Lydia was very easy and fast. She is very responsive and reliable. Just make sure she understands what you write, because sometimes she understands the exact opposite. She is very a very nice person, so no problems there, it was great and we got what was described, even if it was the wrong order. Days 5 and 4 were switched :-)
But (prices according to October 2023):
1. She charges 30$ each for the Massai village although it only costs 10$.
2. She charges 35$ for the boat tour although it only costs 20$.
3. She wanted 25$ for a taxi from our hotel to the airport although with bolt it costed less than 6$.
4. She wanted from us 80$ more (which she didn't take in the end) because the gas prices went high.
I would have no problems with her charging a bit extra, but this, for people who are on a budget, is not proper and is strictly greedy. So more like 3.5 stars instead of 5.
As for the tour:
1. Don't pay for the extra activities ahead. This way you can see what the activity is all about and if it is worth it for you.
2. For Massai Mara, I think it does make a big difference if you get there before or during the migration. Else (like us) you have more than 1 million zebras and wild beasts (and flamingos in Lake Nacuro) less.
3. The Massai village was nice and you get a good feeling thinking you help them by donating your money. You can also buy some souvenirs at the market in the end of the tour they give you.
4. The boat tour IMHO has nothing to offer and is not worth it. There are a few hippos under water, a few birds and sea eagles, but that's about it. If the sun is out, it means sitting in a scorching heat for an hour or more.
5. I found the Amboseli Camp great, but the morning tour there is a tourist trap. 10$ for a Massai guy taking you for a 4km walk through dusty ground with a promise of maybe seeing some animals and ending up seeing a few giraffes. Better get 2 more hours of sleep and save your money. And better yet, take a tour through one of the sanctuaries around Lake Navashi, where you really actually walk next to the animals. Many different ones.
6. I think the Amboseli reserve is actually nicer in the dry season, because many animals are concentrated in areas around the swamp. There is also a great variety of birds there regardless of the season.
7. Hopefully you get a good driver that will no where to go so you can see interesting animals, will turn off the radio when watching them and will give you a good angle for your camera. If not, don't be shy to ask for it.
All in all it was much fun and full of very nice people.
If you are booking only the safari, consider booking or going afterwards to Mombasa or somewhere along the coast.
I hope I helped somebody with this review.
Take care and have fun.
BR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Organised & friendly tour with the best team that fulfilled all my expectations
I’m so glad so chose to go with this tour company. From the beginning the communication before the tour was absolutely satisfying and dealt above and beyond to ease the pressure of deciding what to do. The friendliness and and the professionalism by the tour team and especially Patricia is to be commended. The whole experience was seamless and made my safari adventure memorable and complete. I would not hesitate to use them again in the future if given the chance. Well done and keep it up guys I wish you all the best.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
2 Day Tarangier / Ngorongoro crater safari
Our trip was booked through Herman who was great in sorting out the trip we wanted, We had Joshua as our guide who was very informative throughout our drive, the vehicle was a 4x4 off road that had a roof that lifted and viewing all around, pick up was at 8am as advised from our hotel, we stopped to pick up our pack lunch along the way which was very good, we did a full days game drive before heading to our lodge for the night,
The room was clean and tidy with a double bed, shower and towels,
The food for the evening was was great and lots of it, the following morning we had breakfast at 7:30 which was eggs how ever you wanted them with sausage and local foods, plus fruit, our next drive was another full day before being taken back to our own hotel which arrived aback around 7:30pm, we was extremely lucky during our drives to see the big 5 as well as lots of other animals,
An amazing trip all round thank you :-))
