20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a life time, thanks to Ayubu & Serengeti Smile!
We had the most amazing experience, all thanks to Serengeti Smile! The service from start to finish was 5 star. Albert from sales was so patient & answered all of our questions. We changed our dates & times so many times before deciding which trip to do & Albert was great - he wanted us to have the best trip! Once we arrived we didn’t have to think about anything but looking for the animals. Ayubu (best driver & guide ever!) came & picked us up from our hotel & was the most friendly guy you could have hoped for. We chose a 4 day / 3 night Safari & it was amazing. The accommodation, the car, the food - everything was exactly as we had hoped & more. We saw the big 5 by day 2!!! Ayubu was an expert in finding the animals & giving us so many facts - thank you!
Overall, I can’t recommend Serengeti Smile enough !!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Super punctual and responsible.
He explained the weekly itinerary but was flexible on the safari when it came to organising times or taking us to see particular animals. He tried to avoid crowds of cars, which is very much appreciated as it is more enjoyable when you don't see other cars. He was flexible to give us time to admire the animals as much as we wanted. He was always more than punctual, arriving early for pick-up and respectful and tolerant of my slowness in the mornings. In the end it felt like being in the family with him.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect from start to finish
From the moment we emailed our interest to Vanessa to the moment we landed back home, our entire experience was wonderful! Vanessa was quick and so helpful in organising everything for us and answering any questions we had. Once we landed in Kenya, she had every transfer/collection, hotel, guide etc organised to perfection, we had no issues and could just relax our entire trip, knowing we were being taken care of.
The Safari was incredible, once in a life time views, our guide taught us so much and was friendly and helpful.
Everywhere we stayed, we were greeted warmly, the places were all comfortable and spotlessly clean, the food was incredible.
We loved Kenya and everyone we met along the way, 10/10 recommend to anyone considering it.
PT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good
It was an amazing trip. Douglas was the best guide we could ask for. Jackson was always available to help :)
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7-day private safari in the parks of the North and Zanzibar
In the first fortnight of this month of October, together with my family I went on a safari in the parks of northern Tanzania and a stay in Zanzibar. We visited the Lake Manyara National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti National Park and the Tarangire National Park.
The vehicle at our disposal was a very comfortable and sturdy seven-seat Toyota, equipped with every comfort and equipment (fridge, binoculars, pillows, drinks, snacks).
The safari was a beautiful and unforgettable experience, thanks also to our extraordinary guides Justin and Barack from Safari Avventura. Justin was impeccable in his organization and Barack was very skilled in driving the off-road vehicle in all terrains and in all conditions. Both were wonderful travel companions who guided and assisted us in exploring the parks and sightings of numerous animals, including the very rare Rhinoceros.
Barack took us to every point where there was an animal to observe, always very close: zebras, warthogs, buffaloes, antelopes, gazelles, impalas, hippos, flamingos, vultures, crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas, leopards and lots of lions. The observations of the lions, both in Ngorongoro and in the Serengeti, were among the most exciting moments. In strategic positions, reached thanks to Barack's skill, we were able to watch and photograph, through the sunroof, entire families of lions just a few meters away from them, but in absolute safety.
Justin, combining competence, availability, warmth and professionalism, made every moment of this experience a special moment for us. In perfect Italian, he clearly explained to us the habits of all the animals. He organized picnics in the parks with good and plentiful food and we will not forget his truly delicious coffee which we were able to taste at the end of each meal, even though we were in the middle of the African savannah.
All the facilities we stayed in were excellent. The Planet Lodge in Arusha is welcoming and restful. The Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge is exciting. The two nights in the heart of the Serengeti in Into The Wild Tented Camp were unforgettable. The Ngorongoro Coffee Lodge is very beautiful.
On the last day of the Safari, Justin and Barack made us live two other wonderful experiences in Arusha, such as a visit to a market and lunch in a typical restaurant.
We completed our wonderful trip to Zanzibar in the beautiful MyBlue Hotel, in the north-west part of the island not far from Nugnwi, where we worked off the pleasant fatigue of the safari.
Unfortunately, however, everything ended at the airport.
Thanks Justin! Thanks Barack! Thank you for being our travelling companions during the Safari, for having supported and anticipated our every need. We won't forget you.
Finally, a special thank you to Michela from Safari Avventura, who was always very kind and helpful both in organizing the trip and during the stay, when we contacted her for clarifications, and also after returning to Italy. Thanks to her competence and availability we were able to organize and create a beautiful, unforgettable trip.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing planning and perfect assistance
As privately said to Hanneke, Namibia is such a beautiful place that having the time of your life down there is 95% because of Namibia, 5% because of a good organisation. Well, that 5% was simply perfect. She realised the journey we were looking for, the perfect mix among all the things we wanted to be part of. The campsites, the lodges, the games…everything exceeded our expectations. The assistance through the trip was very effective. Sooner or later, we will return to Southern Africa and - no doubt - rely on her for the organisation.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A dream come true (Safari in Kenya)
We have booked our honeymoon with Best Memory Safaris. The trip was excellent. It last 14 days including 8 days of safari, 5 days at the beach and 1 day for arrival and departure.
planning and booking
Our contact person for the organization and booking of the tour was Isaac Musyoki. We were requesting for our safari offer very late, only 3 weeks before the 1st game drive started. Despite this fact, in consultation with Isaac we have created a customized journey in less than one week of time. The booking process is characterized by a high level of flexibility. Even special wishes like meeting up with my wifes godchild would have been possible.
arrival
After our arrival at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya Isaac and Bernard Ngei, our game driver, picked us up directly to start the safari tours. The warm welcome immediately made us feel that we are in good hands. After Isaac left us in the city of Nairobi, we went on our tour together with Bernard.
game drives
Our ranger Bernard first took us to the national parks Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli and Tsavo West before he drove us to Diani Beach. We have spent the whole 8 days of safari together with him and enjoyed every second of it. Together we drove approx. 2000 km through the country and its national parks. Usually we did two game drives a day. One in the early morning, starting between 6 am and 7 am., and one in the afternoon.
Due to the fact, that a safari trip probably stands and falls with the guide, we would like to share some of our impressions of Bernard:
a) He is very friendly, attentive and always cares about his guests, which means he is asking if a toilet stop is necessary or if there is still enough drinking water in the car to give a few examples.
b) He shapes the game drives flexible (i.e. weather-dependent) and is very regardful about his passengers. Whenever we needed a rest, i.e. after a long trip, he adjusted the time for the upcoming game drive.
c) He respects the habits and habitats of the animals. He knows how to provide an excellent view to the animals and the scenery for taking very nice pictures without disturbing the animals.
d) He is extremely experienced (> 25 years of safari tours) and therefore gained so much knowledge about his home country Kenya and its animals.
e) Moreover he understands and predicts the behavior of the animals. That’s why he is always one step ahead of many other game drivers to get the best views to the animals for his passengers. He acts absolutely far-seeing.
f) He does not overload the passengers with too much information about the animals. He doses information the right way and is also a good listener when talking with each other.
g) He is cross-linked to so many people across Kenya. It is unbelievable. It seems like he is knowing every person in Kenya.
h) He is multilingual. He speaks Swahili and the other languages spoken in Kenya (native languages). Furthermore he speaks excellent English (2nd native language) and also German. Probably he is even speaking more languages that we did not find out.
i) He knows the limits of his land cruiser (recommended) and the conditions of the roads. That’s why we always felt very safe.
j) He helps in every situation and clarifies that vegetables are washed with drinking water in the accommodations we have been.
Bernard Ngei made our honeymoon very special. Every second with him was so much fun. We really enjoyed our community.
accommodations
We have stayed in high standard tent camps and lodges, that were very clean, provided a wide range of meals and had a very friendly and helpful staff.
departure
A business-partner of Best Memory Safaris brought us from our hotel in Diani Beach to the airport of Mombasa, from where we flew home with all these beautiful memories in our bag.
conclusion
If you are planning to do a safari tour, book with Best Memory Safaris. The name says it all. They get a five star rating from us.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tour was great, easy and our personal guide Manfred was spectacular
We were flew into Arusha from Zanzibar and quickly met up with the tour operator. We got the overview of the safari and then met our guide, Manfred, who was knowledgeable and incredibly friendly. Got to see nearly every animal with the only exception being a rhino. The rooms were amazing and a life changing experience.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience!
We were lucky to have found African Wanderer by doing an internet search! As soon as I contacted them asking for information, Hanneke was very quick to answer me and better understand my preferences. We reviewed the route a couple of times, and she was always available to make changes to the tour. The trip was magnificent, exactly as we had imagined, even better! She recommended some beautiful places to stay with the right alternation of campsites and lodges and with different costs that we chose. We had the chance to see such beautiful places that we could not have seen if we booked by ourselves. Even during the trip, Hanneke was always available and helped us with requests for changes or information. I recommend it!