CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
When I go back to Tanzania again, it will be only Emma from Shemeji and no one else I would trust!
When I first started searching for a dependable tour company in Tanzania for our upcoming trip in November 2018, I found many of these companies are based overseas and the quotes were ridiculously high. Then I found Emma from Shemeji Safari who offered us a very reasonable pricing. I worked with Emma for over 6 months and I found her very reasonable. She is practical but flexible. And above all, she holds high integrity and honesty. I never looked back. In Tanzania, she fixed us up with her dependable driver Edie for the safari tours. During an emergency situation, the help I have received in Tanzania from Emma and Eddie, I will never forget in life. Needless to say, for any of my future trips to Tanzania, it would be Emma and Edie from Shemeji Tours and no one else.
NI
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great service and very kindly people
It was the best experience that a I have in my life, excellent services, very kindly people and good organization and logistic
NO
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
THE BEST SAFARI COMPANY
My friends and i travelled recently to Tanzania. We chose to travel with Gilmag Safaris due to their efficiency in communication. When we finally landed in Tanzania we were met by the very charming representative of the company at the aitport. We loved the hotel (The african tulip )we were booked for in Arusha everything was perfectly arranged. The food was amazing. All i can say is that everything was fabulous throughout our one week’s safari .
Thank you Gilmag Safaris for a lovely trip. I can’t recommend you enough. We Would love to come back to Tanzania again with Gilmag Safaris.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
7 day safari at 4 parks: more than just seeing animals, a once in a lifetime experience.
The trip was tailored for our family's specific needs by the owners who worked directly with our son. They recommended a 7 day trip and they were right! They assigned an amazing team of Wilson, our driver and guide, and Paolo, our cook to make sure that our family of 3 had an amazing experience starting with a fresh breakfast every morning beginning with the Boundary Hills Lodge to Ngorongoro Crater area. Words can’t express the beauty of each of these and what we saw every day because of EASTCO. I am grateful.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Matoke Tours - Great parnet for visiting Africa!
First off some facts:
-We were 6 people between 27 and ~50years old from Germany
-Uganda 8 days from mid September 2018
-Tanzania/Zanzibar 5 day at the end of September 2018
It took me a while to find the time to write a review and I'm usually not the guy who likes writing reviews, but me and my co-travelers belief that Matoke Tours and everybody who was involved with our journey deserve some feedback. So here it is:
We started our trip at Entebbe airport and our plane landed quite late (around 10 p.m.). We got out of the airport and at first the heat and humidity hit us quite hard. It was dark, somehow smelly and we didn't really know what to expect. We spent our first night in some small guesthouse near the airport. The housing was somehow strange, there were a lot of mosquitos (which we tried to avoid because we heard all kind of stories about the diseases they might transfer...more of that later), and there were dogs barking all night. But we felt save because the guesthouse was well guarded. At first we thought, that it was not a good idea to travel to Uganda but that first night was literally the only not so good thing about our Journey.
The next days basically went like this: Kibale National Forest (Crater Safari Lodge - excellent!) - Community- and Swamp-Tour -Chimpanzee-Tracking + tropical rain in the forest and being attacked by African bees - Queen Elizabeth NP (Ihamba Lake Resort - Excellent!) - evening + morning Game Drive (same as Safari but Safari seems to be the Kenia-word for Game drive...) - Boat-Safari on the Kazinga channel - Gorilla tracking in the Bwindi National Forest (Mutanda Lake Resort - Excellent!) - Travel to Lake Mburo + Safari-walk in the queen Elizabeth NP (housing at Eagles Nest - great view, cute dog, nice bar, tent - Okay for one night) - flight from Entebbe to Zanzibar with a stay at the Blue Oyster for three days (super nice people, great lodging, nice bar + great cocktails, nice and clean beach, good food and they even send us a Christmas card - would definitely go there again and recommend to everybody!) - Stone Town (Swahili House - great!).
We saw a lot. Crazy African cities, beautiful nature, great rain forests, beautiful lakes, the Indian ocean, lions, elephants, hippos, Crocodiles, Eagles, snakes, giraffes, buffalos and many many more... Every place was full of really nice people, who always wore a smile on their face. And what was very strange: almost no insects and no mosquitos. Sure I got bitten twice but in the end I had more bee-stings that mosquito bites (and that only because we had to pay for the honey that the chimpanzees stole...). Recommendations for travelers: don't buy expensive mosquito-proof clothing- just buy one or two bottles more of DEET 50%.
And one thing or rather one person I did not mention at all: Our guide Big Sam. We were extremely lucky that he was guiding our tour. He is very experienced, he knows the nature, he knows the animals, he knows the authorities and he knew an answer to all our questions. And we had a lot of questions... And most importantly: He is a nice guy. He was joking around a lot and was able to laugh about himself. We had a great time and we think and talk about our journey a lot. We miss Uganda, we miss the people from the Blue Oyster and we miss Sam. We will be back and we will travel with Matoke again!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience. Smooth booking, payments, excellent coordination, great driver and vehicle.
It was all great, lived up to expectation. Smooth planning, coordination, payments, bookings, transportation including driver and vehicle.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was nice experience.
It was a nice experience with Lenchanda. Everything was good. only one thing can be improve if they start accepting Card or online payment.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
1 week/3 Parks with Young Children
Alliance Destinations were prompt and reliable. They were able to customize my travel/accommodation options. Their services met all expectations and the driver/guide (Antony) was pleasant and patient. He was quite knowledgeable and knew the interesting spots around the parks.
Elizabeth from the office desk managed the whole itinerary well and overall was a very memorable time.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beautiful scenery, great wildlife viewing, and really caring & personalized attention from the crew.
Our trip was spectacular, thanks to our amazing guides and caring bush camp team. We saw amazing wildlife, made new friends, and learned a lot about the Bush in Botswana!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
My safari in Uganda was simply fantastic! Every aspect was amazing!
My trip with Home to Africa was everything I had hoped for! I traveled to Uganda as a single women, on a solo trip and I didn't know what to expect. Home to Africa tours and Karim in particular were just perfect. Of course, the gorillas are amazing (you may be 6 feet away from them! Be aware, the trek to see them is not easy...be in shape and USE A PORTER!) Everywhere you look, wildlife abounds and this place is a birders paradise. My treks were everything I had hoped for. The accommodations were also very unique and special...and I mean this is a very positive way. I LOVED the variety of accommodations and the attention to detail. Ugandan coffee overlooking the game reserve as elephants walk by...does it get any better? Majestic hills, beautiful lakes where wildlife gather, crested cranes and towering trees surround you. Your dinner, served to you by candlelight many times, is superb. Every day on my safari was unique. You will travel far and wide to see all of Uganda, but it well worth the trek. After 6 days, I still felt there was so much to see and do. Home to Africa tours made my trip so special! They are responsive and are very good at adjusting the schedules if travel plans change suddenly. Ask for KARIM for sure! He is very knowledgeable and easy to work with. Truly, this trip was such a good time and I felt relaxed the entire time.