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 :-))
RU
Perfect Safari with JT!
The journey has been wonderful! Thanks to Julius who organized everything perfectly! We had the best guide Abdul - polite, attentive, funny and supportive. We spent 10 days on safari, traveling from park to park. All accommodation was excellent, no complaints.
CH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The most beautiful place to Start the new year
Petra advised us personally, uncomplicated and with her great travel experience. She was flexibel to our individuell wishes und always available for us.
A wonderful season to be in Namibia and Botsuana and start the new year!
HU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A flawless, unforgettable adventure
Me and my wife did a 2 day safari with Qualified Tours Tanzania from Zanzibar to Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. We enjoyed every minute of it! We were on our honeymoon, and the tour operator even suprised us with a "Just married" car logo. It was so nice to see this on arrival. Our guide was Lameck, who told us a lot of information about the animals and the parks, but we also learned many things from him about the history of the areas we visited. Both our guide and the tour operator went above and beyond to make sure we have the maximum game viewing opportunities and time in both parks, which is really important on a short safari like this, but we never felt like we were rushing. Lameck our fantastic guide always made sure that we also have enough time to rest and to make photos. We saw all the iconic animals on our safari except leopard and cheetah. We even saw rhinos in the Ngorongoro Crater with binoculars. Tip: if you go on a safari make sure you bring binoculars! Our best moments was seeing herds of elephants up close in Tarangire with one herd crossing the road just behind our jeep. Seeing the beatiful landscape of the Ngorongoro Crater and the crazy numbers of animals on the crater floor was also breathtaking. The accomodation at Hhando Coffee Lodge was fantastic, the staff, the room and the food was superb. This lodge is actually not inside the conservation area, but it is so close to the entrance of the Crater that you can reach it 10-15 minutes. This is a really important factor if you want to do an early morning start in the Crater. And the forests of Ngorongoro are also very close so you can hear some really cool sounds from your terrace at night. We even heard the whooping sound of hyenas at night which was fun, but dont worry they are far away! Wish we could have stay longer to explore this fantastic lodge a bit more. In summary i strongly recommend you both Qualified Tours Tanzania and our guide Lameck, we had a perfect experience. Wish we can do a longer safari with them in the future! Tip if you are on a holiday in Zanzibar and want to do a short 2 day safari: choose this tour, because you will see huge, guaranteed numbers of animals in these parks with the chance of seeing the Big Five, but you will also see the towns and beatiful landscapes of mainland Tanzania during your drive to the parks which was a nice experience for us in itself.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I can start saying that the Safari was simply amazing.
The trip was really well organized by the company Bison Safaris. They are reliable, always answering to our requests and needs. The organization was perfect and we think that was really good to see different parks (Amboseli, Nakuru and Masai Mara).
All the accomodations were good, especially Ashnil in Masai Mara park. It was clean and really beautiful.
Last but not least, I say thank you again to our driver peter that was really nice to us. He made a lot of effort to let us see all the animals. He was always very friendly, professional and ready to explain everything.
Thank you again Bison Safaris for this amazing experience!
RU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Another incredible experience!
We have just returned from our 4 day safari in the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru. We had been on safari before in Tanzania Serengeti, so we had a rough idea of what it would be like. And we have to say we were not disappointed. It was another incredible experience that will forever remain in our hearts. Our guide Ali is a positive person and a cool dude. He managed to show us all the animals we wanted to see in such a short time. And even more, we managed to see a cheetah hunt (unsuccessful) and a lioness hunt that caught a piglet in front of our eyes. Also during the safari it was my husband's birthday and Ali gave us a nice surprise, during breakfast in the luxury hotel suddenly the song "Happy Birthday to you!" came on and the staff brought a delicious cake for my husband. It was very sweet and nice, of course Ali took care of it. We leave with fond memories and with cool photos and videos that we will revisit many more times. Thank you very much Lenchada Safaris and all the best to you!
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
David Forbes is a knowledgeable and engaging guide, with knowledge of both birds and game.
The opportunity to visit a nature reserve with David Forbes was a particular pleasure as he is deeply interested and knowledgeable not only in the birds and animals that live there, but also concerned for their welfare in terms of the management of the reserve. Being a photographer himself, he is willing to be at a site for considerable lengths of time in order to allow his guests to be able to take photographs of birds or creatures in the veld. He is also a reliable and deft driver, an asset both in the reserves and out of it.
Forbes is also an interesting fireside companion not only because of his interest in the history and politics of the country, but also his own involvement as an activist and film-maker. He has spent twenty-five years photographing among the Ndebele people, for whom he has a great respect and love. He is also a graphic artist, and so has an interest in the arts, as well as a commitment to the learning and teaching of languages. He is thus an engaging host both in the veld and in the camp.
Elizabeth
Johannesburg