ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best trip with Weru!
Amazing honney Moon in Kenya!! This country is the best to do a Safari! Weru was our guide and he was always taking care of us, he did his best to try to show us the best of his country and they achieved this objective! Do not hesitate to visit this beautiful country with him!!
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The safari of a lifetime - a superb adventure
Going on safari in Africa is one of THE most exciting and enjoyable adventures there is. After a safari it’s easy to write a glowing piece about your guide and the safari you just experienced. It will be one of the most memorable endeavors most of us will experience - it’s that good. All of the guides are knowledgable and helpful when everything is going according to plan - but the measure of a guide is when things DON'T go according to plan. Such was my adventure......
From the beginning of my two country, safari [3 days in Hlane Royal Park, Eswatini and 3 days in Kruger National Park, South Africa] we were barely one step ahead of the borders closing due to the Corona virus.
I met my guide, Tendekayi Guni of Bumhi Safari at the Namaache-Lomahasha border crossing of Mozambique-Eswatini and we headed for Hlane Royal Park where I had accommodations for three nights. Once we arrived at the camp we went on an afternoon game drive where I finally saw my first rhinoceros in the wild. Wow, what magnificent animals! Our lodge was next to a watering hole and in the late afternoon about 7-8 Black Rhinoceros came to drink. Later that afternoon Tende advised me that the border between Eswatini and South Africa was probably going to close. On his good [and prescient] advice I opted to cut our stay in Eswatini short and make the crossing. It’s a good thing we did as the border did close and I would have been stuck in Eswatini.
Tendekayi Guni booked replacement accommodations for me at Skakuza, one of the several lodges in Kruger National Park. That afternoon was my first mini-disaster. The zipper of my safari pants broke. :/ Try as I might, I couldn’t get the recalcitrant zipper fixed. Tende took the safari pants into a tailor in a small town about 15 miles away, had the safari pants repaired, and returned them to me that night. I doubt many guides would have bothered. After Skakuza we departed for my remaining 3 days at a private lodge in Kruger National Park.
My experience in Kruger National Park were beyond what I had expected - I saw ALL of the Big Five - lion, elephant, leopard, rhinoceros and buffalo. Lots of all of them. In my previous safaris - the Maasai Mara, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti I didn’t see even one rhinoceros. I must have seen over 40 rhinos in Kruger and at least 10 in Hlane Royal Park, Eswatini. We even saw a rare pack of wild dogs, giraffe, Impala, hippopotamus, hyena and about every other critter in South Africa.
The highlight of my trip was my walking safari arranged by Tende. We had a White Rhinoceros come within about 30’-35’ of us. He came trotting up toward us and stopped and looked at us for awhile. He was HUGE, about as big as a big SUV and heavier. They’re considerably bigger than the Black Rhinoceros and, thankfully, not aggressive. They're magnificent.
All of this time, my guide Tende was keeping track of the border crossings and it soon became evident that I could not return to Mozambique as originally planned.
On the evening of March 21st South African Airways notified me that, as of March 20th, the day before, they discontinued ALL international flights. THANK YOU, South African Airways. They were the airline I’d flown on from IAD [International Airport Dulles] to Johannesburg and then on to Maputo, Mozambique. I was without a return flight and South African Airways offered NO assistance to their stranded passengers NOR a refund. I was forced to book a new, one-way flight via Etihad from Johannesburg via Abu Dhabi on back to IAD, Washington DC.
This was where my guide went above and beyond. Tende drove me 450 kilometer from my lodge in Kruger National Park to Johannesburg. That is going beyond what I would have expected and the mark of a GREAT guide who looks after his clients. If you’re planning a safari to southern Africa you can do no better than Tendekayi Guni and Bumhi Safaris. They are GREAT.
Trustworthy tour agent！
We couldn't be more happier with the choice made to go safari with Sino Africa Safari in last minute booking (only one week before we travelled). Jong was assigned to be our safari specialist and helped to plan the best itinerary and was totally patience in explaining all questions we had and was amazing!
Vincent was assigned to be our guide for our ten day safari who has been a safari guide over thirty years. He was so professional and with excellent driving skills.
All hotels we stayed were so nice, we especially loved to stay at Mara Fairmont, it was perfect luxury for our family. The rooms are comfortable, super clean, people are nice to us and food was great.
Everything was very well organized by Sino Africa Safari, thank you for the great experience. We wish to be back soon!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our 5 Star Dream Safari
Gilmag Safaris is a very serious and wonderful safari outfitter. It has been few months since our last safari with Gilmag Safaris. From the day we departed Tanzania, Mary of Gilmag Safaris has been in touch, finding out how we are doing. We were recently pleasantly surprised when she called us to wish us good health during the Covid -19 Pandemic.
We booked a 6 day safari in November 2019 with Gilmag Safaris. The main reasons for choosing them were the positive reviews and price. We were fully satisfied with their services. Everything was perfectly and professionally arranged. We were very lucky to see the Big Five, all the cats with cubs!!! The visit to a Masai village in Ngorongoro was very interesting.
Thank you Gilmag Safaris and our main contact Mary for making our trip a success. We enjoyed every bits of it. I do recommend Gilmag Safaris team. Everyone in this company is great.
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Tour
We were on a honeymoon and it was an incredible tour. We were able to see almost all the possible animals thanks to our guide who was at all times watching that everything turned out well. I 100% recommend this company. We will never forget it!!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well-organized with a high level of Professionalism
Pallid Safaris displayed very strong communication skills and any changes (if any) were promptly communicated and addressed. Eric was the lead Safari Guide and he is personable, outgoing, has a sense of humor, punctual, knowledgeable, well-organized, has awesome customer care, enthusiastic and integrity was real.
The Safari Itinerary was well planned and the choice of properties was top-notch based on the Budget. No Surprises whatsoever! I'm happy to recommend Pallid Safaris to other Travelers and I would not hesitate to use their services again in the future.
Pallid Safaris, keep up the extraordinary service!
With gratitude,
RU
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
7 days safari Kenya with driver Jonathan
We had one of the best safari ever we will always envy and cherish the photos we took our driver Jonathan was very polite in answering our so any questions and was as well very patient in waiting for us Again we thank Rachel for arranging a wonderful and a well budgeted in price itinerary thank you again flexivel for organizing this wonderful safari
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible special experience at Hoyo Hoyo
Sandra was incredibly helpful and communicative in the build-up to our trip to Kruger. She sent us advice about other part of SA that we were visiting, and also kept us updated on SAA strikes that threatened to impact our holiday for a time. We felt completely confident that from the moment we touched down in Kruger we would not have to think about anything for the next 4 days and we were right! We were met by one of the Hoyo Hoyo lodge staff, which Sandra had arranged, and from that moment on it was complete bliss. Hoyo Hoyo itself is wonderful - the food is delicious (and plentiful!), we were continuously refreshed by tea and coffee breaks and evening drinks, both at the lodge and on safari, and the atmosphere was very luxurious and relaxing. The bush drives themselves were very special, and our guide Pharence spotted many animals with us and beautiful sights. I had a massage on one of the mornings which was great, before spending the day in between drives by the pool looking out for elephants. All the staff members were friendly and welcoming and we were sad to leave! I would recommend both Hoyo Hoyo and Traipsing Africa to anybody looking to book a trip to Kruger.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Local Operator
i liked the look of this website - it was clear and concise with what was offered, compared to some vaue ones. I booked some day trips, but didnt use them for the overnight trips - preferring to use a UK company for a little more piece of mind in safety/comms/not getting ripped off.
However these guys were great - email queries were answered quickly from the office in Kenya with useful information, they were great when i landed - ensuring everything was ok, and followed up at the end.
The driver was a little gung-ho at times, - for example a giraffe stopped in the middle of the road in front of us and he continued to drive straight towards it and then seemed shocked when it dispeared into the bush out of site by the time we got close - it would have been better to pause on the road and get the photo then - but then he knew i was focused on Lions, and defo wanted to keep the search going as much as possible.
Overall, this company & driver was excellent, and i wouldnt hesitate to use them again,
Notably - the UK company i used for the overnight trips was far more disappoining, and the UK agents clearly had no idea about what happened in Kenya! If i was to do it all again, i'd use these guys for the whole trip
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A simply amazing tour agent who knows how to ensure the guests enjoy and experience their trip
Last year i planned a family trip with the kids to the Mara, Naivasha, Nakuru and Nanyuki. at first i was hesitant because i had never gone on safari before leave alone with children. But from the moment i contacted Pallid Safaris,i felt like i could squeeze in 20 more destinations in a span of 5 days. Their cozy office was quite welcoming and accommodating, warm personnel and i especially was impressed by how easily they flowed with my crazy plans. All i did was tell them who, where and when and the rest they came up with a mind blowing itinerary one i would not have even thought of. They even went a step further and ensured that every destination we had fun activities tailor made for every age group. I can honestly tell you i never thought my kids would be that interested in a game drive at the Mara or Nakuru, personally my plan was to sit by the poolside sip my gin and tonic and just watch the kids splash but Pallid made sure Lazy mummy, Busy daddy, moody aunt, grumpy granpa, temperamental teenagers and the 2 little toddlers had their fill of fun and experience. They made sure we combed through every marsh and shrub, every nature walk we saw something new, heck they even made crossing the equator and watching Mt Kenya breathtaking haha. They don't just drive and drop Pallid gives you the whole damn experience of a safari. Kudos on you guys. ones this pandemic lock down is over, you will be on the top of my list for another family safari. cheers and Stay Safe Stay Alive.
