US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Robert the owner, is a very honest, helpful tour operator.
Our experience was positive with Karibu safari. Robert was very helpful and honorable. Our driver, Edward, was a very competent driver and knowledgeable about safari driving. We always felt safe. The accommodations were modest but adequate for the price. I would recommend this company.
CL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was the best trip of our lives, this agency did everything to make our trip the best.
There are not enough adjectives to describe our magical 10-day experience with ACZ Safaris Team. We (4 friends) have just returned from a simply sensational trip. It was always a priority on our wish list, although it was very difficult and expensive to plan. Well, everything changed when we started searching online and found ACZ Safaris. We read all the reviews (including 2 negatives), and then we started communicating with John who is incredibly efficient, professional and knowledgeable! He answered all the questions immediately without making us feel obligated to reserve. Having said that, after making several consultations with other companies, we collectively decided ACZ Safaris. The cost, the itinerary and the professionalism were decisive to close the deal. We were novices in this, so we just put our faith in them. The ACZ Safaris team (Martin & Joshua) picked us up at midnight from the Nairobi airport, and a day later, Martin met us at our hotel for an informational meeting before we left. From the first moment, we knew that we were in good hands. Martin was incredibly friendly and immediately acquired our sense of humor, but above all, he made us feel comfortable and safe on the trip and taught us a lot about the local culture along the way. With more than 10 years of experience, we were extremely blessed to see the Big Five within the first 24 hours! And just when we thought it could not be better ... he did it! From the kill of a cheetah, the birth of the Thomson gazelle and the pride of the lions resting on a hill at sunset (scene directly from the Lion King), the experiences kept coming and we had the opportunity to see a black rhinoceros, leopard, cheetahs , lions, elephants, hyenas, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, zebras, gazelles, impalas and many others. We also had the opportunity to witness the eighth world wonder where wildebeest and zebras migrate to Kenya and cross the Mara River while crocodiles wait for easy food. This was especially nice, the bird's eye view in a hot air balloon ride. The highlight was the mating of the leopards plus the cheetah and the lion killing in real time. The accommodation was great, "glamping", not "camping". The meal consisted of a total of three meals a day with full lunch boxes when we were going on an all day trip. In short, a memorable trip of my life with more than 6,000 photos to prove it! I could come and go, but I'll end up saying that ACZ Safaris gave us the vacations of life, and we could not recommend them enough! We will be back soon.
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US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Post ads on your Facebook page
One of their managers posted ads on the comments of my Facebook posts. It was really unprofessional and desperate
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
incredible and unique adventure
Wildlife was amazing
weather in July / August was perfect to do the safari
accommodation/Food very good (staff was very friendly)
guide was great, has a very good Knowledge about the Wildlife
ES
Amazing Experience!
We had a great trip with Watu Safaris to Selous and Mikumi. The combination of the two parks made that we had a great experience and saw lots of wildlife. Excellent guide and great service by the people of Watu Safaris. An amazing experience!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzanian Safari of a Lifetime
After a lifetime of dreaming and a decade of planning, my wife and I finally took our first African safari in July/August 2018. One of the best decisions we made was selecting Soul of Tanzania to handle our week in northern Tanzania.
From our first request for information, the staff was always responsive to our many questions. Because of our time difference, I would send our questions in the evening, and could count on answers waiting in my inbox in the morning. It made planning hassle-free as we finalized our itinerary, customized the way we wanted.
We decided on an eight-day, private guided safari in Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti, with a side trip to Olduvai Gorge and a balloon safari in the Serengeti. Soul provided us with four levels of accommodation to choose from in each area (five in the Serengeti), so to keep within our budget, we chose the most basic level, comprising Planet Lodge in Arusha, Rhino Lodge at the crater, and Ang’ata tented camps in the Serengeti. All were adequate for our needs, and Planet Lodge was outstanding.
But the element that makes or breaks your safari is the quality of your guide. Here’s where we really scored. Soul matched us up with Edward, a twelve-year guide who seemed to understand us immediately. From the first day, when we came upon a lion hunt in Tarangire, Edward had a knack for finding the animals we wanted to see, then having the patience to wait till we could get the perfect shot. He worked with us on a daily basis to come up with the program for the following day. From talking to other guests on safari, it was apparent that others weren’t having the variety and quality of sightings we were enjoying. That was all because of Edward’s superior knowledge and skill, as he found lion and cheetah cubs, not one but two leopards, and even a dik-dik (five minutes after I said I wanted to see one).
Edward was also great at producing our signature, envy-inducing hot lunches, and was a charming dinner companion to boot. Our last memory is of Edward, waving with both arms, as we took off in our small plane back to Arusha.
Kudos also to Ben in the front office for checking in periodically to make sure our safari was meeting our expectations.
We highly recommend Soul of Tanzania!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service with even better personnel!
Everything about this trip, from booking to experience was impeccable. Liz Read took my number of days, budget and interests and put together the PERFECT trip with exceptional lodges and safaris.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
First class organisation, service, destinations and vehicles!
Our trip to Rwanda and the DRC was in limbo after the kidnapping in Virunga Park. Golden Rwanda reorganised a full itinerary that no-one else was willing or able to make. Frank himself toured us around beautiful Rwanda; to the Gorillas, Golden monkeys, Chimpanzees and to places off the general tourist map. He introduced us to local cuisine and told us the history and general lore of both countries. He organised excellent guides to safely explore the DRC; the Lowland Gorillas, the Bonobos, the markets and more. If you are looking for more than what the general safari agency can provide, then Golden Rwanda is for you!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent! A very authentic, professional and genuinely friendly experience, and delivers!
In one word we loved the experience. The staff were very prompt during booking, and throughout the tour. We left behind a camera and some documents when we departed and they were amazingly helpful in returning them to us by courier. Regarding the tour itself, the staff are very knowledgeable about the terrain, animals and so on and the organizational aspects were top class. We stayed at Katekani largely and we just loved it. It’s very private, has exceptional luxury level living arrangements, and the food was freshly prepared and served everyday to a very small group of us staying there which was a bonus in itself. The safari tours were fantastic. We saw all the animals except the elusive leopard and many birds at close quarters. The bush walk experience was fabulous - not something offered by all safari tours. In sum, Viva safari more than lived up to expectations!
NO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Company for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
There's a lot of companies to chose from when it comes to Gorilla trekking in Uganda. The price is almost the same, so the important for our group was to find a trustworthy and reliable tour company.
With Achieve Global Safaris you need to pay your Gorilla Permit in advance, this can be done by credit card through pesapal, or bank transfer. A credit card is a great way to secure your payment. Rest to be paid in cash at departure day. Just to mention, you will not physically ever get to see the permit, but the price is fixed by the Government. One of our friends, unfortunately, needed to cancel his trip, and he got a full refund of the permit from Achieve Global Safaris!
We departed Kigali in Rwanda. We got the phone number to the driver two days before we arrived Kigali. The driver called me an hour before pick up. The car was a spacely and clean 4 wheel drive minivan, water bottles were provided. The trip was in the program mentioned to take 4-5 hours from Kigali to Bwindi, but it took actually 7 hours. Roads are good in Rwanda, bad to very bad in Uganda, and a lot of dust and anything can happen, so dress for adventure. The drive was never boring, you see a lot on the way, and meet a lot of curious people if you stop along the road. Our driver stopped anywhere we liked.
We booked a midrange accommodation, called Buhoma Community Haven Lodge. The view was fabulous, rooms big, and beds fantastic, warm water (sometimes more hot than others), and the food were delicious. The waiter was very detailed about the next day's meals, so no problem if you have allergies. One of my female friends usually only travel five stars and was very worried about the standard before the trip, but even she was very happy!
Gorilla trekking takes place at 8 AM in the morning. You will get a briefing and get in groups of max 8 pax. It's possible to hire people to carry your bag for 15 USD per person (+ a few dollars expected in tips).
A tip. Don't bring much for the trekking. Water, rain cloth, toilet paper, lunch box, and camera are all you need! If you will need to change lenses on your camera, don't let the carrier have it, because he/she will not follow you when you first find the Gorillas (the more people, the more stress for the Gorillas). Gorilla trekking can take from 3-12 hours. We found the Gorilla family after 45 minutes and was back after 4 hours.
If you get the time you offered a community tour for 25 USD. The tour is interesting, maybe a little expensive, but the money goes to the locals, at that's important! Remember, local people and Gorillas live side by side. Gorillas need the forest, the locals need money to make a living, if not the tourists, many locals would necessarily need more farmland. Gorilla trekking isn't cheap, but it's a win-win. Gorilla gets the forest, the local's bread on the table, and you get a fantastic adventure and a lot of "likes" on FB.... Business is much better than charity!
At last, I will give our contact at Achieve Global Safaris, Mrs. Jolie, a big thank you. We never got to meet you, but always well organized and always responded quickly on my emails. Bless you!
As a traveler that visited more than 155 countries, I know the importance of reliable and trustworthy local tour companies, and I can highly recommend Achieve Global Safaris for anyone needing their Service.
