20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrible from the very beginning.
This company was recommended to me by some friends, so even with the terrible communication and rude service from Johnston, I decided to stick with them. Firstly, Johnston’s is extremely rude, and barely understands English so don’t bother talking to him on the phone, he literally hung up on us after getting angry that he couldn’t understand us. Prices were listed as 240$ for the particular camp we wanted to go to but he was quoting us 640 each for a week. We had to seek out someone else to deal with. Just go with another tour operator, very very unprofessional company.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Every detail handled to perfection w African Coast Travel & Tours
Joseph Mayo was my tour guide and handled every detail with absolute perfection. Having never visited Africa before, he made the experience so easy and memorable. He replied to emails quickly and answered all of my questions about wiring money, transportation and lodging accommodations. Joseph met our tour group at the airport and accompanied us on our excursions teaching us about local customs, wildlife, shopping, history, etc. The entire trip to Livingstone was magical - especially the water safari tour because we were blessed to be at the right place and the right time when hundreds of elephants were gathering on the banks of the river. The guide parked the boat on the banks of the river and presented us with a delicious lunch and to our amazement, the elephants swam the river within a few feet of where we silently watched the greatest show on earth! Many thanks to Joe for his hard work in organizing the trip of a lifetime.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bait-and-switch on lodging, haggling and hassle once arrived
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this operator. We were sold a package promising accommodation at Azure Mara Haven or comparable. What we got was Jambo Mara Safari Lodge - no WiFi, no pool, no spa, currently under construction and it books at about half the price of Azure. When I voiced my dissatisfaction, I was told that no bookings were available at the former, which a quick Internet search proved to be false. Owner George Oketch reimbursed me less than half of the difference between the room prices, which recovered one star. The other star is for his driver, Martin, who did a great job navigating the Mara and showed himself a kind and generous man with the Maasai who live there.
I learned a lot in this process. I should have stuck to my guns in holding back 10% until the end of the tour (he insisted on full payment in advance...before notifying me of the change in lodging). I should have read more reviews and done a FakeSpot review (using the TripAdvisor reviews they received a "D", https://www.fakespot.com/trip-business/right-choice-tours-safaris). I'll be more careful next time.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing, eye opening and best African Vacation!
As with most people the focus of this trip was the mountain Gorillas, which was as great as all the reviews said.
The safari company we used( iconic travel services limited) had absolute wealth of everything Africa... the history, politics, culture, in addition to all of the animals. We left our trip with a deeper understanding of Africa and yes the mountain gorilla tracking is a memorable experience, I enjoyed every bit of my stay.
Thank you all from iconic for a trip well executed.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Uhuru Travel exceeded all of my expectations for this tour!!
I worked extensively with Margaret to coordinate the perfect Tanzanian vacation for my family. We tailored the tour to our exact needs and everything went off flawlessly! My kids said that two of the hotels were the nicest hotels we have ever stayed at. The African Tulip was beautiful and the staff was very attentive and couldn't have been nicer! At the Acacia Farm Lodge, we were greeted by the staff singing a song to welcome us to the property. The rooms are spread out around the grounds. We were a family of five, so we had a two unit villa that was fantastic and our windows looked out at the coffee plants. The property is a working coffee plantation and farm.
Nicholas, our safari guide, was fantastic with 24 years of experience! He found so many animals and made sure that we were always well positioned for animal viewing.
Margaret (Uhuru Travel) was fantastic in coordinating our tour with special requests like squeezing in a trip to Olduvai Gorge, visiting a Tanzanian school for my wife (a Ph.D student and a teacher), and a sunrise balloon tour in the Serengeti. We concluded our stay in Zanzibar, with the safari blue snorkeling tour, two nights in Stone Town and then two nights in Nungwi. What a fantastic trip! At every arrival and departure, a representative from Uhuru Travel met us to introduce us to our guides and ensure that everything was as scheduled and ready to go. I highly recommend Uhuru Travel for your safari/tour needs! You won't be disappointed.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible wildlife, in-depth knowledge, delicious food, safe driving and all around unforgettable
So, how do you choose a safari company? I'm sure you've read tons of reviews, looked over dozens of itineraries and read page after page of tips and recommendations. Let me help you out: pick Suricata!
I took a 7-day camping safari with Suricata to Lake Manyara, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. Of course the wildlife and landscapes were breathtaking, but what really made the experience unforgettable was the professionalism, hospitality and humor of Hilary (the owner), Mandela (the guide/driver) and Dionis (the chef).
A few highlights:
- Hilary picked us up from the bus stop with a huge smile even though the bus was 2 hours late.
- The safari vehicle is one of the best we saw in the bush. Tons of room inside, very comfortable and very safe.
- Mandela, the driver and guide, has super human abilities to find animals. He makes it a point to take his own path instead of following dozens of other vehicles. This means that you'll often get to watch animals without any other cars around. And you'll be able to look out into breathtaking landscapes and actually hear the wildlife versus sitting in the middle of 20 cars revving and idling the entire time.
- Mandela was also a great storyteller and knew information about wildlife, trees, plants, food, history, culture, etc etc.
- Dionis, the chef, will make the best soup you've ever eaten. He even made pizza... in the bush, without an oven. Make this man an Iron Chef!
- Mandela and Dionis also listen to what you want out of a safari and go out of their way to make sure your trip is comfortable, stress free and safe.
I could go on, but you get the idea. Can't wait to go back!
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Emma
see previous comment
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fabulous safari, great people, amazing animals!
We traveled with Earthlife Expeditions and had an amazing 10 days. The wildlife and scenery are over the top. I felt like I was in a National Geographic movie. The accommodations were wonderful- they have all ranges from budget to luxury, the food was good, our guide Joseph was outstanding. This was a trip of a lifetime. I would recommend it to everyone. Just be aware that you are in the wild, with dust and bumpy roads. I just reviewed my pictures from 3 weeks ago and want to go again! It doesn't have to be super expensive.!!!
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good safari in Masai Mara
This was not our first time in Kenya. We booked a 3-day trip to Masai Mara (leaving on a Sunday and coming back on a Tuesday evening). In the park: lots of driving, lots of cars in the same place giving it a slight "mass tourism" feel and lacking "bush feel".
Although there during the peak time for wildebeest migrations, we saw very few. We were told that this is because of the Tanzanian burning off land to avoid wildebeest crossing the border. They are afraid of "loosing the business". Shame really as this man-made factor is not really mentioned on tourist safari websites.
Otherwise, everything was splendid in terms of organisation, driver, accommodation (camp right outside gates of Masai Mara), vegetarian food options... Amazing sceneries. Good value for money and very smooth.
NZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised and super friendly staff
I had five weeks in Tanzania and used Cross to Africa Safaris in helping me organise a Safari drive in Tarangire NP and hiking Mt Meru. Everything was easy to organise and it all came together smoothly. Being a solo traveller it was great having Cross to Africa help join me into a suitable group for my Tarangire Safari and have a ranger+cook+guide and porters for Mt Meru. It was great. Even though I had already visited some of the other NP, I still found it exciting seeing all the animals and my guide still taught me things about the animals I hadn't learnt on other trips.