FR
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Visit Botswana with Suricate safaris, the journey of a lifetime
Arrived at Maun by airplane, what a welcome by this country open to the world, having the kindness as motto! Even the border police welcomed us, first step of an ascent to paradise. Our guide and agency manager was waiting for us with a broad smile, of those we would like to see on all our European faces. Here reigns a natural kindness that we must share. A very good organization: typical lodges all comfort and camp in tents during nearly 2 weeks too. Our guide and tracker Andy, accompanied by the cooker Russel, pampered us a lot: a delicious open wood fire cooking, lots of little courtesies day-to-day and great moments during the safari.
Regarding the safari itself, we have approached an exceptional wildlife! Andy's field knowledge allowed us to approach about fifty lions, five leopards, hundreds of elephants, giraffes, hippos, herds of impalas and buffaloes, crocodiles, etc. ; the hyenas visited us at night around the fire. The birds of an exceptional beauty came to fill the rare moments of respite. A nature in communion with Human. Unique sensations in our too much regulated and supervised everyday life...
What more can I say except that this experience and this human contact have changed my vision of Africa and I’ll dare to say of the world in its universality. I came to see animals: I saw them beyond my expectations and left by leaving a little of my heart to those two friends who accompanied us and made us love their country. You fancy an outstanding discovery and an authentic safari ? Do not hesitate! But above all, deeply respect people, animals and nature: they are here in symbiosis.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience with a great driver guide
I joined a group to do a six day safari through Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The communication with Meru Slopes ahead of the safari was good. I had a great driver guide, Simon, who really went the extra mile to get us close to all of the great wildlife in Africa. Except for the very rare Rhino, we saw all of the animals and predators that you would expect to see on a Safari in Tanzania, including rare up-close leopards and cheetahs! After Simon's suggestion we were even able to see a bit of the wildebeest and zebra migration in the Serengeti national park. The equipment provided by Meru Slopes like tents, sleeping mats etc. were all in good condition. The food made by the cook was great and fruit was provided during breakfast and dinner. Although we saw quite a bit of breakdowns along the road, our Land Cruiser never failed. Simon is a great driver who keeps the car in excellent condition. The camping in the Serengeti was amazing, with occasional elephants, monkeys and buffalo's standing not more than twenty meters outside the camp. One night we even stumbled upon a hyena that was roaming in between the tents. I would definitely recommend booking with Meru Slopes if you're looking for a budget camping safari in Tanzania!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing service, amazing people, top notch - A -Plus, Excellent!!!!
Everything was SUPER!!! Keep up the excellent work - HARD WORKING TEAM EVER!!!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ben and his team were organized, trustworthy, prompt and extremely helpful!
From the outside, Ben and Aurlie were helpful resources and ever responsive to what we were looking to experience. They were honest in their feedback, helping to guide a Safari experience that maximized wildlife viewing and side-stepped potential "tourist traps." We enjoy birding and wanted to ensure our tailored trip around that, rather than using the Big 5 as our focal point. Ben worked to create an incredible itinerary that met that goal. He also worked to balance pricing on accommodations during our trip.
Our guide, Joachim, was more than we could have imagined! He was a font of knowledge when it came to animal behavior and social structure. He worked to take us to areas of the parks that were farther apart from other Safari viewers- this provided an isolated experience in which to view the Circle of Life! He was also very into birding- a pairing that helped create viewing opportunities I'm guessing we may not have otherwise had. We successfully saw the Big 5, but our bird list grew well beyond 130 species by the end of our 7 day Safari.
I highly recommend E Trip to anyone who is sorting through the overwhelming number of options for Safari.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience, helpful staff, amazing adventure - 11 nights Kenya, Tanzania
The contact person - Noah was very easy to communicate with, he responded right away and was very accommodating with our requests. Wildebeest booked us for 11 nights - 9 on the road and 2 in Nairobi on our arrival. Everything went as was stated on our itinerary. Lake Nakuru 1 night, Masai Mara 3 nights, into Tanzania and the Serengeti for 2 nights, Ngorongoro Crater for 1 night, Tarangire Park 1 night and the last night in Lake Amboseli back in Kenya. Andrew was our driver/guide in Kenya, we had booked for just the 2 of us with a guide, and was extremely knowledgeable, listened to what we wanted to see and made sure we were comfortable and safe. We saw so many animals, so many different types of animals, and birds. Andrew stayed at a sighting for as long as we wanted - especially the lion cubs playing in the tall grass, hard to see them but he was very patient and was able to explain to us so we could find them too. In Tanzania we had a different guide who was also very knowledgeable and made sure we saw what we were interested in. The driving can be quite long some days, and the roads bumpy but the seats were comfortable and the roof popped open so we had good views all around. We 'camped' and all the camps were very clean, had all of the amenities required - toilets, sinks, showers - although not all had hot water on demand - some had certain hours for hot water very understandable and one you merely asked and it was provided to your tent. The food was very good - we took boxed lunches on our drives every day and that worked out well for us instead of going back to the camps for lunch. Africa is so very beautiful, there was Wifi in the camps but other than to send photos back home it was easy to leave the rest of the world behind and just enjoy the scenery and people. Wildebeest also booked a trip to South Africa and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) for us through another company (Pembury tours) which went very well as. The falls are incredible and so is Cape Town for the end of our trip.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing 2 month research program in Uganda and Rwanda through Africa Adventure Vacations
I visited Uganda and Rwanda for a period of 2 months to conduct my wildlife and community based research, so I decided to contact Africa Adventure Vacations after vising their website and found much information about wildlife in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, Robert was able to answer me quickly and I requested him to give me his or their company what’s app number for easy communications since there was much information that I wanted to know. He was able to send me 2 package options using little time depending on my request and all had the same information that I used to read on different platforms which made me to feel like I was dealing with professional and knowledgeable people. Since I was going to stay there for quite a long period of time, I stayed in budget accommodation but they were so nice with good services and the people there were so happy and welcoming. My guide Sam was informed and professional person, he gave me personalized attention and care always he would help me carry my luggage and to get clear positions for photo shooting. He would help me to interact with community peoples and translate for me to get all the required information I needed to complete my research questions, despite some challenges we faced like rain fall which would drop full day and some roads being muddy mostly in the remote areas. I was impressed by the arrangement and care that i was given during my stay in Uganda, therefore it is a must for me to acknowledge Robert and Sam for all their effort to make feel like a real Ugandan.
I am strongly recommending Africa Adventure Vacations and Sam to anyone who is wishing to visit Uganda!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best experience for us in Uganda and Rwanda for Gorilla safari and Wildlife Tours
Gracious tours and travel provided the best experience to my family during our visit in Uganda.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime!
My dad and I took a trip with Soul of Tanzania in July 2018 for my 40th Birthday. After much research of safari companies (it is overwhelming!) I chose Soul of Tanzania as I felt booking with a Tanzania-based company was important and I felt there would be a more personal connection to Soul. I knew I made the right choice from the beginning! The sales team, Miguel C (he is wonderful!) and Christina F ,were amazingly responsive and helpful, answering my initial 20+ emails prior to booking. I appreciated that Soul could work with any budget and book with any accommodation in the country, so that I could truly personalize and "splurge" on a smaller, more intimate luxury camp in the Serengeti while starting off with nicer budget lodges in Tarangire. Back in December 2017 I had originally requested Ben to be our guide, however he had since been promoted to Operations Manager (congrats Ben!) by the time we took our safari. However, Deo, who was hired to replace Ben, was amazing with his 22 years of experience, internal GPS, bionic eyes, quick and witty sense of humor, deep SOULful voice, and signature "pose" for photos :) Not only did we see the Big 5, we saw the Migration herds, a Black mamba snake and Deo pointed out when we saw a "baby, 200 year-old" Baobab tree in Tarangire that we probably would not have appreciated otherwise. Deo became a friend and we enjoyed spending time with him whenever we could! There were small, but nice touches of hospitality and service; Deo surprised me with buying my favorite popcorn at the visitor's center while I was in the restroom, Deo gave me Tanzanian shillings for a souvenir so that I didn't have to trade in USD. Deo went above and beyond to provide an amazing safari experience.
When we initially booked the trip, we booked for 2 nights in the North Serengeti, however the migration herds were still in the West come July. Ben and Deo and the staff made arrangements for us to switch lodging so that we could stay in the west to see the herds! This was much appreciated and we were so grateful to be able to be close to "The Greatest Show on Earth," and witness this very special natural event.
Soul had also been informed that I was celebrating my 40th birthday, so they had made arrangements ahead of time with the Pakulala Safari Camp at Ngorongoro crater (highly recommend this camp!) with a personalized birthday cake, candles and singing around the dining tent to the "Jambo, jambo Bwana/Kilimanjaro." None of the other guides were in the dining tent and I was worried Deo wouldn't be there, but he came to sing and celebrate--it honestly wouldn't have been the same without him; it's a celebration I'll never forget!
We enjoyed the hot picnic lunches and all of the lodges were beautiful and hospitable, particularly the Kiota Camp in Central Serengeti and Pakulala Camp in Ngorongoro. I have had several friends inquire about my trip and many want to know which company I booked with; I am excited to share with them about Soul and Deo and can confidently make these recommendations. Asante to all!
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful safari trip to Kenya with a great guide Paul
African Sunset Safaris organized for us a private 5-day safari trip to Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru National Park, and I recommend it to everyone who is looking for a great safari experience: not overpriced but still very comfortable and flexible in terms of the organization.
The only problem worth mentioning is that the Sarova Mara camp which was included in the offer was not available during our visit, but we were informed about it only after paying 50% value of the whole trip. The tour operator proposed an alternative camp which did not meet our expectations (lower standard than Sarova Mara). Eventually, after a bit of research on my side and several e-mails exchanged with the manager, we managed to find an available camp, satisfying in terms of the standard. So a bit of advice: make sure that your chosen accommodation is available before transferring the money.
Otherwise, everything was excellent. The pickup was on time, the car super comfortable (really appreciated during a long ride on bumpy roads), equipped with binoculars and several books on African wildlife. The route plan, the meals and accommodation was as agreed, they even managed to comply with my dietary restrictions.
And special thanks to our great driver/guide: Paul Ngugi! He is experienced and knowledgeable and at the same time very flexible: he ensured that we saw the Big 5, flamingos, crocodiles and whatever else we asked for. I think we were lucky to have him as a guide during the trip and it was a pleasure to travel with him.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceedingly humbled by their services
We had an amazing and special 12 days holiday in Uganda arranged by Mukisa Safaris Uganda
The service from Mukisa Safaris was excellent from initial enquiry to the end of our trip. Communication and recommendations were good, payment was easy and safe and the service provided was beyond our expectation. We expected a great trip but this went beyond all our expectations.
The lodges we were booked in were good, clean and confortable. Everything went on well as planned.
We saw and experienced so much and Uganda is far lovelier than we could have ever imagined.
Veronica was a very good guide. She was knowledgeable and excellent at spotting animals and birds and she acted very swiftly at getting us the front seats on boat trips.
The parks we visited were fantastic, lush, and green and we got up close to animals during the game drives. The highlight of the trip was the gorilla trekking. We managed to get up close to the gorilla family we trekked and it was such an adventurous moment considering the up and down trekking through a thick forest.
We had a holiday that will live on in our memories forever.
I would happily recommend Mukisa Safaris Uganda to anyone who wishes to travel to East Africa and Uganda in particular.