US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari was good; Roho Ya Chui was Disappointing
This was my second safari trip and third tour in Sub-Saharan Africa and my first journey with Roho Ya Chui. We traveled to Tanzania (Ruaha, Selous and Zanzibar)
The good: Ute was very responsive throughout the booking process. I selected the parks we visited and Ute recommended the lodges. The Zanzibar hotel she selected for us at the end of the trip was a particularly good choice.
The bad: I asked for a modification of the itinerary 10 days after booking and deposits because I had done some further reading and had gotten some negative signals about one the lodges she booked us in. Her response was an immediate no as it turns out she had bought an end to end package from a local operator in Tanzania who owned both the lodges and the air carrier responsible for our transfers. She was dismissive of my concerns about the lodge, but I asked if she could humor me and at least inquire about a modification before giving me an automatic no so I could make my own decision. She investigated and informed me the change would have meant the forfiture of my deposits so I stuck with her plan.
The really bad: Before our journey I reconfirmed our arrival information and asked specifically who would be meeting us, how they would be identified and with whom would they be affiliated as I hadn't been provided that information. She furnished me with the number of the local duty manager and received no additional details other than that they would have a sign with my name. She also said I could also contact her with any issues if they arose. We arrived as scheduled at 4 am to Dar Es Salaam and no one was there to meet us. I called the local duty manager - no answer. I called, texted and emailed Ute - no response. It was left to me how to figure out ground transportation in an unfamiliar African city. I managed, but it was not the best experience after 30 hours of travel. A couple hours later Ute responded and asked me why I hadn't called her. I said I had and she said she insisted she didn't get a call from me. I sent her a screen cap of my call - and she then admitted she had missed the call. I found it a bit strange that she would intimate that I had somehow mishandled the situation considering I was the client who was needing assistance - but as I said to her - I took care of it and no harm done. The local operator did refund me the money I paid to get to our hotel.
Our first camp/lodge was great. Our third and final stop was great. Our second (the one I had been concerned about) was less so. The property was under renovation and some services that were advertised were not available (pool out of commission; bar/main lodge being re-roofed, no hot water, and no view from our accommodation). These were minor issues as for me it is really all about the animals. More concerning was that the promised animal drives (the whole point of the exercise) were not available to us on two (out of four) occasions. When this happened the second time - I had to put my foot down. The manager admitted (what I already knew from observation) that they were fully booked and didn't have enough capacity to accommodate the drives for all guests. I found this very disappointing - doubly so as this was at the location I had told Ute I was concerned about. Ute was informed but, once again, it was up to me to get the issue resolved in real time. She said she was contacting the camp manager, but I never did hear from Ute if she spoke with the manager, what the excuse was or any particular apology. Ute did offer that no one had ever complained about that particular lodge in the past which was sort of besides the point. I don't know if she was suggesting that I am particularly difficult or if other people's good experiences were supposed to make up for my bad experience. In the end, a simple apology would have sufficed.
In sum, the booking process through payment was very smooth, but I cannot say she was helpful when problems arose and rather than being helpful or at least soothing when things went wrong was strangely defensive. Based on my experience, she gets the basic job done but if you run into any problems, you are on your own.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A fantastic trip with an even more fantastic guide
This was my first safari, but it was one of the best experiences in my life. The trip lasted two days. We started in Tarangire NP and from there we went to Ngorongoro crater. The atmosphere was incredible because the light breaking through the clouds and because of all the different animals we saw. Our guide Soss clearly knew what he was doing and what he was talking about. He had to drive for several hours but still manage to entertain us and give us a lot information about the area. It was a marvelous journey!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Daniel was an excellent tour operator. He was knowledgeable and friendly.
We were very happy with the tour Gametrackers provided my family. Daniel, our tour guide was great. The cook, guard and everyone were extremely friendly and helpful. The service all-around was top notch. The camp was way over our expectations. We were happy with our Gametrackers tour in 1998 so I have been recommending you to people. Now that we've experienced another tour with you, I would definitely not hesitate to recommend Gametrackers to anyone. You're the best value out there so keep up the good work.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable 7 days Rongai route hike to Mt. Kilimanjaro
I went with this company because a friend and my brother both hiked the same route with them. Me and my family had a wonderful experience trying to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro. Everything was well-organized and worked on time. We had a person to receive us at the airport who took us to Impala hotel in Arusha. After our safari, we checked into Bristol Cottages in Moshi. Samson was waiting to brief us about the hike and do a bag-check. Even though we had reached the hotel late from safari, he waited patiently for us in the lobby for over an hour. He explained the hike in detail and the precautions to take to avoid AMS. Next morning we got picked up from the hotel and drove to Rongai gate. The drive was comfortable and we picked up bottled water for ourselves. We were joined by other members of the crew including our guides King Seleman and Williams. The 7-days hike went smoothly and we had enough food to eat and the tents were in reasonable shape. We were even able to adjust the schedule to get a day of rest at Mawenzi Tarn hut. Me and my family were in good health and had no issues with AMS when we started the summit ascent because of the slow and steady progress we had made during the previous days. We all reached down to Marangu gate safely without any health issues. A special shout out to the team of porters, cook, and guides who made this a memorable experience for us. On return, our hotel rooms were ready for a hot shower and night’s rest. Our drive back from the hotel was uneventful and we had plenty of time to shop and eat lunch in Moshi before heading to the airport. I would recommend Samson and his company to anyone who is interested in doing this hike at a reasonable price.
CZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great trip
We visited the beautiful Shimba Hills National Reserve with KT & Safaris last year, everything was absolutely ok. KT & Safaris can provide whatever you want but they cannot rule to the weather :). We recommend KT & Safaris for all who want to enjoy their vacation.
US
Professional, Amazing, well organised company.
I took my wife and my son to Ngorongoro crater through Cross to Africa Safaris. The service was amazing, without forgetting delicious signature lunch boxes, we got down the crater on time, we saw more than we expected. The tour itself was a life changing experience. Anthony was great, funny with alot of Information about animals. I will recommend anybody to book with Cross Africa Safaris anytime.We are planning to go to Serengeti to see the wild beast migration sometimes next year, definitely through Cross to Africa Safaris.The best of the best.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Breathtaking, awesome, top notch services.
What i loved about hyrax is the proffesionalism they exert in their firm, from tour guides to drivers. Their communication channels are excellent: as a matter of fact they exceeded my expectations, the safari was awesome: top class services offered.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Such delightful experience I will never forget.
Everything perfect! Just in one day, few hours, and you can totally appreciate the impressive and amazing african nature, with an excellent guide, that makes you feel comfortable from the collecting time to the drop off at your hotel. Thank you all, for this everlasting experience!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredibile experience on safari with Izzy!
My family of 6 adults traveled on safari in the Okavango Delta with Izzy as our guide in June 2018. We feel extremely lucky to have had Izzy as our guide. He is very intelligent and thoughtful, and his knowledge about the animals and plants in the region is astounding. He is passionate and engaging when he speaks. He is completely professional in every encounter. We always felt very safe during our game drives and walks with Izzy. During our time with Izzy, we learned about him as a person- my husband told me after we left that he thinks Izzy is one of the nicest and best people he has ever met, and I completely agree. We cannot thank Izzy enough for our experience in Botswana with him. We truly hope that we have the opportunity to see him again in the future.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Safari and Gorilla trecking
The itinerary was exactly what we wanted with the suggestions of Ugandan Travel being absolutely spot on. They listened to what we were looking for and designed a safari for us rather than the standard itinerary used by most companies.
All staff involved were very friendly and knowledgeable and extremely well organised.
We have travelled in Africa and internationally extensively but this was easily one of the best experiences I have had by some distance.