20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
BEWARE: Please do not book before reading this!!
When my mom and I agreed we wanted to come to Africa this year, I contacted multiple safari companies. Kenya Walking (KW) was the fastest to respond. I also chose to go with them because they are local, the reviews online seemed great, and it was in our budget. We paid half then, and half when we got here on July 17th. We were supposed to have a 15 day Kenya and Tanzania trip.
Our first 10 days, all in Kenya, were fantastic. We were very satisfied with the experience and nothing went wrong. However, on our 11th day, when we were supposed to go to Tanzania, everything dissolved into chaos. The driver who was supposed to pick us up at the border was not there. There was a group before us to told us they had been waiting at the border a day, and they did eventually get picked up. We were worried, but we waited there like the company told us to do. KW kept saying they would be there shortly. After hours in the hot car, we finally went to the hotel. KW told us to get a room there (we paid for it), and that the driver would arrive in the morning. The next day, after calling and waiting for hours, still no driver. KW hung up on me and then just stopped answering the phone.
We were finally picked up, just as we were leaving to go back to Amboseli, and taken to Tanzania. The next 5 days there ( we stayed a day extra because of all this) were awful. No permits, hotels, or meals were paid for. We would be waiting at the park gate for hours until either a permit came through, or we paid for it ourselves (it is way more expensive to pay for permits yourself. we paid $280 just to get into serengeti). There were a couple middle men between KW and us, and all of them were calling us telling us a different story or a different plan. The hotels we did stay at, we either paid for or the owner let us stay there, despite not being paid yet. Of our 5 days in Tanzania, only 1 was very good, and we had to pay for hotels that night. Between my mom and I, KW had been paid $440 each day for us to be there. That money was nowhere to be seen. I soon found out the likely cause
Fortunately, getting back to Nairobi was smooth. There was a driver there to pick us up. By this time, I had peiced together some of the story. Our driver then told me the rest.
KW is run by a guy named OT. Last year, OT apparently spent the equivalent of $500,000 on a peice of land with tourist money. He thought the land investment would return a profit by the time the tourists arrived in june/july. The guy who sold him the land was a conman, and the money was lost. So, clients were stuck in the same situation. At the time, OT had his tour company license taken away. Somehow, perhaps with a bribe, he got it back. He also seems to have doctored his reviews online (there is warning on trip adviser now about it). This year, it seems he may have done something similar, lost all the company's money. This disaster unfolded starting on Saturday, July 28th, when the group before us got stuck at the border. It has been one week since then, and now the company's website is down, multiple guests (including myself) have filed reports in the Kenya Police office and with the Kenya Tourist Police, and the drivers are doing the same because they have not been paid. Our drivers were so kind, I feel terrible that they have not received compensation for their time and work, as this is their livelihood. I was also told there are 16 people stuck at the Tanzanian border, and more tour groups stuck around the country. We received an email from KW promising to refund us by certain dates later this year, but I have doubts that will happen.
What a terrible situation that has impacted so many people. We feel fortunate that this didn't happen before we got here or right after, because we did have a great first 10 days.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Personal touch is important
We had been planning this trip for the best part of a year all little details were taken care of and properties and experiences were overall fantastic. A daily call from the office in Arusha made us feel very comfortable and secure and the birthday cake at Lemala was an awesome surprise. We shall to return and when we do we will book with you again.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic holiday arranged by a very professional company, all we hoped for and more.
My partner and I have just returned from the 13 Day Best of Kenya and Tanzania Safari and to say we were impressed would be a major understatement. Right from the time we started discussing options we found Diederik, who was based in Uganda, to be very helpful and knowledgeable. As a gay couple we were a little concerned about travelling in Kenya and Tanzania but Diederik put our mind at ease and to be honest it was never an issue. We travelled twin share but that was the only compromise we made. The locals made us feel very welcome and nobody ever questioned our relationship.
The safari itself was excellent, the organisation and various transfers were smooth and professional. The lodges were excellently located, they were very clean and comfortable, the buffet food tasty and plentiful and the staff were fantastically friendly making the stay very memorable.
The game viewing was all we hoped for and more and the ballon flight in Kenya flying low over the migrating wildebeest and zebra finishing with a fresh cooked breakfast (and champagne) surrounded by grazing animals was definitely a highlight.
We saw so many animals it was a delight every day. There is a fair amount of travel on some pretty (very) rough roads but with a small group, plenty of laughs and lots to see even on the travel sections the time passed quickly. The multiple nights at most lodges was welcome.
All in all a fantastic holiday organised by the very professional Ubuntu Safaris, I would not hesitate to use them for our next trip to Africa and yes there will be more for sure. You can’t go to Africa just once!
QA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience and the accommodations were perfect
Jambo!! Well starting from the day I requested for quotation Mr.Joseph was on his toes to reply me. He made my dates flexible which you rarely get . Giving me each and every details about everything and sending details about the trip with ideas on best itinerary. We were put up in The Sarova Lion camp which by itself is an amazing experience..it gives you a within the Jungle feel while taking care of your safety. I appreciate Joseph and our tour safari car operator Mr.Charles for making sure my wife and I get the best rooms in the camp. We stayed 4 days in Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru and spectating the most amazing wild life. Charles had vast experience in locating animals and we saw elephants,Pride of Lions(more than 12 in number) , Hunting by a group of 5 Cheetahs was the most thrilling part, Leopards are hard to spot but we spotted twice.
I can go on and on.
If you planning to go for safari then just go with Mufasa and Hakuna Matata ( No worries)
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tanzania & Kenya safari
Good pricing and a pleasure to work with.
Safari hub delivered a trip of a life time within our budget. I will recommend them to family and friends.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Big adventure
I booked the safari with Jackpot Safari one year ago. The owner Andrew helped us with all questions and we felt equally comfortable. The safari was amazing and we are happy to book the trip by Andrew.
I would recommend Jackpot Safari to all of those who are looking for a big adventure.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good operator, extremely rude drivers
Masai Mara & Nakuru: 30 July 2019; for short version, look below.
I am so conflicted giving this a 2 star rating because we (group of 9, with 7 visiting from the US) had a terrible experience largely due to one person (Julius - experienced but grumpy & rude tour guide who seems to hate his job/life), but the rest of everything else was great. However, Julius largely defined the experience for the group that he was driving, so I unfortunately cannot justify more than 2 stars. All 9 of us are avid travelers and visit 3-4 countries every year (4 of us are above the age of 60), with 2 who live and work in Kenya, and there was consensus that these were among the most disrespectful people we’ve met.
We are a large group and worked with George for a few months, during which we made multiple changes and George was absolutely fantastic, accommodating, and patient throughout, designing a customized trip for us - I had decided I would give this operator a 5 star rating even before the trip, but then, enter Julius. Right from day 1, he seemed a bit rude and on edge with his responses to any question. Since we were in a mindset of trying to have fun, and had planned this for months, we ignored it and tried to brush it off. We had 2 vehicles, and the other tour guide, Milton, seemed much friendlier until Julius turned him by day 3, so we had him acting snippy towards the end too. After a few incidents it became hard to ignore Julius’ rudeness (example - at one point when we said it was uncomfortable to have a large empty ice box in the car, as the water he brought had run out anyway, he responded with ’then you have to be uncomfortable’; not even a hint of empathy, or trying to find a solution). Oh and he also whipped out a large machete that was under the seat on at least a few occasions (pretending to clean it) possibly with the aim of intimidating everyone, and I guess it worked. Imagine being in a jungle at the mercy of someone like that (he even looks scary). Both drivers started acting very dictatorial, telling us what the new plan was (different from the itinerary), and not offering any options, or entertaining any suggestions. We finally got a different driver on day 3 (James) who was absolutely fabulous - and told us more about Mara and wildlife in one hour on the freeway, than Julius did in 2 days, but unfortunately he was there only to drive us back home, so we didn’t really get to do any Game drives with him.
TLDR: George - amazing guy, very easy to work with; tour guide Julius ruined the experience with his blunt rudeness; The other guide Milton was okay first couple of days, but also became rather rude after seeing Julius talk to the group with no respect and get away with it. James (who stood in for Julius on day 3 was absolutely fantastic, and well spoken, and the guide we all wished we had through the safari), so be super careful who you select as a tour guide/driver as it is critical in how your experience turns out.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing, personalized experience in the most beautiful place in the world!
I had a wonderful experience on my safari in Tanzania. I found the company though multiple online reviews and they were all pretty spot on. Helena and I communicated for months to set up the ideal trip. The personalized itinerary and choices in lodging were what set them apart. As for the tour, my guide Ally was absolutely amazing. He took an interest in what animals I most wanted to see and definitely did not let me down. I had so many close encounters with the big cats. His spotting was incredible as well as his teamwork with other guides to find them. Ally was a pleasure to spend time with for nine days. We got along great, which is important if you have a relatively long safari. The safari was exactly what you would have expected in the beautiful country. Food was great and could tell the other tourists were jealous of the great spreads he set up for us. Great job by Soul of Tanzania and especially Ally and Helena.
DK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"Trip of a lifetime."
Claws of Africa and our guide Magoma, have left us with a life changing experience, from the time we booked until we had to say our goodbyes. From the first moment we met, it was obvious Magoma’s goal was to exceed expectations in everything we did and saw. So experienced, so much fun. We saw the Big 5 animals, the Great Migration on our “Just Married” trip and so much more. We could not have asked for a better trip, booking company and guide.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Adventure of a Lifetime
Great guides brought us in close proximity with all the animals. Always helpful and stopping at a moments notice for any photo opportunity. The Lodges in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater were beautiful. the trip culminated with a visit to a Maasai village. perfect ending to a perfect trip