CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Experience - Tour Operator Goes Above and Beyond
I had an incredible experience with Shemeji Safari. I was interested in a two-person camping safari as it fit better with my budget, and Shemeji had the most cost effective option right off the bat. I corresponded with Emma, who always responded to my emails and questions in a timely manner. We only had time for a 5-day safari, so Emma helped us customize the itinerary based on our timeline. She also helped us arrange transfers, hotel before and after the safari, and even arranged towels for us when we mentioned we would prefer not to bring them ourselves (we only had carry-on backpacks).
When we were on our way to Tanzania, we ended up taking an earlier flight to Kilimanjaro. Emma was able to help coordinate an earlier transfer to the hotel, and the driver was waiting for us at the airport. We were picked up promptly the next morning by Benny (guide) and Charles (cook). What I really appreciated was that Benny would always explain where we were going, what we were doing, and share his knowledge of Tanzania. I found this to be much better than other tour operators we encountered on our trip, as usually we wouldn't know what was going on until we arrived at the destination. Benny also made it clear up-front which animals were common and rare - we're not guaranteed to see everything, but he'll do his best.
Benny definitely did his best! Throughout the safari, he would allow us ample time to see the animals when we found them. He also quickly learned what animals we wanted to spend more time looking at, and which he can just drive by (but still point out). He seemed to have very good rapport with other drivers (he's been doing safari's for 18 years!) and would frequently communicate with them to learn where rare animals would be seen. He also wouldn't hesitate to drive across the park if he heard a rare animal sighting, just so we could see it! When not on game drives, he'd help set up the campsite for us, give us tips regarding when to shower to get warm water, how to deal with going to the bathroom in the night, and he was one of the only guides I saw who would actually have dinner with us and share his culture. It definitely made the experience much better.
Charles was an amazing cook. We joked that we ate better on safari than we did at home! When at the campsite for breakfast and dinner, we'd get an appetizer, main course, and dessert, and everything was delicious. His lunch boxes were also amazing - they always filled us up, and were different everyday. He'd also adjust meal times so that we wouldn't deal with the bugs that come out at night or so we'd miss the crowds after dinner. He also picked up a bottle of local wine for us on the last night to celebrate the fact that it was our honeymoon.
At the end of it all, we were exhausted, but we saw the Big 5, multiple cats, and many other animals. We actually ended up tipping double what we originally intended to just because Benny and Charles exceeded our expectations that much. To top it all off, Emma also personally followed up after the safari to make sure we had had a great experience. Because of all this, I recommend Shemeji Safari without hesitation! Thanks for the great experience!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent!!! Animated and very friendly!
Was a great trip with top notch guides/drivers. Saw some things I had not seen before when on Safaris. I would highly encourage anyone considering a trip to Uganda/Murchison Falls to book it through these fine folks. You will NOT be disappointed!!!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent experience from planning through execution
We had a 6 day trip with Roho Ya Chui including Victoria Falls, Chobe and the Okovongo Delta.
Ute was always very prompt with responses, and planned some excellent accommodations (we especially loved Machaba camp in the Okovongo Delta).
She provided an excellent information package preparing us for all things we needed to take care of, (shots, tip amounts, visas etc), and provided an app to see our travel arrangements offline on our cell phone.
She worked with the lodges to ensure my wife's dietary restrictions were accommodated.
Everything on the 6 days went off without a hitch, and the wildlife viewing was incredible. The highlights had to be watching two hippos fighting from our cruise on the Chobe.
There were lots of little details that we weren't expecting that she planned. In Machaba we were assigned a guide who specialized in photography. At the Ilala lodge there was a bottle of champagne in our room to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
Overall great trip and great service, thanks so much.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What an experience!
What a memorable trip! Friends of us recommended Ajabu. The first contact with Ajabu was very pleasant, the program was easily adapted to our wishes. The contact went smoothly via email our contact person Anja reacted within a day, so we quickly knew what was possible.
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro we were well received by the guide and this actually made us feel at home and safe from the beginning. What an environment and nature! Something we will never forget.
Our guide Boniface has made this trip even more memorable with his legendary statements and the many information he has given. Something we are still grateful for!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We thought a safari would be a once in a lifetime experience, but we can't wait to come back again!
From the start to the finish the communication with Christine was excellent throughout the booking, and when our guide Nik turned up to meet us he continued to ensure we had an amazing time throughout the duration of our safari. The accommodation, food and guided game drives are of the highest standard and the whole experience is so well organised that it is so relaxed. But what really made this safari tour one which we will never forget was our guide Nik, who was friendly from the start and so enthusiastic towards all the game viewing (even though he's probably seen and described the animals a million times for people), it's like he is seeing them for the first time too, even the impala. We left not really wanting it to end, and even though we both don't really like visiting the same place twice we're sure we'll come back to take another trip with Nik again someday in the future. We did the 4 day Kruger trip via the panorama route, but wish we'd had an extra day now. The weather was great for viewing Blyde Canyon but soon took a turn for the worse, despite that we managed to see some incredible animals at our own pace...the moments watching both mother and baby hyena, along with the 3 cheetah are ones we still talk about on a near-daily basis. If you're even thinking of booking a trip then I couldn't recommend Wildlife Safaris more to anyone, and be sure to ask for Nik.
Hopefully we'll return to see the evasive leopard we didn't manage to spot (pun intended).
NO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing journey
We had an amazing time, and we would recommend Kwesa Tours to anyone going to Tanzania
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolute trip of a lifetime with my family - led by the exceptional guides at Duma Explorer!!
My family (10 people) had been planning this trip for a long time. We could not have been more pleased with the results. The guys that led us on safari, Isaac and Alex, were perfect throughout the entire trip. There are so many ways to describe their superb jobs. They were patient, knowledgeable, so cordial and so persistent to be sure we saw what we needed to see throughout the trip. We saw EVERYTHING imaginable, the Big 5 and so much more!! We were always aware of every days plans and times to be ready to hit the road. We had lots of ages represented, from six years old to 70 years plus, and the guys treated everyone with the utmost regard and respect.
I cannot speak more highly about the entire experience from start to finish and the folks at Duma Explorer. Every pre-trip question we asked was answered promptly. We knew what to bring with us and what to expect once we got there. The food, the facilities, the individual hosts at the various lodges we stayed at were just exceptional. This was a trip of a lifetime for sure!!
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent tailor-made family trip to Namibia
I really felt looked after by Megan and her colleagues at Discover Africa since the first point of contact.
They really tried to understand our interests before coming up with their proposals, and came up with very useful information and ideas about possible itineraries, different modes of transport and lodges. Megan has been very patient while we were evaluating all possible scenarios and kept fine-tuning the proposal until we came up with the perfect itinerary, within our budget and in the lodges that we had selected.
All the lodges, activities and transportation were just perfect and exactly as described.
During the trip we didn't even need to contact Discover Africa, as everything ran very smoothly.
Highly recommended!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Safari and Vacation in Tanzania!
My wife and I used CKC tours for our honeymoon in April of 2018. John Muhoho did a great job planning the trip and was very responsive and accommodating during our planning phase. We requested a last minute change to our itinerary so that we would start 1 day later than initially planned and CKC was able to easily take care of this for us. We really appreciated that as it took a lot of stress off of us and saved us from having to reschedule flights.
Our guide throughout the safari was John Macha and he did an absolutely fantastic job. It is impressive how quickly and easily he can spot an animal a mile away while he is fighting through mud in a stick-shift land cruiser! If you are riding along with John, you will see all the wildlife that you would hope to see. He is also very responsive to any small changes you may want to make during the day - as far as where you want to go and how long you want to stay there. Flexibility was a recurring theme in our experience with CKC. It really does feel like you are riding along with a friend and not like you are locked into a rigidly planned itinerary.
My wife and I went during the "rainy" season which is not the peak tourist season. I would highly recommend that people consider going during this time. The weather is milder and the parks and lodges are not as busy as they are during the dry season. The wildlife is not as condensed during the rainy season, but we still saw 4 out of the big 5 (no Rhinos for us!) and in general, there was no shortage of wildlife around during this time.
Overall I highly recommend CKC tours for your African safari. They are extremely professional and courteous and the experience with them is the trip of a lifetime!
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible safari with an exceptional guide, Mike!
When we started planning our trip to Africa, we had enquired with quite a few operators - but Enchorro Safaris in Kenya stood out from the very beginning with quick responses, direct answers, ideas and suggestions. We worked with Japhet to plan our trip, and he was very accomodating, adjusting to every one of our needs. All our requests was satisfied - they even accomodated our specific requests by talking to hotel/camps to arrange rooms close to dinning area as we were travelling with older people. Our trip was tailored to perfection.
On the ground we were assigned Mike as our guide/driver. He is a great person, very amicable, with a smile always on his face. His knowledge of the game, layout of Mara reserve, tracking and spotting are top notch. Games drives were excellent - and ofcourse we spotted the Big five. Above all that, with his personality he put our entire family at ease with his friendly nature and helpful attitude. Needless to say, one of the best hosts we have experienced in our travels anywhere.
I strongly recommed Enchorro Tours and Safaris for your trip to Kenya. Every single moment on the trip was memorable, and I would not hesitate to use them again should we return.
Keep up the great work Japhet, Simon and rest of Enchorro Safaris team. Thanks for the memories!!!
