US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Got me to Gombe but didn't deliver all of what was promised
Gombe Stream NP is an amazing, magical place. The chimpanzee treks themselves are conducted by TANAPA (Tanzania's national park service) regardless of how you get to Gombe. The TANAPA guide assigned to me was superb.
Gombe Track provided a driver in Kigoma and a cook who accompanied me to Gombe. Both were great and individually deserve 5 stars. The driver stopped by on my night in Kigoma to point out the MV Liemba coming into port, and the cook took time in the evenings in Gombe to help me learn Swahili.
Unfortunately, my overall experience with Gombe Track as a tour operator was marred by two issues.
First, the itinerary I agreed to stated all meals and non-alcoholic refreshments were included. This turned out not to be the case. I was forced to pay for a number of waters and sodas, and on my last day in Kigoma, was told by the "hotel" (see below) that my meals were not included. As a result, I opted to skip two meals (dinner and breakfast) rather than pay for food that should have been covered.
Second, the itinerary I agreed to called for one night in Kigoma at a specific hotel (Coast View). I researched this property beforehand to ensure it was acceptable to me. Instead, without any notice or discussion, I was taken to another accommodation which seemed to be of much lower quality (Aqua Lodge).
Unlike Coast View, Aqua Lodge had no internet/WiFi, no restaurant/bar, etc. While the staff seemed friendly enough and there was a great lake view, my room had only a squeaky ceiling fan that didn't cool the room very well and the poor ventilation allowed outside cigarette smoke in. The bed had a thin bed sheet over over a mattress that wasn't even tucked in. There was a leak in the bathroom that left the base of the toilet in a puddle of water. Finally, I could hear just about everything in the one nearby room that was occupied by a couple who decided to get frisky at 3 am. Needless to say, I didn't sleep much and was counting down the hours until I left.
I should note that my trip to Gombe was initially arranged through another tour operator, who I had a great experience with on another safari. After I had agreed to terms and was in Tanzania, I was handed off to Gombe Track directly. The full payment for my trip was given to Gombe Track. As far as I am concerned, it was Gombe Track's responsibility to be aware of the itinerary/terms and ensure they were followed since it was the company actually conducting the tour.
I paid Gombe Track $900 for 4 days and the last ~22 hours were in Kigoma where I was basically on my own waiting to fly back to Dar es Salaam. This amount did not include the TANAPA fees (park entrance, guide, accommodations at the park, etc.) and airfare, which added more than $600 to the total cost.
$900 should have been way more than enough to profitably cover my (limited) ground transportation in Kigoma, the boat to and from Gombe, 4 days of meals and non-alcoholic beverages, admission to the Livingstone monument in Ujiji, and one night of accommodation in the Kigoma hotel specified in the itinerary I agreed to.
While Gombe Track got me to Gombe and back, and I appreciate that, I now know I paid a lot more than necessary and despite this, I still got less than what was agreed to.
I had been in contact with the owner of Gombe Track via WhatsApp prior to my trip and never heard from him after the trip to see how it went, which was disappointing, especially given the cost. I did two other safaris while on Tanzania, both of which were much less expensive on a per day basis, and both operators were eager to collect feedback afterwards.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic safari operator
We did a 3-day Selous safari and had an amazing time. Our driver-guide, Hamad, was very knowledgeable and engaging. In addition to a day of game drives in a beautiful reserve that isn't overrun by tourists in which we were incredibly lucky to see a pack of endangered African wild dogs up close, there was a boat safari on the Rufiji River and a bush walk just outside Selous. Both were fun and interesting, as was the 5-6 hour drive to Selous, which offers the ability to pass many villages and get a glimpse of "real Tanzania".
The lodge where we stayed was very nice and the staff friendly.
Communication with Majenda of Watu Safaris was fantastic. He is incredibly responsive and professional and delivered a safari that I felt was a great value. Visitors to Tanzania should absolutely not overlook the hidden gem that is the Southern Circuit and when you go, I highly recommend choosing Watu Safaris.
ES
50-65 years of age
highly recommended
I rented a Toyota RAV4 with this agency. Vehicle in good condition. No mechanical problem. Tires in good condition. Very competitive price. Good communication with Jacqueline Mwathe by email.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari! - would highly recommend
We went on the 4-day Tanzania Wildlife Exploration safari in mid-August this year and would highly recommend it! Our guide & driver Emmanuel was incredibly knowledgeable and would often find rare animals where no other guides were even looking. Throughout our trip we saw all the animals we were hoping for (except for a leopard sadly) and even lions feeding next to our car (which was quite scary). It was great to have such an enthusiastic guide like Emmanuel with us who, together with our private chef Freddy, really made our trip incredibly enjoyable.
The meals Freddy prepared for us were always tasty and exactly what we needed after a long day of wildlife watching.
The only issues we had with the organisation of the trip where due to Rhino Lodge in Ngorongoro Crater being booked out (we were supposed to stay there the last night) which led to Castro booking us into the Serengeti Research Hostel for two nights instead of one. Personally, I would not recommend this hostel as it is really very, very "basic" and we had quite a few issues with our room. When we mentioned our unhappiness with the hostel and the planned two-night-stay to Emmanuel however, he was very understanding and helpful and he and Castro organised for us to instead stay at a beautiful lodge just outside of Ngorongoro Crater for our last night. We really appreciate the way Emmanuel, Freddy and Castro handled the situation which made our trip so much better than it already was!
Overall we would highly recommend using Kilimanjaro Trip Safaris to explore the northern national parks and the 4-day safari was the perfect length to take all of it in for the first time. We could not have asked for a better guide and chef and were quite sad to say goodbye to Freddy and Emmanuel in the end.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievable experience, fantastic locations, wonderful camps
My wife and I took a 15 day private safari to Kenya and Tanzania in August and September 2018. We booked everything through Trip Advisor African Safari (TAAS) in Nairobi. The owner, Seth Vincent, was terrific to work with. He worked very closely with us over several months as we customized our itinerary and accommodations to exactly what we wanted and we valued all of Seth's input and guidance. Seth met us at Nairobi airport and was constantly in communication with us during the entire time. Our Kenya portion was a clear 5 STAR experience with a terrific driver/guide, Ken, who took us to all the right viewing locations and gave us great insight into the animals, land, people and culture. Unfortunately Kenya and Tanzania do not have great relationships when it comes to tourism an don't have reciprocal arrangements. That meant half way through our safari when we transferred from Kenya to Tanzania we also had to change driver and vehicle and go with a Tanzanian subcontractor of TAAS. We were disappointed with our driver as he was very uncommunicative and told us little about what was going on. He did take us to fantastic viewing and we saw everything we wanted to see. The lodges and camps were all spectacular. If there was a 4 1/2 STAR rating, I would have selected that, but the guide in Tanzania was significantly below standard.
We would highly recommend TAAS for any Kenyan safari. Seth is easy to work with and very knowledgeable. The value of this private safari was substantially better than any group tour we looked at. During our entire safari we felt very safe and couldn't be more happy with the overall experience and the memories we created.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5 day Safari - Impressive Tanzania - What An Experience
Well, what can I say...Tanzania Horizon Safaris were fantastic! We did a private 5 day Safari through Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorogoro with Tanzania Horizon Safaris. Our guide Joel was fantastic and had the eyes of a hawk ensuring we saw so many animals, including 5 leopards, 3 cheetahs and even a several cat and wildcat, on top of numerous lions. The lodges we stayed in were all great, the views of the lake from Kirurumu Maynara Lodge, being right in the midst of the wildlife in Kati Kati tented camp and our favorite, Ngorogoro Farmhouse with its amazing gardens and beautifully fitted out rooms. We couldn't have asked for a better Safari!
SG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well Organized Tour Company
Had an amazing once in a lifetime experience with Saso Uganda Safaris. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a well-planned and affordable safari trip.
I was very impressed with the knowledge that both the tour operator, Wilson and the tour driver Fred. All staff went over and above to accommodate myself and my family, including my dietary needs as a Vegan. Wilson and his team provided us with a personalized 6-day itinerary planned around our interested and what animals we were particularly fond off. We managed to see 4 of the big 5 and were able to have close contact with both Elephants and giraffes.
From the start I felt he really understood what we were looking for plus he was able to get what we wanted within our budget! He made some valid suggestions to our itinerary which in the end made a huge difference to our trip. The safari totally exceeded our expectations. The lodges and tented camps he selected had great food and facilities.
PT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Operator, safari and guide: everything fantastic
Jacky from Kichaka Tours made her best to answer my wishes and expectations. It was a litle expensive for me, but in the end it was worthy.
The safari was a gratefull experience. Our guide was an experient and lovely person - Sam. He was very patient with us and make his best during all the safari time.
The acomodation was fantastic. "Voiwildelife lodge" and "Voyager Ziwani" are located near the parks, so we could see animals also on the lodge. The food was also good. I prefer the meals from "Voi lodge" because was buffet and they had also typical swailli food.
Another time i ll think about make a safari i ll do it with Kichaka tours and with Sam :)
Asante sana
aAmazing experience. Experient and lovely guide - Sam. Fantastic lodges
NZ
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding fairly priced safari with an engaged and extremely knowledgeable guide.
My wife and I (plus two close friends and a new friend we made of the trip!) have just had the most marvellous experience with Wildlife Safaris in the Kruger. I can only offer them my sincere congratulations and thanks. One of their senior guides, Hoppy, is absolutely brilliant. He was unfailingly attentive to all our needs, conservative, responsible, sensitive to the animals, and fun to be around. He clearly has a deep knowledge of the animals' distribution and patterns of behaviour, and this served us extremely well. We saw some simply amazing things which none of us will ever forget.
In my opinion Wildlife Safaris position themselves in the safari market perfectly for the needs of professional people who don't want "basic", but who are also not particularly interested in a massively expensive luxury event. I suspect that in some of these operations there would be a danger of the pampering potentially compromising the actual safari experience. Our safari was very fairly priced, way more than adequate from the comfort point of view, and simply outstanding in the areas that were important to us (seeing the animals and learning about them from an engaged knowledgeable guide). The company also allowed us to alter our safari itinerary on the fly as certain things grabbed our attention and we prioritized some experiences over others. Highly recommended!
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3 day safari in Pilanesberg National Park.
Excellent experience from start to finish.
Well organised and trip tailored to exactly what we had time for.
Very friendly and knowledgable driver for airport transfer, as well as for all the game drives.
Perfect hotel with dining overlooking wildlife.
We saw more wildlife on the game drives than we ever thought possible.
Everything organised perfectly by wild wings including all the game drives and a boma outdoor barbecue dinner.
Would highly recommend.