AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very disappointed
In view of the increasing popularity of online reviews I decided to go with magical retreat safaris. I cannot convey how disgusting experience we had on those 10 days. Hotels were not good and the driver (Anthony) one of the laziest I have ever seen in my life. Didn’t go by the itinerary And he picked us at around 9AM for a early morning game drive
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beacon safari did an excellent job making our first trip to Kenya a wonderful time!
First, we were very worried about our first trip to Kenya. However, Beacon safari (and all other safari tours that I requested quotes to) replied quickly and politely which helped me a lot to compare and choose the best tour for me.
The tour service was great, we were able to go to all the places we wanted to go. We were able to see almost all the animal we wanted to see (due to the season, and they’re WILD animals so it can’t be promised that there will all be there). Our tour guide, James ,worked so hard to look for all the animals for us. He also told me a lot of information about Kenya, the animals and the cultures which were very interesting.
I would highly recommend Beacon safari and will use it again if I have another chance to go to Kenya again.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Serengeti National Park by Sumit Dasgupta
We did not see all the big-5 but are happy with what we saw. Very scenic and the whole place with its unpaved roads has been kept as pristine as possible. Tanzania has done a superb job in maintaining these national treasures.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Sumit Dasgupta
We did not see all the big-5 but are happy with what we saw. Very scenic and the whole place with its unpaved roads has been kept as pristine as possible. Tanzania has done a superb job in maintaining these national treasures.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience, an experience made that much better thanks to a great guide
Our primary reason for going to Tanzania was to visit the Serengeti, which included Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Oldupai Gorge and Ngorongoro. Our tour was through Kilidove Travel which provided a safari truck and driver (Jackson) for just the 2 of us. It was a fabulous trip and a lot of credit goes to our superb guide, Jackson, for the diligence with which he searched for the big-5.
The taxi driver we hired to get to Arusha and back was also very helpful. We paid him a bit extra and he took us all the way to Kilimanjaro National Park and showed us around.
The hotel in Arusha was excellent and the staff there treated us very, very well.
Overall, we have come back with a wonderful experience and opinion of the country and its people.
HU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing views, amazing wildlife, amazing people, problems with accomodation
We had a 3 day trip to Mikuma and Udzungwa mountains. The views and the wildlife were amazing, we did not see any lions at the end unfortunately. There were some problems with the accomodations, one night we had to request a new room, the first room was not cleaned.
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic!
We visitited Masaii Mara, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha on our safari. Masaii Mara is amazing! Beautiful scenery, lots of animals and nice weather. You can easily skip Laka Naivasha. Not so much to see or experience. The lodging was not nice and staff not so friendly. Lake Nakuru, hardly any flamingos, that is the main attraction at the lake. Did see lions and giraffs though.
BR
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappointing
Our car had an electric problem with the charger on the second day but the guide could drive it. On the third day of safari the guide left us at an information station at 10 am telling us that he would fix the car and disappeard for more than 4 hours, wasting our time and Safari. We were alone, not knowing what was happening and very scared. After asking for him to several other guides who were on site, we were able to locate our guide.
Then came the worst !!! We went in our car without repairing to the Lodge and soon to travel to the North Serengeti.
The guide drove like crazy, we saw several animals on the way, including a rhinoceros a few feet from our car, but he did not stop and said we would see lots of animals in Northern Serengeti in the following days !!! And got lost because he did not know the place !!! For five hours we were driving in circles and the guide didn't want to admit that he was lost. We arrived at the Lodge around 10:00 p.m. because we begged him to ask for information from a car from a local company that passed by our car, luckily ours. We have to remember that it is totally forbidden to do excursions or safari at night and we were very lucky to have seen the headlights of this car!
The next day, he didn't tell us that the car was broken and that we could not do the Safari. We communicated with the owner of Quest Horizon, who only then organized a new car and another guide. We missed the whole morning to go to Safari! The new guide only stayed with us that day and the other day another car was organized and a new guide arrived almost 2 hours late !! We lost almost 3 days of Safari and had lots of wear and stress.
The owner got us a flight to try to make up for so much lost time and we went to Lake Manyara which has practically no animal. It was the minimum that he could do!
We were very sad to lose so many days in such wonderful places in Central and North Serengeti.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic 5 day animal and lodge extravaganza
I did the 5 day big 5 tour with my husband, parents and brother - a mix of ages and tastes but we all LOVED it! Moses was a very experienced, competent and helpful guide - we felt in safe hands from start to finish. The vehicle provided was comfortable and professional. The Lodges were both very nice - Pakuba Lodge is really close to the animals, we had warthogs and waterbucks on our lawns by our room and elephants about 100m away on arrival! Marafiki was also a good Lodge with nice design features. Both had truly beautiful views. And my gosh the animals!!! This truly exceeded expectations. The rhino sanctuary is a once in a lifetime experience and the nation parks are amazing. Murchison waterfall hike was also a highlight. Tour company very friendly and easy to work with. All went very smoothly for an unforgettable experience!!!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
WONDERFUL experience!!! James is EXTREMELY knowledgeable about the animals and is a great guide!!
I highly recommend booking your safari with James. It is easy to see that he loves what he does and is passionate about safaris. He handled the overnight safari camp booking for me, making my trip go seamlessly - it was a truly wonderful experience!