NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super organized
Everything was arranged really well. From pick up to drop off, the food was amazing and camping really cool. Tents were there and everything was set up by them. We just had to sit back and enjoy wildlife. We saw so many animals and they were super patient with us wanting to take everything in. Also, regular toilet breaks at super clean places. It was such an experience. 10/10 recommend the company!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic tour guide!
Post
Overall, my safari experience was a mix of highs and lows, sprinkled with valuable lessons for future travelers. Here's my detailed review:
Before delving into the adventure, a vital tip: When booking through TripAdvisor, be aware that there are both luxury and budget options available. I mistakenly chose the budget option without realizing there was another tier. For those seeking a more lavish experience, it's advisable to book directly through Lenchada.
Here's what I wish I knew beforehand:
* During the safari, you'll rarely leave the vehicle, so there's no need for specialized "safari" clothing or hiking shoes.
Day 1:
Positives:
* Promptly picked up from our hotel at 7:00 AM, we arrived at the Lenchada tented camp around 2:45 PM, making a single stop for sightseeing, souvenirs, and restroom use along the way.
* The evening game drive in Maasai Mara was a highlight, lasting about 2.5-3 hours and offering sightings of three of the "Big 5" animals.
* Despite the long drive, the abundance of wildlife and stunning photos made it worthwhile.
Negatives:
* The camp's electricity was only available from 5:30 - 7:00 AM & 6:30 - 10:00 PM in the dining hall via a generator, making charging inconvenient. No outlets in room and lights only work during generator operating hours.
* Hot water in the tent's bathroom was inconsistent, despite assurances of continuous availability.
Day 2:
Positives:
* Full-day safari in Maasai Mara, lasting about 10 hours.
* Unique a sighting of a pride of lions (17!)
Negatives:
* Woke up at 5:30 to charge camera/phones but generator had issues and didn’t work until 6:00 am when we had to leave for the day.
* Lunch consisted of unrefrigerated items (6+ hrs - lunch meat, yogurt & chicken), leading to concerns about food safety as a non local. Limited restroom availability also influenced the decision to not partake.
* Some periods of the safari felt slow, with minimal wildlife sightings as we hunted for specific game or travel from location to location; no one’s fault - nature provides and can’t be rushed.
Day 3:
Positives:
* We had the option to visit a Maasai Village before departing for a travel day ($20 per person), providing unique cultural insights and experiences.
* Interaction with the locals and participation in traditional activities added depth to the safari experience.
Negatives:
* The visit to the Maasai Village included high pressure sales tactics to purchase goods from villagers. Instead of enhancing the experience, I felt swindled and disheartened detracting from the positive aspects of the trip.
* Discomfort from flies and cow manure was unavoidable at the village site.
Day 4:
Positives:
* An early start at 6:30 AM took us to Lake Nakuru, where we completed the "Big 5" sightings with memorable encounters with rhinos, flamingos, and a RARE leopard sighting!
* Brief hippo boat ride allowed for unique photos not available in the previous parks visited.
Negatives:
* The shortage of meat during lunch due to multiple groups converging at the same time was disappointing, impacting the overall dining experience.
* The presence of mosquitoes at Chambai Safari Hotel posed a problem, affecting the comfort of our stay - leave windows closed if at all possible (no a/c in room).
* Staff advised dinner at 7pm at arrival but then woke us in our rooms at 5pm to get our order and advise that dinner would be at 8 pm - dinner did not arrive until roughly 8:30 while we sat and waited as the only diners.
Day 5:
Positives:
* We enjoyed a scenic walk in Hell’s Gate with sightings of zebras and giraffes along the way.
* Visited geothermal generation station which I found very interesting!
* A quick but satisfying lunch capped off our safari adventure before being dropped off at the hotel around 2:30 PM.
In conclusion, while the safari experience was fantastic and filled with unforgettable moments, there were notable drawbacks. Positives: Staff throughout all of our stays were kind and helpful. The vehicle was in fantastic condition, immaculate, and had one window for every person which was great (especially for those of us who get car sick). During the safari, there were no constraints to getting the perfect photo, I always felt like I was right in the action either by looking out the window or over the pop up top! Our guide did everything to get us into the position to see the best animals and was in constant communication with other guides via radio and cellphone to ensure the best experience for every group. The relationships between guides was impressive and enhanced the experience, we would have missed the pride of lions and leopard otherwise! As far as drawbacks, the food was repetitive and very limited in selection, accommodations (specifically the hotels) lacked basic amenities such as functional TVs. Additionally, better communication regarding restroom breaks, lunch times, drive times, arrival times, etc. would have made for a better experience but truly, I couldn’t have asked for a better guide to get us right into the action of it all!
Guide: 4.5/5
Animal Sightings: 10/5
Accommodations: 3/5
Food: 2/5
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very Professional
Lucas is a very professional and kind person. We went on safari for our honeymoon and everything was perfect! I recommend him with my eyes closed and wish him a lot of success!
Also a very good quality/price
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent!
Great value for money. The experience surpassed all expectations. Sam, skillfully navigated the wild terrain. Most impressively, his ability to tell the way of life of the animals and insight added a layer of depth that made this safari truly unforgettable.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
She was welcoming and nice plus helped us learn alot
The service was topnotch...It was a successful trip we had great fun
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Sam has been very professional, kept every promise and met all my expectations.
I had an idea about what I wanted to do and see. Discover Africa met my ideas with different suggestions and refined my trip until it was exactly what I was looking for.
CY
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extremely efficient and easy to communicate with. Highly recommended
Lilly of Great Explorations was extremely patient with us in providing us in advance with an itinerary plan for every day we intended to spend in Namibia. On top of booking us a car and working out a 4000km driving course over 15 days, that included multiple destinations, she also booked most of our activities (safaris, hot air ballon adventure, canoeing with sea lions, 4X4 dune driving). Everything worked out perfectly. I still cannot believe that not one thing went wrong. Every accommodation we stayed at was value for money, our activities were better than expected. The one hitch we had with one of our accommodations, Lilly handled it perfectly to our satisfaction and beyond our expectation. I cannot overemphasise how useful it was that Lilly gave us on the outset a folder with clear and precise information containing leaflets about our accommodation and our planned activities , maps and detailed route description to follow from destination to destination.
Thank you Lilly, you made our trip to Namibia an unforgettable one.
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Sense of wild Africa
I was on a trip with an organized group in the second half of November 2023. My experience was pretty great, and I highly recommend Nature Insight Safaris. Sami is a very nice and helpful guy, and the trip was conducted in a professional manner. I'm referring specifically to customer care by the crew and driving close to animals. You will obtain truly unforgettable memories. I strongly recommend that adventure provider!
TW
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All excellent!
Simon is so perfect and so nice .
He arrange everything perfectly.
All tour is excellent and the guide and activity are so amazing. We love it and the views are so awesome! We do appreciate and recommend ! So great.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Above Expectations
Better than my expectations - and I have high expectations!
Bakari is one of the best people I have ever met, you start the safari with him being a stranger, and you end the safari with him being a friend. Asante sana for everything, Bakari. wewe ni mzuri sana!
What an amazing guide, driver & human being! Of course we got to see all 5, and more! He had lots of patience as well with my desire to see as many monkeys as possible hahah. I love monkeys. We had very close encounters with all 5 & he is SO experienced, he just know exactly where to look for these animals. He reads the Serengeti like the palm of his hands. He made us feel so comfortable. We couldn't have wished for a better guide to be honest. This was perfect!! And we would 100% do it again.
Do not hesitate to book Safari 360. They honestly have the best prices, very trustworthy, flexible & transparent.
The accommodations were also AMAZING. Huge thanks as well to the owner, Petro, for everything. You guys are AMAZING. My dream of a Safari in Africa came true & I couldn't have done it with a better company.
Much love & appreciation,
Stef & Rich
