US
Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I wholeheartedly recommend Bantu Pathfinders for your Zambia and Botswana adventures
As a single female traveler, I am careful whom to choose for my tour guides. Bantu Pathfinders and my personal driver, Victor, not only made my trip memorable but also safe.
I asked Bantu Pathfinders for a private custom tour in Botswana with a few places in mind. The company was extremely flexible with my ideas and they also recommended theirs. I spent 4 days (3 nights) on the road visiting several national parks, participating in cultural tours, and attending activities such as 4-wheeling and flying over the Okavango Delta. Victor was a knowledge guide, a great conversational partner, and an impeccable gentleman. He managed to find all the wild animals that a tourist would love to see.
I hope to return and book a longer tour with this company.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime!!!
As we just celebrated one year since the most memorable trip of our lives, I think of the trip fondly and write a review--myself, this time (my husband and brother wrote their's at the completion of our trip). But a year later, I look at the pictures again on the anniversary of the trip, and long to go back. It was, without a doubt, the best trip of my life. Michael and his expertise and knowledge of his homeland made us feel completely comfortable and at ease, on our first trip to Tanzania. Our young children were captivated each day on safari, seeing the beautiful animals and vast scenery. It was wonderful to see each unique lodge he had thoughtfully chosen for us, to meet amazing people I tearfully said goodbye to on departure, and make memories to cherish forever. We can't thank Michael enough, for making our trip so special. I HIGHLY recommend using him for your trip to Africa, you will be in the BEST hands and be glad you did so. I am proud to call him my friend...
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kombi Nation Tours-- above and beyond all expectations!
First, Steve worked with us for TWO years to arrange an itinerary in Uganda for our family of four that went through many changes and a year long postponement due to a medical issue. He was always extremely responsive, kind and friendly, and provided fantastic advice during the entire time. He arranged for a safari that involved many activities and four different accommodations. Each lodge or guest house was unique, beautifully designed, and set in breathtaking surroundings. Each provided great food and incredibly kind and attentive service. We knew we could safely eat and drink everything they offered and we certainly enjoyed ourselves doing so.
Second, when we finally embarked on our tour, which was split into two parts due to some other plans in Uganda, our first guide, Muhammad arrived the night before departure to our remote forest location, just to ensure he had the right place. This was an extremely generous act on his part and he attended some of our evening activities and we really valued getting acquainted in this way. We had two days and one night in Murchinson Falls and he made sure we saw and did everything while also somehow fitting in a little downtime and good conversation. Then-- while still driving very safely-- he had us back in time for dinner the second day.
Next, a few days later, we were picked up in Entebbe for a safari through Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo National Park by our second guide, Jonathan. Jonathan was friendly, kind, considerate, and punctual. He was very understanding when we were not always moving very fast toward the end of our three weeks of travel. He drove very long distances through a lot of road work and dust over five days, and yet always had the van dusted out and ready for the next leg of the journey. (The value of this will be clear if you have already taken a road trip between and through national parks in Uganda).
I most enthusiastically recommend Kombi Nation Tours!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Above and Beyond!
Our trip was carefully planned and coordinated by Joshua Monah, the founder of Joash Africa Wilderness Insight. Joshua communicated frequently prior to our arrival, responded to any questions and changes promptly. All that he provided for this trip made it a once in a lifetime experience - arranging first-rate accommodations, meals and transportation for our time in Tanzania prior to the safari, during the safari and after the safari. Joshua picked us up at the airport, acted as our guide in the town of Arusha thus giving us a glimpse of current day life, an opportunity to interact with local people and provided a lot of history of the area. The safari was beyond our expectations - we went to three parks and saw spectacular landscapes, amazing wildlife, beautiful birds and plants. Joashua's knowledge of history, plants, animals and customs was astounding. And his respect for nature and knowledge of habitats allowed to see many of the elusive animals - including a sighting of the rare black rhino during dry season. This is a first rate company that clearly has established relationships in the parks, in Arusha and with the staff at the amazing accommodations that were provided. This was a very personalized experience for my daughter and I who met up with a friend and her son for this safari adventure. We love to travel in general and this is our first experience with a guide and it was great! Visit Tanzania and use the services of this company to have an in-depth, personalized experience.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Joshua is an exceptional guide, person and is committed to making you thrilled with your adventure
Joshua was diligent in creating a safari that was catered to us. If you want to hike, canoe, go birding, visit and stay at coffee plantations, have a city experience or sleep in the wild, just tell him. He has over 20 years being a professional guide and seems to know everyone! He is such a joy to be with. Joshua arranged for a surprise birthday party for one of our teens which was hilarious, because it wasn't her birthday. So fun.
Joshua is a Maasai who went to college to study animal behavior, is an alumni of National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Tanzania, and an exceptional ornithologist and photographer. He took hundreds of photos during our safari and shared them all with us, which was such a treat.
The lodging and food was exceptional, he has an electric cooler in the vehicle so you always have something cold to drink. Anytime you want to stop and look at animals, sunsets, landscapes while you are on your trek just let him know.
I can't rate Josh high enough. So looking forward to another trek with him in the future.
US
Best river trip ever!
I've paddled-canoe, Kayak, raft- many North American rivers and worked many summers as a raft guide. The 8 day Zambezi classic was as good a trip as any I've ever had. Paddling the Zambezi amid hippo pods and crocs, I felt completely security under the excellent leadership of our guide Norman, accomanied by the the skilled assistant, Ranga. THey were clearly very experienced, knowledgeable, and, importantly, FUN to be with. We saw a lot of wildlife on the shores, heard wonderful African wildlife sounds at night under a night sky, unpolluted by light and filled with stars. The days were filled with paddling the river with its unique inhabitants, wildlife spotting on the shores. We stopped for breakfast, lunch and, when there was time, a siesta. Our campsites were on islands. We had plenty of good food, the tents were roomy and easy to set up with a couple of sets of hands, and the sleeping set up quite comfortable.
This was a truely memorable experience that could not be duplicated anywhere else.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Over the top fantastic!
I only had a short window of time and was looking to see if I could go gorilla trekking in Bwindi. From the first email inquiry to the completion of my trip, Kevin and his team were extremely responsive, provided complete and detailed information about the trip , answered all questions and tailored it to fit my needs. The lodgings and meals and service in Entebbe and Bwindi National Park were great. The guides, hosts and drivers were all very knowledgeable and over the top attentive and friendly. I cannot think of anything they did not think about or take care of throughout my 4 days with them. Made everything easy and relaxing. Being a single female traveller in a country I have never travelled to before, Experience Uganda instilled total confidence. ...oh and the gorillas were amazing! Thank you so much for a wonderful time and hope to be able to return.
JE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Loved it!
Exceeded our expectations. Incredible experience. Had a really great time and the best tour guide ever. Everyone was super nice to us. Everything was well organised and we felt very comfortable. Booked another day through the tour company as we had some more time in Kenya and will definetely book with them again when we get a chance.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari of a lifetime, with the best guide possible!
1) The preparation
The organization of this trip of a lifetime was superb! I contacted more than half a dozen safari operators and E-Trip Africa’s was the only reply which was really personalized, with sound advice.
Aurelie was incredibly helpful, very knowledgable and very patient with all my requests and questions. Her advice was absolutely invaluable for us since we had no experience whatsoever with planning a safari. This was how it all started:
„We (a couple) plan to go to Northern Tanzania in July 2019 and go on a safari to Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, and maybe Manyara and/or Lake Natron.
We’d like
-to see lots of animals incl. birds on the safari
-experienced guides pointing them out
-to experience Serengeti and Ngorongoro (these are on our bucket list) and other parks in the area
-preferably accommodation with bathroom/shower (can be basic but we'd prefer not having to camp — those safari tents with beds and bathroom would be OK though)
-vegetarian food for one of us
We plan on spending approx. 5-7 days on a safari“
Aurélie then sent me a first itinerary, with helpful advice (against Lake Natron, for Tarangire). On this basis we then wrote back and forth for several times, tweaking the budget a bit.
E-Trip Africa is the only company I contacted where the costs are completely transparent and with Aurélie’s advice, I could easily find alternative (and very good!) options for our budget.
Finally, we settled on a 6 day safari taking in Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Endoro Nature Trail Walk, Serengeti, Oldupai Museum and Ngorongoro.
2) The trip
Everything was absolutely perfect, from pick-up at JRO airport, our stays at Researcher’s Rest (it felt like home), the delicious food cooked by Eddie there, and of course the flawlessly organized safari through some of the most beautiful landscapes we have ever seen, with incredible wildlife. Which leads me to:
3) Our guide David
There are not enough superlatives to describe David, our guide.
He is super kind and has a great sense of humour, which makes him the perfect travel companion for a trip of over 1000 km.
But most importantly, he has 25 years of experience as a guide and he knows EVERY animal (mammal, bird, reptile) and plant you come across, plus history, geology, and whatever else you may want to know about.
He also knows exactly which animals to find where and when in the vast expanses of the parks. He would tell us that in this area one can find a certain animal, and after a few minutes, there it was!
He has an incredible eyesight, discovering tiny birds or lizards completely camouflaged 10 meters away in the grass.
Additionally, he seems to have 360° vision - or he is a witch doctor :-) (we still don’t know how he spotted animals which were halfway behind us!). Thanks to him, we spotted the Big Five, plus cheetahs, jackals, serval cats, hyenas, etc., and well over 100 species of birds!
We really appreciated that he is very respectful of the animals - in central Serengeti there were some quite ugly scenes with multiple cars chasing a lioness trying to stalk prey just 2 meters away from the cars. David made sure to keep a distance so as not to disturb the animals - which for us, was the whole point of the safari: seeing animals in their natural habitat, with their natural behavior.
I could go on and on and on, so to cut it short: David is THE BEST.
Asante sana for this wonderful experience!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Trip
We are so glad we booked our South African safari with Roho Ya Chui. From start to finish, it was a pleasure having Ute as our travel agent. She suggested a fantastic itinerary with wonderful lodges. I really appreciated her prompt email responses during the planning process and careful attention to detail. When we arrived, all the road transfers were already arranged and everything went smoothly. We are so thankful for her services. We hope to return to Africa one day and if we do, we will surely book with Roho Ya Chui again.