DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari with great guide
We had an amazing safari experience with Jocky Tours, who were very responsive from the start and arranged everything for us smoothly without any problem. They were 24 hours reachable and answered all our questions and requests promptly.
Our guide Francis was great, very friendly and knowledgeable, also a competent guide and a game-driver. He made us feel secure on the game drives, and he knew where to find the best wildlife sightings. He also shared with us his insights and stories about the culture and history of the places we visited and he was always ready to help our needs.
We enjoyed every moment of the safari and we highly recommend Jocky Tours and Francis as a guide for anyone who wants to have a memorable and hassle-free safari adventure.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Well worth it
This was a great trip well worth doing.
Experience:
I have been on many safaris before, but this is my first time on a guided one, it also my girlfriends first time in Africa and on a safari. The experience is different and definitely worth doing, we had a better view from the open top van and also had knowledge and quick reaction from the driver. Also worth noting that we did the private safari with an open top vehicle, which was genuinely nice as it was just me and my girlfriend.
Booking was easy and we were able to communicate through email with the team beforehand. They were nice enough to alter my pickup and drop off points which made the whole experience easier for me and the whole holiday easier. We even asked about different lodges to stay in and they were able to accommodate.
It had previously rained, which is a good thing, albeit more challenging to see animals through the plants, however, we still got to see a particularly good amount of animals. We drove around East and West Tsavo and the highlights were seeing the big cats and walking around Mzima springs to see some hippos and crocodiles.
Animals we got to see:
- Lions (male)
- Cheetah
- Leopard (baited)
- Jackal
- Giraffe
- Elephant
- Rhino
- Hippo
- Crocodile
- Mongoose
- Zebra
- Waterbuck
- Hartebeest
- Impala
- Gazelle
- Dik Dik
- Diker
- And probably more I cannot remember!
Driver:
We had Mahmood driving us around each day, he was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He also reacted fast when calls came in of animals on the radio. He was also a great driver, we saw other vans and 4x4s getting stuck while Mahmood knew how to get around issues. At the end of the safari he also drove us 5 hours to our next destination. I would 100% recommend Mahmood if you can get him!
Lodges:
On our first day we stayed at Voi Safari Lodge, we got there at lunch time and got to put our bags down. The table was prebooked and we felt like we had some of the best seats in the house overlooking a magnificent view. The swimming pool was also nice and had the same incredible view, we ventured down to the hide, but were not lucky enough to view too much.
On our second day we stayed at Ngulia Safari Lodge, we got there are lunch to put our bags down. The lodge is situated up in the mountains and overlooks the rhino reserve, they had a viewpoint with planted binoculars that were not great, so I would advise bring your own. We were lucky enough to use our binoculars and managed to find a rhino! After the afternoon safari we went back to the lodge and before we knew it that had set up the bait and managed to entice a leopard out. It is not my ideal way to see a leopard, but I have been on roughly 10 safaris and never managed to see one any other way! Slight issue here was the amount of light they had one so everyone could get a clear view attracted an extreme number of bugs, which made dining not a pleasant experience. It rained that night we cleared a lot of them but made the drive slightly treacherous the next day!
Overall, we were both incredibly happy with the experience and would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I have more great moments in my life thanks Sandpiper Safaris !
I have been on Safari 5 days with my friends and guide Abouh. We visited Tarangire Nationalpark, Ngorongo Crater and Serengeti. It was really wonderful time. We had wonderful moments and we were observers of incredible views. Our guide Abouh was fully professional, had extensive knowledge about all the wild animals and about places where we have been. He was also patient and caring towards our needs. Everything was organized perfectly. Our accomodation was also great and food was delicious. We didn't have to worry about anything and we could focus on collecting wonderful experiences. Thanks to Abouh and Sandpiper Safaris for the perfect organisation. I really recommend this company and I hope to come again as soon as possible.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Organized, Professional, Fun
Booking a safari without from afar is really difficult and we took our time. Jocky Tours were recommended to us from multiple sources and we got in contact with them and conveyed our plans (7 day safari that includes Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lakes Nakuru and Naivasha as well as Hell's Gate) and our flight details. We really wanted to make sure that our experience was smooth and the accommodations were clean and the food was reliable, so we wanted to go for the mid-range option for those. Also, since it was me and my friend (both girls) we wanted to be with a group instead of private safari to feel also safe and comfortable. Jocky Tours absolutely delivered on all of these - in terms of organization, from the pick-up from the Nairobi Airport to the drop-off, we completely felt safe and taken care of. Anything we wanted changed, we need not ask a second time, they took care of it immediately.
All of the mid-range hotels (except for one in Naivasha called Panaroma Lodge) were clean and comfortable. The food in general for all safari bookings is not very impressive, but fulfilling nonetheless and the organization of for example lunches during game drives were all taken care of by the tour. You do not need to go out of your way about anything, they really take care of it.
One highlight of the trip for me was our guide Francis. He is immensely friendly and very knowledgable. For some guides, you hear that they memorized some texts and are just reciting those, and they do not know which terrain to drive on or how to behave when entering the parks or engaging with other people but Francis was exceptional. First of all, he answered at least a million questions, not only about the animals but also about conservation efforts, our questions about Kenya and football in all earnest. Second of all, you can see that he has been doing this for 14 years as everyone knows him and respect him. Further, the roads and the situations with the animals, especially us as two girls, etc., it is important that you feel comfortable, safe and secure with your guide, which we did. So huge credit goes to Francis for the success of our trip.
Overall, I appreciate the amazing hospitality shown and the professionalism and am grateful. I would recommend this tour company wholeheartedly to all friends and family.
SK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good quality, communication and value, and especially an amazing safari experience
First of all, the communication with Silas was very good, every question we had was well answered and quickly any time a day. Silas was very helpful.
Our guide Kevin made sure that our 7-days safari trip was a unique experience. He is a young and energic guide who tried his best to show us all that safari has to offer. He knew well every place we visited - Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli. He was communicating with other guides to gather info where the animals are and promptly got us there even in hard conditions through mud and water but never risking excessively. He made sure our needs were fulfilled.
Overall I can rate this experience with 5* and we are decided to visit safari again one day.. maybe with Apodiformes Adventures too! Asante sana from Slovakia.
P.S.: We decided to make a few videos from our trip and also to review the Sopa Lodges we stayed in, so if anyone is interested, they can be found on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@JourneyingTogetherJuliaSimone?si=8Q89fGzx-pqG_4jh
KR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing trip with a reliable company and gamekeepers
6 days private safari to Kenya and Tanzania wildlife parks (Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Ngorongoro Crater)
My husband and I more than enjoyed the trip with the Tanzania Roadside Expeditions. Both of us traveled around the world a lot when we were 20's. Let’s say, each of us went for years to more than 80 countries including Antatica. That’s why it was difficult to decide on the honeymoon trip. We’d been searching crazily and finally made up our minds. The result was awesome. The company prepared and organized well for the trip, and was very responsive. It was good for us to ask questions and share worries such as payment ways, alternative accommodations, and personal details before starting the trip.
The trip was wonderful, gamekeepers, James in Kenya and Ezekel Masai in Tanzania, were amazing. They are great educators as well as safeguards. Their driving skills are so excellent that there is no need to worry about sticking in mud or passing through narrow curvy roads. They managed occasions professionally. What I liked the most was their manners and philosophy toward nature. Plus, because of their good sense of decision where we go from moment to moment, we could see all the big 5 clearly.
Of course, it was Masai Mara, Serengeti, and the crater. Any documentary films and pictures cannot fully reflect the beauty and mistic moments. People need to see at there.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised and efficient
I chose this tour operator because it best met my safari needs. I only had a few days and I wanted to see a lot. They supported me in choosing the park and handled my travel needs in Kenya. The price was within budget and they exceeded my expectations with helpful and friendly staff.
The sharing of information by email and the payment method worked very well!
(automatic translation from Italian)
NG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jovial, educated and knowledgeable lady.
Winifred Mbesa, is a jovial, educated and knowledgeable lady. She gave us the history and explanation of the animals behaviors. She efficiently planned and executed the trip from collecting the funds, to paying and registration, getting a bus to take us to the park. It was so much fun meeting Winifred.
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A beautiful experience!
A beautiful experience! Our whole family was excited about the trip. The driver was very experienced and also had Chinese service. We recommend this company because it is really good.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
great trip - saw an incredible amount of wild life.
We were informed we that we would be picked up from our hotel at 10,00 a.m. in the morning. At 10.00a.m. exactly Simon and his assistant arrived at the hotel in a very clean air conditioned vehicle. The vehicle was spacious and first class. We then set off in Luxury to the Chobe safari Lodge Hotel as agreed.
The hotel was excellent on the banks of the Chobe river. We were taken by Simon our guide to meet July the pilot of the river boat. We boarded the boat for a wonderful three hour guided tour of the Chobe River viewing a range of animals at very close quarters. The guide was excellent very friendly and informative. Quite an adventure.
The following day we were picked up by Cobra our guide for the day in an open sided safari jeep from the hotel and taken on a twelve hour safari excursion. It was fabulous and met our expectations. Breakfast and dinner in the bush was more than adequate.
Day 3 and we were picked up again by Simon at the agreed time and off we travelled to Planet Baobab. A rustic down to earth hotel complex. After arrival we were taken on a two hour guided walk into the bush ending in beers by a water hole where we were able to watch the animals drinking as the sun was setting - Fabulous.
Day 4 was an early start, up at four thirty for a safari trip through the bush to see the meerkats, salt pans and the massive migration of wilder beasts and zebras across the plains. A one and a half hours trip each way but well worth it. The guide was enthusiastic and informative.
Back to the hotel and a quick exit to join Simon again for our transfer to the Okavango Delta. It’s a long trip but Simon pointed out anything of interest on the way. Simon then handed us over to the helicopter guide company at the airport. It was a one hour flight and Simon was there to greet us again at the exit where he transferred us to the Cresta Muan Hotel via a cash point to get the much needed Botswana currency. Simon said good-bye at the hotel and confirmed we would be picked up a 7.30 a.m. for our trip to the delta. Simon was excellent always on time and good company.
The trip to the delta was 1.5 hours along bumpy roads to the canoe launch area. The canoe trip although short was good. We landed on an island and enjoyed a 2.5 hour walk through the bush. Dinner was served upon our return. The food was very good.
Overall it was a great experience, Cuckoo provided a quality team and quality transport. They were punctual, knowledgable and good company. I would have no hesitation in recommending them. Some of the journeys in the jeep were long and on bumpy terrain but perhaps that’s what is required to get you deep into the bush to experience animals in the wilderness.