IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible and sensational
Incredible and sensational! I had to take some time to write this review so as not to miss anything. We booked a 2-night, 3-day package online in July 2019 within the Selous Game Reserve. The reviews are not many and we were a bit skeptical. We didn't know what to expect. Instead we were positively impressed. I would say almost fascinated. An incredible service. Our guide Nestor accompanied us from the port of Dar Es Salaam to our camp Hippocamp. The curtains were spacious, clean. The bathroom was very large and well kept. We couldn't have asked for better. The restaurant area and the meals were amazing. We never thought we'd eat so well. Benson's kindness in welcoming us and pampering us. You could see their passion. Very rich and abundant meals (too much) with appetizer, first and / or second, fruit. They also fulfilled our request for vegetarian meals. The safari day was something magical, thanks to the expert knowledge of the Nestor guide, always ready to answer questions and search for all possible animals. It transmitted security. Also nice are the boat safari and the walking safari.
Exceptional value for money. I highly recommend using the Selous Explorer for safaris. Thanks thanks thanks.
Incredibile e sensazionale! Ho dovuto prendere del tempo per scrivere questa recensione per non tralasciare nulla. Abbiamo prenotato online un pacchetto di 2 notti e 3 giorni per luglio 2019 all’interno del Selous Game Reserve. Le recensioni non sono molte ed eravamo un po' scettici. Non sapevamo cosa aspettarci. Invece siamo rimasti positivamente colpiti. Direi quasi affascinati. Un servizio incredibile. La nostra guida Nestor ci ha accompagnato dal porto di Dar Es Salaam fino al nostro camp Hippocamp. Le tende erano spaziose, pulite. Il bagno era molto grande e ben tenuto. Non potevamo chiedere di meglio. La zona ristorante e i pasti erano incredibili. Non avremo mai pensato di mangiare così bene. La gentilezza di Benson nell’accoglierci e nel coccolarci. Si vedeva la loro passione. Pasti molto ricchi e abbondanti (anche troppo) con antipasto, primo e/o secondo, frutta. Hanno anche esaudito la nostra richiesta dei pasti vegetariani. La giornata di safari è stata qualcosa di magico, grazie alle conoscenze esperte della guida Nestor, sempre pronto a rispondere alle domande e alla ricerca di tutti gli animali possibili. Trasmetteva sicurezza. Carini anche il safari in barca e il walking safari.
Rapporto qualità/prezzo eccezionale. Consiglio vivamente di appoggiarsi alla Selous Explorer per i safari. Grazie grazie grazie.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A safari that truly came to life, thanks to the sincerity of the team and their passion for wildlife
I booked the safari just a few days prior to my arrival in Tanzania and requested just two quotes. The first request got an immediate response from another company that used polished language and cookie-cutter text. My second request was directed at Kili Slope and David responded quickly, apologetically asking for some extra time. Why not? So when I finally received the quote I could see that the itinerary was genuinely put together for me individually, based on the information I had provided, and David’s sincerity shone through. I’m ultimately glad I chose Kili Slope. Such a great team!
Everything went superbly well from start to finish. David showed himself flexible and thought along with me the two times I considered itinerary changes. In the end I stuck to the original plan, but I knew I could have it any way I wanted. The accommodations were comfortable, and sometimes even had a ‘Wow!’ Factor. Also, David personally sees to it that any issues are fixed even if it costs him a lot of personal time!!
Special thanks to our excellent driver Salim, whom I jokingly referred to as our ‘safari manager’. The other single traveler in our small group and I were able to leave all the thinking to him and simply relax and have a great experience. He was very professional and every day he would brief us on the experiences ahead, check in with our preferences and tailor the day’s game drive itinerary accordingly. What really sets him apart however, I think, is his passion for his country, and its nature and animals. Not just a driver to show you the big five (and see them we did!) so you could snap a few pictures and move on, he was eager to share his love for each and every animal, big or small. He explained the animals’ and trees’ characteristics and we had quite a few laughs over what turned out to be some quirky theatrics of nature. The safari truly came to life. I observed other drivers from other operators along the way. They seemed bored, and I believe Salim gave us much more. He calls the Serengeti his home and made us feel welcome.
I definitely recommend Kili Slope!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Brilliant from start to finish !!!!
We initially sent a few requests out to various safari companies via safaribookings.com and straight away Australken were the most action packed itineraries and cost effective. We were taking our daughter for her 18th Birthday first time for her in Africa so was so important that the trip, accommodation and other aspects were good. We dealt with Zippy in organising the trip she was amazing so flexible when I asked to add this and that to the itinerary and she was patient with my indecision regarding accommodation. Zippy always responded really quickly to my many questions. When at the last minute we asked if she knew any drivers for Nairobi to take us sightseeing once the safari was over Zippy kindly gave us an Australken driver who took us round various tourist hotspots and even took us to the airport for our flight home !!! We then about three weeks before the trip found out my partner was pregnant and could no longer travel we could not get any money back on the insurance Zippy went out of her way and got us some refund from the hotels which was so appreciated. The Safari itself wow where do I begin the various accommodation and standard of food were amazing, the truck was comfortable even having WiFi!! the driver/guides were really knowledgable answering questions and giving interesting information. We got to see all the animals we had hoped to including the Rhino, pride of lions, giraffe, hippos.. amazing views of kilamanjaro, great Rift Valley. I could go on and on .... nothing was too much trouble for them Zippy met us at at the airport and again at Nairobi after safari it’s personal touches like this that add to an already amazing trip. Thank you Australken we will be back.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect!
This safari was perfect in every way. Everyone at Benson Safaris is professional, reliable and responsive. Our driver, Richard, was excellent. He is extremely knowledgeable about wildlife behavior, plants, trees and everything else involving Tanzania. Their office assistant, Pendo, was very responsive during the months leading up to the tour and answered all of our questions. Benson himself came to our hotel on the last day in Arusha to say thank you and gave us a local gift. We chose this company based on the all of the positive reviews, and everyone was right. I highly recommend Benson Safaris.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience for a budget safari
Bearing in mind the cost of this safari, everything went quite smoothly. Accommodations are basic, but clean. Food was decent, although not a lot of variety. Be warned that you will spend a lot of time in the vehicle, so it is advisable to stock up on snacks and drinks! Our driver, James, was fantastic and very knowledgeable about the animals and birds we saw. He also knew all the best places to find them and went out of his way to make sure we saw plenty of wildlife. In addition, he is friendly and courteous. We saw the Big 5 and much more on our 1 week safari. Overall, a great experience, thank you Karibu Safaris!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime experience!
We (3 young women 27-30) booked a 4 day/3 nights campingsafari withGreg and totally loved it! The trip included 2 nights in Villa Poa and 3 nights camping (simple tent as well as mattresses and sleeping bags are provided). Meals during our whole stay were also included. By the way THANKS to our chef Tuma!
Airport shuttle was totally trouble free (Arusha as well as Kilimanjaro airport). By the way the service in advance (mail traffic, flow of information, payment etc.) was great!
Safari itself included nationalparks Tarangire, Serengeti andNgorngoro. Our great guide Allan made everything possible, so we did'nt only get to see the big 5 but nearly every animal (apart from some birds), often from really close!
You spend the nights in Serengeti and Ngorongoro on a wild camping set in the middle of the parks so you might meet some zebras and elephants or get awake by the sund of a lion during the night. Such a great and special experience!
We can totally recommend a stay at Villa Poa! Thanks for all, guys :)
US
Perfect Experience
Vincent expertly planned our trip, fully taking into consideration our requests, and was helpful and communicative throughout the planning process. Our guide, Boniface, was an expert driver and a fountain of knowledge, often anticipating what the animals might do next and where to go for the best chances of seeing something special. As a result, we got to see everything we hoped to see and then some. The vehicle was always clean and the extra fabric cushions and seat backs made it comfortable even on warm days and bumpy roads. We booked high-end accommodations and the service and food there were outstanding. One thing to keep in mind is that most Safaris begin early in the morning and you might need to find a hotel for the night before.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unprofessional
Dissapointed
Unprofessionalism and disappointment guaranteed.
My family and I experienced a nightmare with Watu Safaris managed by this man called Mr. Majenda. What was supposed to be a relaxing and memorable getaway with my two year old son and husband turned into a horrible cascade of unpredictable and disappointing events.
Before the trip:
Mr. Majenda and I were in good communication and he seemed quite courteous and civil. We arranged the trip for July 19th and 20th. We were to be picked up from Dar-es-salaam at 5:30 am and be driven to Mikumi to spend the day, sleep in the premises and continue our safari the next morning. Two days before the safari, I emailed Mr. Majenda to make sure if all plans were in order and he assured me like the professional I thought he was that all is well. He told me that my driver would contact me to make arrangements. I didn't hear from the driver so I contacted him the night before the trip. The driver had no idea about the trip. He told that he thought it was for the 29th and not the 19th. Mind you, Mr. Majenda had prepared my invoice with the correct dates and all emails had the dates of the safari as subject. So the driver then asked me to wait so he can clarify with his boss Mr. Majenda. They somehow managed to hire another driver from a different company right around midnight. I was notified by text about this new driver situation.
Day of the trip:
We woke up early to prepare and were ready by 5am. Time of pick up arrives and no show. So I call the new driver. He picks up the phone, surprise! I had just woken him up. He told me he was not briefed about the pick up time and that he was on his way. I honestly think this guy was innocent in all this.
So we get around 6:15am and head out. We arrive at Morogoro and meet Mr. Majenda at Watu Safaris offices to complete our payment. He says sorry without any explanation and proceeds to deduct the payment. We head to Mikumi. At this point, I am already very dissatisfied and honestly feeling let down. What else could go wrong?
At Mikumi park:
We arrive at the gate, present our IDs and ask for our booking for lodging that night. Guess what? None of that exists! After almost an hour of calls, no success as to where we were going to spend the night. Our entrance fees were supposed to be covered in our safari package but we ended up paying out of pocket to get into the park. At this point, I was expecting at least a call from Mr. Majenda but nothing. Two hours later, I decide to call him. I was very furious. He gave me a half type of apology and blamed it on his driver for mixing up the dates. I told him to own up for God's sake! He said that they had booked us at a hotel nearby to spend the night and that "it was more expensive than the lodges" that we were originally supposed to stay in. I was so disgusted. If I wasn't pregnant and also with a 2 year old, we would have driven back home the same day. We ended up staying at that hotel and completed the trip next morning.
We did not get a personal apology from Mr. Majenda, nor did he call us to make sure we were okay. He didn't care about us after getting his money. The only thing he did was pay for the hotel bill including all meals and offered to reimburse us our entrance fee. I understand that some things can go wrong when planning a trip but in our case, all things went wrong and for this reason and the way he handled things, I do not consider Mr. Majenda a professional.
NO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing, Wonderful, Mesmerizing and Awe-inspiring Experiences
My wife and I had the most Amazing, Wonderful, Mesmerizing and Awe-inspiring Experiences with Wild Secrets Safaris. We did the Classic Tanzania Tour with guide Mussa. He was wonderful, very knowledgeable and fun to be with. We were able to see so many different animal and bird species. We saw all the big 5!
The vehicle was fitted with comfortable safari seats, charging points for cameras and phones, fridge and radio call that Mussa used to communicate with other guides for updates on the location of wild game.
We stayed in nice comfy hotels that provide great service. Mussa was very punctual and kept the vehicle clean everyday.
We surely enjoyed ourselves during the safari and thanks to Mussa!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Honeymoon trip
We booked a one week trip with Encounter Africa Safaris as the first part of our honeymoon and all was perfect from start to finish. Chris was prompt at replying and easy to liaise with ahead of the trip. We had done a lot of research and had an itinerary in mind and Chris helped us to put everything together to make this happen for a very reasonable price.
On the trip we had a private vehicle for the entirety which was exactly what we wanted. Cyrus was our driver and an amazing guide - really friendly and knowledgable, working hard to find the things that we wanted to see and quickly understanding what was of interest to us/how much information to give.
Would highly recommend a trip to Uganda and booking with Encounter Africa Safaris!