CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extraordinary , well organised , good price, experienced guide and laugh all the way
Actually I'm working in Kenya and hope to take this chance to bring my parents, aunty and little cousin for a safari trip before Chinese New year. Honestly speaking, before i chose this agency, i compared with other 3. Now i can say it's definite a right and the best choice.
We have 5 days safari : 2.5 days in Masai , 1 day in Nakuru ( specially for the Rhinos and birds), 1 days Naivash Lake and hell's gate (boat ride that allows us to close to the hippos and the lake birds like pelicans,egrets, kingfishers, fish eagles etc)
In Masai, we saw almost all animals we expected to see, Karanja and Steve are very experienced that they know very well how to follow the tracks to find animals. We saw a few time lions, one female is hiding in a bush eating the prey, a poor warthog.... In Nakuru, two males lions are sharing a baby giraffe... It's cruel but it's the reality of NATURE.
Because it's a private tour, so our time is very flexible. We tried a local meat bbq on the way from Nakuru to Naivasha thanks to Steve recommend. In Naivasha (it's a city also famous for the flowers exported to Holland ) i mentioned i would like to add a flower farming visit, they tried their best to make it come true.
Karanja and Steve are humorous that we got along very well. They even gave us a surprise sunset drink on a hill of Masai Mara, and Karanja is also a professional photographer who took us lots of beautiful photos and sent to me.
Besides , the accommodation is so good, not only the tented camp and hotel but also the good foods. By the way i should also remind of taking care of the belongings in the hotels. I'm sorry we've lost a few dollars and shillings when we left my bag in the room during my dinner. I think no matter where we go, should pay attention on that.
Anyway, my family is so happy for this trip and left them an unforgettable and good impression of Kenya.
As Steve said "there is a Kenya bug, once it bites you, you will miss Kenya and want to back every year" I think my family is missing Kenya already.
Today is Chinese New Year, hope it's a year full of happiness, health and of course new adventures.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience!
Josphat was great from the start, he gave us all the information we needed and ensured we had an amazing time in Masai Mara. Uncle Joe our guide ensured we got to see the Big 5! The stay at Ashnil Mara Camp and Ilkeliani Camp were fantastic. Highly recommend everyone book a tour with Solaris! Great Team!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari
The 4 day tent safari that I went on was totally up to standards for myself , the guide was very informative and helpful in everyway , the cook / chef prepared food that was the best to my standards as well ! Completely satisfied with Meru Slopes tours , would recommend to anyone , the price was completely satisfying .
Waylon from Montana
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Namib-Naukluft National Park by Andrew Thompson
The Namib desert is bleak and barren and vast, but also can be beautiful and surprisingly varied.
Plus there is some great wildlife here if you have a good local guide who knows where and how to find it.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Etosha National Park by Andrew Thompson
At the time of my visit at the end of the dry season, Etosha was full of animals, which were easy to see as they were drawn to the many waterholes. Bird watching was also exceptional. The quality and the quantity of the sightings far exceeded my expectation. The place never felt crowded, I always felt safe and the accommodation in the park was quite acceptable.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A 1-night stop-over which was good, but may have more to offer
I spent 1 night at Waterberg Plateau Park, as part of a guided birding and wildlife watching tour of Namibia. To be honest we really only stayed here because it broke the journey from Etosha National Park back to Windhoek nicely. Also because of the limited time we had, we only scratched the surface of what the Park had to offer. For example we didn't have time to join one of the organised game drives on the plateau itself, which I understood is stocked with various animal species, including game that is scarce elsewhere in Namibia. However we still managed to find some memorable wildlife encounters.
The well-watered grass just in front of the chalets attracts some extremely tame wildlife, including the unbelievably cute Damara Dik-dik - a small species of antelope. Equally close when we arrived but a lot less cute were Warthog and Chacma Baboon. The Baboons in particular have a reputation for mischief, so my advice would be to keep your wits about you when they are about.
The park also yielded some excellent bird sightings, with a resident pair of Verreaux's (Black) Eagle on the impressive cliffs, and when we visited (at the end of the dry season), there were good numbers of sunbirds, weavers and the magnificent African Paradise Flycatchers. We were also entertained by a raucous gang of Green Wood-Hoopoes, plus Purple Rollers, Hornbills, Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters and many other species.
The park is situated at the base of some impressive red sandstone cliffs which dominate the landscape, and mark the edge of the plateau itself. At the time of our visit the arrival of the first rain showers had brought an emergence of butterflies, which made a real spectacle.
The accommodation chalets are situated some distance from the other facilities, which means a bit of a walk to the restaurant, which is not so much fun in the rain or at night. However if you are camping, then the campsite is more centrally sited. The chalet I stayed in was clean and perfectly acceptable, and the bed was comfortable, but don't expect any frills here. The bathroom was basic but functional and everything worked.
The service at the restaurant was typically laid back (i.e. slow) and the quality of the food was okay.
As with many of the other rest camps run by the NWR, allow plenty of time for checking out on your day of departure.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Namibia by Andrew Thompson
A great variety of habitats, and wildlife (both birding and game viewing) which far exceeded my expectations.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a once in a life time opportunity for me and I was not disappointed!
The wildlife was great, got the opportunity to see all that I was expecting to see. Our guide was terrific, don't think we could have had anyone better, thanks, Gilli! The weather was wonderful. The accommodations were great, food was very good, although accommodating my daughters food restrictions were not as well attended to as I would have hoped. Overall our safari experience was wonderful.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The safaris and the landscape are very beautiful but the organisation is most of the time very bad
The safari's in Tanzania are really beautiful. And there is enough wildlife to spot. I had three joined safaris in every safari i met new and interesting people. The gids are well informed. Even through not every gids is a good chauffeur.
My only warning is the organisation. A lot of so told organisations are really just one guy with a computer and a telephone. And the drop you bij friends of them to fill up a car. That's not a big problem but there is no structure and organisation. So you have to ask every day multiple times with car you have to get and where you're going. Sometimes you find yourself getting in three day in three divergent cars and in every car other people.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fun and easily customized tour.
This is a fantastic opportunity and very affordable way to see the mountain gorillas as well as every other animal you can imagine on a Safari