PK
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Two days of excitement.
Sole Safari did a great job in organizing our trip. Hotels both in Nairobi and Massai Mara were good with courteous staff albeit the food at Jambo Lodge in Massai Mara could improve as it was not very good. The guide was excellent and even enabled us to witness a lion kill (sneaking on and pouncing on an unsuspecting wild beast) - something not everyone gets to see even on multiple trips. So we were lucky. We also witnessed the “great migration”. So all in all a great and well organised trip
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A comprehensive one-stop operation. Ensure that all necessary detail(s) effectively taken care of
Our week-long holiday, with stays at 2 (very) different camps, was developed around a proposal provided by eXplore - selected from alternatives that were provided. Comprehensive detail incl all flights and fully inclusive accommodation were effectively incorporated into the itinerary, which was communicated well in advance of departure - particularly liked the on-line platform used to pull together all the travel details in clear and easy to access manner. The trip to Botswana was a fantastic experience that went off largely without any (real) issues.
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Generally satisfied.
・I participated in a 3-day, 2-night tour; although the game drive on the first day was only 2–3 hours long, it still required an entrance fee, so I opted to join only the game drive on the second day to save money. Even so, I was able to enjoy a full day of safari activities and was very satisfied with the experience. The guide also provided plenty of commentary about the animals.
There was no set end time for the game drive, and we had no subsequent plans, so we were free to return to our accommodation whenever we liked; however, the guide seemed eager to wrap things up by late afternoon—hurrying us along for some reason whenever we stopped to take photos—which I found a bit unpleasant.
・When I went to the river to see hippos, I was guided by an armed guard, but I felt uncomfortable because I was essentially forced to give a tip. However, since there were so many other people around, I don't think this practice is limited to just this tour company.
・The price included transportation, but for the return trip, I wasn't taken back to my hotel; instead, I was told to take a taxi from the office—for some reason, they wouldn't drive me. Since it was only 1.5 km away, I walked. However, other people whose hotels were on the way back *were* given a ride.
・This is slightly off-topic regarding the tour company itself, but I stayed at a partner budget-friendly accommodation. Another person on the same tour forgot their wallet there; they were contacted about it, but 1,000 KSH had been stolen from it.
