US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Everything went as promised, no surprises!
The drivers were lovely... The vehicles always on time or early... No disappointments or bad surprises. Thanks for the great service!!
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience!
Rochelle was amazing to work with! She answered all my questions promptly (even with the time difference) and helped me through every step - from when and where I would be picked up, to the times I'd be dropped off and everything in between. She even provided me with multiple means of contact, just in case. The safari itself was an AMAZING experience and it helped so much knowing that someone was always just a phone call away in case something went wrong. I'd recommend Kruger Park Tours to anyone who wants to visit this amazing country!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our trip could not have been planned better.
I have prepared below a brief travelogue of the vacation Born Free Safaris provided for us. We have nothing but praise. Each property was very well chosen. Unlike some other complicated vacations we have taken, every component of transportation from airport to lodge, lodge to lodge, and hotel to airport went flawlessly. Deborah Urquhart, our travel agent at Born Free, could not have been better at working with me to provide the best possible experience. Bravo!
Our first lodge was Tintswalo - be prepared to be awed. This property is exquisite. It is designed to emulate what a turn-of-the 20th century might have looked like. Think of the movie “Out of Africa”. Maybe even better. We had a huge suite, with its own splash pool, and a family of elephants visiting the grounds regularly. Food was gourmet-level. Service was highly professional. Our guide and tracker really knew their stuff. Our three nights there were the best. We saw the “Big 5” twice in our first three game drives.
But, our nest lodge, Umkumbe, was more a 3-star than the 5-stars of Tintswalo – and that was actually great. It was very low-key and not luxurious, but felt very “homey”. Here, in Sabi Sands private reserve, our game drives were incredible. From getting close to a pride of lions on the hunt to a leopard and, later, an elephant passing within 3 feet of our Rover. That’s what we came to South Africa for. We stayed 3 nights there also.
Then we spent three nights at Makakatana Bay Lodge, which is almost on the Indian Ocean. Because it is close to a huge estuary, it focuses on the water. They say here is the largest grouping of hippos in Africa. We took a pontoon boat ride through the waterway and saw dozens of herds of dozens of hippos. Some books give Makatana 4-stars, but we would give it 5. A small step down from Tintswalo, but only because Tintswalo is a 6-star property. Our room was modern and huge.
Each of these lodges provided different perspectives on the safari experience and we were thoroughly satisfied.
Our daughter had to get back to work, but my wife and I then flew to Cape Town for 3 nights at the V and A Waterfront Hotel. A super location. Can walk to the Aquarium and the new Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. A small upscale mall is attached to the hotel and a large mall is only a few steps away, as is a giant Ferris wheel. While the hotel is a “grand old lady”, our room was fully modern and comfortable.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari in Chobe during low season
Lots of animals, babies, birds and greenery...
Great accomodation and awesome guide, overall a lifetime experience
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent experience
The tour operator James suggested a great itinerary for the tour and was able to accommodate our specific choice and the time frame.
He greeted us at the airport. Our flight was delayed but he even took us to a lovely dinner.
Our guide Simon was very knowledgeable, pleasant and spoke English very well. He also was able to assist with many requests that we had.
We saw all the animals and Simon was very good at finding them and keeping us safe.
Our hotels choice were wonderful, especially in Amboseli. The lodge in Maasai Mara situated well and the room was lovely, but wish for better food choices.
Our days were memorable.
Definitely one of the best trips
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great and extensive tour, KWSS is a great outfit
We had a wonderful time in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania all with KWSS. Mr. OT is a lovely Man and goes the distance to please his customers. We drove over 4000 km with the company tour guides and saw a lot and they all wanted us to have a great time.
We received all that was promised and for the most part were please with everything. Some of the hotels I would not return to but there were also some that were just amazing.
We did get an auto breakdown in Uganda but it was fixed and we did get to our destination albeit late and had to be up the next day for 5:00 am to drive another 2 hours to see the gorillas up close and personal.
We saw a plethora of flora and fauna and loved every minute of seeing the animals in their own environment.
One does have to understand that you are holidaying in Africa and that the standards are different from other countries and that you will encounter issues that you would not in other countries such as broken items in hotel rooms etc.
All in all, we had a marvelous time. We paid KWSS ahead of time and there were no issues whatsoever in terms of payments.
My family are vegetarian and for the most part our dietary concerns were met and we ate some solid meals and some that weren't that good but we survived and nobody got sick.
I can recommend our guides Anthony, David, Michael. Our guide in Uganda was Edward or Eddie, we found him a bit odd but was never late and very informative. Eddie got stuck with the brakes of the vehicle. We were delayed about 3-4 hours for a garage to change the master cylinder. Having a good knowledge of mechanics I knew and told him that they brakes needed to be bled to remove the air lock. I did tell Eddie but he said "it was done" when it hadn't so we were stuck going a painful pace down steep mountain passes because our brakes were questionable. The brakes were fixed the next morning by bleeding them.
All in all I can really recommend KWSS they are all good people.
Some of the hotels that I would not go to again are: The Elegant Hotel, Bungoma (kids screaming and slamming doors the whole night)
Bunyonyioverland (mattress awful, sheets awful, no shower curtain and electrical current going through the shower and shocked me), Hotel Paradise in Jinja I would also upgrade since it wasn't awful it was a way out of town, The Charity Hotel in Arusha is OK but I would again upgrade it since it is far from the town but OK and a bit old and in disrepair
Silver Springs in Kampala was amazing, great food and great accomodations
Kibos Safari Camp Amboseli was a great place for New Years (Absolute best place)
Kingfisher lodge was great but bathrooms downstairs not great for us older than 50's people
Kibale Forest Camp (no complaints)
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Could not have asked for a better safari plan. E-Trip Africa covered all of our needs and then some!
Aurelia and Ben responded quickly to all communication and were able to accommodate our needs. We were already in the country for work and had people arriving and taking off at different times, but they were able to get us airport transfers to fit our schedules. They also extended a lot of information that would have been suitable to prepare for first time travelers in Africa while having ample experience to keep veteran safari goers entertained as well. We were fortunate to stay at the Researchers Rest which offered excellent accommodation and delightful meals.
On the safari itself, we were taken across Lake Tanginyire and stayed within the beautiful park. We were hesitant to stay within the park due to our limited budget, but drinking coffee while overlooking the valley was an amazing way to wake up to be ready to set off for Lake Manyara. We ended the trip in Ngorongoro Crater and were impressed by the concentration of animals in the massive crater. Within 3 days we saw so much wildlife and diverse habitats in NW Tanzania. We had a great time with the guide; he was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. I think he especially enjoyed our rendition of "Jambo bwana".
It was also great to chat with Ben, as conservationists working in Africa, about his wealth of knowledge of development and conservation in Africa, and to share some old Peace Corps Stories. I would certainly travel with E-Trip Africa again should I return to the region in search of a safari company as it is a small, well organized company dedicated to the happiness of both their clients and staff.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional, knowledgeable, experienced, dedicated, caring, excellent safe driver and guide,
Extremely reliable and client oriented safari. We traveled as a family and had an outstanding experience. Everything was as expected or beyond expectations. Our driver and guide, Elias, was professional, knowledgeable, experienced, dedicated, caring, and not intrusive. Spending 5 days with him was a genuine pleasure. Highly recommended organization.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional service around the clock - goes beyond the trip itself
I wanted to take the time to write a review about the Luxury Safari Company, in particular working with Rose. She planned the most spectacular honeymoon for my husband and I in September. We experienced the most fabulous, luxurious accommodations at each stop along the way - Cape Town, wine country and South African Safari in Madikwe Reserve. She knows exactly what she is talking about when it comes to where to stay, when to go, the amount of wildlife you will see, etc. My husband and I talk about the trip literally every day. Rose won our trust over so much that we have since reached out to talk about returning to Africa again as soon as possible... yes, even in the same year. The issue with a trip to Africa though is it takes A LOT of research, planning and is quite the investment. Naturally, we have to go back and forth with Rose quite a bit to figure out if another Africa trip is in our future... and I ask a million questions along the way. Sadly, timing hasn't worked out for us to return again yet, but just the fact that Rose is so patient and willing to talk us through so much research even when a trip isn't booked, just shows her dedication to her clients. My only complaint is that Rose can't plan every trip in our life for us :) If you are debating on whether or not to go to Africa ... GO. If you are debating on whether or not to use Luxury Safari Company - trust me - they are the best - and this is coming from a very picky, skeptical New Yorker.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
First class company for our safari adventure
After years of planning we have just returned from our first safari trip and we could not be happier. Karibu Safaris in Kenya took care of everything- despite the time difference Victor never took more than a couple of hours to reply to our many questions as we prepared ourselves to this journey. From the moment we landed to the moment we arrived safe and sound back at the airport our trip was simply outstanding. Not a single issue faced prior to, during or after our adventures in Nairobi and the Masai Mara. The highlight of our trip was definitely David, our guide and driver he is one of the best professionals I’ve ever met- a reliable, hard-working and committed individual . In addition to his impressive driving and animal tracking skills, level of excellence. Thanks to his well-trained eye and skills we managed to not only see the Big 5 in great style but also learn much more than what we could from books and websites. Our memories of a lifetime are simply unbelievable – from witnessing dozens of lions, elephants and cheetahs enjoying family life right next to us to the hard-to-find leopards and rhinos looking us right in the eye. We stayed at Mara Serena for three nights and I am already looking forward to returning. I highly recommend booking different kinds of activities through Karibu Safaris in Kenya.
