20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic
The guide was professional, the organizer was very very helpful. I had more than my expectations. Excellent job
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great trip!
Definitely a great trip, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The only reason I haven’t rated as a 5 is because of some of the lack of communication involved. I hadn’t realized that everyone in my group would not be staying in the same hotel with me, or even staying the same length of time at the park. This led to some coordination challenges, but all in all this never detracted from my experience. I also never revived an itinerary of my trip, so think that improved communication may be an area for some improvement.
All in all though the drivers were great, and always super accommodating (even changing a flat tire in less then 10 minutes!). Karibu was also extremely responsive to my messages at all times of day, which I really appreciated. Definitely the best value for its reasonable price compared to other operators.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great, simple safari experience with Tony and team!
Being my first time on safari, I have nothing to compare it against, but Tony and team's 6 day/5 night safari experience was a fantastic one. A great local business you should support versus the fancy lodges that I doubt are locally owned.
Tony communicates with his guests over WhatsApp and email, and is incredibly responsive overall. Tough to set your expectations ahead of time regardless. However, know that you are in good hands, as Tony and team ran a strong operation. He has different tiers of accommodation for his nightly camping, I would just make sure you choose the best unless you are willing to sacrifice things like your own "en-suite" bathroom next to your tent. The tent and adjoining bathroom area were surprisingly nice, and the sleeping arrangement of an inflatable mattress was more comfortable than I thought. Everything from the sleeping bags and pillows seemed to be of quality and clean despite it being used for camping. They had an overhead hanging bucket for the occasional shower as well.
The food that Tony's staff cooked was really good given that we were camping, and it is impressive what they can do. Breakfast typically included cereals and omelettes for example, among other things. Lunch and dinner were all good meals with meat, starches, and vegetables. Safe to say, we never went hungry.
Botswana's safari scene is uniquely abundant with wildlife, and I believe you typically get to see a lot more here than in South Africa for example. I will not give specifics to get your hopes up, but we saw way more than I ever thought (went in May), and we saw those animals in somewhat unique situations (hunting, drinking water, etc.). Our tour went through the parks/reserves of Chobe, Savuti, and Moremi (with only 6 days, Moremi is a bit rushed, would recommend the extra day if offered). Tony's open car allowed for great views, and our small group of 3 people was a great amount for everyone to have easy viewing ability. Tony has a strong ability to track animals using their prints, whichmade for some additional viewings that some of the fancy lodges did not get to see even. Tony is clearly good at what he does, is quite funny, and his passion for the wildlife and photography is obvious. Just someone whose business you absolutely must support as he is into this for all the right reasons.
Some things to consider are that the post-lunch break is sometimes long (though this seems common in the Botswana safari world), so you should bring some activity to do for sure, and use that downtime effectively, unless he considers shortening the break in the future. Also, Tony is not always the most transparent about what animals he sees or what the schedule looks like, so you have to be willing to go with the flow a bit. But I promise you that he has your best interests, and he put on a great tour for us. Botswana is also not well-connected with modern (paved) roads, and there ends up being lots of driving in the 4x4 on sand/dirt roads that are common in the country's parks. So, having patience while being in transit is important to understand. Though the travel time was notable, there was still a ton of time to see the animals in the parks/reserves, and the value of a camping tour with Tony and team is incredible compared to the expensive lodges in the parks.
As long as you can handle the experience of camping (of which I would consider this somewhat more luxurious than typical camping), this safari experience should easily be your top choice.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Easy to deal with before booking and excellent experience during safari
No complaints on anything. They were quick to answer pre-booking. Delt with changes we wanted and had a nice truck and guide waiting for us on arrival. You can read about our experience in my travel story here
https://www.gonomad.com/134544-i-took-my-mother-in-law-on-safari-in-tanzania
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience -highly recommended !!
I went on four days safari from Nairobi to Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru via Lake Naivasha for boat ride,though it was a group tour but was beyond expectation.
From first contact with Seth Vincent, who helped more book the trip,everything was easy to arrange and so helpful.
Our amazing guide,Patrick, then picked me up from my hotel in Nairobi right as per the agreed time.
Throughout the four days,he went so far out of his ways to make sure we had the best trip.
He knows so much about the areas.We saw many animals and beautiful sceneries than we ever thought we would.I can not emphasize enough because it was more than fantastic and beyond our expectation.
Highly recommended.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Six day tour from Kasane to Maun: Excellent safari, fantastic guide, comfortable tents
My partner and I decided to book this safari after seeing so many positive reviews, and also knowing that it is a local company with experienced guides. It was an incredible six day trip! From the start, Tony was always available to answer questions via email and then more easily WhatsApp (and I had a lot of questions!!). Make sure to ask exactly what you are booking - for example, we had the luxury experience, with large tents and ensuite bathrooms (meaning you could easily go at night). We slept on cots with warm sleeping bags and real pillows, plus they also had a small table in our two person tent. Everything was clean and comfortable - I truly slept well every night. As for the safari, we went from Kasane to Maun, with two nights in Chobe, two nights in Savuti (my favorite) and one night in Moremi. On the days where you didn't move locations, you did a long morning drive starting at 6:30 or 7, lasting until nearly lunchtime. Then you took a long mid-day break, so make sure to pack some games or books, or this is a good time to take advantage of the showers they provide (just ask them to prep the water). Finally, you go out for another drive at around 4pm, but this only goes until sunset since you can't be out after dark. On the days you are changing locations, you are in the car all day - a game drive in the morning, then driving 4-6 hours to get to the next park (stopping for picnic lunch), then when you arrive you immediately start a game drive. The road is almost never paved and VERY bumpy, so you're in for a wild ride, and we were never bored! We traveled in May so make sure to pack warm clothes for sleeping, and the mornings can feel very cold when you're driving in open air, so pack hats and gloves. During the day, it was in the 80s, but you are shaded in the car so it never felt really hot. Tony himself is super funny and kept us laughing, but most importantly he is really good at tracking the animals. He was the one to find certain animals first in several cases, including when we found a pride of lions attacking cape buffalo. And since he's a photographer, he really dedicated time to see and learn about the animals and their behavior. He is very passionate about his work and it shows. His team (Eddie and Ben) were so friendly and I'm very impressed by the delicious food they cooked, including meat stews, pastas and vegetables. If I had one piece of advice, I would say that the tour is very chill, and sometimes the plans will change, or timing won't be exact. But everything was great in the end, so we have no complaints, and in fact would recommend this tour over other (more expensive) versions!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
6 Day Kilimanjaro + 4 Day Safari
Owner Jalala was so easy to communicate with and was very responsive. He met us at the hotel along with our guide before the hike to make sure we were prepared and answered any questions. The guides on both our hike and safari were excellent and provided great service. Shout out to Joseph and Stephen! We were well taken care of for the 10 days. We did mid-range so the accommodations were pretty basic but that was expected. Only suggestion would be to add a toilet porter - the bathrooms at the camps were pretty gross and I did notice the other groups had one. Overall we had a great trip and thank you AAA Express for your great service!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari's, I had the best experience in Bwindi impenetrable national parking bjI
I would like to thank ngoni safari for the wonderful trip they gave,thanks to Cedric who organized the perfect trip.The best guide I could have asked for.thus it was a highlight in my life, thank you for you made it possible
EG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very responsive--Kiliholidays took care of all the logistics & planning; highly recommended.
Our group of 3 HIGHLY recommends Edward as guide! He was fun, knowledgable & very responsive to our interests. (He even squeezed in an extra 1/2 trip to a coffee farm, just because we asked.) If you're lucky enough to get him, tell him we said "Jambo!"
Really like how Kiliholidays organized this 5 day tour, taking care of all logistics, including pick up from airport. Each night we stayed at a different location, & it was all very easy/well-planned. Even camp sites were more like "glamping", so no hardship on city folks or those in less-than-athletic shape. We saw a TON of animals each day! Seriously--leopards 4 days IN A ROW!
CH
35-50 years of age
Hakuna matata
Me and my girlfriend summited Mount Kilimanjaro at 28. October 2018 through the following waypoints: Lava Tower, Arrow Glacier Camp, Western Breach Wall, Crater Camp, Uhuru Peak.
Jerome, Ino and his crew does an excellent Job in everything what you need on a trip like this. He and his crew is very experienced in what they do. Furthermore, we have a lot of fun with him and his crew during the whole trip.
Excellent tent accommodation, excellent food, excellent mood. Perfect organization like the conversation before the trip in your home country or the transfers from and to the airport. Keep it up Jerome.
I know Jerome over years and he is become a good friend to me. I was visiting Mount Kilimanjaro / Uhuru Peak two times with him and would do it a third time.
Do not hesitate, climb Mount Kilimanjaro with Jerome, now.
