BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Poor organisation! Poor communication!
My review of this tour operator is rather mixed. Admittedly, the guides and drivers were very good, but the organization regarding the plane tickets was really poor. On every flight, there were ticket errors, which forced us to pay additional amounts several times and to insist in order to get the correct tickets. We experienced stress throughout the trip, constantly wondering if we would have to pay again.
It’s now been almost 4 weeks that we’ve been waiting for the promised refund from the tour operator, but still nothing. Each time we get the same answers: “Yes, we promise we’ll refund you”, “We’ll reimburse you in cash when you’re in Addis”, “Oh, we’re not in Addis but in Lalibela.” When we ask for a bank transfer, they say they need to ask a friend, but apparently this friend doesn’t often answer the phone…
So, I give them 2 out of 5, only thanks to the drivers and guides. For the rest, it was really poorly organized, and I want future clients to be aware of this. If they don’t want to go through a stressful experience during their trip, I would not recommend this tour operator.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Disappointed overall
They changed my accomodation last minute and also my pickup time the day before.
The drop off I was passed between drivers and eventually had to order my own Uber since people were continuing on to another destination.
The guide was just ok, and his personality didn't really fit the tour. Overall I think there are better options
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3 day safari in Serengeti Park and Ngorongoro Crater
The safari itself was great but we had struggle with our car on all of the 3 days and the operator did not help to fix the problem with the car or give us a new car.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Savannah Woods Safaris – 6-Day Safari (Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru & Amboseli)
I chose Savannah Woods Safaris because I wanted to support a smaller, local company, and the communication with Lucy beforehand was excellent. Looking back, however, this might have been a mistake.
I had booked a 7-person group safari, but in reality, we were mixed together with people from different companies, and many of us stayed in completely different accommodations. At times, there were even eight of us in the vehicle, which made it quite cramped. Because we were all staying in different lodges, we lost a lot of time every day picking up and dropping off people — it often felt more like a hop-on hop-off bus than a group safari. Guests were frequently exchanged along the way, which made it difficult to build any real connection within the group.
Unfortunately, I got a stomach issue already at the first lodge (Jambo Mara), which lasted for two days. The two other guests staying at the same place also felt sick afterwards, so I suspect the food or hygiene might have been an issue. Lucy did check in once during the trip, but after that, I didn’t hear from her again.
Our driver – I hesitate to call him a “guide” – was careful and drove safely, but he seemed rather bored and disengaged. We received very little information about the animals, and often started so late in the morning that we missed most of the early wildlife activity.
The Masai Mara itself was spectacular and definitely worth visiting; the hot air balloon ride was a real highlight. However, since the guides all share sightings among themselves, we probably would have seen the same animals even with any other tour operator.
Lake Nakuru, on the other hand, was disappointing and involved a lot of unnecessary driving for very little reward. I would personally skip it next time. Amboseli can be stunning, especially early in the morning when Mount Kilimanjaro is clear — unfortunately, we arrived too late to enjoy that view.
On a positive note, the Amboseli Sopa Lodge was fantastic — a truly beautiful place to stay.
In hindsight, I would rather book with a larger, more established company, or even through a European operator, to ensure better organization and reliability. It’s really important to confirm that all travelers in the group are on the same itinerary and staying in the same accommodations; otherwise, you lose a lot of valuable time waiting around.
I can’t recommend Savannah Woods Safaris based on my experience. No one ever asked me for feedback afterwards, and after the booking was completed, I felt pretty much left on my own — which was disappointing, especially as a solo female traveler.
BD
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari experience was amazing. Unfortunately, this tour operator failed to give the value for money
Safari experience is definitely amazing
1. I was not informed of the changes in my itinerary.
2. I told them beforehand I do not eat seafood, but the first day, our food was tilapia (fish)
3. I was asked to stay in the tent which I did not pay for. If I not insisted, I will be staying in that tent.
4. No coordination with my accommodation.
The coordination among themselves badly needs improvement. They tried compensating by giving me a free massage, but this cannot make up for their miscommunication and severe lack of coordination which made me lose much time and energy.
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kenya Tanzania Travel
This trip was based on a friend's itinerary and chose Meijo Safaris. Sales representative Marcelina responded very promptly and actively resolved various issues, but there was one thing that was not very good. The night before departure, she was informed that a new guide had been replaced (any subsequent dissatisfaction was caused by the new guide). Kenya's guide Henry Gichura Very good, professional, enthusiastic, and proactive. After the replacement in Tanzania, the guide Pete was very unprofessional, not communicative, and not proactive (reasons: 1. He only opens the roof when we need to prompt him to do so; 2. He doesn't pull the handbrake every time he stops; 3. He doesn't even know where the restroom is on the way from the Tanzanian border to the northern part of Serengeti; 4. He didn't even tell us when he changed our hot meal to a cold meal. We asked him why our meal wasn't hot, but he said he didn't know. I asked the salesperson later, and the salesperson said it was the guide who changed it. They were worried that it would be inconvenient for us to eat hot meals when we saw the horses crossing the river, but the guide never told us about it; 5. Every day, the guide said it would start at 8 o'clock. Our friends also encountered the same problem, so we requested to move up the time. Of course, we also said to leave early and return to the hotel early, The guide disagreed, but only agreed after reporting to the sales team. However, they returned to the hotel very early; 6. Safaris often makes long phone calls during the process, which I feel is very unsafe. ）Based on the above situation, if the evaluation is 5 points, I can only give 3 points, of which 2 points are given to Henry Gichura, the Kenyan guide, and 1 point is given to Marcelina, the salesperson.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Buyer beware, our trip turned into a nightmare of delays and non-payment of services promised.
I gave my review two stars to firstly acknowledge the great tour guides and hosts at our accommodation venues. The accommodation 'camps' were outstanding, the people went out of thier way to make us cared for, and the food was good and plentiful. The second star is awarded to the experience in the Game Parks themselves; animals appeared and behaved as expected. As a biologist, I could not have been happier with the experiences in these Parks. However, the integrity and reliability of African Marvel and their principle executives left a lot (everything) to be desired. It was humiliating for everyone to be waiting around at borders and accommodation sites for paymentd to be received from 'head office'. On the last occasion in Kenya, the manager of the site let us travel on and claimed that our accommodation at his beautiful site had been paid. We believe that this was not the case, and that he was being gracious rather than enduring the embarrassment of 11 of us being held 'hostage' to Marvels poor performance. As he said "this does not reflect well on our country".
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Makgadikgadi Pans National Park by David
Wildlife everywhere
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Spoiled by your manager
We had a great time at the lodge,lovely food,fantastic service an guides so helpful only to be spoiled by observing your manager duncan brittons perverted an disgracefull behaviour at one of mauns bars.Putting a black mark on your fine reputation. Duncan please behave accordingly when out in public.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Unforgettable Safari — in More Ways Than One
We recently returned from what was meant to be a 10-day Kenya and Tanzania Epic Safari organized by John Rejeaeli from Tanzania Vacation Operations. It truly was an experience we’ll never forget — though not always for the reasons one would hope.
Our journey began in Nairobi, heading toward the Masai Mara. The Jambo Mara Safari Lodge was pleasant overall, though instead of the promised “excellent modern rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows,” we received a more basic wooden cabin. Still, the game drive was outstanding, and our Kenyan guide, Kibe, was exceptional — professional, knowledgeable, and determined to make our experience memorable. Thanks to him, we saw 4 of the Big 5 in just one day.
Unfortunately, once we crossed into Tanzania, things began to unravel.
Our Tanzanian guides arrived three hours late at the border, leaving us waiting with no explanation. Their vehicle looked more suited for retirement than a cross-country safari: missing windshield wipers, several mechanical issues, and, according to the VIN, produced in 1989. On the way to our first lodge, we had to stop multiple times — once due to rain (no wipers!) and again to fix an electrical short circuit. Because of the delays, we missed our evening game drive and were taken to a different lodge than the one we were promised.
The pattern continued.
The next morning started with a beautiful game drive — we even witnessed a great migration river crossing — until the car broke down around 9:30 a.m. After a three-hour wait and help from local rangers who brought a mechanic, we limped to the nearest town for repairs and fuel. By the time we returned to the park, it was too late for further activities. That evening, we again found ourselves at a different accommodation than what we had booked — a tented camp instead of a lodge. It was comfortable, and we were the only guests, but still not what was promised.
By Day 5, things briefly looked up. We enjoyed a seamless day in Serengeti, guided by Kelvin and Geoffrey, both incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the wildlife. However, as night fell and we drove toward our next lodge, the car’s headlights failed. Geoffrey had to buy a flashlight in a nearby Maasai village, and we crept along the dark road at low speed until we finally reached our (this time, correct) lodge.
The following day in Ngorongoro Crater, déjà vu struck — the vehicle broke down again. This time it couldn’t be fixed on-site, and we were evacuated to yet another unplanned hotel.
By morning, we finally received a replacement vehicle and enjoyed a wonderful day in Tarangire National Park before heading to Arusha. Sadly, the hotel there was, once again, not the one promised.
Our final two days were meant to be spent in Amboseli National Park in Kenya, and we hoped our misfortunes were behind us. Kibe met us at the border and, as always, delivered a fantastic experience. We arrived at Sentrim Lodge, as booked, and thought all was well — until the next morning, when hotel staff informed us that our paid reservation covered only one night. Upon contacting John, he asked us to pay for the last night (even though it was already paid) and promised a refund. A week and two reminders later, the refund never came, and we are now initiating a credit card dispute.
In summary, I would give zero stars to Tanzania Vacation Operations for the organization, communication, and repeated false promises — but five stars to our incredible guides:
🌟 Kibe (Kenya), Kelvin, and Geoffrey (Tanzania), who truly saved the experience with their professionalism, knowledge, and kindness.