HK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional guide
Value for money was excellent—we saw lions, elephants, and more without overspending. They were reliable: punctual pickups, well-kept vehicles, and a smooth itinerary. The tour itself was memorable, with beautiful parks, stunning landscapes, and good pacing. Our guide, Simba, was knowledgeable, and professional, spotting wildlife we would have missed. Overall a trustworthy, enjoyable safari. The trip felt safe and well organized, and we returned with amazing memories.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Individual and professional organisation with a wonderful good organised program with nice lodges
The organisation was very good. Our contact was extremely friendly and determined to find a good itinerary for us. We were very happy about our accommodations and the tour plan. We saw all big 5 and had very good food. However we weren’t that happy about our guide who was a bit distant. Also his driving made us a bit uncomfortable. Nevertheless he was kind.
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable safari, with pre- and post-safari organisation that needs improvement
Rating: Safari experience 5/5, organisation 2/5
We booked our safari with Mountain Warriors through safaribookings.com. The trip itself was a mind-blowing, once-in-a-lifetime experience, but the organisation before and after the safari caused us a great deal of unnecessary stress and can be improved.
The organisation (Rehema)
Rehema replied quickly and promptly to our questions before booking. We paid our 30% deposit 4 weeks before the trip. Then came silence. We expected to be told the next steps and to receive flight confirmations, taxi times, driver names and phone numbers, and details of our safari guide. Instead, when we asked for the status and said we were extremely worried one week before departure, we were told to "worry less". We felt forgotten the moment the deposit was paid, and we had to chase repeatedly for information that should have been shared proactively. We genuinely feared we could be left stranded in Zanzibar with a cancelled trip and nowhere to stay.
4 days before the trip, Rehema sent us flight details to Arusha, but not to our correct destination of Seronera. She corrected this a day later. We then had to request the return flight details ourselves, and she booked the flight at that moment, which left us with a very late and unfavourable return departure. We were also only told about the luggage limits three days before travelling, which meant we had no time to manage our luggage allowances. Rehema said she would take care of the excess, and that the tour operator would kindly store it for us.
On the morning of departure, our taxi was due at 4:30 am for the long drive from Nungwi to Zanzibar airport. No taxi arrived. When we called Rehema at 4:45 am, we learned there had been a mix-up, and a few minutes later that the driver had been sleeping and believed the pick-up was at 5:20 am. We were given no name or phone number. When Abdul arrived, he asked for another traveller by name and was only expecting one passenger (we were two), so we had no way of knowing we were in the right taxi until several phone calls later. Our booking had apparently been forgotten. Abdul also knew nothing about the luggage storage Rehema had promised, and had to call her to confirm it.
When we arrived at the airport in Zanzibar, Rehema informed us that the final 70% was due in cash or card, in person, during our transit time in Arusha. This gave us no time to prepare, and we had no idea the payment was due then. On top of that, she was not at the gate in Arusha when we landed for our stopover. We waited, but eventually had to check in for our next flight. She arrived later, made several calls and chased us in front of our boarding gate, and then her card machine wasn't working. She finally agreed to send us a link for a bank transfer, something we had requested from the very beginning. The payment went through smoothly online, which makes the stress at the gate all the more unnecessary.
The safari (Victor)
Victor is the reason this trip was so special. He met us in Seronera, calmly and kindly put us at ease after a long, worrying morning, corrected one error in our itinerary, and clearly explained how the safari permits, timings and flexibility worked. He is very friendly and professional, drives safely and was always checking on our comfort. He has extensive knowledge of the wildlife and a true "eagle eye" for spotting animals and birds at huge distances. His fun facts on weights, lengths, mating habits, inter-species interactions, population sizes, history, conservation projects, international support and Maasai life made the trip about learning the region as well as seeing wildlife. The game drives and lunches were excellent, and the Serengeti and Ngorongoro are places we will never forget. We would recommend Victor to everyone.
We stayed at Warriors Luxury Tented Lodge on the first night, Ang'ata Ngorongoro Camp on the second and at Karibu Heritage House for the third. All were very comfortable, with very friendly staff and excellent food. Warriors Luxury Tented Lodge was noisy at night due to the very windy conditions.
Materuni Waterfalls (Carlos)
Carlos was a cheerful guide on a joyous day out. We enjoyed a coffee stop and lovely scenery. Because of the very late flight time booked by Rehema, we had a great deal of excess free time, but Carlos very kindly stayed with us until we left for our late flight from Kilimanjaro. Our flight was then delayed by 2.5 hours. We arrived in Zanzibar tired, but the driver was waiting with our stored luggage and kindly took us to our hotel in Stone Town.
Verdict
We would recommend travelling with Mountain Warriors, especially for Victor and the wonderful places we stayed. We hope they improve their communication and organisation before and after the safari. In the meantime, we suggest confirming flights, pick-up times, driver names and numbers, payment arrangements and luggage storage in writing well in advance.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Great Adventure with Room for Better Coordination
Overall, we had a very good experience with Judeson Budget Safaris, especially during the mountain tour itself. Our guide was very friendly, supportive and experienced, and it was clear that he had done the mountain many times before. The porters also did an excellent job, and we always had everything we needed during the trek. The food was very good, plentiful, healthy and varied, with a nice mix of traditional Kenyan dishes. It was not a high-end experience, but considering it was a budget tour, the value for money was absolutely fair and more than sufficient for us.
The main area for improvement would be communication and coordination between Judeson Budget Safaris and the guide. At times, the organisation felt a little adventurous, and some details were not fully communicated or did not completely match what had been described in the original offer. However, these issues did not significantly affect the mountain tour itself, which ran very well overall.
All in all, it was a memorable and enjoyable experience with a great team on the mountain, and with slightly better communication and organisation, the overall experience could be even better.
IE
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Godfrey is very courteous, helpful and friendly
Godfrey immediately showed consideration and kindness to help me (75 years old) into the van when picking me up at the hotel...he was also considerate in giving me a few extra minutes at the stop on the way. Friendly talk during the drive was pleasant too. Thank you, I enjoyed the experience 😊
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
He was knowledgeable and attentive
Our guide was bold and skilled in bringing the animals to us . He was engaging
Unfortunately there was a mix up in times we were to leave as drivers were exchanged mid trip .
HK
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well-organized Safari with Room for Minor Improvements
The overall safari tour arranged by Jungleroam Safaris was very well-organized. My 5D4N itinerary included a 1.5-day game drive in Masai Mara, a half-day in Lake Nakuru, and a boat trip in Lake Naivasha, all of which were great experiences. There is one logistical issue to note: on the first day, I had to wait for 3 hours before departure. This felt like a waste of valuable time and could definitely be managed better to improve the customer experience.
My tour guide, Elias, was extremely responsible and friendly. He did his absolute best to handle all arrangements smoothly and ensure we were well taken care of. The experience would have been even better if he had shared more in-depth knowledge about the wildlife during the drives. Hearing more about the animals' behaviors would have helped us gain a deeper understanding of the local ecology.
Overall, considering the competitive pricing and the full itinerary, it delivered unmatched value for money, and I truly appreciate the team's effort.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very kind man
It was a great tour! We saw lots of animals and our guide did everything he could to give us the best experinece!
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Comfortable drive, not the best/widest seats
Driver Tiyani: Pickup at the hotel was nice. We had stops every two hours to stretch our legs and grab snacks. Quite comfortable