IL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
No
An amazing experience ! that we will never forget. The guide Fidelis is excellent and funny, speaks fluent English, explains everything in detail, brings us to the best places and knows where to go to see the craziest animals. We were with other very nice tourists, so the experience was even better. The place provides accommodation. All the other staff are nice and always looking to help. What I would improve is the whole point of the pick-up and return to the hotel. This should be included in the price without any problems. We had to arrive independently because they asked us for an extra fee to get to the location in the center and it was a 6-minute drive, and on the way back, the hotel was in the city, just far from the center, so we had to get organized. In any case, I still recommend them, a good company. ;)
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very kind people and nice Safari!
The company is very good!! We loved the food, the cook did it fresh every day. We did a five day Safari which i would recommend!! We saw soo many nice animal and the guide was good in finding them. Our guide Steve knew a lot about the nature and animals and we could ask everything.
One thing which was a little bit confusing is that our order of the itinerary changed during the trip. Sometimes we had some waiting times for people with other itineraries or had to pick them up somewhere. But all in all very well organised, nice tents and very kind people!! I would recommend!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Organized Safari and Great Accommodations Booked.
We booked a 10 day Kenya and Tanzania safari with Afrishare Trekking and Safaris and had a good experience. Every accommodation—Sopa Lodges, Central Serengeti Luxury Camp, Eileen’s Trees Inn, and Green Mountain Hotel—was comfortable, welcoming, and well run. The itinerary was smooth, the wildlife viewing was incredible, and our guides were knowledgeable and accommodating throughout.
If I were to do a safari again, I would not go for as long as the parks do get repetitive and I would fly into different areas. It is a lot of driving for 10 days.
Our Guides were Sam, Eunice in Kenya and Haji in Tanzania.
ES
Dynamic and curious
We really enjoyed how well our guide knows the park. He told us we would see the Big Five, and we did!!! It was fun talk with him.
Richard is the best!!!
PA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The safari was an overall amazing experience but the tour guide was not so good
Overall our safari experience was amazing. We were super satisfied with the upgraded lodgings we selected and the itinerary and what we got to see was perfect. The only negatives were the poor communication between the booking company (Osnet) and our tour guide who worked for another company I think, and our tour guide did not provide much info on what we were seeing, info on animals, the area, etc. We kept googling stuff to learn more. Would have been much better if our tour guide was outgoing and talkative. Still a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will never forget and highly recommend going on a safari to anyone!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Kind Team Ready to Make Your Dream Itinerary
Our trip with Rockfowl was so memorable and fairly smooth. They were attentive and responsive as we made our travel plans. Sometimes communication was delayed but we got everything we needed. They gave us an amazing and intensive itinerary so we could really maximize our time to see everything we could in our short trip and visit as many neighboring countries as possible. They booked us an amazing lodge, it was beautiful and pristine. Our driver was so friendly, kind and safe. He was accommodating and flexible and easy to contact. We had fantastic guides at Victoria Falls, both Zimbabwe and Zambia, and in Chobe. But we were never given our guide’s names or contact information ahead of time. We were not met at the airport with a guide either. On past trips, a guide or representative from the travel office met us at the airport to welcome us and brief us on the trip ahead. The safaris and tours were very intensive activities and we did not realize how much was involved with all of the border crossings. It was somewhat concerning at times but we always had a guide or driver every step of the way. If I had a second go around at it, I would have asked for more information about this. Or I would hope that Rockfowl would be proactive to offer us more details. Of course they have no control over how immigration works. But we didn’t know things like- that our driver would not come over the border with us, that we would be joining someone else on the other side that we didn’t know. Or that we would be passed off to other tour companies for excursions. We weren’t given a heads up as to those companies or their guide’s names. We had booked most of our excursions and transports as private. But some of the time we were put into a van full of people, without explanation, there were some detours and some drop offs along the way. They don’t have any control over how other companies do business but a heads-up would have been nice. On one of these pickups, the driver was over 30 minutes late. We had some problems on one excursion, it was my fault and misunderstanding I realized later because there wasn’t time to sort it out then and there since the tour group was literally waiting for us, but with the miscommunications of the earlier days and being so far from home and out of our element, it made us nervous. The experiences themselves were wonderful, we had a great time on our tours and game drives. I was just hoping for better communication in between them and in preparation for them. I would hope that Rockfowl takes some constructive feedback to boost their client interaction and communication.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very nicely organized trip to Maasai mara
Lucy at Alkebulan went out of her way to ensure that I had a good trip to visit Maasai Mara. shame this week gave me a range of choices for places to stay overnight., and I was quite happy with the lodge that we chose - the Masa Serena, which I highly recommend for its proximity to the park, good service, and beautiful rooms noted into the cliffs overlooking the park!
Lucy also made herself available to troubleshoot when small issues came up along the way, and recognizing that I was foreigner in East Africa, for the first time, she ensure that there were cars/drivers to pick me up and bring me to my hotel on all ends of my trip. She was also very helpful in identifying a few additional hotels during my stay and negotiating a good price at those hotels.
Overall, I had a very positive Alkebulan!
LV
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The safari itself was amazing and unforgettable, with incredible wildlife and landscapes.
The safari itself was amazing and unforgettable, with incredible wildlife and landscapes. However, future travelers should be aware that the organization was quite challenging.
During our 7-day safari, we changed 3 different groups and 7 different vehicles. Groups were mixed between different safari bookings, and we had to double-check the plans, vehicles, and arrangements almost every day.
The company also forgot our night-time airport pickup, so we had to find our own way to the hotel.
Accommodation varied: some places "got" but had no Wi-Fi or hot water, and electricity in few camps switched off during the all night or half day.
Also, be prepared for additional expenses throughout the trip — tips, donations, currency exchange, and various mist pay small payments can come up frequently.
Despite these chalenges, the safari itself was fantastic. Max was always friendly, responsive, and supportive, which we really appreciated.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Unforgettable 7-Day Kenyan Safari with Peter Kapino & Axis Safari
Our 7-day Kenya safari with Axis Safari was wonderful! We visited Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli. The camps and food were excellent. Being vegetarian, I enjoyed spinach, chapathis, vegetable curry and lentils, similar to Indian food. Peter Kapino explained the animals and birds beautifully, making every drive interesting. He even returned my forgotten phone. Highly recommended!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience to Remember
We booked our safari which include various locations in Tanzania for game drives, and concluded in Zanzibar with a "blue safari" Prior to our arrival I was able to easily communicate with Destiny Explorers. They answered any questions we had. I did ask a question in regards to local currency (Tanzanian Shillings) if we would need to have some and I was told yes. So we did currency exchange upon arrival at the airport as it was not available in USA. Our guide, Nicholaus, or as he had us to call him "Nico" was AMAZING. He was with us the whole time of our game drives. He was very knowledgeable about the animals and the tribes. We learned so many things about the animals and the cultures of the different areas we were in. Our guide only took us to local shops for souvenirs so the money stayed in the tribes, which we preferred. All of the accommodations through out our journey were great. All the staff at the various locations were very friend and helpful. We always felt safe. Throughout our trip it was easy to contact Destiny Explorers. They always responded quickly with any questions or concerns we had. The only negative things I have to say is we could have done without getting the shillings. It seemed like the preferred currency was USD that may be a result of the choices of our guide, I do not know, with that being said we would not have wasted the time and resources on shillings had we known this. We had such high expectations after spending so much time with Nico, we were quite disappointed the first day in Zanzibar when we were handed off to multiple people for roughly a 2 hour activity which did not go as described in our itinerary. I contacted Destiny Explorers and the next day we had the same guide throughout our 8 hour excursion that day. Overall we were very satisfied with Destiny Explorers.
