Reviews of safaris to Serengeti Migration Area
380 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Serengeti.
Mr J
Compton Martin
"OUR AFRICAN EXPERIENCE"
I visited Kenya and 1 other country between 21 Feb 2016 and 13 Mar 2016
"Inevitably it was a bit of a ‘whistle-stop’ tour as we covered a great deal of ground; however all the travel arrangements were quite excellent and our thanks must go to Richard Trillo of Expert-Africa for his advice and organisation; to Gaig Leshan Safaris for all their help; to Asilia Africa; and not least to Alex Hunter at Ol Pejeta for all his kindness and hospitality.
Without exception the management and staff wherever we stayed were friendly and helpful, the food was excellent, whilst the standard of diver/guides was of the highest order.
All in all this was an outstanding trip in every respect. Thank you." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 11 on a Kenya safari
Without exception the management and staff wherever we stayed were friendly and helpful, the food was excellent, whilst the standard of diver/guides was of the highest order.
All in all this was an outstanding trip in every respect. Thank you." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 11 on a Kenya safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mrs JJ
Wales
"Valentine's day in the bush"
I visited Tanzania between 13 Feb 2016 and 15 Feb 2016
"I arrived in Ndutu the day before Valentine's day and was picked up by my guide at the air strip. I was a little concerned that I wasn't going to the right camp as all the guides approached people saying just the name of the camp they were from. I thought I had got it right, but I wasn't sure. I would have felt more relaxed if the guide had addressed me by name.
We set off straight away for a game drive which was brilliant after being cooped up inside small aircraft for about 4 hours. I was asked what animals I would like to see and my request to see a cheater was met. A nice surprise on the way to the camp was that we stopped in the middle of nowhere to celebrate a 60th birthday with champagne and cake and other camp guests. This was a great way to break the ice and meet fellow campers. The staff were very attentive, topping my glass and plate up as soon as it was empty and bringing me a blanket when they saw I was shivering a little. I enjoyed a pre dinner drink around the camp fire and then dinner under the stars. I was little anxious on retiring to my tent that I would be cold as the temperature had dropped and the wind was getting up and I had not brought pyjamas or any thing warm. So I was delighted when slipping in to bed to find a hot bottle which kept me as warm as toast.
The next morning I was awoken with coffee and heart shaped biscuits and a greeting of 'Happy Valentine's day'. It was 5am and the sky was star studded, it was mesmerising. We set off to the hot air balloon site, but as the sun began to rise so the fog descended. I was devastated when our pilot told us we would not be able to take off and he would have to cancel the flight. Then after 10 minutes or so hanging around despondently he shouted out 'all aboard' and we were off gliding higher and higher in to the sky, the fog of just minutes before a distant memory. The visibility was amazing. We saw some wild life, but just the feeling of floating in the sky over vast expanses of nothingness was incredible.We were in the air for an hour and a half and then landed to be offered cold champagne before moving on to our breakfast spot. A temporary kitchen had been set up in the middle of nowhere and our table laid under the shade of a tree. We were offered tea or coffee, fresh fruit juice, a selection of fruits, freshly baked bread and a full English breakfast plus more champagne nicely chilled.
Once breakfast was over I was transported to join the rest of my group and although a little disappointed that I had missed seeing the birthing of many baby wildebeast, was consoled when we stumbled upon the migration, thousands of wildebeest as far as the eye could see. think this was my best Valentine's day ever. I would say to those travelling alone that although many people think of safaris as being for honeymooners they are perfect for single travellers. You never feel alone, you are treated like royalty and in the intimacy of the jeep all barriers are broken down.
The next morning I had one last short game drive before catching my flight, I had no particular expectations, it was just nice to be out in the wild a few hours longer. Then an amazing thing happened, we came upon a lone baby wildebeest, only hours old with low life expectancy as easy prey for lions and cheaters. It attached itself to our jeep for protection and together with two other jeeps we tried to lead it to the safety of a herd of adult wildebeest. It followed behind us skipping and jumping, running fast until exhaustion took over and it all but gave up. We stopped to allow it to rest and got out of the jeep for a couple of minutes to stretch our legs. The little calf come up to me and began nuzzling my leg and butting me. At that point I knew if we didn't save it I would be heart-broken.
We set off again, and then, in the distance, like coming upon an oasis we saw a small herd of male adults with one female. What happened next I will remember for ever. The herd saw the calf and lifted their heads standing stock still and alert, then in unison they began to canter towards the baby, surrounding it with the protection of their bodies. It played with the male adults butting them and being pushed over and then suckled on the female. We had done it- the baby was safe.
I can without doubt say this has been the experience of a lifetime. If I were to give any advice at all to any one venturing on their first safari, it would be to have no expectations, don't go looking for anything in particular, just slowly meander through the bush, enjoy the wide open spaces and any animals you come upon and wait for the 'wild' to surprise you. I didn't see a 'birthing' but what I did see and experience was unique and unforgettable.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I think clients should be told about the possibility of cold mornings or evenings and encouraged to bring something warm.
I think, for the inexperienced, it would be helpful if the guides explained what animals were typical for the time of year or for the park and made suggestions. I was at one point with a group who just wanted to see elephants, so we set off at top speed looking, unsuccessfully, for them and went speeding past cheater that no on but I saw." Read full review: 2 nights in Africa; 2 on a Tanzania safari
We set off straight away for a game drive which was brilliant after being cooped up inside small aircraft for about 4 hours. I was asked what animals I would like to see and my request to see a cheater was met. A nice surprise on the way to the camp was that we stopped in the middle of nowhere to celebrate a 60th birthday with champagne and cake and other camp guests. This was a great way to break the ice and meet fellow campers. The staff were very attentive, topping my glass and plate up as soon as it was empty and bringing me a blanket when they saw I was shivering a little. I enjoyed a pre dinner drink around the camp fire and then dinner under the stars. I was little anxious on retiring to my tent that I would be cold as the temperature had dropped and the wind was getting up and I had not brought pyjamas or any thing warm. So I was delighted when slipping in to bed to find a hot bottle which kept me as warm as toast.
The next morning I was awoken with coffee and heart shaped biscuits and a greeting of 'Happy Valentine's day'. It was 5am and the sky was star studded, it was mesmerising. We set off to the hot air balloon site, but as the sun began to rise so the fog descended. I was devastated when our pilot told us we would not be able to take off and he would have to cancel the flight. Then after 10 minutes or so hanging around despondently he shouted out 'all aboard' and we were off gliding higher and higher in to the sky, the fog of just minutes before a distant memory. The visibility was amazing. We saw some wild life, but just the feeling of floating in the sky over vast expanses of nothingness was incredible.We were in the air for an hour and a half and then landed to be offered cold champagne before moving on to our breakfast spot. A temporary kitchen had been set up in the middle of nowhere and our table laid under the shade of a tree. We were offered tea or coffee, fresh fruit juice, a selection of fruits, freshly baked bread and a full English breakfast plus more champagne nicely chilled.
Once breakfast was over I was transported to join the rest of my group and although a little disappointed that I had missed seeing the birthing of many baby wildebeast, was consoled when we stumbled upon the migration, thousands of wildebeest as far as the eye could see. think this was my best Valentine's day ever. I would say to those travelling alone that although many people think of safaris as being for honeymooners they are perfect for single travellers. You never feel alone, you are treated like royalty and in the intimacy of the jeep all barriers are broken down.
The next morning I had one last short game drive before catching my flight, I had no particular expectations, it was just nice to be out in the wild a few hours longer. Then an amazing thing happened, we came upon a lone baby wildebeest, only hours old with low life expectancy as easy prey for lions and cheaters. It attached itself to our jeep for protection and together with two other jeeps we tried to lead it to the safety of a herd of adult wildebeest. It followed behind us skipping and jumping, running fast until exhaustion took over and it all but gave up. We stopped to allow it to rest and got out of the jeep for a couple of minutes to stretch our legs. The little calf come up to me and began nuzzling my leg and butting me. At that point I knew if we didn't save it I would be heart-broken.
We set off again, and then, in the distance, like coming upon an oasis we saw a small herd of male adults with one female. What happened next I will remember for ever. The herd saw the calf and lifted their heads standing stock still and alert, then in unison they began to canter towards the baby, surrounding it with the protection of their bodies. It played with the male adults butting them and being pushed over and then suckled on the female. We had done it- the baby was safe.
I can without doubt say this has been the experience of a lifetime. If I were to give any advice at all to any one venturing on their first safari, it would be to have no expectations, don't go looking for anything in particular, just slowly meander through the bush, enjoy the wide open spaces and any animals you come upon and wait for the 'wild' to surprise you. I didn't see a 'birthing' but what I did see and experience was unique and unforgettable.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I think clients should be told about the possibility of cold mornings or evenings and encouraged to bring something warm.
I think, for the inexperienced, it would be helpful if the guides explained what animals were typical for the time of year or for the park and made suggestions. I was at one point with a group who just wanted to see elephants, so we set off at top speed looking, unsuccessfully, for them and went speeding past cheater that no on but I saw." Read full review: 2 nights in Africa; 2 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Top Cat
bristol
"safari of safaris"
I visited Tanzania and 1 other country between 5 Feb 2016 and 19 Feb 2016
"excellent- an average of 8 hours a day out on safari. A great variety of habitats within each location giving the opportunity to se a wide range of wildlife- the birds were especially good and varied.
Certainly we felt we saw everything we should have and time was never wasted largely due to our excellent driver (Sadiq).
A brilliant trip which exceeded expectations and the one minor problem was quickly resolved on our return
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Not really- everything worked well for us" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 11 on a Tanzania safari
Certainly we felt we saw everything we should have and time was never wasted largely due to our excellent driver (Sadiq).
A brilliant trip which exceeded expectations and the one minor problem was quickly resolved on our return
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Not really- everything worked well for us" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 11 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
The D family
Essex
"Our February 2016 Safari trip"
I visited Tanzania and 1 other country between 2 Feb 2016 and 17 Feb 2016
"I have not had an opportunity to comment on our guide and this was a real downer.
He was called Hilary and was really dreadful. He was H&S crazy. He would never allow us off the vehicle even in areas where other people were out of theirs, oh except when the vehicle would not start and we had to get out and push it. This happened twice. We know the risks and would never expect to be off vehicle in areas where there is an element of danger, after all this is our 10th safari.
He drove at a snails pace so that he would not actually get very far from camp. Every vehicle in the Serengeti overtook us. Every vehicle we met he stopped to talk to the guide. He spent half an hour one evening trying to extract another vehicle from a ditch, again people in the other vehicles were out of theirs, we were not allowed to do so. Later when my daughter wanted to take photos of a troop of baboons he told her our time was up. Even though he was knowledgagle mainly with regard to animals he rarely imparted information on wildlife unless asked and he was always either on his phone or radio talking to others. The last 3 days he made no attempt to spot game. He would drive past them without stopping as he did not see them.
We only had one sundowner for the whole week. We eat off dirty tables at picnic lunch as he could not be bothered to produce a tablecloth. Outside of this we had a lovely time." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari
He was called Hilary and was really dreadful. He was H&S crazy. He would never allow us off the vehicle even in areas where other people were out of theirs, oh except when the vehicle would not start and we had to get out and push it. This happened twice. We know the risks and would never expect to be off vehicle in areas where there is an element of danger, after all this is our 10th safari.
He drove at a snails pace so that he would not actually get very far from camp. Every vehicle in the Serengeti overtook us. Every vehicle we met he stopped to talk to the guide. He spent half an hour one evening trying to extract another vehicle from a ditch, again people in the other vehicles were out of theirs, we were not allowed to do so. Later when my daughter wanted to take photos of a troop of baboons he told her our time was up. Even though he was knowledgagle mainly with regard to animals he rarely imparted information on wildlife unless asked and he was always either on his phone or radio talking to others. The last 3 days he made no attempt to spot game. He would drive past them without stopping as he did not see them.
We only had one sundowner for the whole week. We eat off dirty tables at picnic lunch as he could not be bothered to produce a tablecloth. Outside of this we had a lovely time." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr C
Dar es Salaam
"Northern Circuit 2016"
I visited Tanzania between 25 Jan 2016 and 2 Feb 2016
"Huge thank you to James for sorting out our trip within such a short time-frame. He was extremely helpful, down to earth and responsive, and really went all out to accommodate our last minute requirements.
We had an unforgettable trip and would definitely recommend Expert Africa to friends. Also a big thank you to the various people who helped to reunite me with the things I left at Oliver's Camp - everybody went above and beyond and I am extremely grateful." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 8 on a Tanzania safari
We had an unforgettable trip and would definitely recommend Expert Africa to friends. Also a big thank you to the various people who helped to reunite me with the things I left at Oliver's Camp - everybody went above and beyond and I am extremely grateful." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 8 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mrs & Mr D
Sydney
"My Jan 2016 trip"
I visited Tanzania and 4 other countries between 24 Jan 2016 and 15 Feb 2016
"It was excellent, brilliantly organised and managed.
In retrospect we should have chosen Sabyinyo in Rwanda, Ngorongoro Crater in the Crater. I would have preferred to stay at the Hyatt in Dar - or an alternative to the Serena - it was a shocker.
I had concerns about Little Kwara before I went and these were confirmed. I would not stay with a Kwando facility on a return to Africa." Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari
In retrospect we should have chosen Sabyinyo in Rwanda, Ngorongoro Crater in the Crater. I would have preferred to stay at the Hyatt in Dar - or an alternative to the Serena - it was a shocker.
I had concerns about Little Kwara before I went and these were confirmed. I would not stay with a Kwando facility on a return to Africa." Read full review: 22 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Peter LeVine
USA
"My Jan 2016 trip"
I visited Tanzania between 23 Jan 2016 and 27 Jan 2016
"Richard Trillo and the entire Expert Africa team are first rate. There is no pressure from Expert Africa to buy anything or stay anywhere.
Mr. Trillo (the author of the Rough Guide to Kenya - the best travel guide on Kenya) is concerned with matching the client's travel wishes and budget to the most appropriate accommodations and services. I highly recommend Expert Africa for exceptional service and integrity.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No. Expert Africa is a model of excellence." Read full review: 4 nights in Africa; 4 on a Tanzania safari
Mr. Trillo (the author of the Rough Guide to Kenya - the best travel guide on Kenya) is concerned with matching the client's travel wishes and budget to the most appropriate accommodations and services. I highly recommend Expert Africa for exceptional service and integrity.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No. Expert Africa is a model of excellence." Read full review: 4 nights in Africa; 4 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Ms S
Georgia
"Life in the Serengeti"
I visited Tanzania between 30 Nov 2015 and 3 Dec 2015
"From the time we landed in Kilimanjaro, the service from beginning to end was first class. We were well taken care of."
Read full review: 3 nights in Africa; 3 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs A
Surrey
"Tanzania safari during the 'short rains'"
I visited Tanzania and 1 other country between 26 Nov 2015 and 10 Dec 2015
"We had a great time overall, but as always in Africa, plans do not always go directly as you intended, so it is important to remain travel wise.
The safari section of our trip was quite tiring, with early morning game drives and moving camp every couple of days, although this is exactly what we had expected, so were prepared. This was the first time that we had visited Africa during a rainy season, so expected a different experience to our previous trips. It was lovely to save the best safari camp to last and then to relax in Zanzibar for a 3 nights - even though the heat and humidity hit us hard.
It was very helpful to have the experience and suggestions from Expert Africa to help us plan the trip as their knowledge of the individual camps and hotels is extensive.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
This was our seventh trip to Africa booked through Expert Africa, which precisely sums up our view of their expertise.
Looking forward to number eight!" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari
The safari section of our trip was quite tiring, with early morning game drives and moving camp every couple of days, although this is exactly what we had expected, so were prepared. This was the first time that we had visited Africa during a rainy season, so expected a different experience to our previous trips. It was lovely to save the best safari camp to last and then to relax in Zanzibar for a 3 nights - even though the heat and humidity hit us hard.
It was very helpful to have the experience and suggestions from Expert Africa to help us plan the trip as their knowledge of the individual camps and hotels is extensive.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
This was our seventh trip to Africa booked through Expert Africa, which precisely sums up our view of their expertise.
Looking forward to number eight!" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
CY
Norfolk
"Amazing trip to Namiri Plains"
I visited Tanzania between 1 Nov 2015 and 10 Nov 2015
"Absolutely brilliant trip.
I knew I wanted a prolonged stay at a single camp. Have used Expert Africa before and talked to Liz about my requirements. She put the trip together just as required including flexibility / changes due to various airline changes to international flight schedules." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari
I knew I wanted a prolonged stay at a single camp. Have used Expert Africa before and talked to Liz about my requirements. She put the trip together just as required including flexibility / changes due to various airline changes to international flight schedules." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari
Overall trip
Excellent
380
reviews of Serengeti by travellers since August 2007
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