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Andrew will take you to remote places
Wildebeest Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 1997)
- Member Of:
- ETT & TRA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
-
KERWTZUG
- Price Range:
- $1,736 to $7,811 ppper person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best vacation ever (with a few glitches!)
An African safari has always been on my bucket list, as well as my mothers, so we were both excited for this trip. Noah was great in preparing our itinerary, which we changed numerous times to fit our wants. His communication was excellent; he was always prompt in replying to our questions (remembering that he is halfway around the world!) All of the lodges he selected were superb!
Our trip did not get off to the best start, as there was no guide to meet us at the airport (there were about 100 other guides there though!) A gentleman at the airport was able to call Wildebeest Safaris for us, arranged a cab to our hotel (which Wildebeest covered), and confirmed that our guide would meet us at the hotel the following morning. Our guide, Dennis, was there early, and we left by 7:30am. Two of the first three police safety checkpoints stopped our vehicle, questioning the condition of the tires (they were worn out) but let us proceed. The roads in Kenya are terrible, and sure enough, a couple of days later, we had two flat tires within an hour (both rear tires). Luckily most safari vehicles carry two spares, so we were able to make it to our lodge in Maasai Mara only a little late for lunch, and Dennis had the tires repaired by the next morning. Our only other issue was the trip between Kenya and Tanzania. We were required to change vehicles and guides upon entering Tanzania, and there was a mix up as to who would provide our lunch, so no lunch for us that day. Hamsa did offer to stop and get us something to eat, but we had some snacks with us, and figured we could eat a big dinner. (The lodge food was excellent everywhere we stayed!)
Other than that, the trip was fantastic. Both Dennis and Hamsa (our Tanzanian guide) were very friendly and knowledgeable. They knew when and where to find the animals we wanted to see, and showed us many additional things we did not expect to see. They both worked with the rangers and other guides via cell phone and radio to find out where the animals were that we wanted to see, and they were great at making sure each days' game drive offered something different. Hamsa was especially knowledgeable, expanding on our questions and giving very thorough answers. He explained the education process he went through to become a guide, and he seemed to know all of the other guides we saw.
The last day of our trip was back in Kenya (Amboseli NP), and it was Dennis again who met us at the border (on time, and with 4 brand new tires!) He again was very good, planned ahead, and made sure to get us to the airport early (no easy task with Nairobi traffic on a Friday afternoon!)
The safari vehicles had some minor issues (i.e. the aforementioned tires, a broken door handle, etc.) but being 70 series Landcruisers , had certainly lived a rough life. Most safari vehicles we saw appeared similar. Just remember this is Africa - don't expect to be chauffeured around in a brand new Cadillac! The issues we had prevent me from giving a full 5 stars, but I would certainly use Wildebeest Safaris again.
Email Will Sherman | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Overall--A Few Issues
Positive: Noah works with you to customize and he does it all at a very, very good price. I asked for Luxury hotels/lodges and all were wonderful, including a few we requested specially. Our driver was smart and well-informed and affable. We saw all the same stuff everyone else saw, possibly even a little more as Mike was pretty in the know and has been doing this 10 years.
The initial (and all) Communication with Noah was great--he is very responsive and willing to take a lot of time. The downside was that maybe I didn't ask all the right questions or get across to him that I wanted to spend the least amount of time in the car. As such, our route involved a bit of backtracking and as one is in those cars on bad roads enough as it is, the backtracking sucks. In the future I would fly to Serengeti and go one way to Arusha (or vice versa) if you have the money, hitting all the parks on the way. Also, spend 2 nights at each hotel if you can afford it. Hotels are nice with good food and it makes the trip less rushed and more relaxing--just my preference.
A few Downsides: The vehicle is old and sort of a POS. When it rained, our stuff got soaked--even in the suitcases. And when it rained or was cold, since neither the air or blower or wipers worked, it was sort of a disaster. As it is an old model, the windows are shorter so it is tougher to see out comfortably. I think it may be time for a vehicle upgrade and I would pay more for a company with a better vehicle and one cleaned a little more often.
Driver/guide Downside: Again, Mike was overall very good, however he talked loudly a lot on his cell phone both during game drives and even in our hotels. Was really, really annoying. I think in the future I would also request a non-smoking guide, but I really liked Mike and probably would go with him again anyway.
Other Downside: They were not waiting to pick us up when we arrived at the airport to start the safari. No big deal, but when I called I felt the reason they gave--too much traffic in Arusha (??)--was not credible. They were 45 mins late and everybody else seemed there on time. Not very apologetic about it either. I think they forgot we were coming on that flight.
But overall, a good experience at a good price and I would recommend Wildebeest (with a few modifications (car and routing) next time).
You spend a whole lot of time in the car on rough roads in these safaris, so I was hoping to minimize that. We ended up doing a lot of backtracking and as I had no idea of the area, I think they could have helped me avoid that. (Tip: Fly to Serengett if you have the $ and then backtrack to Arusha (or vice versa) and fly out from there. The round trip is too much driving.
Email Josh | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing guides, a couple hiccups with the booking
We did an 8-day, 7-night safari through the Masai Mara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro. It was an amazing trip, and our guides, Eustace (in Kenya) and Abu (in Tanzania) were incredibly knowledgeable. They also were obviously passionate about the wildlife. When your guide is as excited about the trip as you are, it makes a big difference, I promise.
There were a couple of issues with the booking, however. Before finalizing our booking, we added one extra night at the beginning so we could stay at the Giraffe Manor outside Nairobi. We received the revised itinerary, paid, and received confirmation. But when our guide arrived, we went to the hotel only to learn that the company had booked the wrong itinerary and the Giraffe Manor was completely full that night. We had to scramble to figure out an alternative plan, and in the end decided to start the safari a day early. Noah, the owner, refunded the price difference for the alternative accommodations, which I thought was a fair solution, but we were still disappointed (when else will we be in Nairobi to return to this legendary hotel?). Then, on our last night, we arrived at our hotel in Ngorongoro and tried unsuccessfully to check in. Wildebeest had accidentally booked us (and paid) for a hotel on the other side of the crater, an hour drive away. We called Noah to tell him we weren't leaving, and he eventually fixed the reservations (thankfully, that hotel had vacant rooms), but the process still took over an hour with us sitting is suspense in the lobby.
I give them credit for working to correct their mistakes, but when you pay so much money, you want to avoid mistakes like that altogether. I would still recommend Wildebeest--their guides cannot be beat and we had an amazing time--but you should really call each of your accommodations before you leave home to make sure they are expecting you.
Disclaimer
- All corporate and/or tour info is provided by Wildebeest Safaris, not SafariBookings
- The tours offered by Wildebeest Safaris are subject to their terms & conditions