Guestbook

Thanks to Elefant-Tours and especially to Ms Petersen for organising our 13-day Namibia trip. Ms Petersen answered all our questions, gave us many tips about the country and its people and accommodated our special requests.

The four of us had a fantastic time in Namibia on our self-drive tour. The lodges were each unique and first-class.

The car (Toyota Fortuner) was very spacious and ideal for this trip.
Everything worked perfectly!

We will certainly make our next Africa trip with Elefant-Tours again.

More than 30 years ago we went on a safari together in northern Tanzania. We wanted to experience that again. Mr Schuff competently worked out our wishes and ideas and took care of all the bookings.

In November we spent 3 weeks in this beautiful country and experienced great warmth and friendliness from the population. The first two days in Arusha. We attended a church service, which is celebrated passionately and enthusiastically. Full of awe, we listened to the magical voices of the mixed choir. A real uplift!

On a coffee tour and a walk around the farm and the hamlet, we gained a deeper insight into a farmer's everyday life. A delicious meal together with the very nice family rounded off this wonderful Sunday.

After that we were on safari for 19 days with Faraja. An excellent driver and experienced guide. Thanks to him we saw much that was beautiful and interesting and experienced many an exciting moment.
Here are some highlights. In Tarangire NP, the close encounter with elephants was a profound experience. We stood amid about 50 animals, old and young right down to babies. Eye contact with these gentle giants struck us right in the heart. Slowly the animals dispersed, each family going its own way.

Also in Tarangire NP we were allowed to witness an annually recurring wonder. On the day of arrival the baobab trees were bare, as they are usually known. When we left the park after 5 days, delicate green adorned these imposing trees. A feast for the eyes!

In the Ndutu Conservation Area we were surprised by many thousands of wildebeest, accompanied by many zebras. As the short rains had begun early and heavily, the migration was already in full swing. The Serengeti too was deep green earlier than expected. The grazing animals could eat their fill to their hearts' content.
To our great delight, the fascinating birdlife was extremely numerous throughout our safari. From the elegant crowned crane to the sweet blue waxbill. The highlight was when Faraja spotted a pair of peach-faced lovebirds. They were not bothered by us, preened their feathers, chatted and cuddled. They did full justice to their name, "the inseparables". A most adorable spectacle.

These 3 weeks were a richly fulfilling break for us. As we stayed 5 days each at the most beautiful places, we had plenty of time for watching, photographing and relaxing too. The holiday feeling came fully into its own. We warmly thank everyone who contributed to the top success: Mr Schuff for the well-informed advice and reliable reservations. The staff at the camps and lodges for the warm care and tireless work. And our friend Faraja, who was there for us at all times.

Asante sana, Tanzania!

Planning the trip:
It was fun adapting the stops from the Elefant building-block system to our personal wishes. The travel agency contacts were very easy to reach, and responses to enquiries by email or WhatsApp were always prompt.

Rental car:
You were right: for this round trip we would not have needed four-wheel drive. What matters is enough ground clearance, a Toyota RAV4 is sufficient. Anyone who absolutely wants to drive the last 5 km beyond the 2WD car park at Sossusvlei themselves needs not only a "proper" 4x4 but also enough experience not to get stuck there (professional help with digging out costs 1000 N$).

Elegant Guesthouse
Friendly staff, room OK, nicely quiet air conditioning.
A pity that you shouldn't move around the town freely on foot after 19:00.

Elegant Desert Camp
The view from the bungalow across the plain is breathtaking, the bar and the pool are also nicely located. Meals are served in the main house approx. 7 km from the bungalows. A transfer is offered, but it did not work reliably.

Cornerstone Guesthouse
Lovely well-kept garden with lots of birds. The excursion to the Little Five arranged by the lodge was great.

Ai Aiba Painting Lodge
Good lodge in a lovely setting. Both excursions were good, nice guides.

Okaukuejo Resort
Was exactly as you described it: not as chic as other privately run lodges, but fit for purpose. The advice to always travel with a full tank was right: in the afternoon the petrol at the lodge was sold out.

Mushara Lodge
Very lovely property. It was a mix of botanical garden and zoo. A pity we were only there for one night.

Waterberg Guest Farm
In our bungalow (No. 2) the toilet was not directly accessible from the interior but via the rear outside door, which was unpleasant at night because of the many insects. Dinner was served in a plain room at one large table. This team-building measure was opted out of by most guests. The excursion to the cheetah station was very nice.

Conclusion:
Namibia is a beautiful country with impressive landscapes and wildlife. The trip largely matched the Elefant-Tours description. The long distances and in places poor road conditions meant that you mostly sat in the car longer than planned.

My self-drive trip through Namibia, planned and looked after by Britta Franke, was quite simply fantastic. Britta showed impressive competence and took my personal wishes on board very attentively.

The breathtaking nature, fascinating colours, the multifaceted wildlife and the friendly people made the trip an unforgettable experience. Britta allowed enough time for everything, neither too much nor too little.

The carefully selected accommodation was all of outstanding quality. It is hard for me to say which was best, as each had its own charm. The culinary experience exceeded all expectations and was not just good but downright first-class.
The trip was perfectly organised down to the smallest detail, so that I could enjoy Namibia to the full. My unreserved recommendation goes to Britta Franke and her first-class services. Heartfelt thanks for this unforgettable adventure!

Hello Mr Schuff,

I don't even know where to begin.
As my husband and I were already in Tanzania in 2018 and were more than thrilled with it, I have to say that Kenya is also worth a trip.
Our children were overwhelmed. A big thank you to you for that.
I'll start with our guide, Emanuel. He was really super nice, told us a lot about the country, the people and the animals.

He was always smiling no matter what challenge arose (stuck jeep etc.). We had a lot of fun with him and his German was really good. We could not have imagined a better one. Please pass this praise on to him.
The lodges and camps were dreamlike, and the service very good. At Illkelani Camp it was almost like family. It was indescribably beautiful, the staff very attentive and super friendly.

But we also felt very much at home at the other accommodation.
The food was very good and plentiful at every accommodation. (In Tanzania we could prepare our own packed lunches, which we personally preferred.)
Unfortunately we didn't manage the Big Five (the leopard couldn't be found), but that is like playing the lottery; instead we saw 6 cheetahs, 2 of them with cubs (which is truly sensational) and a rhino right in front of us. Of course many other incredibly beautiful animals. An elephant walked right past our lodge (Severin Camp), what an experience.
As a family we will never forget this safari, it was an experience of a special kind. Many thanks Mr Schuff for the perfect planning. 14 days of thinking about nothing, just enjoying.

The stay at Diani Beach was also very nice, you can see straight away that the monkeys live there and feel at home. We were greeted by the monkeys on our balcony every day, one even stole my cocktail. They are a bit cheeky, but not in a threatening way. There was something for everyone at the buffet, and drinks were also brought very quickly. The grounds were very well kept, the staff were constantly sweeping and painting. We found the pool very nice and large. Only the long wait at the pool for a coffee and the room service should be improved.

Overall it was a very successful trip for us, many thanks.

Warmest wishes

Your Strohbach-Schindler family

The tailor-made 14-day Namibia round trip in a safari truck from lodge to lodge met everyone's expectations.

The advice and planning by Britta Franke were perfect. Special experiences of the animal and plant life made for an unforgettable holiday. Whether it was the petrified forest, wonderful rock engravings or the Little Five tour in Swakopmund with guide Jürgen, it was glorious.

Not to mention the game drives, the boat tour into the sunset and the culinary dinners, everything had its charm.

Thank you very much for the super organisation, it was lovely and we would gladly do it again soon.

Hello Mr Schuff,

our holiday was amazing. Everything worked superbly, was brilliantly organised and was definitely worth it. On our trip we travelled through different climate zones (Arusha, Ngorongoro, Serengeti) and a great variety of accommodation types (bungalow & tent), which we loved.

Our guide Daniel was great. He always took plenty of time, told us and explained a lot and knew his way around perfectly.

We saw an extremely large number of animals, including the Big 5.

We also liked the accommodation very much. The food was always delicious and there was something for everyone. In the evening the rooms were always prepared against mosquitoes. We had no problems here. There was also free Wi-Fi at every accommodation. During the safaris you occasionally had the chance to use free Wi-Fi at the park entrances or picnic sites.

We were also very lucky with the weather. It rarely rained during the day, but that didn't affect us any further. The safari was perfect and exciting from A to Z.

On Zanzibar we also had a great hotel. We can definitely recommend it. The only thing that slightly annoyed us were the locals who wanted to sell something or offer tours. We were constantly approached while walking on the beach. The people did tend to wake up towards the afternoon, though; before that you mostly had peace and quiet. Anyone who enjoys the sea will get their money's worth in the north-west near Nungwi. With the low tide we were able to take long beach walks on the lively beaches. Unfortunately we didn't see the empty, long stretches of sandy beach, as these are probably more in the south-east. We have put them on our to-do list for another visit to Zanzibar, should we ever come to Zanzibar again.

On the journey back we had Mohamed as our driver, whom we were asked to send you our warmest greetings from. With him we had a fun morning drive back to the airport and thus a great end to the holiday!

We would recommend the same tour at the same travel times to anyone and would like to thank you most warmly for the great experience.

We will gladly come back to you for our next Africa trip!

Best wishes, Mona Kristen and Maximilian Giese

Hello Mr Schuff,

Uganda really is the Pearl of Africa. The country has so much more to offer than other destinations in Africa and is worth a second trip too. Beautiful, varied landscapes; alongside the BIG FIVE, in Uganda you can also marvel at chimpanzees, mountain gorillas and other endemic animal species up close.

The mountain gorillas are of course the absolute highlight. Unbelievable how close you get to the animals. An unforgettable experience!

We had booked a German-speaking tour guide and were more than happy. We could not have wished for a better guide than Meddy.

A big THANK YOU from the heart! We will definitely be back.

Many thanks to Elefant-Tours for the great planning and organisation.

Hello Ms Joubert,

the trip was simply super, whether it was the accommodation or the car, it was absolutely great.

I would also like to thank you for your patience and good advice. The only thing we no longer quite remembered was that we flew from Victoria Falls first to Cape Town and then to Frankfurt. That wasn't a problem, but a little unusual.

Many thanks for everything, and I think Africa will stay with us in our next holiday plans.

All the best to you.
Kind regards
Elke Prytula

Dear Ms Franke,

Thank you for the good organisation of the fly-in safari.

We started on 2 Nov. and travelled until 10 Nov. A wonderful fly-in safari to the Okavango Delta and on to Victoria Falls. The bush camps Setari and Rra Dinare were full of experiences and very lovely.

River cruises and game drives with many wildlife encounters and very good guides. The Khwai and Chobe region with River View Lodge was also a great experience with lots of game!

To finish, Victoria Falls at Pioneers Lodge was very nice for us. Victoria Falls is worth seeing and an experience, from the air and on the ground!

We were all very satisfied and will recommend ELEFANT-TOURS!

It was a fantastic, wonderful trip from Victoria Falls to Botswana and back to Victoria Falls. Standing at the Falls, viewing them from the air, the wildlife simply superb all round.

Very special thanks to Ms Brode and the team; with questions you never had to wait long for a call back or they were answered immediately, and thanks to Ms Brode for her effort in rebooking my missed flight to the next day.

Many thanks! Keep it up.

Best wishes!

We were very satisfied with the information before the trip, the booking process and the organisation by Mr Brand. Our guide, Mdallilio, calm, nice, friendly, helpful and very considerate, a good driver, also solved problems that arose (broken spring – no wonder on those roads!) together with the workshop team of the company "Tanzania-Experience" in no time under adverse circumstances (tropical rain), so that we could drive the last part of the trip in "our" jeep too. The trip itself was wonderful.

We saw many more animals than expected and could enjoy the landscape, even though the short rains began earlier than expected. The accommodation and meals were very good. Accommodation clean and comfortable. The staff nice, helpful and friendly. Itinerary well chosen.

The coffee tour at the last accommodation was informative, and presented very vividly and well by Patrick. Transfers worked well despite a delay on arrival. Our group fitted together well, we got on well.

We would repeat the trip any time and can recommend it.

Because of the political situation, my trip to Israel was cancelled at short notice. Mr Henning Meyer made it possible for me to take part, practically "last minute", in a 5-day Kruger safari. I booked on Tuesday and my flight left on Friday of the same week. Mr Meyer organised everything required for the trip within a few days, found suitable flights for me and booked a vegan meal on the plane.

He also booked the insurance required for the trip and wanted by me, according to my needs, in the short time available, and gave me tips on how to move around Johannesburg safely yet relatively freely, which made it possible for me to see many sights. Unfortunately KLM lost my luggage on the outbound flight. The item could not be located for a long time and was only delivered to Johannesburg 6 days later. Even in this precarious situation Mr Meyer went above and beyond.

During the safari the thermometer unfortunately showed only 12 degrees and rain. As I had no luggage at all during the entire safari due to the airline's error, Mr Meyer even arranged a hairdryer for me, which was waiting for me at the lodge. When everything goes well, you don't notice whether you have a good travel expert. With a last-minute booking, lost luggage etc., I noticed what it means to have a dedicated travel expert at your side whom you can rely on. That gives a safer feeling during the holiday. I will definitely book my trip with Henning Meyer again.

Dear Elefant-Tours team,
Dear Benny,

we would like to thank you most warmly for an unforgettable safari in Kenya.
The organisation of the entire trip was perfect, from the accommodation to the safari activities – everything was perfectly planned and described and more than met our expectations in every respect. For the whole 8 days we didn't have to worry about anything and could simply drift along. That was pure luxury. 🙂

Our driver on site, Emmanuel, also did an outstanding job of ensuring we had the best experiences in Kenya. His comprehensive knowledge of the wildlife and the region impressed us. We could not have imagined a better guide.

There are two smaller points we would like to offer as suggestions. The last hotel we stayed at unfortunately did not meet our expectations, and an alternative could be considered.

Furthermore, the packed lunches at the first accommodation (Masai Mara) could be more varied (it was the same every day:)

Overall, though, it was an unforgettable experience and we will definitely recommend Elefant Tours! You did a super job! It was a trip we will never forget.

Many, many thanks and warm regards,

Vera and Manuel

We were thrilled all round. Everything worked 100%, lots of hippos, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, zebras, kudus, nyalas, vultures, birds, penguins, whales … perhaps three lions and a leopard seen. Perhaps two mosquitoes, always excellent meals!

Spring was a great time to travel, and the heavy rain that fell before our trip surely contributed to the glorious landscapes too. All the accommodation was great! As is well known, only in Kruger perhaps a few compromises.

Our guide ROY deserves an A+. Outstanding understanding of group dynamics, always ready to take care of everything, excellent barbecues, responded superbly to the unforeseen, motivated us to get up early so that we could then enjoy the attractions in peace before the others.

We were thrilled with our guide Aaron; he impressed with enormous knowledge of the country and its people, the political background, the particularities of the various tribes and their history and life, historical background, the fauna and flora, led us to places that were unique, and he was always friendly, obliging and accommodated all our wishes.

His cheerful and humorous manner made our trip a special experience. He had a feel for where and when the best wildlife viewing was to be had and gave us unique experiences. Great praise and great thanks to Aaron. All in all a wonderful round trip on which we were able to get to know the unique country of Namibia, the wonderful landscapes, the people, nature and animals.

Thanks to our guide Aaron, the trip became a unique experience.

The trip is definitely something for the adventurous. There is so much to discover. Every ride in the truck is a little adventure.

In places you also drive very long distances. But you shouldn't let that put you off, because on the drives there are so many different landscapes to see.

It was also incredibly lovely to experience the animals in the national parks.

A fantastic holiday, with glorious landscapes, great experiences, a little adventure on the lonely roads, only friendly, cheerful people, never a feeling of insecurity, food
as we were used to from our earlier trips. Everything simply excellent. Many, many thanks for the great working-out of the trip and the really impeccably prepared documents; the Travel Key app with the trip that can be used offline also deserves a mention and praise.

If we travel to Africa again, which is as good as certain, we will definitely get in touch with Elefant-Tours and you, dear Bernhard. Great that the meeting at Table Mountain still worked out, we were really pleased.

We were advised excellently by Ms von Zelewski! All our questions were answered and Ms von Zelewski made sure everything ran smoothly. Because of a flight delay, the first nights had to be rebooked. Here too we could rely 100% on Ms von Zelewski. Within no time everything was rebooked. Thank you for everything!

We chose a great route with lovely accommodation and gained many impressive experiences as well. We were thrilled with the accommodation! Very beautifully located, very clean, delicious food and friendly staff.

It was a very lovely, impressive trip to a wonderful country with a very nice travel group and our fantastic guide Obi, bubbling over with knowledge about his homeland! We always had fun!

We felt very well looked after, starting with the nice contact with Ms Walter through to the detailed information, above all the TravelKey app! We would always choose this way of travelling. The wealth of expert information (wildlife, birds, plants…) and stories about Namibia from Obi is not something you get on a self-drive tour. Nobody drives, everyone can take photos, which was especially important to us. The converted Toyota 4x4 (with USB port and solar-powered cool box) was also brilliant. You sit higher and can still open the roof, great for wildlife viewing.

This impressive "Best of Tanzania Safari & Zanzibar" will stay in my memory forever. Mr Schuff organised everything perfectly for me. Accommodation, catering as well as the delicious meals and transport were exemplary.

A big compliment too to our very friendly guide Lazaro, who with his knowledge brought his homeland Tanzania a good deal closer to us. Lazaro also proved himself as a "car mechanic" when our Toyota Land Cruiser broke down between the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater with a wheel suspension defect and he then repaired it.

After the safari we went from Arusha to Zanzibar in the azure, sparkling Indian Ocean. The beautiful palm-lined beaches invited relaxation.

I was also fascinated by Stone Town with its many picturesque alleys. This combination of safari and beach / culture – holiday on Zanzibar – I can only recommend.

We would like to thank you for the great trip! We had a wonderful time in Kenya, with great experiences and impressions.

Everything worked smoothly and we could enjoy our holiday to the full.

We would especially like to highlight our guide James. Through his commitment, his warm and obliging manner and his incredible knowledge, he made sure the trip was perfect.

We would repeat the experience at any time, but then definitely with James again.

Both the advice beforehand and the organisation on your side were excellent; we felt very well looked after at every point in the run-up. The trip itself was a wonderful experience for us. The route, the sights and also the lodges were excellently chosen. Many of the lodges were in truly outstanding places in unique surroundings.

I absolutely must mention our tour guide Steve, who looked after the quite heterogeneous group of seven travellers superbly, always keeping everyone's concerns in view. He is an excellent connoisseur of the country, its people, nature and wildlife and passes this knowledge on passionately. With his personality he made a very large contribution to this trip becoming such an unforgettable experience for us.

This is already the third time we have travelled to Africa with Elefant-Tours.

The planning and support from Elefant-Tours is unique. The trip is put together individually, the contacts are exceptionally well informed and stand by you with advice and practical help. If you want a tailor-made holiday that is not assembled from a building-block system but put together according to your wishes, you are in the right place here.

This time we spent two weeks travelling by car in Namibia in September.

The accommodation was all very good, and the trip description and tips accompanied/guided us superbly.

Thank you for the lovely time

Dear Ms von Zelewski,

thanks to your perfect organisation and the wonderful selection of lodges, we had an unforgettable trip.

We greatly enjoyed the different lodges. The selection was perfect for our wishes. Sometimes luxurious, sometimes simpler, but always so that we felt at ease.

Every day there was a new highlight along the route. Sven had prepared us perfectly with his introduction. We didn't need his tips on changing a tyre, but felt capable of coping with anything. And whenever we thought we weren't sure, you had already planned for it. When we arrived at the airport in Maun and wondered what to do with our luggage, the nice gentleman you had arranged was already waiting, had all the boarding passes and led us to the right counter. Needless to say, the luggage return two days later also went smoothly.

Thank you for the great trip. We are already busily recommending you in all directions. When we head off to southern Africa again, we will certainly get in touch.

We had 3 fantastic weeks in Namibia with many wonderful experiences and impressions that we hope to remember for a very long time.

Everything really worked superbly, both with the car rental and on tour and at the accommodation.
The briefing with Sven in Windhoek was very pleasant and above all informative! He provided us perfectly with tips, tour details and advice and arranged the booking of further activities in Swakopmund. A meeting with Sven on site in Windhoek is absolutely recommended and helpful!

Should we plan another holiday in Africa, we will gladly come back to you and Elefant-Tours.

The trip was a complete success all round. The balloon flight will always stay in my granddaughter's and my memory.

The driver for the safari was very nice and tried to fulfil all our wishes. The accommodation was simple but clean, so OK.

Sands of Chale Island is a magical place. We enjoyed it very much. After returning from the safari we upgraded the room for the remaining days.

The rooms in the tower are also fine, but a little dated. It is very pleasant that, thanks to the island location, you really enjoy a very carefree stay (no vendors etc.). It was exactly what I had been looking for.

We experienced one of our best holidays and can only agree with the previous commenters. All pick-ups ran like clockwork, the choice of accommodation was excellent, the food very wholesome and tasty. During the safari it was my birthday in the Serengeti at the tented camp, and I was surprised with a birthday cake and a serenade from the kitchen and service staff.

We could never have imagined experiencing the wildlife so close, and our German-speaking guide Terry was extremely obliging and helpful.

On Zanzibar the tides (low tide) invited us at midday to a walk far out into the sea, and in the afternoon (high tide) to swim in crystal-clear warm water. Our accommodation in the bungalow with sleeping area, reading couch and upper floor for relaxing offered a special luxury. We were treated very warmly and politely by all the staff at all the accommodation.

In Stone Town we likewise enjoyed a German-language guided tour and visited the bustling market and the winding little alleys. An unforgettable experience, with thanks to Mr Schuff for the competent advice, information and tips, as well as to the whole Elefant-Tours team.

My husband, my daughter and I spent four days in August on a private safari in Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater through Elefant-Tours, followed by a stay on Zanzibar. It was a sensational trip that we will never forget. For us it was the second booking through Elefant-Tours, and as on our last trip, we were once again super satisfied with the organisation.

Mr Schuff responded competently and in a friendly manner to all our wishes, all special requirements were taken into account and we were always very well informed. On site all processes ran smoothly throughout and our accommodation was very well chosen.

In summary, this trip was a unique experience..
Thanks to Elefant-Tours for the perfect organisation – we can recommend you without reservation

We had a wonderfully beautiful holiday in Tanzania with our children, aged 14 and 17. The combination of a week-long private safari on the mainland and a week of beach holiday on Zanzibar was perfect for us. The trip was put together for us by Elefant-Tours according to our wishes and everything really ran smoothly. We felt at home straight away and were fascinated by the beautiful nature and wildlife that Tanzania has to offer!

A heartfelt thank you for the preparation and planning goes to our adviser at Elefant-Tours, Mr Stephan Schuff, who was always able to answer all our questions. He has often been to Tanzania and Zanzibar himself, which brings unbeatable expertise.

We were always met on time on site. We were also thrilled with the accommodation and catering chosen by Elefant-Tours. All lodges clean, well kept and extremely charming. The two nights at the tented camp in the Serengeti in particular were a unique experience! The people on site were all very friendly and helpful! We felt especially well looked after by our driver Rashid, who accompanied us on the safari! You noticed his many years of experience straight away and thanks to him we were able to see all the animals (incl. the "Big Five"). He gladly shared his expertise with our children, who had many questions. He was a safe driver with eagle eyes when it came to spotting animals!

On Zanzibar we spent one night in Stone Town and the remaining five nights at Jambiani Beach. This beach resort was also a suggestion from Mr Schuff of Elefant-Tours. We were thrilled with the choice, as everything is still very unspoilt, really just a village with a long dream beach on the Indian Ocean. No large hotel complexes, but small, charming accommodation and restaurants. The extremely strong tides made the experience even more interesting, as at low tide you could walk kilometres out into the sea and splash in the waves during high tide.

We have now been back in Germany for a week and are still completely enraptured by our experiences! We will certainly never forget this extraordinary family holiday in this special country!

The tailor-made trip planning was very competent and friendly. It was already our 2nd trip with you!

Ramos is a very experienced guide with good German. He responded wonderfully to us as experienced safari tourists. The accommodation was also very good. Especially the somewhat simpler, small Mara Big Five in the Masai Mara was very good.

Chale Island at Diani Beach is a tropical paradise!

It was an absolutely successful trip! Thank you for the excellent planning!

Erik was an excellent tour guide during our 7-day safari in Tanzania. Thanks to his experience as a former lorry driver, he manoeuvred us extremely skilfully and safely along the at times very bumpy gravel roads. We (a group of five adults) always felt comfortable and safe during the drives with him.

Spotting animals in the terrain, even while driving, is one of his most remarkable abilities. Even at speeds of up to 50 km/h, Erik could make out a lion in the steppe grass at a distance of 200 metres. His attention to detail and his trained eye allowed us to experience the wildlife up close and observe it undisturbed.

Erik is not only an excellent driver and animal spotter, but also a very knowledgeable and reliable tour guide, who also looked ahead to our wellbeing. He conveyed a great deal of interesting information about the various animal species, their behaviour and their habitats impressively. His great passion for nature and wildlife was clearly noticeable and rubbed off on all of us.

In addition, Erik was a very friendly and polite guide. He answered all our questions in detail and with patience, with great expertise. He very flexibly adapted the route to our wishes and needs so that we could experience as much as possible.

In summary, Erik was an outstanding tour guide who made our trip to Tanzania an unforgettable experience. His experience as a driver, his ability to spot animals and his extensive knowledge of the wildlife contributed to our being able to fully enjoy the beauty and diversity of nature in Tanzania.

We can warmly recommend Erik as a tour guide and are very grateful to him for his outstanding work.

Fascination Namibia – that was the trip we booked. And that is exactly what we experienced. 12 days, end of July 2023. A great trip in every respect. The booking through Elefant-Tours was perfectly handled, special requests and detailed questions were always answered superbly. The organiser was Namibia-Experience. Right on arrival at the airport in Windhoek, our guide, Randy J Körner, welcomed us warmly and explained the important things then: toilets, currency exchange etc.

Here we got to know our fellow travellers. We were 7 people plus guide in the vehicle, which was a perfect mix for this trip. We got on well from the start. The trip delighted us in every aspect: the lodges were superbly chosen, always super lovely, and the included meals were almost always perfect! The people at the lodges were consistently obliging; if the night was going to get too cold, they even brought us hot-water bottles! Nights in July in Africa can actually get really cold!

We saw – not only in Etosha – an incredible number of animals; Randy headed for the right places for us with great patience and local knowledge.

On the very first evening we were at Joe's Beerhouse and Randy was able to give us first information about the trip and the country. The evening briefings about the next day of travel were very pleasant for us.
On a "sundowner" drive at Bagatelle we saw giraffes at close range and other large animals straight away, which was grand for the start of the trip!

We would never do this trip as self-drivers. The sometimes quite long stretches over gravel roads are a little tiring. And where you can discover exciting animals and things, I certainly don't want to have to watch out for potholes as well. We were really impressed by the calm and safety with which Randy drove us around the area. That requires a lot of attention, which a guide provides professionally. A very funny situation in between made our driver stop spontaneously: a strange clacking made us fear a problem with the car – it was only a fellow traveller tapping on a drinks can "to calm the carbonation" 🙂 When we were then chilling at the lodges a little exhausted in the late afternoon, Randy would still clean the dust off the car or organise our extra requests. Great! It was too cold at this time of year to use the many well-kept pools at the lodges.

We were able to ask our many "silly" questions over the course of the trip, and Randy always knew an answer. We would never have seen or learned a lot of it as self-drivers. Thank you, Randy, for sharing your enthusiasm for the country with us! We always felt well looked after.
Highlights for us: the animals! And: Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch – Sossusvlei – Otjohotozu Guest Farm – The Tug in Swakopmund – Damara Living Museum – Farmhouse Boutique Guesthouse Outjo – Mushara Lodge and the menu on the last evening at Immanuel Wilderness Lodge

Hello Mr Brand,

many thanks for your great support in planning and carrying out our safari in Tanzania!

Everything worked splendidly and by now we are in lazy mode on Zanzibar.

We would particularly like to highlight your colleague Eli, driver and guide on our safari. Eli is a real gem, with enormous background knowledge and very high sensitivity to the feelings of safari participants from other continents.

Eli always has a smile on his lips, but is serious about the job and also a very safe and careful driver.

Please give Eli our warmest greetings!

Warm regards,
Heiner Genzken

Elefant-Tours' subsidiary Kenya-Experience ensured that our stay, from the moment we landed in Nairobi until our flight home from Mombasa, was safe, expertly organised, interesting and entertaining. They were flexible and took our wishes and moods into account while keeping to the planned schedule.

The quality of the vehicle (Toyota Land Cruiser), the abundance of fresh water, clean toilet stops and great picnic spots all helped make the safari drives enjoyable.

Simon, our tour guide, used his network of contacts and his extensive knowledge of Kenyan wildlife (having lived in the Maasai Mara for many years) to find great spots for wildlife viewing and to teach us about the behaviour of animals, plants, birds and insects.

His "bush eyes" spotted fauna that we did not see at first. He is an educated man with high social intelligence and a very safe driver and wildlife guide. We also enjoyed the classical music he played on the drive to the next camp, as well as the cold drinks at the sunsets in the Mara and Nakuru.

We are very happy to recommend Elefant-Tours' subsidiary Kenya-Experience and Simon to anyone looking for a great safari experience.

The undisputed highlight of a trip to Uganda is without doubt gorilla tracking. Certainly the most expensive hour of my life, but also one of the most impressive. The gorilla family in Mgahinga National Park with no fewer than 3! silverbacks was something quite special.

In Budongo Forest Reserve there were more of our closest relatives to marvel at, albeit mostly from afar, individual animals from the habituated chimpanzee group consisting of around 80 individuals.

Of course the "usual suspects" such as lion, elephant, buffalo, giraffe … were not missing, and not even the leopard. It is good when the guide knows where it has its hideout – incidentally right by the road – otherwise we would hardly have spotted it. A cruise on the Victoria Nile was not missing either, where, alongside bathing elephants, hippos fleeing into the water and the odd crocodile, bird lovers in particular got their money's worth … fish eagles, kingfishers and many others are part of the standard repertoire here.

A breather from the camping activities, which are more or less strenuous depending on personal feeling, was offered by the historic Masindi Hotel, where celebrities such as Ernest Hemingway, Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn once spent the night.

At the end of the trip I was also lucky enough to see a shoebill in the Mabamba Swamps on Lake Victoria near Entebbe. Sunset Hotel Entebbe offers good tours. Not exactly cheap, but: "once in a lifetime" or "twice?". I would love to visit this country again.

Many thanks for putting this trip together, which was organised perfectly according to our wishes. We enjoyed every single day very much!

After our arrival we had a lovely day in Nairobi and then explored Tsavo West, Amboseli and Masai Mara with our guide Simon. Simon was simply great, it was so much fun exploring the parks with him, training our "bush eyes" and listening to his exciting explanations and thus developing a feel for nature and the animals.

We were overwhelmed by the varied landscapes and the animals. We saw so many animals and were so close. We were very lucky and spotted the Big Five quickly and much more, including wild dogs. It was hard to say goodbye to Simon at Isebania on the border with Tanzania. Unforgettable: Tsavo West: at night the giraffe and the zebras right next to the tent, the crocodile sneaking up to the waterhole 20 m away…. or the monkeys in our room in Amboseli because we had forgotten to close the window properly (but they were quite well behaved and were only interested in the sugar sachets), the lions in the Masai Mara that walked past right in front of and behind our car – at first we thought it was a few adult lions – and then lots of little ones followed out of the tall grass…

With our guide Alpha we then continued to Lake Victoria, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, all the way to Arusha. Different again and very impressive again. Really fascinating right at the start was the canoe trip to the fishing village on Lake Victoria, where we thought it would be "one of those tourist tours". We can only hope it never becomes one, because it was so impressive to be able to experience this simple village with all the warmth of the villagers and above all the many children around us.

With Alpha we again had a wonderful guide who showed us the vastness of the Serengeti with the big herds of animals – wildebeest crossing the track and it simply never stopped, crocodiles lurking on the bank, many grunting hippos in a hippo pool, vultures and hyenas with prey, a cheetah leaping onto our car … and the impressive Ngorongoro Crater.

The last week on Zanzibar was then another different experience; at first we caught a bit of the rainy season, but that didn't bother us. We explored the whole island on our own, the lovely beaches, sandbanks and turquoise water, and Stone Town at the end of the trip was another highlight. The friendliness and openness of the people impressed us greatly.

The five of us saw all the animals there are to see, besides the "obvious ones" also two servals and dik-diks; consistently perfect game drives.
Personally, though, I would also have liked to walk a few kilometres on foot. Our advice from Benjamin Brand was very good. Already for his patient handling of various special requests 🙂 and for his attempt to keep us reasonably informed about the development of the enforced stay in Mombasa, which unfortunately only succeeded with a delay for lack of a usable internet connection. Overall perfect advice.

Our guide Emanuel "Manu" in Kenya deserves 10 out of 10 possible points: friendly, humorous, competent, helpful, dedicated in searching for animals, best knowledge of fauna and flora, simply perfect. Witson in Tanzania was somewhat more distant, but did warm up and gets 9 out of 10 possible points.

The accommodation was consistently what you wish for in Africa. Where somewhat less luxury was offered (as at the smaller ones such as Mara Base Camp and Mara Siria Tented Camp), this was made up for, especially at Mara Siria, by the warm friendliness of the staff (and at Siria also by the fantastic view) and the family atmosphere.

The routing had a bit of everything. On this occasion I would like to recommend a balloon flight over the Serengeti, not cheap, but worth its price, a special experience. And I have rarely had such a good breakfast in such a wonderful setting as after the landing. And hardly anyone enjoys their job as much as Capt. Barry Birch.

We booked a family trip through the German agency Elefant-Tours; Elefant-Tours was represented by Larissa Walter, dedicated and helpful. Because of the flight prices, unfortunately no other family booked the trip.

But we had a great time together with our guide Aron, who was caring, very knowledgeable, fun and friendly. He got on very well with our daughter, who was sometimes bored by the long driving distances and a bit sad because there were no other children along.

What impressed us most was his almost fluent German, which he taught himself.

We can recommend the local operator and Aron as a super guide to anyone thinking about visiting Namibia – not only with children.

Our two-week round trip was brilliantly organised by Verena Brode. Thank you for that!

With four family members we went from Windhoek to Okonjima Nature Reserve, where we were able to watch leopards for the first time. Our journey continued via Grootfontein, the Divundu region, the Okavango River and Kwando River to Kasane. We entered Zimbabwe and visited Victoria Falls. We also enjoyed a helicopter flight there. After this highlight we continued to Gweta and early in the morning to a meerkat colony. From there, via Maun, we relaxed for the last three nights in the Khwai Community Area.

We were guided by "Esmes", who speaks good German. He is professional and gave us a lot of information about the wildlife and landscapes. And he is a superb driver.

About our camps and lodges the following can be said: the better and more expensive ones were simply lovely and we felt very comfortable there. But the rustic ones too can be described as good; only the accommodation at Planet Baobab Lodge is very much in need of renovation.

Our trip was brilliantly organised and the execution, thanks to Esmes, who was always in contact with Namibia Experience, was very good without any problems or difficulties.

A note for older travellers (over 60, 70 or even over 80): a guided tour with fixed accommodation and good sanitary facilities is a great option, especially for older people who also don't speak the language so well, for such a magnificent round trip, which was worked out according to our wishes. Everything was organised for us, including the border crossings into Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls and the various means of transport. We could concentrate on the most beautiful landscapes and wildlife viewing.

Dear Ms Walter,

a wonderful trip is drawing to a close and we are heading back with many lovely memories and experiences.

Our guide Jonge/Jürgen and our fellow travellers were great.

Everything worked excellently and went smoothly, thanks to your preparation!

It will certainly not be the last trip to this region 😉

Warmest regards

Nicole and Marc

Private safari Botswana/Victoria Falls, 18.5.2023 – 1.6.2023, a
"once in a lifetime experience" put together and perfectly organised by Ms Franke.

We got to know 3 different camps: at first we were in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and then in 2 camps in the Okavango Delta; between camps we travelled in small aircraft and so could get to the next destination comfortably and quickly.

The guides and trackers were without exception very experienced and you could feel the joy with which they did their job; the mood during the game drives was always relaxed and we had a lot of fun together.

We accompanied cheetahs on the hunt, watched a male lion crossing a river, saw 2 leopards that had to haul their prey up a tree trunk and defend it against hyenas… and on and on… priceless moments!!! To finish we also visited the imposing Victoria Falls, a worthy end to an indescribably beautiful trip!

In South Africa we travelled as self-drivers on the route Pretoria – Clarens – Durban – Hluhluwe – Durban – Addo Elephant Park – Knysna – Oudtshoorn – Stellenbosch – Cape Town.

Our third Africa trip with Elefant-Tours. Good recommendations for the route from Britta Franke, who was always available.

Lovely high-quality lodges and accommodation.

Indescribable, e.g. a bush forest in Hluhluwe

Our second big adventure in southern Africa was a combination of “The Best of Namibia” and “Namibia Highlights”, 19 days, in March 2023.

As with our first self-drive tour “Northern South Africa” in September 2016, we were once again thoroughly delighted by the perfect planning, organisation and booking (flights, accommodation, rental car) of the trip by Elefant-Tours.

The suggested route, the length of the daily stages, the beautiful lodges and guesthouses with their culinary specialities, the suggestions for excursions and the sights impressed us anew every single day.

Our route:
Windhoek, Kalahari, Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Erongo Mountains, Twyfelfontein, Etosha NP, Waterberg Plateau, Windhoek.

The unique and incredibly varied landscape, the endless expanse and silence of Namibia, the fascinating sand dunes and rock formations, the vastness of the desert landscapes and the sea, the wildlife viewing and the emptiness of the land, … captivated us again and again during our wonderful trip, as did the incredible friendliness of the people.

Our highlights were without doubt the cheetah feeding, Deadvlei and Sossusvlei, the wildlife viewing in Etosha National Park and the rhinos at the Waterberg Plateau, to name just a few.

A truly special experience, though, was the balloon flight over Sossusvlei.

Once again, a heartfelt thank you to Elefant-Tours, and in particular to Verena Brode, who was always an outstanding contact, with great dedication.

Namibia will always stay in our memories!
A dream!

Christine and Ulli

From Johannesburg to Victoria Falls
We had an excellent 14 days, mostly in Botswana. Thanks to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, the Makgadikgadi Pans and Chobe National Park, seeing the Big Five was no problem at all. It was beautiful. We highly recommend this trip. Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, as the icing on the cake of the trip, make this holiday completely unforgettable.

Thank you to Elefant-Tours for the organisation, to Sunway Safaris for running the tour, and to Patrick, our guide!!!

Dear Ms Franke, even if it comes late, it comes from the heart: thank you so much for putting together this wonderful trip.

We enjoyed every single day to the full and know that you played a big part in that. Everything worked out perfectly and we were able to travel without a care and use our time purely for enjoying and marvelling.

THANK YOU!!!

Anna Hartmann & Martin Menzel-Bösing

Hello Mr Schuff,

we are back in Germany in the best of health and well rested. The trip was incredibly beautiful.

1. We managed to climb Kilimanjaro. Just as you said, keep going. And thanks to our great guide team, Brighton, Elisa and Robert, as well as the lovely crew, we felt very well looked after and cared for, like part of a family. Many thanks once again to the whole team, we have taken the lads to our hearts.

2. The safaris in the endlessly vast national parks, with an abundance of animals, were breathtaking. Our guide Terry showed us the many animals with talent, confidence and calm, and told us a great deal about their habitat and behaviour. He is a wonderful person and enriched our safari.

3. The Mwezi Boutique Hotel in Zanzibar was an absolutely outstanding recommendation, which we really enjoyed as the finale of our trip. A dreamy hotel with such friendly and lovable staff.

Everyone looked after our enjoyment and well-being in a truly professional way, and we would especially like to mention our pool barman Mo, who took touching care of us and all the guests, and our very attentive and lovable dinner waitress and barmaid Jackline.

We would like to do something good for all the people mentioned with our feedback, and we hope that you, Mr Schuff, can pass this feedback on to the right people so that it reaches these lovely individuals. We hope this lets us tell them that they are doing a great job in Tanzania/Zanzibar, which truly deserves appreciation.

With best wishes from Bavaria

Stephanie & Sandra

Dear Mr Schuff,

The one-week safari “Best of Tanzania” we booked, from 14 to 21 January, was absolutely brilliant!

The whole group, from young to old, was thrilled with the magnificent nature, the four beautiful parks we visited, the lodges including good meals, the very knowledgeable guide & driver and, of course, the fantastic wildlife!

In the Serengeti especially, we were able to marvel at tens of thousands! of wildebeest and zebras in huge herds (out of roughly 2 million! animals in total). We saw all of the “Big Five” relatively close up, including all the other wild animals such as crocodiles, hippos, ostriches, giraffes, antelopes, cheetahs, hyenas, gazelles, vultures, eagles etc. Unbelievable – you really can’t believe it until you’ve seen it with your own eyes!!!

At the end of our week together, the guide therefore received a considerably higher “tip” from us than the one suggested by Elefant-Tours and Tanzania-Experience….

From A to Z everything went perfectly and I couldn’t suggest anything that you, Tanzania-Experience or the guide could have planned, organised or carried out better!! THANK YOU!!!

With warm regards,

Thomas Chasse, 75; from 🇨🇭
(called Babu Tom by everyone in Tanzania 😉)