Amazing, phenomenal, and awe inspiring! Micato and John Scorpio far surpassed our expectations. Micato had someone with us every step of the way from individualized itinerary development, to touch down in Kenya, to take off back home. We were catered to like nothing that any other vacation or resort has ever done. The Micato team was professional, personable and attentive to every detail. From Bretton, in sales, who helped me create a once in a lifetime dream vacation to Eve, the concierge, who made sure everything was perfect for us while in Africa, to the truly amazing John Scorpio who expertly guided us through every step of our 12 days allowing us to simply experience and enjoy the wonders of Africa. My husband and I visited the Maasai Mara, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater from December 21st until January 2nd, 2024. In the Maasai Mara, we stayed at Mahali Mzuri Safari Camp which was within the Olare Motorogi Conservancy. Key points here are off road game drives, listening to the animals at night in the valley below us and a marvelous staff who attended to our every need. Gideon, our driver and John Scorpio used their own expertise to make every game drive an educational adventure. The up close viewing here is a must-do for any Kenyan safari trip. We then ventured to Tanzania, to the Serengeti. Again, Micato took care of everything! John and others, made each airport stop seamless and easy--the journey was completely stress free. In the Serengeti, we stayed at Namiri Plains, a lovely facility where the staff and the room exceeded our expectations. Felix, our driver and John once again made each game drive an adventure. The animal activities here were the highlights, from the species interactions to the multitude of babies . The Namiri Plains staff even made a point to provide a bush breakfast for us near what looked like "Pride Rock" from the Lion King and happy hour during sunset at another site--their service was next level excellent. The last venture was a unique and exquisite experience to Ngorongoro Crater Lodge on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. The food rivaled any gourmet restaurant found in the U.S. Our room was like being dropped into a luxurious old English novel and the staff lavished us with things like roses on the bed and a warm drawn bath awaiting us after our days adventures. Safari, our waiter, made the best Old Fashions my husband has ever had and the chef prepared gourmet feasts nightly. We interacted with Maasai villagers in both the Maasai Mara and in the Crater. Each visit was educational and beautiful from learning about their culture to their dancing. We saw tons of animals from lions to cheetahs, from zebras to gazelles, from carnivorous ants to dung beetles, from giraffes to baboons, from hippos to wildebeest, and the list goes on and on. Micato and John Scorpio made our trip the most magical adventure imaginable! Thank you for making my 40 year dream a reality. read more

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We took the trip of a lifetime and the people at Micato were very hands on and accommodating. We traveled this summer with them and enjoyed every moment. They worked hard to make sure that we saw all the amazing animals and enjoyed our trip immensely. Highly recommend. We saw other tour companies that were having lots of troubles, but we never felt unsafe or uncomfortable. They went so far above and beyond. They took care of our luggage challenges with Turkish Airlines- who you should never book travel with. They took no responsibility for us arriving 15 hours late, no luggage for 3 days and arriving 25 hours late on our departure flights. Micato saved the day!! read more

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Just returned from a two week Safari in Kenya and Tanzania.simply a trip of a lifetime and we've been on over 40 tours.From the time they met us at the Nairobi airport, they took care of everything. Our guide Nuru did an exceptional job of taking care of every need. The accommodations were 5 star plus as was the food. This should be number one on your bucket list!!!! read more

Micato Safari is simply the best in the business! No detail is to small. Pick up and drop off service. Kind notes left on our pillows each night. Early morning and late evening game drives with the best guides. Great food! Great interaction, and all done on a first name basis. They will get the photos you want and the game you want to see. The big five were all seen as were the little five including the Dung Beetle. Bucket list company for sure! read more

Micato Complaint. Don't buy a Micato Africa wildlife tour. Worst experience of my life on its Heart of Kenya & Tanzania tour. I'm 72 years old & have taken many tours worldwide. I've never been treated as poorly as I've been by Micato Safaris, to which I paid nearly $30,000. I'm a well-liked, respected community leader with friends worldwide. I've written hundreds of reviews & have never given a negative one until now. I feel a strong moral obligation to warn solo & senior travelers since I sincerely believe they could suffer the same fate. It's shocking to me that no Micato executive has ever returned my calls nor responded online to any other customer's review. I believe Micato deceptively relies solely on its past reputation. Its founders no longer run the company & I personally found mythical its claim "when you travel with Micato, you're traveling with more than just a company-you're traveling with our family." I truly believe Micato manipulates reviews so as to maintain a 5-Star average rating, as its website appears to exclude negative ones while displaying only the positive. It's repeatedly blocked my attempt to post a review & blocked my Google Review from appearing on its site. It misleadingly implies that its 592 Google Reviews are all 5-Star. The blocking or deleting of unfavorable reviews is a breach of FTC regulations, as are unfair, misleading & deceptive business practices. I'm disturbed that travel writers are mistakenly being taken in by this. I sent Micato a letter & 17 days later received what I perceive as a cold, unapologetic reply, denying nearly everything I wrote; making statements I believe to be untruthful; taking no responsibility whatsoever for what occurred; & referencing the "binding & compulsory arbitration" clause in the Terms & Conditions of its contract. "Forced arbitration" is often viewed as making it difficult for consumers to seek justice in court. I strongly urge others not to make the same mistake I made by agreeing to Micato's terms, as doing so waives their 7th Amendment Right to sue. Micato claims via website & literature to provide "non-groupy group departures rarely numbering more than 12 guests and can be as small as 2." Ours had 13 - 6 couples & me as the only solo guest. We used 3 vehicles, with 2 of them carrying 2 couples each (4 guests) & mine carrying 2 couples plus me (5 guests). Behind the driver were 2 rows of 2 window seats. A bench above the rear axle was the most uncomfortable, noisiest ride of all over the pothole-filled dirt roads, making it nearly impossible to hear the driver & guide. A high roof hatch top for game viewing enabled 1st & 2nd row guests to photograph wildlife. This top did not extend over the rear bench, forcing this rider to either lean over the person in front of them or walk down the aisle to peer out. On the 1st game drive, a woman to whom I had never spoken ordered me to sit in the rear so she & another could sit next to their husbands. At the 1st stop, I asked our director to create a daily seating chart, informing him that every land tour I'd ever taken had used such. He refused, telling me to always be the 1st to board; to sit anyplace I wanted; & to tell the others he had said so. Charging me with seating made me the target of others' resentment since I stopped them from sitting next to their spouses. No one wanted me in their vehicle. This is diametrically opposed to Micato's claim to always provide "assiduous care to ensure all our guests feel secure and comfortable" & to afford them "a completely stress-free travel experience." For 8 days, this woman & another harassed & bullied me. I felt much too uneasy to argue with them in front of their husbands. I never felt safe around the 1st woman, as she appeared to me to be extremely controlling & her behavior seemed emotionally erratic. I felt physically endangered by her actions when she slid my seat forward up against the seat in front of it & held her feet up against my seat back so I couldn't slide it back, causing me to ride sideways without a seatbelt & fear for my safety. When I told the director, instead of sliding my seat back to its initial position, he slid the seat in front of mine forward, without saying anything to this woman. I felt like he prioritized the couples' preferences over my concerns, which made me feel marginalized, as if my being a solo guest was a huge inconvenience for him. I believe he retaliated against me by twice falsely accusing me in front of others of losing boarding passes, causing me to feel unfairly blamed, humiliated & disrespected. I was afraid to leave the tour, knowing I'd feel emasculated around family & friends having been victimized by women. Micato falsely claims "If . . . anyone anywhere along the way is not observing health and safety and protocols in line with Micato standards, your Safari Director will quickly remedy the situation, leaving you free to enjoy your safari without having to concern yourself with such matters." read more

Don't Use Micato for a Bespoke Safari Here's the thing about Micato: they will say anything to you, including by lying to you in writing, in order to get you to sign up with them. My wife and I, along with her parents, went on a 10 day bespoke safari to Tanzania and Kenya. Two of us are very active, so the only reason we chose the bespoke option, which costs more, so that we could do some walking during our safari. We said this to our liaison, Meg Buffkin, several times. After she heard our demands, she said in writing that our trip would include walks during our safari. Here's the thing - when we showed up in Nairobi, Micato pretended they had never heard these demands, and they had no plans to take us on any walking safaris. Importantly, that lie is just one of many that Meg told us. She told us that upon arrival in Nairobi we would have a driver at our disposal to go wherever we wanted. My wife had been to Nairobi previously, so she knew appropriate shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions. Instead, Micato held us captive for the first day, demanding they take us where they wanted, which included a terrible restaurant that was essentially inedible. Micato also refused to let us go on a hike in Nairobi until we figured out a hike for ourselves that was totally safe. Still, MIcato tailed us back to our hotel without letting us walk by ourselves around the very safe suburb of Karen. Then, after hearing some of our wrath, our wonderful Micato guide, Tim, figured out a couple of small walking options during our safari. After we stayed at a lodge in Tanzania, a local worker took us on a stroll through her in town. When we got back to Kenya, Tim figured out a way to get us to walk for about two hours in a faraway corner of the Mara. These were hardly what Meg had promised us initially, and hardly satisfying during an otherwise completely sedentary 10 days, but Tim did a nice job of trying to accommodate our requests. My wife also explained to Meg that we do not believe in tourism that objectifies cultures. Unsurprisingly, Meg ignored this demand and put a tour of a Masai village on our itinerary. Some folks like the awkward objectification of the Masasi culture, but we do not. That didn't stop Micato from trying to force us on their itinerary despite claiming the bespoke option lets us do the planning. To be sure, Micato is great at spotting wildlife, providing you with luxury lodging, and serving excellent food. But here's the thing, any number of other companies can provide that same service. Micato prides itself on the "Micato difference," but in our case, the Micato difference turned out to be based entirely on lies and failed promises. Choose Micato at your peril. read more

Our family trip to Tanzania with Micato was spectacular. We expected this to be a once in a lifetime vacation, but Rodgers (our safari director) was so amazing that we want to go back and explore more of East Africa with him. Everything he planned with Micato was perfectly executed, he was well informed, extremely helpful, and very personal able. We were surprised and delighted the entire journey! We can't recommend Rodgers and Micato enough! read more

OUTSTANDING! My first safari with Micato was 25 years ago when my mother and I saw what seemed like thousands of animals in Kenya and Tanzania. We also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro together. I knew at the time that if I came back to this part of the world  I would only travel with Micato. It was a life changing experience. I took my second safari with Micato in December of 2020. I was with my family. And while the world had changed a lot over the last quarter century, Micato's commitment to excellence was exactly the same - even better than i remembered. From the second we stepped off the plane, I knew we were in exceptionally capable hands. Every detail was perfect. We were taken care of like family. Every need attended anticipated and taken care of. Seeing my nephews trying to process the vast outdoors and amazing animals in the wild was simply amazing. One could could almost visibly see their horizons being broadened! Our safari director, Kennedy (or Rafiki, as the boys called him) was knowledgeable, kind and accommodating...a true gem - he always had a smile on his face and was extremely patient with the boys' questions and shenanigans. It was clear that he was a parent himself. He also made sure that our Christmas was magical, beginning with a surprise bush breakfast and ending with an intimate dinner. I have traveled all over the world and can honestly say that the warmth and kindness we experienced from each member of the Micato team remains unmatched. I truly have never felt so well cared for, or experienced such luxury, service and adventure all rolled up into one glorious vacation. Whenever anyone asks me who to safari with I only have one answer: Micato. read more

My husband and I completed a Tanzania Spectactular with Micato last summer. While the overall trip was lovely, I felt compelled to write about the very concerning state of Micato's safety equipment after our experience getting stuck in a dry riverbed on our first evening game drive. Safety issue #1: The winch (which could have pulled our stuck vehicle out of the sand) was not in functional condition. It was not properly connected to the vehicle and determined to be unusable. Safety issue #2: Since we couldn't use the winch, our second tool/method for resolving our situation was to jack the car (and collect rocks to put under the wheels). However, the jack was in total disrepair and barely functional: It would only work after we poured our limited bottled water supply over it, and even then, it completely failed/broke after just one attempt at jacking the vehicle (which didn't work). Safety issue #3: At this point, our only option to get back before complete darkness, was to get the winch working, by holding two live wires together while someone shone an iPhone light on the individual holding the wires (this was my husband). However, since the winch was not properly rigged to the vehicle, this method also required the rest of us to exert great effort in pulling the winch out of the vehicle while the live wires were held together. Thankfully this worked just as we lost light at 7:30pm. Safety issue #4: Disconcertingly, we arrived well past the time we were due at the lodge, and although our guide suspected that by this time rescue vehicles would have already been out looking for us - in fact, no one had been alerted to the fact we had not arrived at the lodge on time. Micato's response: We were given a lovely breakfast with a view on top of a hill the next morning, and an extra short game drive on our way to our next destination. Both of these, we were told by our guide, were due to having "missed" our game drive the previous day (not even an acknowledgement from Micato about the very serious condition we found ourselves in). Moreover, aside from this statement from our guide and the changes to our itinerary -- the company itself made no pro-active effort at apologizing or expressing concern/asking questions about our experience. When it was clear no statement from Micato management was forthcoming, after the completion of our safari, we wrote a letter to the owner of Micato informing him of our safety concern about Micato equipment and his assistant said she would pass it along. Fourteen days later with no response, we followed up. The assistant said that the owner had been traveling, and she would provide this information to him right away. It was still weeks before we received a letter from the owner, saying he apologized for the situation we experienced and that he would review Micato safety procedures. We had other smaller issues with our Micato experience as well (like not being picked up at the airport and having to get a cab), but those issues paled in comparison to what our group experienced from a safety perspective. Our guide was just about ready to have us sleep in the vehicle that night, due to the non-functional safety equipment on our Micato vehicle. The very simple question we pose is: what is the purpose of Micato's safety equipment (e.g., winch & jack) if it is not regularly tested and maintained? We chose Micato because we thought we would be in great hands from a luxury perspective and safety perspective. In our case -- in the rare situation where a problem occurred with one of their vehicles - it became very clear that Micato does not have a good standard of safety. read more

Our tour of Kenya and Tanzania with Micato was the trip of a lifetime. From the moment we stepped off the plane in Nairobi, our every need was anticipated and met. The accommodations were lovely. Our guides were knowledgable and very personable. Everyone associated with Micato was friendly, informative, and went out of their way to ensure our trip was everything we wanted it to be. read more

Micato Safaris - The Heart of Kenya and Tanzania Trip - August 2014 Our recent vacation to Africa with Micato on their "Heart of Kenya and Tanzania Safari" exceeded all our expectations and was simply the best vacation we have ever had! We have long wanted to visit the African continent and after careful consideration and research we chose Micato to help us realize this trip of a lifetime. From the time we landed in Nairobi to leaving our guide at the departure gate there we always felt the professional care and honest affection of all the staff we encountered. Every aspect of our journey to Africa was a pleasant surprise that filled us with wonder as well as desire to learn more about the place and the people that live there. Micato understands the importance of finding the best people to staff its positions. Our relationship began via email with the NYC office. They were always there to help us plan efficiently for our trip. On Safari, we met so many friendly, professional and competent staff and all were simply fantastic ambassadors for Africa and Micato. There was nothing they did not know. They were our teachers and mentors whose words went well beyond telling us simple facts about what we saw. They also added a context that fit into the "circle of life" in the bush that was so new to us. These people representing Micato defined the company and the country for us and Micato has nothing but the brightest gems on their staff. After experiencing Nairobi traffic and congestion first hand and some of those initial excursions in the city gave us pause. We wondered how this fit into our safari experience. Without knowing for sure we determined that Micato's purpose was giving us the opportunity to see urban life contrasted with life in the bush helping us to begin to understand the "growing pains" and economic struggles being experienced by Kenyan's and Tanzanians as they try to move ahead. This notion was verified after meeting Ms. Jane Pinto at her residence in suburban Nairobi for lunch and conversation. She took some time to explain how the company her and her husband, Felix, began so many years ago was based upon providing an authentic safari experience but also giving back to the community and it seems they have been increasing their efforts in that regard each year since. We saw many sides to African life. In addition, we were very pleased to see Micato giving back to the people in various ways including the AmeriShare project and facilities we visited. On that visit our guides took us through the Mukuru Slums to see first hand what parents and their children must experience each day to make it. At the end of that drive, through crowded, litter strewn streets, was the AmeriShare facility, a sanctuary for many, providing a glimmer of hope for many impoverished kids.. That visit also gave us a way to participate so that we could give a little back as well. Micato never forced any of this on its patrons. This part of the Safari is optional but we were glad we went. In addition to the people the overall planning was simply stellar. Although we knew there were no guarantees our guides managed to find us all the Big 5 (BRELL - Cape Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant, Lion, Leopard) as well as Zebra, Antelope, Impala, Gazell, Topi, Dic-Dic, Hyena, Wildebeest, Heartebeast, Elan, Hippo, Nile Crocodile, Cheetah, Monkeys, Baboons, various eagles, owls, birds beyond counting and so many more. Our guides and drivers were all from local tribes and knew much about tracking, scatology, silvics and local herbal remedies (luckily we didn't have to try any:). We were simply blown away by the depth of knowledge we encountered. Not only that but the camaraderie they created between and among all the travelers was contagious. Micato has a flare for the little touches that make the day truly special. From private bush lunches, sunset viewing around a huge bonfire, visits to Ranger camps, Karen Blixen's home, Oldupai Gorge (Olduvai is the common, but incorrect, name), baby elephant orphan camp, Rothschild Giraffe Refuge, Massai Village to special little gifts on your pillow along with colloquial bedtime stories we were transfixed by the African story that Micato artfully laid out for us to experience. This trip of a lifetime was something truly special for us. There is so much more that we can say but I believe I have summed it up as best as I can. Will we visit Africa again? Not certain, but I hope we can. If we do, Micato will be our go to outfitter for sure! In a word the experience was "Exceptional"!! read more

I have not traveled with Micato, I can only write about my experience talking on the phone with them and trying to book with them. We decided to take a last minute trip (leaving in about 3 weeks) to South African in February (the low season). I did some research and identified 2 properties that looked fantastic (Singita-Boulders and Royal Malewane) and confirmed they had availability. I called Micato after seeing the amazing reviews online of Micato's Africa agents. Although I have never used a travel agent before, it seemed like Africa would be a good time to do this, especially given that they might have a recommendation for a different place to stay. When I called the person who I talked to said they couldn't help me at all -- they need months noticed to book for you (I told her that I knew there was availability). And she said was unwilling to talk to me about my upcoming trip. This is reasonable -- I shouldn't expect someone to work for free (although this would be a good way to gain a client for future travel). What turned me off, and what I believe warrants this review, was then I said that we would probably book another trip in the near future, and could she tell me why booking through an agent is better than booking direct. Her answer -- that many lodges scam you or make mistakes and that there is a good chance that I would arrive to the lodge and there would be no rooms and I would be stuck in the middle of nowhere, hopeless and helpless. But if I book with Micato they guarantee that there is a room and they will take care of me--I will never have to worry about being stranded. I asked if this was true with the high end lodges too and she said yes. So I hung up SUPER scared. Before we landed at each of our lodges I had serious anxiety about there being no room for us. At one place, the pick up Range Rover was off to the side and I didn't see it until we had landed. As we landed, I was close to having an anxiety attack and trying to figure out how I would survive if the pilot left us on the airstrip with no cell reception. This was completely unwarranted, and I think that given the experience that Micato supposedly has, this should not have been the answer that I got. First, this is low season, neither property was full at any point during our stay -- she should have known that this was likely given her experience booking trips. Second, these lodges had incredible customer service. When you book direct through Singita you talk directly to one of their agents and they are super easy to get ahold of at any point. The same was true with Royal Malewan. After having stayed at these places, it was clear that there was no chance that they would scam a guest or make an error with a guest booking direct -- these properties prize great customer service. Plus, there are actually a number of lodges in the area. Although I don't think that there would every be an issue with booking direct, if there was, I can't imagine that htere would be problem (especially in the low season) of figuring something out. Third, after taking this trip it became clear that there were other, MUCH BETTER, reasons (not mentioned by the agent) for booking through an agent -- the agent gets a discount that they can (if they choose) pass on to you AND the agent can help you with the chartered flights between camps. Singita booking is amazing -- they handle all charter flights (they use Federal Airlines), so if you are planning to stay at all Singita properties (which I HIGHLY recommend after staying with them), they can handle all these transfers and it is very smooth. But not every lodge does this (although it was quite easy booking a flight on SAA). Also, it was clear that about 50% of the guests at each lodge booked direct. It was clear that the younger guests tended to book direct and the older guests tended to use agents We absolutely loved our time in South Africa. We loved it so much that we now planning a trip for September to visit another part of Africa. We are planning to use an agent, but we won't use Micato. There are other top agents (listed by T&L and who we learned about from meeting lovely guests on our most recent trip) who seem spectacular and who believe that they can offer more than protection against being scammed by the lodges. read more

We recently returned from a FABULOUS Micato safari in Tanzania. We loved every minute of the trip that Micato Safaris organized for us, from the moment we were enthusiastically greeted by our guide Nuru and driver Sultan at the Arusha airport, to the moment we almost tearfully said goodbye to Nuru at the same airport at the end of our trip. We felt very lucky to have selected Micato Safaris and to be assigned its incredibly educated (college degrees in conservation, wildlife management and tourism) guide and tour director throughout the trip. Our guide stayed with us 24/7. His deep knowledge of Tanzania, its animals, birds, insects, flora, geography, people, etc., was astounding. With his guidance, we saw everything imaginable and then some, and were treated to interesting information to help put it all in context of the evolving ecosystems of Tanzania, its people and its wildlife. Thanks to his constant scanning of the bush in every direction (we were glad also to have a driver to watch the road), we felt like we missed nothing - it seemed like every bush, tree, and stream that we approached or passed had interesting and exotic animals and stories attached to it. The list of flora and fauna we saw (and photographed) pretty much matched the entire Micato checklists that were so helpfully provided to us. Our only problem with the whole trip is that we got so many great photographs, we can't bear to winnow them down to a reasonably shareable number. We also loved the luxury and constant personalization of our trip. Micato selected three perfect lodgings for us for our 10-day safari. Each one was unique and interesting, as well as extremely comfortable, and the people at each were so friendly and welcoming. Coupled with the directions provided by our Micato guide, the various chefs accommodated our vegetarian daughter in high style, arranged night safaris and walking safaris, gourmet breakfasts, lunches and sundowners in the bush and a fantastic departure celebration dinner. Our Micato guide also selected the best local guides and itineraries for game drives and Oldupai Gorge, added in a driving tour of Arusha city at our request, and generally ensured that we feel we were living like royalty every minute of the trip. Every day, we found ourselves remarking on "The Micato Difference"! read more

Africa & India! I can not say enough about Micato, from the initial contact to getting back home. First, our family (4) traveled with Micato on Safari. It was spectacular! Our guides, our travel arrangements between countries, our accommodations, meals, everything was planned by Micato to the "T"! We always felt safe and taken care of in every way. Second, my husband and I traveled with Micato on a Bespoke trip to India. It was half business, half pleasure for him and his co-workers, all pleasure for me. We felt like royalty! When my husband was working I had my own guide to travel with me everywhere. Micato thought of absolutely everything! The intuitiveness of our guide, the palaces we stayed in, the meals and activities we experienced were above and beyond. We had come to expect excellence from Micato after Africa and we received the same in India. We will never use another company for Africa or India. We are "Micato spoiled". Thank you Micato! read more

Our Hemingway tour was something of a huge disappointment. Yes the staff are there to meet you once you get off the plane but not worth the PRICE you pay. Went to Larsen's Camp & got food poisoning, an experience Mr. Dennis Pinto questions if it ever happened!!! Our last stay in Tanzania at the Manor was a horrible experience; two nights of sewer smells to be masked with a caustic material used to clean out the sewer smell with windows left open to air the room inviting mosquitos and then followed with insect repellant. Another night at the Manor was an experience of NO HOT WATER!! Yes, had to move rooms it was so bad and we were not the only people on our tour experiencing the same. Our friends were on Safari in Kenya & Tanzania and had an exceptional tour with Lois & Leakey and less money. We are still disputing this experience with the Micato's and emails have gone cold. Would NEVER recommend Micato. The Micato's are rude and self serving and upon our return to the Sates we learned that this is how they operate never caring about repeat customers. I will keep posting on a regular basis due to the unprofessional treatment to prevent any one being taken on this farce. We did go on Safari in 2008 & had a great experience which is why we wanted to visit Africa again. Maybe with Lois & Leakey. Buyer beware!!! Stay away from Larsen's Camp!!! read more