Micato Safaris Google Reviews
5.0 rating out of 777 reviews
M Elliott
In July 2026, we took the Heart of Kenya and Tanzania tour with Micato. (Warning: this is a long review but I hope the context provides meaningful insight.)
I selected Micato because I had worked with them 29 years prior in November 1997. Micato was fantastic and the Pinto family who owned the company paid close attention to every detail. I would say they succeeded because when I was planning a safari 29 years later, the only company I considered was Micato. The Pinto family made every moment special for me as the tour director and for my group. The way that they all made us feel in the plains of Africa has remained in my heart.
So, in November 2021, I considered another safari because my college bestie had a dream of going to Africa. She loved animals and elephants were her favorite. She had cancer and decided that a trip to Africa could check off her bucket list dream. We talked about going but because it was Covid times, her doctor’s were not keen on allowing such a big trip…even though her husband supported it 100% because life is uncertain.
Fast forward to November 2025. Unfortunately my friend lost her battle to cancer.
Although incredilbly devastating, her 25 year old daughter decided to honor her mom’s legacy and asked me to take the trip to Africa with her to fulfill her mom’s dream.
The first thing I did was contact Micato. I knew they would make the trip special. I connected with Carson, our sweet and amazing Safari Agent, who consulted with us and planned the perfect 12 day itinerary. She took care of everything from the itinerary, visas and all inquiries! So professional and warm and welcoming!
The trip did not disappoint! From the time we landed in Nairobi, we were treated like royalty. Our time in Nairobi was filled with local visits to the Karen Blixen House and that lovely area of the city. We spent time with the orphaned baby elephants at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust where we had a private tour to interact with the baby elephants. What a highlight! Nairobi is a contrast of slums and wealthy neighborhoods. Micato has a long standing partnership with the AmeriShare school in the Nairobi slums. It is wonderful to witness how they support the most vulnerable in their community. Our Nairobi safari concierge was a graduate of the AmeriShare program - what a wonderful program! The Micato team was professional, kind, fun and simply amazing! Our team included our Safari Director, Wesley; our safari concierge, Mercy; and our driver, Daniel. Everyone was amazing!
Once we started our safari, we flew in small planes through Arusha to Tarangire National Park. Our second stop was the Ngorongoro Crater. Our last stop was the Serengeti.
The safari started with a large herd of elephants including little babies. Then we encountered a pride of female lions the next day that walked so close to our vehicle that I could have reached out the window to pet them but opted not to so that I could keep my arm. ;)
We saw all of the big 5 - elephants, lions, leopards, Cape buffalo and rhino.
The Ngorongoro Crater had lots of hippos, wildebeest, lions, a few rhinos, pink flamingos and so much more! The lighting of the Crater is spectacular!
The Serengeti was my favorite. There were leopards, a mama lion and her 2 cubs, lots of elephants, zebras, giraffes, tons of impala, hippos, crocodiles and so many beautiful birds!
Micato took care of every last detail. Our Safari Director, Wesley, was on top of everything. He kept us focused on the important timelines, gave us historical insights, knowledge about the animals, nature and the wisdom of Africa. He was a true gem. Others who made the safari special were our Nairobi concierge, Mercy. She was on top of everything including a last minute manicure request before we departed for safari and she found an amazing nail salon. Our drivers - Daniel and Chacha were top notch and made for truly memorable experiences. Simply magical - everyone on the Micato staff and drivers, the 5 star hotels and special experiences along the way. There is no better safari tour operator in Africa!!
Constance Yuschok
Extremely well organized, logistics were seamless, our safari director handled complicated transfers completely in the background, camps and hotels were stunning exceeding expectations and game drives were very fruitful including the big 5 and much much more!!!!
Our extension trip to South Africa and Victoria Falls was amazing! At all locations, Micato staff and attention to detail was visible and much appreciated. Would highly recommend Mount Nelson and Victoria Falls Hotel as well as the Grand Safari itself!!! Based on our experience, considering going to Botswana and India!!
Helen Reilly
My husband and I have been home for 10 days, and we are still amazed, not only with the safari experience, but the door to door service we received from Tito, Jackie and all of our drivers (Steve, George, Dansan, Ellias and Adam). Our experience began from the moment we arrived on a 3 hour flight delay; which got us there at 2 a.m. Our airport greeter eased our minds immediately, and then a Micato team of 3; Tito, Steve and Jackie met us and ensured we arrived and got set up at the hotel.
And then we began our safari adventure. Tito went out of his way to ensure we experienced and observed as much wildlife as possible. And both he and the wildlife did not let us down. It should also be noted, that between Tito and our driver we had a walking talking encyclopedia of knowledge. And if they were unsure of the answer, they had the info by the next time we saw them. In addition, Tito surprised us regularly with cocktails at sundown, lunch watching the zebra and wildebeest migration, breakfast observing impalas and dinner around a beautiful bonfire.
And the properties.....the staff went out of their way to see to our comfort. We always felt safe even when hippos walked up to the back of our tent and we could hear the lions roar during the night. The properties were pristine and the food amazing.
Let's not forget the New York team. We began our research for this trip more than 2 years ago. My first contact was for general information. But as we began to seriously consider Micato as our guide for safari, the NY based team spent time understanding what experience we were looking for and guiding us to the absolute perfect safari. Nick and others were so informative and supportive from the start and continued to communicate until we left the states to begin our once in a lifetime experience. It is no wonder this was by far the smoothest trip we have ever taken. It is no wonder Micato is number 1 for so many years.
We are so grateful we made this trip and chose Micato!
Anne H Young
An amazing experience! Every aspect of the our trip was thoughtfully curated and designed, from the people Micato employs to the pacing of the itinerary, from the lodging and bush plane choices to the lovely trinkets we were gifted. Thank you so much for taking such thoughtful care of us!
Debbie Wallace
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve dreamed of going to Africa on safari. In 2021 my boyfriend learned of my African dream and wanted to make it a reality for me. After much research on safari companies, we chose Micato Safaris.
Our first safari was in June 2022 where we combined the Micato Grand Safari to Kenya and Tanzania (with an extension to Samburu in northern Kenya) with the Micato Passage through Botswana and Zimbabwe (with an extension to Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa). The safari experience we planned was about a month in duration. In both East and Southern African safaris, each safari vehicle was limited to 6 guests total which is a very small group, especially if you’re a photographer.
We were BLOWN AWAY by this trip of a lifetime as the entire experience ran smoothly without issue. The camps were luxurious, comfortable and accommodating, the food was an unparalleled epicurean delight at each of the camps, the safari vehicles were comfortable, clean and well stocked for guests and photographers, and the attention to detail at every point on the safari was impeccable. Micato had thought of everything imaginable.
Before returning home, we had already decided to return to Africa in May 2023. We called Micato again and explained that while the packaged safaris were AMAZING, we wanted to try a private and custom safari in East and Southern Africa for just over 3 weeks. Again, we were totally blown away with Micato’s service, attention to detail and budget, etc. The trip went so smoothly we couldn’t believe it again.
We so loved the private/custom experience, we decided to go back again that year in September 2023. This safari was a private/custom trip to East Africa for just over 2 weeks. Again, the trip was total bliss and ran smoothly as silk. We finally understood that the Micato seamless experience was not happenstance; it was the real deal EVERY time.
We planned yet another safari to East Africa in August 2024. This time we wanted to see the Great Migration in Kenya and Tanzania and again chose Micato Safaris. This safari was also a private/custom one which we loved, especially for photography. Again, it was as seamless and as unbelievable as the other three safaris had been with Micato.
In late 2025, we decided to try another safari company. After much research we decided on one, spoke with the company and their safari advisor, created an itinerary and went on safari for about six weeks in April 2026 to Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The trip was great, without issues and certainly less expensive, but something was lacking. We named it the “Micato touch”.
In June 2026, we emailed Meg Bufkin, our “go to” girl at Micato/New York and explained that we just went on a 6-week safari with another company. And while it was great, my now fiancé mentioned that it just didn’t have all the little touches and extras that Micato provides. We asked her to recreate our 6-week safari from April 2026 to April 2027 which she did perfectly. As such, we are now happily back with our Micato family and ready to travel in April 2027 for a 6-week safari adventure to Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
To summarize this rather lengthy review, you simply cannot beat a Micato safari even if you try! They are tried and true as proven in our past 4 safaris with them. And it became so evident upon utilizing another safari company how much Micato goes above and beyond the norm for their clients. Micato leaves NOTHING to chance – they have unprecedented attention to detail in every aspect of a safari including the itinerary, selection of camps/hotels, bush flights, helicopter flights, safari directors, ground personnel, 24/7 concierge service as needed (we never had to use them!), etc. IMHO, why go with someone else when you have the BEST in Micato!! I highly recommend them for an unbelievable safari adventure of a lifetime…
Thomas Walpole
In 2027, we’ll be taking our fifth trip to Africa with Micato Safaris. The professionalism and ease of use with Micato is second to none. Every aspect of the trip is managed with attention to detail and superior customer service. The safari guide with the support of both the front and back offices ensure our complete satisfaction enhancing your African experience.
In working with Meg Buffkin in Micato’s New York office, the whole trip is mapped out to perfection with the safari camps, all logistics and most importantly in coordination with friendships we’ve developed through our trips. Our safari guide in Southern Africa is Ignatius (Iggy) Potgeiter who is a seasoned professional and friend, highlighted the experiences Micato Safaris enables.
You can’t go wrong with this highly professional organization.