Everlasting Tanzania Travel
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Member Of:
- Tanzania Association of Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $400 to $1,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
HK
Email Vicky | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
THE Outfitter You Want to Trek Kilimanjaro With
I'm a solo female traveler from Hong Kong. It's been a month since I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro with Everlasting in March, and I still keep reminiscing about this beautiful experience.
I'm a college student and the trekking was a spur of the moment thing. I started planning the trip only one month in advance (a shoutout to Sam who helped me with the logistics and pre-trip training - an ever-calm solution provider who could even magically conjure up a portable wifi in no time when the hotel Wifi was down).
When I saw their web page and the reviews online (most of the reviews are on another forum page, see https://en.tripadvisor.com.hk/ShowTopic-g293747-i9226-k6014473-Planning_a_trip_to_Tanzania_Everlasting_Tanzania_Travels-Tanzania.html), I just knew this is the outfitter I would want to choose. Some topmost decision criteria for me:
1. SAFETY FIRST. This can't be emphasized enough on the mountain. On the summit day, my guide Saidi and summit porter Batista (not all outfitters take summit porters, which turned out to be extremely important because most people simply weren't functioning in full capacity on that altitude) carried oxygen cylinder and all kinds of anti-dizziness/nausea/headache medicine. On our way back from the Uhuru Peak, there's a guy traveling with another company. He clearly suffered from high-altitude sickness, staggering down the slope. It was very dangerous because for a few times he tripped over and almost rolled down the hill. But his guide simply wasn't doing anything. So my guide stopped them, asked how the guy felt, gave him pills and made him breathe in some oxygen. After that, the guy came to himself and started talking and walking normally.
In fact this wasn't the only time our team offered support to others. Once there was a porter from another company came to my guide for medicines when he severely cut himself when setting up the tent. Apparently not all companies take care of their porters properly.
The Kilimanjaro National Park requires all guides to pass a first-aid course which is, however, usually conducted in a hasty way. So you would want to find a company that emphasizes internal first-aid knowledge training and medical support capabilities, and whose guides really know how to assess the situation when things happen.
2. Responsible Travel. Make sure that you trek with a partner company with KPAP (Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project https://kiliporters.org/becoming-a-partner/) to promote ethical treatment of porters. It was a rigorous process. For each team, the organization would send a porter to serve as an "auditor", making sure that the porters are fairly paid, carry the proper weights and have enough food.
3. Choose a local company. Not only does this mean higher value for the same amount of money you pay, but also means the money you spend would stay in the Tanzanian economy and help the country grow.
Everlasting is owned by three local entrepreneurs who take a hands-on approach to the management of their company. They know the strengths of every porter and assign them the jobs perfectly (e.g. on my team, Mkana had the most reliable tent setup technique, Pascor provided the impeccable dining service, Clemence was the most careful one to manage the dishes).
Also, the partners kept a buddy-like relationship with the porters, which had a direct impact on the overall vibe of the team. You wouldn't see any other team in the camp singing and dancing before you depart every morning and after you return from a successful summit day. We trekked like a family and I felt close to every one.
Even more amazing was how they care for their community and try to give back. They partner with the NGO Mom2Mom Africa and sponsor a local orphanage.
4. Mt guide Saidi, the meritorious man. I was just so lucky to have this fabulous man as my guide. He treated me as his Dada and it was surprising how sensitive he was to my smallest habits and needs.
For the summit day, Saidi proposed an alternative schedule which not only helped me avoid the midnight traffic but also better preserved my energy. It allowed me to summit in a very good spirit and fully took in the mindblowing scenery of glaciers at the peak, instead of just rushing down because of fatigue.
Also, I learned a ton of the cultures and norms of Tanzania from Saidi - a never-ending source of wits and fun. During our conversations over meals which were full of laughs, I learned about everything from witch doctors to lion hunting, from African hip-hop to courtship and wedding practices in different tribes, from the religious practices to baptism experiences.
There's so much more to write about Everlasting. I'm pretty sure this won't be the last time I explore this amazing country with them.
CA
Email Gianluca Canaletti | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everlasting Memories with Everlasting Tanzania
As part of a larger honeymoon vacation in Tanzania, my wife and I did a 7 day trek up Kilimanjaro with Everlasting. Specifically, Everlasting was subcontracted by Sababu, the tour operator who coordinated our entire vacation (and which we also recommend).
Quite frankly, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro was the most rewarding and unforgettable part of the trip, and we owe it to Everlasting, our guides - Nicolus and George - and the entire porter team, for making it as successful and amazing of an experience as it was.
I can go on for pages but I will just stick to these points:
- Everlasting took safety and comfort very seriously. We were genuinely shocked by the amount of porters and guides who accompanied us, but their professionalism, courtesy and friendliness made the journey all the more pleasant and comfortable. We had no doubt at any point that they would not do anything they could to help us summit. The fact that so many porters were contracted also suggests to us that Everlasting takes its contractors working conditions as seriously as the client's safety. Unfortunately, you can't take this for granted when dealing with other companies which try to offer the lowest prices.
- Not in a thousand years did we think we would have as varied, rich, and delicious meals as we did - for all seven days and in tents! We ate better here than we did at home!
- Nicolus and George were incredible guides - they were the best companions to have for this long journey, and we came out of it having formed a genuine friendship with both of them.
- We understand that Everlasting is a Tanzanian-owned company. This is important because you can know that your money, as a tourist, is supporting a local business, and not some larger foreign entity. In our opinion it is only fair that the profits generated from the beauty of Tanzania goes to Tanzanians.
For anyone considering a Kilimanjaro trek, you can't go wrong with Everlasting.
US
Email Kylie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeds expectations!
We chose Everlasting Tanzania because they had great reviews and fit our criteria of being a local company and a member of KPAP. We live in a tourist area ourselves and I thought of how important it is to me that someone does not come in from out of town, use our resources, and then take the tourist money with them back to their own communities. If I'm in Tanzania, I want their communities benefiting so we avoided going with an American or European company.
Who you pick for a guide company is the most important decision you will make and we lucked out! Everlasting Tanzania has so much more going for them that I didn't realize. Their guides are their company owners. So when the weather sets everyone on the mountain up for failure and our guides have the experience to know that the weather is going to suck on summit night but calm down midmorning AND the control to change your itinerary to combine two days so you can do a day summit and succeed. It was heart-breaking to see 50 people turn around and not summit that day but so cool to have the entire crater to ourselves! Our guides even spoke to other guides and told them our plan of forgoing the night summit start. Evidently a lot of companies schedule everything but use local guides. Those guides cannot change the itinerary for the group away from what was planned. That sucks and there were a lot of disappointed people who trained hard, spent a bunch of money on this trip, and turned around without summitting. I'm so happy we made it to the top! We also changed where we camped after summit night because the wind was so terrible that they knew no one would sleep well. I love sleep so that was a great decision. Having the ability to modify as needed for the benefit of us was worth picking Everlasting Tanzania in itself!
Other benefits include complete knowledge of the mountain, how our body reacts to altitude, and the weather on the mountain. One of our guides has summitted more than 300 times. The other guide was literally on the mountain the morning before he picked us up at the airport. They know what's going on. Just do everything they say. Eat the volume they tell you. It's absolutely delicious food but the huge quality was difficult for me. I felt uncomfortably full after every meal but felt amazing hiking. We drank 4-5 liters of water every day. We walked slowly when other groups passed us. Everything you do the first several days is to get your bodies ready to summit. They know exactly what they are doing. Your best chance of getting up that last day is doing exactly what they say. The last day is not easy but with the right guide, it's possible!
Also- make sure you go with a company that properly filters your water like Everlasting Tanzania. We talked with people before our trip that went with a company that boiled the water but because they used the same containers with the pre and post boiled water, they also used a sterilite filter to ensure the water was okay. You will be drinking a lot of water. Don't go with a company that requires that extra effort. We never additionally filtered any of our water or avoided any food they gave us including fresh fruit and vegetables and neither of us had any issues at all. Their staff knows how to take care of our weak American stomachs. We brought the filter with us but after talking with our guide who said that none of their people ever have problems, we decided to trust them and were absolutely fine. The filter pumps directly into your water bottle and bladder so it has no opportunity to get contaminated. Traveler's diarrhea would end you on this trip so I'm happy we went with a company in which we didn't have to worry about that! This also goes for any lodge during the safari- any drinking water, fruits, or vegetables that they give you are safe.
At first, I thought it was unnecessary to get a private tour but I was grateful due to all of the changes we had to make. This company only does private tours so the price they give you is for a private tour. Their prices are incredibly competitive with those that put you with a big group but you get their complete attention. It felt strange that we had 15 people (2 guides, 1 cook, and 12 porters) working to get us two up the mountain. But not having to share a mess tent or toilet with anyone during covid was really nice. And we could not have been as flexible with our schedule changes with a bigger group. If you are going to do something like this, do it right so you only have to do it once!
Our itinerary also changed last minute to include an extra night at the Safari lodge in Arusha and altering our safari to get covid tested. For an extra $50, Everlasting Tanzania picked up a doctor from the hospital and brought him to our hotel for the covid test so we did not have to wait in line and figure out their local hospital. WORTH THE $50! We got our results back that same afternoon and were able to go on the safari without worrying about whether we'd get the result back on time before our flight.
We did a two day safari. We went to Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater Parks. Both were incredible. The volume of animals that we saw was impressive. Our guide, Soloman, was incredibly knowledgeable and great at spotting the animals. He was the first to spot a leopard and it took me a while looking through binoculars to find it. How he saw that while driving, I don't know! Thanks to him finding it and us pointing it out to another guide who called it in on the radio, everyone in the park was able to drive over there after we left and see it! We also saw 6 lions, 3 black rhinos, and tons of waterbuck, impala, baboons, vervet monkeys, golden jackals, spotted hyenas, elephants, giraffes drawf/banded mongoose, hippos (in and out of the water!), more elephants, zebras, warthogs, buffalo, wildebeest, common eland, thomson/grant's gazelle, and still more elephants then I knew existed, and tons of birds (cormorant, egrets, herons, ibis, storks, flamingos, cranes, vultures, guineafowl, weavers, ostrich). The parks were beautiful and Tarangire was unique with the baobab and acacia trees. The safari vehicle was super fun with the pop-up top so you can stand and view the animals. As with the theme, they had more snacks and drinks then we could consume. It was comfortable but too short of a trip!
This company ran like a well-oiled machine from the moment they picked us up from the airport to when they dropped us off after the safari. The porters were kind, professional, and amazing at their jobs. All the transportation was reliable and on time. The safari was two days of solid animals. Every lodge that we stayed at had wonderful staff and amenities. The food was great. The rooms were great. The flowering landscaping and swimming pools were great. This was truly the vacation of a lifetime and the only thing I wish was different was having more time for a safari. We are honestly looking at returning in a couple years and doing Mt. Meru and a longer safari. It was that good. You will not regret booking with Everlasting Tanzania!
Email Marika | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari
Our tour guide was amazing, helped us take great pictures and was non-stop taking pictures on his phone. You could tell he loved his job, the only guide I saw on the trip taking pictures. We saw lots of animals with loads of interesting info.