East Africa Wild Adventures
- Located In:
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Canada
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, APTA & Consumer Protection BC
- Tour Types:
- Custom luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $480 to $1,200 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Gary | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfectly Planned and Executed
USE THIS OUTFITTER if you are planning to visit East Africa - Everything we planned went perfect and Alym Bhanji (native of Kenya, owner, and trip coordinator for East Africa Wild) did an incredible job of talking to and learning about my wife and I and then putting together an itinerary that fit us perfectly and then took care of every detail so that it was truly the trip of a lifetime.
Three and a half weeks, four countries (Tanzania - Rwanda - Kenya - Seychelles) , twelve flights, six airport pickups, ten lodges, six parks with permits, and thousands of animals - all without a single glitch.
Alym is headquartered in Vancouver BC so it was very easy to coordinate all the planning without worrying about time changes. He has staff in East Africa that catered to our unique trip and were very accommodating to any and all requests. We took over 9,000 photographs and never felt rushed. Every lodge was incredible (Nature One was a life changing experience), the vehicles were in great shape and every driver was safe, considerate, knowledgeable, and a lot of fun (at one of the camps we stayed in, the camp coordinator went out of his way to tell us our driver/guide Selemani was the best he had seen based on reports from his staff). With no one to compare Selemani with, I can only say that we saw every animal (except an Aardvark which became a running joke) and most birds in the Guide Book including over 70 Lions, 9 Cheetah, 8 Leopards, 3 Rhino, 19 Gorilla, 100s of Hippos - Warthogs - Giraffe - Monkeys - Baboon - ++++, and 1000s of Elephants, -Antelope - Zebra - Wildebeest - Gazelle - and Impala. Selemani was able to spot a Rhino from the top of the Ngorongoro crater over a mile a way without binoculars (we could barely confirm using binoculars). He knew every dirt road in all the parks we visited - it actually seemed like he had made appointments with the animals so they were nearly always where he thought they would be. I guess that comes from doing your job for over twenty years and still loving it. They also arranged six dives and a snorkel trip to see Whale Sharks.
Karim was our guide in Rwanda and was the perfect host setting us up with the best guides for the Gorilla trek. John was our guide in Kenya and was masterful at shuttling us to the different sites - the best being Sheldricks elephant orphanage where Alym had arranged for my wife to adopt a baby elephant so that we were able to get a private tour and spend time with the orphaned baby elephants. I can't say enough about how well the trip was executed, we are veteran travelers and there are always a few things that go sideways but not this time. The biggest hiccup was the room we reserved in the Seychelles was supposed to be ocean view and they showed us a garden view - a quick call to Alym and we given a ocean view room, a bottle of champagne, an apology from the management, and a free dinner. Alym had immediately called the hotel (5:30am his time) and straightened everything out in less than 30 minutes from my call.
The trip came with a cellphone app that detailed out every day and activity of our trip that made the trip easy to track and was great to show friends. We spent about a month soliciting and reviewing bids from twelve different tour companies prior to picking East Africa Wild. Alym submitted a letter of interest within 24 hours and gave us an initial bid within 3days and then spent about three weeks putting the trip together, adjusting the itinerary and confirming all the details. During this time the bid didn't change. From the time we requested a bid until we returned home, Alym would return calls, texts, and emails within a couple of hours.
I can't imagine how our trip could have been any better and it was all due to East Africa Wild.
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Email Kingsley from Colorado | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Going on safari in Africa was a childhood dream and and it was everything I dreamed of and more.
At the age of 67, I finally realized my childhood dream of going on safari in Africa. For 4 months, Aleem of East Africa Wild and I had an ongoing email relationship exploring different options for a trip to Tanzania with my 27 year old daughter. He was always responsive, patient and knowledgeable while we finalized a 6 day private tour to Tarangire, Olduvai, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. It was everything I dreamed of, and more, as we saw all the animals I wanted to see and witnessed a spectacular Grumeti River crossing of the migrating wildebeest. Our driver was amazing at finding animals, very informative and accommodated all of our requests. Although I have traveled extensively this was truly an experience of a lifetime. We loved Tanzania and the Tanzanian people and would encourage anyone to explore this part of the world and we thank East Africa Wild Adventures for making it happen.
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Email David C. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
African Safari excellence
I wanted a two-week, non-group safari, doing and seeing things typical tourists don't experience and got much more than expected for an unbelievably reasonable price. The details and our concerns were handled expertly and hassle-free (because the owner has lived there and knows the right places and hotel/camp owners, etc., making him an invaluable resource). He made special arrangements to accommodate our schedule and desires. From being picked up at the airport to being delivered to our final destination, our driver made the entire Safari worth every penny. He made us feel safe and secure at all times. He knew the animals and their habits, the plants, tribal culture, politics, economics, roads and geography, and became our friend. We would absolutely use East Africa Wild Adventures again and highly recommend them to you.
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Email Abraham | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the greatest experiences of my life!
I had read all the positive reviews in advance, which convinced me to choose East Africa Wild Adventures, yet it still managed to exceed my high expectations. From the beginning, they were super helpful in providing tips and information on how I could maximize my time in Tanzania. We spoke briefly over the phone to discuss options and I was very satisfied with the options they laid out for me. Once I arrived to the airport, my guide, Hassan, was wonderful: an expert in the region (I learned so much about the region and its history from him) and in wildlife scouting, actively helpful at all times. He ensured that I had the best time I could have, and I definitely did. Again, I had high expectations given all the positive reviews I'd read, but even those expectations were exceeded from the moment I arrived. Next time I plan a trip to East Africa, I will for sure work with them again.
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Email LK & Kyle | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dream come true!! East Africa Wild created a safari experience that exceeded all our expectations!!
From the start, Alym was very attentive in understanding our preferences and booking the right itinerary for the season. He is extremely knowledgeable about Kenya and Tanzania, and he was able to place us in lodging near some excellent wildlife viewing over the holiday season with relatively short notice.
We had an unexpected travel delay and, as a result, we were going to arrive many hours late to start our safari. We were panicking so we called Alym and he immediately snapped into action solving the problem. He quickly arranged for ground transport early the next morning from Nairobi to the Tanzanian border. Our guide, Usiah, picked us up and we barely missed a beat, seeing elephants and lions that afternoon in Tarangire. This level of service was well beyond our expectations.
Usiah was a wonderful guide and has decades of experience. He has a sixth sense for where the animals reside and was able to bring us to them well before other guides. Over a week's time, were able to see over a dozen cheetah, at least 50 lions, as well as multiple leopards and rhino, which are unfortunately quite rare and endangered. We experienced the wild drama of the Serengeti, seeing the Great Migration and predators on the hunt. We came back with incredible photos and memories and cannot recommend Alym and East Africa Wild highly enough! Stop reading through reviews and call Alym; I'm so glad we did!
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Email Jessica Eremita | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely Organized! Amazing Experience! Outstanding Customer Service!
From the very beginning, working with Alym on planning our dream honeymoon was such a great experience. Alym is the type of guy that just oozes passion for what he does and for the entire safari experience. He and his team just wanted us to love Tanzania and safari as much as they do! He worked with us on tailoring the itinerary to exactly what we were looking to do/see and stay within our budget.
We stayed in the most beautiful hotels and absolutely loved our guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and very easy going. We felt like we were with a pro!
This was the trip of a lifetime, and we highly recommend this company! Every need was met and our guides and accommodations were fantastic! We could not have had such a smooth trip without them! We will be using them for all our future trips to Africa!
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Email Cherise | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our Kenya & Tanzania safari was a trip-of-a-lifetime and far exceeded our expectations!!
After reading tons of online reviews & corresponding with several safari tour operators, I decided to book my family’s 14-day Kenya/Tanzania safari adventure through East Africa Wild. During my initial phone conversation with Alym, it was clear that he is customer-focused and truly cares about his clients. He asked me questions and listened to my thoughts in order to understand my needs, desires & budget so he could design a customized itinerary specifically for my family. Alym is an expert planner…he is incredibly knowledgeable, detailed & responsive. He took care of every detail from the minute we were greeted at the Nairobi airport to the time we were dropped off at the Arusha airport to catch our return flight home.
East Africa Wild assigned private drivers/guides to us during our trip. Carlos was our tour guide in Kenya & Usiah was our guide in Tanzania. Their service was outstanding! Both of these guys were super friendly and went out of their way to make sure we were happy at all times. Carlos & Usiah were incredibly skilled at spotting the animals & knowing where to find them. We checked all the boxes on our list of “dream-come-true wild animal sightings,” and then we saw those rare animals again…and again! Carlos & Usiah also shared a lot of interesting information about the local people and their culture. We couldn’t have asked for better tour guides.
My family and I had been dreaming of taking an African safari for many years, and our recent trip far exceeded our expectations!! The people of Kenya & Tanzania are extremely friendly & welcoming, and the wildlife is unbelievable! There are no words to describe how awesome it was to have the amazing animals within a few feet of our safari vehicle and lodges/tents. We got some incredible pictures, but nothing compares to the excitement of being there to experience it in person. The Big Five…the wildebeest migration…I am still in awe!! Hopefully, I’ll be able to return to Africa to repeat this adventure-of-a-lifetime. If I do, I will absolutely reach out to Alym at East Africa Wild to have him plan the trip for me!!
CA
Email Elizabeth | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent itinerary to provide an incredible experience
When I started to plan our trip to Kenya, I quickly realized that I was out of my depth. So many options, so hard to decide where to stay (it is not the amenities, but where the lodges are located which we now know can provide a completely different experience). A friend of mine recommended East Africa Wild Adventures and from our first phone call I realized that Alym listened and wanted to know what type of trip we were looking for to tailor the experience to our tastes.
The interactions were excellent and he quickly put an itinerary together that was fabulous in paper and really awesome when we actually did it! Absolutely mind blowing! We saw so many different things and every location and lodge had something unique that differentiated it from the other lodges.
We slept at the roar of a lion in a place without walls (creepy but exhilarating as we felt completely safe throughout our journey) sharing full days with the Maasai community in an experience that will be with us for life, we heard hippos literally outside our tent and got asleep to the grunt to wildebeest pasturing outside our tent in Maasai Mara.
The drivers/guides were excellent and eager to show us what real Kenya is! Very important when you are sharing so many days together. We developed a friendship and we will remember them forever.
I strongly recommend this company: they are knowledgeable, always available and you can feel your money was well spent!
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Email Tyler from Vancouver | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A true, personalized, and attentive experience
My wife and I booked our honeymoon in Tanzania through East Africa Wild, amidst the pandemic and craziness happening in the world, and could not have been more satisfied.
Alym and his partners took very good care of us. They were always available to answer questions and help us feel comfortable, before and throughout our trip. The attentiveness to our concerns could not have been better.
We stayed 6 nights in Tanzania - one night in Arusha, one in Tarangire, two in the Serengeti, and one at the Ngorongoro crater. The hotel and lodges met or exceeded our expectations (especially Maramboi). Our driver was fun, friendly, patient, and very knowledgeable about the wildlife and vegetation. We saw everything: big 5, big cats, Rhinos, and more. The experiences were incredible!
Our itinerary was custom built and perfect for us. It considered everything from dates, lodges/camps, routes, expectations, and more; It was truly a personal experience. We then checked very similar itineraries against competitors (e.g. big name companies and local operators) and East Africa Wild provided better service and better value for money (before booking the trip). Now, after the honeymoon, we can also confidently say that we were NOT let down by the quality either. Our guide, our accommodation, our welcoming, our farewell, every detail, was met or exceeded expectations.
We highly recommend working with East Africa Wild to have your dream safari come true.
Finally, while in Tanzania, COVID-19 was among the least of our concerns. There is as much or more of a risk at home than any of the lodges or camps we stayed at.
Thanks Alym, Hasan, and the rest of the East Africa Wild team.
CA
Email Karen C | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Service
We had a memorable Kenyan safari with the help of Alym at East Africa Wild. I had never been to this part of the world before and did not know where to start. We eliminated other tour companies on our list because we found Alym to be most prompt in responding, personable, and attentive to our requests. He set us up with a private driver, Baraza, who was an excellent, highly skilled guide throughout our time in the Masai Mara and Samburu. We felt safe and taken care of. We would highly recommend Baraza as a tour guide. All our accommodations were excellent. We were most impressed with Alym's response when our plane was delayed and our arrival into Nairobi was going to be significantly later than planned. We contacted Alym as soon as we knew we would not arrive on time. He assured us that he would contact his people and we would be well received no matter what time it was. We were relieved to find attendants waiting for us to escort us through the airport quickly. That set us off on a good foot despite the lack of sleep due to the flight delay. We would highly recommend Alym and East Africa Wild to anyone looking for a personalized safari.