Getting muddy in the Serengeti
Kusini Safaris
- Located In:
-
United Kingdom
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Member Of:
- African Travel & Tourism Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $400 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Gustaf | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari in Selous and Ruaha
The experience Paul provided us was better than expected. We couldn't be happier with how everything turned out.
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Email Chris | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All the good, none of the bad
Paul, who I found through this site, did an outstanding job of organizing and guiding my 4 night/5 day photo safari to Ruaha, which we selected based on my initial criteria. He communicated well and effectively, organized all my transfers from the time I stepped off the plane, through my day in Dar, to the time I checked back in. Ikuka lodge, where I stayed, was brilliant (reviewed on Facebook and Tripadvisor). I was concerned that a solo guided trip would be prohibitively expensive compared to the group tour I had expected, but by starting one day later (low season), and not reserving a separate vehicle, we were able to keep the cost within my budget- and in fact we ended up have a vehicle to ourselves the entire trip. Paul did not merely meet my expectations, he exceeded my hopes for this trip; and I have for years travelled on average 200k miles a year globally, so I can say I think my expectations were reasonable.
Friends with more experience of East Africa ( a niece lived there for a year, and has been back many times) had warned me about the dust, the insects, the food hazards,the heat, and the crowds. I experienced none of that- it was hot midday but cool in the mornings and reasonable in the evenings when we did our drives. If you are going to Ruaha, I would recommend Paul in particular, and local Ruaha guides more generally, as they do work together where those coming from Dar do not know the park as well, nor do they share information. In a typical 3-4 hour drive we might see 4 or 5 local vehicles from other camps, always stopping to chat and trade sightings. Along with multiple fresh lion kills (we saw lion on 10 of the 11 drives, counting the trip to and from the airstrip), endless elephants, antelope of all types, hippo, herds of giraffe, zebra, buffalo, we also had an exceptional leopard experience, once with a fresh kill where he stayed in view while we watched for the better part of an hour, and again later that day, after he had moved a short distance. As well as very sharp eyes (the leopard was invisible to me until pointed out under a tree) Paul has a broad knowledge of animals, birds, plants (rattling off the latin names), tracks, bird calls which was both helpful and interesting. Ruaha for me was magical, I cannot recommend the park, Ikuka or Paul more highly.
Email Nadia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
In-depth knowledge, locally based and fantastic guide.
My friend and I had an incredible two week trip to Tanzania this September. The itinerary was perfectly tailored and organised by Paul Tickner Safaris, who use local knowledge to ensure your trip will be a truly enjoyable experience. Highly recommend Paul as a private guide, you will have a lot of fun and I still can't believe his skills at spotting wildlife so well from a distance or through the bush and picking up on tracks! There are a lot of companies and agents in the safari market - Paul Tickner Safaris stands out from the crowd.
Email Gareth | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was an amazing holiday.
I found Paul website on safari bookings and they have received nothing but five star rating. This is deserved rating. Everything was really well organised from start to finish. Gave really good advice on our first trip to Africa. This was our honeymoon and it was a holiday I will never forget. The safari lodge, ikuka was a big part of this (recommend to me by Paul). Ikuka lodge was quite simply the best place I have ever stay. I can't recommend the place enough.
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Email Bill | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Always There
When it comes to a personal safari, we could have never asked for more personal service.. Always there, always on time, always great arrangements. Nothing like have somebody excited and enthusiastic to be with you not only on the game drives, but any other arrangement the group wanted.
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Email Charlie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The experience with Paul Tickner Safaris was Awesome
We advised Paul of the region in southern Tanzania in which we were interested. Paul suggested various
Safari lodges and the time to spend at each lodge. Although, we are in Texas and Paul is in Tanzania with an eight hour time difference Paul was excellent in his timely communications back and forth to all of our questions even the silly ones from the ladies about hair dryers!
The lodges that Paul selected were each different in a way, but all of the choices were excellent and we enjoyed every Safari lodge. We got to know Paul so well through all of the emails that we asked if he could join us for the entire journey which he did for a certain fee. Paul joining really added to our trip. Paul was with us when viewing animals and he is so knowledgeble, he should be a Safari guide! We arrived in Tanzania at about 3:30 am and Paul was at the airport to greet us with transportation to the hotel which he had selected for us. Besides making sure every detail was perfect getting from lodge to lodge, Paul scheduled our day trips and animal viewing which was superb. The trip was more than my dreams could imagine...luxurious lodging, delicious food, good wine and wonderful animal viewing. And Paul's fun personality really added a sparkle to the trip of a lifetime!!
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Email richard kimbrough | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A 2 week, 4 camp photographic safari
Paul did a great job in creating, organizing, and guiding our safari. He dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's. No detail was left unnoticed. Our sixth safari to Africa and Paul was the best.
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Email Marina | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fabulous Safari Experience - Thanks to Tickner Safaris.
My experience with Paul Tickner Safaris was outstanding. Paul spent two weeks with our group as we travelled to Selous from Dar, then from Selous to Ruaha, and back again to Dar. The whole trip was absolutely seamless and Paul was a delight to have in our group. He is very knowledgeable about Africa, the people, the animals, photography, etc., and was very willing to try to answer any question we might have had. I would highly recommend Paul Tickner Safaris to anyone considering a trip to Tanzania.
Email Kathy Shaw | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A once in a lifetime experience
Paul is an extremely efficient and knowledgeable tour manager. The transfer from Dar es Salam to Iringa was well organised and I would recommend the Slipway Hotel, chosen by Paul, to stay in while waiting for the morning flight to Iringa.
Paul recommended the lodges that we stayed in and they were of a high standard from the point of view of accommodation, food and staff who were very attentive to our needs.
Paul is an excellent safari guide and we covered many different habitats while in the Ruaha. He knew the best places to look for wildlife and hence we had excellent sightings of all the larger animals including a young male leopard. He is an extremely accomplished bird watcher and photographer and willing to share his knowledge.
Email Dawn Thinpson | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience
The safari was fantastic! Recommended through a friend, Paul explained thoroughly what would happen on the safari and I was left in the experienced, capable hands of Michael, a Tanzanian guide who was a professional gentleman from start to finish. He knew everything there was to know about the animals and birds and was able to answer all my questions. Despite visiting Ruhua during the grassy, wet season, I was delighted to see a vast range of animals from baboons to lions to hippos to crocs to zebras. It is hard to explain how fabulous and what a one in a million, life-changing experience it was. I felt like I was on a film set. Michael went out of his way to ensure I saw as much as possible in the short time I had on my schedule. I would highly recommend Paul Tickner Safaris!
Thank you for a fantastic experience and memories I shall treasure forever!