Kilimanjaro Champion
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $70 to $780 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
very good and reliable as well as cheap company to book a safari!
Everything was fine and the staff is very helpful with organizing the safari you want, so they take time to text you. Moreover they paid our flights without our payment in advance, which no other company would do and we are very thankful for it. The safari guide Toni was excellent, because he knew everything and was very communicative, as well as the other staff members who were also kind. I would again choose this company to travel with, because you can't find a cheaper one, which is as much as reliable as this one is! :)
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Highly experienced, fun, and professional company.
Everything was great, I had an amazing time and they truely made it a wonderful experience. They kept in contact with me and up to date prior to arrival and all the way through my trip. From the moment I landed to the moment I took off they made sure I had nothing to worry about. The tour guides were very knowledgable and provided great service. They were extremely flexible and were able to easily accomodate me when I wanted to make changes to my tour plan. Everything was taken care of so I could just focus on having fun and a great experience. Highly recommended if you want a stress free, worry free, and unique experience.
US
20-35 years of age
Stay away!
I signed up for a 6 day Marangu trek. When I was on the mountain the guide told me they had only planned for 5 days, because of which I had terrible altitude sickness and could not summit. I had signed up for 6 days because I knew the risks associated with a 5 day trek and I can not believe that they risked my life for their profit. Do not use this company at any cost and go for a more reputable operator.
Both George and the guide were unorganized. I never got a free stay at the hotel as the itinerary stated. There was no debrief before or after the trip and at every point they tried to get more money from me where they could. I would go as far as saying that this company is a total sham.
DE
Email Stephen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safe, Low cost, very flexible and wonderful staff!
We had 10 days and George and the team organized a tour for us.
1day other people joined in the car but most of the time we were on our own.
Our driver for the 6 days in the parks was Oswaldo, who speaks perfect English and was very professional.
Food was great, always slept in a confortable bed and we always had hot showers except in the serengeti.
If I could I would do it again, maybe paying a bit more for lodges and no tented lodges.
IT
Email Fabio | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dreaming of Tanzania
We choosed the George's company (Kilimanjaro Champion) because we liked the idea it has been founded by a Masai woman and of course for the affordable price.
Passed the initial organizational problems, because of:
1) Our English is not very good
2) George is a very very very busy man, but do not be discouraged, persevere! :)
then we had the most inspiring, adventurous and exciting experience of our entire life.
The safari's staff was composed from the driver called Mr Peter Kimpinga, aka "The teacher" but for us "Mr 150% guaranteed" and Samuel the cook, a very kind and funny person and obviously a very good cook.
Every meal was good and the staff provided to all our needs.
We felt safe every day in every place, definitely at our own ease and we spent some unforgettable days with this people.
We slept in tented camps and it has been very comfortable, we also had a very fast shower in the middle of Seregenti directly in the tent!
Mr Peter talked us of a lot of things about Tanzania (nature, culture, traditions, people), we much appreciated his openess and his professional skills.
We'll never forget the Tanzania's people, the hundreds of Masai we met, all the wild animals (we saw all the big 5), the Serengeti starry sky, the magic and quiet of Ngorongoro crater, the "Jambo bwana" song that Peter taught us and we used to sing together in the vehicle and their incredible, amazing and true kindness.
We met George twice, at the beginning and at the end of the safari and he has been very kind and helpful with us.
We also met his wife and his little son! :)
So, we recommend to contact this company, don't hesitate!
George will customize your safari and will make it funny and interesting, trust me!
Many thanks to you again George for making our dream true!
We hope to see you again, all the best!
Fabio & Laura
US
Email Douglas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome adventure
What makes this company great is the people that run it. The main man, George, was most accommodating, communicated well and remained agile as we wished to change our previously agreed itinerary at the last second. We had done multiple safaris before getting to Tanzania so we grew tired of it and since we originally had planned on doing 5 more days of safari we asked if we could change it up. George gave us options to choose from which included staying with a Masai tribe as well as hunting with the bushmen. We opted to do both since we were craving new experiences and adventure instead of sitting in a truck for 8 hours looking at animals. Both were amazing experiences and highlights of the trip. Since there was an obvious language barrier between the Masai/bushmen/locals and us, we needed a translator and a guide. This is where George delegated Gidion to hang around with us for the duration of our trip and make sure we are happy and comfortable. Not enough words could explain how awesome Gidion is but we are now friends and will keep in touch. Every night after our excursions, George and Gidion would buy us dinner and ask how it is going and how can they can make the experience better. The customer service was phenomenal, I highly recommend and will be back.
NL
Email Erik van t Hof | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great company, complete arrangements
We had a great time with Kilimanjaro Champion. As from the first contact by mail with George. He made us a personal itinerary bases on our wishes. Then from the pickup from the airport to the dropoff at the airport it was arranged. During the safari the acccomodations (hotel before safari as well as the tent during) were great. The driver/guide George was also great, he knew a lot of the animals and was helpfull. During the safari we had our own chef which made breakfast and diner and he did that very well. You get a lot of value for your money with this company.
I can recommend Kilimanjaro Champion to everyone.
US
Email jake | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Avoid at any cost!
While the web-site gives the impression of a real company with full stuff and an office, providing well-planned service to the tourists, this is very far from what we have experienced during our trip
Mr. George Nagol was very attentive during the initial stage when we interacted over E-mail, but once the money had been paid he essentially disappeared and did not answer any of the questions except saying that everything is ready for us.
In fact, when we have arrived to Arusha nothing was ready for us. Our first two days were completely ruined because the “Company” did not provide adequate transportations so one the first day we could not make a trip it to the Masai village (for which we paid $300) because ”the road was bad” and on the second day when we were supposed to do a short trek at 3000m ($600) the van provided by the company (which did not have a 4 wheel drive) got stuck in the mud and instead of trekking we had to push it uphill in the rain. We did not do our trek and got no apologies.
The things got only worse on Day 4 when we went for a hike about 200km from Arusha and were expected to be picked up be a vehicle assigned to us by Mr. Nagol at 1PM. The vehicle was supposed to drive us to the airport to take a flight to Lake Victoria (already paid) The vehicle did not show up on time – and we could not reach either Mr. Nagol nor the driver on the phone. Eventually we made it on foot to the camp where we waited until darkness descended (no light!) and still not being able to make contact with Mr. Nagol. We did contacted the driver and he gave us very elusive answers – first that the vehicle broke down then that he was driving someone else. As it turned out Mr. Nagol has sent the driver with other tourists to NgoroNgoro Park thus getting paid twice for the same service. The driver did show up at 7.30 PM with a vehicle full of passengers, drove like a madman and got us into the accident – only the side mirror was destroyed but a few inches to the right and it would have been a full head on collision at 900mph!
Despite fast driving, we missed the flight and thus the whole trip to Lake Victoria for which we have paid in full. Once again – no apologies!
When we have changed the plans and just decided to drive to Serengeti our misadventures did not end. The car kept breaking down on the hourly basis. A lot of time had been wasted. But far worse than that – at the Serengeti park we had to pay the park fees ($240) on our own since according to the driver the company credit card had no money on it. We were promised a refund and of course did not get it. When we got back to Arusha Mr. Nagol avoided meeting us in a hotel and made up many stories about why he can notget money. In fact we are sure that Kilimanjaro Champion is a one man operation with no office or employees engaged in defrauding the tourists.
While with all our negative experiences we had returned home in one piece, it is only a matter of time before something infinitely more serious happens when unsuspecting tourists like us entrust their fate to Kilimanjaro Champion, especially if they decide to do some serious climbing.