Reviews
Email Davide | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Six day safari (luxury option). Pros and cons
Victor replied to my request for a quote very promptly. He arranged a pick up from Arusha airport for the following day. We discussed the details of our upcoming safari in his office in Arusha, and one day later we were on the road for our 6-day safari. After making contact with Victor, we researched a bit better and came across a few reviews about him which put us a bit off. In particular, what didn't convince us was the fact that he suggested to pay half the safari via card and the rest via cash - without giving us valid explanations as to why he preferred this option. We insisted and eventually we paid the total via card. There was a minor change in the original itinerary, which he told us about the day before departure, and which did not really change the quality of the trip. As mentioned, we were a bit concerned given the previous negative reviews (not of Care Kilimanjaro, but of other companies he managed in the past). I have to say, in the end we were actually very positively surprised. He threw in the price an extra night of accommodation (the first one in Arusha), the pick up from the airport, and upgraded us to a better hotel for two nights of the trip. He was also very kind to send one of his guys early in the morning to our hotel, two days after the safari ended, because we had realised we had forgotten our Tanzania travel guide in the car. This was really kind of him.
Our guide duirng the safari was Peter. A knowledgeable guide, but we had a few instances in which he wanted to impose his agenda over ours. In particular the first day, when he was pushing for us to go to a curio shop to buy souvenirs at the end of the first tour of Tarangire National Park. We politely declined and said we preferred to stay longer in the park, to which he told us that we wanted to teach him his job, and even accused us of manipulating the other couple that was in the car with us to agree with us on not going to the shop! We were all quite shocked by such an angry reaction. Also, at times during the trip, he was rude with my wife - to the point of telling her "I don't talk to you", more than once. Very unpleasant.
Besided these episodes and the lack of manners, he did his job and drove us safely to the Serengeti and back. Also, he was good in spotting animals during our game drives.
Overall, our experience with Care Kilimanjaro was good - in spite of all the concerns we had before the departure and despite the difficulty we all had in dealing in a relaxed way with our driver. The car was solid, and Peter solved quickly a couple of mechanic problems. The hotel choice was really excellent. The animal spotting was impressive: we saw 25 lions during the whole trip (some of them hunting), two leopards, three cheetas, a black rhino, and countless elephants. Well done Peter in spotting the cheetas and well done to me (Mr Lucky, as he called me) in spotting the second leopard in Lake Manyara Park ;-)
Victor means well but he needs to be more organised. He told us initially we would have been six people in the car. It turned out we were four (two couples). This meant more space, of course. But then why did he tell us six? On the second day a fifth person joined us. This person, and the other couple with us, also complained about the conflicting info we all received about the group. This is not a major problem, but makes people a bit suspicious and shows that the tour operator is trying to squeeze in different travellers with diferent packages into a single car. So in brief he should be more transparent and more organised. Also, the whole cash Vs credit card payment was confusing. One of our fellow travelers, who joined us for one day only, had to handle cash given to her by Victor to our driver, and then to another driver later in the day. She seemed (and rightly so!) quite stressed having to carry around about 900$ in her purse. This was, obviously, unprofessional of Victor.
Again, more tansparency is needed, so that people who have spent quite a lot of money on a safari trip can relax and just enjoy the scenery, istead of having to deal with all these issues.
CZ
Email Jozef | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4 day Semi Luxury Safari in Tanzania
Hi,
This was our first Safari so can't compare but I have to say that we loved it. The communication with Victor from care kilimanjaro was quick and he explained a lot. We opted for semi luxury option (Rhino lodge in Ngorongoro + 2 tented camps in Lake Manyara & Serengeti) and all of them were really awesome. No need to worry if you choose this option. All accommodations were spacious, very clean, had comfortable beds and even private bathroom with towels and toilet. All of them also had an electricity plug so we could charge our electronics every day.
I really appreciated that Victor organized for us both transfers from the airport and 2 nights at the hotel in Arusha. We stayed at Venice hotel which locals refer to as "VEry NICE" - can't argue with that. Everything went smoothly and we had a great rest before & after Safari.
We had a 9-seater Toyota for our game drives which was fine. All are window seats so it doesn't really make difference how many people are with you in a car. We didn't feel jammed or somehow limited by other people + we were a pretty good group so had a lot of fun together. From what I saw all other companies are using the same or very similar cars. Our guide wasn't the most communicative one but he had a great eye and spotted loads of animals and this is really what matters the most.
To sum up we had an awesome experience. There were few minor misunderstandings that are really not worth mentioning but you need to realize this is not Germany. I would recommend this company to anyone especially for their price to value ratio.
Jozef
HU
Email Donat | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfectly organized Safari! Had a really good time.
The whole experience was amazing. The communication was perfect, we got a nice descripton about the Safari in advance. The guide had very good knowledge. All the accomodations are nice and clean and the staff is helpful everywhere.
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Care, expertise and friendliness - great company
This was my second climb to Mt.Kilimanjaro in 6 years. In 2008 I climbed with another company, we were 4 people and 2 of us made to top. This time (March 2015) we were 7 people climbing and after long search and discussing we decided to go with Care Kilimanjaro. So I can compare the services and professionilsm of both companies. Both time it was March and Marangu route. I should say I am very happy that we chose Care Kilimanjaro. Their communication (Magreth) was very professional - and beleive me, I had alot of requests and questions for them. Pricing is flexible and really best value for money. As for the climb itself - the guides Andrew, Zakayo and Musa are really very professional, experienced and carrying. Our group of 7 people was in 29-60 years age range, 3 men and 4 women, with different mountaineering experienced - from Himalaya to none. 6 out of 7 reached Uhuru, thanks to the guides and supporting team. Also, Care Kilimanjaro organized after - climb trip to Ngorongoro Crater to safari and 3 days hiking at Usumbara mountains (Lushoto). Everything was superb and if we come back to Tanzania, I will definitelly want to be with Care Kilimanjaro again.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All we expected ...and More!
We were delighted with our 13-day safari as organized by Care Kilimanjaro. They were the first to respond when I sent out an initial query to 5 companies, and peter gave us everything we asked for--a specific itinerary, a guide knowledgeable about birds, walking safaris, etc. He was also incredibly patient and prompt in answering my subsequent hundreds of questions. Our vehicle was comfortable, our guide miraculous. Thanks to John we had some amazing experiences (such as being the only vehicle waiting patiently while a cheetah dozed in the distance, then watching it wake up and amble toward us and cross the road right in front of us). And thanks to his sharp eyes and patience, we identified over 180 bird species (quite remarkable since we are not very professional about bird watching)!
I should mention his driving skills also, easing the vehicle through mud and roads turned into rivers while cars were getting stuck all around us.
All in all, we are happy clients indeed.
Safari in Northen Tanzania
We booked a tour with Care Kilimandjaro in June 2015 (10 days) in order to discover the wildlife of Tanzania.
3 days in Serengeti and Ngorongoro with an excellent guide and cooker.
We visited Kilimandjaro area, waterfalls, Masai tribe around Arusha and Mto wa mbu for culture.
Everything was well.
If an unexpected event happens, Peter finds quickly a new solution.