Open Africa Safaris
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Member Of:
- American Society of Travel Agents
- Tour Types:
- Budget & mid-range tours that, when possible, use accommodations owned and operated by them
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $75 to $500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
"Awesome Safari Experience!"
I took a safari with my husband and my 6 year old daughter. John and Anthony were extremely helpful and knowledgable. They made us feel as if we were part of the family. The people we met did not treat us as foreigners, they treated us like friends visiting. Other travelers I spoke with talked of villagers charging them for a simple photo. We were invited into their homes. I had such a wonderful experience, I cannot wait until we go again and this time volunteer at an orphanage through Open Africa Safaris. I highly recommend Open Africa Safaris to any traveler who wish to get not only the real Adventure experience, but also the best service in general.
ES
Email anteide | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thieves
How is it possible that this guy is still offering on the net? How can one stop an evident thief?
Again, do not use them, do not book with them and do not pay anything!
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Email Keith | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
BEWARE: INSOLVENT BUSINESS. DO NOT SEND MONEY
Open Africa Safaris is run by John Williams, who is a middleman for safari tours. The business is insolvent and John took my payment but did not forward it to the African operator Dilunga (even though he kept assuring me he would), so I could not do my safari. DO NOT SEND him any payment. Use another agency.
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Email Kent | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trustworthy, organized, affordable - a great experience!
My wife and I had a fabulous experience with Open Africa Safaris! It was nerve wracking to arrange a trip like this without the help of an experienced travel agency. With seemingly hundreds of safari organizers to choose from, it was quite time consuming to narrow down the companies based on our desired itinerary, trip cost, and of course a company that appeared organized and trustworthy. Let me save you time – look no further, go with Open Africa Safaris!
Open Africa Safaris was willing to customize our trip in most any way, from budget to mid-range to luxury, from a few days to many days, from safari only to inclusion of a side trip to the beaches of Zanzibar. We were not up for a “budget” trip – sleeping in tents and sleeping bags was ok when we were younger, but we want nice, clean beds now. Luxury trips seem horribly overpriced to me – you can spend thousands of extra dollars for what I think would be marginally better lodging, and maybe pampered hot lunches with beer and wine – not at all worth it in my opinion. The mid-range trip suggested to us seemed just right, with my exact desired itinerary, and the price was great, compared to many others I had checked.
I exchanged about 20 emails with our contact at Open Africa Safaris (John). I asked MANY questions, asked for references, questioned just about everything I could think of. He responded timely (not immediately, but always in a very reasonable amount of time), politely and patiently. But in the end, I still had to trust a fairly small company to deliver on their promises. A deposit was needed, and full payment was required about 30 days before our adventure. Would they deliver? Could this be a scam? I continued to be nervous literally until I was met at the airport after getting off the plane in Tanzania. But they were there just as promised, and everything went great for the next 7 days, all the way through taking us to the airport to leave!
The lodging choices they selected for us were wonderful! The hotel in Arusha City was older and not in perfect repair, but it was still clean, with good and very tasty dinner options, a nice pool, pretty grounds – and this was the “worst” of our lodging. The other places we stayed were wonderful, including the luxury “tented camp” in the middle of the Serengeti, which was a marvelous experience! All the facilities were clean, available showers ranged from good to great, there was wifi available in all places (ok, not high speed but who cares?), and we were always able to charge our electronics. The dinners were definitely better than I expected, and wine and beer were available for purchase if desired. We had available hot breakfast options each day. The lodging staffs were always very attentive. We felt safe everywhere. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for more.
Our tour guide, Simon, was excellent! His heavily accented English was still quite good, and he did a great job navigating the parks to give us the best possible animal viewing. Animals were very plentiful to see, and we had close up encounters with many – lions, elephants, giraffes, cape buffalo, and more. The only Big 5 animal we didn’t see up close (and I mean very close) was a rhino, of which we only saw one, and that was at a distance…oh well. Simon had binoculars available to use, which was quite nice. The box lunches while on game drives were plenty adequate (generally chicken, fruit, bread, a cookie or two, juice, water) though not fantastic.
All in all, the trip was everything I could have hoped for, and Open Africa Safaris was just great! Many thanks to them for making this “bucket list” trip a major success!
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Email Jessica | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"Unforgettable Safari Trip!"
We were a group of 6 and booked our safari with Open Arica Safaris after visited thier website and read their good reviews. We visited Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti National Parks. Our Safari guide Anthony was an amazing on spotting animals and showed us the best sites to take photos. We stayed at the Sopa lodges which were a god send after a long safari. I would recommend booking a safari trip with Open Africa Safaris. Thank you, we had such a great time!
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Email Jerry | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari exprience!
My girlfriend and I just came back from a mid-range Safari and Zanzibar tour with Open Africa Safaris which is a local Tanzanian company. John was really helpful and his responses were timely. The price was not over the top for the tour that we got. And yet, the accommodations and food were fantastic. Anthony, our safari guide, was not only experinced, but also very friendly. We couldn't have asked for a better guide. He is extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife, birds and all parks of Tanzania. He also has the best vision and pointed out things that we could until we got our binoculars out. He went out of the way to ensure that we had the best trip and also suggested changes to the itinerary to maximize our time. We will highly recommend Open Africa Safaris to any one who wants to get the best safari experience. These guys are well trained and organized.
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Email James | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The most uniforgettable Trip Ever!
I have been to Tanzania two times and I have done multiple safaris with different companies, Open Africa Safaris provided the most personal, educational, and enjoyable safari yet! Anthony was the name of the guide we had during our safari and he was extremely knowledgeable about the animals and culture. Tim was another guide that worked with the group that went and he was just as delightful to be around! In fact, I cannot imagine having done safari with anyone else! In additional, Tanzanians are very friendly and welcoming people, they made us feel comfortable the whole time we were there. I highly recommend Open Africa Safaris if you are looking for an educational, exciting, and memorable safari as well as time in the beautiful country of Tanzania! Thank you Open Africa Safaris.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Service.
Open Africa Safaris is providing a perfectly organized schedule for Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP and Ngongoro Safaris. They are very good in communicating with clients. The drivers are well experienced and flexible, and the served meals are so tasty. The price performance ratio is in the top quartile of all offers. Indeed, Open Africa Safaris provides Perfect service to their clients. I will be more than happy to book my next tour with this company again. I strongly recommend joining Open Africa Safaris for safari tour in Tanzania.
US
Email Rebecca | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing family experience
I took my family on a safari with John and Anton. They were so knowledgable about the wildlife and the culture of the area. We saw every animal there was to see and we're not disappointed in the experience. Anton and John took care of my family as it was their own.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"Life Time Lasting Safari Experience!"
My parents booked our tour with Open Africa Safaris at the last moment. The company was not only extremely responsive, but also flexible with us. John was very kind and patient through our communication about our trip. He was so quicky to answer all our questions we had. He also explained every expectation of our trip, such as the weather in Tanzania, visa application process, flight tickets purchasing options and much much more. His communication with us was absolutely excellent. He made very good suggestions on where to go and what to do in Tanzania. On our arrival at the Kilimanjaro airport, we met our tour guide Anthony, he was a 30+ year very kind and friendly. He is extremely knowledgeable and well known by the locals. During our safari, we ended up seeing way more animal babies and wild life than we ever expected. we also loved our visit to Maasai boma on our way back from safari. The tents, mattresses and sleeping bags were new and clean. I highly recommend Open Africa Safaris to any traveler for unforgetable safari experience.