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
CO
Email Daniel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable!
Our 7 days-safari in Tanzania with Open Africa went far beyond our expectations!! it was an unforgettable experience, not only because of the beautiful lessons we got from the nature, but from the world-class service offered to us. I will thank forever Open Africa Staff, specially, our experienced driver Eric and John, the company manager, for taking care of every detail of our trip making it perfect, and for being such a warming people to us.
Email Clay | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfectly Tailored Safari with Great Service
This company went above and beyond to plan the perfect safari for my wife and I. John was extremely responsive to my many queries and was more than happy to accommodate all our needs. We were keen to spend as much time as possible in the Serengeti (4 days), with 1 day in Ngorongoro Crater at the end. John and our guide, Asman, set up the itinerary so that we saw all different parts of the Serengeti comfortably. Asman was super friendly and clearly very experienced as he constantly communicated over the radios to ensure that we didn't miss any of the key sightings. And the animals ... so many animals ... absolutely amazing! We saw cheetahs and lions every day in the Serengeti, and then managed to complete the Big 5 with rhino sightings in Ngorongoro. We highly recommend you choose this awesome Tanzanian-owned company that offers great value, tailored safaris over the bigger foreign-owned companies.
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Email Ciama | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience, will do it again!
I booked a safari trip for my mother and I with Open Africa Safari and from beginning to end they went above and beyond to meet our needs. John who's located in the States answered all my questions, concerns and worries and his team in Arusha really did delivered. From Anton who picked us up at the airport to Ossman our safari driver and guide I really don't know how to describe it. They were very professional, nice and went out of they way to show us as many animals as they could. Open Africa Safari really delivers to you the safari you want. If I ever plan another safari I will definitely book it with this company. Thank you for this unforgettable experience.
Sincerely, Ciama.
Great experience!
Since the first day we felt super comfortable with the guide, he is very professional. The car was very good and comfortable, we felt safe every moment during the safari. What we negotiated through the webpage was exactly what we had on the safari. I think it's a great company to travel with.
The national parks were amazing, people everywere was really nice to us. :)
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Email Mark H. | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding service great adventure
Really liked that I had someone in the United States to talk to. Open Africa was always available to answer my questions.
IT
Email Patrizia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing experience, safe, complete, fun and informative
The competence and accuracy of the tour operator was great. They answered all my questions and tailored the trip to what we asked. The accommodations, guide, vehicle were all excellent.
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Email Sandeep | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very personal, custom and enjoyable experience
John and his team (Tony, Nico etc.) were great to be with. Not only did they take care of every little thing (got a cake for people with birthdays, vegetarian food, hot water showers etc.), they were very professional with everything. We had a 10 day safari (Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro) with them. In a safari, you not only spend a lot of time with your family but also a lot of time with your guides and other staff. And we came away with a really good experience every moment. The staff were courteous and accommodating (hot water baths, twice a day for some in our group!). They took us to all the right places, we saw the big five. Several days, we would end up going beyond the allotted time by 2 or 3 hours and Tony/Nico never once complained. In fact, they suggested other things we could do, places we could see. We had lunches and dinners and breakfasts with them and it was a lot of fun over. My two year old daughter absolutely loved 'Mr Tony' and 'Mr Nico' and still listens to the Hakuna-matata song that Tony performed for her.
I can't forget Tony stopping the jeep 5 feet away from a pride of 10 lions or coming 15 feet from an elusive rhino or seeing the first sunlight on the serengeti or a baby giraffe and mom walking into the sunset or so much more...
The last day John got wooden toys for my daughter's birthday and bought us lunch. They dropped us off at the airport and waved us off.
Tony and his team speak very good english and they know Tanzania very well. Tony was a Kilimanjaro porter for many years and has tons of experience in all things Tanzania or Kenya. John goes back and forth between US and Africa to ensure he takes care of his clients. We even got to know their families on the trip even though we did not meet them. We actually plan to meet them now that we are back in the US.
We stayed in good accommodations and it was very comfortable overall. A part of our group went to Kilimanjaro and they were impressed by the food (3 course hot meals), acco (tents with mattresses) and luxuries that came with it. They sang and made merry all the way to the top. When one of them had altitude sickness they took care of that person with a lot of care.
Overall, a phenomenal tour. There are companies which are more expensive and some which are cheaper - I doubt if you will find one that is such a great value for money. Not only did we see the big five (which was the most important thing for us), they made is super enjoyable for all of us, including my two year old.
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Email Mohammed | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Safari + Kilimanajaro Climb
We recently returned from an 8-day safari + 6-day climb (Machame route) with Open Africa Safaris. They made our trip truly wonderful.
From the very beginning John (who is based in the US) was very responsive and provided detailed and useful information as we were planning and customizing our trip. We were a large group of 12 including a baby and they ensured and every one of us was well taken care of. All the suggestions provided and the final trip turned out to be perfect. Our guides/drivers for the safari were Tony (actual name Anthony) and Nico. Both were extremely fun and knowledgeable and ensured that we saw all the animals from up-close at times taking us to parts of the park where we were the only ones so that we did not have to compete with 50+ other vehicles to see animals.
After the safari a few of us climbed Kilimanjaro and this was organized by Open Africa Safaris as well. The guides (Omben, David and Justin), chef and porters were all very helpful and entertaining. We had a fantastic climb where they encouraged and assisted us in every way possible. Ultimately most of us made it to the top.
Outside of the safari and climb, John (who was visiting Tanzania) and Anthony took personal care of us. Picking us up from the airport, arranging for activities on other days, showing us around the city etc. They truly became good friends and we look forward to doing more trips with them in the future.
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Email Richard Burns | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime! Open Africa exceeded every expectation and delivered the most memorable trip!
Open Africa exceeded our expectations. Everything communication leading up to the trip and the trip itself was professional but with a friendly touch. John and Anthony worked very hard to make our trip go without a hitch! Anthony even took a day on his own time to take us to an orphanage and show us around town. The safari itself was unbelievable! Our guide Said was awesome. He was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly in explaining and answering any questions we posed to him. I would highly recommend Open Africa, they delivered on everything we wanted for our trip.
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Email Lisa | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great company and safari experience!
I booked a small group, midrange, 6-day safari with Open Africa Safaris. From beginning to end it was a great experience. John was very prompt with returning emails and calls, and answering all of my questions. I have food allergies, and he put me at ease that the lodges would be able to accommodate them. Since I was traveling alone, my time was split between 2 groups. The parks visited and accommodations remained as planned. The lodges and permanent tented camp (Serengeti) exceeded my expectations, and they did accommodate for my food allergies. Both guides I had, Omary and Paul, were great. I was impressed with how they navigated the vehicles through the parks and their knowledge about the wildlife and agriculture. The customer service of Open Africa Safaris is top notch, and this was a trip of a lifetime. I learned they will arrange for volunteer tourism in Tanzania as well if you're interested in that. They were also very prompt with my airport transfers. I would recommend them without hesitation!