Our UK groups right from the summit of Kilimanjaro
Barafu Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range & luxury)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $250 to $550 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Ascent to Kilimanjaro
Unforgettable experience to the top of Africa through Machame Route. Getting to the top is not only a mountaineering trip but a travel into human boundaries. Crossing multiple ecosystems from the forest to the glacier is something unique. Sharing the experience with the the team and in particular the magnificent guides and porters has been simply wonderful. Thanks to everybody and Barafu Tours and Safaris for accomplishing my dream
One Dream, One Team!
I had originally planned my trek with another company; however, the group I was going to join cancelled at the last minute, and thankfully, a group going with Barafu was willing to let me join them. I consider this a great stroke of luck, because I could not imagine a better tour company. We did the eight-day Lemosho route, which was gorgeous and allowed us to acclimatize properly. Barafu rented me a few things I needed for the journey and even lent me a water bottle when I found out at arrival that plastic water bottles couldn't be taken into the park. The staff members for Barafu are what made the trek so great; our guides were knowledgeable, intuitive, friendly, and always put our safety and well-being first. Indeed, the head guide, Shani, and the server, Willy (or Yoda, as we came to call him), felt like family at the end of our eight days together. The sleeping mats and tents were really comfortable, and the food was great - especially the hot and delicious soup at every lunch and dinner, the many varieties of veggie sauce, and fresh fruit at almost every meal. The mess tent was super comfy too, and we always had coffee or tea available. Chance, the manager of Barafu, was great at replying to my emails quickly and answering every question I had! A driver picked me up at the airport at 2:00am, which blew my mind, and the hotel that Barafu put us up in the night before and after the trek was by far the nicest place I've ever stayed while traveling internationally. The only thing I wish were different is our summit time; because we left from base camp before midnight, we got to the summit before sunrise, and it was too cold and windy to stay there for more than a few minutes. This was the choice of the group, however, and not the guide's choice. If he recommends a 3:00 am ascent to you, I'd take the suggestion! As a solo traveler on a budget, I cannot recommend this tour company highly enough - they made my trip outstanding, and I can never forget this experience!
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Email Julian | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best decision I could have made and I can't recommend these guys enough
I summited Kilimanjaro with several friends and we used Barafu ( 8 day Lemosho ) and it was the smartest decision we could've made. It was very important to us to use a local company to keep money flowing into the local economy. The upside to going local is that you're going to get the best advice from people who live it 24/7/365. I threw numerous questions at Chance throughout the planning stage and he got back with me in a timely fashion. Our guides, Rapha, Winnie, Ashim and Mohammed were the best. The food every night was better than expected. At every turn the guides were concerned about everyone's well being. They weren't just concerned but were also inspiring and you'd be surprised at how far that encouragement goes. Lastly, I couldn't have made it to the top had it not been for Winnie literally pushing me up the mountain. I cannot recommend Chance and his company high enough. Super added bonus: The price was extremely affordable. Worth every cent.
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Email Clay | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exactly what I was looking for in my African adventures!
Was very impressed and and happy with Barafu and my choice to choose them to make my Kilimanjaro dreams come true! Their professionalism and safety were unprecedented and because of them, my brother and I were able to conquer the summit. The Rongai Route allowed us to see some wildlife and also avoid the crowds. I'm not used to hiking with hundreds of people, the this was the route for us. Barafu treated their porters with respect and in return, they worked harder for us. I never once felt uncomfortable or in question of their service. Thank you Barafu for everything! We will be back!
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Email KateV | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trek with Barafu tours and our fantastic guides, Sauly and Jonas.
Our experience with Barafu Tours on our Kilimanjaro climb was absolutely wonderful. From start to finish we knew the plan, what we needed to achieve each day, did some afternoon acclimatization hikes and made it to the top in one happy group! We took the Rongai route, 6 day trip. Our trek was 4.5 days up and 1.5 days down via Marangu. There wasn’t a moment where I was scared or felt overwhelmed or unprepared.
Our guide Sauly and assistant guide Jonas were exceptional. Each evening we had a briefing where our vitals were checked and Sauly did a check in with us to see how we were feeling to gauge the inevitable effects of altitude. In our briefings we discussed what to expect next on the trail and what to expect along the trail. Sauly was extremely knowledgeable, not only about the mountain and the trek but also about the tribes living on the mountain, flora and fauna we passed along the way, interesting sights, histories of how people have used and revered the mountain throughout history, things along the way to entertain and educate us. Other climbers would ask him questions because their guides weren’t a good resource. If I hadn’t had such an experienced and knowledgeable guide, I may not have made it! It certainly wouldn’t have been as much fun.
Our porters were fantastic and enormously impressive, breaking down camp for us each morning, sprinting up the mountain and setting it up before we arrived. I have nothing but great things to say about Charles, the cook. The soups we had every night were delicious and soothing after the day’s trek.
An added benefit, and one of the reasons we chose Barafu, is because they are a locally owned Tanzanian company, so we felt good that the fees were staying in the country and benefiting the local economy.
Also, book your hotel through Chance at the Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel, it is lovely, convenient and they will let you store your extra luggage there while you trek.
One thing to warn you about, while it’s a good idea to rent a few items, note that the price list online doesn’t match what you are quoted. It seems to be out of date.
IL
Email Talia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience, outstanding staff & service!
We had an amazing, trip of a lifetime through Barafu Tours! We did both the Kilimanjaro trek and the safari and both were outstanding!!! It was very important for us to book our trip through a locally owned tour company, nevertheless, we were a bit nervous. After speaking with Chance, I was reassured we would be in good hands, but once we got there I realized we were in excellent hands.
We hiked on 6 day Machame route and reached the top due to our outstanding guides, Mohammed and Juma, who were 100% dedicated at all times to making sure we would succeed and were committed above and beyond to our safety. Thanks to Abbas, the stomach engineer, we were very well fed and fueled at all times, and I very very much appreciate the extra mile they went especially to make sure I had plenty to eat (I'm a vegan). The porters gave us top-notch service, made us feel at home at each stop along the way and went the extra mile to lift out spirits. Shout outs to Pray, our server, who always put a smile on my face, and to Amiri, who saved me going down the mountain. We had the BEST crew!!! The attentive, personal support and the warm dedication was really what made the trek and our summit so memorable.
We originally had booked a 7 day trek, but we finished Kili in 6 days, so when we got back from the trek, Chance was awesome and made last minute arrangements for us to have a super cool day in Moshi where we had a cool coffee-making experience/tour and swam in really sweet waterfalls.
Our safari was outstanding as well - Cippy, our guide, is the man! We saw the Big Five - rhinos, elephants, lions, cheetahs, and buffalo, all on our first 2 hours at Serengeti. He was always making sure we got the photos we needed, finding for us the local banana beer we discovered 8-), knowing exactly where to spot the big cats and the other animals, and overall had a great playlist of Swahili rap/reggae during the jeep rides. Each park has its unique view and wildlife, and Cippy made sure we made the most out of each day. For accommodations, Chance hooked us up with really luxurious spots to sleep at where we immensely enjoyed our nights.
Overall, we are super super glad we booked through Barafu and recommend our trip to all our friends and family. We couldn't have asked a better experience! If I could give 10 stars here, I would!
Email Charlotte | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Literally breath taking
After scouring the internet for a tour company that was regarded as high quality, safe, respected its porters and local to Tanzania, we came across Barafu Tours. Seven other climbers and I took a leap of faith and contacted this small company to find out more information. We received rapid and detailed responses from the director of the company, Chance. We had already completed extensive research related to the risks of the climb, the gear needed, the available routes and what to expect and felt pretty clued up. However the advise and guidance from Chance was invaluable to anything we found on the internet. No question was too small (or silly) for him to answer. After bombarding Chance with questions and realising just how flexible and accommodating he was willing to be, we booked with Barafu; best decision ever
As soon as we arrived in Tanzania we were picked up by Barafu, which Chance had arranged for us. Alex, the driver who picked us up was completely friendly and gave us a warm welcome, he even taught us our first Swahili words on the way to the hotel. The hotel we stayed at has a contract with Barafu tours and is amazing. It is called the Kilimanjaro Wonders hotel and I would highly recommend it. It is more than comfortable, offers lovely views and the staff were exceptional. They didn't just help us with everything but were warm and friendly too.
After the first night in the hotel, we met up with Chance the next morning, he was just as friendly and helpful in person as we'd imagined. He introduced us to our team that were to take us up the mountain. We had three guides; Mohamed, Dula and Amidayus, they were high spirited, knowledgeably and completely professional and were a huge factor in making our trip so memorable. Dula knew everything about the mountain, including all fauna and flora and was happy to point it out along the way. Amidayus taught us some great Swahili and didn't mind our terrible pronunciation too much and Mohamed ensured we were safe at all times. By the end of the trip it felt like we were saying bye to friends.
As well as our amazing guides, we met our cook, Abbas, the stomach engineer and our waiter-Pray. The food on the trip was amazing-especially the soups. You have to expect your appetite to drop as you go up the mountain, however the quality of the food made you want to eat. Pray the waiter had to be one of the highlights for me. Nothing was ever too much for him and by the end of the first two days im pretty sure he had a nickname for every one in our group. The one day i didn't feel too great he was continually checking I was ok and raising our spirits with songs. Finally, we are not to forget the 23 porters that made the climb with us. Never have I had so much respect for anyone. They happily carried around 25kg each up the mountain and offered to carry our day packs too if we were struggling :O. They always had a smile and the welcome song they gave us at Barranco camp was nothing less than amazing.
Thanks to this amazing team, all 7 of us successfully reached the summit and have memories I'm sure we won't forget.
After a short break we carried on with Barafu tours on a 2 day safari with our tour guide Richard. Richard again was highly knowledgeable about the national parks and the animals within it. After only half an hour into our safari we saw almost all the animals we had wanted to see, which was mind blowing. Richard managed to get us up close and we had some amazing views. In fact the views were almost as good as the animals themselves.
The safari van itself was extremely comfortable and offered a new experience of driving altogether.
If I could go back and do it all again with this company I would.
Ice team!
Barafu Tours and Safaris
Used Barafu Tours & Safaris for my recent (11/19/16) climb up Kilimanjaro, and my expectations and mind were blown by the excellent service provided by the Barafu family. Our guides (Shoutout to Imran, Mohammed, and Rafael) were patient, knowledgeable, and easy to hang with. Our food was restaurant-quality (Chef Abbus) and served by Pray, our thoughtful waiter. The climb was tough mentally, physically, and at times, emotionally, but the support we received offset any difficulties naturally occurring on the mountain. Highly recommend and would use again for future climbs and services.
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Email Jason | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
Had an incredible time hiking Kilimanjaro and going on safari tours with Barafu Tours and Safaris. All the people we met on this trip were extremely friendly, professional, and flexible to our needs and requests. They exceeded my expectations. Highly recommend!!
LB
Email Gilbert | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Looking for an agent to climb Kilimanjaro? Below is the answer
We did Safari and climbed Kilimanjaro via Machame route/7 days with Barafu tours. It was an amazing experience with the team, they are really professional...all of them. The porters were incredible, too much energy and we had a lot of fun with them. The guides were awesome they have too many info to share. We ate lots of great food thanks to the cook. Also we experienced an amazing full day of Safari at Tarangire park and we see the big animals. Thank you Barafu team for the non forgotten experience!