Chabo Africa Safari
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 1997)
- Member Of:
- TTB & TANAPA
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $95 to $1,050 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
AT
Email Stefanie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome Safari-experience, worth all the money!
We (4 girls) spent 2 1/2 days at the Ruaha Nationalpark (2 days of gamedrive and a walking safari) with Chabo Africa. The communication via Email was okay, there were some misunderstandings but in the end everything worked out perfectly. Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and a bottle of water per day & person were included and the food was really delicious. If you want coffee or Softdrinks you should take some money with you, because you have to pay for them yourself. Chabo Africa picked us up in Iringa and after a bumpy 2 hours car ride we checked into the accommodation (nice and cheap bandas inside the national park with private bathroom - totally fine). Afterwards we had lunch and started with the gamedrive. We saw a lot of different animals (lions, leopard, elefants, zebras, giraffes and so on). Our driver was very reliable, on time and friendly, he showed us all the animals but he could have given us a little more information about them. All in all the price was good and really worth it because we had a beautiful trip and were very happy and satisfied. We are totally recommending Chabo Africa to everyone who wants to have a nice and "cheap" Safari and we would totally go with them again.
SE
Email Anders | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Four days of amazing safari in Ruaha NP
After visiting Ruaha for safari for four days in the end of June, we would like to thank you for a very good arrangement!
Especially we appreciate our guide Frank, who took very good care of us. He appeared to have very good experience and knowledge about not only the big animals, but also birds and smaller mammals, and even bees.
He also showed very good understanding for the kids, and always put security first.
Furthermore, the accommodation was fully satisfying, also a special thanks to our chef, for supplying us with nice food.
We find the arrangement well worth the money spent, and also appreciate the help with transport and hotel-booking before and after.
It was an experience of a lifetime for us, and we will happily recommend Chabo Safari to our friends, and hope to see you again in the future.
Best regards
Anders Sandberg
Anna Löfroth
Lund
Sweden
US
Email Lilly Olson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
BiBi is taking her family to Tanzania; everyone in our group, ages 9- 82 had a great time!
Communications were prompt and informative during the planning of our trip. I had been to TZ 8 times so knew what I wanted to experience with my family. Chabo was very helpful in working within my budget and planning an efficient daily schedule for us. Our driver/guides Ernest and Modest were engaging with all members of our group. They were prompt, our lodging was excellent, guides had a wealth of knowledge and were great at spotting game out on the vast Serengeti.
The final day of our trip, two of the grandchildren were ill with fever and aching, feeling lethargic. When asked about the possibility of Malaria, they agreed that the two should be tested. They found a place that did the testing with results in 20 min., one tested positive and they promptly found a pharmacy that provided the medication and Modest interpreted the instructions carefully for us. Even tho there were 2 nurses and a medical Dr. in the group, they were not familiar with tropical diseases so having their (Modest and Ernest) concern and expertise was important to us in finding a lab to do the testing and a pharmacy for the medication.
DE
Email Benjamin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience in a group of four (plus guide)
What can I say? Our Trip to Ruaha National Park and Udzungwa Mountains was great! Our guide was Serafino, who is very experienced and also a funny, decent and modest guy.
Everything went fine (well, we had a flat tire at 60 mph but Serafino handled it very well, and his driving skills are excellent, by the way), Chabo Africa adapted our safari to our plans. We wanted to travel from Dar Es Salaam to Iringa by airplane, and wanted to leave Udzungwa by airplane, too, which went very well - thanks to Auric Air, who offer direct flights from Dar Es Salaam to Iringa and from Kilombero (Udzungwa) to Dar Es Salaam.
The tour was totally worth the price, since we saw all of the big animals which are present in Ruaha National Park (even a Leopard, thanks to a hilarious collaboration between Sarafino and Ernesto, who spotted a Leopard in a tree during their talk while standing side-by-side with their cars, chatting). July is a great month to travel to Ruaha, since it is not rainy season anymore but there is still enough water making it worthwhile for the game to hang around or go for a hunt. There were also lots of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and lions of course (we even saw those.. "cuddling"). The Udzungwa Mountains included some serious hiking (well, at least for us, it was, since we did not expect it to be that exhausting :-)). But the waterfalls and the views were totally worth it!
The mornings and the evenings were also very funny since we had the company of Serafino and sometimes also Ernest, who guided a Belgian group through the same areas simultaneously. The accommodations had a great value for the money, but we did book the budget option, so we did not expect much.
Many tour operators from Tanzania had major trouble with a new tax law that was introduced on very short notice in summer 2016. Due to the new rules, we had to pay an extra 10 % because there was an extra tax on accommodations which cause the majority of the costs. Since my wife lived in Tanzania for 6 months prior to our tour, always reading the newspapers, we knew that this was no scheme or something, but many customers became suspicious and cancelled their tours (instead they booked in nearby Kenia or Zambia, where taxes were not increased).
All in all, we would like to thank Chabo Safari for our great trip. It was a real adventure for us, since three out of four have never been outside of Europe before. My slightly younger sister is extremely frightened of flying (including crying, refusing to board in the first place etc.) but she went through all of that. Afterwards she said that she would do it all again, since she never saw something even remotely exciting like the wildlife in Tanzania.
BE
Email Caroline and Bart | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful moments
We had a wonderful time in Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park and on the private island Bagamoyo! Everything was well organised! Elen and Ernest prepared our program that succeeded to all our wishes. We were so fortunate to have Ernest as tour guide. He is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about his job.
The accommodations were great too. We would recommend Chabo Africa Safari to everyone who wants a safari fit to their needs. Thanks for the wonderful moments Ernest!
AT
Email Claudia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall an amazing experience with wildlife and people!
The colors, the sounds, the wildness, the smells, the intense intellectual challenge of learning as much as possible about all that was around me. It was a world apart from everyday life, and thus, a perfect place for an adventure.
Everything was perfecly organised and our tour guide, Modest from Chabo Africa Safari, is very professional, knowledgable with a good sense of humour. He has extremely good eyes for all animals, is an experienced, safe and patient driver, and last but not least, has consulted our wishes. A journey to remember.
The people are friendly and welcoming, and the scenery and wildlife are amazing. I can really recommend to book a customised safari with Chabo Africa.
CA
Email Jean | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experiences with an excellent guide and a very helpful company.
We were extremely pleased with both our budget safaris arranged through Chabo Africa. Our guide Modest was extremely knowledgeable with regard to all the animals and birds. It sometimes felt as though we were in a National Geographic documentary, as the information provided was so complete. He was excellent at finding and spotting game that we would have never seen. He is very personable with a good sense of humour and his English is excellent. He was on time and we were happy with his driving. Our communication with Chabo (Elen and Modest) was prompt and clear. Through many conversations with Modest we were able to learn a lot about present day Tanzanian culture which greatly enhanced our experience during the trip. We were so pleased with our experience in the Southern parks, that when our previously arranged safari in the Northern parks with a different company fell through due to payment issues, we requested a recommendation from Chabo for a Northern safari company. Modest said he could do the Northern safari for us as he had worked in that area also. Within a day or two, Chabo had a new personalized Northern safari all arranged with Modest as our guide again. We were thrilled to be met In Arusha by Modest a couple of weeks later to go on our Northern safari. Our Northern safari proved to be just as good and interesting as our Southern one as Modest proved again how good he was at spotting wildlife and explaining their different behaviors. We would highly recommend Chabo as a company and Modest as a guide for anyone who wants to go on a safari and experience Tanazania.
CA
Email Tami | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Chabo Africa Safari exceeded our expectations...in every way, from start to finish!
Chabo Africa Safari exceeded our expectations, from start to finish! We had an amazing 8-day safari through Selous and Mikumi, ending in Ruaha. Having requested a ‘Budget / Camping’ level of accommodation, we were prepared for a little ‘adventure’, but were pleasantly surprised with the variety of great lodgings: from permanent ‘tents’ overlooking hippos bathing in the Rufiji river to the lovely TanSwiss hotel with a pool, thru the more rustic Ruaha Bandas and the friendly Neema Craft House. Our guide Modest was outstanding, from our first phone conversation to arrange our pick-up in Dar Es Salaam, until our Safari was complete, he was prompt, professional, and personable! (and a patient, safe driver as well!)
Chabo is a very small safari company that made a very big impression with our group. They are Tanzanian owned, employ local people, and provide a very dedicated service; with extensive knowledge of the parks, the animals, the traditions and culture. Elen, who organizes bookings, quotes, etc. was very thorough and efficient. Despite a 10-hour time difference, most of our email questions were answered within 24 hours. The payment process was flawless; Elen provided very detailed information for the successful wire transfers.
With all those details so well taken care of, we were set for an amazing experience! We chose the ‘Southern Route’ safari, largely because it is the ‘less travelled’ and ‘less busy’ route, although we were aware that we might see fewer animals than the northern route, we would also see fewer people and have a more natural viewing experience. Our guide Modest’s amazing intuition and experience repeatedly lead us to incredible viewing opportunities, from waterholes with various species cautiously approaching to drink, to up-close, fresh lion kills where the dominant males were gorging while the females and youngsters lay panting in the shade, licking their wounds sustained in the hunt and resting from the exertion while awaiting their turn to feast. From giraffes and elephants to hyrax, kudus and zebras, dik-diks to jackals, crocodiles to hyenas and warthogs, the list goes on, not to mention the incredible array of bird species! Each day included multiple viewings, with Modest sharing his vast wealth of knowledge on the various plant, animal and bird species and their place in the environment.
Modest and Chabo Africa set a high standard for customer care, taking care of every detail from the moment we met up in Dar through to our flight from Iringa. Modest’s great sense of humour and his competent, considerate nature made it hard to say goodbye. We would certainly recommend Chabo Africa for your Tanzanian Safari adventure!
Great safari in Southern Tanzania
I went for "8-Day Southern Tz Safari Selous/Mikumi/Ruaha/Udzungwa".
Ruaha was very nice! There were a great numbers of Impala, giraffe, elephats, and also lions.
And three elephants came into the campsite, just front of my banda!
We wished to changed the schedule, staying longer Raha instead of Udzungwa, and Elen arranged for us.
Thank you very much, we really enjoyed Ruaha!
Our driver told us the best season of Ruaha is September. So I like to come back to Tanzania in September.
US
Email Chen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great, affordable tour
I went on a 1-day tour led by Chabo Safari with a group of American students. Ernest and Chabo Safari took care of all the logistics for transportation, food, and housing. We were picked up at our hostel and taken directly to Ruaha National Park. I was very fortunate to have Ernest as tour guide, as he was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about ensuring we had a great experience. On our way to Ruaha, Ernest told us about the history of Iringa. Overall, the trip was excellent and I really enjoyed the adventure with Chabo Safari.