Frank Mella - Kilele Savane Director and family
Kilele Savane
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $140 to $1,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
FR
Email Bruno | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
We met Kilele through a friend of friends (her job is to organize upscale safari – so not for us), so it was relaxing not to be afraid of being cheated, as we had read on the internet from other travellers.
Frank successively offered several options until we find the most suitable for our desires, our budget, our planning, with good advice on the relevance of the course, the length of the steps, where to sleep, etc. ... (for example, an unforgettable walk with a Maasai guide close to the Lake Natron flamingos and through maasai villages).
We were able to talk both in French in English with Frank (but only in english with the driver and the cook).
So we visited (in 8 days) Tarangire > Natron > Serengeti > Ngorongoro parcs while camping (except one night in a lodge in Ngorongoro because of the cold), in a nice atmosphere (good vibrations with the driver and the cook, a good opportunity to learn more about Tanzania, learn some Swahili, ...).
Despite our initial reservations (for economic reasons), a safari with a qualified driver-guide really is a good bet: he knows where to find the animals while you only see a bunch of savannah, he can identify and explain the wildlife, and, most important, communicate (in Swahili) with other drivers in the park to find the best spots at a given time.
All equipments were in good condition (4x4, tents, sleeping bags, lamps, tables, chairs, ...)
Food was good and quite elaborate, given the material conditions, with a strong Tanzanian touch (we saw other tourists eat super standard stuff not appetizing).
Nous avons connu Kilele par une amie d’amis, qui organise elle-même des safaris haut de gamme (donc pas pour nous). Ça nous a mis en confiance (je pense à tous les récits d’escroquerie trouvés sur internet).
Frank nous a successivement proposé plusieurs formules, jusqu’à ce que nous trouvions la plus adaptée à nos envies, notre budget, notre planning, avec de bons conseils sur la pertinence du parcours, la longueur des étapes, l’endroit où dormir, etc… (par exemple, une journée de marche inoubliable avec un guide massaï à l’approche des flamants roses du lac Natron et à travers les villages).
Les échanges se sont faits en anglais et en français avec Frank, et en anglais avec le chauffeur et le cuisinier.
Nous avons donc visité (en 8 jours) les parcs Tarangire > Natron > Serengeti > Ngorongoro, tout en camping (sauf une nuit en lodge au Ngorongoro en raison du froid), dans une ambiance sympa (très bon contacts, en anglais, avec le chauffeur et le cuisinier, l’occasion d’en apprendre plus sur la Tanzanie, d’apprendre un peu de swahili,…).
Malgré nos réticences initiales (pour des raisons d’économie), faire un safari avec un chauffeur-guide qualifié est vraiment un bon plan : il sait trouver des animaux là où nous ne voyons que de la savane, les identifier, expliquer leur mode de vie, et communiquer par radio en swahili avec les autres chauffeurs dans le parc pour trouver les meilleurs spots à un instant donné.
Tout le matériel était en bon état (4x4, tentes, duvets, lampes, tables, chaises,...)
Les repas étaient bons, souvent assez élaborés pour des plats cuisinés sur place au camping, plutôt couleur locale (on a vu d'autres touristes manger des trucs ultra standard pas appétissants).
FR
Email Joel carrier | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
very pleasant travel; Guide driververy professionnal et pleasant;
evertyhing was perfect, as we required. Lounges , driving, comments on the animals and wild life in Tanzania.
We'ill recommand Kilele Savane .
CA
Email Arzu | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Customer service and very professional
We had occasion to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro on August 9th. 2014 and had it not been for this outfitter, we would not have accomplished such a feat. We had started to prepare for the climb about a year befire and spent much time determining which outfitter to use. We were concerned because 4 of the 5 climbers in our group were over 55 and one, who was 67, had a heart condition. Our tour operator had recommended Kilele Savane, but we found scant information on the web about this outfitter. We asked for references, which were supplied, but none responded to our inquiries. We also asked a bunch of questions about equipment, food, conditions etc. and all were answered very professionally. In the end we decided to take the plunge after the tour operator mentioned that the owner of Kilele, Frank Mella, had himself been a guide, climbed the mountain hundreds of times in 20 years and that her own daughter had used this outfit.
It turns out that our fears were unfounded - we could not have asked for a better team. We had 19 porters, a cook, two assistant guides and a head guide - a total of 23 support team members. The guides were incredible with a total of over 500 climbs between them. Without their expertise and patience, we would not have made this grueling ascent or descent.
Other little things made such a difference to our experience. Flight delays and lost luggage were handled with ease. Frank himself provided ground transportation to a late-arriving participant, taking him directly to the gate so he could catch up to the rest. He also provided his own sleeping bag, back pack and poles to one whose luggage did not make it. Then there were the times when Patrick (aka Marathon Man) brought us tea one hour before we reached each camp just to lift our sagging spirits. Last, but not least, were the delicious meals and snacks provided by out Masai cook Samson and served by the ever-considerate Ezron. What a team!
I would not hesitate to recommend Kilele Savane and the three guides that made all the difference - John Lyimo , Nyanda Benedicto and Ruta. Their strength, sensitivity and knowledge were astounding.
BE
Email Nina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
reliable and flexible
Very happy with our safari with Kilele Savane! Communication (via e-mail) went very smoothly, the information we got was clear and correct. Although they didn't have a lot of time to prepare our trip as we were very late in booking and confirming the safari, everything was organized very well, and we didn't encounter any problems.
On the safari itself everything went smoothly as well, the driver was very knowledgeable about the animals and their behavior, the cook made delicious food, we camped on different campings who were all comfortable and in very good locations, the equipment was good, the jeep was comfortable and reliable, ... and of course the hundreds of animals we saw - some from very close by! - made the safari something to never forget. I would definitely recommend Kilele Savane to people thinking of going on a safari in Tanzania.
NL
Email Peter | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful experience
We booked the trip by email in front, and we were not disappointed. We did kilimanjaro climbing, machame route. Frank was very helpful planning our trip, also picked us up at the airport and suggested hotel to stay in moshi and arusha. We had a perfect guide, Richard. Also the cook and porters were OK. Only thing is that there was an issue between the company and the crew, and we were in between, that was not so nice. I would recommend this company!