African Breakaway Safaris
- Located In:
-
Netherlands
- Price Range:
- $180 to $700 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
NL
Email Jaap | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A fantastic safari Adventure
African Breakaway Safaris are very responsive and easy to work with. As normally independent travelers we had lots of suggestions and questions about what we wanted to do and where we wanted to stay. They answered all our emails promptly and gave us the information we needed to make decisions without trying to steer us in one direction or another.
Our trip was well organized and executed without incident. They arranged our flight from Dar es Salaam, to Seronera in the central Serengeti, 10 days of safari and accommodations in the northern and central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park, and the flights to and from Zanzibar as well as accommodations on the island. Our guide, Joachim, was an absolute gem and often worked very long days. He picked us up at the Seronera airstrip and stayed with us for the 10 day safari as we opted to drive between the northern and central regions of Serengeti National Park.
More on African Breakaway Safaris - Our vehicle had seating for 5, although there were only two of us. Our vehicle was only a 3year old and in great condition. Joachim took a lot of pride in the vehicle, washing it every single night and showing up in the morning with the Land Cruiser looking clean. Joachim had 6 years experience and was really great at spotting game, the guy is real good in birds. He'd often point out little bird that we couldn't possibly see and explain everything related. Now sometimes he'd pass drivers and they'd stop and compare notes, but often he relief upon his keen eyes to see animals I couldn't believe he could see. He was also very skilled at putting the vehicle in the perfect spot for photographs such as to avoid too much sun. And he quickly learned what interested us, and would ask when we were ready to move on. We were also impressed that he would always help out other drivers who were stuck. Before we left on the safari, I wondered a little how some companies could charge so much less for the same itinerary - I think I now have an idea.
One of our favorite times of the day was cocktail hour, and we made sure Joachim joined us every time. He was a pleasure to spend time with and I'd highly recommend him and African Breakaway Safaris
Roads - Yes, some bumpy roads, particularly on Ngorogoro highway to the Serengeti. Also, though I heard so much about the dust, perhaps the extended rain season caused much of the dust to dissipate. For only about an hour of our whole trip did we experience dust, but we watched just how quickly the roads dry and the dust comes into play, as somewhat moist dirty roads quickly became dusty with a little bit of sun.
Camera - I used my Canon Rebel T2i, and my lens 18-55mm which was easy with the minimal dust. off course, there were a few instances where I wish I had 400mm, but really only a few. I thought my Canon served me very well.
I brought two 32gb photo cards and that was more than enough. I had two batteries, but because I was always able to charge my battery, I never needed the second.
I also recommend 1-2 pairs of good binoculars. We had one and also used the one pair in the vehicle occasionally, but our pair was much better and it was fun to evaluate the animals' behavior.
Clothes - We bought some Ex-Officio bug resistant clothing before the safari and it seemed to work well. I didn't get bit while wearing it. And the light colors came in very handy for the brief 10 or so minutes where we drove through a tsetse heavy area in the Serengeti (they stuck mostly to Joachim, who we tried to assist - poor Joachim! . . . we never got bit).
We did laundry at Serena Serengeti and Ngorongoro Serena lodge. Note that if you are at Katikati camp, they will not wash underwear/socks.
I know people say it's not a fashion show, and we had mostly ordinary neutral clothing, but a lot of people did dress slightly nicer at night. So no need to, but feel free to bring one decent outfit - many did.
Weather - pretty much perfect everywhere on safari, although Tarangire was a bit warmer. But for the most part, warm with cooling breezes, although my jacket came in handy a couple of times, including near the Crater.
Money - US$ were fine and accepted everywhere.
Souvenirs - I'd say you're better off buying them in lodges. You can stop at shops along the way, but you better negotiate hard and be willing to walk away because most everything was priced higher (and much higher) than the shops at the lodges and camps.
Medications - Of course we had our yellow fever shots and our malaria medication (malarone) among other items. I found mosquito wipes came in handy instead of spray (but I still got bit).
Electrical/cell phones/wi-fi - This varied from place to place. I unfortunately had to be accessible by BlackBerry and for the most part the Airtel network was fine. WiFi was often pretty good at some places. During our game drive hours we had Wife free on our safari vehicle; you can always charge your electronics.
I didn't need a converter, just an adapter. And to make it easy, I had a three outlet plug, attached it to an adapter, such that I only needed 1 adapter. I thought this was a good idea.
Overall, a great trip. So many animals, and so many babies - zebras, the couple wildebeest, elephants, baboons, cheetahs, lions, even a newborn giraffe. I just couldn't get over how spectacular it all was. We were generally pleased with our accommodations, which I'll review in more detail separately. And we were also very pleased with African Breakaway Safaris and Joachim (again, we'll review separately). This was the best trip I've ever taken and I wish I could return now.
Thank you so very much
Jaap van Baarlen
Email Mark Sebastian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent climb of kilimanjaro
We had 2 great guides, Ernest and Emma and a nice crew who helped us reach the top of the kilimanjaro. The trip was unforgettable. We learned a lot of the local habitat and the masaai tribe. On top of that we had lots of fun climbing to Uhuru Peak. Thanks everybody at ABS.