Reviews
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Email Patty | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Adventure of a lifetime!
Our family did a 1 week safari with Alex in the Serengeti and had an outstanding adventure when our son was in the Peace Corps! Alex always knew where to find the animals - almost like they "popped up" when they saw him coming. Everything was "off road"! His knowledge about the animals and their habits made him an excellent guide. He speaks very good English, in addition to Kiswahili and Maasai. Having grown up and lived all his life in the area made his a great resource on the culture and history of the area. Some of the other safari companies had fancier looking vehicles at the time, but they were the ones who asked Alex, on several occasions, to tow them out of the mud (we traveled in January, the rainy season). So we had the best ,most reliable vehicles! We were also very pleased with the quality of the accommodations and places we visited that fit our budget. Another favorite part of our safari was when we were able to convince Alex to join us in the evening for dinner and stories about our families. I would highly recommend Larga safaris and we hope to travel again with them some day!
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Email Chris Prestegard | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The best safari driver/guides for experienced wildlife photographers
I've been using Alex Marti, the owner of Larga Safaris, as my driver/guide in Tanzania for 4 years in a row and already signed up for 2017. I've had over 55 days of experience with Alex and he was a referral from a photo buddy who had used him for several years in a row as well. My photography focus is on the big cats, especially young cheetah families which are the most difficult to find, and I've had home runs on every safari (see wildliferyhms.com). Alex has been driving/guiding since 1986 and he has extensive experience at all of the Tanzania parks plus some experience in the Mara. Finding a driver/guide who knows how to support the needs of serious wildlife photographers is not an easy task and I find Alex to be the best of the best; i.e., he's an excellent driver, follows park rules, knows how to find animals on his own (not just follow other vehicles like most Tanzanian drivers), is tireless and flexible, and gets you in the right shooting position quickly. His son is also one of the driver/guides and he has an extensive network of experienced drivers buddies to fill in when more are needed. Alex owns/uses land rovers which I prefer over land cruisers and they are serviced after each safari. I know his entire family and they are delightful. Payments are made via wire transfer and I've never had a problem sending payments to Larga Safaris from the U.S. Alex is fun to talk to because he's a first generation Maasai, has lots of interesting bush stories to tell, and he's very involved in the local community. As a company owner, Alex is very responsible concerning client safety/health and since I'm a female photographer who often travels alone, this counts for a lot. I highly recommend Larga Safaris if you're an experienced photographer/seasoned traveler and have the patience to do what it takes to get great images. Larga Safaris specializes in cultural safaris too and friends have enjoyed that aspect of their visit to Tanzania as well, in addition to a wider range of wildlife viewing.
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Email Don and Sue Wester | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
More than just a safari
This was more than just a wild animal safari--although we saw many more animals than we expected, and in their natural habitat. We have fond memories of the night sounds in the safari camp...the distant roaring of the lions and the morning wake-up call of the superb starling. We watched genets in the rafters in the evening and dik diks outside the door as we drank our morning coffee. Alex and Allen, our two guides, also focused on many social aspects of Africa. We visited a self-sustaining orphanage founded and run by a local Masai nurse, a new high school in Arusha and a facility for disabled artists, using recycled materials. We were privileged to listen to a newly formed Masai Women's choir singing African music in the Marti's Lutheran church and to visit several indigenous societies, including a Masai village, a Datoga tribe making jewelry from found metal objects and the elusive Hadza hunter gatherer tribe. Our guides were very knowledgeable not only about the ecology of the animals and the land but also the history of Tanzania and of the lives of the Tanzanian people we visited. We gained a deeper respect for both the beauty and the humanity of Tanzania, as well as the well-documented wildlife. Our experience, including the contribution of our guides' knowledge, very much exceeded our expectations.
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Email Annie Thoe | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Alex Marti of Larga - the most capable, caring & knowledgeable guide; loved his stories!
This was a tour of a lifetime. Alex Marti and his crew took us to excellent areas where we truly felt in the wild of Tanzania. He knows the locals, the parks, the animals and habitats. He understands and works to preserve the culture of tribal life and has a deep reverence for the land and wildlife. I felt safe and cared for-- and had many amazing encounters with elephants, lions and many others. I cannot say enough about Alex and his crew-- at the end of our time, I felt I made a dear friend and would recommend his company to anyone.
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Email Stephanie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable family vacation!
I went on safari with Larga when I was volunteering as a Peace Corps volunteer and my grandparents came to visit. Larga safari went above and beyond to accomadate the interests of my family and me. We visited three tribes, and we were able to get a glance at how these tribes lived. Both Alex and his son Allen have impeccable English and we enjoyed many meals talking with them and sharing stories. We visted Manyara national park, Ngorongoro and Serengeti. The lodging was nice at all of them and they served great food. We really enjoyed staying at a tented (Still had running water and real beds) lodge in the Serengeti where we were able to hear lions grunting and communicating at night. This is a smaller tour operator so it was all nice supporting a family run business.