Guided Photographic Safari - Meleck John
Parakuyo Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $250 to $950 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CH
Email Thomas and Elena | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Guide with a lot of knowledge
We had a 6 day trip with Meleck John. He is a very relaxing guide and with his experience and relaxing manner showed us the beautiful nature of Tanzania (Tarangiere, Lake Manyara, Serengeti Central, North Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater). We are totally impressed and are already looking forward to the next tour with him.
Thank you much for this week.
DE
Email Susen Gottwald | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable and unique memories and pictures with a perfectly organized Safari tour
10 years ago we had the privilege to get to know Meleck John, who was in 2012 our tour guide for the first trip to Tanzania. In March 2022 we went back to visit the incredible tanzanian wildlife and nature to the end of the rain season. We had chosen by purpose the company of Meleck John. We had pre-discussed the main focus points of our visit and then Meleck prepared the itinerary in detail and sent it back to us. Our trip was perfectly organized from picking us up at the airport through all the National Parks and Conservation Game drive areas, different lodges and tented camps, climbing Ol Doinyo Lengai, learning more about Massai culture, having pleasant discussions during the days until getting back to the airport after 16 days.
We are grateful for the experience we gained and all the beautiful pictures we took. We saw much more wildlife than we expected. We followed the migration on the southern Serengeti plains for a few days. The amount of Wildebeest, Zebras and different Antilopes are just amazing. Not only the big mamals like Elephants, Giraffes, Lions, Leopards, Hippos, Cheetahs, Hyaena, ... are beautiful to observe also all the smaller ones, like all the colorful birds, butterflys, lizards, mongoose, jackals, monkeys, flowers, trees ... just incredibly fitting together. The peaceful mood during the game drives and observations were very relaxing for us.
We will keep our trip in best memory and it was worth all the money we paid. We have experienced Parakuyo tours as reliable and professional tour provider and can recommend it without any restrictions. Meleck was our excellent tour guide for this trip and we truly enjoyed our journey.
We wish Parakuyo tours all the best for the future.
Susen
DE
Email Tanja Kurzenknabe | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
5 stars are not enough for this unforgettable Safari
After ten years my best friend and I did again, a Safari with Meleck John from Parakuyo Tours & Safaris. The complete trip was famous, great, outstanding and unforgettable. Meleck made our journey to a perfect safari. We enjoyed every minute.
The complete tour was tailored for us and our individual wishes concerning the locations and photographing.
Arusha national parc, Tarangire np, Lake Manyara np, Serengeti ecosystem, Olduvai gorge, shifting sand, Lake Natron and Oldonyo Lengai, West Kilimandscharo: All locations are great and special, although the lodges or accommodations there.
Meleck himself is not only an experienced driver, also he spotted so many animals during driving, has got a never ending knowledge about the animals and their behavior.His patience seems to be endless, waiting until we get all our pictures. He let experience us the wonder of the great migration. This was so an unbelievably amazing and heart-touching feeling to stand there with the car surrounded by an endless number of wildebeest.
I was very happy, that Meleck climbed together with us to the top of Oldonyo Lengai, a really hard tour, but also an unbelievable experience and adventure we reached together.
But also he is knows everything about the country and its culture. He is vice versa very interested concerning the clients origin and culture.
So every breakfast and diner was filled with so many interesting and great conversations.
Meleck is a honest, humorous, gentle and pleasant person. It's great to know him and travel together with him. He made us feel safe all the time. Meleck was all the time also very attentive concerning our needs or wishes, sometimes only mentioned during a conservation.
All lodges were top the tents, the food, the service.
Thanks again Meleck for this unforgettable amazing and best experiences of my life.
Looking forward to the see you again and going on safari with you!
US
Email Tammy Johnston | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
6 Star Experience!!
Parakuyo organized my Kilimanjaro climb, Serengeti safari and Zanzibar stay on Spet of 2021.
First, I want to be sure to let readers know that I am not, in the slightest, an experienced climber/hiker - especially on anything over 9,000 ft. Upon arriving at the Machame route gate, Melek John, and his experienced guides KNEW to help me pace myself (pole ploe in Swahili) to ensure I sumitted the mountain. Melek, Idris and Alexander were with me EVERY step up the mountain and down, to ensure my safety and are absolutely responsible for making it a positive and memorable experience.
How Parakuyo was able to top that with a FANTASTIC safari experience is testament to their commitment to their customers. The safari was amazing. We saw the great migration of the wildebeest on day 1. We saw EVERY top animal on the Serengeti except the cheetah. The safari accommodations were top notch: the tents, the food, the service. All exceeded expectations and left nothing to be desired.
Parakuyo is top notch, and unparalleled in Kilimanjaro and safari excursions. I highly recommend them, and want to use them for ALL of my upcoming African excursions if I can.
US
Email Lena Steele | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Meleck is knowledgeable, service oriented & determined to make your experience unforgettable!
I cannot express my level of satisfaction with the service I received from Meleck and his team enough. We were impressed by his knowledge of the animals, their habits and the expertise with which he navigated through the Serengeti. He anticipated our needs and answered all of our questions and concerns with kindness and patience. The accommodations were top notch and we were treated like royalty. The safari experience was incredible! I never imagined how close we could get to the wildlife. The staff was passionate about making sure we enjoyed our time in Tanzania to the fullest. If you’re looking for the perfect tour guide - look no further!
US
Email Pearlette | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Parakuyo & Meleck John provide the BEST custom experiences and service!!
I had an outstanding time traveling with Parakuyo Tours & Safaris and highly recommend them to anyone wanting a personalized, culturally enriching, and adventurous experience in Tanzania!
Meleck John, the leader of Parakuyo, and I met about 5 years prior to my actual travel to Tanzania: September 6-25, 2021. He was patient and kind and worked with me, meticulously, to plan a 3 week journey through his country that included hiking Kilimanjaro, a safari across the Serengeti, stops In Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangeri National Park, and a peaceful stay on the Indian Ocean in Zanzibar.
I organized this trip for a group. Although we were originally scheduled to visit in 2020, our trip was postponed due to Covid. Despite the one year delay, and two persons who canceled their reservations from the original booking, Parakuyo continued to provide superior customer service and excellent advice.
Summiting Kilimanjaro- Each of the travelers was able to summit “Kili” which made the hike special for everyone. Meleck recommended we take the Machame Route because of its beauty, vast changes in topography, and summit success rate. I am grateful for his recommendations because he was spot-on. There was exceptional beauty on the mountain and sleeping on Kili was a magical experience every night. In addition, the meals were great, the porters were kind and Parakuyo took extra care of one of the hikers who struggled to summit. Because of his team’s patience we were each able to realize our dream, together, by reaching the top of Africa.
Serengeti (Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire)-I wanted desperately to see the wildebeest migration and as many lions as possible. We accomplished this and so much more! It’s amazing to see animals roam free on the Serengeti. I was in awe of both the number of wildebeest, elephants, lions, zebra, and other wildlife we saw. We stayed in Bush tented camps, took in a safari from the sky on a hot air balloon ride, and enjoyed learning about Tanzania and it’s people along the way. The accommodations were akin to “glamping” which I REALLY appreciated after sleeping on the ground for six nights on the side of Kilimanjaro. I loved hearing the sounds of lions and birds at night. Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire are equally special places and shouldn’t be missed and Meleck was insistent that I include them on our itinerary.
Zanzibar-It’s paradise. Parakuyo arranged our accommodations and the place we stayed was exceptionally beautiful. We went to sleep and my woke up to the beauty of the Indian Ocean from our bedrooms every day. It was glorious.
Our adventure was not an ordinary one. In addition to the holiday, I was producing a documentary. Meleck John aided me in taking care of some administrative details for the feature length film, “Three Extraordinary Women,” by working with the Tanzania Film Board and others and ensuring our camera crew were cared for.
Parakuyo Tours & Safaris is a unique company that provides boutique services of exceptional quality to its clients. In addition to ensuring we had a great time it was important for Meleck to gain our trust and he did just that! He is reliable, conscientious and meticulous—and that’s a powerful combination!
Lastly, it was important to me to do business with a local Tanzanian company. I would encourage anyone who reads this review to consider spending their dollars “consciously” in the country by supporting businesses, like Parakuyo, where staff are treated with dignity and respect and profits are fed back into the community. Parakuyo pays its staff decent wages. Sadly, some tour operators provide only one meal per day to porters to cut costs, but not Parakuyo. Parakuyo provided a culturally enriching experience. We left having felt connected to more than the natural beauty of the land, but the beauty of its people!
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Email Kim | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great Experience with Amazing Tour of Serengeti
From the planning of the trip to Tanzania, arrival at the airport, the Tanzania cultural experiences, local transportation/activities and the incredible trip to Serengeti, Meleck and the Parakuyo team did an outstanding job! I was met inside the Kilimanjaro Airport by a team member who was excellent in helping me through the arrival process. Meleck was waiting to transport us to our excellent hotel. Meleck and his team are professional and provided timely/excellent communication between the U.S. and Tanzania, and during the time we were traveling throughout Tanzania. Meleck worked with us in making the total experience more than I hoped for! Our expectations were more than met because of the extra, personal experiences that Meleck arranged for us. The tented accommodations throughout Serengeti were first class as well as the lodge in Karatu! The meals in both locations were absolutely outstanding! The safari jeep was clean and comfortable. Meleck is extremely knowledgable in guiding during the safari. He knows all about the animals and where to find them, particularly the ones we hoped to see, and he provided great information throughout our safari experience. Meleck planned several picnic lunches during our safari which were lovely and in picturesque locations. We thoroughly enjoyed watching the wildebeest migration. Meleck is very personable, flexible, easy to work with, timely, concerned about details, and simply an incredible guide! I have been to Tanzania many times, but this was my first safari experience in Serengeti. This was by far my best adventure because of Meleck and his team at Parakuyo. I found them to be dedicated to making our experience more than memorable. If you are hoping for the experience of a lifetime in Tanzania, I give Parakuyo the highest recommendation possible!!
CA
Email Connie & Larry | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our bucket list adventure with Parakuyo Tours & Safaris exceeded all expectations.
After many years of dreaming about a trip to Africa, we have just returned from an amazing photo safari to Tanzania. We had heard great things about Parakuyo Safaris and Meleck John, owner/operater did not disappoint. We were able to plan together what our goals were for the trip and he customized a package for ourselves and our 2 travelling partners. From the time we were met at Mount Kilimanjaro airport to the time we said our goodbyes 2 weeks later, the details of each day and each part of the adventure were totally taken care of and our only job was to enjoy the beauty of this amazing country and store away as many picture memories as possible. We chose to stay in tent camps as much as possible in order experience being in the midst of the animal migration and our guide provided us with amazing opportunities to see every animal possible in its habitat. After long days of game drives, we opted to spend a few days on the beach at Zanzibar and the accommodations Parakuyo selected for us were superb. Because he pays attention to every detail and demands excellent quality from all the services he sub-contracts, you can be assured of an excellent safari experience. Meleck John, owner operator of Parakuyo Safaris has a lifetime of experience with the local culture and wildlife. As we encountered each species, Meleck was able to answer our many questions and we came away with many previously unknown facts to accompany the pictures we took. We cannot say enough about the integrety with which he runs his business and the individualized care he took to make sure our experience was exceptional.
NL
Email Boris | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
amazing and professional experience!
We simply had an amazing experience with Meleck our guide. the safaris where professional and everything was well arranged very well. If you're looking for a great way to experience the beauties of Tanzania I definitely recommend!
NL
Email Frank de Haan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life changing experience
Together with my brother and sister i had a wonderfull safari with Meleck John. He is a very experienced guide and a photographer. We worked as a team during the 10 day's of our safari. All together a life changing experience.