Kenya & Tanzania team at Tarangire Sopa Lodge.
Travel For Change Africa
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Member Of:
- ASTA & TRA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $300 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Susan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely Brilliant!
From beginning to end we were VERY well cared for. Email communication was fast, efficient, and thorough as we planned the trip. In country the local manager made sure to greet us in person at the beginning and end of the safari, and also checked in by phone with us during the trip. Our accommodations throughout our 9 day safari were exactly what we wanted, and according to budget.
Safaris in Tanzania are not recommended for people who need everything to go exactly as planned at all times; it's just not realistic. The roads are "washboard style", the vehicles take a beating, the days are long, and the dust is extreme ... stuff happens, so you have to be willing to go with the flow and let it be part of the adventure.
While on safari our guide, Kelvin, was a delight, and very skilled at managing any challenge that presented itself. Funny, bright, knowledgeable, committed to safety, and ever so patient with our endless questions.,, we could not have been happier. One thing we especially appreciated was that he didn't push to make sure we saw "the big five". We wanted to see what we could see, and see it well, but we weren't collecting numbers. In the end, we wound up seeing SO MUCH MORE than we had ever hoped for. He was especially great at helping us identify birds, and letting us watch their behavior for long periods when we desired.
IN
Email Shaila | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Holiday ever!!
Our entire 3 week trip was meticulously planned and executed with no hiccups along the way!Patricia was quick to respond to emails. Both Patrick and James are excellent seasoned tour guides in Kenya and Tanzania respectively. Eluid was extremely accommodating and very helpful in so many ways! I would highly recommend Travel for Change as they are sensitive to their customers needs which needs a mention as we were travelling with children. Thank you for showing us a wonderful time and we hope to relive the trip someday!!
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Email Steve | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond expectations.
From the very first email, the team at Travel for Change was flexible and responsive and really helped us sort out what kind of trip and accommodations would meet our needs. Their main contact even met up with us halfway through the trip to make sure all was going well. They seem to have solid relationships with the resorts and did their best to relay some of our specific dietary needs to each location.
The best part was the guide, Simon. Not only was he a great driver, but he was incredibly knowledgable about all the wildlife, culture, and more about what we saw. He was pretty amazing at anticipating where the animals might be headed when things got too crowded in some areas. We were able to spot lions, cheetahs, giraffes, and more (you'll see more zebras and wildebeests than you expect!)
Be prepared for some bumpy roads, but everything else was comfortable and the whole Travel for Change team helped make everything smooth! They sent a nice checklist to help with planning - everything from what shots to get and other key travel tips.
Tip: opt to spend just a little extra for the Land Cruiser vs. the van as it will be more comfortable on the rough roads inside the parks or off the main roads on the way to the lodges.
- Steve
CH
Email Sally | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most fantastic safari holiday -Thanks to Travel for change Africa
From our 1st email everything went totally smoothly with Travel for Change Africa. We arranged a 4 park safari and it was perfect in every way.
We were met at the airport by Eliud from the office and he explained every thing to us with a big smile.
Our driver/safari guide was Francis and he was fantastic, I could not have asked for a better person to look after us. He was really easy to get on with and was incredibly knowledgeable and a fantastic driver, especially in some of the conditions we encountered.
we visited Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakura, and Masai Mara.
if you are thinking of a safari in Kenya I would highly recommend, Travel for change Africa. It was also great value for money.
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Email Sophia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing guide showed us everything!
My husband and I booked a 6 day/5 night safari with Travel for Change Africa and had an amazing time. The owner/general manager Patricia was very responsive to all our inquiries and worked with us to create the itinerary we wanted. We did one day in Tarangire NP, three days in the Serengeti (one day in the north and two in central), and one day at Ngorongoro, with the final day a drive back to the airport (and on to Zanzibar). On the day we arrived in Tanzania, we met with Sylvia, the head of the local Travel for Change office, and our guide David to go over the itinerary. David was an amazing guide - his knowledge, kindness, humor, and skill were endless. We saw every animal I had hoped to see and more, and I couldn't believe how close we were to them. Travel for Change also helped us to arrange our hotel in Zanzibar as well as transfers between the airport. Would definitely book with them again!
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Email Liz | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Travel for Change Africa provided us with a personalized safari experience we will always remember.
Our eight-day safari for four people with Travel for Change Africa exceeded our expectations in so many ways. Patricia, the organizer, was easy to communicate with and attentive to our wishes for our safari experience as she planned the itinerary. Our guide was knowledgeable and personable, taking into consideration our particular interests and curiosity as he planned each day. We never tired of our explorations, with new sights, discoveries, and experiences every day. The types of accommodations varied, too, from tent camps to inviting lodges, and we enjoyed them all. Travel for Change Africa provided us with a wonderful personalized experience we will always remember.
NL
Email Remco | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Above all expectations
What an experience! We, a group of 4 people, did a safari of 7 days (Amboseli-Lake Naivaska-Maasai Marai) on Patricia's advise. We gave Patricia a budget and our minimal requirement and she managed to get the maximum out of everything. She was so kind to advise on every question we had and amended the trip time by time according to our needs.
The trip itself was amazing our guide collected us perfectly on time with a van. The van itself had plenty of space for 4 tall dutchies. However the 4x4 would have been more confontrable, but our budget didnt allow. Our guide was so eager to fullfill our animal whish list, and discussed every day the options we had. In this way, we were able to take it easy on some days and go for the maximum on the other day.
The accomodations&food where also above expectations. The only unexpected thing we had was a change in the last accomodation. This was required since the initial accomodation was fludded by the heavy rains. However, we could complain since it changed from outside the Maasai Mara, to inside the park!
We would definately recommend to book it through Travel for Change, especially with Patricia.
Ps, im normally not writing any reviews, but this organisation deserves it!
Email Anne | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Honest and trustworthy tour operator
After a lot of research on different safari operators I selected travel for change for our safari last year. Patricia was excellent at planning what would have been an amazing safari and beech holiday in Kenya. Sadly due to the pandemic we were unable to go which was a great disappointment to us. However, Patricia was very understanding and we set up a refund agreement to help the business keep going and to allow her to pay the refund at the end of July 2021. This came good yesterday so despite our sadness of a lost holiday we have not lost our money. I can highly recommend this company.
BE
Email Alan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
NOT Financially stable company - I would advise you do NOT book with them !!
Had to cancel our safari due to a (severe) accident 2 months prior to departure. Despite dozens of mails and promisses, nothing ever got refunded.
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Email Marlene | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing first Safari experience
First, my Travel for Change contact, Patricia was able to get me into a van only a week in advance. I was volunteering for a small NGO in Ngong Hills for the month and she accommodated my last minute request beautifully. I loved our driver, who had a great sense of humor and an incredible amount of patience. As I found out, when taking safari in rainy season, anything can happen, and he was resourceful, cognizant of our short trip and did everything he could to deal with the bad roads due to rain. On the way to the Mara, when approaching a 3 vehicle situation where all were stuck trying to cross a very low, washed out bridge, he called ahead to someone at Masai Mara to come pick us up, (us 6 passengers) and take us for the evening ride through Masai Mara. At the time the 6 of us were walking around the bridge area, there were still about 6 vans waiting to get across. So, our driver was intuitive enough to make sure we got out, took the evening ride and he picked us up later to take us all to our respective accommodations. (We found out the next day that the other safari-goers were not so lucky to have a resourceful driver.)
Our driver shared all that he knew with us about the animals...as we all asked so many questions. He also pointed out the safety issues of being in such close proximity to wild animals and kept us within a safe distance at all times. At one point we saw a van with tourists very close to a rhino and he reiterated that he would not take us that close to a rhino due to their dangerous potential. All of us appreciated his safety sensibilities for our health & welfare. The rides both days were magnificent, gorgeous blue skies and unparalleled sunsets.
I truly enjoyed the tent facility, Sidai hotels and camps where I stayed. It was quiet, peaceful and we were met at check-in with hot face towels to take the grime off from many hours of travel. What a treat! The Masai men who ran the camp told us they patrolled all night to make sure we were safe. The food was excellent and the chef took us outside after breakfast one morning to show us a baboon about 40 feet away!
It was by far one of the grandest experiences I've ever had. The accommodations for were wonderful, the driver was fantastic and the Masai Mara was magnificent. Thank you Travel for Change Africa!