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
NL
Email Cate | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very nice Safari in Masai Mara!
Me and my family we went to Masai Mara for 3 days, 2 nights. We didn't have much time and no large budget so we asked Travel for Change for advice. They suggested to go to Masai Mara because you can see many animals in a short period of time. We had a great time!
We stayed in Loyk camp in northern mara and the camp was very nice. We slept in a canvas tent but in a very nice bed and waking up among the animal sounds is lovely.
The drive through mara was a bit long in our safari van because the road is very bad, but our van was strong and the driver was friendly. It also turned out later that our driver had a lot of knowledge about the wild life as well. That was really nice. Also a big plus for us was that a friendly lady from Travel for Change came and see us when we were in Nairobi and were to meet our driver. That was a comforting start of our yourney.
As for the animals we are aware that you have to have some luck sometimes but we felt we really saw a lot of different animals. Lions, Wildebeast, Giraffe's, Bufffalo's and many other. All in all we were surprised that we could have such a lovely safari with such a tight budget.
US
Email Pete | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrific time in Selou and Mikumi!!
Travel for Change did an excellent job all around in arranging our safari (on very short notice), catering to our requests, providing us a terrific driver, arranging wonderful last minute adventures, and finding the right spots to see all that we hoped for! Overall an experience that exceeded expectations and we'd confidently recommend Travel for Change to family and friends.
US
Email Jimmy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience!
We went on an 8 day safari with Travel for Change and couldn't have had a better experience. During the initial process of setting the itinerary they were very informative and took our requests and also provided suggestions. Email responses were prompt and we felt like they had our best interests in mind. Once in Kenya our driver Patrick picked us up at the airport and always went the extra mile to make sure our experience was a memorable one. His knowledge of the animals and terrain were remarkable and we were continuously learning new things each day. He also knew exactly where to go and when to see lions and other animals at the right time which only added to the experience. The accommodations they booked for us exceeded expectations an we would highly recommend Travel for Change to anyone!
CA
Email UBC Student 2019 | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Tanzania Safari Ever!!!!
Being a student in Canada and doing a safari in Tanzania with my college buddies was a once in a life time experience for us. We did 8 days safari at Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater. Serengeti was by far the coolest park I have been to! Our driver Jimmy was excellent and the vehicle that was provided was awesome!! The side windows had flaps and it was like we were using an open sided land cruiser. Thank you so much Travel for Change team for taking good care of us and we will definitely travel with you again and recommend you to our friends and family.
CA
Email Alex | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Really nice experience, recommend it!
Travel For Change Africa was recommended to us by a friend who travelled with them in 2016. We did a ten day safari in Kenya and Tanzania. I must say we were impressed by the level of professionalism exhibited by the company. Email response was really fast, and Patrick our Kenyan driver was very knowledgeable and fun. We learnt so much about the animals and the people of Kenya. The journey to Isebania border was a full day game drive. As a cautionary tale, clients should be careful when crossing from Kenya to Tanzania through the Isebania border because in our case the drive was very long and hectic and the roads were no good. Anyone who doesn't fancy long drives can request for a flight even though it's a little bit expensive. We did not have any extra money for a flight so we opted to go for the drive. The Travel for Change sales team advised us to either fly or spend a night in Lake Victora to reduce the driving distance but we were very eager to get to Tanzania so we did not agree to either of the two options. Our Tanzanian driver James was not only knowledgeable but also fun as well. In short, we tremendously enjoyed our stay in both countries and we couldn't have asked for more. Asanthe Travel for Change team for the wonderful experience.
US
Email Jeff Jones | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kenya Safari with Travel For Change
My wife and I just got home from a 9 day, 8 night safari with Travel for Change Africa and I wanted to hurry and write this review because the company, tour, and driver/guide were just that amazing. Safaris can seem daunting and expensive when looking to book them from the US, but Patricia provided a customizable quote that was entirely within our (modest) budget. She contacted us regularly via email and WhatsApp as we approached the date of the safari, and was very professional. As other reviewers have said, a safari is "made or broken" by your driver/guide, and our guide, Patrick, was perfect. A twenty-plus year veteran of the industry, he seemed to know everyone (he was always shaking hands with fellow drivers) and everything (from an obscure bird to the best place to go in Samburu to see lions). Needless to say, we saw lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos, hippos, etc., many of which Patrick seemed to find for us! While this company may not be that well-known, I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone. I warily contacted a few reviewers here prior to booking for reassurance, and I will happily reassure anyone looking to book with Travel for Change.
DE
Email Toma | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lifetime experience
Million thanks to Travel for Change Africa company for our unforgettable honeymoon :) Before our wedding, we started to look for nice experience that would not be so easy to forget like usual beach holiday. Safaribookings.com was a good web to compare various Safari providers. Our only wish was to have it quite short due to limited holiday time. Travel for Change Africa had a great offer which was 3 day long. Anyway, when we started to chat with company directly (best regards to Patricia!) our plans changed a bit and we were convinced to go for 4 night Safari in 2 parks. We visited Mikumi national park, and as well Selous reserve. Between these parks there is quite a long distance to drive, so we spent some time on the road which was also very nice because we had a chance to see local life.
All in all, everything was really perfect- Patricia and her team made a great job advising where to go, giving tips for travelling, and well offering several different options that we would be able to choose. All our questions were answered and we booked the trip. We did not have to worry about anything. Our wonderful German speaking guide Emmanuel met us in the airport, and together with the best driver-guide in the world Iman took care of us during all our stay. In the end they arranged flight tickets to Zanzibar for us to continue the journey.
This was our first safari ever, so can strongly say - I was expecting expecting to see a huge zoo, but this was far away from my imagination. It is stunning when you drive through the field and suddenly see a giraffe or zebra close to you in the bush. We brought back thousand pictures. Other tourists we saw were on group rides, with the open cars, and more or less sticking to the routes. and they definitely were jealous for us because we could drive wherever we wanted or to watch something as long as we wanted..
So to sum up, I strongly recommend Travel for Change Africa - excellent communication, very polite and helpful staff, perfect organisational skills and customer oriented attitude. 10/10!
To the ones who are still not sure - go for safari, you will never forget this experience.
And we are definitely coming back just next time during migration :) See you soon!
IT
Email C & M | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
MANY THANKS to Travel for Change Africa for an unforgettable experience in TZ! We'll be back!!
We just returned from a fantastic experience in Tanzania - thanks to Travel For Change Africa (TFCA). This was our first trip to Africa, and our first safari. We did a lot of homework and spent quite some time vetting potential tour operators before deciding to work with TFCA. Below are a few reasons why. They:
- made us feel like we were in very safe hands from the start
- are extremely friendly and professional in their approach
- provided us with clear, prompt, and detailed communications from the very beginning
- promptly answered all of our questions - and we had LOTS!
- gave us lots of insights into what to see & do - including what made sense, based on the time we had available
- worked together seamlessly as a team
A bit more about our experience:
We had 10 days in Tanzania and TFCA helped us put together a great itinerary that allowed us to see and do lots, at the right pace. We visited National Parks/Conservation areas, but also less touristy sights such as local markets and shops. TFCA understood that we wanted to see the spectacular scenery & wildlife, but also get a good idea of the local culture and traditions. And they also were great about putting together a journey that combined game drives with activities such as walking/hiking. In terms of accommodations, we chose mid-range lodgings and were very pleased with the selection that TFCA made for us. They were clean, comfortable, well-maintained and offered a nice variety of food. We requested one place ourself (because of their permaculture activities) and TFCA was very good about including that on our list of accommodations.
There are no guarantees about which animals one will see on a game drive, and that's something everyone needs to understand before going on safari. That said, our guide/driver Joshua was fantastic at driving at the right pace to allow us to soak up the scenery and listen to his stories about the vegetation, animals and surroundings. He was always kind, patient, easy-going, and open to share so much with us. Moreover, we loved that he was so respectful of the environment and animals. We noticed that there were several drivers/guides who would really drive up too quickly/closely to the animals, but Joshua was always very conscious of our approach. Throughout our journey, he took care of everything we needed - hakuna matata! We're still amazed at how he could drive AND spot animals at the same time - some at a huge distance. He tells us that we were lucky to see all of the so-called Big 5, but we feel much of that was thanks to his lucky star and "expert eyes/nose/ears"! We're very conscious that spending 9 days with a "stranger" could be challenging, but in our case, we really had a lot of fun & laughs with Joshua and felt he was a joy to have around. A real "people person".
Throughout our journey, the "home team" checked in with us to make sure we were happy and had all we needed. Patricia and Silvia were keen to make sure our needs were being met. They had no reason to worry - TFCA delivered beyond our expectations and we couldn't have asked for more. They were so easy to communicate with - such a pleasure! And we loved their personal approach.
We really had a fantastic first "taste" of Tanzania and are grateful to TFCA for providing us with this unforgettable journey. We feel we have made new friends. And we are already looking forward to returning!!
MANY MANY THANKS to Travel For Change Africa for such a memorable experience!!! "Asante sana" and "tuta ona baadaye"!
US
Email Diane, Pat, Lynne, Ruth and Beth | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Travel for Change designed the trip of a lifetime for us
Our group of 5 ladies in their 70s was understandably nervous about getting everything arranged for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. But once we selected Travel for Change Africa, Patricia set about making us feel sure we were in the right hands. She selected options for us, answered many, many questions and designed a personalized 10-day itinerary that we loved. We were watching Kenyan news to learn more about our destination and asked Patricia if the big crack in the earth that was opening up and destroying roads would impact us. Patricia immediately got back to us to say that, no it was fine and she would be sure that Patrick, our guide, knew that we wanted to see that. Every question and request was handled promptly.
We chose the 10-day trip in early June, staying at mid-range properties. The safari included Samburu, Abadare (Treetops), Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Masai Mara parks. They all were very different and the wildlife viewing, with Patrick spotting and teaching us about the animals was awesome. We did not miss any of the animals on our checklist. Each of the resorts was unique, the food was good and the staffs were friendly and helpful. We all felt the pricing was quite affordable, even the person who opted for single accommodations. Early June is still considered shoulder season rates.
The Travel for Change staff we met were outstanding. Patricia made a point of meeting up and touring with us in Amsterdam during our layover. It was great to get to know her in person after all the months of emails. And Patrick was the BEST. He may not have known what to expect with 5 young-at-heart oldsters but he soon found that mud, bumpy roads or any other travel discomforts didn’t faze us. It was pretty much smiles, fun and laughter the whole trip.
We would not hesitate to recommend this company to anyone, although we all did agree that you should be fairly fit for this kind of adventure. Just hanging on while traversing the bumpy game roads was a challenge.
IT
Email Karime Jadallah Prisco | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not trustworthy
We had planned a trip in December for our family. Unfortunately my husband got sick and passed away. We reached out to Patricia letting her know the situation and and then the pandemic hit. It has been a back and forth with them for the last 2 years trying to recoup my money. They have promised so many times that they would make small payments, but as of today I have not received anything. I have written requesting the money be used as a voucher for a future trip. I would like to take my kids and fulfill the trip their father wanted to take with them. It is a real shame that we have had a loss, a pandemic, and now we have lost our deposit. I guess it is easier to ignore the client and pretend nothing ever happened. If a company cannot be professional enough to take responsibility for its actions then it is not worth dealing with. A very sad customer.