East African Safari & Touring Company
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 1992)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $230 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience!
I had heard many great things about East Co Safari so I was very excited to begin my tour and I can conclude that the safari tour exceeded my expectations by far. All of the organisational aspects were taken care of and I didn't have to worry about a single thing. On our tour we had two cars and four workers who provided everything we needed and assembled and dissembled camp everyday while we were out exploring. The food was something that exceeded my expectations by far. Costa, our chef, provided incredible 3 course meals every night, cooked breakfast and cooked lunch each day, which was something I really did not expect. We even got our shoes and clothes cleaned after the gorilla trek! The safari cars were in great condition and the drivers took great pride in their vehicles, which have pop out roofs so you're able to game watch! The guides/ drivers were extremely friendly, fun, knowledgeable and easy to get along with. You can ask them about almost anything with regards to East Africa and they could tell you! The fact that they fit in like locals and interact with the locals in such environments, allows you to also immerse yourself and sometimes go "off the beaten track" with the drivers as safety really is not an issue. I never once felt unsafe on my safari and I think that is a part of what made it so fantastic! With East Co I found that we never got bored doing the same thing over and over again because each day something different was planned and we wouldn't get stuck doing the same styled adventure each day. I didn't have a care in the world and was just enjoying every minute of it and I truly accredit that to the quality of the service and smoothness of the itinerary, along with the kindness of the workers. My trip only went for 15 days however I would have gladly carried on, because with East Co, everyday provides something different and exciting.
Christmas Safari
Our guide was wonderful! Ask for Melck! We had a perfect blend of sight seeing and culture. I would say the only weakness was they can be more careful with food allergies and intolerances, if you have a serious allergy or intolerance you might need to be very clear and precise about what you need. There are definitely language barriers. Overall the entire experience was life changing!
QA
Email Andy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We flew in from around the world for a family Christmas and New Year that no one will forget!!!
Ten months were spent planning our family Christmas Safari. E-mails to East Africa Safari with questions during these 10 months were promptly answered. When the day came to fly to two different airports (Arusha and Kilimanjaro) from different parts of the world (USA & Qatar), it all came together seamlessly thanks to the careful planning, on time flights, and the commitments met by East Africa Safari. We all met in Arusha on Christmas Day at the time estimated several months prior (15:00) and we enjoyed a Christmas day together that was out of the ordinary. The next day our 22 & 25 year old kids quickly connected with our good natured guide, Melckizedeck (Melk), who knew the territory well and had many contacts throughout the Maasai communities of the Serengeti. Mingling with the villagers and local culture added an unexpected element to the trip. At the end of the 7 day adventure we saw many animals, had lots of laughs, and shared experiences we will remember forever. We left highly pleased with East Africa Safari and I would recommend them to anyone.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic!
Simon of East African Safari Co created a wonderful, well-tailored travel safari for our group of 3. We did a long safari of 16 days and he made it very interesting, varied and covered all of the area highlights. We visited five national parks/area and also had numerous interactions with the local population and culture. The staff was outstanding (we LOVED our guide), food was excellent and the lodging was very nice. All of this was done for nearly 1/2 of what other safari companies were charging. Simon was in frequent contact with us over our four months of planning and responded quickly to any questions or needs we had. Overall, we had the best time and highly recommend East African Safari company. We are looking forward to our next trip to eastern Africa and will certainly use EAST Co again in the future.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
EASCO
I was nervous when I got to the Kilimanjaro airport because the phone number I had did not seem to be working. So I was pleased and relieved that a driver, whose name was Cosmas, was waiting for us with a warm smile, a helping hand and bottles of water!
I knew we were staying in Arusha because the overnight multiple flights made it too exhausting to head straight out to the Serengeti. But I had not looked up where we were staying, and so it was a delightful surprise. I had thought we would be staying in a small hotel in town, but we stayed at the Hatari Lodge inside the park, and the lodge and its operators and employees gave us our first impression of what being on Safari is like. And it was hospitality at its best. They met us with warm wash cloths, a deliciously refreshing watermelon ginger concoction, and a friendly explanation that we must close and lock the doors and windows so the monkeys don't come in and steal all our shiny things! In the park, we saw thousands of flamingos, a wart-hog battle, and a walking tour to a beautiful waterfall! Several giraffes greeted us in the morning, munching on trees about 30 feet from out front porch. The monkeys gave us a great show, trying to sneak into the bar, while we were eating breakfast.
The next day Cosmas delivered us to Arusha airport without incident, and we flew on a Cessna Air Caravan over the Ngorogoro Crater to Seronera and there we met James, who was our guide for the rest of the Safari.
James was awesome in every way! We saw all the animals for which the Serengeti is famous and also had the opportunity to take a walk through a small village. Each place we stayed in had its own special charm and the staff always made us feel comfortable and welcome. The food everywhere was quite delicious. Riding around in the Land Rover, free from traffic, seat belts, and surrounded by big open skies and melodious song birds was a delightful, if very dusty experience! I would have hated to have to be seated in a larger tour bus for so many hours a day. Being able to stand up for most of the drive made all the difference to us, and because we were not with others, we could linger longer or hit the road to the next site at will. Also, spending most of the day with James was wonderful as we learned a great deal about the local wild life, a bit about Tanzanian current events, and shared many, many laughs.
If you are afraid of lizards, don't like bumpy roads or dust, and are afraid of getting stuck in mud ruts or having to push a truck for a few steps, then this trip is not for you! We met a young couple who were clearly distressed because they didn't like camping! This made us laugh, because the tent camp we stayed at was so clean, so bug free, had comfortable beds, had indoor toilet and hot shower and had a chef quality meal offered at the end of each day. It's really not roughing it!!! But if you have some adventurous spirit and love the sound of the lions in the distance and the greeting of giraffes and zebras in the morning, then, please, take this amazing trip. And if you can, definitely take it with James!!!
Email Aoife Byrne | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ticked all the boxes and that little bit more... you can have confidence in EAS&TC!
So to try and keep this short and sweet (as I know the hours it takes researching the different Safrai operators, reading reviews etc.. it is almost a full time job!!
Planning the safari
- They say patience is a virtue and it is!! Thankfully Simon of East African Safari had plenty of it as we had questions, questions and more questions and never once did it become a big deal. He was even happy to provide guidance on the areas of our trip that we weren't going to be booking through him. His brochures and itineraries were not as high end as some of the other operators but it is simple things like that that allow him to be the most competitive Safari company, pricewise that I researched (I resarched 8 in great depth.) He provided really honest and solid advice on some other things like visiting an orphanage.
On the Safari
- We were really pleased with our itinerary and got to see everything - except the elusive Rhino but we were just unlucky with the weather and nature has a mind of it's own!!
Our guide
Jimmy looked after us so well over the 5 days went to great lengths on the last day to make sure we saw cheetahs and leopards. He knew everything and dealt with my million questions everyday very well.
Accommodation
We stayed in a mix of tented camps and lodges - all were great but Boundary Hill lodge at Tarangire was stand out - it was beyond our wildest dreams. The beautiful brick lodges, the outside dining and the amazing service made it one of the most special nights of our whole holiday - you actually need to see this place to believe. Our morning walk with the Masai gifted us with a leopard sighting which added to specialness of this gem.
Food
Really good everywhere and plenty of it.. Don't go on Safari expecting Heston style but be assured that you will get great basic food that is full of taste and you will never be left hungry!
The extra stuff that makes a difference
We were a group of three girls travelling together and unfortunately one of the our bags never arrived to Dar Es Saleem. When we explained this to Simon he invited us to his house the day of Safari to drop off the missing baggage form and to chase the bag when we were on Safari. Unfortunately due to the airline's mistake the bag didn't show up over the Safari but Simon had someone trying everyday. The day after we finished safari he organised for us to be collected at our accommodation to collect the form and had a cuppa waiting for us. It's nice to know that an operator will go that extra mile for you, even after payments have been made!!
I would highly recommend East Africa on all fronts!
Email Richard | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari capped off by Wild Dogs at Naitolia Camp while on a early morning walk.
My wife and I did a 12 night safari in August 2014 with Eastco (East African Safari and Touring Company) starting in Mwanza and ending at Boundary Hill Lodge Tarangire. The various accommodation were excellent, food great varied and plenty. African soup is special.
The high light of the safari was the night spent at Naitolia camp ( 1 night) and the walk to Boundary Hill Lodge the next morning, we saw while walking wild dogs running along the road in front of us before they slipped off into the bushes and grass. Even our guide was amazed.
Boundary Hill Lodge perched on top of a steep bluff provided beautiful views over the conservation area below. There were a lot of elephants in the area and even some we saw drinking out of the pool.
Boundary Hill also offered Masai village visits and Tinga Tinga painting.
We also stayed at Speke Bay lodge (5 stars) Mbalageti (5 also) We camped at Eastco's Horizon camp, simple, clean but very nice wildlife everywhere but then again this was the Serengeti.
Perhaps the only disappointment on the trip was our stay at Sopa Lodge, I agree the descent road is an advantage but the lodge is extremely large and what I would call part of the institutanlized safari accomodation so often offered by Tour Companies. We preferred the smaller more boutique lodges and camps. These camps are a speciality of an Eastco trip. The communication before the safari was excellent, the service from the guide and all staff at Eastco also excellent. The trip exceeded our expectations to such a degree we have booked a 30 day trip for 2015 again with Eastco.
Simon certainly knows how to design a private trip to suit individual needs.
The 4 x4 was clean and excellent for the type of bush roads we went on.
All in all Tanzania is an excellent safari destination and Eastco (East African Safari and Touring Company)
an excellent Tanzania based tour operator
LU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari exprerience
That was my first safari ever and EastCo made it very special. (3 days safari : Tarangire / Lake Natron)
Unlike most people, we did not organise it in advance, however Simon manage to organise everything for us very quickly.
Our day in Tarangire was amazing, and our night stay in Naitolia Eco-Lodge fantastic. The place was beautiful, and the surprise was after dinner when Ezekial, our guide, told us that we were going on a night safari. Again, memorable experience.
I was not quite expecting such a level of service, and such nice food served during a safari.
EastCo really did a great job: everything was perfectly organised, the food was good, all the camping equipment was provided, and our guide was fantastic. Ezekial is really knowledgeable, and is always happy to answer our (many) questions.
I could only recommend EastCo and in particular Ezekial who made our safari so special. Thank a lot for everything, I look forward to coming back and organizing a longer safari with EastCo.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience
We had a great safari with East African Safari & Touring Company. Innocent was our guide, and Michael was our chef, for a one-week camping / lodge safari. We went to Ngorongoro Crater, a day-long hike from Nainokanoka to Empakaai Crater (amazing) and Tarangire, and had a wonderful time. Innocent was a cool dude and had eagle eyes. We enjoyed camping and getting away from the beaten trail for a bit; Michael's soups were scrumptious. We also managed to meet Simon at his amazing lodge in Tarangire. The team was responsive to some last-minute news that one of our travelers was pregnant. I was worried about some of the negative reviews I'd read on the web, but we had a terrific trip and recommend this outfit to friends who are looking for a safari that presents great value.
Email Sandra and Richard | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome safari with a company that really cares about the environment, the wildlife and the people.
We had an incredible safari, surpassing our expectations. We saw everything. Our driver/guide James was perfect, had a great nose for sniffing out special sightings and was a mine of information for birds. We saw 181 bird species, 44 animals. Lions and Leopards mating, cheetah cubs, a black rhino, it was just one thing after another and the accommodation was fantastic every night. When Richard got sick and had to be taken to hospital it was no trouble for Simon and James to extend and change the itinerary. Simon looked after all our hotel and bus bookings. The only thing we would not recommend is the Impala shuttle bus to and from Nairobi. They provide a poor service but that was not Simon's fault.