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
Email Cecelialee | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Other Outstanding Safari
We flew into Nairobi in March this year for a safari in Tanzania. We stayed at the Fairview Hotel, a lovely setting where you feel like you are in the country, not in a large city.
We had a private transfer organised by EASTCO to Namanga. One of my travelling companions wanted to buy Kenyan cricket jumpers for his sons, so Amina, who travelled with us to the border with her driver, organised to take us to a Nairobi shopping centre. When we finally set off for Namanga we were caught in Nairobi’s traffic jams! Our driver set out to avoid this by driving down the back streets of Nairobi. It was amazing, busy colourful markets , small tin shop fronts, lunch being cooked up by side of the road for passersby. A great start to our day.
We were met at Namanga by EASTCO and after quick customs formalities we were on our way to Arusha. The first thing I noticed this time was how green the country side was. I have travelled to Tanzania several times before but this was the first time in March after some rain.
We spent the first two days around Arusha, shopping! I noticed how many more motor bikes there were now. A great sight: Masais in their traditional shukas zooming around on motor bikes.
Then we went to Arusha National Park looking for colobus monkeys. It was green and lush, a lovely way to start our safari. We ate lunch from our lunch boxes at a picnic spot at the top of the hill and watched the rain clouds moving across. We saw flamingos in the lakes, zebras, buffalo, giraffe ,bush buck, duiker and many baboons of course.
As we were heading out through the forest, our last chance to see the colobus monkeys, we were not disappointed. In a clump of trees beside the road we saw at least ten colobus monkeys moving amongst the branches.
Next day we headed to the Ngorongoro Crater. The countryside once again was so green, the young Masai goat herders stood out wearing their red and blue shukas, a special sight. On the way we stopped at Mto wa Mbu , where we wandered around, bought some bananas and some Masai shukas. They make great gifts and my daughters use them as picnic blankets.
We spent two nights at the Wildlife Lodge on the edge of the crater. I was looking forward to the lovely view of the crater from my bedroom window which I enjoyed so much last time. On our first night here, we had three buffalo munching on the grass right outside our bedroom windows.
We spent the whole of the next day in the crater. My travelling companions did not want to leave the crater till the gates closed. The crater was so picturesque, so green and there was much water around. We were looking for rhino and we saw five not too far from the road.
As we had asked for the full day in the crater we were able to enjoy the beauty of this remarkable place and its varied wildlife, on most occasions without any other vehicles around. Later in the afternoon many more vehicles arrived for an afternoon drive.
As we were heading to the gate of the crater, one of my companions, always on the look out for animals, spotted a serval cat . This was his ninth trip to Tanzania and this was the first time he had seen the serval cat - it just added to our fantastic day.
Next day we drove to Ndutu, we were advised by EASTCO this was the best place to see lots of animals as it is just after calving season. They were right!
Of all my safaris I have never seen so many animals as this time.
We stayed in a tented camp site for two nights . The first night we had zebras wandering through our campsite. In the morning as I was having my hot shower I looked over the canvas wall of my bathroom and saw a lone zebra checking out what I was doing. The next night we had many wildebeest wandering for several hours through our camp. Everyone should camp for at least one night to experience the animals in this kind setting.
On our first day driving through Ndutu I was amazed at seeing so many wildebeest with their young, as well as zebras also with their young. We stopped at Ndutu Lake for more than a hour watching a line of wildebeest with their young crossing the lake. They were grazing on the bank of the lake and when each ones turn came to cross the lake off they ran with their young behind to join the thousands of wildebeest on the other side of the lake. As we watched we wondered if some of the very young would make it across the lake. Some calves had difficulty so their mothers turned around and they returned safely back to the bank. An incredible sight, difficult to capture in a photo but a wonderful memory.
We also saw a herd of about 100 elephants making their way to a watering hole nearby.
Our guide Bernard parked at the side of the path the elephants were taking. Within minutes there was a group of at least 12 vehicles around the elephants. They parked in front of the elephants.
Maybe radios should be banned! What happened to the adventure of looking for animals yourself. One my travelling companions would yell out to Bernard our guide,” STOP”, checked with the binoculars,” NO, NOTHING, KEEP GOING”.
Then next day not far from our campsite we found a pride of 8 lions. As we were observing these lions we noticed we had a flat tyre, much to the distress of Bernard as he had to change the tyre within close proximity to the lions. We removed his bag from the front seat and opened the door for a quick jump in if necessary. So as we kept our eye on the lions for any movement Bernard nervously changed the tyre. Fortunately they were all well fed and were content to just laze in the morning sun.
I read many complaints about vehicles and flat tyres. My husband recently travelled in outback Australia up the Birdsville Track, five flat tyres later! All part of the adventure.
We then headed to the Serengeti plains. The wildebeest were just heading to the edge of the Serengeti and as far as I could see in every direction there were thousands of wildebeest. The grass was quite long so it was a little more difficult to spot animals. As we had seen many more animals than we imagined we would we were able to relax and appreciate the vastness of this amazing place. We did see many eland in the distance .
We were on a mission to find leopards and cheetahs. We found two leopards in trees, the tails hanging down from the branches a dead give away!
Then we came across a cheetah with five young sucking as she lay in the sun. As we were enjoying this unique experience along came the vehicles, the radios were calling! Many drove and sat far too close to the cheetah, once again a great photo opportunity and happy tourist but not enough respect for the cheetah family or other tourists.
We were staying at Seronera Wildlife Lodge, another favourite. On our way to the lodge we passed a hippo pool with many hippos giving a great photo opportunity.
As we headed out of the Serengeti the next day , Bernard never stopped looking for lions ,cheetahs and leopards around the many kopjes while keeping an eye on the clock as we had to be back at the gate on time.
We came across two very shy African wild cats, a very rare sight.
Just as we thought we had seen it all, on a nearby kopje we saw a group of lions, a mother and five cubs relaxing in the sun . Below by the road there was a male lion keeping a very careful watch over his lioness. A great way to leave the Serengeti and yes we made it to the gate with 5 minutes to spare!
On our drive we stopped at Mt Wa Mbu, we bought bananas and sat in a local cafe and soaked up the atmosphere.
We spent the next two nights at Boundary Hill Lodge, a very unique lodge. We drove through Tarangerie National Park and saw many giraffes ,a male lion virtually straight away and many, many other animals. On our second day at Boundary Hill Lodge we had a most relaxing time enjoying the privacy and wonderful views from our rooms.
As we drove back to Arusha we stopped at the Kisongo market . So many people, so colourful, so many food products to buy. We asked Bernard if we could stop at local restaurant to try a local lunch, so we stopped at Makuyuni and tried the local lunch nyama choma, roast goat and banana.
Just outside Arusha we called into the snake farm and also visited the Masai museum, both well worth a visit.
We had a most amazing and memorable safari.
EASTCO were extremely good, were very flexible and were happy to accommodate all of our requests.
I was impressed with Bernard our guide with his fantastic knowledge and his genuine concern and interest for his environment.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Trip!
East African Safari & Touring Company set up a private 7 night safari for us. Simon was easy to work with (over the Internet) and modified our trip to accommodate our specific requests for itinerary changes. From the time we landed in Arusha (about 3:00 am) until we left, all the trip arrangements, connections, details (whether large or small) were done timely and what seemed effortlessly to make the trip exactly what we had envisioned. Ezekial, our guide/driver, was attentive to our wants/needs and did everything he could to make our trip perfect, took care of our every need and our safety. He knew the areas, the names of the animals and their habits (to locate them for us). We saw so many animals, we saw the Great Migration, we experienced life in a Maasai Boma, we stayed in lovely breathtaking view rooms in lodges (one even had a claw foot tub on our private balcony to bathe while taking in the spectacular view and the animals below) and experienced a real "tent" camp in the Serengeti. The trip covered all the must sees and more and gave us plenty of time at each spot. We had also done a group Safari with another company and East African's trip was far better because we were in control of what/where we went/saw without a formal timetable prescribed by the company/group. We were able to stay longer to watch an animal or drive in another direction in search of an animal, and were not "crowded out" in the pop-up 4x4 (there was just the two of us (instead of 7-9)) when viewing and taking pictures - it was wonderful and we would do it again. The trip included a National Park ranger guided walk along the Ngornogoro Rim, night drives, Maasai guided walking "safaris", and a Maasai Boma visit. It was the perfect time to go, weather was wonderful, we saw 4 of the Big 5, saw the migration through the Serengeti, and NO CROWDS! This safari was terrific value for price!
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Trip to Tanzania with EASTCO
Hello everyone. We just got back from our trip to East Africa and visiting Tanzania. We are both hoping to go back again some time at a different time of the year and experience another aspect of the wildlife.
We arrived in Arusha at around 11pm on March 1st and were greeted with a smiling James from EASTCO. We were not really expecting to be greeted at the airport since our Safari was going to start on March 3rd but Simon sent James over any way (which was a relief for us).
Day 1
We had booked this day to stay in Arusha, rest a bit and get ready for our 7 day adventure in the country but once again James came out, took us to Simon's place for a cup of coffee and we also got the chance to give him the balance for our trip. Afterwards he took us to Shanga for lunch and buying Tanzanite which we had asked for. He also promised to help us with getting a sim card on Monday.
Day 2
We were picked up in the morning, our sim card/cell phone matter was taken care of, packed lunched were picked up and we headed for Tarangire. It proced to be a beautiful park and we saw 3 of the big 5 on our first day of Safari! We saw a big herd of about 200 elephants migrating locally through the park. We saw a pride of lion with tiny cubs and we saw a beautiful leopard in a tree. We also saw giraffes, waterbucks, impalas, Zebra and ostriches which was nice. While driving to get to the leopard, James made a turn somehwere suddenly and to our surprise we had stopped a couple of meters from 4 male lions just hanging out under a tree! I'm not sure how he spotted them but I'm sure glad he did. They were gorgeous. at around 4:30, we started heading back to our camp for the night. We stayed at Naitolia and were the only guests so we were well taken care of and found the outdooor bush shower and toilet quite interesting.
Day 3
We had an early morning walking safari in Naitolia with a Masai guide. We spotted zebras from a distance but were really interested in seeing giraffes so our guide started tracking and leading us to where the Giraffe families were. They were terrified at first but after about 1 hour and slowly moving towards them, we ended up getting very close to them and it was thrilling to be walking so close to these magnificant creatures.
We called James to meet us along the trail back as we were too tired to walk back! We had walked for about 4 hours in the sun and didn't want to go back on foot. The camp staff awaited us with water ready for showers which was great as we were terribly sweaty and after lunch, we headed towards the great Ngorongoro.
We arrived in the conservation area and saw the baboons hanging by the entrance and then entered the park. We stopped at the viewing point to admire the beauty of the crater from up above and managed to spot elephants, buffalo and a rhino with our binoculars. It was great to go from the heat and dryness of Tarangire to the green and lush Ngorongoro. We arrived at Rhino Lodge to spend the night and saw a huge buffalo right next to our porch grazing at around 9! He didn't budge when we went out to the porch to look at him. Had a great dinner and went to bed early to wake up early in the morning for the crater drive.
Day 4
The crater offered us the rest of the big 5 and we managed to see 3 black rhinos (from a distance) and tons of buffalos. I never imagined that I could be surrounded by so many animals and so much beauty. It was just amazing. We saw two pairs of lions (Male and female) and about 30 cars watching them. James mentioned that they are going to be mating and all the cars stuck around. After about 40 minutes one of the pairs got up and left for the bushes and went out of sight. The second pair followed them shortly after and we ended up not seeing the lions mating! We did however, see some of the playful moves of the females trying to get the males to mate which was good enough for us.
We left the crater around noon to go towards Ndutu and southern Ngorongoro. Had our packed lunched with the Kites flying above us and trying to steal the food. It was quite interesting as I hadn't thought of Kites as the stealing type! They would literally come close to scratching people to get their food so we just got back in the car and had our lunch in there.
We stopped on the way for a visit at the Masai village and found it interesting to learn about how they live.
Driving south, we saw tons of Gazelle, giraffes, and Zebras and the local cattle and goats grazing along with them. Some wildebeest here and there as well so it was an interesting mix of animals. We got to our mobile camp in the middle of the wilderness eraly in the evening and had dinner and quick showers. We were also warned about the sound of the animals at night and not to move or make sounds if we hear an animal (elephant, lions, hyenas) coming close to the tents!
We did hear an elephant and a lion fighting in the distance but it was too far so didn't scare us much
Day 5
Our first game drive in serengeti was a great success. We saw lion cubs eating a zebra. We also saw the beautiful lake Ndutu and the giraffe, zebra and wildebeest on the plains. The highlights of the day however, was seeing the great migration! We saw what I can only guess was over 500 thousand wildebeest and their young calves all around us. It was amazing to be driving between this huge herd of animals. There were also tons an tons of zebras getting ready fo rtheir migration. I can't even describe the feeling we had watching these creatures and all the young feeding. We saw more lions and two cheetahs (a mom and an older cub) and back for the day. We also saw hyenas, jackals and vultues eating the remains of a baby wildebeest.
We had a great dinner and woke up at midnight at the sound of a lion and hyenas fighting! This time, a little too close for comfort but it was still awesome.
Day 6
Our second game drive was amazing as well. We saw two prides of lions and spent about 1 hour with one of the families as more and more of them kept coming out of the bushes and they started grooming each other and showing more affection for the cubs. It was a beautiful sight and I feel blessed to have witnessed this at such a close distance. The highlight of the day was seing a momma cheetah with 5 tiny cubs, little hairballs, eating and playing with a Thomson's Gazelle. Then the mother dragged the food to the shade of another tree since the first one was a little too much out in the open. The cubs started following her and it was just an amazing sight to see. heading back to the tent, we saw dik diks, two male lions hanging out in the marshes and making our day.
Day 7
We left for an early morning game drive, saw some more lions, giraffe, ... and headed towards Central Serengeti and the Western Corridor to see the Grumeti river and its Crocs. We saw 3 lions up in the trees in Central Serengeti and we also saw two leopards here. We went towards Grumetti and saw 4-5 big crocs in what was left of the river in this season and also saw lots of hippos. Our arrival in Speke bay was around 6 pm which gave us enough time to shower under running water for a change (it felt so good) and go for dinner. I loved the Speke Bay Lodge with its great view of the bay.
Day 8
We took the boat to the Fisherman's village close to the lodge, saw the people and how they lived there and saw the resident crocodile at Speke Bay lodge. Early afternoon we headed for Mwanza, had dinner and got on the ferry leaving for Bukoba where our Tanzania journey would end and Uganda would start.
Overall, we loved loved loved our time in Tanzania and would love to go there again, this time at a different time to see another aspect of the wildlife. EASTCO did a great job and there were no hiccups whatsoever on the trip. Our only complaint was that the car was a little too old but really, after being on so many game drives, I'm pretty sure that it doesn't matter what car you're in, it will still be pretty bumpy!
Email Malpa | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Safari with EASTCO
We had a fantastic safari with EASTCO. We had been to Tanzania before and this time wanted to go to some places we had heard of but had not visited. As well as this we wanted to visit some old favourite places Tarangire National Park and Boundary Hill Lodge.
We once again found EASTCO very helpful and flexible in helping us organize a safari that was a bit different.
On this trip we visited Lake Natron. I had heard much about Lake Natron. The drive there was very interesting following the escarpment and driving over lava plains. We camped at Ngare Sero for 2 nights. It was fantastic: the escarpment, volcanic mountains and colourful Lake Natron.
We then drove to Lake Manyara and Ol Tukai, EASTCO's new lodge. This was our first glimpse of Ol Tukai, two thatched buildings with very steep roofs overlooking the distant lake. There was a large herd of giraffe behind Ol Tukai, maybe 30 or so scattered in the palm and acacia trees.
After Lake Manyara we headed for Tarangire National Park and spent hours watching elephants. At times they were amazingly close to us. We then drove to Boundary Hill Lodge, a place we had stayed at before. This is one of my favourite places to stay: spectacular views, giraffe and elephants on the plains below, Masai and their herds of cattle and unique accommodation. Each room is completely private built onto the rocks.
After Boundary Hill Lodge, we headed for Babati and stayed at the White Rose Guesthouse. This is a very simple local guesthouse, but clean and comfortable, very friendly staff. We had a chance here to go to a local restaurant and try local food. We wandered along the lake shore and visited the market. Lake Babati is well known for its hippos and as we were wandering to the market, there was a hippo in the bushes by the road!
Our next drive was to Mkomazi and the Pare Mountains where we stayed at the Elephant Motel.
Same is along the road between Kilimanjaro and the coast, a very dry stretch of country and the dominating features here are the mountains that run parallel to the road, the Pares and further south the Usambaras.
Mkomazi National park is set north of these mountains, itself borders by other mountains to the north and then the dry plains further east. It is a relatively new park, and I had always been keen to visit, and experience the park for myself. The camp we stayed at was set on a slight rise, two large tents and a dining tent, set in some acacias and looking west towards Kilimanjaro.
The next morning we headed towards the South Pare mountains and the village of Mbaga. We reached the local guesthouse where we were staying the night, Toma. The guesthouse is built on different levels out of wood, a ramshackle assortment of buildings, platforms and lounge areas perched on a narrow strip next to the road. This area has many building from the colonial German times and was very interesting.
After breakfast the next day we left for Amani Nature Reserve, heading over the Pares and visiting Chome Nature Reserve, before heading down to the main road, to the coast and then up a steep winding road to the Eastern Usambaras.
After a walk, we continued into Amani and the guesthouse we were staying in for the next three nights.
The difference between here and Chome was striking. Being closer to the Indian Ocean meant that Amani was much more humid and wetter.
Amani is an old colonial town, or town hub, a couple of old stone buildings, one of which was the old Amani Club, which is now the guesthouse.
After our stay at Amani we left for Tanga. The drive was interesting, citrus trees lining the road as we got closer to the coast.
Tanga itself was very interesting. The town is a mixture of old German colonial buildings, some Arab style balconies and typical Swahili homes, tin roofed, with a small porch with a cement bed to spend the hottest part of the days sleeping.
These three nights we camped on the beach between Tanga and Pangani near to a couple of Swahili fishing villages. The tents were small dome tents and we had our own private shower and toilets. They were in a great location overlooking the beach.
Sailing here was idyllic, drifting along under the dhow rigged sail with only the sound of the water beneath the hull.
On the last day we went to Tanga airstrip, where we caught a small plane for Dar Es Salaam and our international flight.
All in all it was a fantastic trip with lots of different and interesting things to see. We had a mixture of animals, fantastic scenery, history and local culture.
I would highly recommend EASTCO who went out of their way to give us the trip we wanted and who were very flexible.
US
Email Jed & Helen from Virginia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded Expectations
My wife and I wanted a real celebration of our 35th anniversary so I sent out feelers on our first safari. I found Simon at East African Safari and Touring Company easy to communicate with and he took our desires and suggested an itinerary that seemed perfect for us. James was our guide and he could not have been better. I would highly recommend him. It's hard to appreciate how a dependable and stable vehicle is important but we did not have the slightest hiccup along many miles of pounding dirt roads. Speke Bay Lodge was excellent with a tour of the fishing village with John. Mbalageti Lodge was spectacular and meeting Alexander there was probably the greatest treat of all. He is a very special young man. The Serengeti was next for three days in a tent. Tenting at 62 years of age is quite an experience but those taking care of us worked very hard making our stay as pleasant as possible and our close proximity to the animals could only be described as way beyond my dreams for a spectacular wildlife experience. The animals along the way and driving into the Great Migration was overwhelming. Ngorongoro Crater and staying at the lodge was another experience that was spectacular. Lake Manyara National Park and Tarangire ecosystem just added to the sensory overload of the wealth of animal life. Boundary Hill was beautiful and "Comando" and "Patrick" would do anything for us. A foot trek with our Massai guide "Papa" is not to be missed. Ol Tukai would not have been so rich a time if it were not for the people there taking care of us. Joel was one I became particularly fond of during our time. They really seem to love to sing and a song from them was another highlight. Simon met with us at the end of our trip and asked for our comments. He put us up in a day-room close to Kilimanjaro Airport for a much needed shower and repacking. Everything about the trip can only be that it "Exceeded My Expectation".
PS. I read so much about crime that I was a little freaked but found that my health and safety were always watched out for and the hearts of the people in the places we visited were more righteous that any I have ever met. I knew the animals would be spectacular but I was not expecting the people to impact me so profoundly.
US
Email Tourist from S.F. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best trip of our lives, with the best guide ever.
Simon King, the owner of Eastco, arranged exactly the safari we wanted, with the perfect mix of luxury lodges and tented camps, balancing our desire for privacy away from other tourists with our wish to see the wildlife, game drives with extra activities. He answered my millions of questions perfectly, quickly, and with patience. He managed to make our trip more affordable than any other operator we contacted, with far better lodging choices. Our favorite was Boundary Hill Lodge, a spectacular room with a spectacular view. Our guide James was psychologist, knowledgeable naturalist, eagle eyed, kind, humorous, and generous with himself. I cannot imagine a more wonderful person to spend almost two weeks with. We still marvel at our experience every day. Though it may sound like hyperbole, I can't imagine a better trip.
Email Beryl Delaney | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Eastco was easy to deal with communication was good, sound helpful advice, professional service.
We had contacted several Safari companies and decided to go with East African Safari Company. Simon at Eastco was friendly and professional he assisted us with advice and suggestions we felt comfortable, confident and in capable hands planning our once in a lifetime trip. Communication was good and all our queries were answered by Simon in a timely manner. We had 6 nights on Safari, 3 of them at Ndutu Tented Camp the staff there were wonderful, food delicious. The time we spent in Serengeti was fantastic it really is the endless plain. We followed this with 1 night at Rhino Lodge Ngorongoro good accommodation friendly staff and good food, Game drive down into Ngorongoro Crater the next morning and it was awe inspiring up on the rim looking down it's so vast, the last 2 nights were at Ol Tukai which was a quiet wind down after the Safari situated overlooking Lake Manyara wonderfully relaxing, enjoyed a great walk with Masai Guides and visited a Masai village all very special. Food at Ol Tukai was the best of all the places we had stayed at. Our driver was brilliant and could spot animals we would have missed seeing without his skill and knowledge. We saw so many amazing animals birds etc too many to list we met some really special people have taken hundreds of great photos and have so many truly incredible memories to cherish forever of our time in Tanzania, thank you Simon and your great team of staff at Eastco for helping us achieve a dream.
Email Sara | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Safari with Eastco exceeded our expectations
16 Day Nairobi-Arusha-Mwanza with Eastco
Here are some extracts from the diary of our Trip to Tanzania with East African Safari and Touring Company. The trip far exceeded our expectations and was indeed faultless in planning and execution. I would contact Eastco if going on a Tanzanian Safari.
We flew from Melbourne to Dubai on Emirates and after a layover and shower at the airport, we flew onto Nairobi. Our first sights and sounds of Africa were amazing,we were picked up by our Eastco driver and taken to our overnight accommodation. The Silver Springs Hotel. The road to the hotel showed us what Africa was like, people everywhere,cars everywhere,the houses and buildings were far better than I expected and we were surprised to find everybody extremely well dressed and speaking excellent English. The hotel was not fancy but adequate with a buffet style dinner. The beer was cold,so what more could you ask. We didn't leave the hotel that night and went to bed with the sounds of Nairobi ringing in our ears.
After an early breakfast we caught the 7:30 am shuttle to Arusha. This showed us our first sight of African countryside and the Maasai, bright red and blue clothes, sheets they looked like but later we learned they were Shukas. Nothing like Australia. At the border post we completed the formalities slowly, there was quite a rush with a queue waiting to go to Tanzania. We were not asked for our yellow fever books but paid the visa in nice new crisp $50 bills. ( pre warned by Simon).
Now Tanzania, it was a beautiful midday, blue skies and Maasai cattle with sheep and goats scattered along the way. The first real highlight of the trip was seeing Mt. Kilimanjaro off to the left,rising in all its majesty above the plains. Everywhere was green and lush and there were water holes and pools dotting the plains. We had already seen our first wild giraffe and in the distance gazelles. We were so excited it was like Disneyland and we were the kids.In front we could see Mt. Meru, getting larger and larger as we drew closer. What a picture with two mountains rising above the African landscape.
Mt. Meru looked high, cold and rugged as we got closer we realized that Arusha nestled in its foothills.
Our first view of Arusha was traffic, cars and 4 x 4's everywhere. There were people everywhere.The buildings in Tanzania were not as fancy as those we had seen in Kenya but you could still see plenty of new two story houses behind high brick fences. There obviously was a lot of money around.
After arriving in Arusha we were met by our guide William who was to be with us until Mwanza. William packed our two bags in the bag of the land Rover and off we went to meet Simon at his house. This was a visit we were looking forward to after reading so much on the African forums.
The Land Rover was not new but spotlessly clean and very comfortable. During our safari we saw many 4x4's mostly they were Toyotas and a few land Rovers. We didn't see too many new vehicles. William told us that the company liked land Rovers because they were more comfortable than a Toyota on the dirt and pot holed roads. They were also easy to repair.
We met Simon at his house we sat on the front verandah of a large oldish brick house. We paid the balance of our safari and over coffee we talked a bit. We wouldn't see Simon again so made the most of it. The yard was full of old Acacia trees and there were birds everywhere. He said he didn't like to cut his grass because of the seeds which in turn attracted the birds. It did look a bit like a jungle.
We were headed to Tarangire to Boundary Hill Lodge for our first taste of a real safari and our first night.
By the time we left Simon and drove to a supermarket on the way to load up with a few after dinner drinks and biscuits William told us we would be late and would arrive at the lodge after dark.
The first hour was tarmac and then the next 40 minutes was a dirt track. It was dark by the time William pointed out Tarangire Treetops as we passed and then we stopped a bit further on and he showed us the lights of Boundary Hill in the distance. We arrived at the lodge and were met with a cold juice by two tall Maasai men. We were to learn there names later. They walked us to our room where we would spend the next three days. The room had a down stairs bathroom with a large King sized bed in the main room.
We settled in and after a shower and drink were escorted to dinner. Three courses served with candles and kerosine lamps. There was a large open fire burning on the verandah. We couldn't see much of the view but we looked to be on a very high bluff.
The dinner was great and the leek soup especially tasty. After dinner we were again escorted back to our room by the Maasai guards. What a first day and what a place to begin the trip of a lifetime.
We awoke to a second day of Safari, it was a beautiful clear morning and after the rain that had fallen overnight we wondered how we would reach the Maasai villages today.
From our bed we could see Kilimanjaro in the distance, walking on to the verandah gave a beautiful view of the valley below and sunning on the rocks were many hyraxes. Coffee arrived at 7:00 and we then asked for breakfast in our room with a message sent to William take your time. Elephants could be seen eating below.
Our showers were hot and more enjoyable because of the view. If you can imagine a loo with a better view, you probably haven’t seen this one.
After breakfast we did venture out and went looking for our walking guide. We had agreed to go on a short bush walk. The road was dirt with puddles of water everywhere. Accompanied by two Maasai askaris we set off. To cut a long story short the exercise was good. The conversation limited but fun and the small things we did see made it worth while. No elephants or lions up close.
A highlight was the often long lines of soldier ants and the birds which we saw mostly from a distance. Even after that heavy rain it was quite warm and clear.
Our guide Loishoi did point out the many footprints of the earlier visitors, jackals, antelope, but not much else. We had expected to see the leopard from the night game drive the night before but didn’t.
Baobabs were not everywhere but on the road below the lodge bordering the stream and water holes we did see many. We decided pretty quickly that we had experienced enough and asked to head back. We wanted to talk to William and change our plan to go into the park again in the afternoon and do the Maasai village visits tomorrow on the way to Ol Tukai. Loshoi had told us that the road to his village was pretty wet and we might get stuck.
After lunch we headed off with William, the intention being to see as many elephants as possible.
We again turned left in front of the lodge and followed the road along the side of the swamps. Here we could see small groups of female elephants with babies of all sizes. There were small water holes everywhere and on the right side of the road it was one swamp and wetland. William did say this was one of the migration routes and the elephants would be here till the water dried up.
The elephants were everywhere eating in the swamps and pulling up really large tufts of grass. We spent an hour and half in this area it was pretty relaxing as we were the only vehicle.
We then headed into the park proper, we had to show our permits again and William either signed us in or out but it didn’t seem to matter.
The drive to the Tarangire River took 20 minutes and was a bit boring but once there, we again had plenty of bird activity with yellow collared lovebirds seemingly everywhere and pretty noisy. We saw a few Impala herds and older male elephants resting under the baobabs. The Tarangire River was pretty full and many of the tracks flooded over and muddy holes everywhere. We had to keep to higher ground but still got a good idea of what Tarangire in the rainy season was all about. It was wet.
As we were driving we saw a few large lizards on the rocks near one of the bridges but no luck for a python. Lions, we didn’t see one the whole time we were in Tarangire, but ticked off a lot of birds. In the late evening we drove back , all in all the day had been relaxing and an excellent way to start a long safari. Birds, elephants and then baobabs.
We were not going on a night game drive again but did plan to meet William for dinner. After retiring to our room,which was a bit more than that, we again sat on the verandah and looked at the elephants and a few giraffe below.
Boundary Hill Lodge is set in a beautiful location overlooking the valley and park below. It was one of the best lodges we have stayed in. Well worth it.
Dinner that night was full of Williams' safari stories, he also told us about his wife and children and working for Eastco. We retired early as tomorrow we were heading on another adventure Manyara and Ol Tukai.
Day 3: After breakfast and a farewell to the staff we headed back on the road we had used the first day. Across a very wet sand river towards the plains. Apparently we were on the road only used in the rainy season. We saw a few zebra in the distance but not many other animals.
We had agreed to stop at a school on the way which Eastco supported. Before getting to this school however we asked William why he was slowing down to avoid all the pot holes on the road. He said the water was used by the local Masai villages and they would be collecting it. It did seem pretty dirty. A bit further on we saw very young children running from the road when the saw us approaching leaving behind water buckets and 20 litre containers. We stopped and pretty soon the women and children came back, and after introductions by William, we were able to watch.
The water is scooped up with a bowl and then put into a bucket or 20 litre water containers. The water container was then carried on the head of the girls back to their hut. And emptied into 200 litre old oil or petrol drums or in some cases plastic water tanks. The water is used for washing clothes and for cooking. After asking a few questions we did learn that for chai (tea) it is boiled first. I still wondered if it would taste muddy. The women told us via William that they had no taps and the main water source was an underground pump, installed by Eastco as it turned out, but was 2 kms away.
We were able to go into the huts and the first thing we noticed even though the floor was dirt it was still clean and we were told it was swept every day, sometimes more often. The huts were pretty simple and had a thatch roof with earthen fire in the middle. The tribal elder or husband had a shed built out of mud bricks with a tin roof. The hut was two rooms and William told us it was a bit of a status symbol to have a house with corrugated iron sheets on the roof.
We had not visited the school yet but felt we did learn more about Tanzanian rural village life than most would.
We passed quickly by the school and gave to the head teacher some pens and exercise books we had bought, even though the children had pens they liked the ones we had as they were all different colors and sizes, not your normal local pen or pencil all the children had. The head teacher pointed out the new doors and windows that were being put in and did tell us that Naitolia camp owned by Eastco was supporting the school through what he termed bed nights. William did explain to us that the village received $ 20 per night for every client that slept there.
The village secretary a young women who we found at the school asked us for a lift to the main road and we welcomed the chance to talk to her. She spoke almost perfect English so we were able to talk without William interpreting. It was fun to hear about her life in a Maasai, male dominated community and being a women village secretary. She told us that half the village committee were women and many women occupied all levels of local government. That half hour taught us a lot about Tanzania.
We dropped her off at the main road and then we headed towards Manyara and Ol Tukai. We couldn’t wait as we had heard so little about Eastco’s new camp. As we got closer we could see the lake, visible below the escarpment with the sun turning the clouds orange in the sky.
It had obviously rained a lot recently, the car slipping and sliding over the black mud, and eventually William stopped so the last 20 minutes or so to the camp we walked with the local Masai carrying our bags, a line of chanting red clad Masai walking through the mud towards the acacias and along the lake shore in the setting sun, it was so surreal, so very African. In the distance we could see flamingos, a streak of pink across the horizon, as we came closer to the camp we knew it was going to be one of those memorable experiences and it was.
Ol Tukai the room, beautiful in its simplicity, king size bed, the view over the lake, the flamingos, zebras along the lake shore, the staff, all were fantastic. So private, so remote and so different to anywhere we had experienced. A sky filled with a million stars, some seemingly so close it was is if we were amongst the heavens. I think we were.
What was unique here was that the kitchen was part of the dining room, the meals being prepared by Nashoo and Isaiah as we watched, the smell of fresh bread being baked in the large open oven and the view across the lake towards the escarpment with the sun sinking below the mountains.
Our first night at O'l Tukai gave us a taste of the rainy season here. After an excellent home cooked meal in the brass lantern lit dining area, we crawled into our King sized bed, pulled the duvet up to our noses and watched as mother nature did her tricks.Every second the sky seemed to be lit with brilliance, the rift escarpment on the far side of the lake silhouetted with flashes of lightening. Thunder of course. I think we were lucky as we could imagine some parts of the valley must have been getting drenched.
As we enjoy our summer at home and the Xmas break the visions of the lake seem like we were only there yesterday.
We awoke to a earth washed clean, the sky crystal clear so early in the morning with pools of water stretching towards the lake shore. With the rising sun behind the camp every detail of the escarpment was a highlight. Gone were the herds of Zebra and wildebeest, gone were the giraffe, these were replaced by small herds of Thomson gazelle and nearer to the forest line were Grant's gazelle. Flamingo's spread out along the far lake shore, with pelicans and the odd flamingo or two scattered along our side of the lake shore.
When our morning coffee was delivered we asked John. our Masai guide, where the Zebras had gone.
He told us that during the nights, the zebras and wildebeest leave the lake and head towards the grass plains behind Ol'Tukai, nearer the Masai bomas. he did mention that during the rainy season this did attract lions to the bomas. I am glad he didn't mention that as were walking to the camp last night.
We were headed for a walk after breakfast but would start after the water drained a little. After a hot shower we headed off to breakfast, on the way we saw two African hares with the male jumping almost a meter off the ground.We were completely ignored.
Breakfast was fruit and what I would call a full English breakfast.
Our walk took us along the flood plains, herds of gazelle were jumping out of the way even before we got close. Today was the day for water birds, Gull-billed terns in their thousands wheeling overhead as we came closer to their roosting spots, grey-headed gulls, pelicans, cormorants, flamingos, stilts, plovers and avocets.
Although with the clinging mud, each step added a kilo or two to our progress but the birds were always a distance presence.
John told us that before Ol'Tukai was built this area was a hunting haunt for mzungus living in Arusha, Quail being the bird of choice.
He also told us that previously the lake used to be full of dugout canoes fishing, and fishing camps would be built along the lake shore. The fishing camps were a major headache for the village leaders as they would chop down trees for firewood and leave plastic bags everywhere.
Ol'Tukai being there has now stopped this poaching.
We walked back to the camp via one of the family bomas Johns sister and mother were at home and we were given the royal tour, the chance to try some sour milk and maize , loshoro, I hope spelled correctly.We only tasted it but did sit in the dark smoke filled hut.
We had a late lunch and an afternoon nap followed by a very nice dinner.
After dinner we were offered a very special treat a night walk with our Masai guards and two very powerful torches. This was something special and eerie as we set off. Our main concern was not to step in holes which were every two or three meters. We managed to see some spring hares, a mongoose of some sort, a large barn owl and some night jars. We heard hyenas in the distance.We were never very far from the lodge and were always in the open.
Apparently John and his Masai guards had already checked the area out while were were having dinner, they new what to expect the walk was a treat.
The above is only part of our safari. We also visited Ngorongoro Crater and stayed in Eastco'c camp in the Serengeti before heading to Mbalageti and lake Victoria.
All in all it was a memorable experience and I hope the above gives you an insight as to what a safari can show and be apart from the beautiful wildlife of course.
Our walk took us along the flood plains, herds of gazelle were jumping out of the way even before we got close. Today was the day for water birds, Gull-billed terns in their thousands wheeling overhead as we came closer to their roosting spots, grey-headed gulls, pelicans, cormorants, flamingos, stilts, plovers and avocets.
Although with the clinging mud, each step added a kilo or two to our progress but the birds were always a distance presence.
John told us that before Ol'Tukai was built this area was a hunting haunt for mzungus living in Arusha, Quail being the bird of choice.
He also told us that previously the lake used to be full of dugout canoes fishing, and fishing camps would be built along the lake shore. The fishing camps were a major headache for the village leaders as they would chop down trees for firewood and leave plastic bags everywhere.
Ol'Tukai being there has now stopped this poaching.
We walked back to the camp via one of the family bomas Johns sister and mother were at home and we were given the royal tour, the chance to try some sour milk and maize , loshoro, I hope spelled correctly.We only tasted it but did sit in the dark smoke filled hut.
We had a late lunch and an afternoon nap followed by a very nice dinner.
After dinner we were offered a very special treat a night walk with our Masai guards and two very powerful torches. This was something special and eerie as we set off. Our main concern was not to step in holes which were every two or three meters. We managed to see some spring hares, a mongoose of some sort, a large barn owl and some night jars. We heard hyenas in the distance.We were never very far from the lodge and were always in the open.
Apparently John and his Masai guards had already checked the area out while were were having dinner, they new what to expect the walk was a treat.
EASTCO excellent planning, knowledgable operater,and caters for individual ideas.
Here is our trip report from our safari to Tanzania with EASTCO, last September.
This was not our first trip to Tanzania, so we didn't do a normal safari.
We flew with Emirates from Melbourne to Nairobi and stayed the night at Silver Springs.
The next morning EASTCO had organised a private transfer for us to Arusha which was much more comfortable than the shuttles I had taken in the past.
Flexible departure time ,no crowds at the border, and more time to see the sights.
We spent a couple of days in Arusha visiting the markets , Arusha National Park to see the Colobus Monkeys and stayed at Momella Lodge. We stayed here before, my last time was over 10 years ago. The views of Mount Kilimanjaro across the plains each afternoon was the reason we came back . It has been renovated since my first visit and lost a lot of its charm I think as well. I was a bit surprised at how close to the park some of the farms and houses were now.
We then went to Ngorongoro Crater and stayed at the Wildlife Lodge for 2 nights. This was a special place for me as I stayed here on my first visit to Tanzania in 1985. No zebra steaks this time! But the views from my bedroom window were as spectacular as I remembered.
We had two trips into the crater, one early morning which was okay , but it was blowing a cold wind and we did not see as much as I would have thought. The afternoon drive was fantastic, a bit warmer and also not so many other safari goers. We did also manage to see a couple of black rhinos quite close near to the forest.
Then we headed to the Serengeti Wildlife Lodge again for 3 nights. One of the reasons we stayed here was the swimming pool which was built into the rocks, as we were travelling with a 9 year old child and wanted somewhere to relax as well as see the wildlife.
The Serengeti was superb as usual, lots of lions and 2 leopards, we also had a bit of rain and found some migration an hour or so away. The many hyrax around the lodge was constant source of entertainment as well.
The last part of our trip was a visit to Tarangerie, still one of my favourite parks and I never get tired of watching the elephants.
We stayed 1 night at the Safari Lodge , really enjoyed the views and the swimming pool.
We stayed 2 nights at Boundary Hill Lodge. The rooms were very private and the views spectacular over the valley below. I really enjoyed a bath on the veranda while taking in the views and the serenity around me.
We visited a Masai boma, it was about an hours drive to get there ,but the sheer remoteness only added to the overall experience. We did a night drive as well and saw a few impala, genet cat and bat eared foxes.
I think the combination of the Safari Lodge and Boundary Hill Lodge was perfect, two different experiences completely.
Everything on our safari with EASTCO was excellent and I am already making plans for a return trip. So far I have only been during the dry season, so I am looking forward to seeing the Serengeti in March.
Experience level: first safari
Unique experience with the amazing wildlife, scenery and interacting with the local people
Communications were very prompt and good, price was reasonable. The tour itself was amazing; the scenery, wildlife and the remoteness and uniqueness of some of the campsites contributed to this. However the best thing about the company was the staff in the field- they were very knowledgeable, friendly and prepared to do their utmost to ensure that your experience was the best you could possibly have. Cosmos the driver/guide and Paul the chef were excellent examples of this.