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
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Email Rich L | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime...Thank You EASTCO
My wife and I went on a 12 day safari with EASTCO. Before choosing EASTCO, I read all the reviews. There were many great reviews and some not so great reviews. What I definitely understood that the #1 most important aspect of the trip is the selection of tour guide. Based on many great previous reviews we requested James to be our tour guide…we made this request one year in advance of our trip.
This review is neither a blow by blow detail of our trip nor a detailed list of what to bring or not to bring. This is a review of EASTCO and all that goes into selecting a tour company, accommodations, logistics and the tour guide.
I will begin with the end….this was the most spectacular trip and far exceeded our already incredibly high expectations. Without seeing it in person it is hard to explain the beauty of Tanzania, the spectacular amount of diverse wildlife and the friendliness of the people. We saw it all….the big 5 plus so many other animals and an incredible (surprising) amount of beautiful birds. The month of February means baby animals everywhere in the park….it also meant the migration. You could look in every direction and it would be impossible to count all the Wildebeest, Zebra and Gazelle’s.
The communications with EASTCO was exclusively with Simon King. During the selection and planning phase, I must have sent Simon 20 emails. Almost without exception Simon got back to me within 24 hours. If he was later than that, he apologized and told me why it took 2 days to return my emails.
The selection of James as our driver was fantastic. James is an incredibly good guide (as you can see by all the great reviews). He is very knowledgeable about the parks, the animals (he was a great spotter of animals)….we would say “how would you know it was there?”….remember EASTCO drivers do not use radios to communicate. He was also a very good driver. We drove approximately 1,500KM during our 12 days together. So many times I witnessed out of control safari drivers and others rushing from one place to another. As they rushed past us...inevitably they would miss so much to see from the varied landscape to the far off lions on the rocks. James made our vacation fantastic….that is how important a driver can be for the overall experience.
Our safari car was a Landrover Defender 110 with slightly less than 300K miles before we started and more than 301K after we finished. There are a lot of newer safari vehicles in the parks, but ours was just right for us. Our car had no mechanical issues and several times we pulled over to help out other broken down safari vehicles….mostly Toyota Landcruisers. The vehicle was comfortable and very effective….remember you are not driving down a highway in America, you are on Tanzanian dirt roads with so many ruts and holes.
The logistics of a safari can be a nightmare….there are so many opportunities to miss being picked up or dropped off. The logistics for our trip were spot on and perfect…that is very important and showed the communications between EASTCO and the drivers, greeters, etc were handled without incident.
Our itinerary was designed by Simon and I used the Trip Advisor community to get 2nd and 3rd opinions. We took a hybrid approach to camps/lodges. We flew into Kili and overnighted in Rivertrees in Arusha. The next morning we flew to Mwanza and had a driver pick us up an bring us to Speke Bay Lodge on shores of Lake Victoria. This allowed us to get to the Ndabaka with 15 minutes from Speke Bay to start our safari. Our 1st night in the Serengeti we spent at the Four Seasons Serengeti….our 2nd night was at the EASTCO camp in between Olduvai and Ndutu, this was a basic camp but very comfortable. Our next 2 nights were spent at the Serengeti Savannah Camps and in particular camp #10….we really liked the camp location and the overall experience with Serengeti Savannah Camps. On safari we did the balloon ride with Serengeti Balloon Safari’s…the ride was great (it is fun being in a hot air balloon) but the winds were not in our favor in terms of the migration and we didn’t see a lot of animals while ballooning. After the Serengeti we went to Ngorongoro Crater for game viewing and stayed in the most spectacular lodge & Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. The following night we spent at the one EASTCO camp I would skip and that was Naitolia Camp…we thought this was too far away from everything…but the camp was still very beautiful and functional just not right for us. After Naitolia we headed to Tarangire Park for 3 nights at the Boundary Hill Lodge. I thought that 3 nights were too many at this place…but that was only before I stayed there, we loved our time at BHL. The views are spectacular and we took one full day of just relaxing, reading and playing cards…a great down day during a busy safari. We loved the incredible wildlife in Tarangire and ranked this only behind Serengeti in terms of the wildlife. After 3 nights at BHL we went to Manyara Park for a day of game viewing. We like Manyara for its diverse landscape but the wildlife is certainly less than the other parks we visited. We ended our stays with EASTCO with a final night at Ol Tukai camp on the shore (the shore was one mile away due to the time of year) of Lake Manyara. The following morning James drove us to Arusha airport for our last part of our trip 5 days at the Next Paradise Boutique Resort in Pwani Mchangani…we booked this separate from EASTCO.
One last point, when we were at the Arusha airport Simon King came by to personally see how our trip went…we talked for 10 minutes and we shared our experience with him.
Overall a trip of a lifetime which was made possible by our planning, our use of EASTCO and of course our driver James.
Email Leo and Jim (Darwin) | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Strongly recommended... friendly, open, honest would return next week
The guys were great. Simon has been fantastic on the email and we couldn't say a bad word about our guide Ezi (Ezekiel), who's patience and knowledge paid gave us the opportunity to see more than we would have otherwise. Its a trip we're continually rememissing about. We too went to the Crater, Serengiti and Boundry Hill. With the exception of the warm beers we coudn't off asked for more. The hospitatlity we were given at each of the camps (much different to the camping Aussie style) was endless. We felt and were made to feel like royalty. We have never stayed anywhere as lovely, and expected anywhere as nice as on the trip.
What remains in our mind as one of the highlights (and there were heaps) was on the first afternoon, we went for a walk with a Masai ranger above the crater where we walked a few metres from Giraffes... If that wasn't enough!!!
We had lions and lionesses walking in amongst the trucks, like we weren't even there, saw a lioness take down a couple of zebra, saw millions of zebras, to Ezi's amusement at my initial cry out. We did have a moment of apprehnsion through the drive from the Crater to Serengiti, where the road was rough, the land desoloute. I think we both had a time we wondered if we should or could have stayed at the crater but were pleasantly surprised by the pockets of natural beauty that Serengiti gave us. Its amazing that I even contemplated and feared that we wouldn't see enough or see any lions!!! we saw countless!!
Even as we left and just as we were both seated (for the first time in days) on the way out three Cheetahs just cruised on by sitting on a rock within five metres from where we had parked... At Boundry hill we were woken to Elephants roaring, guided through the park by gorgeous Masai that walked us through the country giving us a wealth of knowledge.
If we could offer one suggestion it would be, offering the guys a fridge or solar panels (more) at Boundry Hill. The lodge was outstanding and Joseph who was gorgeous ran a beautiful place. The poor guy had to put up with us beer drinking Aussie's... Thankyou guys, and sorry this has been ages in the making... I know Julie and Jim are looking forward to returning with you guys next year...
We couldn't have asked for more...
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Email Kim | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A magical safari with EASTCO.
We went on our first safari with EASTCO in February 2013 and had a magical time! We spent 16 days visiting the north of Tanzania (Speke Bay, Serengeti, Ndutu, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Babati, and Mkomazi). During our trip we visited some off-the-beaten-path areas along the Northern circuit which was one of our desires. The trip was 18 months in the planning with Simon and a lifelong dream trip. The trip had a lot of expectations, hopes and dreams built into it.
Simon's communication was top notch. He answered the many questions I posed and more. Communication is very important to us in our travels. Simon checked that box with ease.
Our guide, Ezekiel, was fantastic. He was a wonderful fit for us and just made the trip. A guide is so important in a trip like this.
Our camps and lodgings were perfect for us. We stayed in a mixture of: EASTCO's private camp, Boundary Hill Lodge (which is owned by EASTCO), lodges and guest houses, all helping to make the trip comfortable, fun and interesting.
Our itinerary was so nice and balanced. It gave us a mix of wildlife, scenery and culture, all of which we hoped to see and experience. Another box checked by Simon.
We saw and experienced more than we could have imagined on our safari. We saw the migration in the Nudtu area, spent days in the Serengeti and nights looking at the beautiful blackness and stars of the African night sky, visited the Kolo cave paintings near Babati, went canoeing on Lake Babati, visited a masai boma, went on a couple of walking tours, did a fantastic night drive, saw so many animals, and met interesting people.
EASTCO met each and every desire, hope and expectation we had and more. Many thanks to Simon, our guide Ezekiel and all of EASTCO. It was absolutely the trip-of-a-lifetime!
We had such a great time on this trip that we have another safari planned with EASTCO in July 2014. Can't wait to experience the southern parks of Tanzania!
Email Liz Preston | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
30 days Exploring Uganda and Tanzania
We have been back almost 3 months now and as our trip is still very fresh in our memory I thought I would write a few comments regarding what was to us sometimes worrying and then they became the most important part of our trip.
It doesn't need to be a 30 day safari for some of the things that affected us to affect others.
Visas:
Often mentioned on forums, do we do this or that. In the end we bought all our visas on arrival and no hassle what so ever. The officials at the borders couldn't have been nicer.
Health issues:
We are a couple in our early 60's and we think pretty fit.
Malaria tablets:
We did visit our local GP and he provided us with malaria prophylactics and we were vaccinated against yellow fever. A quick mention was made of other vaccinations but we politely declined.
We started taking the malaria tabs 2 days before departure and continued with them 2 weeks after we returned. I did expect to turn yellow, we have heard reports of soldiers during WWII experiencing this, we didn't but the most difficult part was to remember to take them.
We were not asked for our yellow fever booklet anywhere except on our return to Australia where were asked to show it.
We didn't have any other health issues, drank plenty of water, and ate everything that was dished up to us.
Vehicle:
We had read a lot of posts about vehicles. Ours was a Land Rover with four seats in the back, and a cool box for our drinks and lunches, this was great. Most of the other safari vehicles we saw were Toyota land Cruiser. We had a really comfortable ride no breakdowns or other issues. The roads were really rough in many areas and potholes all over the place. Dirt and dust became a common part of our day. The roof had a hatch that we could push up when we wanted to, this provided some welcome shade. I don’t think the type of roof with a canvas roll back would have suited us.
Food and water:
We had plenty of water in the vehicle which was supplied by EASTCO and it was topped as we were travelling along when the opportunity arose. We did stock up a bit in Entebbe after we arrived, which was a good idea in retrospect.
The food was generally well cooked and simple. Plenty of fruit and we also had extra in the 4x4.
Breakfast were pretty much standard wherever we went, juice, toast or bread and a sausage or frankfurter with tomato and egg. Coffee and tea is you wished.
The lunch boxes were also very similar, we did avoid the chicken and kept to fruit, juice, bread, and often nuts or a biscuit. Some lodges in Tanzania provided vegetarian pasties and chapattis which when we could have them provided the better lunch boxes. Chocolate was often offered as was the old favorite the boiled egg.
I would insist before you take your lunch box that you have some input into its contents, we always did and it was never a hassle.
Dinner, we had a variety of meals over the month long trip and the most noticeable feature was the excellent soup and homemade breads and rolls . I think pumpkin soup was the best. If you get a chance to sample the local fare do so it was fun. When we were camping we often asked for a local dish and were given it. Pilau was served up once a concoction of meat and rice, quite tasty. We always ate a lot of fruit and drank plenty of water.
Accommodation:
We stayed in a variety of accommodation from what I would call a very luxury lodge, to simple tents and then basic guest houses. I have done reviews of the accommodation elsewhere so here I will confine my comment to one per lodge.
Momella lodge had the old world atmosphere. Boundary Hill Lodge the loo with a spectacular view. Speke Bay the lake. The Boma the bed after a long flight. White Rose Guest House frankfurters. Ngorongoro Wildlife lodge the view. Naitolia camp the best of them all. Camping in Uganda was fun, Camping in the Serengeti not to be missed.
Showers:
Hot water and a shower is an essential part of my daily routine I must have at least two a day.
All the lodges and camps had hot water for a shower and the way it was delivered varied from a simple bucket shower in the tent to a beautiful outside shower under the stars.
Company:
We used Eastco for our trip. It couldn't have been better. In the planning stages, the most important part, we learnt a lot.
Go with your gut feeling, Simon was by far the most knowledgeable of all the TO we emailed, and he did go out of his way to answer all the questions and plan the trip we wanted. After the Egypt debacle and the Ugandan add on, organized on the spur of them moment we can only say “Thanks” it was the trip of a life time and was beyond our expectations.
We did follow the advice on the forum and emailed many operators suggested here, the list no expert provided was an excellent starting point, and slowly we worked out which company would work for us. Quickly eliminating those who obviously wouldn’t. We were not disappointed.
Guide:
Last but not least: Our guide was Inno and you couldn't have wished for a better fit. He was quiet when we wanted him to be, talked when we wanted to. All in all you knew he was there for you.
His knowledge of wildlife was outstanding as you would expect, as well as being polite and friendly.
Tip: we did tip him and one tip we learned was to learn a bit of Kiswahili.
Wildlife:
Almost forgot the reason for the trip. In one word superb, nothing can describe the number of wildlife nor the variety. Standouts would be the Gorillas, Elephants at Tarangire and the cheetah at Seronera.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Looked after everything
We only had limited time, three days, and we had extensive email correspondence with Simon about six months earlier when he gave us prompt and patient answers to all our many questions. We took his advice about where to go, where to stay and he took care of all the many details, airport transfers etc. Everything went like clockwork. Would recommend Eastco to anyone.
Our driver was friendly, helpful and reliable.
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35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a joy to experience the wildlife, culture and spaciousness of Tanzania on our EASTCO safari.
My husband and I traveled on a 12 day custom safari with EASTCO in Oct/Nov 2013. We were very happy with all aspects of the trip. We had a wonderful time with our driver James. He really made the trip a memorable experience for us. We started our safari at Lake Victoria and visited the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, and Arusha Park. We stayed in a mixture of tented camps and lodges and were pleased with all of them especially the camp in the Serengeti and Boundary Hill in Tarangire. We saw so much; a lion kill a zebra, an abundance of cats, lion cubs playing, a rare sighting of a caracal, so many monkeys, herds of elephants , and so much more. We also had some very interesting cultural visits; a fishing village on Lake Victoria, a Maasai boma, and a school. Overall, it was a very great experience, James and everyone at EASTCO gave us a wonderful trip that we will never forget
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Truely a trip of a lifetime!
My son and I travelled with EASTCO through out Tanzania for 3 weeks. We visited the big name parks such as Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara and Tarangire and the lesser visited Arusha national park The highlights included the accommodation at Naitolia and Ol Tukia, and the tented accommodation on the Serengeti. We travelled with our guide James telling us all we needed to know and showing us his country in a personal and exciting way. We visited Babati and met the locals, seeing the rock art at Kolo and taking a ride in a dugout canoe on the lake. We saw more animals than we thought possible and many times we were the only vehicle in sight. Some of the most memorable were the lions devouring a warthog next to our vehicle on the Serengeti, the night drive at Naitolia and the beautiful colobus monkeys in Arusha national park. The masaai people were great, ready to share their lives with us giving us an insight into an ancient culture.
I would not hesitate to recommend EASTCO, they delivered all that they promised and more, we did some things that were not in the usual safari plan andthey did not hesitate to suggest things that they thought we would enjoy. They also organised the 3 days in Zanzibar for us and it was excellent. All in all an excellent trip, good food, good accommodation, good guide and good friends. We will be back to get them to organise a trip to Bwindi and more of the Serengeti!
Email Conor Cusack | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
East African Safari and Touring company offer a good balance of budget and luxury
We went on a Safari with EASTCO as a delayed honeymoon and it was a 12 day trip from Uganda at Entebbe through to Arusha. Simon was very good at communicationg and organising the Safari effectively, and by the time we had paid up we fely confident in the company. The Safari was excellent as importantly bot the driver Cosmas and the Landrover were really good (the former being more important than the latter!) The accomodation was of a good standard and the full service camps were a treat, and probably the most enjoyable part. We saw more wildlife than we could have hoped for and had a once in a lifetime trip. Thanks EASTCO, I'm happy to recommend your services!