We wish you a very warm welcome! Karibu!
Paradise & Wilderness
- Offices In:
-
Netherlands
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Member Of:
- TATO, TALA & ZATI
- Tour Types:
- Mid-range & luxury tours that, when possible, use accommodations owned and operated by them
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
DE
Email Philipp & Verena | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari trip followed by lovely days on Zanzibar
We had booked a 4-day safari in Selous Game Reserve followed by a holiday on Zanzibar at the Reef & Beach Resort. The safari was an extraordinary experience, sleeping in the middle of the wilderness, delicious food, very well-organized excursions with great guides, lots of great animals. The holiday on Zanzibar was lovely, the hotel complex was a bit overcrowded at times, which was noticeable when you sat by the pool. The staff were generally friendly, but we were unhappy with the cleaning staff, as they only cleaned the room if you left them a tip. On the days when we didn't leave a tip, our towels were taken away and not cleaned. Otherwise, we were very happy with our stay at the Reef & Beach. We were also very happy with the food.
DE
Email Mirjam | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experienced tour operator, good guides, good accommodation.
A friend and I were on safari for 4 days. The guides were good to very good. They were very eager to show us many animals and explain a lot. The accommodation in the camp was very good. The cabins had everything you need and were very clean. Unfortunately, the pool was only half filled with unclean water. We didn't use it.
The price-performance ratio was right for me and we always felt safe in the camp thanks to the Maasai, even when one night the monkeys roared very loudly because a leopard was hunting.
We did the safari 3 times in the 4 days, the boat tour and the hike through the bush which was more of a 2 hour walk. But: we learned a lot about the Maasai.
The people at the reception were very friendly and helpful and in the restaurant and bar you immediately felt at home as everyone was so friendly. All in all a very good stay!
Email John & Louise | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organised and welcoming.
We had an amazing time on our paradise and wilderness tour. The hotel Reef and Beach resort was a wonderful resort had everything you needed for a relaxing time, the staff were friendly, welcoming and very attentive. They we're always smiling and made you feel happy. The only negative point was it was a little to far away from the main town Jambiani. The tours that were on offer were great. The tours we experienced in Zanzibar included Stone Town, Prison Island and spice farm, this was a full day out. The other tour we can highly recommend was Dolphin watching/swimming if your brave enough to jump into the Indian ocean about a mile off the coast. And swimming with sea turtles.
Well what do I say about the Safari..........it was breathtaking to experience seeing the beautiful creatures in there natural habitat, the national park was packed with spectacular sights. The safari drive is not for the faint hearted as you are chucked about in the jeep like being on a rollercoaster, we had so much fun and laughs. Our driver was fantastic too taking us everywhere to seek out The big cats themselves Lion's, along with Elephants, Giraffe, Hippo, Zebra, Hyaenas and everything else that goes with them even Crocodile. The resort Selous Safari was fabulous, great location for Nyerere National Park and Bungalows we stayed in were fabulous, yet again the staff were friendly, welcoming and always smiling. The food in both hotels was top notch. A holiday we will never forget.
IN
Email Akkshay | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience |North and South Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater & Arusha
While we truly enjoyed our trip, I believe it’s important to highlight both the positive and negative aspects to help improve future experiences for other travelers like us.
Negative Feedback:
- Vegetarian Meal Mix-up: Despite informing both three months before our booking and again two days before we arrived in Zanzibar that we are vegetarians, there was a significant lapse in communication regarding our meals.
On our first day in Seronera, we received lunch boxes with chicken. My wife unknowingly took a bite of a chicken samosa, which is deeply concerning for us, as eating non-vegetarian food is against our cultural and religious practices.
Even after notifying the lodge about this, we were served eggs the next day. As a result, we skipped two meals during our stay at Ikoma because of this miscommunication.
The lodge claimed (as per our conversation) that we were served vegetarian meals, but only a portion of the meal (biscuits and a sandwich) was vegetarian. As we had paid for a full board, we expected all the food to be vegetarian and were disappointed that this was not the case.
Dinner at South Serengeti: During our stay in South Serengeti, the only food option available for us at dinner was potato wedges, as the main course was beef. The chef explained that had he been informed about our dietary preferences, he would have prepared a suitable meal. This further confirmed that our vegetarian preferences were not communicated, leading us to miss out on yet another meal.
Overall, this communication gap around meal preferences caused us to skip three meals, which was frustrating given that we had paid for a full board plan.
Positive Feedback:
Beautiful Accommodations:
Each accommodation during our stay was absolutely beautiful, luxurious, and exceeded our expectations. They provided a very memorable experience, and we thoroughly enjoyed the comfort and ambiance.
Welcoming and Helpful Staff:
Across all locations, the staff were warm, welcoming, and always ready to help. Their hospitality made us feel comfortable and taken care of throughout our journey.
Julius – Our Outstanding Safari Guide:
This is by far the highlight of our trip! Julius, our safari driver and guide, was exceptional. His knowledge, helpfulness, and attention to detail truly elevated our experience. He was very accommodating with the difficulties we faced regarding the food and made sure that we were taken care of in every possible way. Julius is an absolute gem and deserves full credit for making our safari unforgettable.
We did enjoy our holiday overall, but I believe addressing these issues could make the experience even better for future travelers.
Email John & Valerie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A very enjoyable trip
We enjoyed pretty much all our holiday the trip to Selous being very memorable as regards the activities - safaris, river trip and bush walk - AND the people.
The only downsides were:
1. The lukewarm (and, therefore, unhealthy) buffet food at Reef & Beach resort. We chose to pay extra to eat à la carte at Pepino’s for several lunches and dinners.
2. The fact that, having got up very early to fly to Selous, we were whisked away on our first safari without checking into the camp and no chance of a bit of a rest or breakfast! We were shattered by the end if the safari.
NL
Email Hans & Fenna & Tess | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good value and lovely experience
We really enjoyed our Safari from pick-up at Arusha airport through the parks and back. Our ranger (Ole) was friendly, knowlegeable and a good driver.
The campingsites were better than expected; and hearing the animals at night was so beautiful.
Email Colin & Caroline | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful guided safari adventure
Our safari experience was outstanding. Excellent guides and our fabulous driver
'Hami'. He made sure our game drives were comfortable and that we saw an amazing selection of wildlife including the wildebeast migration! All staff in the camps were delightful. A particular mention to the brilliant Moisanga at Massai Boma. Accommodation was clean, comfortable and full of lovely staff. Food could be better but we went to Tanzania to see wildlife and we had an unforgettable holiday.
Email Belle | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great but details are sketchy!
On the whole the trip was amazing. The beach hotel was beautiful with great food. The safari was made by the guides, they were absolutely fantastic, knowledgeable and really interesting and we saw so many animals. The downsides were that the first day of the safari started at 3am and we stepped from the plane into the jeep. By the time we stoped for coffee and a small cake at 10am we were starving. Lunch at 1pm and then nothing until dinner at 7.30pm. We received no itinerary so didn’t expect to go straight off on safari. The days ended at 4pm, the lodge only had cold water and dinner wasn’t until 7.30pm. It would have been good to have known this so we could have taken snacks and ensured we had what we needed with us. We were told it was a bush walk and boat safari on day 1 but that was actually day 2. No info at all on itinerary or what to expect. The bush walk was incredible, wished it had lasted longer. The guides were amazing as were the Maasai.
DE
Email Ann | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
A lot of great experience, beautifull animals, very gentle gide, nice nature
NL
Email Roland & Patricia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They did a good job overall
We had a wonderful safari, with the big five at the end! If there was a problem, it was always resolved, but sometimes it takes a while, after all, it is not a European pace. Pole Pole, that's a slogan that everyone adheres to. If you set your mind to that, you'll be just fine! The accommodations were fine for 1 night, had 1 cold shower. Flying back didn't go like it did on the way there, but we got there, that's the most important thing. Hakuna Matata, I can look back on this trip with a good feeling, although I was a little annoyed with the "general manager" during the 2nd week. But it works differently in Zanzibar than here in the Netherlands.