Travel Partners
- Located In:
- Size:
- 100-250 employees (Founded in 2007)
- Member Of:
- TATO, TTB, TANAPA, NCAA, Tanzania Top 100, Tanzania Private Sector Foundation & Tanzania Investment Centre
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $1,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Daisy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great time with a great guide!
We, a family of 4, did a 5 day safari to Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongro crater and lastly a Maasai Village. During our first day we were briefed by Gloria and picked up at our hotel in Arusha by our guide Mbonea. The vehicle was very clean and there was a fridge full of bottled waters. The boxed lunches (usually chicken wing, an egg, sandwich, something sweet and a fruit) were very good. Mbonea was very informative and answered every question we had. He drove safely and never once did we feel uneasy. The safari itself went well and there was no issues. My dad left his GoPro back at the hotel which was about an hour and half/2 hours away. Thankful the GoPro was still at the hotel. Mbonea was about to retrieve the camera and we had the camera in our possession the next morning!! The only part I do not recommend was the Maasai village, we did not have a good experience there but it has nothing to do with Travel Partner itself but one individual in the village who said a very unnecessary comment. I will make a note that at first we were skeptical about Travel Patner as there wasn't enough reviews about the company but let me reassure that there were no issues from start to finish and I recommend them for a safari! Thank you for a great time Mbonea!
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Email Christian | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Belen went above and beyond to accommodate me even when i had to do last minute changes.
Belen always communicated very quickly and was able to make last minute changes for me even when I ended up not needing to add more people to my group. The accommodations were very generous and the flexibility my tour guide had for me was amazing. The knowledge my guide had about the different parks of Tanzania and the history of Tanzania truly made it a very memorable experience. I would definitely recommend this company for organizing any safari.
Email Paco | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I really felt like I was among friends!!!
Is over passed my expectations and specially since I was by my own, I could experience in a more individual way, and the best thing...we got the BIG FIVE. amazing experience and great people.
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Email Amy and John | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Poor selection of subcontracted safari guide, disorganized and inacurate information.
We selected Travel Partners Ltd. though not the most economical because of our initial correspondence with them. Belen was good to work with and did her job well. However, she was in a difficult position as her company was not as professional as she. Most safari companies do not require 50% upfront as do Travel Partners. Before leaving the U.S. we asked if a Bank (cashiers) check for the second half would be OK, and were told in writing that yes a check would be fine. Once in Africa ready to begin our safari they informed that a check was not OK after all and asked for funds to be wired instead. It is very difficult to wire internationally from the U.S. if not there to sign. Travel Partners pushed Belen to push us for the wire everyday during our safari. Most U.S. banks would not have been able to comply, fortunately we had an account at an institution that once all international requirements were met were able to wire. This issue was unnecessary, and caused needless stress. -- We tailor planned a safari to visit several parks in Tanzania spending most of the time in Serengeti including the north Mara area to see the Wilde-beast crossing. Our driver although pleasant was unprofessional and a very poor driver. We had two vehicle accidents during our 5 day safari, one could have been very serious, both were driver related. The vehicle and the driver had been subcontracted by Travel Partners. The vehicle was only in fair condition, (it caused permanent damage to luggage). One accident was a near head on collision at high speed with another safari vehicle (thick dust impaired sight), loss of exterior mirror and severe body damage to the entire length of the vehicle resulted from the accident. It was that close to being very serious. Due to the accidents, we had to ride with other safari drivers until our driver could repair our vehicle enough to continue. We had two experiences in other safari vehicles with other drivers, both were far superior drivers to ours, and the vehicles were in better condition (they even had cold water in the cooler, we did not - sometimes we did not have water at all.) A flight from central Serengeti to Zanzibar was part of our itinerary. Our flight was to leave Serengeti at 11:00 a.m. and arrive Zanzibar at 2:00 p.m. via Arusha. Although not the fault of Travel Partners, the flight was delayed both at Serengeti and in Arusha, so we arrived at 6:00 pm causing a loss of 4 hours in Zanzibar - Belen said she would try to get some compensation from the airline if possible.
--In spite of the above mentioned incidents, we enjoyed the experience. The accommodations were charming, and we were able to see so many animals. Serengeti is very beautiful!
--Overall, I would suggest looking at another safari company to plan your safari. The wonderful experience of being in Tanzania and the parks was not the result of Travel Partners, it was Tanzania itself. A different company could enhance the experience rather than inhibit it.
Reply from Travel Partners
Posted on Sep 11, 2018Dear Amy, we regret you didnt have the best experience in your safari. I would like to clarify some points mentioned in your review.
We have very good and professional drivers as you can see in all our positive reviews, our clients are delighted with them. We hired your driver, since we were in peak season, from another company and we were assured that he was competent and professional. We apologize for his behaviour and we will make sure, as I mentioned to you, that we dont work again with him in the future.
Regarding the payments, most if not all licensed safari companies require a 100% payment, days before arrival, in order to pay all the accommodation and park fees. We facilitated for you a 50% downpayment, and the rest to be paid on your arrival, Also we provided for you the most affordable price considering that you spent 4 nights in Serengeti, with flights from central serengeti to Zanzibar, and accommodation at double tree Hilton for 3 nights.
The planning for your safari trip was very accurate, for months and trying to adapt and tailor all your requirements and budget.
We arranged very well your trip, your good car was available capacity for 7 people, all your accommodation as agreed paid in advance, full board accommodation, all your park fees paid on time, flights tickets were booked months earlier, your transfers, even briefing prior to your departure to greet you and gift of Ngorongoro and serengeti Migration map.
We regret that your driver didn´´´t meet your expectations and was not up to the level, but we find it unfair that you recommended not to use our company, considering that most of our reviews are positive and we have been operating safaris succesfully for more than 10 years.
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Email Jay | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime!
As for communications I really made TravelPartners work. This trip's planning began ten months before the actual safari. Every one of my MANY questions was answered! As it turned out the online itinerary for the 10 day photograhic safari was indeed a good plan! Yes, this trip of a lifetime exceeded expectations! We saw the Big 5, including 8 cheetahs! Our guide was terrific in all ways! For him it was more than a job! It is a big part of his life. Not everything was perfect, but what's a safari without a vehicle breakdown or time spent digging out of the mud?! We traveled almost 1000 miles, most of which on stomach settling roads, but there was something new on them around every corner! The trip really was magical! Besides the amazing scenery and wildlife, the relationships with hospitality and indigenous people were so rich! Each lodge had tremendous service, and the tented camps gave you an amazing audio experience at night! Lion growls anyone? Hopeful to make a return trip in a few years! We felt that our trip planner at TravelPartners really went out of her way to ensure that we would have a great experience! And we did! Praise the Lord!
BR
Email Ricardo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Marvellous honeymoon safari tour in Tanzania
I quoted about ten safari tour companies and in the end we chose Travelpartner due to the competitive pricing and careful and helpful support by their sales agent Belen.
At our arrival, our safari guide John picked up my wife and I at the airport and drove with us until our hotel in Arusha. There, him and Belen explained with more details the planning of our safari.
We had the first day at tarangire and the following days at Serengetti. We saw many many wild cats at central serengetti and we were able to check the first wave of the wildbeest migration arriving to the border of Mara river. We were expecting to see the crossing (it was about July 21) but unfortunatelly the crossing started a bit later this year. Anyway, seeing the magnitude of the great migration was an incredible and unique experience. The last safari day was in Ngorogoro crater.
A special reference to our guide John which made our safari tour amazing. He is natural from arusha and have been working as a safari guide for the last 15 years. He has a very deep knowledge of serengetti, is extremelly kind , helpful and polite, and speaks a fluent english and also a fluent italian. He is simply the best.
Also, Belen was aware that it was our honeymoon and she provided many complimentary surprises during our entire trip, such as a congratulations cake at the first dinner, a bottle of wine at our bedroom in one of the lodges, a special table at the restaurant in another night, a basket of fruits in another day, and also a bottle of cava and another of wine at the refrigerator of our car. Those kind surprises made our honeymoon trip even more special.
Regarding something that we could do different, if you have flexibility on budget, at the end of the safari consider taking a flight from kogatende to arusha to save hours of driving.
Regards.
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Email Simon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent private safari
6 of us from the U.S. had a wonderful safari this September. Belen tailored the itinerary and accommodations based on our needs. Our guide Mboniea is great. He took extra efforts to find those Big 5s. The price they offered was the most reasonable.
I suggest considering this company for your safari. We were concerned initially because of little review on this company on TripAdvisor. But everything turned out great.
CN
Email david.w | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A professional agent with bount resource of Safari
The entire trip was well organized, the guides are experienced and enthusiasm, and also we are lucky enoughto witness the Mara cross several times.
Hope to upgrade the hotel/resort settlement both in Arusha and Lake Natron
BR
Email Rodrigo Fernandes Melo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best experience ever
My Safari trip were one of the bests experiences in my life. It was everything good since before my arrival. My guide Nickson was the best one, very talkative, friendly and easygoing. The environment and animals in Africa are awesome, difficult to express in words. I love the trip and i strongly recommend for everyone. Na Penda Africa.
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Email Li Deng | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our guide Mbonea is the best!
We had a wonderful 4-day safari tour, guided by Mbonea who is absolutely the best guide we’ve ever had. He is so friendly, patient, and knowledgeable about the safari and Tanzanian culture that we found fascinating. We’ll definitely return for another tour.