Easy Travel & Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 1987)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $320 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Katie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
It’s difficult to describe what an amazing trip we’ve just returned from. From the moment we initiated contact with Lizbeth until the day we left, she has been fantastic. She helped us design the perfect bespoke trip for our family of 4 (2 adults, an 11 year old and 9 year old) taking into consideration our wishes and used her extensive knowledge to plan the ideal itinerary (7 nights safari). Email responses always came quickly- every detail was discussed and explained and no question was left unanswered. We travel as a family frequently and extensively and we are yet to encounter a company with this level of customer service and attention to detail.
We had contacted a number of key UK operators beforehand but not one could match what Easy Travel were offering and the level of care or responsiveness
Our arrival was smooth, with George picking us up from the airport. He chatted and made us feel welcome. We only took hand luggage to avoid the Heathrow chaos, so he swung by a supermarket en route for us so we could pick up toiletries. He then took us to the Easy Travel office where we could finally meet Lizbeth - she talked us through our itinerary again and made sure we didn’t have any questions and if we had any concerns along the way to contact her immediately for her to rectify any situation. The welcome was so warm, the rest of the team joined her and they sang to us all in Swahili (you’ll get to know the song by the end of your safari) and gave us gifts of Masaai blankets and games for the children. I was celebrating a special birthday so they also presented a cake. These were all such lovely touches. It’s such a slick operation there - we were surprised at the actual size of the company, their significant presence in Arusha and across Tanzania - it’s 30 years experience and family ethos. They are used by global operators mostly in the US and Asian markets - but the UK are missing out!
Don’t bother with overpriced big name UK operators. We felt nervous sending that amount of money overseas initially - but these worries were unfounded. If you’re unsure … Don’t hesitate! You won’t be disappointed :)
We stayed at the African Tulip Hotel in Arusha before we started our safari. The hotel is a lovely boutique hotel with character. The staff were very friendly, the family room was very spacious and the kids loved playing in the small pool outside. Beware it’s not heated - so is weather dependent - or how hardy your kids are! The meals were buffet style and plentiful with a variety of dishes to cater for all. The bar served international and local spirits/beers/soft drinks at a reasonable price.
Our trip involved a flight from Seronera central Serengeti to the north Serengeti for the Mara river crossing, as a result we had 2 guides. They were Adrian and Emmilian, they are both exceptional! They both are highly experienced guides who know the areas, the terrain, the wildlife …and the other guides - which helps!
There wasn’t a question they couldn’t answer and were both very friendly, we all felt comfortable with them. And we saw everything we wanted to see … and yes that includes all of the big five! They say we were very lucky, but it was definitely a mixture of not only luck, but also Adrian’s skill! We also didn’t have to wait for the Mara River crossings - Emilian had us there at the right times and got us in prime position for the best views. Nothing was too much trouble and we were happy to take their lead on start times and planned routes for our games drives - they are the knowledgeable ones after all!
The accommodations were also superb. We had a family tent at the Tortilis camps and each camp is set out the same so you feel at home when you move from one to the next. (Tarangire/Lake Manyara/Serengeti). The tent was huge - we had a super king bed, while the kids had a bunk bed and a single. All 4-poster with mosquito nets - our daughter said she felt like a princess! There were 2 showers and a toilet. We had to give the staff 10 mins notice when we wanted a hot water so they could prepare it but this was never an issue.
The staff there were fab. Their welcome, their singing and dancing all add to the cultural experience and the special feel of Tanzanian safari. They escort you to and from your tent when it’s dark - this is no joke as the camps are not fenced and animals roam freely. You’ll hear them and get to know their distinctive sounds when you are zipped up safely in your tent :) The camps were quite busy so we had
buffet style evening meals which catered for a variety of tastes - simple but sufficient. Lunches were either individual packed boxes (e.g. pizza slice, egg, sandwich, sweet treat, juice box, fruit or pasta in a tub, chicken, crisps, sweet treat, veg/fruit) or a hamper - which was more like a meal and shared with the group. So your guide sets up at a picnic table with Maasai table cloth and serves food like spaghetti Bolognese and veg, sweet treat, fruit and a bottle of wine. There was always more than enough food and we never felt hungry.
We also stayed at Lion’s Paw and Serengeti Mara River camp which are “Karibu Lodges and Camps”. We had read a review that said Lion’s Pae was closer to the crater than the Tortilis camp so it definitely meant we had longer there to explore. All the camps we stayed in are in the national parks so you can start driving from 6am (the gates open at 8am) and you dont have to leave when the others do to be out by closing. My favourite time was 4-5:30pm when it’s much quieter and while the sun is low in the sky. Felt like a special time of day.
So Ngorongoro Crater was much colder, especially when you drive round the rim and the accommodation is high on the hill. So take layers! I couldn’t quite believe it would be so chilly, but we were grateful for the heater in the restaurant and the rooms plus the electric blankets in the beds! A nice touch. The rooms were enormous and had fabulous views over the crater.
We visited a Maasai village on the way out of Ngorongoro National park recommended by Adrian and were so pleased to have the honour of being welcomed into their homes and learn a little more about their culture. A donation to the chief’s son helps contribute towards their water deliveries and to send the older children to boarding school.
In summary, we had the most incredible trip and are grateful to everyone who played a part in making it so special. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience that we will never forget. We’ll be singing Jambo Bwana for years to come!
Thank you all so much
(We had over 2700 picture so choosing just 10 for the review was impossible!)
Email Sarah | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional service and experience
Trip of a lifetime
We have just returned from a fantastic 6 night safari with Easy Travel. This trip was delayed by two years thanks to covid but our sales agent Voice was fantastic, responding quickly and efficiently to our requests to postpone, change dates etc. Tanzania is a wonderful country for safari - the people are so warm and welcoming and the wildlife is incredible. Our driver-guide Adrian was exceptional. His knowledge of the roads, the national parks and the wildlife meant that we had a safe, well organized and highly memorable experience. He knew where to find the animals and the best times to see them in action. We saw a huge array of wildlife, but especially big cats - prides of lions, lionesses and cubs, cheetahs and cubs and leopards (particularly special as they are known to be hard to see in the wild). Adrian had a sixth sense with the cats, he would spot them from miles away and knew when to just wait quietly to see them in action (see photos, all taken with a standard DSLR). I would highly recommend using Easy Travel if you are considering a safari - the organization and communication makes life easy and the company make every effort to ensure you have a wonderful time. We stayed in the Tortilis camps at Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro and the standard of accommodation, food and service was excellent - again, the staff couldn't do enough to ensure we were comfortable and safe. The hot air balloon ride is also very worthwhile - incredible to see the sunrise over the Serengeti. All in all we truly had the trip of a lifetime and were very sad to say "kwahere" (goodbye) to Voice, Adrian and Tanzania and hope to return one day.
Email Andrew & Linda | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Safari & Kilimanjaro Travel Organisation
There are so many good things to say about Easy Tours.
1. We arranged everything through Helen. She was very well organised, nothing was too difficult, gave us lots of good advice, speaks excellent English and very friendly.
2. Gerald was our guide. We visited 4 national parks all different from each other - Lake Maniari, Ngorogoro, Serengeti. Tangariare. Gerald would often go to sites away from the other safari trucks. Saw 3 leopards, over 50 lions, cheetahs, hyena etc. English very good, knowledgable, friendly.
3. Kester took myself on 7 hour hike of Mt Kilimanjaro, walked 16km, from 1,750 to 2,800 above sea level. Spoke good English, took me to see the Colobus monkeys towards the lower crater. Very good guide.
I would recommend Easy Tours to everyone
BM
Email Crystal | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful safari memories thanks to Easy Travel & Tours
After doing extensive research, we selected Easy Travel as the local tour operator for our tailor-made, 7-day safari and were not disappointed! From start to finish (including a pandemic in between!), Hellen provided prompt, exceptional, professional service, and no request was too big or small. We stayed in Tarangire National Park for two nights, Ngorongoro Crater for two nights, and central Serengeti for three nights - and all of the accommodations were well-located, extremely nice and served delicious food! Our driver/guide, Dennis, was fantastic throughout, very knowledgeable, and even though he’s done this many times before was still as excited as us to see the animals (and we saw many)! Thanks to Easy Travel, we managed to see the big five, have the trip of a lifetime and take home special memories of Tanzania. Asante sana!!!
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Email Al from California | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent guide and company
Edward was our guide, and he was excellent. He was thoughtful, very aware of our feelings and needs, and always positive. He constantly was looking for ways to make sure we were having a good time.
Furthermore, he was exceptionally good at spotting wildlife. For example, we were watching a herd of zebras by the river. He said they looked nervous and there was probably a lion nearby. He slowly drove forward and then spotted a female in the bushes, about 50 feet from the car, walking toward the herd. He then saw a male. Within minutes, both broke into a sprint, causing the zebras to stampede. The male lion grabbed a zebra from behind with both claws and his mouth. The zebra jumped wildly and kicked violently, breaking free. However, the female disappeared in the deep grass, most likely with a zebra.
He also spotted pythons on 2 occasions near the car, and they are very difficult to see. Additionally, we saw a cheetah chase a herd of antelope. We saw cheetahs and leopards about 5 times each.
While we went to 4 parks, the Serengeti was by far the best. The Ngorongoro Crater is beautiful and worth a half-day. I thought he was doing a better job than the other drivers out there. It just seemed like we were the 1st car at several sightings. We spent a couple hours at a Masai village on the 1st day, which was very enlightening and worthwhile.
Norah at Easy Travel was exceptionally patient as we set up our tour over the prior year. The airline changed our flight dates twice, resulting in Nora having to reschedule all the lodging. Yet, she was always pleasant. We requested their luxury lodging. Three of the four lodges were great. These were the Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge, the Melia Serengeti Lodge, and Lemala Mpingo Tended Lodge. The food and staff were excellent.
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Email Erin Richardson | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
BEST SAFARI COMPANY!!
BEST SAFARI COMPANY!!
Without question, Easy Travel & Tours is the BEST Safari company to work with to design your dream safari! We are seasoned safari travelers and have used Easy Travel & Tours everytime, and will for our future safaris as well! Let them know exactly what you want and they will put an itinerary together that will work perfectly with your thoughts on what you want to see or do! ! Animals are unpredictable but their extremely experienced guides will more and likely find what you wish to see, or least try their best, and we have NEVER been disappointed! Safety is a priority with Easy Travel ( and with us) and we have always felt safe with the guides we were given. We have personally watched a few other safari companies break ethic rules with regards to the animals welfare, which bothered us greatly. We also saw another company get a ticket by a ranger for their clients sitting on top of the roof while driving. Our last guide Ally, was another gift from Easy Travel, and we feel he has become our lifetime friend as well. We also appreciated Kabwe for all her experience on helping us put together our great itineraries for everytime we visit Tanzania!! She is the best! We hope your safari to Tanzania will be as great as ours has been, and it will be, if you let Easy Travel & Tours be the Safari Company to use!
CA
Email YTOTripper | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredibly proficient, efficient and professional safari company that gave us a trip of a lifetime.
If we didn’t live it, we’d hardly believe it ourselves - had the most stunning 10 days of our lives - thanks to East Travel’s team especially Lizbeth and Ombeni.
Started by “messaging” a few tour companies through TA and others with a “shadow” of a thought on visiting Tanzania (being in a lockdown probably had us thinking on breaking out big). Most firms sent us back uninspiring and disinterested messages about their website, days and a link to their credit card processor.
Lizbeth from Easy Travel responded back asking “questions to our questions” on what we hoped to see, days, and if we preferred to go as a group or in private. She then re-appeared a few hours later with a detailed a la carte safari that touched on an opportunity to see the migration in Northern Serengeti, game drives through Central S. culminating in Ngorongoro. She took the time to account for the age of our child in keeping him engaged and untaxed. While other you companies seemed to want to pigeon hole us into a category of safaris, she gave us the places of accommodations at various price points - allowed us to select. Then allowed us to further customize some accommodations based on what we’d seen on TA and our whims.
Once set, she kept us in the loop through the 3-4 months in between with detailed updates on visa procedures (opted for VOA- very smooth), updated us on Covid protocols and sent us detailed information on what to expect, best practices, payment schedules and in general built up a sense of excitement and welcoming to her country more as a friend than client.
Every aspect of our stay in TZ was a marvel in efficiency and care. She put us in the capable, personable universe of Ombeni- our guide and fixer through the entire time in there. He was engaging, knowledgeable, caring - equal parts accomplished guide and close friend.
While everyone in every safari truck seemed to get out every breathtaking sight that Tanzania had to offer, we seemed to be the ones privileged to be experiencing it all in the company of “our extended family“… Easy Travel just seemed to be placing together pieces of a jigsaw puzzle with practiced expertise.
From arranging for breakfasts before hotel personnel got a chance to wake up to calling ahead and insisting that they try to put together meals that satisfied our adventurous palettes (I mean - the pastas and pastries are incredible at every place but once you maharage or bhajiya, pesto seemed stodgy);
from patiently waiting in the truck for hours to allow us to get a chance to see the Mara River crossing - (saw 2 crossings) to timing out washroom breaks or driving back an hour to pick up forgotten camera batteries
From Ombeni “sniffing out” animals and then teaching us the flora and fauna (he’s even got a library on his dashboard to cross reference) to teaching our son secret handshakes and goofy camera poses looking down Ngorongoro crater. Easy Travel, Lizbeth, Ombeni and the others behind the scenes made sure we had the trip of a lifetime and start making plans to go back soon.
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Email Kelley | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Vacation!!!
Magnificent...PERFECT!!
Fantastic! We are calling this our PERFECT Holiday! We are seasoned travelers and built a custom 13 day safari with Easy Travel and Tours Ltd. The staff is Amazing! Mr. PROTAS was the best guide we have ever met! Amina was our rock at your headquarters in Arusha and worked with us for almost a year to build this!! The locations were spectacular! The people of Tanzania are incredible! We saw every kind of animal imaginable! Some in great herds!! Saw 2 Mara river crossings in less than 24 hours! Saw a lion kill, and even a lion birth!! We also were able to meet the real Maasai peoples, the Datoda tribesmen and even the Hadzabe hunter gatherer Bushmen!! Our experience was magical, soul touching and life changing!!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!
IE
Email Alex Mackey | under20 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Experience
Me and my family went on a 7 day safari through Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro crater and finally Serengeti National Park. Easy Travel was very accommodating and even came to the hotel to give the pre safari briefing as my brother had hurt his foot shortly before our departure. We stayed in the Ngorongoro and Serengeti Tortilis camps and they too were amazing. The highlight of our experience was our guide Gerarld, he was by far the best guide that we ever could have hoped for. He has 20 years experience under his belt, he knew where to go to find all the animals. He had the answer to all of our questions and he had wonderful stories to tell about his experiences. On our second day in the Serengeti we saw the big 5 all in one day and it wouldn't have been possible without Gerald's knowledge. On one of the days he saw a rhino running in the Serengeti and with his masterclass driving we were able to get really close to it and take some amazing photographs. Gerald had such a kind and amazing personality and our adventure wouldn't have been half as fun without it. I highly recommend everyone looking to do a safari in Tanzania to book with Easy Travel and when they do so, to ask for Gerald specifically. I promise that you'll have a terrifc time and make some wonderful memories along the way.
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Email Monica R. Guillemin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
SAFARI OF A LIFETIME
I traveled to Tanzania and went on a Safari of a lifetime so impressive I came home and wrote a children book titled Safari of a Lifetime! I will never ever forget this unbelievable trip from the moment we communicated with Jane booking our trip online to meeting Jackson our tour guide, our trip was unbelievable, classy, professional, and attention to every single detail down to the water! Oh, the book is on sale via Amazon or my website: www.VisionHarmony.Net
