Unforgettable honeymoon
Let me start by saying that I work in tourism and as a result I have very high expectations. From the moment I sent out my first email to 10 different tour companies, It Started in Africa exceeded my expectations! First off they were the only company to offer several different levels of accommodations according to our proposed budget. All the others offered 1 solution, and several went over the budget I had initially proposed. Joao responds to emails at lightening speed, and his patience and care in answering all of my questions was truly impressive! We couldn't be happier with our decision to tour with this company.
Our 6 day safari + Zanzibar retreat was awesome, in the truest sense of the word. We saw more animals than we ever imagined! Jackson is a great guide; you can tell he's been in the business for years because not only did he spot EVERYTHING long before other guides, but also he was the first to lend a hand when another group had a flat tire, and when yet another got stuck in the mud. Also, I love photography and really appreciated how flexible he was with getting the car in just the right viewing spot without disturbing the animals. We couldn't have been luckier with the weather too--in spite of it being the "rainy season", we had a total of 30 minutes of rain on our first day in Tarangire and never saw another drop. High grass does not inhibit game viewing in the least, and with so few cars on the road, you feel like you have parks all to yourselves. Never will I sign up for a safari in high season!!
As for lodgings, Maramboi and Ang'ata were the best! We're so happy we tried out different types of accommodations--each is so unique. Maramboi was a treat because they offered a free walking safari at sunrise. For the Serengeti we treated ourselves to the Ang'ata mobile camp and had the entire place to ourselves (well almost to ourselves; we did have to share with the hippos, hyenas, and lions we heard roaming thru camp at night!).
What else can I say? From Joao's first email, to Baraja's quick responses when we had issues with our Zanzibar flight, to Jackson's superb driving and insight, to Silvia's attention to customer care before and after our safari--we always felt like we were in great hands. You guys are the best!
ASANTE SANA It Started in Africa!!!