The Chalo Africa Inc Team
Chalo Africa
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- ATTA & APTA
- Tour Types:
- Custom luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $500 to $1,600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
IN
Email Priya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very reliable with prompt communication and amazing experience curator.
The team made our trip to Kenya very memorable for us. It was super smooth from start to finish, the stays were top notch and all the logistics were well taken care of. From creating an customised itinerary to ensuring we are having a good time at the camps, the team was always present. We especially enjoyed the hospitality from all staff that we interacted with at the camps and the extent that they went to to ensure we were comfortable. All of our requests were accommodated. The money you pay is definitely worth it as we didn’t have to worry about anything other than booking our tickets to Kenya.
The whole safari experience was wonderful and Chalo Africa team made it even more memorable. We will definitely recommend them to all family and friends, and will reach out them the next time we go to Africa.
Email Denise | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent, patient, efficient, knowledgeable, great listener.
If you are thinking about visiting Africa, don’t hesitate. Do it as soon as you can and choose Chalo to arrange your trip. My friend and I just had a month visiting Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana and had the most amazing time imaginable. The whole thing was phenomenal and I’m so glad I did it. Going on safari is unlike any other holiday you will have in your life, you will remember and cherish it forever. It is worth every cent. Smita (and Malvika) were a pleasure to deal with, organised an amazing itinerary for us and we couldn’t think of a single thing that could have been done better by Asilia in particular, and also Ker & Downey in Botswana. Such a high standard of accommodation and service from the wonderful staff at all the camps, excellent food and every day was an adventure. Can’t wait to go back and can’t recommend Chalo highly enough. Thanks again to Smita for getting everything 100% right and making our safari dream come true. Wow, wow, wow!
SG
Email Chong | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience, patient and great team
The communication with the team is smooth and hassle free. The team understood our wishes and constraints, and recommended suitable itinerary, activities and accommodations accordingly. They also provided value added proposition by suggesting ways to tap on existing promotion to make the most of the trip. Prior to the trip, the team provided great tips during our preparation (e.g. type of binoculars, network service and clothing). Throughout the trip planning, they are extremely reliable and did not fail to answer any of the query regardless how minute.
The tour is amazing and far exceeded our expectation (the activity, accommodation, staff and guides). We did not experience any issue or short fall through out the trip. 10/10 would recommend. Special thanks to Ai Lin and Malvika.
IN
We would recommend Chalo Africa for those looking for a unique and responsible wilderness experience
The game safari industry in Kenya caters basically to a western clientele. That's why it was a refreshing change to come across an Indian company like Chalo Africa that caters specifically to Indian needs. More importantly , what made us happy was that we were looking for a more specialized wilderness experience, keeping in mind that we make many visits to sanctuaries and national parks. We liked the fact that they were willing to experiment and help plan a holiday away from a cookie-cutter approach and keeping in mind our desire to get an offbeat wildlife experience. Sangeeta from their team, made several suggestions on what we could do to get off the tourist trail and get a more intimate wildlife experience.
I also like the fact that they tie up with counterparts in Africa who believe in the principle of 'responsible tourism' and take that very seriously. The bushcamp they suggested for us, had no walls constructed, (so we had wild animals coming to sniff our tents at night !) and use of resources like lights and water was restricted to the minimal. We would recommend Chalo Africa for anyone looking for a unique and responsible wilderness experience!
Bahar Dutt is a wildlife conservationist and journalist
Vijay Bedi is a award winning wildlife film maker
We have and will spread the word- if anyone needs to do Tanzania- it has to be through Chalo Africa!
The start of the trip had a flap- I think it was a missed pick-up! But nevertheless, the Guide-Driver--Alfred was a complete delight to be with from thereon. He was the Captain of the Ship and pretty much decided everything for us. We were very comfortable with this arrangement , as he also educated us about various topics ranging from culture, economy, education etc in Tanzania. He made our long haul journey seem like nothing!
Then Sopa Lodge tat was arrange for us was also extremely picturesque. Te rooms very aesthetically appointed, excellent service and superb food. The safari the next day with Alfred was yet again a pleasure, the packed lunch, the lovely car and more importantly Alfred was very knowledgable. He supported all the animal attributes and peculiarities with substantiation from books ( which is actually quite informative and impressive ). He was on top of the game; and made us watch lions Mating--not once but 8 times over! We saw Hippos, crocodiles, Rhino from far , Zebras, Wilderbeasts, Hyennas, and many other birds and animals. He made all this so interesting with the amount of information he overloaded us with.
The mud strip running planes were another Wow, and we thoroughly enjoyed the arrangement. Then we went to Serengeti, where I have to say, besides the staff-- O'Reddy and Michelle were the stars! They made every safari superbly interesting. The rooms and the arrangements and the extra mile that Michelle extended for us being on Honeymoon was humbling. We saw lions eating kills, cheetahs, leopards,Giraffes and the park was so humbling, being so close to nature was a once in a lifetime experience. The food in all places was also very appetising!!
We saw 3 migrations in Serengeti, 1 small( with a zebra killing), 1 medium and 1 very large to the effect of 15-20000 Wilderbeasts crossing the Mara River. This was truly the icing on the cake.
Then came Zanzibar, where again the room was extremely good, the food was the by far the best we had in the trip, the only minus was the Air- Conditioning as the unit was much small for the size of the room. We did our own thing, all days - the guided tour was also very nice to Stone Town by Joseph and the driver through the trip was also very helpful( Abdul if I'm correct).
We proceeded to Turkey on our own- which was not a patch on your arrangements. Neha and I would like to thank Chalo Africa and Asilia for their amazing standards of service, organizational abilities and hospitality throughout the trip. We have and will spread the word- that if anyone needs to do Tanzania- it has to be through Chalo Africa!!
We could not have asked for a more perfect honeymoon.
We engaged Chalo Africa to plan our honeymoon in Dec 2013. We went to South Africa - 3 night at a safari lodge in Sabi Sands, 2 nights at a wineyard in Stellenbosch and 3 nights in Capetown. It was awesome!
We had already planned a part of our honeymoon and Chalo Africa was perfectly flexible to create a program around our pre-existing plans, which made our lives very simple. All the places they booked were top end, but still affordable. The rates we got were way better than what we would have got had we gone on our own. They even checked on us during the honeymoon to ensure all was well. The best part was how personalized the whole honeymoon was. We had special requests on several things including the model of the car we would rent, the food we wanted to eat and Chalo Africa went out of their way to ensure that every request was met.
Chalo Africa is by far the best travel company I have used. I have been recommending them to everyone who asks about our honeymoon. We could not have asked for a more perfect honeymoon.
IN
Email Tarun Arora | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extremely helpful with incredible knowledge of travel options in Africa
Both Sangeeta and Smita were very flexible in working with our ever changing travel plans. They found us a great safari option in South Africa meeting our high expectations and our budget! I would recommend Chalo Africa to our friends and would absolutely work with them in planning our next trip to Africa.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful experience
Thanks Smita for organising a truly memorable trip to Kenya- no easy task with 4 adults and 2 eight year olds. We enjoyed every moment of our safari to the Mara, Ol Pejeta and Nakuru.
Smita met with us and helped plan the trip from start to finish and was there to answer endless questions. Her turnaround time was always no more than a few hours at most. She kept in touch with us through the trip to ensure that things were smooth with no unpleasant surprises.
Tony our guide was competent, friendly and patient. He knew the parks really well and we had some really wonderful sightings with him. The kids loved him too.
Thanks much to Chalo Africa for making it all happen. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
IN
Email C Bhattacharji | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Patiently guided us, provided many options, gave a good plan, provided a fantastic guide/driver.
Everything was bang on. From the pick-up to the drop-off, things went very smoothly. The key was Tony, our tour guide who was brilliant. His knowledge about the wildlife, the layout of the parks and driving skills were very good.
At one point there was no chef when we arrived at a cottage we had hired, at another place, Keekerok Lodge, the food was substandard for a hotel of that level. Otherwise Keekerok and its location are excellent. But these were minor issues compared to the overall, thoroughly enjoyable trip.
Chalo Africa kept track of these issues as well as our general well-being.
IN
Email Natasha Jog | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The African Safari
Still recovering from an incredible holiday in Africa, and a week in Kenya that will be etched in our memory forever. Travelling with children, specially on a wildlife focused trip can be intensive and challenging, but courtesy Smita and her team at Chalo Africa, we had a schedule that was perfect and the right mix of fun and more fun! From home stays to small resorts and big establishments, we sampled a bit of it all, and every stage was as promised, most of the time even better. And not to mention the travel and safety tips, that were a huge help. A big part of the experience was courtesy Tony, our guide and friend for one week in Kenya. His insight, knowledge and gentle demeanour was much appreciated. Thanks all for a very very memorable trip, and hope to be back soon.