Great Lake Expedition
- Located In:
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- Kilimanjaro Association of Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $220 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Theresa Ulbrich | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely love the Great lake expedition team!!
I went with my fiance and we had an amazing time. With just the two of us we felt like rockstars as our crew handled every detail and we summited safely.
We also followed up with a 5 day safari that was equally amazing.
The Lemosho route has become the new favorite, and we were worried Machame would be busy, but we did it September 2021 and there were only two other couples on the route. This changed after a couple of days when the Lemosho and Machame routes combine. I highly recommend the 7 day Machame as you get ample time to acclimatize, and you start from the bottom in the rainforest so you have actually climbed the whole thing.
At every camp, Great Lake Expedition seemed to have found the best and most private space to camp.
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Email Haile Jimmy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A+ Hikking company and experience
Our experience with Great Lake Expedition was amazing! Surpassed our highest expectations.
The whole crew was unbelievable. The porters all worked so hard, our chef Fideli made some of our favourite meals on the trip (and this is compared to luxury safari lodges), our server Kimambo was incredibly kind/efficient/hard working and our driver Ezekieli was really personable, we had some great chats with him.
And of course, our guides both went out of their way to make sure we completed the summit trek. Emanuel was with me when i got altitude sickness on the mountain and pushed me to keep going. I could not have done it without him. Both he and Baraka were very knowledgeable about the mountain, made sure we paced ourselves properly and were so fun to talk to and be around.
Before we departed for the hike the team took the time to go through the equipment check list to make sure everything we brought was up to par. We got the standing tent and portable washroom which made the hike a little more luxurious than it would have been otherwise. The tent itself and all he equipment we rented was in great shape and/or brand new.
We will absolutely recommend Great Lake Expedition to any one we know looking to climb Kili.
I've done a lot of organized portered hikes and i'm so happy to say this was by far the best experience i've ever had.
Email Brandon Ford | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Adventure of a life time
I am lucky enough to have visited Tanzania in September 2021 and after research decided to use Great Lake Expedition because of the outstanding reviews. I'm happy to report that even the most positive reviews don't do this group justice. From the very beginning Damsoni from the Great Lake Expedition team made our experience as easy as possible - he was incredibly communicative and even proactively reached out to me as the travel requirements in and out of the US changed due to Covid.
Once we got to TZ, we spent the first 5 days on safari with our incredible guide Ignus. WOW, what an experience! Not only did we see every animal we could have ever wished to see (lions, cheetahs, rhinos, a jaguar, etc) but Ignus was incredibly knowledgeable about everything from the largest of animals to birds to insects in Tanzanias national parks. Not to mention, he's hilarious! The safari was truly 5 days of amazing scenery, close-up animal experiences and non-stop laughter. If you are considering going on a safari while in TZ you could not ask for a better team than Great Lake Expedition and Ignus!
We spent the next week climbing Killimanjaro's Lemosho route and what an adventure it was!! Truly by the end of the trip every single guide and porter felt like family - I will forever remember how kind, thoughtful and fun loving the entire crew was. Munis, Joe and Alen were our guides and each of them was knowledgeable about the mountain, our health and what to expect over coming days. Additionally, they were all a pleasure to spend time with - our climb was filled with tons of laugher, singing and joking around!! Also, the tent set up was comfortable and very clean and the food was delicious, thanks to our chef and kitchen crew (special shout out to Rama and Regan!).
I'll also mention, I had the unfortunate experience of getting quite sick on the mountain and Munisi, Joe and Rama took care of me through the entire ordeal - checking in on me constantly, bringing me ginger tea and eventually, Joe, carrying my backpack down the mountain so I could get down safely. For an unfortunate situation, they made sure I felt safe, got back to health quickly and still had an incredibly positive experience.
I truly cannot say enough positive things about this team - I will absolutely be traveling again with Great Lake Expedition and *hopefully* the team in Tanzania!!
CH
Email Sandra David | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of our best vacation experiences!
Great Lake Expedition provided an exceptionally well managed guided climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro, via the Lemosho route. They were very well staffed: My immediate group of 10 was supported by 5 very competent guides who did their best to force participants to go slowly. They and a slew of kitchen staff and porters bent over backwards to assure that everyone had the best possible experience, and in fact, all 12 of us (including myself ) reached the top. For several of us who struggled, they insisted on carrying our backpacks. No detail was too small for their attention. Tea would be waiting for us at various mid-points. The three hot meals each day were excellent. Careful attention was paid to our health along the way, with two health checks each day. At night, they would provide each of us a hot water bottle, encased in a stuffed bunny, to keep our sleeping bags warm. My only suggestion would be for some of the guides to scale back all the chatting (in Swahili) with the porters and with other guides over their walki-talki. I couldn't recommend them more highly
DE
Email Sasha Lewis | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First class outfit!
We had an incredible experience on our seven days northern Tanzania safari! Our guide, Fredy, was amazing - he had 20 years of experience and made sure we had the best experience possible. We were really lucky on our trip as seeing certain animals is never a guarantee, but we saw all of the Big 5, plus tons of cheetah (15 of them over the course of 2.5 days - that's unusual, according to our guide). Fredy also negotiated with our travel agency to switch up a few days of our itinerary to include Tarangire National Park (which was originally not part of our package), and he was spot on that that was the right decision. I don't know how he managed that, but part of the reason I booked this safari through an agency was so that I didn't have to worry about any of the logistics. In addition to being a top-notch guide with a keen eye for wildlife, Fredy is also always there to help out if other guides or guests get into trouble. He helped pull out a jeep that was stuck in the mud not just once but twice! This is an excellent company to book with; we had a wonderful time.
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Email Alexander Medved | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic lemosho route with Great Lake expedition
We are a large group of 10 friends from Paris and United sates who just completed the amazing Mount Kilimanjaro Trek with Great Lake Expedition a really perfect Kilimanjaro Trekking Tour Operator. They were more than quick in answering our countless emails with lot of helpful advice in planning our trip. They advised to take 8 days Lemosho trek because of higher success rate and we were all successful in reaching the summit.
Our guides, cooks and porters were kind, caring and interesting people to do the mountain together with. The climb was challenging but, with the support of expert crew, great equipment (tents, sleeping bags, chemical toilet…), delicious hot meals and constant care and motivation we did it. There were many remarkable individual moments on the climb however nothing beats sunrise at the summit.
Great Lake Expedition is just an absolutely fantastic Kilimanjaro trekking company! If you want to get the full Tanzanian experience and enjoy a remarkable trip, this is the group to go with!
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Email Barbara Dunn | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime climbing and safari
My childhood dream came true of standing on the roof of Africa, the summit of Kilimanjaro, thanks to Great Lake Expedition and the fantastic dream team that was led by Chuse and Herbet (expert Kilimanjaro Guides) and special thanks to the Mountain Warriors who helped me get down the mountain, too!
From the moment that we met this team, along with their incredible leaders (Damsoni and Kingu), we were cared for like family. Our culinary crew of, Shebe and sadiki, prepared healthy and delicious meals from fresh ingredients that were carried to our camps, along with our camping gear, by a strong and cheerful group of fantastic porters! We were amazed by the sincere love shared with us by the entire team, willing to help us in any way that they could, answering our many questions with their knowledge of the mountain and the area, and teaching us Swahili words! Our safety, enjoyment, and goals were all taken into consideration, we were greatly encouraged and supported throughout our 7 day Machame route journey. Our family team of four all successfully reached the summit!
After our trek, we enjoyed a 6 day safari tour with our guide Mfoi and chef Shebe, making each experience memorable, adventurous and fun! Mfoi's flexibility and knowledge made each day a fun surprise and we were able to find and photograph all of the animals that we hoped to see! As a bonus, he drove us north to witness the great wildebeest migration! Shebe provided exquisite gourmet meals and shared a special surprise of baking a homemade birthday cake for my son, in the middle of the Serengeti! (earlier before the trek, the team had surprised me with a beautiful birthday cake and celebration of dance and song - treasure memories that we will always remember)
Our family highly recommends Great Lake Expedition! It was hard to say good-bye to this awesome team, and we hope for another adventure with each of them some day!
Email Wolfgang Baer | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7 DAYS MACHAME ROUTE
Just back from the trip of a lifetime in Tanzania and want to thank Great Lake Expeditionfor making the adventure so wonderful. Coordinated the itinerary with the kind and very gracious assistance of Rasheedy who helped ensure that everything went smoothly, that the lodgings were comfortable, that the food would meet the needs of the vegetarians in our small group, and that we had the services of the very best guide in Tanzania, Thomas. We cannot say enough good things about Thomas: he was not only encyclopedic in his knowledge of the incredible variety of animals we saw, he was supernatural in his ability to spot animals, even at great distances, but he was warm, friendly, and had a great sense of humor. He added immeasurably to our experience. We saw so many animals in the four national parks we visited, including 20 lions in one day (not that we were counting); beyond our dreams!
Email Paula Romeo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Machame route
My Husband and I had the opportunity to climb Kilimanjaro using the Machame route over 7 days. Our guides and porters were outstanding. I can’t say enough good things about Great Lake Expedition. The hospitality, the food and the preparation we went through on our way to the summit was exceptional. We were able to summit the mountain and it was an absolutely incredible adventure, one that we will never forget for the rest of our lives. Thank you Great Lake Expedition. for such an amazing experience that we will always cherish.
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Email Rosana Herland | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Gold medal to Great Lake Expedition in all categories
Our Time with Great Lake Expedition in Tanzania was fantastic. No matter how good the sites may be, a tour operator can make or break your experience. Great Lake Expedition and Fred were totally on top of everything and we felt fortunate that our friends recommended them. Our Safari experience was planned down to the letter, executed with care and the experience for our family was better than we hoped for. Our Guide Fred, was brilliant keeping us on our toes with his "eagle eyes" and knowledge of the plants and animals, geology and culture of each area we visited. Even our COVID-19 Testing in the middle of the Serengeti went off without a hitch! Don't take any chances...Great Lake Expedition is your tour operator!