Telly Africa Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Member Of:
- TANAPA, BRELA & Tourism Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $275 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
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Reviews
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Email Rick M | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Just an Amazing Tour Company, Professional, Diligent, Responsive, Well Organized and Caring.
Most people only do an African Safari once in a lifetime, so you want to be sure you get the right company. Telle Safari is that company. We were on the 5 day “fly-in” luxury safari, and by Safari standard, everything was luxury in-deed. The great thing about the “fly-in” option was that we only drove one-way from Serengeti to Arusha, rather than round trip as many safari itineraries offer. This gave us less time on some rather uncomfortable roads and more time searching for animals. Our personal guide Assad was to meet us at the Seronera airport in the Serengeti upon our arrival from Zanzibar. The Safari Land Cruiser was spacious and comfortable and stocked with drinks and most important binoculars as promised. We set out immediately on our first of many bush drives and in our first few hours found at least 7 different animals including 4 of the Big 5. Over the next 98 hours, we would go on to discover not only the big 5 but just about every animal, bird and reptile that east Africa had to offer. We even found a chameleon which was on my wife’s “had-to-see” list.
It was wonderful to have a guide so passionate about his job. Besides being completely knowledgeable about the variety of wildlife we encountered and the complex and challenging safari roads we had to navigate. Assad was completely vested in assuring that we were able to see every possible species during our tour. He was also on top of making sure that our every request was met and making our comfort his focus. He had the answer to all our millions of questions and at the same time had a great sense of humor and was very congenial and easy to talk to. He assured our comfort at every stage of our tour. He was the key to this trip tip being so spectacular. We will miss our time with him.
Before Assad, Mohamed and William were just great at making all the preparations and reservations. They kept us in close contact and updated us every step of the way. They were very professional and courteous throughout the process. I confused the “proposal” they sent as being a company brochure, because it looked so clean, colorful, and detailed. Actually, It was a personalized and tailored, trip specific, brochure-like itinerary, outlining every detail of our journey. Everything was handled so well. They made sure that every “t” was crossed and “i” was dotted, assuring a wrinkle free journey.
All of the lodging was top notch. The stay at our tent camp “Into Wild” was short lived due to the 24-hour permitting process for each park, arriving at 5pm and leaving at 6am in our quest to see as many animals as we could while in the Serengeti before our time expired. But we had a huge and beautiful tent that would have you believe that you were in a suite at a luxury hotel and there was just enough time to enjoy a pre-dinner glass of wine in the daylight on our porch and scout local wildlife from the comfort of our comfy porch chairs. The Buffet dinner was very tasty, and we ate outside to enjoy the views, although inside was an option. The Serena Ngorongoro lodge was equally short lived, but we had an the most amazing direct view of the crater from our balcony, (be it between bursts of mist and cloud cover), which we were able to enjoy for an hour before dinner and watch a beautiful sunset. The ala cart dinner with buffet salad and dessert bars was great and bountiful. There was even a pre-dinner acrobat act. We were ready for a little more downtime by the 3rd night, having by this time seen about 90% of the animals we were going to see. Thankfully we had a bit more time for our stay at the Escarpment Lodge in Lake Manyara. Arriving about 2 gave us plenty of time to enjoy our personal villa and the main the infinity pool on that sunny day, with a marvelous view overlooking Lake Manyara and the surrounding jungle. The food on the ala cart menu and salad bar was again excellent. Unfortunately, the evening cultural show was cancelled due to lack of attendance. We were there, watching from afar on the upper terrace, but they did not see us. The grand finale of all the lodging was Manyara’s Secret. We again arrived early enough to have some relaxing outdoor time, but this time at the private pool that comes with every villa, while experiencing the beauty of Lake Manyara very close up. The smaller private pool water was a little too cool in January, but the view was beautiful. We then headed up the main infinity pool with the same view. This was the newest of the lodges, and our very private villa offered a huge bathroom and a secondary “outdoor” shower to be one-in-nature. Dinner here was by far the best of all three, which was already a high bar, and was prepared in a very modern open kitchen that they allowed us to tour.
The ability to see 4 separate Parks over the 5 days really made this overall experience so unbelievable. Each park had its own personality and special offerings. We stopped for lunch (prepared by the previous night’s lodging) each day at roadside picnic areas with tables and all the food was delicious. The Serengeti was a mostly flat park of high and low grassy areas with some rolling hills and sparsely populated with an variety of tall trees. It had nearly all the wild animals, and they could be spotted with relative ease, assuming you kept looking and knew what to look for. Which Assad did for us grandly. The animals were generally in very small groups. The roads were quite challenging. They were bumpy, irregular, potholed and often flooded. The Nduto highway between Serengeti and Ngorongoro Parks was open flat low grazing type grasslands. We briefly stopped there to spy the great migration of droves of mostly wildebeests and Zebras, along with a variety of Antelope, in massive numbers in all directions, all grazing as they made their slow walk southward. Later, a crater sized (and flooded) pothole had pretty much devoured a tanker delivery truck on that road and blocked the highway. So, we had to detour into the bush around the obstructed highway into marshy flood plains which was quite an experience. We did get bogged down and stuck for a bit but were soon pulled out by another safari 4x4 and managed to make it through. The Ngorongoro crater landscape was very different with a completely flat and semi marshy grassland around a great lake with almost no trees except at the elevated perimeter walls. You could see for miles so finding animals here was almost too easy. The animals were everywhere and in abundance. And so many beautiful birds of every variety near the lake. It was here we finally found our last of the big 5, the Rhino. The roads in the crater were all dirt but mostly smooth and more easily navigable. Upon exiting this park and heading toward Lake Manyara we encountered a harrowing curvy mountain side descent from Ngorongoro on a very thin two-way dirt road to reach the Paved Highway for the remainder of our trip. The next stop was Lake Manyara which is a dream for Baboon lovers. We must have seen hundreds of them hiking along the roadways in this jungle setting or simply sitting in them. This is a lush tropical forested area with irregular terrain that made it more difficult to spot animals. But we did manage to find our first male lion there. On our way to Tarangire Park the next day we took the opportunity to visit a Masi Village which was certainly worth the time and cost as it added one more dimension to our understanding of peoples of the world the culture they embrace and the lifestyles they live. We also visited the mother of all artist shops. It had an amazing variety of African paintings and carved sculptures and souvenirs. If we were going to bring back art this would be the place to get it. In Tarangire, the Elephants are king. The terrain was a mix of high and low grass with rolling hills, like the Serengeti, but trees were more plentiful. This still allowed relatively open viewing and we could get very close to the elephants as they rolled in the mud or ate vegetation along the roadway. There were plenty of monkeys and a variety of other animals as well, but not quite as plentiful as the first two parks. This was the only park where we noticed the existence of flying insects. Still, they were not very bad at all. We had treated all our clothing before the trip, so I think that helped a lot. After our final park we were taken to Arusha, killed some time at the Cultural center (A large but upscale bazaar for local artisan products) and then on to Kilimanjaro for our flight back to Zanzibar.
There were only two slight disappointments during our trip, but neither was significant enough to rate this trip anything less than fantastic. The first was that the electrical outlets and USB connections provided with our land rover were worn out, so that they did not hold the connections on the very bumpy potholed and washboard dirt roads we traveled. They were basically unusable. Fortunately, we had several high-capacity battery banks with us that we were able to recharge each night. The second was that while the proposal indicated soft drinks, wine and beer were included, that was not totally true. We had plenty of drinks available each during our bush runs and lunch and we were even provided with a bottle to take to our room each night. But during dinner, each lodge and camp required that you purchase all drinks from them. You could not bring your own into the restaurant. So, we simply enjoyed our glass of wine each evening on our balcony or porch with stunning scenery, before heading the dinner. And then maybe a glass after we got back. It was not so much the cost (which was very reasonable) but rather the hassle of having to pay a bill each night. I think it would be better if that was clarified up front. BTW for tips, you simply make one donation to the entire lodge staff upon check out in something called the tip box. So that was so more convenient than feeling like you must have all this cash to tip for each assistance you receive.
Overall, this was a most amazing experience, and we thank Telle safaris for their diligence, professionalism, and dedication to our enjoyment. The tour length and itinerary were just perfect for us. We will recommend Telly Safaris to all our friends. If we are ever able to get back, they will be the only ones we consider. I could not imagine that any other company could provide a better overall experience than we had during our tour.
CH
Email Mike & Aline | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
excellent
very well organized. safari was beautiful, interesting , amazing and well timed to our needs. saw big 5 and more!
aron, our guide, was very experienced and helpful.
we highly recommend telly africa safari!
Email Chanel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredibly professional, friendly, excellent at spotting animals and full of knowledge.
That was the most incredible 3 days, and far exceeded both of our expectations. Mohamed from Telly was incredibly helpful in the lead up to our safari, answering all of our questions. He even arranged for us to have our extra luggage looked after for us in Zanzibar during the trip.
Assad, our guide, was fantastic! Not only was he amazing at spotting out all of the Big 5, but also a cheetah right after a kill. Assad was professional, friendly, was incredibly knowledgable and made our trip full of memories.
The accommodation within the Serengeti and at Ngorongoro were impeccable, beautiful rooms with amazing views.
My husband and I chose Telly Africa Safaris for our honeymoon, and are SO happy we did. Thank you so much for such an awesome experience. If you’re thinking of booking Telly, do it!
BG
Email Aneliya Racheva | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My dream for Africa came true
First of all it's the best price you can get for one day safari from Zanzibar! I had a great communication with Mohammed from the agency! Even hotel pickup and drop off was included in the price. Everything thing was organized absolutely perfect! Our driver, also Mohammed, picked us from the hotel at exactly 4:00 am. At the airport other guy from the tour agency was waiting for us and the rest of the group. He arranged everything there and we took our flight to Selous Game Reserve. It was my first time with such a small plane but it was safe and wonderful experience. When we arrived, we were waited from our tour guides, that were the jeep drivers also. We were split to two off-road vehicles and our journey to the wild begins. Almost immediately we saw impalas and baboons :) After that through the whole day we saw many giraffes, antelopes of different kinds, African buffalos, hippos, crocodiles, zebras, wild dogs, one hiena, wild African pigs (Pumba), many birds and the best of all, right before going back: a herd of elephants. They were so close, it was breathtaking experience! Unfortunately we didn't see any lions. And about the organization of the rest breaks, for coffee and lunch, everything was great and delicious! Definitely recommend this tour and the tour agency!
CH
Email Regula | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
wonderful experience
From the booking request, where Mohamed responded to all of our requests and answered questions promptly, to our return to the hotel in Zanzibar, everything went perfectly on our fly-in private safari with Telly Africa Safaris. With Omary we had an excellent guide and driver with an amazing broad knowledge of animals and plants. We also learned a lot about life in Tanzania. In all the parks we visited (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara and Tarangire) we saw almost all the animals living there, some of them very close. The accommodations were special and beautiful and the food just great. We had a wonderful safari and a lot of fun, thank you Omary! Highly recommend Telly Africa Safaris without reservation.
CH
Email Stephan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highly professional and friendly
We had a great safari trip with Omary from Telly Africa Safari. It was a great experience to have a professional, friendly guide who is so knowledgeable about the animals and parks. It was unbelievable how quick Omary found most of the animals like cheetas, lions on trees and close to the road. He also showed us from close many elefants, hippos, two rinos, and enormeous quantities of zebras and impalas.
Thanks also to Telly for their professional organisation of everything including flights, hotels and tented camps. An experience better than expected.
We can fully recommend Telly and our guide and driver Omary.
SK
Email Alexander Redler | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome
Great satisfaction with this travel agency, Mohamed and Viliam arranged everything according to our requirements, arranged the accommodation we chose. They were very helpful and accommodating. The guide Simon was perfect. Thanks to him we saw all the animals we wanted to see. Even the driver who took us at the end of the Safari to Kilimanjaro airport was great and we saw Mount Kilimanjaro as well. Definitely recommend it, I have nothing to complain about.
SK
Email Barbora | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Satisfaction from beginning to end.
We chose TELLY for our safari trip after a long research, because there are so many operators that offer trips and we have to say that we couldn't have chosen better. From the beginning of the communication to the trip itself we were really very satisfied. Mohamed was always very quick and helpful in explaining everything to us and arranging everything to our liking. Our guide Simon showed us everything we wanted to see, not just the big five but much more. He is really a professional who does his job very well. Also the communication with William was excellent and last but not least our driver to the airport was great.
There really is nothing I could fault TELLY for. If you choose this company for your safari trip you will definitely not regret it. They will prepare for you an unforgettable experience exactly according to your expectations!
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Email Michelle | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding sarfari
Definitely a 6 out of 5 stars!!
Everything from the booking with William to our Sarfari guide Assad Guga were superb and exceeded out expectations!
William handeled the details of the sarfari, customizing it to what we wanted. We were able to see part of the great migration. Transfers to and from the airport and hotels went smoothly even through some flights were early and others were late. We loved the luxuxy hotels and food.
I defintely recommend you request our experienced and amiable sarfari guide Assad Guga. We loved his knowlege of the animals and willingness and success in finding every animal we wanted to see. We saw the big 5 including the elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard. We saw wildebeest, water bucks, gazelles, zebras, a cheeta, hippos, impalas, wart hogs, monkeys, hyenas, baboons, flamigos, storks and many more. I would highly recommend Assad for an experience you won't soon forget.
ES
Email Matias A | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A unique experiment with a very honest and professional company
We had an amazing time in our 4 day safari.
Joseph, our guide, was so so helpful and good.
He spotted every animal and was always sure that we have everything we needed