Our mellivora African travels team
Mellivora African Travels
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Member Of:
- TTB, TANAPA & TAWA
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
SI
Email Izzy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very unprofessional and disruptive to mix different budgets (accommodations) in the same tour
So the feelings are mixed.
We did a 4 day safari with them, including Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire.
The driver David was very good and knowledgeable and we are really happy about him, his skills and the professionalism from his side. 10/10 for the driver himself.
Food was good (our chef was Richard). First night in a lodge was nice. Second night in Serengeti camp wasn't the best (facilities were super dirty and shower was only cold, but maybe also rain had something to do with it), but Ngorongoro camp was just lovely.
However, there were lot's of organizational issues that did significantly bother us.
What they did is they put 7 people from different companies and with different accomodations in the same vehicle - meaning that everytime everyone had to be delivered and picked up at a different location (sometimes literally 1 hour apart), so we lost a lot of time every single evening and then morning for pickups (things also didn't go so smooth with packing up) - very sadly on the account of our precious time for game drives (keep in mind that the best time to see animals is as early in the morning as possible). The 7th person was put in the last minute and so there wasn't any space left for our cook, which made it very inconvenient form him and us trying to find ways to get him to our destinations.
The driver wasn't really aware about plans of different people in our vehicle after the end of this trip - like that half of the group was supposed to continue the tour and that the rest were to go to the airport, and this wasn't communicated and caused some confusion, we also were not really sure about our luggage pickup (we were told to pack light and so we left half of the luggage at our hotel, to be delivered to the airport pickup on the last day).
So as said, the lack of organization did really bother us and we're not happy about this.
We've done many safaris elsewhere and nowhere in the world did "a sharing safari" mean different accomodations (but instead just a mixed random group of people, enjoying the same standard of the trip). I don't know how it seems to be the norm in Tanzania, as if everyone is doing it - we were joined by people from agencies like Serengeti African Tours and another company and they all said that they just share clients all the time.
Now I don't wanna be that "nothing was ok" person, but I just have to mention this -
we ran out of soda and wine on the second day (how can you promise wine, beer and soda with our meals and then provide only 1 bottle of wine for 7 people for 4 days?
The animals and the guide shed a nice light on the whole experience, but I have to say that organization-wise, this was by far the worst experience we've had in any safari. So my advice here seems to be - just take the cheapest tour as it obviously makes zero sense to pay more for a "preferably better company", or maybe make sure that people in your group will have the same standard or accommodations, to make things go smoothly.
Reply from Mellivora African Travels
Posted on Oct 30, 2024Dear Jerneja,
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback on your recent Tanzania safari experience with us. We genuinely appreciate your insights and apologize for any aspects that fell short of your expectations.
First and foremost, we're delighted to hear that you enjoyed many positive aspects of your safari, including the incredible wildlife sightings, budget-friendly, delicious meals,comfort,good driver and guide also the cook.
However, we are equally concerned about the challenges you encountered, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. Your feedback is invaluable, and we are committed to address the issues you raised to enhance our services for future travelers.
We also understand your disappointment regarding the guide's approach of not being able to start with an early morning game drive. This is mostly because, with a shared safari, the itinerary is pre-planned and most of the time it is not guaranteed to start at dawn,Often 1hour late. However, with a private option, it is easy to customize and guarantee to start early morning.
Our sincere apologies for the discomfort caused by the sleeping bags. We are doing our best to ensure the quality of our equipment meets the highest standards. We also highly advise our future camping travelers to bring their own sleeping bags whenever possible.
Dear Jerneja, your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to continuous improvement. We would like to extend our gratitude for choosing our company and we hope to have the opportunity to provide you and our future travelers with an enhanced safari experience in the future.
Wishing you wonderful future travels Rafiki!
CH
Email Barbara Manga | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional
We had a 4-day fly-in safari from Zanzibar, and there's no way to fully express how satisfied we are with the experience. Everything was perfectly organized, from the excellent accommodations to the seamless transportation, and our guide was outstanding. From the moment we sent our first inquiry, the responsiveness was exceptional. We enjoyed a smooth journey and saw plenty of wildlife, including all of the Big Five. It was truly an incredible and unforgettable experience, and we highly recommend this safari to anyone looking for an extraordinary adventure.
IT
Email Verena | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organized and transparent in its communication
It was very easy to communicate with them. They were always available for any kind of questions and also helped me with things that had nothing to do with the safari.
As I still go to university, the price was really high for me, even if I know that a safari can never be cheap. At least they offer the possibility for a budget safari, but maybe they should think of another way to make it possible especially for young travellers to save some more money.
I did the tour during the rain season, but was lucky enough to pick some sunny days. I would say that the rain season has some advantages too (zebra migration, less tourists e.g.), but obviously it's also kinda risky.
I cannot complain about the tour operator, but I also have no possibility to compare it with others, as it was my first safari and I usually never do that kind of organized trips. So it's difficult for me to rate it.
DE
Email Aylin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good and always a quick response
We did the 5-day tour to Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire NP.
The booking went very nice and we got a lot of recommendations regarding the perfect places for the season.
Everything was well organized, all the pick ups and drop offs went smoothly. We could always contact Fransisca and she would respond very quickly.
The hotels we stayed in were good (especially in Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara).
We saw a lot of animals, especially in the Ngorongoro crater - that was the place we enjoyed the most and would definitely recommend.
FR
Email Charlotte | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Really reactive , easily reachable , and well organized
We had a really great experience for our first safari . It was well organized , everything we prepare we did not have to think about anything.
Our driver was really nice and explained to us a lot of things during the safari and made us feel comfortable .
We enjoyed it !
JP
Email Hide | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best team to lead your "once in the life" experience ro the success!
Fransisca responded promptly and appropriately to my requests for advice on what to prepare before the trip and adjusting the schedule. Goddy and the other guides explained and talked about various things to make the climb not boring, and on the day of the summit attack, they adjusted my pace and always encouraged me, leading me to a successful summit.
I believe that it would never have been possible without their support.
The only thing that was disappointing was that the quality of the hotels they booked before and after the trip was not worth the price, but everything else was so wonderful.
US
Email Neema | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very professional
Our trip had 3 different parts:
- Climbing Kilimanjaro in 6 days via Machame route. For this hard adventure, Gody was our main guide, with Emmanuel as our assistant guide, their experience and professionalism, as well as that of the dream team, took us to the summit (roof of Africa).
- 6 days safari at Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro area. We saw all the animals (cheetah and rhino included) with very amazing scenes and pictures :). Thanks to the best driver ever Jordan!
- 6 days at Zanzibar to relax after it all.
In general, thank you to Mellivora African Travels, in particular to Fransisca, for these memories, one of the most important trips in our lives. Chosing the perfect accomodations, guides and making it possible!
We truly recommend this company!
Email Margel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Brilliant!
One of the best experiences in our lives - thanks to Mellivora African Travels! That was our first time going on a Safari tour and we did not regret choosing Mellivora African Travels. It was a 5 days tour and every day was different. Luckily, we got Elia as our tour guide and we had an amazing time with him. He put so much effort in everything and could tell us so much, not only detailed information on the animals but also about Tanzania and its culture. You could tell that he has so much passion for his job and he is very experienced. We will always treasure the week we spent on Safari.
Email Will Batterbury | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Elia was very knowledgeable, he spotted animals that nobody could see and extremely enthusiastic.
Really smooth booking process and excellent communication throughout, even during the safari. We were extremely well looked after. The accommodations within our package were fantastic. I would highly recommend them if you want an amazing safari trip. Our game driver ensured we had the best experience at all times and made it a truly once in a lifetime experience.
Email Jane Whitlock | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing efficient helpful service from day 1
Fransisca was so helpful in organising our trip exactly how we wanted it. Nothing was too much trouble. Communication with her was great, she was so efficient in replying to me.