Ecological Wilderness Adventures
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TALA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $2,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Claire | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Breathtaking experience!
I was in Arusha on a work trip and only had one free day at the end of the conference before flying back to Europe. One of my colleague, who himself was just back from a 2-day safari with Brian, recommended Ecological Wilderness Adventure so warmly that I did not hesitated too long. We booked the trip last minute but the organisation of the 24-hour safari was absolutely seamless. Brian came to pick us up at the hotel at the end of the day and drove us to The Acacai Farm Lodge in Karatu to spend the night. We were therefore able to enter the Ngorongoro National Park very early in the morning (around 7am) and be one of the first jeeps in the crater. Brian is a wonderful guide and a great person who made our safari an unforgettable moment. He has countless stories about the region wildlife, culture and history, and he’s such a good storyteller. I learned so much in 24 hours! We spent a good 7 hour inside the crater and then had to leave for the rather long drive to the airport (but always in Brian’s good company!). He even spare us Arusha’s vicious rush hour by taking a shortcut to the airport. The whole experience was breathtaking and I could not recommend Ecological Wilderness Adventure more.
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Email Tom W | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Two perfect weeks on safari!
Brian, at Ecological Wilderness, did an amazing job planning our safari. We had never been to Tanzania, but had several friends who had gone. We shared our thoughts and ideas with Brian and he created a draft itinerary. I made some comments and suggestions and he happily revised the itinerary to reflect our ideas. Brian always responded quickly to accommodate my requests. We eventually arrived at exactly the balance of animals, culture, hiking and beach time (in Zanzibar) that was ideal for our family of four.
Our guide was terrific. Fun and knowledgeable. Equally adept at spotting animals and explaining current events in Tanzania. A great resource.
We loved the mix of staying is some lodges and some tents. The tents were not roughing it -- great bed, hot shower, flush toilet -- but allowed us to be closer to the animals.
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Email Deborah | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
2-Week Safari - Beyond all High Expectations
Our family of 4 - 2 parents and two kids in their twenties - just spent 2 weeks in Tanzania with Ecological Wilderness Adventures, on safari. It was an amazing experience in every way. The owner, Brian, and my husband had multiple exchanges over email prior to our trip to plan the safari to our satisfaction.
We were met at the airport by Brian and our guide for the two weeks, Amir. Amir, was incredibly knowledgeable, had an amazing eye for spotting animals, was a fabulous driver on incredibly difficult roads, and had a great sense of humor. We feel ever so lucky to have had him as our leader for the trip. He knew where to be when, when to wait longer to see something spectacular, when to suggest changes to our itinerary, etc. We couldn't have been happier with him. We saw all of the animals we expected to see and many, many more. The animals were simply amazing. Seeing them in their own world was such a treat.
Our accommodations were all great. We stayed in a mix of lodges and tented camps. Each was great.
Amir says we now have to come back right after the rainy season because everything is so different then. And I have no doubt we will. When we do we will use Brian and Amir again.
CA
Email John and Chris | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Top notch guide, food was great and the wilderness was incredible.
The trip exceeded all expectations. We had an expert guide that showed us all the highlights - the cats, the migration etc. All of the staff was polite and provided great service. The big surprise to me was how great the food was - expect to gain a few pounds on the trip. We also had stops at a Masai village and local town. These tours should not be missed. The guide picked is up at the airport and made sure I visit was care free until we left.
CA
Email Chris | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
trip of a lifetime
My husband and I just got back from a wonderful 12 day safari with Ecological Wilderness Adventures. I cannot recommend this company enough. Brian answered our e mails promptly and professionally, providing all the information and preparation we needed to proceed with our trip of a life time. Our driver/guide, Gerald, took great care of us from arrival to departure and not only answered all our questions about the wildlife but also gave us some excellent insight into the Tanzanian culture and history. He is a great driver and was always able to get us into an excellent position for viewing. The man also has the eyesight of an eagle! The lodges and mobile camps we stayed at were clean and comfortable with helpful and friendly staff, good food and great locations inside the parks. We saw some amazing sights but my favorite location was in the northern Serengeti Savannah Mara River camp. This camp puts you right in the center of the migration and we were lucky enough to see several river crossings. Truly a trip of a lifetime! Hakuna matata!!
Asante sana Brian and Gerald!
Chris
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Email Ken | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This operator made a lifetime trip into Tanzania an unforgetable adventure.
We booked with Ecological Wilderness Adventure and have not been disappointed in any way. The accommodations were great and well cared for. The food was always good with only a couple of minor let downs in the box lunches we ate during the day while on the road. But I will trade a fancy meal for more wildlife time any day. They took care of all our needs and made good for any slight errors that were made.
I would recommend this tour operator to my own mother! That is how good they are. Our guide provided us with excellent opportunities to witness all the Big 5 as well as many more joyful encounters with all the new birds, mammals and reptiles that I have never seen in the wild before. Or in some cases never seen before anywhere including in all the nature documentaries that I have watched in the last 5 decades.
Safari experience of a lifetime!
Our Tanzania trip with locally owned and operated Ecological Wilderness Adventures was beyond expectations. The family we were with had used them four years ago and we understand why they wanted to use them again. Brian, Amiri and the team were wonderful guides. They were honest, flexible, fun, and considerate of young children (including dietary needs/wants...they have families themselves). The accommodations were great, especially at the camps in the Serengeti. EWA bring maturity and a respect for the wildlife and environment that can only be acquired by a lifetime of firsthand experience. We were so impressed with how extremely knowledgeable they were about animal, plant, and bird life. We saw everything and then some. We visited four areas, North and Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park. All not to be missed. We highly recommend them. You won't be disappointed.
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Email Marilyn | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime!
My husband and I spent practically the entire month of February, 2017, in Africa. Brian at Ecological Wilderness Adventures planned this wonderful trip for us, based on what we wanted to see. The first 2 weeks were spent in Tanzania, and our guide Sammy was wonderful! He had studied and recorded elephants, and he knew everything about them! He showed us beautiful giraffes, zebras, hippos, rhinos, wildebeests, buffaloes, cheetahs, lions, jackals, hyenas, vultures, and various birds and plants. We saw a Wildebeest giving birth, and lions and zebras procreating! Sammy knew where to find the most interesting animals, and answered all of our questions along the way! Then we flew to Nairobi for another safari journey through Massai Mara. We saw many of the same animals in a different environment, but the most exiting thing was when Peter, our guide, found a leopard in a tree! We watched that animal for a long time, and took many pictures. My husband opened and slammed the door of the Land Cruiser so the leopard would look at us. That's a fantastic picture! From there, we flew to Rwanda to do some gorilla trekking. William was our guide in that country, and we first spent a few hours in their moving Genocide Museum. Then we headed out to the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge to spend the night before our early rise for the Gorilla Trekking. Although the climb took a lot out of us, we saw many wonderful gorillas in the jungle. Bosco was our guide for this adventure, and he was very patient with us old people as the climb was steep, sometimes slippery, and the air was thin! But, we made it to the area of the jungle where many gorillas were eating, and we even got great pictures of a baby gorilla, estimated to be about 4 months old! Only 80 people/day are allowed to view the 10 families that are being tracked, so only 8 were in our little group. We had one hour to view them, and then were told 'time's up'! The trek back down was pretty taxing as well! But, it was all worth it! What wonderful memories we have, and beautiful pictures to last a lifetime! Many thanks to Brian for coordinating this trip for us and making it such a success!
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Email Kate | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Every day was breathtaking!
Our safari was planned by our neighbor here in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was his 8th tour with Brian so our 3 week adventure had everything you could ask for. We started at Arusha National Park in a woodland setting, then moved eastward through Tarangiri, Lake Manyara, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro Crater, Sarengeti and Ndutu through the savanna. Our group had 10 people, and three vehicles. Our guides were Brian, Amiri and Gerald. These men were incredible naturalists that could tell us anything we needed to know about plants, birds, animal habits, mating rituals, birthing, raising young etc. We switched vehicles everyday so got to spend time with each of these knowledgeable men. We had the opportunity to meet with Hadzabi, Datoga and Masai tribes. The accommodations and food were as good as it gets and the service provided at each camp or lodge was outstanding. Every day was breathtaking and an immersion in wildlife. If you are going on a safari you need to go with Ecological Wilderness Adventures - up close and personal!
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Email Tom Lamal | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ecological Wilderness Adventures far surpassed my expectations.
Our trip with Ecological Wilderness Adventures was a wonderful and memorable experience. The entire trip was well organized and we always knew what to expect for accommodations and daily viewings. The food was great and I'm surprised I didn't gain much weight. I really enjoyed the days when we had picnic lunches and breakfasts - it was fun to eat lunch in the field.
The viewing was incredible and ALL three of our guides (Brian, Amiri, and Gerald) are extremely knowable. Their experiences with animal habits and interaction made the trip very educational. We saw everything one would want to see on a safari and up close! My personal favorite is the cheetah and we saw a lot of cats - lions, leopards, serval cats, & cheetah's. I won't list all the animals we saw but we saw them all multiple times and many times close enough to use and iPhone!
The camps were very comfortable and the staff was very friendly and always willing to help make our days as comfortable as possible. Everything was extremely clean - cooking facilities, dining area, sleeping accommodations and camp tents.
I would like to return to enjoy the wonderful viewing but I would also like to see out three guides again. I feel like I make three good friends - Brian, Amiri, Gerald.