In front of our office
Northern Circuit Adventure
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $195 to $580 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Philip Brainin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A good safari (but with disappointments!)
Prior to our safari we spent much time studying the northern wildlife parks to make our perfect safari itinerary. Michael Ndallo from Northern Circuit Adventure could offer us the perfect safari trip according to our plans, 5 days and 4 nights camping. However, on departure day when on our way to begin the safari, Michael Ndallo informs us that he has changed the agreed itinerary without noticing us - to fit more people into the group. By doing this he left us no choice but to go on a safari which was not what we had planed.
Our driver and guide, Masha, did an excellent job through the entire trip, he is a bomb of information regarding wildlife and nature in Tanzania. We always felt very safe and comfortable in his company. He delivered game drives of highest quality. Our chef, Rodriguez, shared with us his good cooking skills, varying between traditional and European food.
Camping on the second night our equipment was wet from rain. The mattresses and sleeping bags were so dripping wet we were able to squeeze water out of them. Waking up the 3rd day with freezing cold bodies and wet underwear, this was not how we imagined camping. The day was spent sleeping and feeling ill in the safari car - a ruined safari day. All other days camping facilities were fine, except the matresses kept being squeezingly wet and the sleepingbags humid.
Before reaching the first park on the 1st day the brakes of our safari vehicle broke down, why we had to spent time in the mechanics. During the five day trip we had a flat tire four times and in addition to this we had to spent time in a police check point, because the tires were in so bad condition the police would not allow us to continue. Finally when ascending the Ngorongo Crater the battery of the vehicle caused problems and we had to make another stop. Michael Ndallo is a great guy, we enjoyed his always happy attitude and eagerness to help us with flight tickets to Zanzibar after our safari. He came to pick us up upon arrival to Arusha and was awaiting us when returning from the safari.
In summary: If you want to support a local Arusha company Northern Circuit Adventure is a choice. If you have spent time making an itinerary and you have a signed contract, do not expect Michael Ndallo to respect it. Bring your own sleeping bag if you want to stay warm. For lost time in the safari, e.g. the day after our wet night, Michael Ndallo refunded us 30USD, to be spent on a night in his partnership hotel, equal to less than 2% of the total amount paid. Additionally we spent very much unnecessary time with a broken car and learned how to change tires. In contrast to this our guide did the best game drive we could ever imagine, the food was above average and the atmosphere good. Safari is about seeing animals and so we did to a maximum.
Reply from Northern Circuit Adventure
Posted on Sep 24, 2014Hello Philip,
Greetings from Northern Circuit Adventure Arusha Tanzania and also thanks for the safari review you have submitted into our page to the Safari Bookings.
First of all we would like to say sorry again and apologize for what happen to your safari regarding the program changes as we had a discussion into my office the day of your arrival because of the other joiners who miss they are luggage’s in Nairobi and they didn’t make it to join you as the safari planed that’s why we have to reverse the itinerary.
Secondly also we would like to say sorry for the camping equipment gets wet and this is because we didn’t predict the weather in Serengeti National Park what will be as your safari here was in the dry season (September) and our staff put the gears on top of the car and we have already been learning about that and we promised to our features clients this will never happen again including to put the new tires as you can see all of our reviews are positive.
Thanks and we love to hear positive and negative reviews so we can improve ourselves!
Best regards,
Northern Circuit Adventure
US
Email Martin R | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience. Good and gracious people who cared about our experience, highly recommended!
Tarangire. Lake Manyara. Ngorongoro. The Serengeti. We saw so much in just the first two days at Tarangire and Manyara it could have been enough, but YOU must see the rest with Northern Circuit. They were well organized. The first day our driver was at the hotel early to pick us up on time. Before setting out we met briefly with the director who explained the entire 6 days so we knew what to expect. The vehicle was clean and equipped with 110 outlets so no worries about camera batteries running out, or cell phones :) Our driver and chef were very courteous and accommodating which makes these types of adventures so much better. Our driver was very knowledgeable and was able to answer our questions about the various species of birds and other animals, plants, etc. Also, he had a keen eye and was able to spot or find wild life to assure we got our fill of great nature and wild life. The campsites were well-kept and cozy, whether we were in a covered tent at the camping grounds, or in a bush tent in the Serengeti. They set everything up for us, and the food was remarkable. Fresh fruit, coffee, tea every morning along with a different meal every day. Hats off to our chef for a job well done. While there are many operators in and around Arusha and Moshi, Northern Circuit provided all the comforts we expected with very personal care, we didn't feel like a number or as if we were being rushed through. Because I'm very meticulous about making plans for such a big trip, I had been communicating with the director, Michael, up to a month before our trip. He was very responsive to my many email and text message inquiries, usually responding within 8-10 hours with a 9 hour time difference! I do admit, we contacted a few other operators, but Michael's responsiveness and level of details with our arrival in Nairobi, and advice guiding us through the process of getting to Arusha, convinced me that Northern Circuit was the right operator and we do not regret it one bit. I have members of my family wanting to safari now, so for sure we will use Northern Circuit in the future! Thank you guys for the wonderful time that will stay with us for ever. Best wishes, Martin and Ella.
Email Elisabeth | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredibly well-organised, can't fault the safari
From the very start communication with Michael was very efficient, he was responding very quickly to our requests and offered us a tour in line with our wishlist for what I felt was a very competitive price. The 5-day safari we did only confirmed our first impression: all transfers/schedules were very well planned, and we just had to go with the flow. Our guide (Hassani) was a gem, he was very knowledgeable about animals, drove us to the less busy parts of the parks where we saw many animals and was great company throughout the tour! Some groups go looking for days for lions, we saw at least 50-60 of them and quickly had to rename the "Big 5" the "Easy 5". There's got to be a bit of luck in this but I'll also credit Hassani for spotting so many animals. Our cook Malleu managed to prepare really tasty meals while in the middle of nowhere, not quite sure how he did it but we all put on weight and never went hungry! Only thing I can say is that I wish we had more local food instead of Western food, but that's a personal view (you can make that request before). The jeep did not look very new but did the job perfectly, tents were also fairly new I think. My impression was that other groups may have paid the same price or more while being many more in the jeep, so we were really lucky to find Michael. It was a magical trip, and went so well that I cannot recommend the tour company enough!
AE
Email Noel | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Safari thanks to Mike and Dennis at Northern Circuit
We were provided with the contact details of Mike at Northern Circuit from a colleague that had recently returned from a Safari with them. We were encouraged by the high recommendation and also really pleased to have it since there are lots of different companies to choose from. Therefore a personal recommendation is a great comfort. From our first enquiry Mike was quick to respond. He helped tailor our budget and time so we got the most out of our trip. We were really pleased with the quick replies to our emails and the speed and knowledge Mike was able to arrange everything. We were met at the airport and taken to our hotel where Mike met us and explained the plan for the next few days. The following morning, right on time we met with Dennis who was our driver guide for the 5 day safari. Dennis was fantastic, hugely knowledgeable about the wildlife, clearly very experienced, knew where to find the animals we wanted to see and great fun to be around. Dennis dropped us off at the end of safari at the airport, where Mike was waiting to wave us off. We could not have asked for anymore from our trip. It met and exceeded our expectations and we would have no hesitation in recommending Mike, Dennis and the Northern Safari team to others. We would also say that compared to other operators (we did make other enquiries) the price we paid was extremely good and highly competitive. A hugely enjoyable and successful trip al round!!!
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Email Jason P | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall, great value
We went on a safari with Northern Circuit Adventures in July 2015. Overall, we had a fantastic time. We had just climbed Mt Kilimanjaro so we were looking for a cheaper safari and Northern Circuit Adventure provided the value for which we were looking. The tents, sleeping bags and sleeping pads were great, never having an issue with warmth. The safari car (Toyota Land Cruiser) was a beast; we had no issues whatsoever and gave us a surprisingly smooth ride (considering how rough the roads were). Our driver was impressive, giving us the most time in the parks that he could and he was always on his radio/phone finding where the rarer animals were (leopard, rhino, lions....). And our cook was fantastic too; can't believe how good the food was. Only reason I say 4 stars is that it is a cheaper option, so you are putting up your own tents, helping pack the car, etc. I had no problem with that (and expected it based on price) but if you do, might want to go with a more expensive, more inclusive option.
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Safari
I couldn't have asked for more! The safari was fantastic!
3 days safari, we visited Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara. Saw all the animals we dreamt of (only the leopard hide to well), elefants, lions, buffelo, hippos, monkeys, giraff, even rhino! Our safariguide was very good, and we loved his sence of humor:) combined to his respect for the animals and nature, he contributed to make this trip excellent. The only thing I think could be better, was the food (both lunch and dinner)...
Next time I come to Tanzania for safari, I'll contact you again.
CA
Email Peter, Nicole, Naomi & Catia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience of a lifetime!
We just completed a 5-days safari where we went to Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater. Mike, who organized the trip, was very good at communicating with us and the choice of itinerary & accommodation was perfectly tailored to our request.
Our guide was Elias and our cook was Gabriel, and we couldn't be happier with our experience! They did an outstanding job of making sure that we were satisfied, comfortable, and safe. Our journey had some setbacks - our camp got flooded after a storm, and our wheel broke on the rough roads of Serengeti - but in both cases they acted very quickly and effectively to arrange us an alternative accommodation or transportation. Not everyone in a similar situation was as lucky…
The food prepared by Gabriel was amazing (and perfectly ‘digestible’ even for a sensitive European stomach)! We also spent one day with Merinyo - both he and Elias were excellent guides, fun and providing lots of information. We saw a full spectrum of African animals ranging from lizards to leopards (in addition to many many lions…) and our car was well networked with other ones so we never missed out when something important was going on.
Thanks to Mike, Elias, Gabriel and Merinyo, our safari adventure was experience of a lifetime!
Asante Sana,
Nicole, Naomi, Catia (from Canada) and Peter (from Slovakia)
CA
Email Antony and Emilie from Quebec | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Northern Circuit Adventure they allowed us to live a once in a lifetime experience!
Thank you for everything, we had a wonderful 4 days safari in Tarangire national park, Serengeti national park and Ngorongoro Crater. Our guide/driver Issac and our cook Ben were amazing. We saw almost all the animal we wanted to see except the black rhino, but it doesn't matter. Thanks to Northern Circuit Adventure for this memorable safari.
IE
Email Alex | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reactive
Amazing! Second time we decide to come.
Michael is always reactive and carefully listens to your needs to provide the best experience possible.
The first time was perfect, the second time was even better!
DE
Email Steffen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unique Experience
My English is not so good but I try to write this review as good as possible. We are a family from Germany with two children at the age of 7 and 15 years. We booked an eight day safari with Northern Circuit Adventure including the northern national parks (Arusha, Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro). We found that company because of a positive review in a travel Guide. Furthermore we wanted to book a smaller local company because we expected that they would take more care of our individual desires. To keep in contact with Michael the owner of the company was very easy. He made us a very good offer. He offers us also to postpone the journey in the case we would not travel due to Corona.
The company picked us up from the Kilimanjaro Airport and brought us to our hostel. The day after we went to Michaels office to talk about some details of our safari. And at the following day Livingston our driver and guide picked us up with a well maintained off-road vehicle. Eventually a unique safari experience started because
-Livingston was a very good, experienced and prudent driver. At no time we had any fear that an accident could happen. Even facing very bad roads we had always arrived our sites in a good and healthy condition.
-Livingston has actually very good eyes. He even discovered animals with his bare eyes which we only saw with binoculars. So we were able to to see rare animals like the tree climbing lions at Lake Manyara, leopards at Tarangire or rhinos in the Serengeti.
-I noticed that Livingston knows the wild animals very well and he loves them. At no time he was chasing the animals for a short photo contrary to many drivers we saw during the journey. He even asked us for patience when he stayed longer at a certain place and often it was worthwhile. So we saw cheetahs and lions chasing wildebeest and zebras or we were in the middle of the herd of elephants.
-Livingston has very good nerves. Everyone travelling with children knows that they easily get tired and annoying but Livingston has always managed to keep them happy and interested.
If possible I recommend you to choose Northern Circuit Adventure. Everything was organised and carried out in the way we agreed on beforehand. The relationship between the driver, the company owner and us was up from the beginning very heartful and Michael even give us a bottle of red wine for a romantic evening at the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Since in particular the small Tanzanian local companies are suffering from the Corona-Crisis and getting no governmental support at all I advise you to choose that company. You will not regret that!!!
