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
SE
Email Cecilia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Caping Safari
Our family (mother, father and 2 children - 13 and 14 years old) were on camping safari and slept in small tents in Serengeti and Ngorogoro and we didn´t miss a thing! Mike (the owner) took good care of us from the arrival in Arusha airport to the flight back from Arusha. He is extremely service minded and he helpful. Our guide and chef then took good care of us on the safari trip. We saw Big Five and of course and a lot of other animals, we learnt a lot about all animals and at dinner time our guide also told us "scary" safari stories, very exciting especially for the kids! The food was also very good. And our chef was also a very nice guy! They both made the safari to a very nice trip. I can also really recommend the tent safari, you feel very close to the nature and it is really exciting at night time! We also want to recommend you to go with Northern Circuit Adventure.
Email Andrew Fraser | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Safari Experience (and more)
Quite simply faultless, from start to end.
Michael was an absolute delight to deal with, not only organising a terrific safari, but also buses from Nairobi and to Dar, as well as additional nights' accommodation as needed.
The safari itself was incredible. Everyone on the tour (a terrific group of six well-matched people in a very spacious jeep) asked the same questions: Why on earth do people pay for fancy dan safaris? And how on earth do fancy dan safaris cost so much more? We had a similar jeep to the posh people; everyone had a great view; we had a wonderful driver; good food; and we saw all the animals we could have wanted (the exception being a leopard that came down from its tree while we were beetling along the road to find where it had been spotted).
For those wondering (as I was): the accommodation was great. Not what I'd call budget. The first two nights were in a permanent campsite, which meant it was pretty close to a hotel. Private tent with shower/loo under a permanent wooden roof (it looked awesome), plus food cooked in the restaurant there. The other nights were tented under the stars, but with a nice mattress and pillow provided. We had help putting the tent up (took a grand total of about five minutes) and everything was taken down and packed up for us while we were out on a game drive. I much preferred the tented experience to what I assume a lodge is like: felt a lot more adventurous, but was comfy enough. No spiders/snakes/scorpions etc.
I half-assumed the reviews of Northern Circuit Adventure were too good to be true, and that I'd have my girlfriend shouting at me for booking us on a cramped bus ride through jam-packed roads somewhere near the Serengeti with someone on a megaphone shouting that there was a lion somewhere in the distance.
But nope, we had an absolutely perfect time. Honestly could have expected or asked for more. I would highly highly hiiiighly recommend to anyone else. Save yourself a lot of stress, and just go with Michael's operation. They offer the 'standard' park itineraries that you'll see in tons of places, and they provided a faultless safari experience. I really can't expect that anyone else is better.
Thank you to Michael, Elias and Musa.
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.
NL
Email Brigit | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4 day safari
Just before Christmas, we went for a four-day safari with Northern Circuit. It was a perfect experience. We flew to Kilimanjaro airport, where some-one was waiting for us. In Arusha, Michael told us how everything was going to work. We had a jeep for the five of us, with our own cook and driver. The food we had there, was the best during our whole stay in Tanzania. We slept two days in tented camps (perfect accomodation, you have your own bed, toilet and shower per tent) and two days in smalll tents, in the middle of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. We saw the big five and a lot more (big migration). We felt very comfortable. Northern Circuit Adventure is very much recommended by me. Michael responds very quick at questions send to him by mail. He is nice guy. The safari was very good value for money.
FR
Email Simone | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderfull 7 Days Safari with Northern Circuit Adventure
Hello all,
My girlfriend and I did a 7 days safari with Northern Circuit Adventure in late November 2015, we travel trough Tarangire N.P. , Lake Manyara N.P, 3 days at Serengeti N.P., Ngorongoro N.P and finally Arusha N.P.
Everything went as we planned with Mike form Northern Circuit Adventure, from the pick up at the airport to the drop off!
We did a group tour and we share our car with other 3 persons (an italian couple and a german guy).
We highly recommend this tour operator since it has his own car (a very good Toyota Land Rover) and it seems to us very well organized and very professional.
We were also very lucky to share our magnificent experience with a great guide/driver and exceptional person as it was Salomon, he is very patient, great observer and very knowledge when it comes down to animal behavior and tanzanian history and lifestyle!
We were also very happy about our chef...a great cooker, Moussa (I hope I write it properly) a big guy that cook delicious food, abundant portions and always with a contagious big smile!
So to conclude, I would highly recommend you to organize this lifetime experience with Northern Circuit Adventure, you won't regret it!
Simone & Nathalie
US
Email Tim | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7 day private camping safari was great!
We did a private safari with Northern Circuit in December, visiting Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro with a stop at Oldupai Gorge. Our guide (Elias) and chef (Sweetbart) were fantastic. The meals were tasty and the chef proactively adjusted meals based on our preferences. Our guide had some good itineraries planned and he handled all the tough mudding with aplomb. He was also very knowledgeable about the animals and was very good at spotting and naming all the different birds we encountered as well - we ended up finding about 25 different kinds.
Our tour vehicle was a little older but perfectly functional (standard safari car with pop-up roof), and it had seat covers with nice seatback pockets for stowing gear during the game drives, and it also had an inverter with a universal power strip for charging whatever electronics needed charging - these made life much more pleasant on the trip.
Our only complaint was that the tent was a little old and musty. It didn't rain much while we were on the trip so we could leave the flaps open to air it out and it was fine, but if it had rained more it might have been problematic, and that's why I said 4 stars.
I would recommend this tour operator to friends and family.
NO
Email Eva | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari, but sometimes a bit wet.
We were 6 people on a 4 day safari. We had a great guide and a great chef who were very helpful. We had a very good time on the gamerides and saw all the animals we had wanted to as well as the great migration. The only downside was that the camping equipment wasn't fully capable of handling the rainy season, so we had 1-2 wet nights. Our guide and chef were very helpful when this happened, but I still think it would be a good idea to upgrade the camping equipment to avoid this in the future.
Reply from Northern Circuit Adventure
Posted on Dec 22, 2015Hello Eva ,
Greetings from Northern Circuit Adventure Team and it was nice to have your safari feedback! We are very sorry to hear about the camping equipment's but as we know the time you were here it was short rainy season and we cannot control nature and when it comes the situation like this in the Serengeti it is a bit difficult even if you have a new equipment's but it all sort it out!
Thanks for your kind support and we assured our future clients that all of our camping equipment's are upgrading.
Northern Circuit Adventure Team
DE
Email Sreedhar | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Simply Amazing Memories !!
Probably our best holiday ever!! Full marks to Northern Circuit Adventure and its team for the perfect organization and coordination of the whole safari program.
From the time we landed in Kilimanjaro airport, till the time we exited Tanzania, everything was taken care of, and we had to barely worry about a thing..!
We were received on time from Kliimanjaro airport, and the 2-day accommodation that comes along with the Safari package was very comfortable - one can definitely know its value after a tiresome flight into Tanzania and after a few improper sleeps during safari days!!
Throughout the 5-days, the food cooked was simply mindblowing. Never ever did we think that we could get so delicious food at our campsites. Surprising that the cook even managed to prepare some Indian food too at times !!! :D
And, for the main part, Elias, our guide who took us around inside the national parks, he was truly awesome - in every sense of the word..!! Very soft spoken - but so alert to things happening around - and very knowledgeable about the places that were in our safari plan, he made sure that we got to see all the Big-5 animals - Black rhino, buffalo, herds of elephants, about 15 lions with even a Lion King pose, leopards (a baby leopard too), hosts of zebras, giraffes, elephants, a variety of birds including flamingoes - not to forget the Dung Beetle too!!
"Truly Memorable" - is an understatement - of an amazing vacation that me and my friends had during our time at Tanzania - full marks to Northern Circuit Adventure and its team for having helped realize our dreams!! :-)
DE
Email Hardy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic trip with wonderful guide and chef
I went on a 4-day budget (camping) safari to Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro and Serengeti with Northern Circuit. I had booked thru Tropical Islands vacations, but then Northern Circuit conducted the trip. I couldn't have been happier with the way it turned out.
Our guide, Elias, was simply fantastic, both as a guide and as a person. He was very knowledgable with all the animals as well as culture and history. He always seemed to know what the group was interested in seeing and doing (without us actually telling him). He spent extra time with us on evening game drives and he went out of his way several times to track and show us more animals (or to let us take the 500th photo of that zebra, when we'd taken 499 already from every possible angle but that single one). He had a peaceful and kind way of doing the safari, without ever being boring. We felt that he was genuinely interested in making this a special trip for us and that he was himself fond of the area and the animals.
Our chef, Sweetbart, was a lively and very likable guy. He cooked us amazing dishes in these rather limited facilities. It was always plentyful and all his dishes seemed to have a personal touch. They were always a bit more than your regular safari food. Actually, it was some of the best food I had in 2 months in EA.
Organization and handling (setting up tents, leaving on time, etc.) was also superb.
I honestly cannot think of anything I disliked about the trip. Of course, the stunning environment and animals also help in making this a unique experience.
I can strongly recommend doing a safari with Elias and Sweetbart.
CZ
Email Richard | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Garden of Eden
I have booked my 6-day Tanzania budget joining group safari with Northern Circuit Adventure in advance before departing from Europe. The manager - Michael - was able to reply promptly to my e-mails and tailored our trip according to our needs.
We visited: Lake Manyara NP, Tarangire NP (home of tse-tse flies, be ready), Serengeti NP and Ngorongoro Crater (the temperature dropping below zero during the night on the crater rim).
The number of fellow-travellers in a car varied from two to four persons.
We stayed at Clouds View Hotel the night before and after the safari. The place was OK. While still in Arusha, we took an interesting Coffee Plantation Tour also organized by Michael.
Ratings:
Booking process/communication: 10/10.
Safari organization/logistics: 10/10.
Driver/guide: 10/10. Elias, very communicative and funny.
Vehicle: 10/10. Pop-up roof Toyota Landcruiser 4WD.
Sleeping: 9/10. Permanent tents with beddings outside the parks, tents with matresses inside the parks. You should bring your own mosquito net.
Food: 10/10. We had our own cook named Bruno travelling with us -- the food was extra-class. Don't forget to buy enough water before your safari starts.
Number and variety of animals seen: 10/10. We were able to see all the Big 5 game.
Overall African experience: 10/10
FYI: Be aware in Tanzania they don't accept US dollar bills issued 10 or more years ago! If you try to use them to pay for anything (your safari, bus ticket, in currency exchange) they're gonna tell you it's a fake money. Experienced this behavior multiple-times.
This was my first time in Africa and I consider it my best vaccation ever. I can recommend Northern Circuit Adventure to all of you.
If you're interested please see my pictures from the trip: https://goo.gl/photos/4zfekxXzufmwQWT3A