Team in Tarangire National Park
Gecko Adventure Tanzania
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TATONA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $195 to $950 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Sonja | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dependable, Highly Qualified, Professional, Friendly Tour Operator
We had a fantastic time with Gecko tours. Several colleagues and I were headed to Tanzania for a conference and wanted to do a small safari ahead of time. Gecko was easy to work with and helped us develop a great itinerary that fit our needs, even though these changed a bit during the booking process. Said, our guide, was absolutely fantastic. He has a wealth of information, was incredibly well prepared at all times, and was simply a pleasure to spend time with. We all also deeply appreciated how respectful of the animals he was. We saw several other tour operators invade animals' space (once even driving buffalo away from the watering hole) and be too aggressive trying to get too close but Said never did this. Instead, he had a knack for knowing where they would go if we just sat still and were quiet for a few minutes. We could not have asked for anything more than Gecko provided and cannot recommend them highly enough.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari exceeded expectations.
My wife and I would definitely recommend Gecko Adventure.
We had excellent and prompt communication with Rama throughout.
We chose the 5 Day Vast Selous Train Safari.
Rama picked us up from our hotel in Dar Es Salaam and escorted us to the train station with clear written instructions for the train journey.
The train was a great way to start the safari.
We were warmly greated by our guide Said at the station.
The 2 day stay at Sable Mountain Lodge was amazing. Staff, food and accomodation were excellent.
The 2 day stay at Selous River Camp was equally impressive.
Said was very knowledgable with a lovely manner. We could not have hoped for a better guide. We absolutely loved our game drives with him.
We have waited a long time to go on a safari and are happy we chose
Gecko Adventure.
SE
Email Andreas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Two great days in Mikumi
We spent two days with Gecko in Mikumi. We had some unforgettable moments with lions and elephants only a couple of meters from the jeep. Our guide was very nice and helpful during the trip. I would definitely travel with Gecko again.
IT
Email Marita | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant
Our guide Said was brilliant. said was very informative and friendly and willing to answer to a lot of questions.
The accommodation was great!
The only thing was the long travel without air conditioning unit (5 hours going and almost 8 hours coming back in the city), under 35 degrees.
But overall. It was an impressive, well-organized Safari trip!
DE
Email Martina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
best safari experience
We went on a 2-day Safari-trip to Mikumi NP Tanzania.
Gecko adventure was very reliable and answered quickly to all questions I asked per mail in advance. They called to confirm the Pick-up and were more than friendly. The Pick-up at the Hotel was on time and the Driver and tour-guide (Chris) was professional, well-informed and looked after us and our wishes. Thanks to him we saw a lot of wild animals and got informations about them.
Highly recommended!
Email Linda | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A brilliant overland safari tour in southern Tanzania with Gecko Adventure
This was our first visit to Africa and our first experience of safari. We were delighted with every aspect of our contact with Gecko. They responded quickly to our inquiries, answered any questions and agreed a package that fulfilled all our requirements. The service was excellent from the moment we arrived at Dar Es Salaam airport to the point of departure. Bookings at each camp (we visited 5 over 19 days) ensured the requested vegetarian options for us (not always the case in our experience elsewhere), and the food was extremely good. We had opted to travel overland between camps to give us a chance to see something of the country and people. Our driver/guide, Said, was excellent, always smiling, anticipating needs and ensuring that the long journeys were as smooth as possible with breaks at appropriate places and ready to explain things we asked about as we travelled. Nothing was too much trouble, everything was done efficiently and with a sense of humour. He was very knowledgeable about the animals and birds and quick to spot things and point them out, aware of how best to approach them and ready to explain different behaviours and interactions. The safari tour lived up to our expectations in every way and we have no hesitation in recommending Gecko Adventure.
AT
Email Armin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience
We had a short 3 day trip with a boat, 4WD and walking safari in the Selous Game Reserve.
Our guide was extremely friendly and helpful and always answered also all our not-safari related questions :-)
The lodge was very comfortable and well located at a river with hippos visible from our small hut.
Elephants and monkeys were also very near and could be heard and also seen.
The game reserve itself was a beautiful place and we saw a lot of different animals.
Although we didn't see Zebras or Leopards it was a great experience I would recommend to everyone.
Would book them again everytime.
CH
Email Michelle | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous Experience
Everything worked perfectly on our 3 day trip to Selous. Our driver was knowledgable, personable and punctual. He took great care of us and we had a lovely time.
The packed luches from the bush camp left a little to be desired but everything else exceeded our exectations.
AE
Email Adele | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had to get the bus back
First I would like to point out that out driver was Brilliant the whole way through. He could not do more to help us (his 7 month pregnant wife picked us up from DAS bus station to take us back to our hotel.
Booking was very easy and effective, the booking agent came to our hotel on the morning of pick up to collect the money from us (I think it is expensive, especially with the quality of car we were provided with).
The car was ancient (it never made it back from the trip) we got a flat tyre 2 hours into the journey (fine, it happens) then another few hours in, the car breaks down and take 2+ hours to fix (meaning the journey ended up taking 10 hours to reach the safari).
Lunch on the way to the Safari (not the modern looking stop) was lovely. It was a traditional buffet lunch.
The hotel at the safari was basic but clean and quite close to the Mikumi National park.
The safari was a great experience, our guide was knowledgeable and made the safari a lot of fun. The guys could not explain things enough and went out of their way to make sure we saw as much as possible.
Unfortunately, our trip back was a disaster!!
Our car broke down again in pretty much the same spot it had been fixed the day before. Except this time we were taken to the local mechanics place (off the main road) and were left in the car for 3 hours only to be told it would be $90 USD to have someone else drive us back or we could get the bus or wait another 4 hours for another car to pass on its way back to DAS.
We were not offered any refund from the company and I suspect that much of the cost of getting us back fell onto our driver (not the company we had paid $400USD EACH to). Both these point I find unprofessional and unacceptable. Only when we demanded did the company offer us a 'free' taxi back to the airport the next day'.
So all in all our experience was tainted (but not completely ruined) by poor quality transport provided by an expensive safari provider!
I hope the driver was not punished for the mishap (I suspect he was).
Email Hitesh | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Everything as promised
Rama and his team did a great job - all the way from picking me up from the airport to dropping me back after 10 days.
All the arrangements were as planned and the safaris / accommodation lived up to expectations.
I would recommend Rama without hesitation and am already thinking of using him for my next adventure!