MJ Safaris & Adventure
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 1984)
- Member Of:
- TATO & EAWLS
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $230 to $990 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
JP
Email Richard | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great trip in Tanzania. Must go with MJ safaris.
I visited Tanzania last September included climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and Safari.
Mr. Athuman attended myself for climbing Mt. kilimanjaro, which I selected Lemosho route for 8days.
He has more than 300 times which guide to the summit. So it is enough experience, especially last attacking to the summit. He helped myself very much to guide to the summit.
Also Mr. Nelly guided to the Safari, included Tarangire, Ngorongoro crater and Serengeti field. He showed many nature and animals politely.
These guys are very friendly and professional. You may feel relaxing and enjoy Tanzania very much. I recommend 100%.
CH
Email Dingo | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nr 1
Only the best in town! No comment
Email Kennedy Otieno | 35-50 years of age
Excellent/timely service, very accomdative and understandning fellows.
I got into contact with MJ Safaris/Trekking Heroes after running the Kilimanjaro Marathon in 2019 as I stayed at YMCA Moshi were their offices are located. Abu(Jacksons brother) welcomed me so warmly and answered all my queries and gave me Jacksons contacts. Fast forward to February 2020 I made my initial deposit with the aim of hiking Kilimanjaro in Late March/Early April 2020 then Covid struck. Jackson Lyimo was so accommodative and understanding and assured me that my deposit was safe and I could hike the mountain whenever I was ready. On saturday 24th July 2021(almost a year and a half later) after finishing a work assignment in Moshi I popped into their office to check if I could do the hike, much to my amazement Jackson Lyimo and his brother Abu(this is the guy mostly at the office) organized everything and I started my hike on Sunday 25th a 5 day hike via the Marangu route, I did not have the hiking gear which they provided at amazingly reasonable fees for hire, despite the park fees having been reviewed up by the Tanzanian government I was not charged any extra fees based on the fact that I had paid my deposit almost a year and a half earlier. The hiking guide Athumani was one of the nicest, easy going fellows I have ever interacted with and is well versed with any info regarding safaris and hikes and the cook was excellent serving hot meals every other day, I was so well taken care of during the entire hike duration despite having haggled so hard to get discounted prices for the hike. Would recommend MJ Safaris/Trekking Heroes any day anytime for budget safaris and hikes in Tanzania
IQ
Email Ahmed Shkara | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
Kilimanjaro 6 day Machame route
5/5
Godfrey Mbyallu and his assistant Mr G ran the tour.
100% recommended this team! You will enjoy your time and be very well looked after.
Some details:
1. Godfrey checked our clothing at the hotel. They strongly recommended some additions eg warm snow pants. Some we had to rent at a very reasonable price, some they let us have for the duration of the hike.
2. Godfrey was the leader and excellent at his job. He hand selected his team. His number 2, Mr G was a big man with a big heart! Trekking with them was a bit like travelling with a family. When you trek with them, you will understand why this was a great aspect of this team.
3. “Polepole” means “slowly slowly“. The first day is short and you can walk fast. Don’t! Walk at Godfrey’s pace. As you get higher and the mountain is steeper, you will need to have found your slow walking tempo.
4. The camp is always set up for you when you arrive thanks to the amazing porters. You get hot water to the wash your hands, then some snacks and hot water for tea or coffee. Later, soup arrives (always delicious), followed by a main course.
5. Breakfast included eggs, sausages, bread ...
6. Do a lot of walking before this track. Google training hints for Kilimanjaro - the fitter you are the more fun you will have.
7. Google the Kilimanjaro song. They sing it a lot and is cool if you can eventually join in. These guys are good singers and take every chance to do so!
8. Jackson was the person we organised the tour with. He manages MJ Safaris. He was very prompt to answer all our questions and was very helpful.
Our thanks again to Jackson, Godfrey, Mr G, the cook, the waiter and all the porters!
Email Paula Shepherd | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Budget safari that delivered all that was promised
Right from the start all our e-mails were answered the same date, communication was excellent. I was worried about booking with a budget company, but as we wanted to do safari and a Kilimanjaro climb, it soon be came clear how expensive it would be with other holiday firm's. Mj's was in our price range and we were more than happy with the service, from being met at the airport to being delivered back, all went to plan and we had a fantastic from.
Our Safari guide Nelly, was great, informative, fun and very protective. He made our Safari experience wonderful. Also two of our group went on to summit Kilimanjaro, Machame route and the guides were helpful and looked after one of us that struggled with the excersion and altitude, to make sure he was able to reach the summit, then get him down quickly. All the food was great and tastie on safari and on the mountain. Tents were good quality and vehicles were good, I am sure we had a just as good experience compared to people who had paid a lot more for their holidays. Also the Keys annex hotel we stayed in before, inbetween and after was great, helpful fun stayed, lovely food and nice bar and really comfortable need, which are heaven after your Kilimanjaro climb. Really, if you are in any doubt about booking with Mj's, go ahead. They really do deliver what they say and I am sure you will have a great time.
Email Erling & Lesly | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kilimanjaro 6 day Machame route
Godfrey Mbyallu and his assistant Mr G ran the tour.
100% recommended this team! You will enjoy your time and be very well looked after.
If I return, I would only want to do the climb with these guides and their team.
Some details:
1. Godfrey checked our clothing at the hotel. They strongly recommended some additions eg warm snow pants. Some we had to rent at a very reasonable price, some they let us have for the duration of the hike.
2. Godfrey was the leader and excellent at his job. He hand selected his team. His number 2, Mr G was a big man with a big heart! Trekking with them was a bit like travelling with a family. When you trek with them, you will understand why this was a great aspect of this team.
3. “Polepole” means “slowly slowly“. The first day is short and you can walk fast. Don’t! Walk at Godfrey’s pace. As you get higher and the mountain is steeper, you will need to have found your slow walking tempo.
4. The camp is always set up for you when you arrive thanks to the amazing porters. You get hot water to the wash your hands, then some snacks and hot water for tea or coffee. Later, soup arrives (always delicious), followed by a main course.
5. Breakfast included eggs, sausages, bread ...
6. Do a lot of walking before this track. It is way harder than the Inca trail. Way harder! Google training hints for Kilimanjaro - the fitter you are the more fun you will have.
7. Google the Kilimanjaro song. They sing it a lot and is cool if you can eventually join in. These guys are good singers and take every chance to do so!
8. Jackson was the person we organised the tour with. He manages MJ Safaris. He was very prompt to answer all our questions and was very helpful.
Our thanks again to Jackson, Godfrey, Mr G, the cook, the waiter and all the porters!
Email Holly Williams | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Refund
I have previously written a review about the difficulties I had on my safari. However, the company have since apologised once again for the mix up with the vehicle on the final day, and have refunded me the cost of the final day, which is a generous response to a genuine mistake. This also makes me feel sure that the experience I had is not at all the usual quality you can expect from them, as reflect in the other very glowing reviews below! Thanks to Jackson for sorting this out.
Email Holly Williams | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poorly organised, vehicle not as advertised, terrible communication
I did a three-day safari organised through MJ. It was a really disappointing experience in terms of the organisation, and not matching what I actually paid for. I contacted the company afterwards and was impressed by Jackson's swift explanation, apology and offer to partially refund the cost - but after successive emails and excuses from them went quiet, and never actually did refund me, which is a really poor way to run a business.
I am aware joining safaris are liable to be a little slow and chaotic, and I was patient about this - even when I nearly ended up being taken to a different country! But not being provided with the agreed kind of vehicle on the final day made me feel like I needed to officially complain.
On the first day, on arriving in Arusha, I was put on a bus that was going to Kenya - and only realized it wasn't the right vehicle when I was asked for a passport! No-one from the shuttle bus transport company knew anything about a safari. This was alarming, as a solo female traveler suddenly in a different city, not knowing where to go.
After being driven around for a while by a taxi driver who had no clue what was happening, I had to use my international data roaming to get online to find MJ Safaris number, which cost me a further $10. No phone number was provided when booking. I was then taken to the correct hotel to join a safari group, but it was not a great start!
On the second day, I was told to get up for breakfast at 6am. After waiting three and a half hours, we finally left at 9.30am. This was frustrating.
On the third day, again there was a delay at the campsite, as my driver struggled with a card payment. At the entrance to Lake Manyara, we again waited for a further hour - something to do with the card, or it being a Sunday? It wasn't clear. Again, this delay was frustrating.
Worse, however, was that the car I was in was not a Land Crusier 4x4. It was just a taxi. This meant the windows were blacked out, which was not good for viewing animals. There was a sunroof, but of course it was open to the sky. The sun was very fierce, and I had to avoid it to prevent getting sunburnt, which also made things difficult. They did not have any binoculars, which made viewing animals more difficult. You couldn't stand up when the vehicle was moving, as the sunroof was not padded. I also had safety concerns given there were animals such as baboons who might have jumped in! Finally, the vehicle was clearly unsuited for some of the roads/rivers it had to travel on; it was a very bumpy ride, and the driver was evidently nervous about driving through water.
The driver did a really good job, all things considered, but the booking specifically stated it would be a different vehicle.
I was very disappointed by the disorganization of the trip, but especially the fact that it deviated on the last day from the vehicle as advertised and paid for.
MJ Safaris explained when I complained afterwards that all this was because a group had cancelled at the last minute, and so I had been subcontracted out. I appreciate mistakes can happen, and appreciated their response, which offered to refund the cost of the final day. But it was doubly frustrating to be offered compensation and then just to have follow up emails completely ignored.
US
Email Mahendra Sagar | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Budget Joining Safari, Good Driver/Guide, Excellent Service
I contacted MJ Safaris based on reviews here and Jackson Lyimo promptly responded to my questions and provided info. Jackson provided a bit of discount to bring the price down to $950 for 5D/4N safari, including pickup from Moshi in a local bus/shuttle and drop-off to KIA airport at the end of safari. I paid a deposit via Credit Card and the remainder at the beginning of Safari in Arusha (in both cash $ as well as Tanzania currency).
This was a budget joining safari meaning people join as and when they are ready to start their safari. On the first day, we were only 2 but the remaining 4 days, we had a full house of 6. The accommodation on all 4 days was basic. First day in Panorama Camp, we had an African Igloo Hut while the remaining 2 nights in Serengeti and one on the Ngorongoro Crater we had our own tents that were carried on top of the safari vehicle. A cook was with us all five days who would make food and you could get vegetarian food - but do specify your requirements so they can buy things in advance in Arusha - once you are in Serengeti, there is nothing you can get anywhere (Hint: buy your own food in Arusha before the safari starts).
Our driver/guide Emmanuel was courteous and helpful and could spot all kinds of creatures. We were very lucky to see Cheetahs over 7 times and a Rhino up close! That was the highlight of the trip. If you want to see wild creatures in their natural habitat, this safari is a must. We also visited a Maasai Village on our way out of Serengeti and that was another highlight of the trip.
Again, since this was a budget joining safari, no matter who you book with, you might join the same group! However, MJ Safaris was a trustworthy and reliable agency that provided all the services they promised and I have no hesitation in recommending them highly.
A final note: a Chinese girl on our safari paid only $800 for the exact 5d/4n safari but she came at the last moment so if you can join at the last moment, you might be able to get the best prices!
"This company met my expectations"
Jackson from MJ Safaris was prompted to answer my questions from day one. I had an amazing time in Tanzania, got myself a private 6 days game drive, and glad I did, more freedom in terms of photography. Thanks to my guide Jimmy, we were able to see the big 5. Amazing scenery and beautiful fauna. Good food cooked by my private chef.
Hakuna Matata, they will take good care of you, get ready for a complete and total escape...