Join us for your African adventure!
Alika Africa
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2004)
- Member Of:
- Association for Promotion of Tourism to Africa
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $180 to $1,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email Melissa | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fabulous 6 Day Private Safari from Arusha to Central Serengeti- trip of a lifetime!
My husband and I booked our Tanzanian safari directly with Stacy, co-owner of Chaka Camps and Duma Explorer, which we highly recommend. You can plan a bespoke private safari staying in luxury tented camps for less than you might think. It really gave us peace of mind to know that we would have the same vehicle and guide to ourselves for our six day safari during the pandemic. If you’re considering Tanzania in 2021- GO! This is the time to visit when there are few tourists. There were only 10 vehicles in Ngorongoro Crate when we visited, often there are 400 vehicles a day during high season. The crater was something we would have skipped under normal conditions due to the crowds and I am so glad that we did not as saw so much wildlife- including critically endangered black rhinos.
One person made this trip a roaring success and that was our guide Isack. He can spot animals from a kilometer away without binoculars! It is truly incredibly what he could find on our game drives and this skill is only surpassed by his vast knowledge of all the animals, birds and flora in northern Tanzania. I learned so much on this trip and we have been on several safaris before. It was our best safari yet! The custom-fitted Land Cruiser with pop top is incredibly comfortable for hours of road travel and has some fabulous features like a picnic table embedded in the floorboard.
We stayed in luxury tented camps- Chaka Camp in Ndutu and Kiota Camp in the Serengeti. Beautifully decorated and oh so comfortable- glamping at its best with delicious food and welcoming hosts!
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Email Hal M. | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Safari Experience
If you’ve found Duma Explorers’ website or this review—STOP—you need not look any further for a safari operator. Duma’s owner based in the US, Stacy Readal, will organize an amazing safari for you with transparent and fair pricing, all while patiently answering your many questions about Africa. Stacy lived in Tanzania for 15 years, has been to all the parks she will recommend to you, and has a partner and other staff in Tanzania who will take you on your safari.
I just finished my first trip to Africa with Duma Explorers and could not have been more pleased with both the trip and the service we received before, during and after the safari. I started planning the safari over a year before we went. I looked at literally dozens of safari operators, including all the big names like Abercrombie and Micato, and contacted 4 of them to discuss different safaris and pricing. None of them were as knowledgeable or offered better rates then Stacy and Duma Explorers. None of them allowed me to deal with the owner of the company other than Stacy and Duma. Her detailed knowledge of Tanzania was tremendously helpful when planning where to go in Africa given the multitude of choices. I followed her advice on a number of trip details and was glad I did when we got there.
Our safari consisted of 3 camps in three parks: 3 nights at Kichuguu Camp in Tarangire; 2 nights at Sanctuary Ngorongoro; and 4 nights at Chaka in Ndutu (right on the border of Serengeti); which was followed by 4 nights at Gibbs’ Farm on the border of the Ngorongoro Reserve near Karatu. We also spent the first night resting from the long flight from the US at Rivertrees Inn (about 30 minutes from the JRO airport) and the last 6 hours of our trip resting and having dinner there before our flight home.
Service at all the camps was excellent. But the real star was Duma’s guide and driver, Isack. You will spend a lot of time with your guide on safari given that you will be on game drives 3-6 hours or more every day. I didn’t find that other companies discussed their particular guides with me, but Stacy did right from the start. She even tried to match up our respective personalities to insure a smooth safari. Isack was the perfect guide for us…he was patient with all of our questions, could spot game a half mile before we could see it, was a careful driver (which makes a big difference on TZ’s bumpy roads and when off-road) and was so knowledgeable, other drivers would stop us to ask him questions about the different parks and where to find the animals. And he could not have been more patient or kinder to my wife. He also cleaned his truck every day inside and out which many other guides did not do.
You will get “sticker shock” when you first price an African safari. Don’t let that dissuade you from going. It was the most expensive trip of my life but it was also the one for which I received the best value for the experience. It was magical from the first game drive to the last. If you like wilderness and seeing animals in their native habitat you will love a safari in Tanzania organized by Duma. It was a life changing experience seeing the grandeur of the landscapes and the thousands of animals inhabiting it that you can see in almost any direction you look.
Stacy stayed in touch with us throughout the safari as we were trying to figure out how to get the newly-required Covid test in order to return to the US. Her team in TZ made it happen, and our return was uneventful. And then even after the safari I heard from Stacy about returning money to me for a balloon trip which was cancelled due to high winds. I received excellent service from everyone at Duma from start to finish. And we felt completely safe in TZ as Duma’s guide, Isack, met us at the airport and dropped us off there at the end.
Perhaps the best thing I could say about Duma is that I will use them again when I return to Africa. I have to go back as there is simply no other place like it left on this planet.
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Email Joni | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful Safari - So good we did it FOUR times!
Over the past dozen years we used Duma for 4 safaris. It was that good. Stacy is wonderful to work with. You can customize your trips however you like. We stayed in a variety of camps, including Duma’s camps (which were the best). The guides were knowledgeable and knew everything. You will not be sorry to use this company.
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Email Kissila Izidoro | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The trip of my dreams!!
Let me start by saying that I have always dreamed of a safari trip to Tanzania. I told my husband of this dream and he decided to surprise me by putting together a 2 week safari/beach birthday trip for us. I’m not going to lie, I was a bit worried about leaving him to plan it on his own (I’m always the one who plan/book our vacations). Thankfully he chose to book it with Duma Explorer, and I could not have been happier! Every single detail was thought and taken care of! From airport transfers, to the registrations in the national parks (I didn’t even know we needed that!), and the location of the lodgings, Stacy thought of everything which gave us (especially me) peace of mind and the opportunity to just relax. The hotels and lodges we stayed were absolutely beautiful with great views and delicious food. Our guide Isaac had over 25 years of experience, and you could tell by the way he could spot animals from a distance and know every detail about it (I’m sure he had superpowers). We saw all the big 5 and then some. We were more than happy with our experience, and I could not have asked for a better way to celebrate my birthday (Christmas and New Years too). This trip will be one I will never forget! Anyone who asks us how to book a safari trip to Tanzania, Duma will be my one and only answer.
This is a very happy and satisfied customer!
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Email Yulia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Real safari
We had 6-days camping safari in December 2020 with Duma Explorer and it was really impressive. They helped us to creat optimal program according our requirements and gave useful tips about optimal flights, transfers and recommended very cozy lodge in Arusha. Thanks for Stacy and Omary for the perfect organization.
Our “field” team, guide Ebenezer and chef Jamal, are professionals and they really help us to open wild nature of Tanzania. For example we saw all big 5, different birds and rare animals like cheetah and leopard and got a lot of details for their life and behavior.
Some recommendation if it’ll be your first safari:
- [ ] It’s equator but nights are cool and even cold, warm closes is necessary
- [ ] Showers in the public camps are very basic, you need your own soap, shampoo, towel etc. Camps in Serengeti and Tarangire have cold shower, in Ngorongoro there’s hot water.
- [ ] It’s useful to have repellent, it was no mosquitos but a lot of CC fly
- [ ] Lighters and batteries are necessary for the camping nights
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Email Katriina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience all the way!
Duma Explorer was an easy choice for us. Starting from the fast replies we got from Stacy and the reasonable prices considering the quality of the camps, our experience was five-star worthy. Stacy made our booking easy and was very flexible as the situation was tricky with covid and we were afraid that our flights might be cancelled.
A special thanks to our driver Ebenezer! What a gentleman! His knowledge about the animals was unparallel. We also felt very safe with his driving which can't be said of all the drivers we saw. I highly recommend having him as your guide.
The camps give you a great safari experience with luxurious tents and very nice common spaces. One of our main wishes for the safari was that we want tents, so we can be part of the surroundings but still have a comfortable stay. The Chaka Camps were perfect for this. It felt like a dream, watching the sunrise from our luxurious tent and having a cup of coffee on your own patio. I also liked that the design of the camps is very modern with an african twist.
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Email sv | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
DUMA EXPLORER THE BEST TOUR COMPANY IN TANZANIA!
In October our family was hesitant about traveling to Tanzania during the pandemic. However, we decided to go and we are so glad we did! Duma Explorer planned a trip of a lifetime. My husband and daughter climbed Kilimanjaro- which was an amazing accomplishment! My younger child and myself did a safari, trekked through the Ngorongoro Highlands an climbed Mt. Lengai. At the end of our adventures we all met up and spent a few relaxing days at the beach. Duma Explorer made the trip smooth and so easy! The staff and guides at Duma are incredible and we left feeling like they are part of our family! If you are remotely thinking of going to Tanzania, don't hesitate, book with Duma, and they will take care of everything! They are definitely the BEST tour company in Tanzania! If you want to speak with me further, reach out to Stacy, owner of Duma and she will give you my contact information.
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Email Jean M | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We had a first-rate experience with Duma Explorer, from booking to trip execution
Duma was easy to communicate with, even with different people within our group doing some different things for part of the trip.
I only did a one day safari excursion to Tarangire National Park after our Meru and Killimanjaro climbs. But this was a last minute request from us, and Duma pulled it together, no problem. Sweet taste of safari, inspiring some of us to return again for the real experience, the next year. Our experience definitely exceeded expectations.
Our experience working with Duma on our Killimanjaro trip made us sure that we would use them again on any future safari trips in Tanzania. It is also important to me that they are an ethical employer, who takes the well being of their great employees, seriously.
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Email Sophie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience, Wonderful Company
Fantastic company!! We are in our early 30’s and decided to go on a private, 2-person safari in late August 2020 in Northern Tanzania. We decided to go with Duma after contacting about 15 different recommended companies from Lonely Planet. We went with Duma as they were the easiest/fastest to communicate with (Stacy), had the best price, had unlimited miles/gas & water, pays their employees fair wages, and showed professionalism.
What we experience was beyond our expectations. We went with a camping 10-day safari where we saw over 5 national parks including the Serengeti. Everything was well planned and organized from the time we booked to picked up from the airport to dropping us off at the end of the trip. The food was great, we were always well taken care of and informed. During camping, we were able to be close to the animals while always feeling safe under the stars.
If we had gone on a safari during the high season, I would have preferred lodges as you would not have to wait for showers or camp in close proximity with other campers. However, low season camping was the perfect option for us.
Guide (Isack):
We had the best guide, Isack. He takes great pride in his work, loves and respects nature, cares about his clients, and was always very professional and funny. He has amazing eyesight, fantastic ability to track animals, and an incredible amount of information to share about the ecosystem, history, and every animal you see. He respects the animals and the park which is not always the case with guides. We absolutely loved spending 10-days with Isack. He has loads of information to share, but also allows you to experience the sounds of nature. We were able to see absolutely everything we imagined and more. You can tell he’s quite experienced as he navigates the vast Serengeti off memory.
We were able to see all of the below but not limited to:
Rhino (Just one but they are very hard to spot)
Giraffes
Lions (male, female, cubs), including a hunt & mating
Elephants
Water Buffalo
Wildebeests (including watching 2 river crossings)
Cheetahs
Leopard
Zebra
Owls
Baboons
Impalas/Water Bucks/Topi/Gazelle/DikDik
Silver backed monkey
Crocodile
Hippo
Eagles
Flamingo
Hyenas
Jackel
We are not birders, but more birds than I could possibly name.
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Email Jonathan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a Lifetime Experience
We just got back from a week long budget safari in the northern circuit of Tanzania. We had an incredible time and we are grateful to Stacy and her team at Duma Explorer. It was a pleasure planning our trip with Stacy. She was always available whether by email or phone to discuss plans for our trip.
Our guide Isack MsuyaI was awesome! Besides for having an incredible eye for game¸ he was very professional and responsible. There was a lot of logistics that went into our trip and Isack was on top of it and provided a smooth experience. As a whole we felt that all of Duma’s employees that we came in contact with were professional and took great care to make sure our trip was special.
On our las day¸ our flight was cancelled. We were supposed to leave the Serengeti at 2:45 pm but had to leave 10:30 am. That meant we were going to be stuck at JRO for close to 12 hours. Before I could even reach out to the office to discuss other options¸ Isack got a message that they already arranged to have a guide meet us at the airport when we arrived and take us to Arusha National Park. They also arranged for us to have a walking safari at the park which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip.
I highly recommend Duma Explorer and if we ever make it back to Tanzania I will for sure be using them again.
