Africa VIP Travel
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- www.africaviptravel.com
Reviews
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience of a lifetime
We cannot say enough great things about the tour and experience that Kambona put together for us. Kambona was highly recommended by a close family friend who has hiked Kili and gone on safari many times with Kambona. What you need to know about Kambona is that he has been hiking/guiding for over 15 years, is highly respected in his field, highly educated in outdoor recreation/safety, and just knows his stuff. And you don't want to mess around with amateurs when you are hiking a dangerous mountain/camping in the bush with wild animals. We weren't interested in hiking and turned to Kambona to plan the trip of a lifetime to Arusha, Safari, Dar and Zanzibar. We highly recommend asking Kambona to set up a private camp site for you in the Serengheti where you sleep under the stars and listen to animals. It was amazing and the food was incredible. Kambona plans every detail, is extremely responsive from thousands of miles away, and is trustworthy. We cannot say enough about Kambona's skills, knowledge and character. We are happy to now call him a friend.
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Email Shawnemac | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Africa VIP made us feel like VIP's!
Let me start by saying my wife and I do not considers ourselves outdoor people. We don't camp. However, Kilimanjaro has been on my bucket list for years. When the opportunity presented itself, we had to go. Since we were going halfway around the world, we added a safari as well. From the moment we contacted Kambona and Africa VIP we knew we had picked the right company. He provided easy to use guides for gear and what to expect on the mountain and the Serengeti.
The guides on the mountain, Adamson, Siaidi, Alan and Kambona and all the porters made sure we were comfortable, well fed and safe as the guided us on our attempt to the summit. They seemed to know how to get and keep us motivated. They have great stories, shared their experiences and wanted us to succeed. They did a great job of controlling what they could and because of them, our group of 9, all successfully reached the peak. An incredible experience.
The safari was breathtaking. Our drivers, James, Amarula and Issac were so knowledgable about the animals and plants it was scary. With 12 people and 3 vehicles we all took turns with all 3 drivers. We were able to cover a lot of territory and see a lot of animals and birds. Lions, including 13 cubs at one stop, 2 males after a kill and a mother with 3 cubs. Elephants with calves. Hippos, hippos, hippos. Lots of giraffe, some 6 feet from the jeep. As the animals were getting ready for the great migration, we saw thousand upon thousand wildebeest, zebra and gazelles. Pictures or words cannot describe the sight of all these animals in every direction. We saw cheetahs and leopards. Buffalo, hyenas and and many different deer. I can't even begin to name all the birds. Kambona's camp crew was as awesome as the rest of his staff. We had huge tents right in the Serengeti. We could hear animals at night. Hot showers daily. The meals were great. A nightly fire and cold beer. On top of that it was educational, too. While this whole group was adults, I would not hesitate to bring my family.
I have not mentioned the lodges Kambona selected for us. They were all wonderful. The Dik Dik, Safari Lodge and Bougainvillea. The staff was friendly. Rooms were clean. Food was good. We had wifi. However, it was great going 2 weeks with very little cell phone and internet service. We could just focus on the adventure. Africa VIP, Kambona (including his wife and son), and ALL his staff (for us, we spent a lot of time with James and think highly of him) were involved in us having a successful and rewarding experience. You don't always find that, but we did. I highly recommend them and hope for their continued success!
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Email Lynne | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the most memorable tours I've taken, exceeded all expectations, wonderful safari, and guide.
While planning this safari, we had many questions, having not been to Tanzania before. Responses from Africa VIP travel were always quick and complete. The tour was fantastic and our guide, James, was very knowledgeable about the birds, animals and their behavior and was always finding something wonderful for us to photograph. Our tent camping in the Serengeti was an experience I'll never forget, comfortable accommodations , excellent food and great staff. All other lodges along the way, were also very nice and comfortable with friendly and helpful staff and exceeded all our expectations. I would highly recommend Africa VIP Travel for a wonderful safari experience and great value for the cost.
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65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Traveled with Kambona in 2007 and 2010 and will do so again!
We love to travel and had wanted to do an African safari for a long time. Did not want to do a group tour...wanted a guide for four people...with more flexibility and freedom to explore. Didn't have any idea of how to find "the guide". After attending a meeting where a previous client of Kambona's talked about his trip to Africa and his experience with Africa VIP Travel...my husband said: we've found our guide, we can schedule our trip to Africa! We traveled to Tanzania in February 2007. Kambona and his staff provided an experience we'll never forget. The level of preparation, knowledge, attention to detail, sharing stories, patience with our questions and wonderful sense of humor presented by Kambona and his staff were beyond our expectations. The tent camping in the Serengeti was definitely a highlight of the trip, as were the game drives, the excitement of finding and observing the animals in their habitat was outstanding. There is absolutely no hesitation in referring our traveling friends to Kambona. They always return with positive experiences and we receive many thanks for helping them find 'the guide' to take them on their 'trip of a lifetime'. In 2010 we returned for our second safari with Kambona. We look forward to returning with family members in order to share the experience with them. Kambona has become more than 'the guide', we now consider him our friend from Tanzania and can't wait to introduce him to our traveling friends who are interested in making their first 'trip of a lifetime' in Tanzania!
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Email Luke Mahler | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic personalized Kilimanjaro climb and safari - Highly recommended.
My brother, father and I worked with Kambona in 2012 to put together a combined Kilimanjaro climb and safari to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Ngorongoro Crater. I'm a biologist with a good bit of experience in Tanzania, so I'm picky and I had specific goals in mind for this trip - in short, I wanted an honest and down-to-earth outfitter who would put up with lots of special requests (e.g., a slower hiking pace so we could spend more time looking at plants and birds) and pair us with guides who knew their natural history. Kambona was recommended to me by a knowledgeable friend who organizes high-end adventure travel trips from the US. He had partnered with lots of Tanzanian climbing and safari outfitters, but Kambona was his unambiguous recommendation. This worked out fantastically - our trip was exceptional.
Kambona's approach to preparation set him apart from the beginning. Kambona skyped with me over half a dozen times in the year leading up to the trip to work on customizing the experience. He spent a lot of time discussing alternative options and making sure our plan would give us the best chance of summiting Kilimanjaro, as well as seeing what we wanted to see on safari. He made sure we had an appropriate 6-month training plan in place for the climb, and helped us choose the right gear.
This paid off in Tanzania. The Kili climb was a huge success - we reached the summit and learned a ton about the mountain on the way up and back. Our climbing guide was Faraja Mwaijande, who has been leading trips regularly since the 1990s, and we took the Lemosho Route, spending 8 days total on the mountain (highly recommended for both acclimatization as well as the additional time in these amazing ecosystems). Kambona put together a very reasonably priced package for what we got - we had a personalized 3-person outfit for about the same per-person price as some of the massive group climbs. The gear and food were very good, and the guides and porters were great companions.
The safari was also a success. Our driver Juma was knowledgable about all of the wildlife at the three parks we visited (long stay in Tarangire, short visits to Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater), and was willing to entertain all sorts of odd requests (e.g., seeking out the best places to see lizards, or drab birds). We spent most of our time off the beaten track (i.e., on the less-traveled park roads) and we came across several pretty amazing animals when no one else was around (e.g., a leopard, and a small group of wild dogs!!!).
Most importantly, Kambona is trustworthy and will do anything to make sure you're satisfied with your trip. He's a genuine and incredibly nice person and is easy to communicate with. He has decades of experience in this line of work, and he's very attentive. If you're looking for an ultra-luxury trip with expensive silverware, etc., you should probably look at other companies, but if your goal is a personalized experience in the East African outdoors, you can't do better than Kambona.
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50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The absolute peak experience!
Although it is now over 4 years since our Kilimanjaro adventure, it lives in our hearts like it was only yesterday. Our main goal was to do the climb, but I am thankful we combined it with the safari, as both were equally impressive in their own ways.
Kambona and his team are what made this trip so perfect. He has assembled a solid and knowledgeable group of guides that enrich your experience of the land and the people. The simple fact that he grew up amongst the Masai tells you that he has a connection with people that no western tour operator can hope to reproduce.
We had the good fortune of meeting him at a presentation he gave in Phoenix, and we immediately felt that this was the man we wanted to guide us. His deep knowledge of the mountain, of the savannah, the plant and animal life helps you to see a deeper texture in what Tanzania has to offer. I have to laugh every time I think of our driver James exclaiming, while driving, that he has just seen a Cheetah, and the rest of us see nothing but endless, unbroken grassland until ten minutes later when we are parked just a few yards away from a serene mother with her two cubs eyeing us suspiciously...
How would one know what to pack for a trip like this? Kambona does a terrific job at outlining exactly what you will need, nothing more and nothing less, and out in the wilds on the roof of Africa, I was happy to find it was indeed exactly as he had said. Safety is a big priority, and he has covered all bases, much more so in my opinion than some of the larger companies. Comfort and food are more than adequate and usually excellent, considering the challenges of a moving camp on the mountain! The safari tents were great, and felt very secure, even with the sounds of lion roaring nearby at night...
My daughters (at 24 and 25) were a bit skeptical about the physical challenges, but managed it with ease, and now have an incredible story to tell for many years to come.
I would absolutely recommend Kambona to anyone considering going...explore his website and you will see what I mean (as well as seeing some pictures of our group)!
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our African Safari with Africa VIP Travel and Kambona Mollel exceeded our expectations
My spouse, brother-in-law and I traveled with Kambona on a photo safari and it was magnificent. I wanted to book directly with an African-based company and wanted to bypass the large travel companies that obviously take a percentage of the cost of a trip. It was a great feeling knowing that the entire cost of the trip went to an African entrepreneur. I have nothing against the large international travel companies but wanted to support a smaller company in Africa. Wow, the communications were amazing!!! I would send an email from my home in Canada with a question and in one case the answer came back 11 minutes later. If Kambona would be unavailable for a few days he let me know in advance in case I had any pressing questions. I thought that going on a safari with just 3 people, rather than a group, would be too expensive but the cost was well worth the trip. Whatever we wanted to do, e.g., spend more time watching lions, we did. This was excellent rather than having to be subjected to the vote of a larger group that wanted to take a photo and move on somewhere else. Kambona was very knowledgeable, carried lots of reference books and often joined us for supper at the end of day. Our days were well planned and we saw everything we hoped to see. It was always our decision to move on to our next stop. The itinerary, service and accommodations were excellent. Although we had a minor vehicle problem (as did some other very large tour companies), which is not unexpected on the rough roads, our problem was fixed very quickly. What stands out in my mind is that when our trip started we were customer and client. When we left Kambona we felt we were leaving a very close friend.
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Email Vonda, from Virginia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Tanzania safari was a lifetime dream come true! What a FANTASTIC adventure!
Kambona cares that you get the most from your journey to experience the best of Northern Tanzania! My guide, James, was very reliable, punctual, spoke excellent English, super at spotting wildlife, and kept the safari cruiser in top form. The guides at the various sites told me I had an extraordinary driver/guide taking care of my interests, as many safari companies just dropped off their clients at each site, then took a break, not seeming to care about their customers' experience at that particular location. I am most thankful that I was with such a caring guide and travel company!
Attentive, 5-star service with Africa VIP!
My father had previously been on a trek to Kilimanjaro with Kambona and his group 4 years ago. I had planned to take a trip to East Africa on my own, and decided to contact Kambona to see if I could add on to a group that he already was booked. He not only made accommodations for me, but my brother, our friend, and my father (who decided to come again). Kambona personally picked us up from the airport and waited for an extra hour (due a luggage issue). He made sure to take us to the airport the next day to pick up bags which were essential for our hike. The hike itself was intense but made all the more achievable by Kambona, his main guides, and the porter team (which he picks and tries to work with on every trek). Our camping experience in the Serengeti was also excellent, with another familiar team of helpers and cook, that have worked with Africa VIP for years. This is a group that really knows what they are doing, and really knows how to give visitors an authentic, but attended trekking and camping experience. Kambona has many friends scattered throughout the world, and we share his fantastic reputation with our closest friends, so they too can have the best experience in East Africa.
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Email Nicole D | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kili: Trip of a Lifetime
Kambona Mollel and his team at VIP Travel are the absolute BEST. They facilitated an amazing climb to the top of Kilimanjaro. The overall experience was enjoyable from the moment we met the team at the hotel to the moment we got back to the hotel one week later. They are professional, organized, fun, safe, caring, knowledgeable about the surroundings, dedicated and determined to get you to the top. The food was delicious. Kambona is a Jedi mind master. I'd go to the ends of the Earth with him. Each day was a challenge and very rewarding. If I ever climb Kili again, VIP Travel is the only company I'd hire.