Bright African Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2007)
- Member Of:
- TATO, TTB & TLTO
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $85 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email KristenM | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime with Bright African Safaris!
I apologize for the length of this review, but it's hard to be brief when singing the praises of Bright African Safaris. This wonderful company recently organized an adventure of a lifetime for me and my husband, and we have so many good things to say about it. When we decided to do this trip, we looked for a local tour operator, as we wanted all of our money to stay in Africa. After reading reviews, we sent inquiries to several companies, and quickly settled on Bright African, because they were the most responsive and offered the most reasonable prices. Their trip planner, Salim, patiently answered our questions and reworked our itinerary many times to fit our interests and budget. We had the pleasure of meeting Salim upon our arrival in Arusha, where he introduced us to “the other Salim”, who was to be our safari guide in Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
I knew we’d really hit the jackpot when I heard this second Salim was our guide, as I had read so many positive reviews about him. After spending eight days with him, I can confirm that all the rave reviews are bang on. Salim is a very kind, conscientious and caring person who made sure we were always happy and comfortable. He speaks perfect English and, to my delight, he is also very fluent in French. He is very engaging and intelligent. He has so much experience that he brought us to three Mara River crossings with virtually no wait time, and led us to the most remote corners of the Serengeti (without a single wrong turn!) for up-close animal encounters with no other jeeps in sight. He even took us to the Eastern Serengeti, where other jeeps do not seem to venture much, and although the wildlife was less plentiful there, we were very excited to discover a hyena den. He taught us the value of patience! The other guides have great respect for Salim and call him a walking encyclopedia, as he knows pretty much everything you’d ever want to know about every animal in East Africa. He is also absolutely amazing at finding the animals. I truly think he has eyes in the side of his head, as he is able to look left and right to spot animals, all while navigating very bumpy and challenging roads in the parks. With his eagle eyes, we were able to see pretty much every non-nocturnal animal in his wildlife handbook, even an African wild dog, which is apparently very rare in Tanzania. The only exception was the elusive rhino. Salim tried very hard to find rhinos in the Ngorongoro Crater for us, even stopping rangers to ask if they had seen them, but alas, the rhinos had decided to sleep in the deep forest that day, and not even the rangers had seen them or heard of anyone who had. We were one of the last jeeps to leave the crater, as Salim wanted to give us every possible chance to spot them. We have decided we will just have to go back one day to see the rhino, and if we do, we would certainly ask for Salim as our guide. Other than the magnificent animals, he was the best part of our safari!
We were also very happy with the tent camps and lodges arranged by Bright African, with their luxurious beds, hot showers and good food. Our favorites were the Tanzania Migration Bush Camp at Mara River and the Serengeti Safari Lodge. We were also particularly thrilled with our amazing lunches, usually eaten in the middle of nowhere! The few times we did eat at picnic grounds, we felt sorry for all the other tourists, whose companies just provide boring brown bag lunches, for not only did they have to see us set up a beautiful table, with a tablecloth and proper plates and cutlery, they then had to watch in envy as we indulged in a large selection of delicious food that had been kept warm in environmentally-friendly stainless steel containers. We even had coffee made fresh in a French press every day, and Salim always made sure I could top off my meal with chocolate! He kindly spent his own money picking up treats like avocadoes and bananas from roadside stands. He also got up early every morning to make sure our jeep was spotless and stocked with everything we’d need. Extra touches like these make all the difference and really set Bright African apart from other companies.
Bright African’s excellence even crosses borders, for we got the same royal treatment when we went on to the next part of our trip, in Rwanda and Uganda. Upon arrival in Kigali, we met our second wonderful guide, Bosco. He is also a very conscientious and kind person, and he did a great job driving us through the beautiful Rwandan countryside, with stops at the quaint Migano Café with spectacular drinks (Try the Bob Marley!), and a very fun roadside eating area where we got kebabs, hot sauce and banana beer. Bosco set up WiFi in his car so we could catch up on messages while driving, and he even got a link to a Canadian radio station to make us feel totally at home! We told him that we were so comfortable that we could happily spend the rest of our holiday in his car, but in fact, the highlight of our trip was yet to come….a gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest! I didn’t think anything could be more exciting than our safari, but seeing a gorilla in its own habitat is an experience like no other. Gorillas are so like humans, and being in their presence is indeed a magical experience that I’d suggest to anyone with a little adventure in their souls (and lots of money in their pocket, as it is quite expensive!)
We are very grateful to Bright African for arranging all of these wonderful adventures, and would heartily recommend them to anyone interested in travelling to East Africa. They are also looking at expansion into South Africa, and we hope to use them there one day. After our trip, I had a lovely email exchange with one of the founders, Msangi, who told me that after working as a waiter, and then as a driver/guide, he built Bright African from scratch. What a fantastic job he has done! In addition to our excellent guides, we had many lovely drivers on our journey, and each one of them seemed to take great pride in their work and their company. Many congratulations to Msangi and all of his team for creating such a special company, and many thanks for giving us the trip of a lifetime. I was a little nervous about everything that could go wrong on this trip (insect-borne diseases, tummy troubles, security concerns, etc.), but all of my fears were unfounded. We had nothing but pleasure on our holiday thanks to the excellent work of Bright African Safaris.
A few last useful tips:
We wished we had bought our Tanzanian visas online ahead of time. Although the visa process was very smooth in all other countries we visited, Tanzania is in the process of converting from a manual system, and the line-ups to purchase a visa can be extremely long, so I would not suggest waiting to get the visa upon arrival.
I would not fret too much about insects in the dry season. We sprayed all our clothing with permethrin and brought 100% Deet, but never actually saw a mosquito. It’s probably better to be safe than sorry when mosquitoes carry malaria, but having spent much time in Canadian woods, Africa in September seemed like an insect-free paradise in comparison!
If you travel with Bright African, you probably don’t need to worry about bringing binoculars. They had excellent ones in the jeep. We also could have left behind our anti-bacterial wipes, as they provided them for us.
The toilets in East Africa were surprisingly clean, and we tipped every bathroom attendant to show our gratitude (After a recent trip to China where the bathrooms were filthy, I was hugely relieved!) That being said, there are not a lot of them in the parks, so you will need to be ready for “bush pees”. Bright African kindly supplies toilet paper, but I must say I was grateful not to have any tummy troubles!!
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Email Amanda | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzania - Family (with 3 teenagers; 17,15 &13) Safari & Zanzibar
We recently returned from the most amazing trip to Tanzania with Bright African Safaris! Everything was delivered exactly as promised from start to finish. Salim designed a perfect itinerary! Ultimately we decided on a 7 day safari and 3 days in Zanzibar.
Our guide/driver/friend was Hamisi. We adored him! From the moment we met him with his welcoming smile to saying goodbye at the airstrip while we cried big tears, he made our experience unforgettable! Hamisi's knowledge of the parks, animals, & people was incredible. We felt so lucky as we had allotted only 1 day to try to see the crossing, and Hamisi expertly found it for us! Hamisi drove us safely from sun up to sundown, laid out enviable lunches for us, and then had the car waiting in pristine condition each morning!
Each lodge and tented camp were very well chosen; one night a treehouse, other nights gorgeous resorts with infinity pools, and opulently appointed rooms, and still other nights with luxury tents. We loved each one!
Zanzibar was a relaxing way to end our vacation. One highlight was the chance to walk way out into the Indian Ocean at low tide to see all kinds of sea life!
Before we booked this trip I had many concerns and worries. Traveling half way around the world relying on on a company which I had only read about online, and communicated with electronically seemed crazy. After having returned safely with nothing but the best of memories we strongly recommend this TO to anyone looking for the safari experience of a lifetime. Asante BAS!
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Email Ray & Enoca | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A huge thanks to the Bright African Safari’s world class service, we had an amazing African Safari!
A huge thank you!
Thanks to Bright African Safari’s world class service, we had an amazing African safari that exceeded our expectations. From the get-go it was so easy to communicate and custom tailor our trip to Tanzania with Mr. Masangi. Bright African Safari catered to our every need and made our 10 day vacation in Tanzania an unforgettable dream come true.
Upon arriving at Kilimanjaro airport, Hammis, a very personable and caring driver, was waiting to greet us. Before driving us to their office he also took us to a supermarket to stock up on snacks for our game drives. He drove us to their office and we met Salim who went over our itinerary and assured us that if we needed anything or had to make any changes to our itinerary he would take care of it; he was true to his word. From the time we landed in Tanzania to the time we departed, Bright African Safari treated us like we were their only clients.
On the second day we met our amazing driver/tour guide, Rajabu. He was so experienced and knowledgeable! His only goal was to drive us to places that were awe inspiring and show us wildlife in their natural habitat. Our game drive began in Tarangiri National park followed by Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. Rajabu was tireless and he put in long days to ensure we could see as much wildlife as possible. He was a great spotter, able to see a rare sightings of cheetah or leopard with their cubs on a tree top enjoying a meal from miles away. When he took us to view the wildebeest migration, we were blown away, that was truly a once in a lifetime experience. In addition to being a superb game driver, Rajabu was also a very attentive and hospitable host. We will never forget the picnic lunches he put together for us complete with tablecloths and other luxuries you would not imagine being a part of a game drive meal, and the food was absolutely delicious!
The accommodations and the food were first class all the way, and the people were so delightful and accommodating. Our 10 days in Tanzania flew by, but this is one vacation we hated to see come to an end. A heartfelt thanks to Mr. Masangi, Salim, Rajabu and Hammis for making our African Safari experiences adventures of a lifetime! Keep up the good work and all the best to you!
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Email Dan G | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded all our expectations - best guide ever!
From the moment we started planning our trip with Bright Safaris, everything went smoothly and we felt very comfortable. We’d never been to Africa before and asked them a lot of questions. We took a private tour- just the two of us. We loved being able to customize the trip to our interests.
We had Hamis as our guide. Not only is he a very gifted driver on difficult roads, his skills at having us at exactly the right place to see the animals was spectacular! We saw the “Big 5” and so much more. All the while, Hamis explained animal behavior to us and made the trip so fascinating. Plus we learned about the Maasai living in the area!
We really can’t say enough kind things about Hamis. He was so experienced and such a pleasure to be with. We would recommend Bright Safaris, and Hamis in particular, to anyone thinking of a trip to Tanzania.
And do consider tent camps over lodges. They’re so comfortable and truly give you more of the safari experience.
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Email Paul | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Complete, relax and everyday a new experience
In 11 days we visited several parks with our guide Rajabu. We saw amazing things and every day we had a new experience. Rajabu made sure we did see the best places, had great lunches, any local issues were solved. We do recommend to book with Bright African Safaris.
CN
Email Vivian | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Join a Perfect Tour with Bright African
After connecting with a few operators early this year, my husband and I decided to choose Bright African Safaris for our first trip to Tanzania given smooth communcation and swift response (with Salim), tailored made itenierary coping with our needs, privision of a few options in the first place much easier for us to consider, reasonable quotations etc. We also took reference to the review comments of other guests which is proven to be absolutely right.
Hammis picked us up at the airport and drove us to the office on the first day where we finally met Salim face to face. On the second day, Rajabu, our guide for the next 10 days, waited us at the hotel early in the morning and then we started off our journey of Safari. It wouldn't be such a great trip without Rajabu as he is so prefessional and responsive. We were out for searching Big Five and other wilds almost 10 hours every day during most of time Rajabu need to drive and look for animals. He was so focus and able to spot ones at very far distance. He wouldn't give up until we saw something new and great each day. He was also patient and would always let us take our time to watch the animals and take photos. If you want a private tour, Bright African would do as we drove to the remote places in the parks where there were no crowds and only few local tour companies would be able to do so. We had had a lot of unforgettable moments while credits all go to Rajabu.
The accommodations and food were all great and above our expection. The only regret was that we couldn't spend more time in relaxing in the resorts/camps as we were so keen to see as many animals as possible and we could only get back just before or after sunset. We are also thankful to Rajabu who worked long hours to accommodate. While breakfast and dinner were always well orgnized at hotels, what impressed us was the picnic we had for lunch every day. It was not just a picnic with lunch box. We had big meals every day... there were folding tables and chairs and tableclothon the car so that we can picnic anywhere we like (subject to safty); tin lunch box for hotels to put pasta, chicken/beef, bread etc every morning, coffee / tea, on the last day, Rajabu even prepared a bottle of "Champagne" (alcohol-free) to celebrate. The car was in good condition with Bright African logo. We had enough water and soft drinks in the frig in the car. Before the tour, we managed to go to a local supermarket to stock up some wines, beers and snack.
During the ten days, we felt time flied and all people we met were so friendly. On the last day, though we were late in back to Arusha, Salim waited us late and had a short meet with us in order to hear our feedback. Big thanks to Bright African Safaris, a real local operator in Tanzania and of course to Rajabu, Salim and Hammis. Wish you have a prosperous business!
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Email Tom | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Top-notch tour with an excellent company
Our tour with Bright African Safaris was excellent. Bright African was very accommodating of our requests to customize their standard trip, including changes in itinerary and lodges. The lodges and camps they recommended for us were without exception quite comfortable. Our guide, Khamis, was always cheerful, knowledgeable and willing to accommodate whatever we wanted to do. Early on, he asked us how long we wanted to stay our each day. Full of enthusiasm, we said "as long as possible." He uncomplainingly kept us out touring every day until there was barely enough time to change and clean up for dinner. It wasn't till halfway through our trip that we realized that he was also cleaning the truck in the evening and getting lunches ready for us the next day while we were relaxing, making for an extremely long day for him, and that we could use a little more downtime too. Also, since this was our second safari, and we had become birders since our first one, we spent a long time watching and identifying birds rather than just focusing on the mammals. Once again, he was completely accommodating, working with us and a couple of bird books as long as needed to help us identify every last one. When we stopped for lunch at popular places, he also was careful to park on the outskirts of the car park and position the truck so our lunchtime view was of nature rather than other trucks. And he frequently was able to obtain pre-cooked meals from the camp chefs for our lunches so we did not eat what seems to have been the country-wide standard boxed lunch every day. Our drive from the Ngorongoro Sopa hoel into the Ngorongoro Crater on the Sopa Road could have been dangerous -- there was thick fog and misting rain, making it difficult to see oncoming traffic until the last second. Khamis was a careful, meticulous driver, navigating situations that would have made me very uncomfortable if I had been driving. He was also quite knowledgeable about the animals we saw. I highly recommend this company.
Email Atif | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing holiday. Very happy we used them
We used Bright African Safaris for our 6 day safari trip+ 3 day beach resort at Zanzibar. Salim was our tour guide driver for the safari and it definitely felt like we got one of the best. We found out he has been doing this for over 13 years.
Amazing knowledgeable guide and I have no idea how he spotted all those animals without binoculars! Salim was friendly, courteous and ensuring we were comfortable throughout the journey.
What I liked most was their passion for what they do. Their genuine care for animals, and the environment was evident. They are one of the very few companies applying sustainable means of food packaging for lunches as well. Other operators use disposable boxes but this operator uses metal containers that they thoroughly clean and provide for each group of customers. I applaud the initiative.
Organising the trip was easy through their office as well and all the lodges were amazing. We are very impressed with the hospitality we have received and will be recommending to our friends as well.
Atif
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Email Charlotte | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
So Sorry It Ever Had to End
We returned from a 12-day safari with Bright African about a week ago and we are wishing we were still with them. From the moment they met us at the airport to the point they returned us there – we were provided unparalleled service. The itinerary proposed by Salim (from the office) was perfect for our needs. But what really made the experience beyond special was our guide Salim (different than the office one). What a wonderful man! His knowledge of animals, the country and the culture was phenomenal. We booked a private tour (which was no more expensive than most group tours) and every day and every experience was scheduled based upon conversations on what we wanted next. Salim understood our desire NOT to observe kills and discretely avoided those. We watched as other companies sped down the road with overloaded vehicles, and gathered around box lunches and canned soda. We had the full vehicle to ourselves and were treated, daily, to a hot lunch with fresh made coffee and tea. Salim made a point to share leftovers with park rangers and other local staff rather than wasting it. After I asked about what might be a typical meal at his home, he asked the chef at one of the locations to make a special meal just for our table that included African dishes. Most companies can provide a guide who can find a multitude of animals but Bright African Safaris provided a wonderful person who provided a once in a lifetime experience and all of this at the most competitive price we found. I will be writing a day-by-day trip report and would be more than happy to answer any questions about Bright African Safaris. They are absolutely wonderful!
Email May&Adam | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable
We had a 5 star safari experience with Bright African Safaris and would highly recommend going with this locally owned operator- they also give back to the local community.
Idrissa, our driver and guide was excellent- he made our wildest dreams come true, from the best view of over a thousand wildebeests at a spectacular Mara river crossing, spotting the big 5 including a black rhino and cheetahs up close, mating lions, a leopard with a fresh kill and a hyena on the hunt!
All in all, BAS provided a vprofessional service from pickup to drop off at the airport: Msangi was v responsive to our many questions and provided a bespoke itinerary for a private safari. Salim in the office was also v patient as we looked at many different accommodation options before deciding on the luxury camp options. We loved all the BAS recommendations including the hot air balloon ride which was pricey but worth it!
