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 Kim D | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This #1 bucket list trip of a lifetime photo safari to Tanzania lived up to everything I dreamed!
Bright was the first to respond when we emailed 3 different companies in the beginning stages. My daughter did 50+ hours of research to come up with 3 different companies and a good itinerary. We chose Bright African Safaris because they had such great ratings online and they emailed back very quickly with a more detailed itinerary. We could also do more for the money with them. Our guide for 9 1/2 days, Khamis, was wonderful at spotting animals and educating us in many areas about Africa, the people, animals, culture, etc. There were too many highlights to mention but we saw black rhinos, migration of the wildebeests and crocs feeding on 3, a lion and her fresh gazelle kill and 3 baby cubs, a monkey stole my muffin at lunch, a hippo visited at lunch, elephants raided the patio one day at lunch and 1000’s of zebras, giraffes and elephants and a multitude of other animals. Relaxing at Zanzibar beach island was the perfect 3 day end to a perfect vacation! All the tent camps and lodgings were all so different and unique also! August was delightful with highs 77-80 and lows in upper 50’s.
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Email Eliza | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
It's a personal AND professional company that exceeded our expectations
We had 6 adults in our party (ages 26-71) with lots of individual requests for places to see. From the time we first inquired about a safari, Salim was extremely helpful and very flexible since we changed our minds a number of times. Once we got to Arusha, we met our wonderful driver and guide Rajabu. He was very knowledgeable of the birds and mammals and made sure we saw every possible animal. He was patient, considerate and careful for our safety in many ways including solving a mechanical problem with the vehicle very efficiently. The problem occurred in a remote place in the N. Serengeti and Rajab was able to figure out how to get the vehicle springs repaired and the vehicle back on the road capably. We really liked the tented camps and the employees there were very attentive (the lodges were less personal and the food in those was only fair). In addition to seeing the wildlife, we really liked our visit to Olduvai Gorge and the day with the Hadze (Bushmen) near Lake Eyasi with a local guide (Sadi). Both experiences should be added to a safari trip in order to better understand Tanzania's pre-history and culture. We had a fabulous experience and would highly recommend Bright African Safaris.
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Email Todd | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent trip and terrific memories - John (our guide) was great!
I travel the world for business...and through those travels, I heard over and over how the Serengeti was a must trip and simply magical. I spent the better part of two years thinking of and ultimately planning this trip. I primarily selected Bright African Safaris because of their terrific reviews on Tripadvisor. However, I also wanted to work directly with a company that was local and not have our money go to/through an agency...where it wouldnt ultimately go to the local economy. With BAS's help, we came up with a two week, customized trip.
Our guide, John Munhambo was simply superb!! First off, he was Safe! That was extremely important to me...since my entire family was in his hand. Second, he was exceptionally respectful...of the rules of the park(s), the animals, and other guides/tours. He made sure he got us into position to get a good photo but not at the expense of other visitors. I can tell you, other guides/companies were not the same! Lastly, he completely engaged with me and my family for the two week trip. He started off our guide and honestly, ended a friend!
The locations we/BAS selected were terrific. We had lions visit our camp at night on three of the nights. While a bit unnerving at the time, it was also pretty cool (after the fact!).
BAS was great at all phases of the trip. Preparation, quoting, organizing, executing, etc. I would highly recommend them to anyone considering visiting the Serengeti. While the arent the biggest in the region, they cant be beat.
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Bright African Safaris exceeded our expectations in every way!
We booked an 11 day Safari through Bright African Safaris and it was the best trip of our lives. They exceeded our expectations on every level. The accommodations and hospitality of every camp we stayed in was fantastic. Salim (our guide) was spectacular. His knowledge of the area and ability to find the animals was impressive. Each day just kept getting better and better. I highly recommend Bright African Safaris as they can put together a great Safari for every budget. Every aspect of the trip went just as planned. I would use Bright again in a heartbeat.
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Email Nicole & Jon | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari Adventure of a Lifetime!
My husband and I went on a 9-day safari organized by Bright African Safaris in mid-August 2018, and it truly was the trip of a lifetime! In the initial research stage, Salim was great with communicating options and creating possible itineraries for us to consider. We were originally planning a shorter trip, but ended up extending by a few days. We absolutely loved the itinerary Salim put together. We started with a walking tour in Arusha National Park, then Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Central Seregeti, Northern Serengeti and finally, Ngorongoro Crater. We were lucky to have Malisa as our guide/driver the whole trip. He is a walking, talking encyclopedia of wildlife! Truly a great person and we felt so lucky to share his company for nine days. We felt safe throughout the trip, even around the lions, elephants and other large animals. Malisa tooks us on more scenic routes when possible and always checked in to make sure we were comfortable during long drives. He has such a great eye for spotting wildlife, some of which I had to use binoculars to see! Highlights included watching the great migration in Northern Serengeti (especially watching the wildebeest and zebras crossing the Mara River), watching a mama lion take down a wildebeest and share the bounty with her cubs, watching a leopard come down from a tree to protect his freshly killed prey (an eland), watching zebras in a tussle and sleeping in migration camps in the middle of the Serengeti. We heard lions, zebras and wildebeest outside of our tent and it felt rather surreal to be there. We chose the mid-range option in terms of accommodations and were very happy with all the hotels, lodges and tented camps booked for us by Salim. We were so impressed that the tented camps had running hot water, electricity and very comfortable furniture (including real mattresses and comfy bedding), which was like living in the lap of luxury after climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro the week before. I would highly recommend Bright African Safaris for anyone looking for a local, well-organized, high quality safari in Tanzania. We would choose them again in a heart beat!
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Email Tricia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bright African Safari gave us an incredible African experience with their superb service!
Went beyond our expectations! Eye to details! Best
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Email Jon | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
My Wife and I did an 11-day safari with Bright African Safari and it was a truly memorable experience. Salim was very accommodating and responsive to our requests and tailored an itinerary that was perfect for what we had requested. They were able to quickly and easily deal with my flight delay which also involved coordinating picking up my wife from Moshi, picking me up from the airport and getting us to our hotel in Arusha.
The trip itself was amazing. Malisa was an incredible guide and always made sure we were having a good time and doing what interested us. He was willing to start our Safari as early as we wanted or as late as we wanted if we wanted some extra sleep (which we rarely did since each day was packed with adventure). Malisa would take us to areas that were not crowded where we saw some truly amazing sights such as a lioness taking down a wildebeest, two lionesses with two very young cubs and a massive Jaguar in a tree. Malisa was very responsible and respectful of nature when visiting these areas, never did anything to disturb the animals or put us in any danger.
We are very glad we went with Bright African Safari and feel like we had the perfect vacation.
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Email peteanddenise | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best safari company and guide!
We recently (July 2018) returned from a 11-night Bright African Safaris safari in Tanzania. We enjoyed every minute of it and it was a trip of a lifetime. The way the itinerary was set up, the progression of parks was fantastic, starting with one of the small parks with a walking tour at Arusha National Park and moving onto the larger parks at Lake Maynara National Park, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park and finally Ngorogoro Crater. All of the lodging was comfortable with a unique African flare, especially the tented ones, such as Serengeti Tortilis Camp right in the middle of the Serengeti and Sangaiwe Tented Lodge just outside Tarangire. Our guide, Khamis was very knowledgeable about each animal species we came across and taught us about Tanzanian history and culture. He was also an amazing and an incredibly safe driver. Khamis made sure we saw every animal and was patient in positioning us to get the best photos. He also quickly figured out our meal favorites and had the lodges prep tasty lunches for us while out on safari. By the end of the safari, we had gotten to know Khamis so well, he became like family. From initial contact for booking to when we said our farewells, Bright African Safaris was there for us, and we loved that they were a local family business. Msangi and Salim (in the office) were always polite and responsive to our many questions and updates to itinerary from start to finish, and they even met up with us on the last day to ensure we were happy. If you are looking for a top-notched safari company to plan your safari, Bright African Safari is the one to choose.
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!
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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!