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 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!
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 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.
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!
NL
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.
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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 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 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!
