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
IL
Email Al | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Successful 5-day safari with Bright African
My daughter and I chose Bright Safaris, Tanzania for our first ever safari experience. We were not disappointed. It is a small local company owned by Msangi. He always answered our emails promptly and clearly suggesting different itineraries and accommodation according to our budget. He also sent us contact email addresses of previous customers from whom we acquired positive feedback. Once dates and the itinerary were settled we had to secure the trip by sending a small deposit, which made us a little nervous. All was well though and he confirmed receipt with the remainder to be paid in cash on arrival. We were met at the airport by our guide Othman who was an expert driver and a guide so full of knowledge of the animals, culture and terrain. He had the sharpest eyes and good humour. We felt safe and well looked after. He was punctual and kept us to our itinerary. No time was wasted. He made a big effort for us to see and get safely close to the migration of the Wilderbeast, cheetahs, leopard, lions and birds. We were accompanied by a cook named Rama who was fantastic. We are vegetarians and Rama's skill was clearly evident with the soups and dishes he served using local produce. As we chose the camping budget option, Rama worked under difficult conditions from 04.30am preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner to a high level. On our last day he surprised us with a bottle of "champagne" which was a lovely surprise. The campsites were basic but clean. Only two of the three that we stayed at had hot shower water, but we were warm in our tents and slept well. We were supplied with a torch and binoculars, but you might want to get another torch. Also - make sure to bring some warm clothing as during September it can get quite cold at night. Msangi answered emails from our worried family when we were out of range of cell phone reception explaining that all is well. Msangi met up with us before our departure to ensure that all had gone well and our smiling faces showed it had. Highly recommended.
A Guide is more than a guide
My family of 6 people (including one 10 year old) recently returned from a safari in Tanzania organized by Msangi of Bright African Safaris. The trip was spectacular in every way, not the least of which was our guide throughout the twelve days, Athuman Abuu. I am writing this review to focus on the relationship between Athuman and our family. In essence Athuman became one of our family in that we spent all day together sharing incredible experiences. From what I have read and heard from other safari goers, this is not unusual at all. What was different was that we invited Athuman to join us for meals (we paid a nominal fee to the camp for his dinner). We never thought not to offer this when on the first night we discovered that he was to eat elsewhere. I can truly say that having out guide join us for meals enhanced the friendly, intimate time spent together in this very special experience. I highly recommend to other safari goers to extend this gesture to your guide.
Bright African safaris is tops
My wife and I decided to organize a family safari to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary and at the recommendation of relatives who had been to Tanzania a few years earlier, contacted Msangi of Bright African Safari. That was our first and probably best decision because he organized one of the most spectacular two-week adventures anyone could possibly hope for. The choices for viewing game were all superb yet each was unique with different emphasis on what was likely to be seen. Our guide Athuman was just spectacular. He drove us throughout northern Tanzania and organized our viewing, lunches, and snack-breaks for 9-10 hr days (our choice) over roads with no obvious markers without missing a step. How he navigated was miraculous to observe and while doing so pointed out all the “hidden” oft-times rarely seen, animals we enjoyed. It is no exaggeration to say we observed 50 lions, 10 cheetahs, 4 leopards (which can be particularly difficult to spot in trees), and countless elephants, giraffes, buffalo, wildebeests, zebras, antelopes of at least half-dozen varieties, and ostrich. Rhinoceros were rare because of poaching, but we did encounter a few. My wife and I had been on a superb safari to Botswana 12 year ago. We had nothing but praise for our experience, yet Msangi’s combination of natural parks, land cruiser and guide, tented sleeping facilities with superb food at every stop, could not be beat.
IN
Email Siddhartha | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
When I first decided to go on an East African safari, it was a a huge task to take the numerous decisions and make the plans. I started an year ago and went through tons of online content to put up a rough draft of what I wanted to do. We were a group of 7 people and we contacted several tour operators. Based on the the online reviews and personal interactions, we decided on Bright African Safaris.
Main points in their favour were: 1. Small local company based in Arusha, 2. Top reviews and 3. Agreeing to an itinerary which several companies rejected (will elaborate later). Our main target was the Northern Tanzania circuit. We started from Arusha, then traveled through Tarangire, Manyara, Natron, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and back to Arusha over 10 days. We traveled from 24th May to 2nd June, while the rainy season had just ended. And here was where Bright was a stand-out. We definitely wanted to go to Natron due to it's weird and unconventional nature. Several other companies tried to exclude this even after our repeated requests stating possibility of bad roads. We are glad that Msangi and Bright did not follow suit. For people looking for something other than the standard experience, please visit Lake Natron. It is truly a unique place on Earth. Msangi was very efficient during the email exchanges and also while making the travel arrangements. We opted for budget accommodations and we were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the lodges (maybe the off-season helped). A special mention must be made for Mbalageti Luxury camp. Bright had made all the arrangements so that we did not have to worry about anything. One of our team members decided late to join in and Msangi took care of it in a couple of days, even after all the bookings had been made. So extra points for flexibility.
Now a few words about our guide Osman, although few words would not be enough. From the moment we met him at the airport to the time when he dropped us off, it was a pleasure to have this man in our company during the safari. Extremely amicable, knowledgeable and accommodating, he was ever smiling and helpful. He is a confident and safe driver and is in control even on the worst of roads. As for animal sightings he was very good at spotting them. In the later stages of the trip, we got interested in bird spotting and it was amazing how he knew at least the type of any bird we saw. We saw more than 100 birds and animals in total during the entire trip. Also Osman was very rational in his decisions. He did not promise us the moon and always gave a thoughtful explanation for any question. Even when we were not on safari, we had the license to pester him regarding names of birds or animals.
All the lodges we stayed at were nice and well equipped, some were better than others. Both breakfast and dinner were quite good quality. The lunch boxes were not that fancy and you could customize it to a certain extent at the lodge itself. Overall, it was a highly enjoyable safari with a very nice company and I would recommend it without a doubt to anyone going on a Northern Tanzania safari. Asante sana Osman, Msangi and Bright African Safaris. Hope to see you again.
US
Email Krishnan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari experience
We just returned from an amazing Tanzanian safari experience. This was our first trip to Africa and so really did not know what to expect. After speaking with a friend who had done a safari a couple of years ago and from researching online, we finally picked Bright African safaris due to their stellar reviews on Trip Advisor and a few other sites. We were not disappointed!!
Throughout the enquiry and booking process, Msangi (the owner of Bright Safaris) was very prompt and detailed in his responses. The booking required us to make the full payment before the trip - I was a bit apprehensive but it seems to be the norm and based on what others wrote about Bright Safaris, I made the payments. All payments received prompt acknowledgements.
From the moment we were picked up at the Airport by Msangi to the day we were dropped off at the airport by our guide, everything was perfect and happened like clockwork. We stayed at some really amazing hotels, the food was really good, the service top rate and most importantly we had a really good guide, Authman, who made sure we experienced everything an African safari had to offer. We saw all of the Big 5 (including an amazing experience with a pride of lions on the last day), got to interact with the local people and every request we made was adhered to.
At the end of our Safari, we had an extra day before we left Tanzania. Msangi allowed us to keep the car and guide an extra day, at no charge, so that we could do some local sight seeing and shopping in Arusha.
I strongly recommend Bright Safaris to others. We came back to the US with a big smile on our face which is what Msangi promised us. I highly recommend Bright African Safaris.
Email Sian Rhodes | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wild adventure close up and exciting from animals to tribal hunting with a quality guide and cook.
From the very beginning the communication from Bright African Safari was first class, every questioned answered within a day, and changes made upon request. The actual holiday was more than I ever thought it could be. We had such a personal guide that looked after our every need, and he soon became a friend. We had an amazing time seeing loads of different animals. The shear numbers of animals were astonishing and it was magical seeing our guide spot animals from vast distances. His knowledge of all the different species meant that we also learnt interesting facts about the animals. We were lucky to see the big five, but our favourite images were a heard of 20 giraffes running across the plain and the wilder beast congregating at the river Maya. The cook managed to keep my two teenage sons well fed - which is quite an achievement, and they especially loved the home made soup. We travelled to four different national parks, with each one having a different outlook and landscapes. The final destination Tides Lodge recommended by Bright African Safari was perfect ending to a perfect life changing trip. Luxury rooms, paradise beaches with excellent food and service. Thanks to Bright African Safari my family felt as though we had a real taste of Tanzanian life.
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Email Scott and Sheri Waugh | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Dreams can come true
We were pleasantly surprised with the entire trip from the time we were greeted at the airport to the departure delivery . Juma was our guide and he did spend each day working hard to make sure we came home with pictures and stories of our Tanzanian experiences. The accommodations at the various camps were exceptional, giving us the full Tanzania experience. The food and sleeping arrangements were excellent at the various camps, even the 4 flat tires we encountered to and from the Serengeti added to the adventure.
Over all we would give our "Out of Africa" experience an A+. Many many wonderful memories.
JP
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good and fun experience in Tanzania!
We did 5 days private safaris tour as part of our honeymoon trip to go to Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro with Bright African Safaris. Osman, our guide/driver was a very nice guy and made our trip very pleasant. Though it was a rainy season, the weather was nice and we could see many animals on the ground and on trees. First time to see lions on a tree and leopards on a tree! They provided us with professional, good and pleasant services. They were also flexible in scheduling and the like. (My wife's flight delayed and my wife's luggage did not arrive on time. However, they kindly re-arranged our schedule and we enjoyed the tour very much!)
My y wife and I recommend Bright African Safaris.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
experience of a lifetime
What an amazing experience! From the start of the emails, Msangi (owner of Bright Safaris) was more than patient and helpful with the myriad of questions we had. It is an exclusive tour, just us, not other people. The lodging and staff at all the tent camps along the way were friendly and helpful. Bright Safaris takes care of everything from the moment you arrive at the airport to your return. All you have to do is enjoy the scenery and the 1000's of animals you will see. The guides have an incredible amount of knowlege, information and ability to see animals. We were blown away beyond expectation. You will be glad you chose this company.
Email Murray Price Melbourne Australia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brights get it right
We had a wonderful experience with Bright African Safaris undertaking a 7 day climb of Mt Kilimanjaro and a 7 day safari that encompassed Tarangire National Park, Ngorogoro Crater and Conservation area, and the famed Serengeti. Brights were incredibly trustworthy, which was a big thing for me undertaking my first African adventure.
We (my 2 teenage sons and I ) felt very safe at all times with our chief guides Habib on the mountain and Othman on our safari, whilst we were still able to experience at very close hand the African culture, lifestyle and of course the abundant wildlife.
We had an unforgettable trip and a huge thankyou to Brights for making it happen.