Reviews
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50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Life affirming safari in Tanzania
Our incredible guide, Patrick, who friends enthusiastically recommended, made our trip the trip of a lifetime. Patrick is attentive and so incredibly well informed with his encyclopedic knowledge of the animals, birds, plants and places where we visited in Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, that we were able to enjoy every second of our one week safari. I cannot recommend Patrick enough. If you go on a trip like this, your guide can make or break your trip. Patrick's knowledge, kindness and good humor made our trip the best guided trip I have ever taken by far. Find Patrick if you want to assure a good safari in Tanzania.
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience
We had an excellent time. Simon was a great guide- very knowledgeable and flexible to our birding needs. Comfortable vehicles. Burunge camp was great. Loved the open tent and all outdoor atmosphere. Great staff made us feel at home. Very pleased with the flexibility when we wanted to change parks and add an extra safari art the end. Would definitely recommend this company to friends!
Everything we dreamed of - the experience of a lifetime!
Bush Drifters was great, and we especially loved that it's a Tanzanian-owned company. In the planning stages they were responsive, adapting the itinerary to our interests, and their communications were clear. When in Tanzania, they picked us up exactly as planned and proceeded to meet and exceed our expectations.
The guides were amazing, and managed to find all the animals we hoped to see and then some. In addition to knowing and telling us virtually everything about the animals, birds and plants, they knew a lot about the cultural and political history of the region. We're so glad we picked Bush Drifters!
All of the Animals and More
We spent four nights with Bush Drifters, and had the opportunity to see all of the big cats (cheetah, lion, leopard), elephants, hippos, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, THREE rhinos, many types of antelope and gazelle, monkeys, and tons more. The guide was extremely knowledgeable about the numerous species we saw, including the birds.
SE
Email Ingela and Michael Grennard | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Safari tour with a personal touch!
Thank you so much Sam for a marvelous Safari tour! :)
You promised to do your best for us to see all big fives - and you managed!!!
Bushdrifters are excellent went it comes to Safari tour! We reached them through some friends who has been riding with them.
We don't regret one minut - though I caught so much as I never have done before, because of the dust!
Our driver Sam was super:) The driver picked you up at the airport and return youto the airport after the Safari. You don't need to take care of anything! Just marvelous:) We had five days with four nights. This was perfekt!
We went to three parks. Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro krater. Four days in parks. We stayed in two very nice and comfort lodges the first and last nights. In Serengeti we stayed in a camp lodge for two nights. That was a new and very nice experience. You will hear some animals during the night but no worry! Big and comfortable tents. Everyone in the camp have dinner at 19:30 and after that you are so tired that you will sleep at 21:00:)
You have a your own car with a driver who also is your guide. He also takes care of water and lunch every day. Mostly you pick your own things for lunch.
We did not bring any binoculars but we mist it. So please don't forget it.
Remember you will drive many many miles but you will love it!!!!
We loved the arrangement for our visit and everything went very smooth. Thank you Bush Drifters! We will come back to you and we already recommend you to some friends!
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Email Susan L | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
My safari with Bushdrifters exceeded all of my expectations--what an extraordinary company!
I can't say enough about Bushdrifters! In preparing to go on Safari with a friend, the two of us were advised that the most important factor to consider was getting a really great guide. Bushdrifters provided that and more. In addition to having encyclopedic knowledge of nature in Tanzania--the animals, the plants and the terrain, Patrick--our guide--also has a deep respect for, and love of, the natural world. In addition, he was kind and thoughtful, has a great sense of humor, and always had an eye out for our safety. What's also great about Bushdrifters is that they will work with you to plan the kind of Safari you want and they will bend over backwards to accommodate your needs.
Bushdrifters recommended three lodges for us to stay in--and they were all great. They chose lovely, small lodges and camps in wonderful settings. We took their first recommendations, because each place they chose fit our preferences and our budget, but they are also able to work with people who want fancier or more basic accommodations. Also, while we met other travelers in the lodges, we were alone with Patrick on all of our game drives and in our transfers from place to place.
Finally, we were pleased that Bushdrifters is a Tanzanian company and that by booking with them we were supporting the local economy. In addition, booking a Safari directly with them eliminates having to pay a company outside of Tanzania acting as an agent for the Safari guides there. For that reason, it was significantly less expensive for an equivalent, or much better, experience.
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Email Sue & Tom | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mystical, magical and biblical.
All arrangements were easily made by email and were seamless. Service was great from airport pickup at the beginning to drop off at the end.
Patrick, our guide, was attentive and flexible, knowledgable about animals, friendly, and tireless in his pursuit of of game. He talked when we wanted to talk but was quiet when we wanted quiet. We had a great mix of accommodations, from luxurious to "rustic" but even the rustic were great.
We not only saw all the Big Five but the entire Big Nine as well. Food varied from "fine enough" to outstanding but even "fine enough" was quite satisfying.My wife and I essentially had a private tour with Patrick. I definitely would not have been happy with a group of 6 or more strangers but could see going with 2 or 4 friends.
We spent almost all day, every day, on the road, in pursuit of game. While we would have liked to spend more time in relaxing in the lodges, I would not have given up my time on the road. I don't how how you can make that decision beforehand but it's something to think about, maybe even before you go.
I would use Bushdrifters again. It is a small outfit providing personal service. Last, but not least, the price was much lower than the big travel companies. There are people who payed a lot more money than we did but saw the same lions.
From planning to actual trip, all worked extremely well with Bush Drifters. Patrick is a gem.
Edward, the office manager, does an exceptional job being in communication about the safari while organizing and planning the itinerary. This is my second safari with Bush Drifters and in planning this trip, Bush Drifters took great care to plan a different and very interesting experience. All financial arrangements were easily transacted. The trip, itself, was outstanding.
The safari was beyond words. We had such a great time with Patrick, our guide and owner of Bush Drifters. We saw much more than on our previous trip with Patrick, six years earlier, even though we thought that trip to be near perfect. Patrick is incredibly knowledgeable and knows where to be at the right time to see as much as we possibly could. He is well versed on all things safari. He could answer any question and was a tremendous resource to us. His comfort with and use of the English language was excellent. There were four of us on safari and all was very comfortable in the vehicle (as comfortable as one could be driving through the Serengheti!). The vehicle itself was kept extremely clean and there was plenty of cool water available at all times. Patrick has the ability to find wildlife in places where we never felt crowded by other safari groups.
It was so wonderful to travel with Bush Drifters again and to have Patrick as our guide. I would not travel with anyone else in Tanzania. I consider Patrick and Edward to be good friends as anyone would by the time they return from safari. Patrick was not only a fabulous resource for us but it was obvious, through his communications and professional relationships with other guides, that he is highly respected by others.
I highly recommend Bush Drifters as the safari organizers and guides with whom to travel. Patrick knows how to find all animals and is able to identify birds and plants without problem. He is particularly good at geting a good spot to take the perfect photo. The places that we stayed during our safari were all outstanding and each different from the other. Incredible journey!!!