20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
#JoelTheGenius
Right. On with the improvements so I can get to how perfect our experience was thanks to Joel. The company, It Started in Africa, was communicative and offered options at reasonable prices (we wrote to 15 companies and had two weeks to plan this). They helped us secure some great accommodation within our budget and were quick to respond. Overall, really easy doing business with them. That said, there are a few areas of improvement:
1. Although we confirmed our arrival time multiple times via email, there was some mix up with the operations teams and the person meant to pick us up didn't have our names or details. Getting into an unmarked car with an unknown driver who's identity we could not confirm at 10PM was nothing something my friend I were okay doing, which added an hour to our transit time. However, once we started our journey to our hotel in Arusha and got to know the driver, we shared some laughs with him and he shared lots of interesting snippets of what to expect from our first safari. We also received an email from the company apologizing and explaining the cause of the mix up.
2. The safari vehicle seemed like it needed to be serviced properly. Although Joel cleaned it everyday and did his best to maintain it, there were a number of mechanical issues we encountered during the course of our trip, including a couple of stops at mechanic shops for repairs. The company really ought to ensure that the vehicle tourists are being sent out in are road worthy and not in need of constant repairs.
3. The interiors could do with a face lift - the cold box needs repair and it would be great if the company could arrange for dry ice to keep the drinks cold. The dusty and sunny climes of the national parks meant we ended up with luke warm water every afternoon. Just some small suggestions to improve the overall quality of the experience.
On to Joel. He is an incredibly gifted guide and was truly invested in ensuring that we had the best safari, given our time constraints. Not only did he make every effort to show us the Big 5, which we managed (hurrah!), he was genuinely excited every time we saw a big cat or a herd of elephants or even zebras. He was patient with all our picture taking and just wanting to stand and stare endlessly at the animals; even took some great shots of his own with our camera. So we didn't miss a big sighting, he listened to the "ranger" radio station intently and passed all exciting discoveries we made on to other groups as well.
In three and a half days, we witnessed a cheetah hunt an antelope, several prides of lions, a pregnant lioness going off to give birth, several herds of tusked elephants (some raising their trunks to smell, to grab leaves off of trees, which is relatively uncommon), schools of hippos, a rhino, hyenas, two leopards in trees and a countless number of gazelles, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, hartebeest, dik-diks, mongoose and flamingos. He even knew birds' names just by our (rather inaccurate) descriptions and showed us the differences between them in his trusty book.
As this was our first safari, we had a number of questions (sometimes inane), all of which he answered enthusiastically. Honestly, this safari would not have been half as interesting without Joel. He made it a trip of a lifetime for us, going so far as to wake up at 3AM so he could collect a park entry card from a colleague (there was some mix up owing to the last minute increases the government made to park fees) to make sure we didn't miss our early morning drive in the crater. Joel went above and beyond all expectations and I recommend him unequivocally to anyone looking for a trusty guide with a fantastic sense of direction and humor.
Finally, thank you to all the people who recommended Joel in their reviews - we got really lucky and are trying to pay it forward!
TR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic safari experience!
We chose Safari Multiways because it's a local company in Arusha and Romeo who had answered all our questions immediately and detailed, he gave different ideas options very accurate! And in the end everything was as great as he promissed!
Amus welcomed us at the airport even our plans was earlier than it supposed to be he was already there and we didn't have to wait. We stayed in a beautiful view hotel in Arusha the fay before the safari starts.
Our safari was great Amus is a great driver, great guide, great person! His eyes are like an eagle's, he can see all the animals really far away, he has a good knowledge of animals and their behaviours, we could catch amazing moments Thanks to him.. Of course our cook Mosis, we still talk about his delicious foods.. Mmm really good soupsss, nice breakfasts and tasty dinners.. Mosis also very very positive person always smiles, we really enjoyed his company..
We had unforgettable 5 days! No words is enough to thank them..
SG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Adventure with My Parents
First of all, Giltedge Africa (formerly Southern Africa Travel) was referred to me by a friend, and nothing beats recommendations from sources you can trust. More importantly, i was not disappointed.
Planning and booking - Monique was the best. A comprehensive itinerary which catered to our specific requests resulting in a bespoke trip. Planning phase was overall smooth and good.
On the actual trip itself, Sabi Sabi and Desert & Delta Safaris were very professional operators and the trip was good overall. I had brought my retired parents on this trip, and would say they thoroughly enjoyed it.
Couple of feedbacks would be i) temperatures gets a bit more chilly than expected, and for folks coming from tropical weather, they may not be as well prepared, so some reminder would be helpful; ii) the Victoria Falls segment was slightly rushed and could perhaps have been better with half a day to a day more. In addition, got the impression that Vic Falls would be better seen from Zimbabwe side.
Nonetheless, from Giltedge perspective, it was enjoyable and met our expectations. Definitely worth it and would recommend to friends and family.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This is TZ!!
I had an unforgettable experience with this company in Mother Nature of Tanzania!!!
I went to Ngorongoro CA and Serengeti NP for three days though the director of this company, Charlie, hesitated to receive three-day safari to Serengeti because of tight schedule.
He kindly explained the itinerary to me, and recommended four days instead of three days.
But i had no choice but three days because of my friends' schedule.
He is such a nice director that he suggested anything better.
On my first day, it was too foggy that i couldn't see the crater from Simba Campsite on the rim.
I worried that i couldn't see many animals because of fog.
But it was totally fine in the crater as my guide said ''must be fine down there'' at the campsite.
He was right, and i was impressed by his much experiences.
He answered every question i had, found many kinds of animals, of course explained about animals and nature in Tanzania. He is not only a good and experienced guide but also a good driver.
Plus what made me pleased was food which my chef cooked at the campsite.
I enjoyed every meal!! Especially the bread he baked at the campsite was the best one in my life!!!
I couldn't believe that he baked it there untill he said ''yes'' to my answer.
I really appreciate this company to take me to safari with those perfect guide and chef!!
Everything was good, perfect, great!!
I strongly recommend everyone this company, Kilimanjaro Vikings!!
I'm pretty sure you never regret!!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The game drive was superb, but the food and lodging was poor.
Some of the food on this trip was inedible -- namely the goat stew at one of the restaurants we stopped along the way. Otherwise the food was average, but hey, I was here for the safari! Speaking of which, the safari was great. Maasai Mara is beautiful, and our driver James was safe, smart, and friendly. We saw all the highlights, and came back each night happy. The tents were okay, but the water came out brown from our shower. The food at the accomodation was average, and tea was available all day, which we liked.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Cheap Safari but rubbish organisation
The safari may be cheap but we lost a lot of time because of lack of organisation between the office and the guides on site. Our itinerary changed every few hours and th guides were pretty confused about who was going where and which day. Everything was planned last minute, basically an hour before we were due to depart somewhere. Leaving in the mornings to go to the parks was always an hour later as the guides needed to get money or pack things or prepare our lunch despite assuring us we would leave at the time we asked and hence waking up extra early so we could be in the park as soon as possible. It was budget but we actually wanted to et to the parks. Our car broke down on the first day so we only got an afternoon game drive. The many guides we had were mainly drivers. At least they had good mechanical skills to fix the car. Th food was really nice though and the tents not to bad with a semi mattress which was quite comfortable. The campsites were good as well. The organisation of our hotel after the safari was also good and we stayed in really nice places. Overall, go for budget joining safari if you don't mind wasting a lot of energy trying to get to the parks and yelling everyday with the driver to leave at the right time and get things moving! We are told all budget joining safaris are like this.
Once in the park everything is amazing, you just need to get there!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The best Travel and Tours Agency in Kenya and East Africa
When I think of a get away, trip and all outdoor activity, what comes in my mind, is Tembea Discoveries. I had traveled with them to Naivasha, Tanzania and many more other places. I bet you will always enjoy their services.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Aloboo Safaris are the best .they Organize your trip according to your budget.Excellent work
No regrets .i always feel welcomed, and Anytime I'll use Aloboo Safaris
My 2016 trip
Another really excellent Tanzania safari.
Careful planning (thanks to our agent) meant we got exactly the kind of camps and experiences we prefer. Most of the time we had a guide to ourselves - always a bonus!
It is hard to think that we can better this - but I am sure we will try. I am reliving our wonderful holiday completing this feedback
NZ
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I can highly recommend them for their expertise - nothing is too much trouble
We had the services of Darren Humphreys for 6 days while in Capetown.
He is an exceptional guide and took care of every detail from the time we arrived at the airport until we left
He was available to us day and night and we can only rate Darren and Compass Odyssey as "the best"