US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing birding & wildlife safari in Tanzania with Nature's Wonderland Safaris, highly recommended!
We were looking for something a little different from the average safari as my husband and I are birders. Of course we wanted to see the Big 5 but we didn't want to miss the many birds that we knew called Tanzania home. I heard some great things about Nature's Wonderland Safaris out of Nairobi running some specialized birding trips. I contacted them and immediately had a good feeling that they understood the kind of trip we were looking for. We settled on a private 12 day birding safari starting in Nairobi and taking in the major parks on the Northern Circuit in Tanzania. I communicated with our guide Joseph from the start of the planning process and he did an amazing job of taking all my requests and turning them into reality. As many people are, we were worried about wiring a large amount of money to a tour company in Africa. Our fears were groundless as we were informed as soon as our funds reached Nature's Wonderland's account. Communication throughout the planning process was excellent and they never seemed to tire of answering my considerable list of questions! We were met at the Nairobi airport by Joseph and warmly welcomed. Then we were whisked to our hotel, the Stanley, as Joseph reviewed our plans for the next day. In addition to birding we also wanted to make the most of our full day in Nairobi and do some shopping, visit the elepahnt orpahnage as we had adopted an orphan elephant and see Karen Blixen's House. All these were arranged and Joseph even managed to get us a sizeable list of Kenyan birds! We had decided to take the shuttle bus to Tanzania not just to save money but to see some of the countryside. Joseph delivered us to the bus, secured our luggage and made sure we had the best seats. He sheparded us through the border crossings and made sure we had the proper forms before we got to the windows. A big plus as other tourists ended up at the back of the line when they didn't have the forms filled out. On entering Tanzania we began the safari in earnest. Each park offered something different. We visited Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Lake Manyara. We saw a wealth of wildlife and over 300 new birds. Joseph made sure we didn't miss a thing even taking time at the end of long days in the vehicle to bird the lodge grounds with us. Not only could he spot all the birds and wildlife but he knew all the bird calls by heart and patiently combed through an area where he heard a call and then made sure we both got on the bird. He took us on an amazing hike in the Crater Highlands that afforded us some rare birds we would never have seen from the Land Cruiser. All the lodging was wonderful. The Sopa lodges were amazing and our stay at Whistling Thorn Camp in Tarangire was an experience we will always remember. Joseph even took the time to find and make reservations at a place I had read about in Arusha called Shanga Shangaa which has disabled Tanzanians making crafts and has a restuarant. This was an inspiring place and we loved our lunch in the thatched hut here. We had an amazing time and the whole trip went flawlessly. Joseph and Nature's Wonderland Safaris went out of their way to ensure we had the trip of a lifetime. They exceeded our expectations and we cannot recommend them highly enough!
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Up, close and personal
We wanted to experience Africa this time "up, close and personal", after having spent time in a luxurious lodge in SA. That didn't do it for us. We felt privileged, but not connected. We wanted to do a walking safari and be really close to the African Earth and Animals. Then a well travelled friend of mine told me about African Adventure Safaris. And that was the lucky draw of all time! Within a week, Anne and Ant organized everything for a private tour for us 2! So amazing the communication and organization upfront, but that was only a taste of what was yet to come: Anthony is not only a fantastic guide with a knowledge that is at eye-sight of those of the Bushmen, inspiring and able to translate his love for the bush to the guests with a passion and dedication - he is superman in one person: a nevertiring driver, coping with bumpy, waterfilled roads with the patience of a Buddha and an adventurous spirit at the sime time; a 5* chef of the al fresco cooking - very creative and delicious, he is a brilliant story teller of his experiences, he just makes you comfortable and part of nature. And this is a wonderful, rare gift. We had the time of our life! Visiting the Rhino Sanctuary, Central Kalahari (in lush green!), Okawango Delta, Moremi and Chobe, we had such phenomenal encounters with the beauty of the mammals, birds and the jaw dropping landscape. We wish we were still there. We are graceful and thankful - also to Anne, Anthony's lovely girlfriend, who was so supportive and great to have around - for this once in a lifetime experience! We will definitely travel again the magic soil of Africa - with African Adventures Safari!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reasonable safari cost, very experienced drivers and air conditioned safari designed vehicles.
The communication and the services i experienced at New Kenya were excellent, very welcoming and fantastic.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable honeymoon!!
My husband and I went on a 10-day semi-luxury safari with Safari Infinity for our honeymoon over Christmastime in 2013. From the start of planning to the day we returned home, our experience with Lucia and Simon at Safari Infinity was amazing. Everything reached far beyond our expectations!!!
We got married in September 2013 and of course had no time to plan our honeymoon until after our wedding. We knew we wanted to do something really unique and experience something that was "once in a lifetime." Tanzania was one of the top places on our list. We went to a local travel agent to do our initial research and had conversations with an agent there that was connected to many other safari operators. He offered some options and prices. Honestly, we weren't fully satisfied with the information, only because we couldn't sense the safari experience through glossy brochures. Then I remembered that a friend of mine travelled on a safari just a few months before. I learned of Lucia and her team and there began our real planning.
We really loved the direct contact that we had with Lucia. She operates directly out of Arusha and we knew she had contact and details about all her drivers and all the lodges. We loved how there was no "middle man" or agent between us and the safari operator throughout our planning. Lucia was ALWAYS so prompt with her replies with all our questions regarding pricing and accommodations, down to the smaller details like the shape of the truck in which we would be travelling. Whenever we emailed her, we would literally wake up to an informative email from Lucia the next morning. Not only was this important in easing any worries, but also because we only had three and a half months to book and plan our safari. The matter of time was crucial for us.
We began to be impressed with their service even before we departed Toronto. Lucia had offered to help us plan the Zanzibar portion of our trip for us, which was a lifesaver during our busy schedules. She knows tons of lodges in all price ranges on the island. We let her know our budget and she suggested several that were available in the very busy Christmas high season. During this planning, she hit a snafu with the final lodge that we had to book. After a delay in their response, they had informed her know that we couldn't stay with them because there was a minimum 6-night stay during this high season. Of course, because of their delayed response, we had lost some chances to book with other lodges. Lucia amazingly took the initiative to contact the hotel management and complained about their inconsiderate services. The result, we were able to book for our two-night stay and our honeymoon planning was complete!
Regarding our flights, Lucia connected us to a Canadian travel agent who specialized in trips to Africa. Their services were also top-notch and they were very dedicated to finding the BEST price for us. Be sure to ask Lucia for her preferred travel agent. Payment was the only thing that made us hesitant in the planning process. We were to wire money to Africa and this would be our first time having to do that. Lucia made sure to let us know when she had received the money. There was absolutely no glitches with the multiple payments we had to make and Lucia made sure to send us professional payment receipts after each one.
Our trip began with a shaky start but not to any fault of Safari Infinity. Departing in the middle of December in Toronto of course becomes risky business in terms of snowstorms. Of course, to our bad luck, we departed during the evening of the first big snowfall of the season. We were delayed for four hours on the tarmac. This caused us to miss our connecting flight in Amsterdam, which then resulted in a detour to Nairobi before landing in Arusha. Instead of landing in the evening before Day 1 of our safari, we landed the morning of Day 1 and began our safari right after arriving! We were on very little sleep after being enroute for 26 hours. But once we landed, we were full of adrenalin and were ready to go see some wildlife! Oh, also add into the mix of the shaky start - our luggage was delayed in Europe. We were out of clean clothes for an indefinite time.
Lucia was always in contact with us while we were enroute to Arusha. We let her know through email that our flights were delayed and she made sure to revise our schedule to suit. Our driver, Fazal was met us at the airport at the revised time. Fazal was so patient with us while we were getting the paperwork done for our delayed luggage.
I have only heard good things about Safari Infinity's drivers and I can only say very good things about our driver, Fazal. He speaks very good English, always had a smile on his face from Day 1, and he exudes passion for his job, Tanzania, and its wildlife. He even brought us a great surprise when we first met him at the airport! Because we were out of clean clothes for an indefinite time, the first place he brought us was in the middle of town in Arusha where we had our first local market experience! We were successful in finding some underwear and fresh shirts. This is where Simon Kombe, Lucia's life and business partner met us! He also had a smile on his face all the time. He asked us to give him the airline's paperwork for our luggage and told us that he would do his best in tracking it down for us. This was great news, as the language barrier that we experienced while trying to do this at the airport left us feeling very discouraged.
I am not going to do a day to day write-up on our entire safari experience. But I will highlight a couple of incidents that shows Fazal's and Safari Infinity's great organization, services, and genuine personalities involved. Fazal, for one, was amazing. Because of his passion for the land and the animals, he always knew where to go and how to have us enjoy it as he would. From the very beginning, he told us that he will take us off the beaten track whenever he could so that we could have our true private safari experience. He never let us down about this. More than once were we the only ones watching a pride of lions in the middle of the Serengeti, hours at a time. We spent two ours with a cheetah one afternoon. We were always a speck amongst 2 million migrating wildebeests and zebras. We saw a black rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater!! We went to visit some of his old friends at a Masai boma. We walked through a local market at the base of high mountains in the Great Rift Valley, where we met people whom have never seen tourists before. Fazal has eyes that are better than a hawk! He can spot a lion that looks like a rock from afar! He stopped the car one time and we thought it was for a large elephant or lion, but no. He had stopped it because he saw a tiny dung beetle rolling its eggs on the road! I have no idea how one could spot something like that in a large moving vehicle. He made sure to show us the big and the tiniest creatures of Africa. It was all amazing and intriguing. Fazal can tell you so much about the behaviour of elephants, lions, cheetahs, dung beetles, bees, rhinos, snakes. Everything. I was thinking that we should of brought a wildlife book for our trip but I'm glad I didn't bring the extra luggage. Learning from Fazal was much better than trying to find it in a book.
Another highlight during our trip related to our luggage. Simon was always in touch with Fazal during our trip. It is incredible how far cell phone reception reaches in the plains of Africa! On our third day Simon had great news! He had tracked down our luggage! Him and Fazal organized a pick-up spot. Had our bags arrived one day later, we would of have been too far along in our circuit that we would of had to pick up our bags at the very end of our safari. A Safari Infinity colleague had met us in a small village between Tarangire and Lake Manyara to hand us our bags. Seeing our bags waiting for us amongst the mud huts and dusty roadside stalls in the middle of Africa was one of the best feelings during the trip! I don't know what other safari operators would of done if this luggage debacle happened to one of their clients. We were so glad that our priorities were also Safari Infinity's. Never had a fresh t-shirt felt so good!
Leaving mainland Tanzania was actually one of the saddest moments of the trip. We had an emotional goodbye to Fazal, who dropped us off at the tiny local Arusha airport. He made sure our bags went through the right people and that everything was good to go before he drove away. We were sad to say goodbye but happy to have made a new friend! Fazal was not only a driver for us. Ten days in the bush with a person whom you first met in a foreign land can be intense. For us it was an opportunity to make a new friend, talk about life in Africa, life in Canada, compare our lifestyles, and just be educated in the most fun way possible.
Our trip to Zanzibar was blissful. It was a great way to end our trip. This was the time when we reminisced about what we saw on the safari and also enjoyed the real African heat (way hotter in Zanzibar than mainland). The food was great and scene was amazing. Service was always went a bit 'pole pole' ('slow and easy' in Swahili) but we were on vacation so what was the rush?? We slept so well and had no plans except to enjoy eating fruits while sitting on the white powder sand.
Safari Infinity's their business is transparent, and their operators are VERY organized and dedicated. I can't say enough great things about them. We would go back to Africa in a heartbeat. We miss it already and we would for sure book with Safari Infinity again if and when we have the chance! It was great to directly support a local business and we would have done it no other way. I highly recommend them! Thank you so much, Safari Infinity!
totally professional, very happy with tour and guides provided, highly recommended
It was one of the best trips we have ever had and Frate Tours were the best. From the start to the end, there was always a representative there to handle all our queries and guide us. An unforgettable experience and the experience plus the safari itself has exceeded our expectations
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful time
I was apprehensive about travelling to South Africa but I was confident that my husband would not get us into danger and Compass Odyssey advertised that safety was a priority. We had a fantastic trip and saw so many animals it was stunning, and at no time did I feel unsafe. Kate and Darren's care of us as travellers was impressive even when we had our "own time" they recommended ideas specifically suited to our individual needs. I have so many wonderful memories and photos of our time in South Africa and hope to return soon to see more of Africa...only with Compass Odyssey.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experiences of a Lifetime!
We had travelled extensively around the world for 25 years before we took two Compass Odyssey tours because we had never experienced Africa. Their client profile fitted us as we like to engage with cultures wherever we travel and go off the beaten track away from tourist "packs" to have special encounters. We had a fantastic time and still cherish the amazing insight into South Africa that Darren and Kate gave us. We met real people and had experiences that will remain with us forever. Their ability to give us the information we needed to enjoy the moment without bombarding us with facts, and subtly creating moments around exquisite food, views, places or people was remarkable.
I can't recommend Compass Odyssey highly enough for the quality of product and price that we enjoyed in South Africa.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A fantastic experience!
I had no idea what to expect with a safari and spent some time looking for something suitable particularly as I was travelling by myself. Mike was very helpful and there was a lot of email exchange talking about options. I was so happy to see Dennis my guide on the agreed date and he was really knowledgeable about the animals and plants. It was an absolutely amazing experience seeing all the animals in their natural environment. I liked the lodge I stayed in as it was near a town and going for a drink there in the evening was totally unlike anywhere in the world! I would happily recommend this operation to anyone especially friends and family.
Asante!
Paul
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good service, Experienced guide, Great tour, Nice arrangement
we total 6 people had wonderful time with this tour operator. 1) very knowledgeable in tour planning and itinerary arrangement. Lucia knows pretty well where to visit at when. I would suggest client listen to her suggestions on itinerary planning and lodge recommendation. 2) this operator take care of client very well. i wasnt aware that i overpaid lodge bill until we left almost 30 minutes. Lucia help me to get refund at next lodge - Perfect !! 3) She kept eye on my flight status, help me out when Precision Airway cancelled flight to Nairobi. 4) the guide, named Eric is very very good, magic eye in searching animals. He is also very good to provide suggestion. we all love him. 5) this tour operator quotes reasonable rate. i compared at least 10 vendors, this is not the lowest, but the best in performance - price ratio!
NG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My Fears squashed!
I booked this trip after a recommendation from a cousin who had used Real African Tours before. Not having been to this part of Africa I had no idea what to expect. Quite honestly, I feared for the worst. On arrival I was pleased to see that my fears were unfounded. The lodge in the Mara was clean, spacious and the staff fantastically friendly and helpful. The unit we were given was large spacious and more than adequate. The lodge is quite remote so you do need to be prepared to move around to get provisions and to fully enjoy your stay. Maasai Mara is breathtaking! The drives were interesting as I got to see animals I only saw on TV. I spent three days in the Mara and I will be forever grateful to the Real African Tours team!