US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What a Fantastic Experience!
I just returned to the US about a week ago from a two week trip to Tanzania that was arranged by Tanzania Serengeti Adventure. Our trip included a 7 day hike of the Machame Route of Mt. Kilimanjaro and a three day safari with a day each in Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and Ngorongoro Crater National Parks. I can say without hesitation that this trip, especially the climb, was the best experience of my life. As this is a safari website, I won't elaborate on the Kilimanjaro trek TOO much, but it was fantastic. If you choose to take the trek during your trip to Tanzania, make sure to do your research and to train. I highly recommend the Machame route as it offered GORGEOUS views and allowed for ample acclimatization to the high altitude - all 20 trekkers in my group made it to the summit (some with considerable altitude sickness, but they still made it!).
Following our trek, we spent a night at Pamoja Explorations Lodge just outside of the center of Arusha. Pamoja was comfortable and featured fairly reliable wifi. However, the food at the restaurant was extremely mediocre and the service was very slow. I didn't come to Tanzania for the food at the lodge, though, so I was only slightly perturbed by the experience. After our night in Arusha, we were picked up by our three fantastic safari drivers - Philemon, Bryson, and Justin - all of whom were TOP NOTCH. The drivers were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, reliable, spoke excellent English, and were just fun to be around. Our first day took us to Tarangire National Park which turned out to be a great starting point. In Tarangire, we saw zebras, impala, elephants, and much, much more, and were given a delicious boxed lunch containing chicken, a sandwich, mango juice, water, crackers and cheese spread, and a Mars bar. Very generous! The second day of our safari was to Lake Manyara National Park and we were fortunate to see to huge herds of buffalo, an amazing hot spring, thousands and thousands of flamingos, and even a rare leopard! Justin, our driver, said that in 17 years of driving in Lake Manyara National Park, he had only seen 4 or 5 leopards during the day. We were VERY lucky! The highlight of the safari, however, was yet to come! On the third morning, we woke up quite early to get to the Ngorongoro Crater as the park opened just after 6 am. We had to wait for an hour or so at the gate because, unfortunately, the payment attendant at the park didn't show up for work! Fortunately, it was only about 75 degrees and cloudy so the animals that usually hide during the midday heat were out in plain sight all day! We saw tons of ostriches, wildebeests, hyenas, zebras, hippos, and much much more. The highlights of the third day, though, were the two black rhinos (endangered) and the pride of lions. The rhinos were spotted by our driver's sharp vision and were quite a distance away. Justin had a few pairs of binoculars in the car, though, that allowed us to see the animals close up! The lions were lying in a pride of about fifteen right next to the road and we must have watched them for close to two hours. They were simply fascinating. I learned that lions only eat once every three to four days and our group must not have been hungry - the buffalo were literally chasing them around. We also observed a few moments between lions that...ahem...probably should have been private. At the end of the trip, we were presented with a certificate stating that we saw all of the big five - the elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, and rhino - and were told that we were very lucky to see all of them in such a short period of time. I disagree to an extent. We were definitely lucky, but the drivers' skill, vision, and knowledge of the park roads definitely played into our phenomenal experience and they deserve much of the credit!
Our accommodations were provided at Tanzania Ric Lodge, a small, eco-friendly lodge about a half hour off of the main highway. To get to the lodge, the safari vehicles were literally four-wheeling on dirt roads. It was incredibly fun. Tanzania Ric Lodge is located in the middle of a scenic coffee plantation and our host, Blaise, gave us a tour and explained how coffee is grown and produced during our stay. The lodge was VERY comfortable, quaint, had six large rooms (our group took up the entire lodge), and had the best food that I experienced in Tanzania. The chef, Rosie, is a culinary artist! The breakfasts were superb (homemade toast, homemade jam, honey from the farm's bees, coffee from the farm, fresh bacon from the farm, beef sausage, fresh fruit, cereal, and eggs cooked to order) as were the dinners. The best meal of our trip, in my opinion, was had on our final night at the lodge. Rosie and her staff cooked us a barbecue meal featuring beef and chicken skewers, lamb, garlic bread, and roasted potatoes. It was out of this world! Every night also included a bonfire and the alcohol available (wine and beer) was affordable and appropriate. One of the best parts of the lodge, though, was the fact that no wifi was available. The lack of internet allowed us to get to know each other better (much of our group didn't know each other prior to the trip despite the fact that 19 of our 20 travelers attend the same graduate school. I'm the one person who doesn't go to their school as one of the 19 is one of my best friends from home) and to focus on the experience. In this day and age of always being connected, it was incredible to simply get away from everything and focus on enjoying yourself and experiencing the moment. Emails can wait (Written by a 27 year old).
All in all, our experience with Tanzania Serengeti Adventure was amazing. I'm not sure if I'll ever return to Africa (my next conquest will most likely be Aconcagua, South America's tallest peak), but, if I do, I'll definitely be using TSA to plan my trip. HIGHLY recommended.
IT
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A bit of luck and a very good organization
The organization was perfect for us, and met our expectations. An efficient and timely service, made by nice people who care about you and who love their work and the nature of where it takes place. A little luck never hurts and we have had, we have seen not only the Big 5 but also many other beautiful animals during their life in the bush.
We're very pleased and would recommend this organization.
May be that we return soon!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A perfectly executed safari!
From start to finish - this safari was executed superbly. My first point of call was Anne-Marie Weeden. This was my second trip to Tanzania and far exceeded the first. Anne-Marie took a very detailed consultative approach which made me feel very comfortable throughout the process of making choices and booking. We were travelling towards the end of the great migration season in the Serengeti and she talked knowledgeably and passionately about the wildlife that we were likely to see and the lodges that we would be staying at. We were then introduced to her colleague, Joan Namuwulya who handled the finer details of the tour. Joan was efficient and took us through the booking process and managed our expectations very well.
We spent a total of 5 days in the Serengeti, exploring its wildlife and were fortunate enough to see the 'big five'. There were so many prides of lions! We saw one pride of eleven. We had 2 guides during this period. I found Ali to be an outstanding guide and my mother preferred Agafi, our second guide so that was great for us both. They were knowledgeable and attentive and Ali, in particular, had a great sense of homour. We learned so much about the Serengeti's mammals, reptiles, and fauna. They were respectful of the surroundings and gave us the ultimate safari experience.
We stayed at two accommodations whilst in pursuit of the wildebeests. Serengeti Safari Camp and Lamai Serengeti. Both were superb. Serengeti Safari Camp was my favourite as it was a mobile tented camp following the migration which gave us the real feel of the African bush but with luxury facilities - it must have been quite a feat to achieve. We slept (safely) to the sounds of the animals calling out after sitting with the wonderful manager at the campfire. The food was delicious. Lamai Serengeti was totally different. It was more hotel-like but with smashing panoramic vistas over in to Kenya's Massai Mara. Lions were plentiful and you could hear them roaring over the plains at night. We did a walking safari there which was really interesting and we learned a lot about the eco-system in the park from our guide, Agafi.
On our return we had a face-to-face follow up with Journey's Discovering Africa which was a nice touch.
I would definitely travel with them again. This really is a 'once in a lifetime' journey. Thank you to the team at Journey's Discovering Africa & The Far Horizons!
The best honeymoon ever!
We just got back from our honeymoon. It was amazing! Words cannot describe. I must say Zanzibar blew us away. Your recommendations were spot on and thank you for making this such a memorable experience which we will never forget.
The Magical World of Kenya is brought to life, while on safari with Sameco Tours.
I have been going to Kenya every year, at least once, for many years. Kenya renews my spirit, my soul, my mind, and my heart. There is absolutely nothing that I can compare "safari life" to, that is equal to the amazing experience of just being there. The owners of Sameco Tours always ensure that each driver guide is the finest available. No request is too large or too small. Each time I take a family member or friend with me to Kenya, they all leave amazed and so excited about their safari experiences and adventures. Sameco Tours goes far beyond one's expectations of a safari dream of the perfect "trip of a lifetime."
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Sameco Tours made our experience amazing! Safe & adventurous!
Sameco Tours & their staff were available at all times throughout our journey for any questions or concerns. Our driver was very kind, knowledgeable and very professional!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best trip of our lives, with the best guide ever.
Simon King, the owner of Eastco, arranged exactly the safari we wanted, with the perfect mix of luxury lodges and tented camps, balancing our desire for privacy away from other tourists with our wish to see the wildlife, game drives with extra activities. He answered my millions of questions perfectly, quickly, and with patience. He managed to make our trip more affordable than any other operator we contacted, with far better lodging choices. Our favorite was Boundary Hill Lodge, a spectacular room with a spectacular view. Our guide James was psychologist, knowledgeable naturalist, eagle eyed, kind, humorous, and generous with himself. I cannot imagine a more wonderful person to spend almost two weeks with. We still marvel at our experience every day. Though it may sound like hyperbole, I can't imagine a better trip.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Thoughtfully planned giving different experiences of Desert, Delta and Salt Pans. Brilliant trip!
Excellent service with careful planning to meet our needs. The choice of Camps meant we saw different parts of Botswana, each special and very worthwhile. Expectations were exceeded and we met very knowledgeable guides and staff in the 3 Camps. Seamless transfers by light aircraft ensured trouble free travel. We will certainly return and trust our tour to Kingfisher who clearly have used their on the ground experience to best advantage, definitely hitting the spot for us! Thank you for a relaxing and rewarding holiday.
Three day MJ Safari review
I have just finish a very good safari with MJ Safaris. My friend and I were matched up with two other people of a similar age and we did a three day Safari. It was very well done. The itinerary was perfect for us and so was the price. The food was very good at the campsite as were the facilities. The guide knew lots about the animals and he was very friendly. All round a great budget Safari.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari with a lot to see
We are home again after a great trip to South Africa.
Our tour guide for Kruger was Hoppy.
We saw about 80+/- birds and animals and were lucky enough to see the big five
If we had been driving ourselves we would probably have seen about 20 birds and animals and not known the names of most of them.
Hoppy has amazing eyes both for spotting wild life and missing pot holes often at the same time.
My wife and I took turns being sick with a parasite we picked up somewhere. Hoppy was very accommodating and sensitive to our needs.
thanks