20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible attention to detail!
We had the most AMAZING time in South Africa - it is such a beautiful country and we'll definitely be returning one day!
We must say a huge thank you to Pembury Tours for our wonderful itinerary - we really felt like we saw a lot and got a true flavour for the country and the regions we visited. The handbook we were given became our bible throughout our stay and we'd have been so stuck without your directions.
All of our accommodation was lovely, we couldn't have asked for any more. The safari was the absolute highlight!
CY
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent safari, first class customer service
Reading glowing reviews about e safaris online, decided to use them for our safari- I was in the company of 4 people. We had the seven days Safari to Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru and Masai mara.
Our Safari was very good and e safaris were very helpful in arranging it, am glad that I chose you. Our guide Patrick was excellent Tour guide/Driver. Very good natured, we felt safe with him at all times. He took good care of us and was always Punctual.
I have to be fair to say that I got everything I wanted plus a little bit more, loads of animals and the highlight was seeing a live wild dog hunting session at Ol pejeta conservancy- a very rare occurrence as these dogs are known to hunt mostly at night, saw many birds and in variety and the scenery just takes your breath away. Even the journey to the national parks leaves you with images that you’ll never forget; you will hardly notice the rather long drives at times.
The jeep was clean comfortable and with large roof hatches and cool box added on to our fun, plenty of cold tusker beer cans.
I cannot have too much to say about e Safaris Company I’d say it is more a case of maintaining a standard you have set, in the customer service beforehand whilst arranging the trip and your follow up communications. Everything was flawless.
Thank you very much, memories of Kenya stay stuck in my heart...
Lykke & Rut
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An excellent tailor made Safari in Botswana covering desert, salt pans and delta, brilliant!
Well planned, understanding what we wanted and delivering.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Eastco was easy to deal with communication was good, sound helpful advice, professional service.
We had contacted several Safari companies and decided to go with East African Safari Company. Simon at Eastco was friendly and professional he assisted us with advice and suggestions we felt comfortable, confident and in capable hands planning our once in a lifetime trip. Communication was good and all our queries were answered by Simon in a timely manner. We had 6 nights on Safari, 3 of them at Ndutu Tented Camp the staff there were wonderful, food delicious. The time we spent in Serengeti was fantastic it really is the endless plain. We followed this with 1 night at Rhino Lodge Ngorongoro good accommodation friendly staff and good food, Game drive down into Ngorongoro Crater the next morning and it was awe inspiring up on the rim looking down it's so vast, the last 2 nights were at Ol Tukai which was a quiet wind down after the Safari situated overlooking Lake Manyara wonderfully relaxing, enjoyed a great walk with Masai Guides and visited a Masai village all very special. Food at Ol Tukai was the best of all the places we had stayed at. Our driver was brilliant and could spot animals we would have missed seeing without his skill and knowledge. We saw so many amazing animals birds etc too many to list we met some really special people have taken hundreds of great photos and have so many truly incredible memories to cherish forever of our time in Tanzania, thank you Simon and your great team of staff at Eastco for helping us achieve a dream.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Safari with Eastco exceeded our expectations
16 Day Nairobi-Arusha-Mwanza with Eastco
Here are some extracts from the diary of our Trip to Tanzania with East African Safari and Touring Company. The trip far exceeded our expectations and was indeed faultless in planning and execution. I would contact Eastco if going on a Tanzanian Safari.
We flew from Melbourne to Dubai on Emirates and after a layover and shower at the airport, we flew onto Nairobi. Our first sights and sounds of Africa were amazing,we were picked up by our Eastco driver and taken to our overnight accommodation. The Silver Springs Hotel. The road to the hotel showed us what Africa was like, people everywhere,cars everywhere,the houses and buildings were far better than I expected and we were surprised to find everybody extremely well dressed and speaking excellent English. The hotel was not fancy but adequate with a buffet style dinner. The beer was cold,so what more could you ask. We didn't leave the hotel that night and went to bed with the sounds of Nairobi ringing in our ears.
After an early breakfast we caught the 7:30 am shuttle to Arusha. This showed us our first sight of African countryside and the Maasai, bright red and blue clothes, sheets they looked like but later we learned they were Shukas. Nothing like Australia. At the border post we completed the formalities slowly, there was quite a rush with a queue waiting to go to Tanzania. We were not asked for our yellow fever books but paid the visa in nice new crisp $50 bills. ( pre warned by Simon).
Now Tanzania, it was a beautiful midday, blue skies and Maasai cattle with sheep and goats scattered along the way. The first real highlight of the trip was seeing Mt. Kilimanjaro off to the left,rising in all its majesty above the plains. Everywhere was green and lush and there were water holes and pools dotting the plains. We had already seen our first wild giraffe and in the distance gazelles. We were so excited it was like Disneyland and we were the kids.In front we could see Mt. Meru, getting larger and larger as we drew closer. What a picture with two mountains rising above the African landscape.
Mt. Meru looked high, cold and rugged as we got closer we realized that Arusha nestled in its foothills.
Our first view of Arusha was traffic, cars and 4 x 4's everywhere. There were people everywhere.The buildings in Tanzania were not as fancy as those we had seen in Kenya but you could still see plenty of new two story houses behind high brick fences. There obviously was a lot of money around.
After arriving in Arusha we were met by our guide William who was to be with us until Mwanza. William packed our two bags in the bag of the land Rover and off we went to meet Simon at his house. This was a visit we were looking forward to after reading so much on the African forums.
The Land Rover was not new but spotlessly clean and very comfortable. During our safari we saw many 4x4's mostly they were Toyotas and a few land Rovers. We didn't see too many new vehicles. William told us that the company liked land Rovers because they were more comfortable than a Toyota on the dirt and pot holed roads. They were also easy to repair.
We met Simon at his house we sat on the front verandah of a large oldish brick house. We paid the balance of our safari and over coffee we talked a bit. We wouldn't see Simon again so made the most of it. The yard was full of old Acacia trees and there were birds everywhere. He said he didn't like to cut his grass because of the seeds which in turn attracted the birds. It did look a bit like a jungle.
We were headed to Tarangire to Boundary Hill Lodge for our first taste of a real safari and our first night.
By the time we left Simon and drove to a supermarket on the way to load up with a few after dinner drinks and biscuits William told us we would be late and would arrive at the lodge after dark.
The first hour was tarmac and then the next 40 minutes was a dirt track. It was dark by the time William pointed out Tarangire Treetops as we passed and then we stopped a bit further on and he showed us the lights of Boundary Hill in the distance. We arrived at the lodge and were met with a cold juice by two tall Maasai men. We were to learn there names later. They walked us to our room where we would spend the next three days. The room had a down stairs bathroom with a large King sized bed in the main room.
We settled in and after a shower and drink were escorted to dinner. Three courses served with candles and kerosine lamps. There was a large open fire burning on the verandah. We couldn't see much of the view but we looked to be on a very high bluff.
The dinner was great and the leek soup especially tasty. After dinner we were again escorted back to our room by the Maasai guards. What a first day and what a place to begin the trip of a lifetime.
We awoke to a second day of Safari, it was a beautiful clear morning and after the rain that had fallen overnight we wondered how we would reach the Maasai villages today.
From our bed we could see Kilimanjaro in the distance, walking on to the verandah gave a beautiful view of the valley below and sunning on the rocks were many hyraxes. Coffee arrived at 7:00 and we then asked for breakfast in our room with a message sent to William take your time. Elephants could be seen eating below.
Our showers were hot and more enjoyable because of the view. If you can imagine a loo with a better view, you probably haven’t seen this one.
After breakfast we did venture out and went looking for our walking guide. We had agreed to go on a short bush walk. The road was dirt with puddles of water everywhere. Accompanied by two Maasai askaris we set off. To cut a long story short the exercise was good. The conversation limited but fun and the small things we did see made it worth while. No elephants or lions up close.
A highlight was the often long lines of soldier ants and the birds which we saw mostly from a distance. Even after that heavy rain it was quite warm and clear.
Our guide Loishoi did point out the many footprints of the earlier visitors, jackals, antelope, but not much else. We had expected to see the leopard from the night game drive the night before but didn’t.
Baobabs were not everywhere but on the road below the lodge bordering the stream and water holes we did see many. We decided pretty quickly that we had experienced enough and asked to head back. We wanted to talk to William and change our plan to go into the park again in the afternoon and do the Maasai village visits tomorrow on the way to Ol Tukai. Loshoi had told us that the road to his village was pretty wet and we might get stuck.
After lunch we headed off with William, the intention being to see as many elephants as possible.
We again turned left in front of the lodge and followed the road along the side of the swamps. Here we could see small groups of female elephants with babies of all sizes. There were small water holes everywhere and on the right side of the road it was one swamp and wetland. William did say this was one of the migration routes and the elephants would be here till the water dried up.
The elephants were everywhere eating in the swamps and pulling up really large tufts of grass. We spent an hour and half in this area it was pretty relaxing as we were the only vehicle.
We then headed into the park proper, we had to show our permits again and William either signed us in or out but it didn’t seem to matter.
The drive to the Tarangire River took 20 minutes and was a bit boring but once there, we again had plenty of bird activity with yellow collared lovebirds seemingly everywhere and pretty noisy. We saw a few Impala herds and older male elephants resting under the baobabs. The Tarangire River was pretty full and many of the tracks flooded over and muddy holes everywhere. We had to keep to higher ground but still got a good idea of what Tarangire in the rainy season was all about. It was wet.
As we were driving we saw a few large lizards on the rocks near one of the bridges but no luck for a python. Lions, we didn’t see one the whole time we were in Tarangire, but ticked off a lot of birds. In the late evening we drove back , all in all the day had been relaxing and an excellent way to start a long safari. Birds, elephants and then baobabs.
We were not going on a night game drive again but did plan to meet William for dinner. After retiring to our room,which was a bit more than that, we again sat on the verandah and looked at the elephants and a few giraffe below.
Boundary Hill Lodge is set in a beautiful location overlooking the valley and park below. It was one of the best lodges we have stayed in. Well worth it.
Dinner that night was full of Williams' safari stories, he also told us about his wife and children and working for Eastco. We retired early as tomorrow we were heading on another adventure Manyara and Ol Tukai.
Day 3: After breakfast and a farewell to the staff we headed back on the road we had used the first day. Across a very wet sand river towards the plains. Apparently we were on the road only used in the rainy season. We saw a few zebra in the distance but not many other animals.
We had agreed to stop at a school on the way which Eastco supported. Before getting to this school however we asked William why he was slowing down to avoid all the pot holes on the road. He said the water was used by the local Masai villages and they would be collecting it. It did seem pretty dirty. A bit further on we saw very young children running from the road when the saw us approaching leaving behind water buckets and 20 litre containers. We stopped and pretty soon the women and children came back, and after introductions by William, we were able to watch.
The water is scooped up with a bowl and then put into a bucket or 20 litre water containers. The water container was then carried on the head of the girls back to their hut. And emptied into 200 litre old oil or petrol drums or in some cases plastic water tanks. The water is used for washing clothes and for cooking. After asking a few questions we did learn that for chai (tea) it is boiled first. I still wondered if it would taste muddy. The women told us via William that they had no taps and the main water source was an underground pump, installed by Eastco as it turned out, but was 2 kms away.
We were able to go into the huts and the first thing we noticed even though the floor was dirt it was still clean and we were told it was swept every day, sometimes more often. The huts were pretty simple and had a thatch roof with earthen fire in the middle. The tribal elder or husband had a shed built out of mud bricks with a tin roof. The hut was two rooms and William told us it was a bit of a status symbol to have a house with corrugated iron sheets on the roof.
We had not visited the school yet but felt we did learn more about Tanzanian rural village life than most would.
We passed quickly by the school and gave to the head teacher some pens and exercise books we had bought, even though the children had pens they liked the ones we had as they were all different colors and sizes, not your normal local pen or pencil all the children had. The head teacher pointed out the new doors and windows that were being put in and did tell us that Naitolia camp owned by Eastco was supporting the school through what he termed bed nights. William did explain to us that the village received $ 20 per night for every client that slept there.
The village secretary a young women who we found at the school asked us for a lift to the main road and we welcomed the chance to talk to her. She spoke almost perfect English so we were able to talk without William interpreting. It was fun to hear about her life in a Maasai, male dominated community and being a women village secretary. She told us that half the village committee were women and many women occupied all levels of local government. That half hour taught us a lot about Tanzania.
We dropped her off at the main road and then we headed towards Manyara and Ol Tukai. We couldn’t wait as we had heard so little about Eastco’s new camp. As we got closer we could see the lake, visible below the escarpment with the sun turning the clouds orange in the sky.
It had obviously rained a lot recently, the car slipping and sliding over the black mud, and eventually William stopped so the last 20 minutes or so to the camp we walked with the local Masai carrying our bags, a line of chanting red clad Masai walking through the mud towards the acacias and along the lake shore in the setting sun, it was so surreal, so very African. In the distance we could see flamingos, a streak of pink across the horizon, as we came closer to the camp we knew it was going to be one of those memorable experiences and it was.
Ol Tukai the room, beautiful in its simplicity, king size bed, the view over the lake, the flamingos, zebras along the lake shore, the staff, all were fantastic. So private, so remote and so different to anywhere we had experienced. A sky filled with a million stars, some seemingly so close it was is if we were amongst the heavens. I think we were.
What was unique here was that the kitchen was part of the dining room, the meals being prepared by Nashoo and Isaiah as we watched, the smell of fresh bread being baked in the large open oven and the view across the lake towards the escarpment with the sun sinking below the mountains.
Our first night at O'l Tukai gave us a taste of the rainy season here. After an excellent home cooked meal in the brass lantern lit dining area, we crawled into our King sized bed, pulled the duvet up to our noses and watched as mother nature did her tricks.Every second the sky seemed to be lit with brilliance, the rift escarpment on the far side of the lake silhouetted with flashes of lightening. Thunder of course. I think we were lucky as we could imagine some parts of the valley must have been getting drenched.
As we enjoy our summer at home and the Xmas break the visions of the lake seem like we were only there yesterday.
We awoke to a earth washed clean, the sky crystal clear so early in the morning with pools of water stretching towards the lake shore. With the rising sun behind the camp every detail of the escarpment was a highlight. Gone were the herds of Zebra and wildebeest, gone were the giraffe, these were replaced by small herds of Thomson gazelle and nearer to the forest line were Grant's gazelle. Flamingo's spread out along the far lake shore, with pelicans and the odd flamingo or two scattered along our side of the lake shore.
When our morning coffee was delivered we asked John. our Masai guide, where the Zebras had gone.
He told us that during the nights, the zebras and wildebeest leave the lake and head towards the grass plains behind Ol'Tukai, nearer the Masai bomas. he did mention that during the rainy season this did attract lions to the bomas. I am glad he didn't mention that as were walking to the camp last night.
We were headed for a walk after breakfast but would start after the water drained a little. After a hot shower we headed off to breakfast, on the way we saw two African hares with the male jumping almost a meter off the ground.We were completely ignored.
Breakfast was fruit and what I would call a full English breakfast.
Our walk took us along the flood plains, herds of gazelle were jumping out of the way even before we got close. Today was the day for water birds, Gull-billed terns in their thousands wheeling overhead as we came closer to their roosting spots, grey-headed gulls, pelicans, cormorants, flamingos, stilts, plovers and avocets.
Although with the clinging mud, each step added a kilo or two to our progress but the birds were always a distance presence.
John told us that before Ol'Tukai was built this area was a hunting haunt for mzungus living in Arusha, Quail being the bird of choice.
He also told us that previously the lake used to be full of dugout canoes fishing, and fishing camps would be built along the lake shore. The fishing camps were a major headache for the village leaders as they would chop down trees for firewood and leave plastic bags everywhere.
Ol'Tukai being there has now stopped this poaching.
We walked back to the camp via one of the family bomas Johns sister and mother were at home and we were given the royal tour, the chance to try some sour milk and maize , loshoro, I hope spelled correctly.We only tasted it but did sit in the dark smoke filled hut.
We had a late lunch and an afternoon nap followed by a very nice dinner.
After dinner we were offered a very special treat a night walk with our Masai guards and two very powerful torches. This was something special and eerie as we set off. Our main concern was not to step in holes which were every two or three meters. We managed to see some spring hares, a mongoose of some sort, a large barn owl and some night jars. We heard hyenas in the distance.We were never very far from the lodge and were always in the open.
Apparently John and his Masai guards had already checked the area out while were were having dinner, they new what to expect the walk was a treat.
The above is only part of our safari. We also visited Ngorongoro Crater and stayed in Eastco'c camp in the Serengeti before heading to Mbalageti and lake Victoria.
All in all it was a memorable experience and I hope the above gives you an insight as to what a safari can show and be apart from the beautiful wildlife of course.
Our walk took us along the flood plains, herds of gazelle were jumping out of the way even before we got close. Today was the day for water birds, Gull-billed terns in their thousands wheeling overhead as we came closer to their roosting spots, grey-headed gulls, pelicans, cormorants, flamingos, stilts, plovers and avocets.
Although with the clinging mud, each step added a kilo or two to our progress but the birds were always a distance presence.
John told us that before Ol'Tukai was built this area was a hunting haunt for mzungus living in Arusha, Quail being the bird of choice.
He also told us that previously the lake used to be full of dugout canoes fishing, and fishing camps would be built along the lake shore. The fishing camps were a major headache for the village leaders as they would chop down trees for firewood and leave plastic bags everywhere.
Ol'Tukai being there has now stopped this poaching.
We walked back to the camp via one of the family bomas Johns sister and mother were at home and we were given the royal tour, the chance to try some sour milk and maize , loshoro, I hope spelled correctly.We only tasted it but did sit in the dark smoke filled hut.
We had a late lunch and an afternoon nap followed by a very nice dinner.
After dinner we were offered a very special treat a night walk with our Masai guards and two very powerful torches. This was something special and eerie as we set off. Our main concern was not to step in holes which were every two or three meters. We managed to see some spring hares, a mongoose of some sort, a large barn owl and some night jars. We heard hyenas in the distance.We were never very far from the lodge and were always in the open.
Apparently John and his Masai guards had already checked the area out while were were having dinner, they new what to expect the walk was a treat.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip of a lifetime!
Our tour was fantastic! Our operator was very knowledgeable and considerate, accommodations were really great, and enjoyed all our experiences. I only wish we had more time in the Serengeti, and I would only take one day of rest upon arriving in Arusha. Otherwise we loved it!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I cannot speak highly enough about Makasa Tanzanian Safaris!
We contacted Makasa Tanzanian Safaris for information about where to go on Safari and also noted that we were on a budget. Selma responded straight away with detailed information on all the different National Parks and what we could see at each one. She also went above and beyond and came up with an idea of joining with another group to make it cheaper for us as she knew we were on a budget. She went to a lot of effort to join us with a group who we would get along with and joined us with two girls around our age and put together our whole Safari package which included the Serengetti, Ngorogoro Crater and Tarangire National Parks. Our accomodation was in tented camps and in a hotel for our last night. The tented camps were amazing, something out of a movie! We made made great friends with the girls we were with and had an adventure of a lifetime. Selma picked great accomodation for us and we could not be happier with the stunning parks we visited. Our Safari guide was always polite and full of information. Selma and Ngomi were just so helpful on our visit to Moshi and did not hesitate to help us with whatever we needed. We decided the service was so great fpr our safari that we booked our Kilimanjaro climb and also a trip to Zanzibar with Makasa. Selma and Ngomi arranged everything for us and again the service was flawless. Our Kilimanjaro climb was the best thing I have ever done and our guide, Genes and his team, absolutely made the climb as fantastic as it was. Zanzibar was beautiful and our accomodation was exactly what we were looking for. Climbing Kilimanjaro can be a dangerous task but we were blown away by the extent of care we received before and through out the climb.
I am so happy we found a company as honest, caring and trustworthy as Makasa Tanzanian Safaris to help us plan each of our adventures. The service we received and the tour itself completely exceeded our expectations. I would not hesitate to recommend Makasa to anyone planning a safari, Kilimanjaro climb or trip to Zanzibar. Our experiences in Tanzania were all made incredible, without a doubt, to the efforts of Makasa Tanzanian Safari's.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful, personalized trip with amazing experiences! Close Up and Personal!
The safari was better than I EVER could have dreamed of. We went independently (2 of us), and saw so much in several parks. We chose the tented camps which give you a real up close and personal feel for the bush. The guides were all Masai Mara and knew their country and animals. The vehicles were dependable, open-aired, and allowed us to get close to the animals....safely. Staying outside the major parks in the conservancies was ideal....off-roading was possible and NEVER crowded, yet we also ventured into the amazing parks: Amboselli, Masai Mara, and Pejeta. Everything was pre-arranged and went like clockwork, from airport pick-up, to our last days in Malindi and Nairobi. The one-on-one experiences allowed us to really talk with the Masai and learn a lot about their life...then and now. It was truly a trip of a lifetime!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Safari, Wonderful Guide
We are now back home and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank s to Tracksberg travel who made our recent safari trip to Kenya such a great success. We had an amazing time in Kenya, the tour met all our expectations and more. Everything went well as per our itinerary put together by Erick without any hitches at all. Erick, the company owner went out of the way to be our drive cum guide as well! The choice of lodges and the two camps were excellent, great staff from the moment we checked in until we checked left. Very friendly and “nothing is too much a problem” attitude to their work certainly made the experience even more enjoyable.
We saw a leopard in three locations, something that was so special as we have been on several safaris without seeing one, many thanks to Erick, our hawk eyed Guide- very knowledgeable and fun to be with.
We had a great time from start to finish.
Would we recommend Tracksberg Travel? A definite yes!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A wonderful introduction to an amazing country
Julian and I first met Pieter and his wife, Tessa, at a travel show in London in 2009. Their friendly and personal approach immediately appealed to us, so when the time came to plan our visit to Namibia, we turned to Pieter. He provided initial ideas for an itinerary, but was very patient in working with us to put together a tour to suit our interests, timetable and budget. As an example, at our request Pieter incorporated kayaking among seals in Walvis Bay – a unique experience that was as new to Pieter as it was to us. That flexibility extended to the tour itself. Pieter made sure that we covered everything we'd planned, but he was also happy to deviate where he thought our experience would be enhanced. One instance of this was when he added hours to his driving day in order to show us the Orange River.
Pieter's sturdy people carrier is designed to carry six people, but there were just the two of us on this trip. Fortunately, Pieter is an excellent travelling companion and very good company. He is extremely knowledgeable about the history, geography, politics and social aspects of Namibia and shares what he knows with enthusiasm. Where he really comes into his own though, is with his encyclopaedic knowledge of the flora and fauna of his adopted country. This ranged from being able to tell me the name of more or less any bird I spotted to turning the car round to go and take a closer look when I thought we had run over a cobra in the road (we had, but fortunately it survived the experience and we got an unexpected close-up view!). In a country as photogenic as Namibia, Pieter's interest in photography was a bonus. It meant that he was just as happy as we were to stop and take that special shot.
We stayed in a wide variety of accommodation, which was, without exception, clean and comfortable. Particularly memorable was Terrace Bay, a government run lodge in what was an old diamond mining community right on the Skeleton Coast. In a country, which, while generally safe, does not have the infrastructure that we are used to, it was also good to be with someone like Pieter, who knows the country well and is always prepared and resourceful when the unexpected occurs.
All in all, our trip was one of the most memorable we have ever had, due in no small part to Pieter. Apart from all our wonderful experiences, we came away feeling that we had made a friend, and indeed, we have since met him in London and remain in touch.