US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It Started in Africa is a really customer friendly company.
It Started in Africa built a safari trip just to my specifications for a safari in Sept/Oct 2015. This company was a pleasure to work with from beginning to end. On an 8 day Safari I visited Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Ngorongoro Caldera, and the Serengeti, both the central area and the far north.
As I was travelling alone I had different needs from the normal but ISIA tailored the trip just for me and my needs.
From day one I sent many questions to ISIA by email and Joao Oliveira replied to all of them very promptly answering all my questions in a detailed and very clear way. ISIA provided very transparent information on how they price a safari. They gave a detailed breakdown on the cost of each individual component of the safari. This made it very easy to decide what to select in terms of accommodations, activities etc.
I had a vehicle and guide all to myself although there was room for 6 in the vehicle. The vehicle was a good Toyota Land cruiser with a pop up roof perfect for negotiating the tough terrain of the Serengeti. There were charging facilities in the vehicle for phones, cameras etc. Binoculars were provided.....although if you have your own ones that you really like then I would advise bring them also.
My guide and driver, Deogratis, was extremely pleasant to be with and very friendly. He was happy to take me wherever I wanted to go and stay at any particular viewing as long as I wished. He also helped with photography. And he was very knowledgeable about where to find good sightings. He started early and kept going all day or as long as I wished and was also very nice company at dinner times. I saw the full range of animals (all you could possibly wish for) over the course of the safari and we were also lucky enough to observe many of them engaging in a variety of behaviors such as eating, fighting, migrating, hunting, rearing young, family moments etc and even a couple of wildebeest river crossings.
I also experienced a really good range of accommodations. I chose to stay in public campsites for 6 nights at a really reasonable cost. I didn't care about the level of accommodation as a solo traveler. The public campsites were very satisfactory and the food provided by ISIA each day, both meals and packed lunches, were very good. Plenty of water was provided as well. It was a wonderful experience to sleep in a tent in unfenced campsites in the Serengeti.
To view the wildebeest crossings in the far north I had to stay two nights in the Ang'ata Migration Camp suggested by Joao. It was a luxurious tented camp set up specifically in a remote location near to potential crossings at that time of year. We saw two river crossings thanks to Deogratis finding them and the good luck that they happened while we were there. It was well worth it to travel to the far north to see this spectacle.
Aside from all of this ISIA met me at KJO airport and returned me to KJO airport after the safari. They also arranged a guesthouse for me near Arusha on the day before the safari started and the day the after the safari ended . My luggage was lost by the airline on the flight to Arusha. ISIA managed to take care of chasing down my missing bag and brought it to me the next day after we had already started the safari. What a wonderful service!
On the way to the Serengeti I spent 2 nights at Haven Nature Campsite. This campsite was very pleasant and significantly better than the public ones in the Serengeti while similar in price range. Staying there allowed me to visit both Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park. I would highly recommend both when visiting the Serengeti as they are very different experiences in terms of landscape and vegetation. On the way back I stayed at a campsite near Ngorongoro for visiting the Caldera the next morning.
I would strongly advise anyone visiting the Serengeti to break the trip from Arusha. It is an extremely long drive and there is lots to see both going and coming. All the parks I visited were great experiences but the Serengeti was my favorite. It easily lived up to its reputation.
Thank you to Deogratis, my guide. Also to Joao Oliveira for arranging a wonderful trip for me over the internet. And to all the other staff at ISIA who I communicated with and/or met.
I highly recommend ISIA to anyone planning a safari or any other trip in Tanaznia.
John Hopkins
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service and reliability
- Service was excellent
- Guide was always on time, gave good advice and was good in spotting the animals
- Payment/reservation everything was done like it should be.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good plan, average delivery
Communication was generally quite good as we arranged everything by email and had quick and informative responses to our questions.
The overall safari route is a little different to the typical routes as it includes a few additional parks, which we found to be enjoyable but not essential. The route we thought could have been planned a little better as we had several days where we "doubled-up" on driving instead of viewing each game park in a more logical order.
We had several tour guides over our 12 day safari which ranged in quality from excellent to poor.
The only major issue we had with the whole safari was with accommodation whereby they showed us an example of the accommodation "or similar" for each night and found that when they changed to a "similar" place it was significantly worse than the example we had been showed. We had one night very early on in the trip where instead of staying in a nice guest house we were put in what I can only describe as a half-star motel inside a loud and bright garage. We had paid to upgrade from the basic accommodations to "mid-range" options based on what we saw on Tripadvisor which made this point very upsetting.
Overall we saw a lot of animals and went to a lot of locations which we were very happy with so my only word of advice would be to strongly critique the specific details of the accommodation.
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience
We are very pleased with the service during the safari, from the pick-up at the hotel through out the 4 days to the drop off at airport. The guide and rangers were very knowledgeable and competent and were very dedicated to giving us the best experience possible. Wildlife Safaris certainly lived up to our expectations during the tour. Apart from som slow response time while booking and getting confirmation the overall rating is excellent.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
perfect trip
We went for a 4 day safari, it was amazing and a great experience. Everything was fine, very friendliy stuff, we saw a lot of animals, delicious food, fair price. There is nothing to complain about, so we recommend to go with Mega Adventures on safari, we would go with them anytimes again!
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Uncomplicated and good value for money
We found Roho Ya Chui online comparing different agencies. After the first contact communication with Ute went very easy and open and we found all our questions quickly answered and we finally booked the safari, Vic-Falls, Cape Town package. Arranging an extension to the trip was also no problem. The trip itself was great, everything was even beyond our expectation. Pick-ups were punctual and reliable. We met nice people in the camps and had great guides. We liked the atmosphere in the lodges especially in Pom Pom with the spacious tents. Going in the rainy season was no problem as we had no drop of rain .... What I missed was a bit physical activity such as hiking or walking, as for safety only drives are being done, but that we knew before and in Cape Town we could finally walk a lot by climbing the table mountain, discovering the city and its surroundings.
We never went on package tours before but this kind of trip Africa it was the right thing to do, especially being there for the first time. I hope to go there again soon!
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable Serengeti camping trip
Our 2nd time in Tanzania and our 2nd time using Safarionline. Once again we decided to visit Africa at fairly short notice and once again Walter was able to accommodate us with no problems at all. Again communication was constant, clear and once we decided what we wanted, efficiently handled.
We had already done the typical northern circuit on our first trip to Tanzania so this time round we wanted something different, to only stay in the Serengeti as we loved that over other locations. The chosen camp (Serengeti Wilderness Camp) was perfect, a true bush experience. Food was great and it had everything you needed. I always say a flushing loo and hot shower in a tent is luxury already, anything else is just decadence.
Our guide was fantastic and we were in a different part of the park each day and to top it all off we added a balloon trip which was unforgettable.
I have to again thank Walter for his expert knowledge and understanding in organising this amazing trip. So good to know that i have a reliable contact i can use for future trips to africa.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Superb experience in Ruaha
Among my 6 safari experiences, exploring the Ruaha with Chabo has been one of the best. The park itself is outstanding even during wet season and since the first moment I had the impression that Ruaha is Ernest's second home! His great passion, instinct, professionalism and experience has led us to discover the wonders of Ruaha for 3 days that are not related to animals only, but the nature itself. I also would like to thank Ernest because helped us a lot when one of us got sick. Definetely Chabo is a reliable company and Ernest a brilliant guide! Asante Sana!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The tour was informative and exciting and guides made you feel safe and protected.
The guides were very knowledgeable and the service was amazing. The tour guide found wildlife at every turn. It made the safari very exciting.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best tour company ever
Was a great safari, got stuck but got out. Would highly recommend them.