US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
5 day safari with gorilla tracking
We went on a five (5) day safari at the end of July 2017. Michael was our guide and he was amazing! We could not have asked for a better person to take us on our journey. He was knowledgeable about every place we visited as well as the places we drove through to and from Kampala. We now consider him a friend after spending so much time with him.
Our safari included a tour of Kampala (with a visit to the Palace), gorilla tracking (don't miss out on this adventure if you are in Uganda - it was incredible!), a safari drive where we saw tree climbing lions, antelope, so many baboons, elephants and buffalo along with many bird species. Michael has excellent eyes to spot even the furthest off animal. We also went on a boat tour of the Kazinga Channel and stayed at the Bush Lodge (another must do!) Our final day had us going chimpanzee tracking before driving back to Kampala.
All of our accomodations (we chose the "moderate" category) were top notch. We were treated respectfully and greeted with that beautiful Ugandan smile that we became used to at every location.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We couldn't have asked for a better experience.
We were met at the airport when we arrived in Victoria Falls and the one on one attention and hospitality never stopped from there. Our schedule was really busy and we ended up making a few changes here and there at the last minute and Patrick made every accommodation necessary without any problems. Our guide to the falls, Polite, was amazing and so knowledgeable about everything. We felt we were given such a better and in depth tour than others around us with their guides. A trip to the local village in Zambia with Esau was great and well worth it. Knowing that every time we had an outing and that Patrick was there to see us off and make sure the driver was briefed and transfers, tickets or anything else was taken care of was really nice. It made the trip so personalized and different that the other tours offered. We would recommend Jibha and do it all over again in a heartbeat!
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect arranged tour and holiday
We met Pearl Afric Tours & Travel (Innocent) in Vienna on the holiday fair. We were convinced from the beginning that this will be the best operator for our holiday.
From the arriving in Entebbe till the time we were brought back to the airport we were very well looked after. Our driver Paul had answers to all our questions and he fulfilled all our wishes.
All the lodges which were organized from Pearl Afric were very nice, clean and the food was very delicious. The staff was very friendly.
We can recommend Pearl Afric Tours & Travel to everyone!
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful trip!
We had the best safari trip with our guide Mike. He was the best guide you can imagine. We did see a lot of animals and it was a beautiful experience! We went to Mikumi National Park. The banda's were great, the food was good and we had a beautiful view from our banda's. Everything was good arranged and everybody from Usambara Expeditions is so kind and sweet to us and they wanted to make sure we had a lovely time at the park, and we absolutely did!! We really recommend Usambara to everyone!
Thanks Alex for the good and nice service, Mike, thankyou so much for everything and Zacharia thank you also for everything you did for us!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari, guide found all the animals.
I went on a 6 day safari, including Masai mara, Lake Nakuru and Amoseli. Our guide was very knowledgeable and found all the animals. Very good value for money.
BR
Great company, unforgettable experience!
My friend and I did a 3-day Safari with Earthlife Expeditions and it couldn't be better! Me and my friend had a very close schedule and have only begun talking to them 3 weeks before the Safari.
They were not only very efficient on arranging everything but also extremely kind from emailing with Caudence and telephoning them to the day we actually met. I believe the best thing about Earthlife Expeditions is that it is a small company (though one of the 10 best in Tanzania) but surprisingly organized and able to do personalized schedules.
Regarding the Safari itself, we went from Kilimanjaro International Airport to a hotel in Arusha (where they happily took us to buy a few supplies and change money) and then to our stops: Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park. Most of hotels were of high standard and we had great meals (the only problem was that sometimes the shower wasn't warm).
Our Tour Guide was Charles, who has 35 years of experience and a pair of Eagle Eyes. What was best about Charles was that he would go slower than other cars when he thought that might be animals around, but when he heard of lions or other more less common animals, he would just rush through the savannah to get us there (and he did quite a few times).
Regarding prices: it is not the cheapest nor the most expensive company out there: we paid 1200 dollars for 4 nights, all meals, transportation and Safari. Drinks at the hotel are not included and there is a lot of tipping (5 dollars per day per person to each hotel; 15-30 dollars per day per person to the Safari Guide, we gave 60 euros for both of us).
You have to keep in mind that it might not always be comfortable and you might be unlucky some days and do get to see all you want (we were extremely lucky: lions, cheetahs and a caracal). It was a great experience, and A good fraction of it was because of Earthlife Expeditions!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review of Kilimanjaro Trekking Mate
We came across Kilimanjaro Trekking Mate after comparing reviews for various Kili trekking and safari operators mostly on TripAdvisor. While there are not many reviews available for these guys, they all seemed positive. The decisive factor was our limited budget: with many other positively reviewed companies Kili climbs and safaris can be significantly more expensive.
Price: $1045 per person for a 4-day safari (Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro) plus a $150 tip for the guide + $80 for the cook from the group. $1700 per person for 8 days of Kili trekking via the Lemosho route plus a $300 tip per person to the guide (who then distributes it as appropriate to the trekking crew). Note that these tips are considered mandatory. For a bit extra KTM offers various equipment for rent, which is a good solution if you don't fancy bringing your own sleeping bag or trekking poles to Africa.
Safari: overall an excellent experience, with our guide Shirima being a highly professional and pointing out animals that our untrained eyes would have never noticed on their own. The car was comfortable and had no issues with the tough roads in the national parks. Camping in the parks' vicinity was a lot of fun, especially seeing zebras and hyenas sneaking around at night. Definitely consider adding a safari to your hike, especially if you love seeing exotic animals in the wild and up close.
Kili: once again, an excellent experience. Our crew carried the heavy stuff around (thanks, guys!), leaving us to enjoy the hike with daypacks. The tent was comfortable and spacious, with an integrated mess section. The food was enjoyable for an 8-day hike, and around day 5 we even had fresh goods delivered up, including some absolutely delicious ginger tea. Kudos to the guides, Baraka and Goodluck, for doing a fantastic job of leading us through, especially the hike at summit night (which was tough, but "pole-pole" does the trick). Baraka and Goodluck measured our oxygen levels and pulse each evening as well as our lungs in the morning to make sure we're acclimatizing well. It's important to have medically trained personnel with you on the mountain, we've heard about bad things happening in groups that apparently didn't. Lemosho route is highly recommendable due to its beauty and relative lack of congestion. As the rest of the mountain, it's quite dusty, so bring some gaiters along. KTM does not provide private toilet tents, so be prepared to use the common squat toilets. While not an issue at the lower camps, squeamish people may cringe at those in the higher camps. If you want to hike at a more relaxed pace, have problems with altitude or have never been as high as Kili, we suggest you opt for an extra acclimatization day (Lemosho can be done in either 7 or 8 days).
The company: we found KTM to be very reliable, patiently answering our many questions prior to arrival. We were met at the airport by Nick, the company's director, and transferred to Moshi where we cross-checked our plans and equipment rental list. Nick even threw in a few freebie rental items for the mountain (asante sana!) :) We also found out that evening that our post-Kili flight to Zanzibar by Precision Air had been cancelled. Since we would definitely not have internet and only very sporadic mobile signal, we asked Nick if he could buy us new tickets for the same date while we were away. He was glad to assist and helped us out brilliantly (thanks again, Nick!). Since the new flight schedule introduced some spare time after the climb, he and Baraka offered we go together to some of the local sights. Thanks to them, we had an impromptu and very worthwhile visit to Chagga tribal coffee growing villages and a beautiful waterfall that day.
I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions, but I consider KTM to be a trustworthy company that can provide you with a fantastic experience in Tanzania without breaking the bank.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life Changing Experience-Solo Traveler!
As a solo traveler, I will never be able to fully convey the expertise, knowledge of the perfect itinerary, care and helpfulness Yellow Zebra showed me. Almost a month in Africa, doing various safaris and islands across the continent, it all couldn't have gone more smoothly or been more amazing, thanks to the incredibly knowledgeable individuals at YZ (most notably Kirsten Woolley). YZ picked the perfect hotels and lodges, from location, to comfort, to fabulous staff, to all around amazing. I was even impressed that I was usually checked out and picked up for my next destination before the check out time at the lodge/hotel. That was great and very convenient. Prior to departing for Africa I had millions of questions, and even some reservations about traveling solo, and Kirsten helped me along every step of the way. She made me feel very important as a customer of YZ and when I spoke with various staff members at YZ they were incredibly kind and welcoming. I am SO glad that the jeeps at the camps YZ chose were all open air. I saw so many jeeps that were closed in and it really took away from the experience in my opinion. I also loved having safari time in the bush to myself (with a private guide). It was a great way to connect with guides and get a very personal experience. That was one of the highlights for me. Spending a night in Arusha, having a nice meal, incredible dinner and just "taking a minute" after such a long day of travel from the states was perfect and such a wonderful idea. That really started off the trip in a wonderful way. The transfers to and from airports, hotels and lodges were wonderful and totally the way to go in a foreign place. Those individuals couldn't have been nicer. I definitely felt very looked after. I was especially impressed that YZ hired a gentleman who waited with me at the airport in Zanzibar until my driver arrived to take me to the resort. That was great and incredibly helpful, as that was a very busy place with a lot going on. The V &A hotel in Cape Town was superb and the perfect location. The lodges were top notch and I literally cried leaving the camps and people behind. Ending a wonderful trip, with a busy itinerary, at Azura was perfect because it allowed me to "decompress" after all the goings on from touring the various countries. My trip was flawless. It was great knowing that at any time I could call or email Kirsten or any YZ staff member. That was very comforting. I would, without question, use YZ again. I've also told all of my friends and family about YZ. I cannot wait to reserve my next safari with YZ! It would be a pleasure and honor to work with them again! Thank you Yellow Zebra for putting together a life-changing trip for me! I am forever a new person and owe that all to you!! Hakunah Matata!”
US
Experience level: first safari
Yellow Zebra Rocks!
“Yellow Zebra rocks! My husband and I are experienced world travelers and found significant value in Yellow Zebra's services for our South African & Zambia safari vacation. We loved that we could customize our itinerary and arrange for "meet & greet" transfers. Yellow Zebra's 'in-country' hotels and vendors are superior in service and a true delight. Their knowledge of the area and advice helped me so much in crafting the best itinerary for us. I would highly recommend Yellow Zebra to all!”
HK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great team and organizers of East African Safari
Thanks to African Paradise Safari we had the most brilliant time in Kenya and Tanzania. We loved the national parks and our guides Adam and Isaa were very knowledgeable and took great care of us. As for the lodges all were very good and we loved Rhino Lodge, Kati Kati and the people at Fisi Camp were very warm and friendly.