20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
AMAING BACKPACKERS SAFARIS EXPERIENCE
Backpackers is your trusted safari partner in-case you care about remote and local travels. They are personalized and detailed as they are in touch with both local community and service providers. The drives, treks and stopovers in company of experienced tour-guides is breathtaking!
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Safari, Best Team!!!
I found Kanuth Safari on the Internet. It was one of many companies that I had approached. I quickly realized that this is the one — they were responding promptly and prepared an offer perfectly matching our needs. I immediately felt that I was speaking with a man, and not a “name.” Our choice of their company turned out to be excellent — we had a great time during our Tanzanian vacation. Private safari in the Selous Game Park surpassed our expectations. Additionally, Kanuth took care of us in Dar es Salaam, for which we are very grateful to them. We will certainly be recommending Kanutha at all possible Polish travel forums as a company and a person who meets all the expectations of the most discerning travelers!!! Kanuth, Tony and wonderful Nico — thank you very much for the wonderful vacation. We wil meet in Northern parks soon! Today with full conviction and utmost joy we are recommending you to all our traveling friends! Asante sana :)
CZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Generally it was a really nice safari experience.
Tarangire - Ngorongoro - Lake Manyara
We saw "The big 5". Driver George was very helpful, able to answer each of our questions. Dinner was delicious, the lunch boxes were a bit poor. We spent two nights in a lodge in Fanaka Campsite & Lodge. Staff was very pleasant and also the accomodation was not bad. Everything was clean and tidy.
Tarangire and especially Ngorongoro was a great experiance, many animals and very varied nature but Lake Manyara was very different. There was almost nothing to see.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
We booked our six day climb via the Machame route on Mount Kilimanjaro with Kili Smile Trails & Safaris and we can only recommend them. Even before we left for Tanzania, they were very helpful and quick in answering our questions about the necessary gear and the planning. We flew via Dar-es-Salaam to Kilimanjaro airport with Fastjet where we were picked up and brought to Keys hotel in Moshi, which is a quiet and clean hotel.
On the night of our arrival, our guide (Bakari) checked our gear for the hike and recommended additional things to rent out for the hike, for example warmer sleeping bags. There is a lot of stuff that you carry up the mountain but only use during the last day, such as warm gloves, hat, trouser and jacket. But it is well worth it because you do not want to feel cold during the last bit of the ascent. It was no problem to rent out the additional gear on the morning of the first day. It was also possible to leave some of our stuff, which we did not need on Mount Kilimanjaro, in the hotel. Ezekiel from Kili Smile was kind enough to pick up our stuff and bring it to the gate after we finished our hike on the sixth day as we went straight on for Safari.
On the morning of our climb, we paid the outstanding sum (as we had transfered part of the whole amount beforhand). It was no problem to pay some of the amount in Tanzanian Shillings, although normally in Tanzania you pay larger sums in US Dollars.
During the late morning we arrived at the Machame gate and around lunchtime we could start our ascent. There is always some waiting time involved as some administrative procedures need to be done and the porters need to weigh their lugagge as they are only allowed to carry up to 20 kg. We had to guides (Bakari and Edi) who were very helpful and explained us many things along the way. While the first day of hike is through the rain forest, the vegetation is quickly becoming less dense at the end of the first day and from then one you will not see that many trees any more. The ascent is in generally technically not very demanding, but the Baranco wall on the fourth day is certainly more challenging.
Every evening we were cooked a nice dinner with a soup as a starter, a main (very varied including meat, fish, potatoes, rice, pasta) and some fruits. We also drank a lot of tea as it is very important to stay hydrated during the hike. After dinner, our guide would come into our dining tent and explain the next day, how long we would hike and what to wear. Every morning we were woken up around 6.30 am with a fresh ginger tea and then after a quick wash, had an excellent breakfast, including omelette, pancakes and fruits. Before breakfast we also packed our stuff as the porters would already start to load their stuff and dismantle the tent.
You normally walk about four to five hours a day and enjoy a beautiful landscape with great views on the cloud cover. If I had to do it again, I would certainly enjoy this unique experience more, as I was quite a bit worried about altitude sickness. Already during the first night at 3000m I suffered from headache and did not sleep very well. But from then on, I did not have any problems with headache again except for a short time at the Lava tower on the third day at 4800m. The both of us were very lucky not to suffer from strong symptoms of altitude sickness, but this can be very different from one person to the other. It is certainly important to drink a lot.
After four days of hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, the most exciting part came on the fifth day, the day of the hike to the summit. We started around midnight from Barafu hut (4600m) in a pretty cold and completely dark night. Equipped with a head torch we went up the last 1300m, which except for the first bit, is not very challenging but steep. Surrounded by many lights from other head torches you go up very slowly (one of the first words in Kiswahili you will learn is pole, pole, i.e. slowly, slowly). After walking up a few minutes, our guides offered us to carry our backpacks, which made the ascent even easier. During the ascent on the last day it is important to keep drinking and also eat a bit, but the breaks are relatively short as you get cold very quickly. Six hours after we left the base camp, we reached Uhuru peak at 5895m and were rewarded with a spectacular view of the rising sun.
Having just made it to the top of Africa, the following descent of about three hours to Barafu camp and then another three hours to the last camp are certainly less enjoyable as the first bit is on loose gravel and very dusty.
All in all, it was a great experience going up Kilimanjaro and we can only recommend Kili Smile as we always got the necessary support. We are also grateful because they arranged for us to be picked up at the gate on the last day in order for us to start straight away with our Safari.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Value
This is a very reasonably priced company that offers fantastic service and excellent value holidays.
We took a ten day trip to see the great migration calving with them in February. They created a tailor-made, private camping tour for two people for as much as it would've cost to join one of the larger companies standard tours sharing with other guests. Highly recommend going on a private tour as it means that you can choose how long you want to spend at each animal sighting and you get the charging powerpoint in the truck all to yourselves (a big deal if you need to charge multiple devices). Another bonus is that you can choose the dates you are free. The destinations we visited included: Tarangire National Park, Serengeti Central, Serengeti South (highly recommend in February for viewing predators hunting or with their kills), Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara.
The guide and cook set up and packed all the camping facilities, allowing for us to kick back and relax while viewing the beautiful scenery. The company provided us with sleeping bags, matresses and pillows free of charge and bottled water free of charge everyday. We didn't expect the food to be the highlight of a camping safari, but our cook Stephen really had a command over spices and made the most delicious soups for entree everyday which was always followed by a tasty, generous main and dessert and warm drinks afterwards.You will not go hungry. He uses a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, which was important to us as we like healthy, wholesome meals (so many cooks load up the pan with oil, leaving to you feeling sluggish). We still talk about his soups today, he really made an impact on us, he is also just a really nice guy.
The 4x4 trucks are equipped with a fridge, powerpoint, roof that pops up so you can stand while on safari and, most importantly, a radio (so other guides can share what they have found). Our guide, Hassan was one of the most respected guides amongst the Tanzanian guides. He always got us the best, or a very good, position for viewing but he never compromised the welfare of the animals, as some other guides from other companies sadly did. Due to this respect from his fellow guides, he was always in the loop with what was the latest animal sighting.
I have nothing bad to say about this company, they are very professional, friendly and they don't rip you off. I couldn't imagine doing a safari in Tanzania any other way.
amazing experience!!
when i booked kenya walking safaris i was a little apprehensive,but it was a very nice experience.we had a great trip. stay &food was simple but very fine.had no problems whatsoever.i would definitely recommend it very strongly to others..real value for money overall a fantastic,memorable trip..
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent VIP trip with Asante Safaris
Renny and her team at Asante Safaris put together an excellent itinerary and executed it very well.
This was a VIP safari organized in large part around Mwanaidi Maajar, then Tanzanian ambassador to the United States, so an added element was meetings with H.E. President Jakaya Kikwete and other high government officials.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
After being welcomed hearty we always felt comfortable and secure travelling around with ilmaasai.
Our tour was organized by my sister in law. As a local she recommended ilmaasai as relaibel, relaxed and sensible. Our driver was competent in answering questions concerning all kind of wilflife and the environment, etc. He brought us savley to and through all the beautiful tanzanian parks. Nice companion to travel with! Like our cook too! We enjoyed in his cuisine and more than once we were surprised about his performance late at night after a long day out in nature. Al lot of non-replaceble moments we finished our safari impressed deeply. Thanks a lot!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Superb Namibian introduction trip.
We enjoyed a short, 5-day trip with Nick from Nature Travel Namibia earlier this month. We were interested in an introductory tour of Namibia, to see some of the countryside, but moreover, to see the country's incredibly rich birdlife.
Nick organised everything from the trip itinerary, to accommodation and extra excursions. In our wildest dreams could we not have imagined that Namibia would creep into our hearts so quickly! The pleasant people, the multi-coloured countryside, the incredible desert vistas, the untamed animal life and of course the diverse bird species all impressed us immensely.
Nick was the star of the show, being friendly and professional at the same time. He quickly became a friend for life and we will definitely make use of his expertise in the future.
Great Tour to the Murchison Falls
Thanks Stephen for the great trip we had with you. It was excellent, how you guided us around.