DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari of a lifetime, with the best guide possible!
1) The preparation
The organization of this trip of a lifetime was superb! I contacted more than half a dozen safari operators and E-Trip Africa’s was the only reply which was really personalized, with sound advice.
Aurelie was incredibly helpful, very knowledgable and very patient with all my requests and questions. Her advice was absolutely invaluable for us since we had no experience whatsoever with planning a safari. This was how it all started:
„We (a couple) plan to go to Northern Tanzania in July 2019 and go on a safari to Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, and maybe Manyara and/or Lake Natron.
We’d like
-to see lots of animals incl. birds on the safari
-experienced guides pointing them out
-to experience Serengeti and Ngorongoro (these are on our bucket list) and other parks in the area
-preferably accommodation with bathroom/shower (can be basic but we'd prefer not having to camp — those safari tents with beds and bathroom would be OK though)
-vegetarian food for one of us
We plan on spending approx. 5-7 days on a safari“
Aurélie then sent me a first itinerary, with helpful advice (against Lake Natron, for Tarangire). On this basis we then wrote back and forth for several times, tweaking the budget a bit.
E-Trip Africa is the only company I contacted where the costs are completely transparent and with Aurélie’s advice, I could easily find alternative (and very good!) options for our budget.
Finally, we settled on a 6 day safari taking in Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Endoro Nature Trail Walk, Serengeti, Oldupai Museum and Ngorongoro.
2) The trip
Everything was absolutely perfect, from pick-up at JRO airport, our stays at Researcher’s Rest (it felt like home), the delicious food cooked by Eddie there, and of course the flawlessly organized safari through some of the most beautiful landscapes we have ever seen, with incredible wildlife. Which leads me to:
3) Our guide David
There are not enough superlatives to describe David, our guide.
He is super kind and has a great sense of humour, which makes him the perfect travel companion for a trip of over 1000 km.
But most importantly, he has 25 years of experience as a guide and he knows EVERY animal (mammal, bird, reptile) and plant you come across, plus history, geology, and whatever else you may want to know about.
He also knows exactly which animals to find where and when in the vast expanses of the parks. He would tell us that in this area one can find a certain animal, and after a few minutes, there it was!
He has an incredible eyesight, discovering tiny birds or lizards completely camouflaged 10 meters away in the grass.
Additionally, he seems to have 360° vision - or he is a witch doctor :-) (we still don’t know how he spotted animals which were halfway behind us!). Thanks to him, we spotted the Big Five, plus cheetahs, jackals, serval cats, hyenas, etc., and well over 100 species of birds!
We really appreciated that he is very respectful of the animals - in central Serengeti there were some quite ugly scenes with multiple cars chasing a lioness trying to stalk prey just 2 meters away from the cars. David made sure to keep a distance so as not to disturb the animals - which for us, was the whole point of the safari: seeing animals in their natural habitat, with their natural behavior.
I could go on and on and on, so to cut it short: David is THE BEST.
Asante sana for this wonderful experience!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Trip
We are so glad we booked our South African safari with Roho Ya Chui. From start to finish, it was a pleasure having Ute as our travel agent. She suggested a fantastic itinerary with wonderful lodges. I really appreciated her prompt email responses during the planning process and careful attention to detail. When we arrived, all the road transfers were already arranged and everything went smoothly. We are so thankful for her services. We hope to return to Africa one day and if we do, we will surely book with Roho Ya Chui again.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome Service
It was so exciting by the excellent service provided at such a competitive price.
Reliable and dedicated team.
The tour was carried out as instructed by the director.
A big thanks to Mr Vincent and his team for the professional service.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The safari was a great experience, nice and safe driver and guide.
For me all was perfect. The accommodation all this days was ok.
The service has been that I expected, all very helpful and friendly. The driver, Simon, has had perfect driving, has been patient and kind. The company has had a perfect treatment, Kevin has been patient and has adapted to our needs.
Next month some friends will come to Kenya and I will recommend it and keep the contact for future occasions.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible experience and really well coordinated. I really recommend them!
Kevin offers us a really good experience. We spend a nice days with two safaris in Masai Mara and Amboseli. The expectations had been upper than imagined. Amazing experience.
The driver Simond was a 10, very helpful and kind with us.
We really recommend this company and this guys, so serious and always trying to offer the best services to us.
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!
One of the best experience in my life! Nice people! The driver was a good part of this experience, he was very helpful and he was searching all the time the best views and looking to see all the animals! I went 6 days to (masai mara, nakuru lake and amboseli)! I recommended this company, thank you simón (driver) and kevin!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience, highly recommend
My husband and I did a six day safari (Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli) with Arony as our guide. We had an incredible time. Arony is super knowledgeable, friendly, and an all around fantastic tour guide. I will definitely be requesting him next year when I come back for a second safari with my parents and brother. The head office was very responsive over what’s app, answered all my questions, and then organized a train for us from Nairobi to Mombasa at the end of our trip. Will definitely be booking again. Impeccable customer service.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
very good experience，thank you so much.
I am very satisfied with the service of the company, the communication is very smooth, this trip is also very pleasant, looking forward to the next trip.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They knew what was needed to be done.
The services provided were great. Nothing to complain about the tour experience I had. Simply awesome
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent trip, flexible planning!
This was our first trip to Africa. We stayed for 4 weeks, one of which was devoted to a 7-day safari to Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. One of those days was devoted to exploring the city of Arusha.
Philemon planned an excellent safari for us. The accomodation ranged from luxurious to very good considering the location when staying in the middle of the Serengeti. Most camps or lodges brought us as close to the local wildlife as we cared to be. The game drives allowed us to see all of the big animals one associates with these parks as well as allowing us to become familiar with many others. Our driver/guide was patient and accommodating and we also learned a lot about local culture in conversations with him.
Philemon made our trip easy by arranging airport transfer on arrival, accommodation at the beginning and end of our trip as well as the safari trip itself and he remained flexible to changes in our schedule. For example he provided support for an extra day in Arusha as we had an evening flight leaving JRO.
We happily recommend Aardvark Expeditions to anyone looking to plan a trip to Tanzania.