US
We did two safaris with Afroriginal, the first to Tarangire/Ngorongoro and the second to Serengeti.
The service was excellent. We stayed in top of the line places and Faye was extremely knowledgeable about the animals, their characteristics and their behavior. There was hardly any questions he couldn't answer and when he didn't know the answer, he told us and usually had the answer the next day. The only thing I wouldn't do again is Oldupai Gorge. It was $20 a person, and wasn't worth it. The people running the site were uncommunicative, and all of us agreed it was a waste of money and time.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Makasa's flawless planning & perfect execution exceeded our high expectations
Tanzania Northern Park Circuit: Sept. 22 to Oct. 6, 2015 (14 nights)
Summary: From our initial email to Makasa Tanzanian Safaris to our (oh, so sad) drop-off at Kilimanjaro Airport (jro), we were delighted. We consider ourselves experienced travelers with high expectations. Makasa's flawless planning and execution gave us delights and experiences we didn't dare hope for. We give Makasa our highest possible recommendation & would never consider any other operator should (when!) we return to Tanzania.
Operator Selection: George, age 61, & I, 56, had talked "safari" and googled options for 4 years. Finding Makasa's great reviews & fairly priced sample safaris on Safaribookings.com (& Trip Advisor) inspired us to finally act. The "hands-on" owners' backgrounds meant they quickly became our choice among the many operators we researched. As almost-fit middle-aged Americans on our first trip to East Africa, we were reassured by 1) Ngomi Kamm's family background in safari tourism, his German heritage (stereotyping yes, but I trust German's to deliver on high standards!) and his college time in the U.S. and 2) his wife & partner Selma's background as a Dutch nurse raising two little ones in Moshi said to us that she'd know how to keep clients safe and healthy in the wilds. Also, Makasa's sample itineraries on Safaribookings offered tremendous value for totally customized trips (just two of us with our personal guide going precisely where we wanted). From our first email contact, Selma's prompt professional responses exceeded our every expectation. She was patient & so helpful as we continued to add days to our trip, only possible because Makasa was offering such great value!
Guide: We've read many reviews about how kind, knowledgeable & professional all Makasa's well trained English-speaking guides are & that was repeated by several Makasa clients we encountered with various Makasa guides at crossroads during our safari. That said, we still can't say enough good things about our guide, Humphrey. He has remarkable eagle eyes, and we learned much from him about every animal & bird & culture we encountered. (We frequently said "It's ok we don't have Internet access now. We don't need Google; We have Humphrey!") He was wonderfully accommodating to our every idiosyncrasy (yes, George needed 50 shots of every bee-catcher & Humphrey wouldn't let me apologize for needing to tinkle every 30 minutes; he was happy I was following his wise recommendations to stay hydrated). He shared so much knowledge of our beloved Serengeti enroute that we were calling it "Humphrey World" before we got there. It would have been the trip of a lifetime if that were all there were to Humphrey but that's just the beginning! We were kinder, happier people because we were with Humphrey: He urged us not to boast at lodge lunch & dinners about our remarkable wildlife encounters (and there were many!) because it could make other safari clients, regardless of their operator, less content with their day or guide if they had missed something. And my, how we laughed. Big clowns ourselves, Humphrey's intelligence, quick wit & cleverness means we'd love spending time with him anywhere.
Itinerary: Our main objective was the Northern Park Circuit wildlife, but our trip was even more enriched because we trusted Selma to guide us on other experiences: cultural, philanthropic & more. We asked for an easy first day around Moshi, and were thrilled with the informative Chagga Village Cultural Tour & the phenomenally beautiful Marangu Falls. Makasa's in-town guide Theo was a wonderfully knowledgeable host and ambassador of Tanzanian culture. Olpopongi Maasai Cultural Village overnight was a life-time experience -- comfy & accommodating to western standards, yet a genuine education on how a renown people continue to live & honor their culture. We loved the Mama Clementina Foundation Kilimanjaro Lodge, first stop in Moshi from Kilimanjaro Airport (jro). Yes, our other lodgings were more modern & polished, but this clean comfortable lodge gave us a glimpse into a school that's uplifting and educating girls in a country that's trying hard to catch up on women's rights. Like every accommodation booked by Makasa, we wish we could have stayed longer to enjoy the delicious meals, our gracious host Ruth and her sweet students, training to work in hospitality. The lush mountain setting for Rhotia Valley Tented Camp, also supporting a school, took our breath away. We're also delighted that Makasa's good value package and our flexible timeframe gave us a day Lake Manyara & about 3 at Tarangire national parks.
Accommodations: All Makasa's picks exceeded our expectations, with gracious managers & staff, beautiful settings, comfy to luxurious accommodations and very good to fantastic food. I'll review, eventually, Maramboi (Tarangire) & KatiKati Tented Extra 1 (Serengeti) -- both are Tanganyika Wilderness Camps properties, Endoro Lodge (Karatu) and Ngorongoro (Crater) Sopa separately. Summary: We would have loved to stay longer every place Makasa booked us.
Wildlife: We embarked on our safari knowing that the landscape, people, culture & any animal sightings would be new & exciting to us; we were determined not to worry if the rare black rhinos or cautious cheetahs decided not to come out for us. What follows are major highlights among hundreds of sightings. Serengeti: two huge male hippos fighting above ground, multiple cheetah sightings, including one very close to road eating Thomson gazelle, herd of 18 elephants crossing road to waterhole, and lion, hunting, crouching, stalking, using nearby jeeps for cover. In transit, Serengeti to Crater: Caracal hanging by roadside; Ngorongoro Crator: 4 different black rhinos sightings, one very close and one of mother & child, herd of zebras, with one or two at a time, rolling in dirt about 20 feet from jeep and then surrounding jeep, Manyara National Park (a favorite for me for its intimacy & forest setting!): hundreds of pink flamingos, small herd of elephants (about 10) surrounding jeep as they crossed road. Tarangire National Park: 2 lion brothers finishing up a kill & much, much more. As for the total number of lions, I stopped paying attention to the guys' count around 90, spread among all the parks. We're so delighted that our abundance of time & Makasa's value pricing meant we got adequate time in all these parks. We had great experiences in every park.
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best holiday ever!!
It all started through word of mouth from my swedish friend. I decided to give the safari a try and all i Can say is the experience was jst awsome; from communication to the safari.
I highly recommend This Company .
DE
Experience level: first safari
Nice days with Norther Circuit
We were two german, young, experienced travelers, but the first time in Africa and on safari. We can recommend Northern Circuit without hasitation. The Manager/Owner as well as the staff are all doing a good job. I would like to mention in particular our driver/guide Freddy, who is so valuable for the company. He knew exactly where to go and was very experienced with safari and driving. The cook Bruno really knows how to cook tasty, healthy food (safe for Mzungo stomach). The only (!) thing we didn´t like was the (optional) visit to a "traditional" Maasai village on way to Serengeti: 50$ for 30 minutes fake, extremely unmotivated, false local-guide, mostly fake (including children forced to sit (propably all day) in a the fake outdoor-school for the tourists). To state it very clearly this was NOT organized by Northern Circuit but by the locals, we were just offered to stop there, that´s why include it in this review. The communication with the Manager Michael was excellent. We could easyly arrange every detail via email from germany in advance. You can rely on them 100% with everything they tell you. Our guide Freddy spoke very good English, we had interesting conversations about diverse topics. He was a very smart and open-minded person. One day after safari (at about 8pm) I realized that I lost my jacket on the Safari Jeep. It took me just one phonecall and Michael made sure that I had the jacket by 6am the next morning in our hotel to continue the trip with an early bus. It is detail like this that distinguish Northern Circuit. Chef Bruno and driver Freddy showed their responsible and good character as well as professional attitude when helping other Safari Jeeps, who were in trouble (puncture, accidents). The car was the standard Jeep every company is using, it was perfect to see animals when the roof was opend. Overall rating for Northern Circuti is excellent - as it should be for such an expensive activity as a safari adventure.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incredible trip - Thank you Congema
Trekking Kilimanjaro & Safari
We had an incredible trip thanks to Congema and we were absolutely delighted with the performance of the whole team.
Both during the preparation and the trip, all went very smoothly. In the beginning we had contact with Alain, who is prompt and we were able to come up with a great program.
Considering Congema has been in business for 6-7 years whereas other companies are in operation for a few years and close is proof of friendly and great service. Furthermore Congema is owned by a Tanzanian where as some others are operated with large agencies. The price is very good and when we compared to the big trekking companies we has some hesitation on the service, Congema far exceeded our expectations.
Right upon our arrival Congema picked us up from the airport. The next day we met our guide Victor for a briefing and he check our gear to make sure we would be in comfort. Our guides, Victor, Habib and Izack are well spoken and were polite, positive and professional. The guides ensure that each individual advance at their own pace with the goal is to get to the top.
Our ascent over 8 days to the summit was successful for all 6 of us in the group. The whole team (guides, assistants, cook, and porters) work well together. Special mention to Ramsoo, who makes your morning, lunches and dinners in a great atmosphere.
We also chose to do a Safari with Congema. We were again picked up by our guide/driver on time (we were never late because of Congema, always on time, even a little early). We had chosen to stay in lodges which were far better than anticipated with unique experience in each one. Either luxury tenting or a lodge with a view.
Our guide, John took the time to explain the surroundings, animals, his stories etc. as well answer our questions. Even if it was expected he did it very well and with pleasure. You could tell they know their stuff, not only are they educated in that area, they are also passionate. Example John is also an avid birdwatcher/birder.
For us it was a fabulous trip in Tanzania and we greatly appreciate Congema. We strongly recommend for anyone wishing to do a trek or safari to connect with Congema.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Really good experience!
I really liked Safari Book Evolution. We managed to see all wild animals and the service was great. It was an excellent option in terms of value for money.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Absolutely amazing experience!
We (6 of us) booked a trip to Kilimanjaro and Tsavo through Tropical Valley Safari end of January to early Feb 2015. Tropical Valley made all arrangements to find us the best tour guide for Kilimanjaro. They also arranged a local contact in Tanzania to pick us up from the airport to the hotel. The group that hiked with us (porters, guide and cook) were super amazing! I got sick in Kilimanjaro and had to go down. Our contact in Tanzania came to pick me up after leaving Kilimanjaro and made sure I got back to the hotel safe.
After Kilimanjaro, we headed out to Tsavo. We had one of the best drivers we could hope for. Tom came from Nairobi to Voi to meet us all and check whether we had a good trip and everything went as good as we had hoped for.
I can absolutely refer my friends and colleagues to use Tropical Valley Safari. We shall be going back to Kilimanjaro again in 2017 and we will for sure be using Tropical Valley Safari again.
FI
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Outstanding service and attention to details to an affordable price.
This was my second time letting E-trip handle my custom made safari. As a photographer I am very picky about details and I was surprised how well E-trip handled all my special requests. Everything from camps, drivers and flight arrangements were taken care of with the utmost attention and service quality. There is a jungle of safari tour operators out there of a varied level of quality. Being a photographer who is in Africa twice a year, with very high demands, it is a huge help having E-trip taking care of all my arrangements.They make my life so much easier.
Can't recommend enough!
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It was an excellent and unforgettable experience.
Recommendation
We are 9 persons (5 adults and 4 children) from Switzerland and our guided tent safari from 27.09.2015 – 06.10.2015 led us from the Moremi National Park over the Khwai and the Savuti region to the Chobe National Park in Botswana.
We want to thank our guide, Mr Eddy Everaerdt, and his crew for the amazing experience. We appreciated not only Eddy’s competence and wide-ranging knowledge about the nature and wildlife of Botswana, that he shared with us during the tour, but also the perfect organisation, the delicious food, the kindness and helpfulness of the whole staff and the nice company of Eddy and his wife Mano in the evenings around the campfire.
We will never forget these interesting and adventurous days and recommend this tour with Eddy and his crew to all the people who are interested in Botswana’s marvellous nature and wildlife. For all of us it was an unforgettable and amazing experience!
We wish Eddy, Mano and the whole crew all the best for the future.
IL
it was easy, Andre was patient and very kind.
It was good good .Andre was patient with my booking. Than arranged the transportation from airport. The safari was exactly as promissed.