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50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Diverse habitats but not the fantastic spectacle of some of the other Tanzanian parks
Arusha is a great place if you already have experience at the major parts. On the positive side, it isn't crowded with tourists. It has diverse habitats from forests to lakes to savannah to mountains. There are quite a few large mammals, but no predators or elephants. The flamingos around Momella lakes will blow your mind (and are so much closer and easier to enjoy than at Lake Natron, the other famous flamingo destination). It has a lot to offer for serious birders, but doesn't have too many of the spectacular birds that interest casual birders. We only went there self-guided, so I can't comment on going with a guide. There are a couple of great lodges just outside the park, Hatari by the north entrance, and another I can't remember by the south entrance. The park is small enough that you can see most of it in two days (excluding hiking in the forest, which I can't comment about; supposedly climbing Meru is fantastic, and a much different experience than the crowded slog up Kili). The small size makes it manageable, but is probably also the biggest negative and why I said it is good to visit after a major park- Arusha just doesn't have the vast open spaces and throngs of animals of Tarangire, Ngorongoro, or Serengeti.
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50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
More than we hoped for. A bargain!
Marianne helped 7 of us go on private safari to 2 very different, but equally spectacular places with Victoria Falls in the middle. We did a lot, but were never rushed.
Our guides were very good at their craft. We were amazed at how much we could see in such a short time. They also talked about life in Africa, and the culture and history. We took the trip of a lifetime.
The accommodations were great, food excellent. We have referred friends to Marianne, and would use her services again.
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50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Tanzania by StoufferLSU
Tanzania deserves its reputation as the best safari destination. It takes your breath away over and over and over again. It does require some cash, tolerance, and patience, but it is worth it.
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65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
First Safari: Safari Infinity--An Amazing Experience!
Tanzania: The Great Migration, Tarangire National Park, Central and Northern Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
We just returned from an 8 night, 9 day safari with Safari Infinity as our Tour Operator. This was our first time in Africa, fulfilling a long awaited dream of seeing the beautiful Serengeti and even the Great Migration. This “trip report” is best done by an open letter to the people in Tanzania who made this possible, the people at Safari Infinity, including and especially to our guide, Robert.
Dear Lucia and Simon, Co-Owners of Safari Infinity, and Robert, our driver/guide for our time in Tanzania,
Our trip of a lifetime, our safari in Tanzania, including Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater, and the Central and Northern Serengeti, was a never to be forgotten adventure tailored to us, exactly, thanks to all of you.
From the moment we stepped off the plane we felt we were in good hands, met by your representative who immediately whisked us through the visa process, then helped us navigate through the paperwork when our luggage was, unfortunately, delayed.
Our arrival at the African Tulip Hotel was met with a warm welcome, one of many we were to discover, in your beautiful country. We have traveled to many different countries, but never to Africa, and we were overwhelmed by the joyous welcome we received everywhere we stayed. We had planned an extra couple of nights at the African Tulip in case of flight delays, and to rest from the long flight. That planning proved to be a very good thing, as our luggage (minus our hats and other articles of clothing!) arrived 2 nights later. The hospitality at the African Tulip Hotel was exceptional. The manager is very “hands on,” concerned with all the guests well-being. We felt as if we were, indeed, Very Important People!
From the moment we met you, our guide, Robert, we liked you instantly. Your quiet, laid back demeanor, coupled with your astute sense of humor was a perfect match for us. You infused your knowledge of the local culture with sightseeing, injecting your unique brand of humor, keeping us entertained and wanting to know more. There were few questions (and we had many!) that you could not answer in depth, often pulling the vehicle over so you could more fully explain that in which we had expressed an interest. Later, and especially after our safari had ended, we realized that we saw much more than animals to be checked off a list, which we never really kept.
With you, we were able to fully immerse ourselves in the experience of observing wildlife. While others took photos, then left, we sat and had a leisurely boxed lunch while we watched a pride of 17 lions, and the drama that unfolded as a huge dazzle of zebras encroached on the lions' territory, then alerted one another to the lions' presence. We were in no hurry, no schedule to keep, just to enjoy the animals. On another occasion we were part of the magical experience to witness a herd of elephants as the matriarch communicated with sound we, as humans did not hear. The entire herd froze in place for several seconds, listening, then instantly and in perfect synchronization, resumed their activities, reassured that we were not a threat. If we did not have the luxury of time and your encouragement and guidance, we would never have noticed such an amazing event.
You seemed to know when to arrive at the Mara River, just in time to wait discreetly until the crossing began, then positioned us in a spot to watch the crossing of at least 6,000 wildebeest in a spectacular sight that we will never forget. You were as excited as we were to witness such a thrilling event, adding to the pleasure even more. Then, on the same day as the crossing, as if that was not enough, you seemed to find, in the midst of nowhere, 2 cheetah brothers who had just killed a young wildebeest. We all agreed to watch the “whole story,” and stayed to see the cheetahs keep out a watch for each other as the other ate, then once done, to wash each other's faces! Once again, those who stayed to take a few photos, then left, missed the most precious and memorable part of this sighting. Even then, we didn't leave. We waited for the gathering vultures to descend, watching as one of the cheetahs chased the approaching birds, making it very clear that they were not welcome. It was fascinating that the birds were fearful of moving in, even long after the cheetahs had left! When they finally did, it was a sight to see. We saw the whole event, the cycle was complete.
Your attention to detail seemed to be second nature. And, as we have already mentioned, your sense of humor had us laughing more than we have laughed in some time. Who could ask for more?
Lucia, I also liked you from the first time we communicated. You were always very patient with my many questions, and seemed, through your emails to be sincerely eager to provide a wonderful trip. When we finally met you and your husband, Simon at our hotel in Arusha, we felt even more confident that we had made the right choice, with your warm and caring personality shining through, and Simon's quiet assurance and knowledge of the business as a former guide, himself. We know you both were the foundation behind our experience, quietly making everything work as it should. You even arranged for extra touches along the way, as we were celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. What a nice touch! As if that were not enough, you wanted to know all about our safari afterwards, the good and the bad.
We were hard pressed to find any criticism. Hmmm....more variety in the box lunches? That was about all, as I recall.
We saw so many kinds of animals, in such beautiful settings that it would be impossible to detail each event. Flamboyant ostriches doing their “flash dances,” a den of hyenas with their youngsters, a “teen-age” male elephant, trying to scare us with his trumpet and charge (it worked!) and an army of baboons marching down the dirt road to a different location.
One of my concerns in coming to Tanzania in peak season was, of course, the number of other vehicles and people we might encounter. I had expressed this concern to you, Lucia, but you assured me that your guides knew how to get away to areas where other vehicles do not frequent, thus often avoiding the crowds. My desire to experience the Serengeti and to see the migration won out, and we decided, crowds or not, to go to Tanzania. In reality, Robert, you disliked crowds of vehicles as much as we did. Much of the time I forgot we were there in peak season, as we were the only vehicle around, or one of 2 or 3. . The exception was the pride of 17 lions, but after a while, most of those vehicles left to have lunch somewhere else, as you knew they would, leaving us with a front and center, unobstructed view. Even at the crossing of the Mara River we were situated so we felt as if we were only one of just a few vehicles. I still don't know how many were there, as we were right up front. You made sure we always got an early start, so we were witness to many sightings while others were just getting started. After all, we were in Africa, so why waste time sleeping late!
The best decision we made for our safari, besides booking with you, was to take a private safari with our own guide and vehicle. We had a freedom we would never have had with any other type of safari. When we wanted to be quiet, we were quiet (probably not very often, right, Robert?) When we wanted to stay put, we stayed put. We left early and stayed late, or not. It was all up to us.
Staying in tented camps for most of our safari was an excellent choice, and once we got used to the “talking shower” with buckets of just right warm water, we loved them. The sounds of the bush at night were almost hypnotic. On our last night it was appropriate that we were surrounded by what seemed like the entire herd of almost 2 million wildebeest, voicing their trademark, hmmmm, hawwww, sounds all night long. We loved it! And, I suppose it was appropriate that during our flight back to Arusha on one of the take-offs after a stop to pick up passengers the pilot had to brake and start over due to zebra and wildebeest on the air strip. Only in Africa!
One final word about our vehicle. We knew we'd be driven in a Land Cruiser type of vehicle, but when you, Robert, escorted us from our hotel out to the Land Cruiser for the first time and we climbed in, we felt as if you had picked us up in a limo, only better! It was incredibly spacious, and although there were just 2 of us, there were 4 seats altogether. The huge windows were panoramic, creating a feeling of being open when needed, and closed nicely to help keep out the dust of the long drives. You had a cooler generously filled with water, soft drinks and even beer, and we had the use of great binoculars as well bean bag supports for our cameras. The top opened up so we could stand, and see out easily, yet we were protected from the midday sun. One of the best things about this Land Cruiser was a bank of electrical plugs for charging our batteries right behind the driver's seat. I could not have imagined how convenient this turned out to be. This was a late model vehicle in pristine condition, so we felt right away that we were traveling in style. Lucia and Simon, you definitely don't skimp on anything, and you especially pay attention to the things that matter!
Lucia, Simon and Robert, we have traveled to many countries over our 70+ years. We've been to Europe, the UK, the South Pacific, and New Zealand, as well as the continental United States and Canada, including Alaska. We can easily say this trip has topped them all. It was one we will never forget. Thank you to all of you for that. Our wonderful safari was enhanced by knowing the people we entrusted were so kind, caring and capable. You represented Tanzania well. Asante. Asantesana!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The best in the business
Friends in Harare recommended that we used The Safari Source for planning our two week trip around Zimbabwe. Monika really understood what we wanted from this holiday and developed a fantastic programme that perfectly matched our needs, our budget and our timescale. She had infinite patience in dealing with the National Parks authorities and found some great deals for us with the private camps.
Monika was even there for us with practical help whilst we were in the country. She went well beyond what could be expected. I have never met an operator who provided such good service after having received their money. I would recommend the Safari Source and will definitely be using them to book our next big trip. Monika was described as being "very good" by our friends, but I would say that she is the best in the business.
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35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 10 Day Migration Safari- Beyond expectations!
My husband and I did the 10 day safari with Kilimanjaro Brothers in July 2015 and could not have been more pleased with the level of organization and attention to details that went into our trip. George was very helpful in the planning process and answered all of my emails and questions regarding the trip. He gave us detailed information on each hotel, camp or lodge that we were staying in and I really felt comfortable with booking with a local company.
I cannot speak highly enough about our driver, Emmanuel. He was personal, organized, experienced and went above and beyond to help us get a true adventurous experience. This trip would not have been the same without him. On the safari, we visited Tarangire Park, Central and northern Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. The trip was well planned and gave us an opportunity to really see Tanzania and experience the culture and amazing wildlife. It is a lot of driving and the roads are a bit dusty and bumpy but this is just part of the experience. We were really lucky to be able to have witnessed the Migration of the wildebeest and get to see them cross the Mara River and the encounter they had with numerous crocodiles (it did not end well for some). This was a difficult drive to the north, given the road conditions, but well worth the drive since we got to see the great migration.
Overall, I highly recommend booking a safari with Kilimanjaro Brothers. The accommodations were great, the staff at each place was so helpful, the Land Cruiser with pop up roof was comfortable and our trip went exactly as planned. Thanks again to the staff or Kilimanjaro Brother’s and to Emmanuel for making this a trip of a lifetime!
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50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A fantastic way to visit a fantastic country.
This was my first visit to Kenya and a country on the continent of Africa. I did this as a mission trip and was accompanied by my husband and 5 others. It was only 17 days, not nearly long enough, but, even in that short time I felt I saw a good sample of the country. I felt cared for and welcomed. Having the same two drivers for who were genuinely friendly people added an immeasurable quality to the trip. I would recommend this company to anyone based on this experience.
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
From Pro to GoGoGo
Our Roho Ya Chui safari experience went from pro to gogogo. Ute took us through all aspects of the booking like a pro: following up on emails and calls quickly and thoroughly. Even when there was a miscommunication between the company and the driver on the first day, it was resolved in a way that did not detract from the trip. The safari in Kruger Park and in the Sabi Sands private game reserve was a flurry of activity -- three days of gogogo excitement. The high point of Kruger was seeing a rhino flop, spin, and reflop in a puddle one car length from our jeep. The high point of Sabi Sands was stalking a leopard across the moonlight. Honeymoon couples seem particularly welcome at Roho. My husband and I had our own poolside table for the final dinner at Sabi Sands! I would strongly recommend the company -- I actually already have, to my friend Ben. ;)
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An Excellent Budgeted Family Outing at Ngorongoro Crater
My family was able to experience a fantastic tour to Tanzania at Budgeted Cost with Blue Ocean Safaris. The tour package was a 4 day getaway for 7 pax from Nairobi-Arusha-Ngorongoro-Serengeti-Arusha-Nairobi at all inclusive cost of USD 1,500 including homely stay at Blue Ocean guest house in Arusha. Ngorongoro crater is an amazing creation of nature holding "animal farm" selection of wild beast settlement. The tour operator, Mr. James Msuya whose experience came in handy in meandering through the valleys of Ngorongoro crater and knowledge of specific habitation of different species. The family was able to see all the wild beasts and appreciated the beauty of Tanzania as a country and lovely warm Tanzanians towards visitors.
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exquisite experience
Falcon Safaris provided an absolutely exquisite experience from communication to service throughout the safari itself. The Mapula lodge was beautifully designed and set up for an intimate safari adventure. The lodge manager, kitchen staff, and guides were all incredibly kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. From the rooms to the views to the food to the game drives and boat trips, everything was top notch.