US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzania Safari
Our vacation was the best ever! The communications were great and our tour guide was well prepared abs experienced. He ensured we were able to see the big five. The living arrangements were very clean and the service and food was exceptional. I will definitely be referring this company to everyone I know.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Over the top wonderful!
Fabulous tour with Aardvark Safaris Tanzania. Our group spent the better part of two weeks visiting Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Oldupai Gorge, the Serengeti, and Lake Eyasi. All our accommodations were unique, welcoming and clean, including four nights at Katikati, a temporary camp in the Serengeti, where we dined in the open air and slept in canvas tents with toilets and showers. Driver guides Augustine and David were superb, with astounding knowledge of birds and mammals. Augustine went out of his way to make sure this trip exceeded our expectations. We've been on safari before. Compared to Aardvark, that earlier safari was more like visiting the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. This was a true adventure, and we were in the best of hands.
FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid Tropical vacations Inc
Avoid Tropical vacations Inc, his manager Mathew Adams is a lier and a thief, and avoid as well his Tanzanian partner, World Tour Tanzania. Here is the story in brief:
We booked a 4d/3n safari in Serengeti/Ngorongoro with this Kenyan based company. The detailed program has been comunicated to us, we have received photos of the cars we were supposed to use, the price and terms of payment has been agreed, everything seemed perfect.
The day of departure the pick up time was planned at 8h30 by people from the "Tropical vacations "ground office" Mathew wrote to us. At 9h30, no news from anybody, we started calling Mathew Adams, that we could not reach, and later our Landlord in Arusha ( we gave her phone number for more convenience) told us that she received a call from a guy in Arusha, saying that the safary was cancelled (....). After again many sms and attempts to speak with Mathew adams, he sent us an sms saying that things has been solved(...). We indeed were picked up and ended up at 11h30 am in a far away offices of a company called World Tour Tanzania, from which we have not heard about before. They told us that we were going with them in Safari, but they asked us to pay more than what has been agreed and under different payment terms than the ones agreed in written with Tropical vacations.
We refused and asked the Tanzanian guy to call Tropical vacations to solve this problem. The guy said he does not want to spend money calling Kenya from Tanzania, and told us that we have to call ( !!!).
We went back to downtown and again tried to call/sms ( at our expenses of course) Tropical Vacations. At 5 pm, World Tour tanzanian called us back , the price he asked was finally the one agreed with Tropical vacations, but still not the tems of payment. So after loosing one full day of our holidays trying to reach Tropical Vacations and solve the problem, as we coudl not get the terms which has been agreed in written with Tropical Inc and as we had now little confidence in this company, we decided not to go with this company. So Tropical vacations Inc did not respect the terms of its written commitments + was hiding to us the fact that it was just a simple intermediary company + lying to us on the service rendered : we have indeed not seen in the office of this World Tour Tanzania any of the nice cars that we have seen on the fotos sent to us by Mathew Adams. Later Mathew told us that the kenyan cars he showed us were not allowed to go to tanzania ( !!!). And regarding the non respect of the agreed terms he told us that a new regulation has been enacted in Tanzania 6 months earlier, that he was not aware of... while he is claiming to have, I quote " +14 years experience in Safari Tour Operations".
Last lie, back in Europe we proposed to Tropical Inc to reimburse us the paid money and we would forget about this sad story, Mathew Adams proposed to reimburse us 75% of the money we paid, we agreed on that. He was supposed to reimburse us before the end of last year, then he said he would pay us after the 26th of January... we are at the end of February and we still did not get our money back, and now he is no longer answering the mails. Maybe this comment will make him respect at least this last commitment ?
As a conclusion, avoid Tropical vacations Inc, and generallly speaking, I would advise you to use local companies, ie for Kenya kenyan based companies, and for Northern Tanzania, Arusha based companies.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Couldn't have been better....
Like many other reviewers, this was our first venture into a safari, so many hours were spent browsing the internet and various operators and options. After a few emails back and forth, and a long Skype chat with Daniel, we decided to go with Transtrek. Daniel devised a custom made trip based on one of the scheduled itineraries and after a few tweaks, it was all agreed.
Our guide and driver Peter, met us at the airport and from then until he dropped us off 12 days later, couldn't have done more to make our visit memorable. We especially loved the trip to the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage, despite my being splattered with red mud. As foster parents, we could return in the evening and see the babies go to bed. Highly recommended.
The driving between destinations was sometimes long and often bumpy and dusty but we accepted this as part of the experience. The lodges and camps were all very different, ranging from small and intimate, to large and less personal but the service we received in all was without exception, efficient and friendly. The food everywhere was delicious and varied, with something for everyone. I had neglected to ask for anything special for my husbands birthday, which was while we were at Serena Mountain Lodge, until virtually the last minute when I asked Daniel & Peter if a cake could be arranged, which they did with good grace and generosity. The presentation of the cake to my husband after dinner in the local fashion was truly amazing.
We saw most the animals we'd hoped for, including rhino, cheetahs, lions and elephants as well as many beautiful birds although despite Peter's best efforts, leopards were particularly elusive and we only saw tails disappearing into the bush, twice.
In summation, the experience excelled our expectations and we very much hope to return one day to explore some of the reserves we didn't visit on this occasion. Thank you Daniel & Peter.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memories for a lifetime
We stumbled across Chris and The Safari Partners during an internet search. We had been in contact with two US-based tour operators and had been disappointed in their proposals so we broadened our search. Reading the other reviews on this site prompted us to reach out to Chris and the rest is history. He listened very closely to our wish list and took the time to understand the type of experience we wanted. The result was pure magic.
Our trip consisted of 3 safari camps in Tanzania and mountain gorillas in Rwanda. The safari camps were Asilia properties and I cannot say enough about this wonderful company. Each property is totally different. The Highlands, with its futuristic domes, is high up and has amazing views. The accommodations were superb as were the food and staff. Ubuntu, a mobile camp, is homey and comfortable; it's incredible how they operate at such a high standard in the middle of the Serengeti. Finally, the all-women Dunia camp is charming and cozy. Leaving each camp was like leaving family and friends. Asilia must be commended for its high standards, excellent staff and community development.
Of course, our main purpose was to see wildlife and, in that regard, our expectations were met a thousand times over. The guides in each camp were wonderful, very knowledgeable, passionate about their work and eager to please. They know the territory like the back of their hands and are expert at spotting wildlife in the most obscure places. We were blessed to see a wildebeest giving birth, lions mating and countless other slice of life moments on our numerous game drives.
To top off an incredible safari experience, we took a sunrise hot air balloon ride. The Serengeti Balloon company is a top-notch professional outfit. The operation is run like clockwork and the result is a magnificent overview of an beautiful landscape filled with wildlife, and followed by a hearty champagne breakfast.
The final leg of our trip was Rwanda to visit the mountain gorillas. We spent a night in Kigali and visited the Genocide Museum. Although a difficult series of exhibits, it is a must-see. Then on to the mountains. Our accommodations here were so-so but they were incidental to our reason for being there. The purpose was to trek up the mountain and spend an hour with the mountain gorillas. At times, the climb was tough as we were slogging through dense jungle but our guide and the porters were skilled and patient in getting us there in one piece. Our family was the Hirwa (or Lucky) group. The huge silverback sat calmly as we entered his domain and allowed us to enjoy his rambunctious family. A female with 7-month-old infant also let us observe her mothering skills while several juveniles played on the ground and in nearby trees. An hour passed by in a blink and then we had to leave this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I would highly recommend Chris and The Safari Partners. This was a bucket list trip and the memories will last a lifetime.
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7 great days with our guide Charles in North Tanzania!
Be booked a 6 night/7 days safari (Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorogoro Lake Eyasi visiting Hadza Tribe) with ISIA. We choose them from Arusha based companies because of their quick and detailed communications upfront and their offer was good.
We loved our trip and Charles was a great guide. He knows a lot, sees a lot, clearly loves nature and wildlife and is a cheerful heartily guy and a very good driver. We felt very well and save the whole time with him. The safari travel plan was a very good choice for us and ISIA did a good job in organization, everything worked quite well. We were happy with the camps we chose from a list of options we got from ISIA, especially loved Kati Kati and Maramboi.
We couldn't do our booked walking tour due to weather conditions. So I asked ISIA to refunded the amount and they did after our return home promptly.
So overall we had a great experience and really loved it!
But we have to confirm what several other guests already reported here and on tripadvisor:
Our car was quite run down. In fact all the others we saw on our trip looked newer. Our guide managed problems with the car very well so we barely lost time while he had to fix things (except day one when we had to wait for almost 2 hours for a new car at the supermarket before even leaving Arusha). We are aware that car break downs are quite usual with this road conditions and its somehow even part of the adventure but we would really appreciate if ISIA get new ones to allow the guides to focus 100% on other things and give the guest a bit more comfort. Headrests and working safety belts should be mandatory.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wild Glory is the best ever!!
We spent four days on safari in Tanzania with Wild Glory. From the beginning processes of exchanging emails to the drop off at the airport, everything was handled excellently and superbly. Angel answered my questions thoroughly and promptly via email (and I had a lot of questions! Thank you, Angel!) Angel's recommendations of hotels were good. We couldn't have had any better arrangements. The payment transactions were smooth and easy. Pickup at the airport by Baraka was spot-on and seem less. We arrived in the wee hours of the morning to our hotel in Arusha, but Baraka was helpful and cheerful through it all. The next morning we were promptly picked up at our hotel in Arusha and taken to Wild Glory offices to meet Angel and be advised of our itinerary and upcoming safari details. Then we were off on safari. Our vehicle was so comfortable, with padded seats and a cooler to keep drinks and snacks refreshingly cool. There were pockets on the backs of the seats to store items, and Baraka kept the vehicle clean. The Serengeti for two days was our first safari, and that was an absolutely unforgettable experience. We saw so much wildlife, and up-close and personal. A cheetah and five babies. A leopard with her two cubs. Male lions and elephants walking close enough to our vehicle that we could have touched them. A pride of lions taking down a zebra (not my favorite, but it was fascinating to see). Baraka was fun and friendly and helpful and the best guide we could have asked for. We had thoughtful, meaningful conversations, as well as light-hearted fun. He taught us Swahili and spotted and named so many animals and birds, I lost count! He skillfully navigated the driving and found refreshing places for lunches and private places for other business we had to attend to. He was over-the-top accommodating in every way. After Serengeti we went to the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara, before going to the airport to say our tearful goodbyes to our new friend. Thank you Baraka for an incredible, never-to-be-forgotten experience!
Wild Glory and Baraka were the best ever!!!! Highly recommended.
CY
Return to Tarangire Safari Lodge after 22 years
we chose Ernest's Worldwide Safaris because they offered a good fair price, could customise to our needs and they were very professional and responded to our emails promptly. Ernest is a very nice man, and we were so pleased to go with a smaller organisation which met our expectations in every way. Johnson our guide was very knowledgeable about the animals and birdlife and also a really good guy. We would certainly use WWST again.
LV
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
First Africa safari experience
When we planed our trip to Tanzania, we wrote to several companies as they didn't have prices on their pages and were quite surprised about high safari prices. And then luckily we found safaribookings.com site with offers from different safari companies. As we already had booked hotel in Arusha, we choose two one day safaris- to Tarangire and Arusha park with Heri Africa Tours as they offered reasonable price for safari. About tour booking it was pleasure to contact with manager Ima, very responsive and responds very quickly. She and driver/guide Tom met us in the hotel day before tours and give all necessary information about next two days. We are very satisfied with tours and definetely can suggest this company. Thanks Ima and Tom, we had lot of fun and it was great to met you.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Always excellent
My husband and I have been travelling to Africa for a number of years and have always used Zambezi Travel as our agents. Over a number of trips we never experienced any issues and have always been extremely happy with the service levels provided both in the UK and the destination. I cannot recommend Zambezi Safari & Travel Co highly enough.