BR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
amazing
the best adventure of my life! I saw 4 each 5 big five and it was amazing.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Trip, Great Guide, Great Accommodations
Tanzania is a beautiful country and we really enjoyed the part of our safari that was in Tanzania. The wildlife is so varied and many times is pretty close to your vehicle. I think our favorite park was Tarangire, with the amazing baobab trees, plentiful wildlife and changes in elevation. The Serengeti was of course really fabulous, too, and seeing the migration was one of the more memorable experiences of my life. While in Tanzania, we stayed at Tarangire Safari Lodge, Rhino Lodge in Ngorongoro, Heritage Seronera in the central Serengeti and Heritage Mara in the northern Serengeti, and we enjoyed each place. They are all a little different, but each one had unique qualities that we thoroughly enjoyed. We all felt that we would be happy to stay in each of them again. The food was fine, but due to an allergy to red meat, I couldn't really sample a lot of the entrees, but others in my party seemed to enjoy their food a lot. The vegetables and fruit were very good and the breakfasts were a great way to start each day. I suggest you be sure to find out what kind of transportation you will have and try to go with a company that will transport you in a Toyota Land Cruiser and not a van. We had Land Cruisers and they are the vehicles that are built to take the punishment the roads in Tanzania will dish out, which is considerable. The company we used, TravelPartner, furnished us with a great guide in Tanzania (and Kenya, too, but TravelPartner contracted with Wildebeest Travel for him). Thomas was interesting, very knowledgeable about animals, plants, etc., and was funny. He also did everything he could to give us the best ride possible on the rough roads. He learned very quickly the kinds of things we were interested in seeing and did everything he could to make sure we saw them. He made sure to put us in good position for pictures, most notably when we saw a lion pride taking down a zebra and at three different migration sites on the Mara. If we were to go to Tanzania again, we would want to have Thomas as our guide. Every day we saw new and amazing things. The only thing I would do differently is try to spend more time at each park and each lodging. I would use definitely use TravelPartner again, would want to stay in the same lodgings and would want Thomas as our guide. I don't know of any way to give a better recommendation than that.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A safari of a lifetime - well done.
Embarking on a safari tour was always going to be great, but this was magnificent! To see the big five in their natural habitat, living together, was beyond excellent. It was a magical experience made entirely possible by our guide John of World Air Safari's. From the moment we met to begin our journey through the northern beauty of Tanzania we knew we were in good hands. He was knowledgeable, friendly, kind, experienced and in John's case very diplomatic.His patience was incredible in a situation beyond our control and he is an incredible spotter. His knowledge on animal and bird behavior was fantastic.A fantastic guide and wonderful companion.Our deepest gratitude to Elias who answered our questions so promptly when we inquired the trip and so knowledgeably informed about the best time to visit the parks and the best combination of accommodations.The land cruiser pop-top was kept in clean condition and hey! thank you for the refreshments in the cooler, well deserved on the dusty and hot environments.I can’t imagine a safari company exists that’s more accommodating, easier to work with, more professional, or with a finer and more competent staff. This is it.Our roots are in Africa I think, and my heart responds instinctively to that. Go see yourself.
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Lalibela, Aksum, Harar - must see architectural and religious centers in Ethiopia
My trip was mostly to see religious and cultural places in Ethiopia. Lalibela Aksum & Harar are most recommended places to see the ancient architecture and kingdoms of Ethiopia. Range of professionally managed accommodations are available at all destinations. The locals are the best mannered and most places are safe to travel alone. Ethiopia is a unique place in Africa, so take the plunge...
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Lalibela, Aksum, Harar - must see architectural and religious centers in Ethiopia
My trip was mostly to see religious and cultural places in Ethiopia. Lalibela Aksum & Harar are most recommended places to see the ancient architecture and kingdoms of Ethiopia. Range of professionally managed accommodations are available at all destinations. The locals are the best mannered and most places are safe to travel alone. Ethiopia is a unique place in Africa, so take the plunge...
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful Experience
Thank you for organizing such a great trip for us, we really enjoyed every moment of it. Thanks to our knowledgeable and caring driver. Thanks Beacon Safaris
A truly unforgettable experience making fantastic family memories.
Although we had been on safari in other parts of Kenya this was by far the best. We chose Beacon Safaris because Robert always replied quickly to my emails and worked with me to arrange this fabulous family holiday. Our guide and driver Daniel was excellent in making sure our safari experience was unforgettable. Knowledgeable and became part of our family for the week. Kenyas Masai Mara is breath taking and we saw all the Big Five in the first few days. Our two days at Nakuru Lake gave us the chance to see rhino and the flocks of flamingo on the lake. Flamingo Hill camp, Mara Sopa Lodge and Emayian Lodge were all welcoming and lovely places to stay. The food in all lodges was wonderful especially the Emayian who specialise in fine dining, they also had individual jacuzzis for each lodge. A truly unforgettable holiday.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Expectations Exceeded
Our safari exceeded all expectations and we were incredibly lucky to see a great deal of wildlife, massive wildebeest crossing, leopard! and rhino! at close range .... and much much more.
BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A fantastic experience overall
Due to the winter time wildlife was not aboundend but spectacular anyway. Lots of encounters with lemurs, chameleons, lizards, spectacular insects, mangoose and quite some birds wich resulted in quite spectacular pictures. Accomodation was better than expected with some unique locations included. Especially since we had not required for high standards. Transportation is quite a challenge in most parts of the country as the roads have degraded a lot and there does not seem to be any major maintanance done. This is the case for accomodation in general. F.i. there are some railways between the more important locations but most stations are out of order and trains are only occaisonally riding. As the winter is a dry season a lot of dust was unavoidable on the roads which are sometimes crowded with lorries, zebu charts and push charts. Local food is very good and cheap for European standards. Seafood sometimes exquisite. Guides do rather focus on the lemur encounters but all of them knew a lot about the use of plants and medicinal plants. We invited them to look for insects and reptiles. We crossed the whole country from north to south. There is a big difference in standards between north and south. The south is dryer and definitely poorer. We collected a lot of water bottles which our driver handed over to the children along the road in the southern area. Whilst moving up north there is more water available and thus more crops. Landscapes varies from savanne over mountain ranges, rain forest, agricultural areas, rice terrasses and can be extremely beautiful. Temperatures can varie a lot in the different biotopes. For those who love it there are lovely islands in the north and lots of possibilities to dive or snorkle and to spot whales and dolphins. It is obvious though that most of the original forests have been destroyed for agriculture and charcoal winning. We drove along quite a few bushfires. We found the local people friendly and helpfull. We've had some lovely contacts with local children, fishermen etc. To remember. Living conditions can be quite harsh and people try to make the best of it with what they have available. Villages and towns are always crowded with people living in the streets, busy and very colourful. Having a local driver is absolutely a surplus. He contacts the guides and knows his way around.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Camping Safaris
Our safari was fantastic! Everything was great and well organized. Our guide was so accommodating and knowledgeable. We really enjoyed and will come back.