A stunning experience, from views and wildlife to the welcome and the people
This was a big holiday, so we spent a little extra on everything. The two week holiday was a stunning experience, from views and wildlife to the welcome and the people.
One of the first things we noticed was the poverty. The country is one of the poorest in the world. Children under ten work the fields, carry bricks, and generally do what they can to earn a living. Seeing children searching a rubbish tip to find items to either recycle or sell is not uncommon. To make an income this results in the nation, arguably, leading the way in recycling and reusing items. We visited one shop where miniature replicas of bicycles, Put-puts and trucks were made from tin cans and expired medical tubing. They sold for 10,000 MGA (about US$2.50)
The lodges we stayed in were top end of the range, although they varied in quality. All were clean, and though we didn't have any issues with mosquitoes, a couple of lodges did have nets.
You do not go to Madagascar expecting five star food, although there is a French influence. The fruit and vegetables are closer to organic, as the farmers cannot afford pesticides. But the meat is a little tough, to say the least. Zebu is the principle cattle, and is a working animal. Chickens run freely across the road looking for food. Fish and seafood are fine, although menus usually just say ‘Fish’. Get used to the same food and menu options wherever you go. Rice is a staple diet item.
We had a driver for the two weeks. He has been a guide and driver for over fifteen years. He was experienced to know where to go, but ensured we decided what to do. We asked about tipping, but was told it was up to us. Took about three days to get a handle on the tipping for services. Do expect to tip, everyone expects it, and they are thankful when you hand over a couple of notes. Try not to over tip, although 2000MGA may not be much to most, whereas it is a lot to the Malagasy.
The roads are astonishing. The Route 2 main road is more like a field in places. The road is just about a two lane country road. At one point we were driving amongst three rows of various vehicles; trying to avoid pot holes; trenches; whilst over-taking. All whilst avoiding the oncoming three lanes of traffic doing the same manoeuvres. Think of the cartoon ‘Wacky Races’.
But the food, hotels and driving were not why we went. The wildlife and scenery were. Over 90% of rain forest has been cut done. Loss of forests, the introduction of Eucalyptus and Chinese pine and slash and burn (widely used by farmers), has had a devastating effect on nature and the environment. Thankfully some areas are now protected by national parks. In most cases the local villages have fought to protect their forests and wildlife. This improves the environment, and protects the wildlife. Lemurs are now preserved, not hunted.
Wildlife is not predictable, it is wild, so expect to be walking, climbing, and scrabbling through vegetation to find that elusive photographic shot. Visitors must have a guide to enter the parks and rain forests. This means you, thanks to the spotters, will generally be taken to where the wildlife can be found. The 6 hours walking through Ranomafana Rainforest can be tiring. It is up and down steep hills; uneven paths; as well as through the forest itself. Expect rain (as the name rainforest suggests), although we didn’t get any until we hit the beach. It is well worth the effort, seeing 6 or 7 types of Lemurs, including the Golden Bamboo. Listening to the cry of the Indri in a forest is spooky, but not as bad in the early hours of the morning. In all we saw about 15 types of lemurs on our travels.
This is also somewhere to go if you are a ‘Twitcher’, bird watcher. Although don’t expect to wait around in a nice cosy hide waiting for them to appear. You need to be quick as usually you only get a glimpse. If you are lucky then you may see a flycatcher’s nest right by the path at eye level. Or quietly snap a Hoopoe or a Fody, whilst just missing a Hawk. Listen for the chatter of Myna birds, introduced to kerb the rise in locusts.
Our aim was to see not just the lemurs, but also other endangered species, such as tree frogs and giraffe necked weevils. We were not disappointed, our guides knew what they were looking for. The guide in Andasibe National Park spotted a Mouse Lemur in pitch black high in a tree. The guide in Ranomafana found the Giraffe Necked Weevil just as we were leaving. I would never have seen these without their experience and vision.
To summarize: you go to Madagascar to see the wildlife, lemurs, frogs, insects etc. This is a poverty stricken country. The people are friendly and welcoming, on the whole. Lodges are clean, and the food is basic. We never felt unsafe, but then our driver ensured we didn’t stray. Crime against tourists does occur, but not often. As with anywhere in the world, be aware of your surroundings and your belongings. This was an experience of a lifetime, a very enjoyable experience I would highly recommend.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Rich in beauty, wildlife and people.
While there are a lot of gaming farms and national parks to see the rich Namibian wildlife, going into the more arid areas of the country will show you as well many animals (Oryx, Baboons, etc.). November the right period to see seals off the coast of Walvish bay, it's some kind of show!
Namibians are generous, positive and welcoming. There are some prejudice between some tribes, but don't listen to nay-sayers: even if some other Namibians would warn you for their aggressive selling techniques, listen to what the Himbas have to say. Their culture is rich and the price not as expensive as in other "tourist friendly" shops.
I have stayed in Townships in both Swakopmund and Windhoek. They are not so as unsafe as what you might hear concerning South Africa, and the taxi drivers are fine. Just do as the locals and all will be fine.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A nice amazing trip with unique people in a wonderful country!
What a wonderful and unique experience we had in Tanzania. It definitely exceeded our expectations.
We got back from an amazing Safari trip with Earthlife Expeditions in July. From the first time, we communicated with Deo to our last day, we were very well treated.
He was very attentive with our needs. He customized our trip to our advantage, so we could maximize our stay to our needs. He always answered his messages within two days.
We had a nice driver pick us up at the airport with a smile at 5 a.m.. We were never left alone once on our trip.
Even though the roads were bumpy and dusty, our driver Kessy was always paying attention to the roads. He brought us closer to the animals and he was always trying to position the jeep, so we could make the best photo shot. His knowledgeable of the animals was impressive, he was funny, attentive, patient and always giving us his best service. He made sure that we were pleased with everything we saw.
The accommodations were luxury, spacious, comfortable, clean and secured. The staff service was impeccable, and we always had a worm greeting from them. The bushcamps were well organized with everything: the service, the hot water and the security. We even had Wi-Fi in the middle of no ware.
The food was delicious and abundant. We also had fire and great company.
We made amazing encounters with a multitude of animals. We had a chance to see the big five, walk in a village with a great guide, taste banana beer, visit a school, hunt with a tribe and interact with different cultures.
We ended our trip to Zanzibar for five days at the beach. Everything was arranged for us, the driver, the air travel, the tours and the luxury room.
We would definitely recommend Earthlife Expedition to everyone. Thank you, Deo, Kessy and your staff for making our trip to Tanzania a cherished memory that will last a lifetime. We will never forget you guys.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Samburu safari with Go Kenya Tours & Safaris was a wonderful experience
From August 24-26, 2014 my husband and me booked a safari through Go Kenya Tours & Safaris. This was our third experience as we previously had safari's to Amboselli and Nairobi National Park with them.
We booked our safari from the Netherlands and the communication with the office was just perfect. Getting answers right away and also questions about safety were answered in a professional way.
Dickson our guide even picked us up from our appartment in Thika instead of a hotel in Nairobi. He is experienced and knows a lot.
Late afternoon we arrived at Sopa Lodge in Samburu after having our first game drive on the way up to the lodge. Both the park and lodge we highly recommend. The rooms are just wonderful and have all you need for a relaxing stay. There is a nice swimming pool, a bar and restaurant and the area is located in the middle of the park and guarded very well.
On the following days we experience the most wonderful safari's whereby Dickson gave us all space to watch the wild animals and we even followed two lionesses on their hunt for food to feed their cubs. Also the next day when we can across a lioness who just caught a grand gazelle and brought it up to her cubs who she did hide in the bushes across the road. We have been watching from a very close distance. Also other animals were much worth to see and this safari was the best ever and this was beyond our expectations. The guide, the organization and our experience made this a very valuable trip which we recommend to everyone. This absolutely is not our last trip with Go Kenya Tours & Safaris.
BR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about East African Voyage by Flavia Mitri
Outstanding customer support, spectacular guides, fantastic catering, great logistics, impecable on customer orientation, attention to detail.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond all of my expectations
My niece and I planned a 3 day safari to Masai-Mara for the final week of October followed by a trip to Lamu Island for 3 days on the beach and exploring the town. We were so pleased with our amazing booking agent Paula who thought thru every detail such as flights and airport transfers between various airports. We could turn our minds down and open our hearts to relax and take everything in.
There was so much to take in! The animals on the safari were all having their babies at this time of year, lucky for us, so we could take in family groups with ease. The wildebeests were finishing their migrations so that was gorgeous to see how they organized themselves. Our guide on the safari went above and beyond to track a wide variety of animals and each day we found ourselves saying "how can it get any better than this?" only to be surprised at how it would always did!
The most special were all the hearts of the Kenyans we met, truly warm and big and kind. We were made to feel so welcome. In fact, that word "Welcome" was said to us many many times and it was felt deeply by us. Kenya is in our hearts and we hope to return to see more of this great country!
Well organised and flexible
Contacted hello Tanzania on a very short notce for a two day Safari. Organised safari,transport and accomodation very quickly and provided me and my family a very knowledgeable guide. My kids liked it! Will definetily use them again and recommend them for anyone who wants to visit Tanzania.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari-experience with Wild Wings Safari!
I booked a 4-day Safari for 9 people in Kruger National Park with Wild Wings Safari. So I was quite cautious in picking a tour operator so that everybody would make great memories. Overall the experience has been amazing and worth every penny.
The communication with Wild Wings Safari was very professional. Any questions we had were answered very quickly and diligently.
The transfer to Kruger and back was perfectly organized, the driver who picked us up from the hotel was nice, on time, and professional.
The Safari itself was amazing, we had a really great tour guide Sam, who was guiding us through Kruger so that we could see all the big 5 and many more animals. He was a man with great competence and very sensitive to our wishes. He knew the park inside out, which is important if you want to see as many animals as possible.
Finally, our cook Jacques did an amazing job providing us with breakfast and dinner, each of the meals were tasty and original from South Africa.
All in all, highly recommended, did not encounter one issue with Wild Wings. Safe bet to make your Safari a success!
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great day out, good value. Loved the close up view of the wildlife.
Had a wonderful day out from Victoria Falls. All very professional. Easy transfer over the border with the right visa. The boat trip gave the better view of the wildlife. Very good value with a great lunch and comfortable taxi transfers. Would recommend the trip to anyone wanting to see great African wildlife and scenery.
FR
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A memorable experience
Visiting Tanzania was a memorable experience which exceeded our expectations. The Tanzanians that my wife and I met made the difference. It was their smiling faces, the welcome they extended, care they showed to make our visit enjoyable that made that difference. What a responsible attitude to allocate and dedicate so much of their country to enormous national parks where are preserved the rich fauna and flora, the wild life. The local tour operator, Naiman of Quest Horizon, who suggested and planned for us a "dream" safari, which included visits to 4 national parks (Tarangire, Ngorongoro conservation area, Serengeti and Lake Manyara). Among Naiman's excellent team members, Joshua and Gerald took us on a coffee tour which was a hands on demonstration of picking the coffee grains from the trees planted on the side of mount Meru, peeling the grains, roasting them, crushing into powder, and brewing an excellent coffee. Then Naiman’s appointed guide/driver Elisha, bilingual English and French, experienced, skilled in 4-wheel driving, with his professionalism and knowledge of the bush (not to forget mentioning his table cloth and supply of coffee for the picnic lunches among the wild …), helped us witness memorable scenes of the wild life, including the migration of more than 100000 gnus, their crossing the Mara river on their way south to greener pastures. In 8 days we saw, in their natural habitat, all of the Big Five (lions, leopards, rhinoceros, bush elephants, African buffalos), many of the other African bush animals, the unique birds, baobab and acacia trees, and a lot more, we stayed in very comfortable tented lodges, slept under mosquito nets while outside the tent we could hear elephants, hyenas and other animals roaming and to top it all, we visited a Maasai village and learned about this Nilotic ethnic group’s distinctive customs. We ended our trip with 4 days on the island of Zanzibar, in a chalet overlooking the Indian ocean, where again Naiman’s team member, the young lady, Witness organised for us highly interesting visits in the historical Stone Town, the old slave market, a spice tour, … In a word, outstanding vacation.
