CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime with Good Earth
Good Earth arranged a month-long Africa trip for my wife and I to Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa. We could not have been happier with every phase of the trip, from travel, to meals and accommodations and most importantly our guided tours. Many, many thanks to our guides John in Kenya, Aron in Tanzania and Andrew in South Africa. Each of them were incredibly knowledgeable and helpful every step of the way. And a big thanks to Baraka who helped us plan the trip and provided all the support we needed. This was our best trip ever.
DE
Not up to expectations
I remembered this park as a highlight of former safaris with an amazing variety of wildlife. This time it was disappointing, not only on account of lush vegetation. The roads are simply terrible, an offence for the drivers. The shabby appearance already of the gateway gives the impression that this park is badly managed.
MX
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
it was an wonderfull experience.
I think that all the tour was marvelous, the comunication on somewhere places was dificult but,another good the explain to animals life, the proximity with them was an unique experience. The hotels services,the travelers on safari cars, the food and the living together with the natives people. When i can see since my room the hippos on its natural hábitat its an undescriptible sensation, i really love this,thanks sweet África Safaris.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Novel and stimulating bushveldt experience.
All communications were clear and easy to comprehend. The service at Tremisana was impeccable and the food was five star. Accommodation upgrades had not quite been completed, but was very comfortable.
The whole experience was beyond our highest expectations, as we usually favour self-catering time share and self-drive options for our nature reserve visits. Our guide, Bongani, was extremely knowledgeable and informative. We would highly recommend these wilderness safaris to anyone, but especially to any overseas visitors who wish to become familiar with our fauna, flora and bush topography. They will be treated to an exhilarating experience, in the lap of luxury.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
a trip to South Afrika that we will never forget!
Tailor made Safairs is reliable, They give a very good advise about driving not too much, they give a good value for money , they know a lot about South Africa and have perfect accommodations. There service is very good. We appreciated the GPS and cell phone a lot! and ofcourse the book with all the information about our trip. And during the trip they stayed in thouch with us! Our dream to have a wonderful trip with our family came true.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
I had a fabulous trip on safari with my mother as part of a group of 5. Jonathan and the team were very knowledgable and enabled us to see 4 out of the big 5 among many other animals as well. Our experience of the guiding, catering and accomodation were excellent. I really hope I can return one day. Trip of a lifetime and highly recommended.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Outstanding in all areas.
I was lucky enough to be part of a photographic safari this past week (March 2016) with Moriti Safaris. Words cannot describe how wonderful it was. Shaun is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to wildlife and the bush. The Honourary Rangers were fantastic, the accommodation exceptional, not to mention the food. I cannot fault Moriti on anything and the sightings were out of this world. It is paradise. This safari exceeded my expectations in every way. I will most certainly be going back.
SI
Good driver, interesting itinerary, memorabld experience
Very dependable, on time, the driver took great care and made our stay a good experience
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing, once in a life time experience!
We were a family of four (adult kids) who booked the 4-day Camping Safari with Tanzania Expeditions over the Christmas period 2015.
We were very well taken care of and the trip was a fantastic experience overall. All payments were handled professionally and we got a competitive rate for our package. The main reason why we chose this company over others were that the communication before the deposit was paid was all dealt with promptly and efficiently.
We had organised for the safari company to book us bus tickets from Dar es Salaam-Arusha before the safari and this worked well. When we arrived in Arusha they picked us up from the bus station as arranged and dropped us off at our pre-safari accommodation. The safari started the following day and we were very happy with the content of the tour and what we got to see. The nature is absolutely stunning and everyone should go on a safari in their life! We also got there just in time for the great migration which was spectacular. The food was of very good quality our driver was a very personable and good fun. We also had a case of illness during the tour which they dealt with very well.
The slight hickups were that our upgrade on the first night was fully booked when we arrived on sight so we got the "normal" accommodation instead. We also had a car break down but I think this is something that could happen with any company. They dealt with this by letting us ride with a different tour provider for the last day which worked out fine. We could have also wished for more facts about the animals and nature as we saw them but this was just a minor observation. Overall we had a fantastic time and would recommend Tanzania Expeditions to other travellers.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g297913-d6964527-r354092618-Tanzania_Expeditions-Arusha_Arusha_Region.html#
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari and Kilimanjaro Climb!
After searching around for a local guide company, I contacted George Mtaki for a proposal on my trip to Tanzania in January 2016. He was very responsive and provided me with proposals for my trip. I opted for a 2-day Safari and Kili climb on the Machame route.
At the last minute, a big storm in Virginia forced me to change my plans and head to Tanzania a day early. I contacted George and he modified the plans and suggested that I do the 4-day Safari now that I had an extra day. I agreed, and off I went to Tanzania.
When I arrived, George was waiting for me at the airport. He had a bottle of cold water waiting for me as it was a very hot day. He drove me to the hotel, gave me some time to get settled, then we sat in a reception area and discussed the itineraries in detail.
My Safari Guide, Moses, arrived a little later and filled me in on what the Safari would be like and what time he would pick me up in the morning. After a good night's sleep Moses arrived the next morning and off we went. The drive toward Tarangire was great as it was my first chance to see Moshi and Arusha city life. We stopped at a local spot for a light breakfast, which was great as well - a chance to eat some local fare. I had white-coffee (coffee with cream) and some kind of beef empanada that Moses recommended, which was very tasty.
Tarangire was amazing, first time I saw a real life lion in the wild. Saw elephants, giraffes, and many other animals as well, and I was completely floored at how close we were to them all. We ate a boxed lunch in a picnic area. The lunch was baked quarter chicken, a vegetarian sandwich, fruit juice, water, fruit, and cookies all individually wrapped. A monkey came by and stole a sandwich right out of another tourist’s hand, then an attendant came over to shoo the monkeys away. It was all very amusing. We then drove to nearby hotel, which was much better than I was expecting. And the last spot for wifi on the safari.
Ngorongoro crater was the next day - Breathtaking views from the top of the crater rim. Cape Buffalo, Rhino, Lions, and many other beautiful animals. Then we headed toward our hotel for the night. The drive was an adventure in and of itself. A rain storm passed through and the road flooded, but the land cruiser. At one point we were driving through a lake because of how much rain had fallen so suddenly. We got to the camp and it was much more rustic. To my surprise there was running hot water in the tent, but not drinkable (although the Massai drink it). There was plenty of bottled water in the room for drinking and brushing your teeth.
Off to the Serengeti the next morning. On the way we saw thousands of Zebras and Wildebeests migrating. Unbelievable!! We stopped in at the Serengeti checkpoint. The views were amazing, and the green plains seemed to go on for infinity. Serengeti itself was boundless. So many Elephants, Giraffes, Lions, cheetahs, jaguars, all very close. An amazing experience!! Stayed overnight at a camp in the Serengeti, simply extraordinary. In the morning on the way out of the park, we pass right under a tree with five lions sleeping, right above us!! Thrilling!! Moses then took me to visit a Massai village and I was able to see how they live and participate in their dancing and jumping contest. I visited their kindergarten and made a donation. Beautiful people!!
Back to Moshi, to sleep in the hotel and then off to Kilimanjaro the next morning. I tipped my guide $20 per day. The next morning I was greeted by Abraham Lauwo and Ally Msasu. They came to my room and looked at the gear I had. They made suggestions on items I didn’t need, and things I should get. We went to the rental store and got a very warm sleeping bag, a warm winter coat, and a few other minor items. George combined me with a Canadian couple, with whom I got along well with. The first day on the mountain was easy. We took the Machame 7-day route. We saw a black mongoose, and several blue monkeys (which are actually black and white). We got to the camp site and the tents were already set up. Ally had the team sing the Kilimanjaro song to welcome us into the first camp. It was great to go in the tent take my boots off and relax before dinner. Dinner was great, considering it was on the mountain. It was usually a combination of a starch, protein, and soup. Water, tea, and coffee were also on the menu.
Each night Abraham would check our vital signs, blood oxygen saturation, and pulse. He taught us a method to increase oxygen saturation by breathing deeply, but not exhaling completely. I would end up using this quite a bit on the final ascent. Day 3 to the Lava Tower at 4642M was just 900M shy of the summit. Going this high was intended to have our bodies start to produce more red blood cells and test our altitude sensitivity. I started getting a slight headache once we reached the Lava tower. That night I decided to take the altitude medication, Diamox, just to be safe. The altitude medication has a side effect where I ended up going to urinate about every hour or so. At night was the worst because it was difficult getting a good night sleep. I had a large pee bottle that I ended up using so I didn’t have to get up in the cold to go to the bathroom. This made life a bit easier.
Day 4 heading up the Baranco wall was quite a fun section. Much more of a rock scramble than the rest of the Machame trail. To see the porters carrying large bags up this section is quite a sight. The porters earn every cent of their pay and tip!! They were amazing. By this time my headache was completely gone. Not sure if it was the Diamox, or the acclimatizing hike to Lava Tower, but either way I was happy to be rid of any symptoms of altitude sickness. Day 5 from Karanga to Barafu was very relaxed, which was good because that night at midnight we would head to the summit.
Day 6 – I bundled up with several layers in preparation for the below freezing temps. Turns out that the first couple kilometers I was too warm, and ended up removing my winter hat and buff. It was a LONG hike up to the peak. I got colder and put back on the items I took off. I brought some hot hands with me, but I never used them because the effort to take them out and set them up seemed like I would get colder trying to do that than just continuing on. The air got thinner and thinner and I was breathing deeply for each step. After a quick stop at Stella point to see the beautiful sunrise, we proceeded toward Uhuru peak. I became reenergized as we got closer to the peak. We reached the peak!! Success!! I was so pumped with adrenaline that I no longer felt the cold. Ally took several pictures for me and we started back down. I ended up running down the mountain back to Barafu camp, which was a lot of fun!! I got down before the Canadian couple, the porters congratulated me and gave me some juice. I took the opportunity to get a couple hours of sleep while waiting. The hike to Mweka camp seemed like forever but it didn’t matter because mission accomplished!
Day 7 – The Canadian couple and I pooled our tip money and I gave a speech and thanked the crew and told them what we were tipping, and that it certainly was not enough considering the work that they did for us. The crew hardly makes any money (less than $10 per day) so part of hiring a local company is knowing that you are helping the economy by hiring locals and giving them a more direct share of the revenue booking. I implore everyone reading my review to understand that you are supporting a community that is mostly impoverished! I had a 3PM flight out of JRO, so Abraham arranged for Ally and one of the porters to get up early with me and run down to the exit so that I could get to the hotel early enough to take a shower and catch my flight. The porter was amazing!! I was running down the mountain with poles and still occasionally slipping on some wet rocks. He was sure footed the entire way, with probably 50lbs of stuff on his back and head, and no arms free for poles. One of George’s assistant’s picked me up and took me back to the hotel. Lovely warm shower, packed for the airport then met back up with the larger team for the certificates and ceremony!
I highly recommend George Mtaki and his crew at Kilimanjaro Brothers Climbing and Adventure for your trip and tours in Tanzania!! Special thanks to Moses, Abraham and Ally for making my trip one to remember!