35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Crazy wildlife but...
Highly recommended for wildlife and birdwatching. However very expensive accommodation and food
They paid back the $240
** UPDATE MARCH 2015
Peter paid us back today. He called me a few times in the past weeks to explain he was sorting out the financial trouble he got into, and promised he would pay back the money. So he did, the full amount. I am writing this update to do justice to him and his company. Despite the trouble, he's now trying to sort this, as he has done with me and my family.
** ORIGINAL REVIEW
Be aware if you consider to book with this company - I / my family still hasn't received the $240 refund. We paid up-front for a number of things including a safari (and park fees) to Amboseli. The deal was my family would visit Amboseli for 2 days, but they ended up going only 1 day. As the park fees for 2 adults and 2 children were already paid, Africa Flash Mc Tours need to pay us back the $240. Despite NUMEROUS emails, phone calls (Peter's number and the hotline number on their website), whatsapp messages to Peter etc I still haven't received anything. I got a few promises ("you'll get it tomorrow because I have reached my ATM limit", or "I will get it to you by Monday", etc etc) but still no refund... This refund is what obviously concerns me most. But, I'd like to add that generally their services are not great either. My family was supposed to be picked up for the Masai Mara at 8.30am (which I felt was a bit late, but Peter said this was fine), but the van showed up at 10.00am! I didn't get a justification why they were 1,5 hours late (yeah traffic....). I do want to do justice to two of their guides for the Masai Mara and Amboseli - my family did really like them.
AE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exactly as I had expected although naturally much more impressive living it up close, live n direct
First of all we were 100% satisfied with Hello Tanzania Tours service from word go! They were nothing less than perfect right to the end and best priced in the market by a country mile! Tanzania as a country from the moment we landed at the airport and had to line up for visa, baggage collection etc was generally a struggle. The roads the heavy traffic, the culture shock, the poverty needed getting used to over the first few days and then the friendliness and genuine smiles and happiness of the people just captivated you and helped you ease into the vibe of the country. Jumbo and akuna matata two well branded words, went with the territory along with trying to avoid continuous street sellers asking for exorbitant prices for unwanted souvenirs and taxi rides.
A beautiful country in its own right, blessed with a heart throbbing wildlife and beautiful friendly and happy people despite their daily struggles, I felt however disillusioned by the exuberant prices tourists were expected to pay for services that might cost less than half in other more developed tourist destinations. I don't care how high the season is, the prices being asked by hotels, some in Zanzibar were well above $1,000 per night, very nice granted but not any nicer than any hotel you might find in Dubai or Greece at high season.
Personally I was humbled how happy and genuinely positive and cheerful Tanzanians seemed in the face of abject adversity and poverty! That for me was priceless and something everyone in the developed world who correlates happiness with wealth and money should go and experience at least once a year as a reminder to themselves!
I hope to return and see other safari parks one day soon.
Thank you Hello Tanzania Tours for tirelessly bending over backwards to make this trip as memorable and accommodating as possible.
Asante!
PH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Be detailed
Mwanje the owner is fast in answering query, we were able to agree on the price as early as November 2013 and the terms of payment, I send my deposit as a guarantee of my travel, but after a month he ask again for additional deposit which is not our agreement, nevertheless I sent the money. On the later months he said again that the price rise up due to additional park taxes which based in my research it was implemented Sept. of 2013 way behind before we agreed on the price, he add the price US$ 125.00 pr person which I don't have a choice since I already send 2 times partial payment. I also make clear that I want car with aircon and he agreed to give us a Land Cruiser car with aircon, but during our tour, the aircon is not functioning. So my advice before sending money is to have a contract that in case all your agreement be change, he will return the money or you have the option to cancel your tour.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
bad food, and not enough of it
We stayed at two safari places in Selous Game Reserve, Sable Lodge and Rufiji River Lodge, selected by Gecko. Sable had OK food, but small portions that left you hungry. Rufiji River Lodge had food that was not at all pleasant or appetizing -- you just ate a bare minimum to stave off hunger. At $300/pp/day, I expected better.
Also, the train trip to Selous was not pleasant. 3rd Class or whatever it was is a real surprise for Westerners. Nothing bad happened, but it felt on edge.
Other than these, Gecko did a fine job. I wouldn't use them again, though, I don't think.
Dive adventure in the Quirimbas archipelago
Our cruise in the Quirimbas archipelago was rather difficult : we were not welcomed. Most of the islands are private so we were not allowed to land. Even though we had a permit, sometimes we were not allowed to anchor.
We visited Ibo island : the village is out of time, a very pleasant and peaceful place where people are very quiet and the colors at the end of the afternoon on the old buildings were so beautiful. Some species of birds were standing in the mangrove but we didn't have enough time for bird watching.
The dive conditions were difficult : courant, poor visibility. But whatever we had good times and Neptune's arms dive site is amazing. Many schools of fish, lutjanus, caranx and also reef white sharks.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
One lodge was more than expected but the other was less.
I have seen much more wildlife in the Serengeti and Masaai Mara and even Kruger. I was extremely surprised at that because I thought Botswana was going to have many more animals. My one lodge Mapula was terrific. Great food, staff, amazing tracker/guide, beautiful room. It was 41 degrees on one day and 39-40 on the others and the was little to help the heat. The fans in the room were over the seating area only. That could be improved, but otherwise lovely place.
The second place (crocodile teeth? in the local language) was much lower level. On our orientation in this semiarid place we were told that there were a number of big scorpions seen in the camp and that we were to be careful because they were extremely poisonous. I understand we are in Africa, but I would have thought there would be more responsibility on the camp staff to be watchful to rid the camp proper of scorpions. The tracker/guides were not great; the least knowledgeable and least excited guides/trackers of any safari I have been on. (An I have been on a good number throughout Africa). The food was not very tasty at all, edible but nothing exciting. We had to travel 2 hours from the airport and 2 + hours each way to get to the animals. That was a lot of driving. Also, we had lunch in a place that turned out to have ants in the sand and many of us had many ant bites with very itchy feet that swelled from the number of bites. I expected much more from Botswana given the hype and the cost in comparison to other great safari experiences.
US
Animals are amazing but don't use BIGMAC Safaris
Nothing can beat the wildlife of Kenya, however we had the WORST tour guide, John and would not recommend BigMac safaris or John as a guide. He rarely spoke to us and quite honestly barely acknowledged us. He put us in danger by driving insane speeds on the roads and with broken seat belts. He was on his phone ALL of the time, if not talking then texting and looked like we were bothering him anytime we asked a question. He was frequently late for us sometimes at the expense of us missing meals. Go with another company, ANY OTHER company has to be better. He only spoke to us at the end when he wanted to explain to us what a good guide he was and if we didn't believe him we should "check trip advisor".
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
too basic for my taste.
My guide and the staff at the camp were lovely and very accommodating. The highlight of the trip was visiting the local village where many of the staff live. It was primitive (no running water or electricity to the individual huts) but the women of the community was very cordial, everything was orderly and the children were quite happy. The Delta had the most amazing array of beautiful birds i’ve ever seen. It was fun to see elephants and rhinos peacefully roaming so close to the camp.
However, the accommodations were basically fixed, elevated tents. The cold running spicket and toilet were outside of the sleeping area. It had a gravity feed shower that was impossible to work, so I bathed under a faucet. There was no electricity in the tent! A small solar lamp and lantern were the only sources of lightly night.
IE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Overpriced Destination
Safari was great. Guide was knowledgeable. Balloon was a rip off. Way overpriced at a ridiculous 400 USD/per person for an hour flight. Then poor quality photos were an optional extra 40 USD. Kenya would be great if they didn't automatically screw you and charge you double/triple on everything just because you're white or a westerner. Also there is a sense of entitlement among those providing services, like they deserve to screw tourists, or that you must tip as they feel owed!!