20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Tanzanian honemoon
We decided that the perfect honeymoon for us would be a destination that combined adventure and relaxation. After much research we chose Tanzania as our destination as we felt a safari followed be a relaxing beach hotel in Zanzibar would be the ideal combination.
I emailed several safari operators regarding possible itineraries and prices and from day 1 I was impressed by Nature responsible safari. Fransisca always replied quickly, was friendly, offered multiple options and importantly was competitively priced. After much deliberation we decided on a 6 night safari that took in Lake Manyara, Tarangirie, Serengeti and Ngorogoro crater.
From the moment we arrived at Kilimanjaro airport everything went smoothly. Our fantastic driver / guide Deo met us at the airport and drove us to Arusha where we stayed at Kibo palace overnight. Fransisca personally came and met us at Kibo Palace which was a lovely touch and gave us some Maasai blankets as gifts to keep us warm on evening safaris. Kibo palace is a lovely hotel and we were treated to a free room upgrade.
We loved every aspect of our safari and each location was different allowing as to get a real mixture of experiences. We saw lions, leopards, hippos, cheetahs, wilderbeast, antelope, crocodile, buffalo, rhino, giraffe, zebra, wart hog, hyaena, elephant and jackals to name but a few. The hotels we stayed at - Kibo Palace, Serengti Sopa and Eileens tree were without exception perfect bases.
Our guide / driver Deo was fantastic. He spoke perfect English, was extremely knowledgeable, a very safe driver and was friendly and polite. On several occasions he went the extra mile staying out for longer than some other companies giving us extra chance to see wildlife.
We would recommend Nature responsible safari company to anyone. They were faultless and went above and beyond even helping us to arrange our flying doctors insurance and transfers in Zanzibar.
We would love to return to witness the great migration and will be certain to use this company again.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was so impressive, words cannot express, how it was.
The communications was great. Our guide did a great job, he saw every single animal, I would never have seen. He could explain to us a lot, about the landscape and the animals. He drove very carefully and took very good care of us. Our cook did also an excellent job. We got a lot to eat and it always tasted very good. The safari was my highlight of the vacation and I really enjoyed. Would like to go back.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Poor service
We had a great safari in Seregeti , Ngorongoro and Tarangire! We saw a lot of animals and had a great guide. But we would definitely not recommend to go whit World Air Travel & Tours in Arusha. On the first day or care broke down after 30 minutes. All day the guide tried to fix the car but it broke down five times. He managed to drive to the gate of the Serengeti but then the car was totally broken.
All cars break down some day. The roads are poor so this things happen. no problem. But World Air Travel & Tours laid all the time about the solution. There say they had sent a another car and it will arrive soon. After all the other car arrived 14 hours after they told us he would.
So we missed the first day and half of or second day. On a safari of four days this is a lot so we asked about a compensation. we paid a lot of money fore the safari (6 persons 4days and $900,- per person). We missed more than 1/4 of the safari. They offer us an extra day in the Serengeti for $130 a person or get a refund of $ 30,- per person. Even after hard bargaining this was their final offer.
Very pour solution and very bad compensation. If ever tithing is going to plan it is no problem to go whit World Air Travel & Tours . But if there is a problem after you paid, it’s your problem.
IL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari with no worries
My friend and I went on a 10 days Safari, 6 days in Zanaibar between Sept. 21st and Oct.6th of 2014. I must have surveyed dozens of Safari suppliers and Deo from Earthlife Expedition immediately stood out from the crowd. He was extremely helpful throughout the process, sincerely concerned about providing us the best experience possible and very cordial and professional. Throughout the communication, he was responsive, had ample advice and worked within our budget. He was honest and open about what he can and cannot provide and always offered alternatives if he thought other arrangements or routes were preferable for a better experience. We are very happy with our decision to go with Earthlife and this decision was only reinforced by the amazing Safari we had. Our guide and driver was professional, warm and made sure we are comfortable throughout the journey. He knew the parks and the animals habits very well which provided us with excellent sighting and many exciting moments. Working with a smaller company you really get a personal touch and you know your experience is extremely important to them. Earthlife was everything we could expect from a company providing a once in a lifetime experience. We enjoyed every minute of it!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Let down
We used Land and Lake to take us on a 3 day safari to South Luangwa and while there were no problems with the lodge or the safari drives, Land and Lake let us down on both transport and also failed to communicate with the lodge. 30 minutes outside of Lilongwe we broke down and had to spend over 2 hours by the side of the road while a replacement vehicle was brought out. On the way we met up with another Land and Lake vehicle that had broken down the day before. We arrived at the lodge after almost 8 hours after leaving and missed an hour of our afternoon drive. The lodge (not a part of Land and Lake) and the manager were superb but dietary requirements of half of our party were not passed on to them. Land and Lake have proved unreliable and although I would use the lodge again I would not use or recommend Land and Lake.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great last minute service & very good value
We booked our safari two weeks in advance after some very helpful advice through e-mail. We decided to do a 5-day camping safari incl. Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater.
On our way to Kilimanjaro airport we missed the connecting flight at Nairobi. We had to wait over twelve hours and arrived in the evening instead of early in the morning. Just four hours before arrival, I requested Sunny Safaris to arrange an pick-up from the airport and a hotel booking in Arusha (all through e-mail). They arranged both perfectly, and we could start the safari early on the next morning. Paying a small part of the remaining balance in TZS instead of USD was no problem either (we had to pay for new flight tickets cash at Nairobi).
The safari itself was just amazing. We were lucky to see the early arrival of the great migration around Seronera. We saw each of the big 5 at least three times. The experienced driver/guide and cook (Pessa and Vincent) did a great job in making our adventure unforgettable.
We inquired different companies and Sunny was by far the cheapest. It seems there is little difference between companies in terms of service and meals on the campsites. So it felt as great value for money us.
The only con we can think of is that the vehicle looked a bit older than the others around, but we had no problems except for one flat tire. But it was very comfy to have a 8p vehicle just for us...
Definitely recommended!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My driver/guide was excellent. Many opportunities to see wildlife
Sometimes there were short delays in communication but Simon always returned emails
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very professional and flexible safari operator with contacts to the very best lodges.
The communication has been great through the entire process, always quick and good replies to our mails. We were very impressed with all the information provided before hand and everything has lived up to our expectations. Our stay at kirkmans camp were extremely pleasant. Great location, great accomodation, great food and staff, and not the least amazing safari-experience. Our guide was very professional and knew so much about the wildlife! We also had a good stay at the ngala lodge but felt it was a little bit less intimate and personal primarily because of its bigger size. The staff also seemed less engaged, but still great accomodation, great food and amazing wildlife experience. All transfers went as planned so it was easy for us to just relax and enjoy!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7 day Kruger family adventure of a life-time
If you are lucky enough to secure a booking with Shaun at Moriti Safaris, you are in for a treat. Shaun is a pleasure to spend time with (our boys adored him) and has a great sense of humour. His passion for the bush and the animals is completely infectious, and his tracking skills enabled us to get up close to so many different animals. His hand-picked accommodations were fantastic. We stayed at Panzi Lodge (the boys loved playing in the pool and with the two resident Jack Russels) which was rustic and gorgeous, then at Angela's House (an incredible private house with a view to die for). All our meals were gourmet and delicious. The trip surpassed all my hopes and expectations - it was amazing!
Five Star!
Here is a snippet from my journal. In summary this was a remarkable resort. I'd recommend it in a flash!
On our last morning at Victoria Falls the breakfast calm was shattered when a baboon leaped off the roof on to the veranda dining area and terrorized a man at a table. His fortunate wife had just left to make another pass at the buffet. The animal grasped for food off the mans table but he only succeeded in knocking dishes on to the floor before a waiter shooed him away.
The Zambezi Sun, our hotel, is ideally located, literally at the entrance to the National Park, which includes the falls. It's several acres with a series of two story hotel units. On our last day, right around six four zebra sauntered past our living room. Just up, I grabbed my pants and went out with photo equipment in hand. They were oblivious of my presence. This apparently is not unusual on our first evening a group of velvet monkeys went prancing by our unit. Giraffe and elephant are in the area, but I did not see any during our stay. We did see several gazelle as we arrived at the property that first evening.
We toured the falls our first evening. It was hot and the sun still intense at five. We took the main route across the "knife-edge bridge." The water flow was very disappointing, just a trickle; this was the end of the dry season in October. The path leads to a promontory overlooking the main falls area. The vista is spectacular even without the water flow. The drop-off is hundreds of feet, providing an excellent sphincter test! In the distance is the main bridge over the mighty Zambezi river linking Zambia with Zimbabwe.
On the middle of our three day stay we did a river cruise. The Zambezi is the fourth longest river in Africa we were told. The Nile, the Congo, and the ++. We had wanted to do the "African Queen," a larger vessel than seen in the Bogart movie. But, it was only available for the sunset dinner cruise, which was not of interest to us. How lucky for us as it turns out. The small boat, which would probably hold 12 or more, was large enough to seem safe. There was only one other couple, Ian & Esther--another story, so the boat was very fast and very maneuverable.
We started our adventure heading upriver. Within a quarter we came on a herd of bachelor elephants. There were 16-17 in the all male group. The captain pulled right up to them at the river bank as he told us to not worry, because they do not go into the water. Whereupon one and then three elephants entered the river just to our left. We moved on up the river a nod in a short while came on 5-6 hippos; they were grazing on the bank. As we moved closer they hurried off to one side into the river. From then on it was just eyes, ears and noses! There were many other species, most birds, one croc and a variety of fauna. Toward the end of our two hour jaunt we beached the craft and had a Picnic lunch with fried chicken, curried potatoes, some quiche and fruit for desert. Back on board we went bat out of hell down rapids to the hotel where we were dropped off. A magical day!