50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
See Below
Very well looked after by Bruce from my initial contact. The holiday trip was just amazing and all of the local aids were extremely courteous and friendly. I would have no hesitation in recommending your services. Our only issue was flight connections and not having one through ticket for our air travel which together with poor connection planning aided is to miss one connecting flight on our return trip which had to be rebooked and paid for. We would appreciate this cost being refunded.
Best of the best
It's a shame more people tend to visit South Africa rather than Tanzania for the safari adventure. I've been to both, and my safari in Tanzania put Kruger to shame! The scenery in Tanzania is so different between all the parks, and the unique opportunities you have here simply cannot be found anywhere else- seeing a lake with a million flamingos or the wildebeest migration. And so on. Absolutely incredible! We visited four parks- Serengeti, Tarangire, N'goro Crater and Lake Manyara, and it has been one of the best vacations I've taken. Well worth every dime, and we were well taken care of by our guide, Solomon, and our cook, Gabriel. They were fantastic, always stopping for photo opps or the many unexpected happenings, explaining African history and wildlife and were just easy guys to talk to. I will recommend this company and safari in Tanzania to anyone and everyone looking for the African experience.
I live in Mozambique, and have traveled around Africa a fair bit. Tanzania is at the top!! Thanks for an unbelievable trip!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Real time experience
I spent a great deal of time searching the web and corresponding with potential Kenya safari operators trying to find an operator that was both reasonably priced and willing to offer a flexible customized tour. Real African Tours was among a small number of operators that met these criteria and the only one which provided prompt responses to my many questions.
The safari provided by Real African Tours exceeded my expectations. I chose to save as much money on accommodations as possible, so the accommodations were simple but comfortable, the food was excellent, the 4x4 vehicles were good, but most importantly the drivers/guides were excellent. The drivers were very knowledgeable about the parks we visited and were able quickly locate the best areas for viewing the animals. I would recommend Real Afcian Tours to anyone interested in photography. The drivers were very patient, and accommodating. I would often have them reposition the vehicle several times in order to get the best possible angle for my pictures. What a trip!
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A great experience, everything perfect
I am a photographer and I was on a trip to photograph chimps in the jungle. Speke Uganda Holidays handled all the logistics of my trip in impeccable way. Very friendly, prompt at replying at my emails and always willing to help and make my trip smooth and enjoyable. I highly recommend this tour operator as very reliable and trustworthy.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Afrishare is great for people on a budget and who want a more authentic experience.
It is a small, family run business, and everyone is super friendly. Ibrah the owner is great and he will make custom trips to accommodate your group size, budget and activity level. Whatever you want to see, he will make it happen. He planned for my group a coffee plantation tour and waterfall hike, as well as a custom trip to Maasai Village. He also planned a trip to Kilimanjaro summit for one of my friends and her 3 friends. They had a great experience also. I always recommend booking tours through local, small businesses to get the most authentic experience.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Safari with EASTCO
We had a fantastic safari with EASTCO. We had been to Tanzania before and this time wanted to go to some places we had heard of but had not visited. As well as this we wanted to visit some old favourite places Tarangire National Park and Boundary Hill Lodge.
We once again found EASTCO very helpful and flexible in helping us organize a safari that was a bit different.
On this trip we visited Lake Natron. I had heard much about Lake Natron. The drive there was very interesting following the escarpment and driving over lava plains. We camped at Ngare Sero for 2 nights. It was fantastic: the escarpment, volcanic mountains and colourful Lake Natron.
We then drove to Lake Manyara and Ol Tukai, EASTCO's new lodge. This was our first glimpse of Ol Tukai, two thatched buildings with very steep roofs overlooking the distant lake. There was a large herd of giraffe behind Ol Tukai, maybe 30 or so scattered in the palm and acacia trees.
After Lake Manyara we headed for Tarangire National Park and spent hours watching elephants. At times they were amazingly close to us. We then drove to Boundary Hill Lodge, a place we had stayed at before. This is one of my favourite places to stay: spectacular views, giraffe and elephants on the plains below, Masai and their herds of cattle and unique accommodation. Each room is completely private built onto the rocks.
After Boundary Hill Lodge, we headed for Babati and stayed at the White Rose Guesthouse. This is a very simple local guesthouse, but clean and comfortable, very friendly staff. We had a chance here to go to a local restaurant and try local food. We wandered along the lake shore and visited the market. Lake Babati is well known for its hippos and as we were wandering to the market, there was a hippo in the bushes by the road!
Our next drive was to Mkomazi and the Pare Mountains where we stayed at the Elephant Motel.
Same is along the road between Kilimanjaro and the coast, a very dry stretch of country and the dominating features here are the mountains that run parallel to the road, the Pares and further south the Usambaras.
Mkomazi National park is set north of these mountains, itself borders by other mountains to the north and then the dry plains further east. It is a relatively new park, and I had always been keen to visit, and experience the park for myself. The camp we stayed at was set on a slight rise, two large tents and a dining tent, set in some acacias and looking west towards Kilimanjaro.
The next morning we headed towards the South Pare mountains and the village of Mbaga. We reached the local guesthouse where we were staying the night, Toma. The guesthouse is built on different levels out of wood, a ramshackle assortment of buildings, platforms and lounge areas perched on a narrow strip next to the road. This area has many building from the colonial German times and was very interesting.
After breakfast the next day we left for Amani Nature Reserve, heading over the Pares and visiting Chome Nature Reserve, before heading down to the main road, to the coast and then up a steep winding road to the Eastern Usambaras.
After a walk, we continued into Amani and the guesthouse we were staying in for the next three nights.
The difference between here and Chome was striking. Being closer to the Indian Ocean meant that Amani was much more humid and wetter.
Amani is an old colonial town, or town hub, a couple of old stone buildings, one of which was the old Amani Club, which is now the guesthouse.
After our stay at Amani we left for Tanga. The drive was interesting, citrus trees lining the road as we got closer to the coast.
Tanga itself was very interesting. The town is a mixture of old German colonial buildings, some Arab style balconies and typical Swahili homes, tin roofed, with a small porch with a cement bed to spend the hottest part of the days sleeping.
These three nights we camped on the beach between Tanga and Pangani near to a couple of Swahili fishing villages. The tents were small dome tents and we had our own private shower and toilets. They were in a great location overlooking the beach.
Sailing here was idyllic, drifting along under the dhow rigged sail with only the sound of the water beneath the hull.
On the last day we went to Tanga airstrip, where we caught a small plane for Dar Es Salaam and our international flight.
All in all it was a fantastic trip with lots of different and interesting things to see. We had a mixture of animals, fantastic scenery, history and local culture.
I would highly recommend EASTCO who went out of their way to give us the trip we wanted and who were very flexible.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
6 day serengeti, ngorongoro, tarangire and manyara tour. Outstanding guide made all the difference.
We travelled during February 2014 and were picked up from Kilimanjaro. Everything from this point onwards was pain and hassle free. Everything was taken care of allowing us to switch off and enjoy the excellent wildlife. I imagine we would have received similar quality of service from many of the tour companies but the thing that set Lilac apart was the level of knowledge of the two guides we had on the tour with us. Our guide Ame was a half Masai who had grown up near Ngorongoro and had clearly been running trips in the area for quite some time. He seemed to know where to go to get us as close to various animals at all times. There was some poor weather meaning fewer animals, but even during this time he was able to find us a pack of lions, hyenas and leopards. He managed our time really well and even on this relatively short trip was able to make sure that we saw as many animals up close as possible.
My advice, ask for Ame when booking and trust your guide. All the guides stay at the same accomodation and trade information on where different animals are living at the time. They also pull up next to each other and share information during the day.
We thought 6 days might be too little but it was enough for us although perhaps next time I would book a little longer to allow us to do some walking in the area.
A blinding week and I will be reccommending this company to anyone I talk to
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing birding & wildlife safari in Tanzania with Nature's Wonderland Safaris, highly recommended!
We were looking for something a little different from the average safari as my husband and I are birders. Of course we wanted to see the Big 5 but we didn't want to miss the many birds that we knew called Tanzania home. I heard some great things about Nature's Wonderland Safaris out of Nairobi running some specialized birding trips. I contacted them and immediately had a good feeling that they understood the kind of trip we were looking for. We settled on a private 12 day birding safari starting in Nairobi and taking in the major parks on the Northern Circuit in Tanzania. I communicated with our guide Joseph from the start of the planning process and he did an amazing job of taking all my requests and turning them into reality. As many people are, we were worried about wiring a large amount of money to a tour company in Africa. Our fears were groundless as we were informed as soon as our funds reached Nature's Wonderland's account. Communication throughout the planning process was excellent and they never seemed to tire of answering my considerable list of questions! We were met at the Nairobi airport by Joseph and warmly welcomed. Then we were whisked to our hotel, the Stanley, as Joseph reviewed our plans for the next day. In addition to birding we also wanted to make the most of our full day in Nairobi and do some shopping, visit the elepahnt orpahnage as we had adopted an orphan elephant and see Karen Blixen's House. All these were arranged and Joseph even managed to get us a sizeable list of Kenyan birds! We had decided to take the shuttle bus to Tanzania not just to save money but to see some of the countryside. Joseph delivered us to the bus, secured our luggage and made sure we had the best seats. He sheparded us through the border crossings and made sure we had the proper forms before we got to the windows. A big plus as other tourists ended up at the back of the line when they didn't have the forms filled out. On entering Tanzania we began the safari in earnest. Each park offered something different. We visited Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Lake Manyara. We saw a wealth of wildlife and over 300 new birds. Joseph made sure we didn't miss a thing even taking time at the end of long days in the vehicle to bird the lodge grounds with us. Not only could he spot all the birds and wildlife but he knew all the bird calls by heart and patiently combed through an area where he heard a call and then made sure we both got on the bird. He took us on an amazing hike in the Crater Highlands that afforded us some rare birds we would never have seen from the Land Cruiser. All the lodging was wonderful. The Sopa lodges were amazing and our stay at Whistling Thorn Camp in Tarangire was an experience we will always remember. Joseph even took the time to find and make reservations at a place I had read about in Arusha called Shanga Shangaa which has disabled Tanzanians making crafts and has a restuarant. This was an inspiring place and we loved our lunch in the thatched hut here. We had an amazing time and the whole trip went flawlessly. Joseph and Nature's Wonderland Safaris went out of their way to ensure we had the trip of a lifetime. They exceeded our expectations and we cannot recommend them highly enough!
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Up, close and personal
We wanted to experience Africa this time "up, close and personal", after having spent time in a luxurious lodge in SA. That didn't do it for us. We felt privileged, but not connected. We wanted to do a walking safari and be really close to the African Earth and Animals. Then a well travelled friend of mine told me about African Adventure Safaris. And that was the lucky draw of all time! Within a week, Anne and Ant organized everything for a private tour for us 2! So amazing the communication and organization upfront, but that was only a taste of what was yet to come: Anthony is not only a fantastic guide with a knowledge that is at eye-sight of those of the Bushmen, inspiring and able to translate his love for the bush to the guests with a passion and dedication - he is superman in one person: a nevertiring driver, coping with bumpy, waterfilled roads with the patience of a Buddha and an adventurous spirit at the sime time; a 5* chef of the al fresco cooking - very creative and delicious, he is a brilliant story teller of his experiences, he just makes you comfortable and part of nature. And this is a wonderful, rare gift. We had the time of our life! Visiting the Rhino Sanctuary, Central Kalahari (in lush green!), Okawango Delta, Moremi and Chobe, we had such phenomenal encounters with the beauty of the mammals, birds and the jaw dropping landscape. We wish we were still there. We are graceful and thankful - also to Anne, Anthony's lovely girlfriend, who was so supportive and great to have around - for this once in a lifetime experience! We will definitely travel again the magic soil of Africa - with African Adventures Safari!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reasonable safari cost, very experienced drivers and air conditioned safari designed vehicles.
The communication and the services i experienced at New Kenya were excellent, very welcoming and fantastic.