EE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable adventure
Our group of 7 conquered Kilimanjaro in February 2013. We had no problems with MJ Safaris and the people were nice and hospitable. The office of MJ Safaris is located in the same building with a good hotel so that makes the whole trip very comfortable. MJ Safaris was helpful with our different requirements and also helped us in planning our trip after Kilimanjaro.
US
Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Family trip of a lifetime!
My husband and I traveled with Wildlife Safaris in 2006 and had a wonderful experience. When we decided to plan a safari with our family, we immediately contacted Wildlife Safaris and were pleased that Christine was again the person to help us with our booking. Through her expert help, we arranged the perfect vacation including staying at Waybury House the first and last night. Hoppy was our guide for our 4 night safari and I can't say enough about how well he took care of his. He was friendly, accommodating and very knowledgeable. We saw the Big Five within the first two days! An added bonus was running into Clive, our guide in 2006, in Kruger! I highly recommend Wildlife Safaris and hope to return for another safari in the not too distant future.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
30 days Exploring Uganda and Tanzania
We have been back almost 3 months now and as our trip is still very fresh in our memory I thought I would write a few comments regarding what was to us sometimes worrying and then they became the most important part of our trip.
It doesn't need to be a 30 day safari for some of the things that affected us to affect others.
Visas:
Often mentioned on forums, do we do this or that. In the end we bought all our visas on arrival and no hassle what so ever. The officials at the borders couldn't have been nicer.
Health issues:
We are a couple in our early 60's and we think pretty fit.
Malaria tablets:
We did visit our local GP and he provided us with malaria prophylactics and we were vaccinated against yellow fever. A quick mention was made of other vaccinations but we politely declined.
We started taking the malaria tabs 2 days before departure and continued with them 2 weeks after we returned. I did expect to turn yellow, we have heard reports of soldiers during WWII experiencing this, we didn't but the most difficult part was to remember to take them.
We were not asked for our yellow fever booklet anywhere except on our return to Australia where were asked to show it.
We didn't have any other health issues, drank plenty of water, and ate everything that was dished up to us.
Vehicle:
We had read a lot of posts about vehicles. Ours was a Land Rover with four seats in the back, and a cool box for our drinks and lunches, this was great. Most of the other safari vehicles we saw were Toyota land Cruiser. We had a really comfortable ride no breakdowns or other issues. The roads were really rough in many areas and potholes all over the place. Dirt and dust became a common part of our day. The roof had a hatch that we could push up when we wanted to, this provided some welcome shade. I don’t think the type of roof with a canvas roll back would have suited us.
Food and water:
We had plenty of water in the vehicle which was supplied by EASTCO and it was topped as we were travelling along when the opportunity arose. We did stock up a bit in Entebbe after we arrived, which was a good idea in retrospect.
The food was generally well cooked and simple. Plenty of fruit and we also had extra in the 4x4.
Breakfast were pretty much standard wherever we went, juice, toast or bread and a sausage or frankfurter with tomato and egg. Coffee and tea is you wished.
The lunch boxes were also very similar, we did avoid the chicken and kept to fruit, juice, bread, and often nuts or a biscuit. Some lodges in Tanzania provided vegetarian pasties and chapattis which when we could have them provided the better lunch boxes. Chocolate was often offered as was the old favorite the boiled egg.
I would insist before you take your lunch box that you have some input into its contents, we always did and it was never a hassle.
Dinner, we had a variety of meals over the month long trip and the most noticeable feature was the excellent soup and homemade breads and rolls . I think pumpkin soup was the best. If you get a chance to sample the local fare do so it was fun. When we were camping we often asked for a local dish and were given it. Pilau was served up once a concoction of meat and rice, quite tasty. We always ate a lot of fruit and drank plenty of water.
Accommodation:
We stayed in a variety of accommodation from what I would call a very luxury lodge, to simple tents and then basic guest houses. I have done reviews of the accommodation elsewhere so here I will confine my comment to one per lodge.
Momella lodge had the old world atmosphere. Boundary Hill Lodge the loo with a spectacular view. Speke Bay the lake. The Boma the bed after a long flight. White Rose Guest House frankfurters. Ngorongoro Wildlife lodge the view. Naitolia camp the best of them all. Camping in Uganda was fun, Camping in the Serengeti not to be missed.
Showers:
Hot water and a shower is an essential part of my daily routine I must have at least two a day.
All the lodges and camps had hot water for a shower and the way it was delivered varied from a simple bucket shower in the tent to a beautiful outside shower under the stars.
Company:
We used Eastco for our trip. It couldn't have been better. In the planning stages, the most important part, we learnt a lot.
Go with your gut feeling, Simon was by far the most knowledgeable of all the TO we emailed, and he did go out of his way to answer all the questions and plan the trip we wanted. After the Egypt debacle and the Ugandan add on, organized on the spur of them moment we can only say “Thanks” it was the trip of a life time and was beyond our expectations.
We did follow the advice on the forum and emailed many operators suggested here, the list no expert provided was an excellent starting point, and slowly we worked out which company would work for us. Quickly eliminating those who obviously wouldn’t. We were not disappointed.
Guide:
Last but not least: Our guide was Inno and you couldn't have wished for a better fit. He was quiet when we wanted him to be, talked when we wanted to. All in all you knew he was there for you.
His knowledge of wildlife was outstanding as you would expect, as well as being polite and friendly.
Tip: we did tip him and one tip we learned was to learn a bit of Kiswahili.
Wildlife:
Almost forgot the reason for the trip. In one word superb, nothing can describe the number of wildlife nor the variety. Standouts would be the Gorillas, Elephants at Tarangire and the cheetah at Seronera.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Looked after everything
We only had limited time, three days, and we had extensive email correspondence with Simon about six months earlier when he gave us prompt and patient answers to all our many questions. We took his advice about where to go, where to stay and he took care of all the many details, airport transfers etc. Everything went like clockwork. Would recommend Eastco to anyone.
Our driver was friendly, helpful and reliable.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
It was a really fantastic experience to travel with Lindo Tanzania Travel
We had a great safari about 7 days, visiting Arusha National Park, Tarangire, Manyara, Serengeti Park and Ngorongoro crater. We saw a lot of animals an a gorgeous landscape. Particulary be emphasized is our driver and tour guide Stephan. He made a really professional job. A very, very likable person,very accommodating and he knew an answer to every questions. We really felt very comfortable with him.
Overall we were extremely satisfied with Lindo Tanzania Travel agency and we recommend the company to anybody who really want to experience the really adventure which are offered by Lindo Tanzania Travel through its professional skilled tour driver guides.
FI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Something we will Remember for a Long time
We made a three days safari with Northern Circuit Adventure to Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara National Park. It was a great experience and we saw many animals and changing landscapes. Thanks Mike, our guide Dennis and our cook Gabriel for making experience great.
Our guide Dennis has a good knowledge of animals and plants and was always able to answer our questions. We can definitely recommend Northern Circuit Adventure safari to others and this is something we will remember for a long time!
Asante!
Maija & Lauri from Finland
BG
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Vacation - Kilimanjaro and Safari
My husband and me spent two wonderful weeks in Tanzania, all arranged by Shadows of Africa. What can I say, this trip has certainly become a trip of my lifetime. Kilimanjaro climb was well organized; we had a nice team guiding us to the top. The guide Rashid, was very motivating and keeping it positive in challenging moments when I was about to give up on the way to the mountain. For this I am sincerely grateful as in other circumstances I would probably quit along the way. As for safari all I can say , had an amazing time. We took 5 day safari to Manyara, Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. All parks are beautiful, but Serengeti was the place worth staying for days and if I come back I will choose to visit more days in Serengeti for sure. Driver Timothy was funny, witty and informative with wildlife facts and safari stories. Food on safari was also good and tasty, lunch boxes we received were very generous in size and portions in comparison what we saw with other people on picnic spots. For us this package was exactly what we wanted, we didn’t go on Zanzibar but maybe next time..
IN
We would recommend Chalo Africa for those looking for a unique and responsible wilderness experience
The game safari industry in Kenya caters basically to a western clientele. That's why it was a refreshing change to come across an Indian company like Chalo Africa that caters specifically to Indian needs. More importantly , what made us happy was that we were looking for a more specialized wilderness experience, keeping in mind that we make many visits to sanctuaries and national parks. We liked the fact that they were willing to experiment and help plan a holiday away from a cookie-cutter approach and keeping in mind our desire to get an offbeat wildlife experience. Sangeeta from their team, made several suggestions on what we could do to get off the tourist trail and get a more intimate wildlife experience.
I also like the fact that they tie up with counterparts in Africa who believe in the principle of 'responsible tourism' and take that very seriously. The bushcamp they suggested for us, had no walls constructed, (so we had wild animals coming to sniff our tents at night !) and use of resources like lights and water was restricted to the minimal. We would recommend Chalo Africa for anyone looking for a unique and responsible wilderness experience!
Bahar Dutt is a wildlife conservationist and journalist
Vijay Bedi is a award winning wildlife film maker
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappointing
For my husbands birthday, I booked a 6 night safari. I made the mistake of booking with Julius t. Safari in Kenya. Although, he has excellent reviews for Kenyan safaris, he subcontracts out safaris in Tanzania.This is how we ended up with Sunny Safaris. Our driver guide Khalifa, was unfriendly--not engaging at all. His English was poor. he tried to change the itinerary to suit his needs. We relied upon other guides to find wild life. We paid $6000 usd --very disappointing---older beat up land roovers
The people here have great knowledge and I would use them and recomment them to family and friends.
I found the person whom I dealt with really understood my requirements and she far exceeded my expectations. I had a wonderful time in Zanzibar, an island I would definately like to visit again in the near future. The people here have great knowledge and I would use them and recomment them to family and friends. very professional and friendly.