AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7 great days with our guide Charles in North Tanzania!
Be booked a 6 night/7 days safari (Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorogoro Lake Eyasi visiting Hadza Tribe) with ISIA. We choose them from Arusha based companies because of their quick and detailed communications upfront and their offer was good.
We loved our trip and Charles was a great guide. He knows a lot, sees a lot, clearly loves nature and wildlife and is a cheerful heartily guy and a very good driver. We felt very well and save the whole time with him. The safari travel plan was a very good choice for us and ISIA did a good job in organization, everything worked quite well. We were happy with the camps we chose from a list of options we got from ISIA, especially loved Kati Kati and Maramboi.
We couldn't do our booked walking tour due to weather conditions. So I asked ISIA to refunded the amount and they did after our return home promptly.
So overall we had a great experience and really loved it!
But we have to confirm what several other guests already reported here and on tripadvisor:
Our car was quite run down. In fact all the others we saw on our trip looked newer. Our guide managed problems with the car very well so we barely lost time while he had to fix things (except day one when we had to wait for almost 2 hours for a new car at the supermarket before even leaving Arusha). We are aware that car break downs are quite usual with this road conditions and its somehow even part of the adventure but we would really appreciate if ISIA get new ones to allow the guides to focus 100% on other things and give the guest a bit more comfort. Headrests and working safety belts should be mandatory.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Accurate, friendly, skilled; definitely value for money.
Swift and accurate answers to questions during preparation-phase, friendly and skilled staff and personnel, adequate facilities, good driver/guide, nice cook, good program with adequate adaptation, first two days all by ourselves and thereafter nice companions. Guide responded patiently to our answers and wishes, never impatient or in a hurry. Succeeded in showing us the big, the small and the ugly five.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
8 day luxury safari
A safari which will live long in the memory. Chimps at Kibale were great - suggest you pay extra for habituation walk. need to start early at Swamp Walk (9a.m.) if you are to get to QENP for game drive. Saw tree climbing lions at Ishsha and gorillas at Bwindi were wonderful with one even visiting us at our verandah in Bwindi Lodge!. Over 70 bird species seen in total. Accommodation first class. Driver could have been a bit more enthusiastic but he was very careful and safe on the roads and 4WD vehicle very comfortable for two. Expensive but worth it!
JP
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Efficient Quick and great value
Joanne Sachs and her staff at Safari Trails was just great. She put together a great safari tour of Zimbabwe and Botswana. Answered all our questions very promptly. Everything was on time. Kuhulu Ivory Lodge was awesome. Elephants drinking water from our pool, lions mating not 100 meters from the lodge.... awesome. This family owned lodge is a Gem. Food drinks rooms staff .... everything was perfect. Had a great game drive in Hwange National park. Excellent lunch. Moved onto Cresta spray view hotel in Victoria Falls. An excellent hotel.... great staff food rooms service just perfect. Victoria falls tour was great and the Zambezi river cruise was awesome. Please visit Boma restaurant for a buffet of Crocodile to warthog to you name it... any kind of bush meat. Land transfer to Chobe Elephant Camp was very comfortable. But the only good thing about that lodge was the game drives with MR. Innocent. Food was average, staff uncaring. Electricity off and on. We were given the most distant rooms even though there was only one more room occupied. Had to walk through Elephant infested forest to the rooms. That was a scary walk of about 300 meters. Electric fence was not working. Basically a terrible place. Chobe river cruise was perfect. I recommend Joanne Sachs and Safari Specialists absolutely. She is great.
TR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our decision was best to select a local company and specially Hello Tanzania.
Even this was my second trip to Tanzania, I prefer to work with a local company and I see now how I was right for this decision. Mwajabu Sultan from Hello Tanzania was so much helpful and she did her best which was far better than I expected. I highly suggest to use their services and leave yourself at their hands for a good Tanzania experience.
IE
Safari disappointment
Disappointed about the poor road infrastructure and length of road journeys, but the biggest disappointment was to learn that we could not go off track to get a closer sighting of the lions - that privilege was only for those who paid $150 a day to do so. We have been on numerous safaris in other countries and have never encountered this.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a very nice vehicle, careful and knowledgeable driver and quality accomodations.
Our drivers were always ready for us at the beginning of the day. The box lunches were very tasty and kept cold. We always had cold water. We saw lots of animals while on safari.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
wonderful Safari experiences --- excellent accommodation
Initially when i contacted Afritrip Group, only VERY expensive lodges were suggested. through more communication i was able to get information on lodges in the price range i was willing to pay. Follow-up communication was difficult because of the departure of the agent with whom i originally dealt, but this was cleared up later and all our arrangements went well. we stayed at the Waterside Lodge/ Thornybush Game Reserve and it couldn't have been better. Wonderful, courteous and friendly staff and great safari experiences.
CA
A well planned and diverse experience touching all aspects of Tanzanian life
The tour was well managed with great drivers who were always friendly and well informed. The itinerary was great, including a wide variety of wildlife in the parks and a very moving experience visiting markets and school in Karatu Village. The only shortcomings were the rather hurried drive through Lake Manyara Park after the stop at the hot springs, and the long drive to and from the Oldapi Gorge for quite a short stay. But these were minor problems and the whole experience was very enjoyable. The accomocations were excellent in all cases as were the vehicles.
BR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by JulieDin
I wish we had spent more time in Lake Nakuru Reserve, it is actually very beautiful and we certainly saw rhinos (both withe and black ones!). However, we found far was less bird wildlife than expected (specially flamingoes, as there was only a small group of no more than 40 specimen.