DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Safari with ups and downs but definitely worthwhile
As a group of 56 people we took a 3 day safari at the end of September to see the beautiful Serengeti. We booked our trip over Fourways Travel Agency and were guided by Masumin Safaris. The communication via mail was really friendly and easy.
1st day - 22.09.14:
09.30 Pick Up
10.30 Buying groceries
11.30 Driving
The Car was in moderate shape. Nice to have 8 seats for ourselves and enough space for our luggage. The cigarette charger was not working (I guess we wer expecting to much from Tnazanian standards).
13.30 Start Safari
14.30 flat tire (rear right)
15.00 pushing car (engine didn't start)
17.15 2nd flat tire
19.00 ride to camp with another company
19.45 arrival at camp
The time at the campsite was truly intense. One is used to see animals in cages at the zoo. In the Serengeti it is the other way around. For our own safety we were eating (Meat smells delicious for wild animals) in a big fenced hall. It was a mind-blowing experience. Being a guest in the wild, where the animals are superior. This “humiliation” felt amazingly good!
On part of the agency, the tents were pretty old (e.g. broken zipper) however we could fix it and were probably once again expecting to much from Tanzanian standards. Maybe this experience helped us too.
2nd day - 23.09.2014:
05.30 wake up (planned start of safari 06.00)
09.20 departure new car, Start of safari
18.30 finished game drive
I will never forget this day. Even though we started late we had perfect timing, being able to see a gepard hunting from under 20m distance. We were so excited when he finally began to run and chase the antelopes that were lying in the savanna around 100m away. The leopard chased one of the younger antelopes down and running with a speed of around 100km/h he managed to jump to catch the antelope by the neck and tear it down. We were so stunned and almost all of us had tears in our eyes. The rest of the day was full of great views and thousands of beautiful animals. For a fee of 15$ we were invited to visit a Massai village and exchange thoughts with some of the English speaking villagers. We visited the huge Ngorongoro crater and saw all of the local animals – even one of the few rhinos. Thank you so much.
3rd day - 24.09.2014:
06.00 wake up
07.30 breakfast
08.30 Start of safari
10.15-11.00 break
11.00 Safari
17.00 Return to Mwanza
The last day was a combination of returning to Mwanza (our starting point) and more Safari. We saw a family of elephants, many young giraffes and plenty of Zebras, Gnus and Buffalos. We returned to our starting point and received our car, that we were allowed to park at the company. The next day we received a refund for the missed hours due to the broken tires, which were 20% of the expenses of the agency. The rest (more that the half of the money) goes in to Serengeti park fees and is not refundable.
Overall, the agency and the gear was ok, the guides and the food were good and the Serengeti was perfect! Thank you so much for this unforgettable experience.
20-35 years of age
Great price and friendly staff
I had an awesome safari in Kenya courtesy of Savannah Jamboree Travel. I contacted several tour operators, but Jamboree convinced me with a great offer and quality services. They didn't disappoint either since my time in Kenya was the best I have ever had. Thank you.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great timing and a good tour operator
I had a fantastic time in Kenia. I had fears of Ebola but after getting assurance from some of my Kenian friends and the safari operator, I decided to travel to Africa. Such an amazing continent and beautiful culture. I loved the food, animals and the friendly people. I thank you for making my holiday fantastic. Cheers!!!
US
One Day trip Vic Falls - Hwange National Park
We were picked up at our hotel promptly and started the drive. Joseph was informative on our drive to the park. Just before the park we stopped at a lodge where we met our safari guide and his vehicle. The vehicle was not in great condition but the sitting area for us was fine. Joseph accompanied us throughout the game drive in the park. Our safari guide/driver was very informative and tried to spot as many animals as possible. Unfortunately our vehicle had a mechanical problem and we had to retrace our steps within the park to wait for a replacement to arrive. The guide did extend our time in the park to compensate but we did drive back to the same area. I do not know what area we missed driving to because of this problem. We did get to see lots of wildlife. At the conclusion of the game drive Joseph drove us back to our hotel.
The price of this trip particular trip seemed rather high. In Vic Falls I did see one day Hwange trips being offered at a considerably lower price but since our trip had been booked and paid for in advance I did not inquire as to what the others offered.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
1 day excursion to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
We had a wonderful day at the Ngorongoro Crater thanks to Leonce our tourguide and driver.
We highly appreciated the additional efforts he made to ensure that we got the the bus to Moshi the next morning.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The African adventure
If you want the African adventure, you need to get in touch with Nhojo. He will listen to you, your requirements, your needs and then work hard to get you what you want. We asked him for an african adventure in a raw form and he helped us. And all this was done within two days as we had planned a sudden trip. He answered all the queries (event the most silly ones). He made the trip to Serengeti an unforgettable experience. I still cant stop singing - In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle.... Will visit Tanzania again and would like you to help us with Mafia islands and Zanzibar.
Thank you so much Nhojo!
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Time Traveling to Ruaha and Mikumi!
We had a great time on our 4 day 3 night safari from Dar to Ruaha then Mikumi before going back to Dar. Our driver, Samuel, was an excellent guide and was always looking out for us. The company offered us a package that was not so much on the 'luxury' side of safari experiences (though not on the shabby side either!) but that was good for us because it was much(!) more affordable than the other very expensive packages I was offered, a bit of an adventure, and still incredibly enjoyable. I'd recommend this company to other potential safari go-ers...and if we go back to TZ we will use them again.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Great Migration - A timeless safari experience with a full complement of African wilderness
My trip to Masai Mara with ‘ It Started In Africa’ was everything I expected of an Africa wilderness & much more. Never ending planes, rocky roads, the most stunning sun rise, flowing river filled with hippo & crocs & a land where animals & humans live in harmony with each other.
Masai Mara was a destination which was amongst the top ten destinations on my Bucket List. So there I went planning a trip & trying to get quotations for many local travel companies in Kenya. That’s when we came across ‘It Started In Africa’ who offered us the best packages & deals.
Particia from ‘ It Started In Africa’ was our only point of contact while I was planning the trip and she did a fabulous & commendable job. We were a group of 4 people & our plan was to visit Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara for 7 days trip & she planned our itinerary offering us amazing & comfortable stay in the lap of the nature & all in our budget.
Our guide, driver & a person with fabulous experience & knowledge Alex from the company was our companion from day 1 to day 7 and thanks to him that we witness all the drama of the Mara jungle – migratory heard of Zebras marching across the river while the hungry crocs were awaiting for their meal, a cheetah making a mad dash through the grassland attacking wildebeest or croc dramatically rising from the waters in the Mara river…. We also witnessed the Big 5 and amazing species of birds.
I could go on and on and on about our trip to the Masai Mara, and by writing this comment I just wanted to thank ‘It Started In Africa’ team, Patricia & Alex for an unforgettable experience. Keep up the fabulous work & marvellous client services. I would highly recommend ‘It Started In Africa’ for any safari trips to Africa.
Cheers.
Vidhi
Trip Date: 25th - 31st August
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mathew
I climbed Kili with another company and Mathew from Wild Root Safaris was my guide. He was proffesional and responsible and I would recommend him.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great 3 day safari
Following our climb up Kilimanjaro with another Company, we decided to do a 3 day, 2 night safari with Kili vikings, visiting Tarangire national park, Lake Manyara national park and Ngorogoro crater reservation area. We met Charlie in Moshi the day before the safari to settle payment and sort details. Charlie was very nice and informative, and lead us through our options for the safari since the group we were meant to go with from Moshi had cancelled. In the end we joined a couple going from Arusha, and had to pay an additional $50 to get to the airport after the safari which had previously been included in the price. We also had to pay an extra 5% to pay by card, which hadn't been mentioned in our email correspondence. So we were slightly disappointed by these extra fees, but paid them, tried to forget about them and looked forward to the safari!
On safari we had a great time and saw a huge array of wildlife. We stayed in small huts in the evening near lake Manyara at a site called panorama camp, which had excellent views. We left our bags there during the days. The hot food provided in evenings and for breakfast was good. The packed lunches could have been slightly better, but in such great surroundings it was difficult to be unhappy. Our driver was very well informed and didn't struggle with any of our questions. His English was also very good. Our only criticism was that we often had to ask questions to get information from him, rather than him offering it voluntarily. The safari car was in decent shape with new seats and water was provided throughout the trip. Each day we did a full day safari, with our driver being very good at spotting animals, as well as listening to the radio to track down the more rare sights. Highlights included cheetahs, Lions (metres away from our vehicles), Elephants and Rhinos.
After the safari we were dropped at the airport in good time to catch our flight home. Overall we had a great time, and were very close to giving a 5 star score, but felt like the experience did have room for improvement, if only slightly.