MY
5 day Marangu Trek
I went on the 5-day Marangu trek with Kilisa and thoroughly enjoyed it! Naick is very professional and quick at replying emails and organising the trek even though i booked it last minute. Initially I was meant to go in a group however I ended up being the only person. The guide Patrick is a great guy and the chef Hasan an excellent cook! Overall had a good time with these guys, I would highly recommend them!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
O U T S T A N D I N G! In Every single aspect, Earthlife Expeditions overdelivered!
So after extensive research (and I mean extensive ... I hate spreadsheets, but I created one to compare tour operators and their offerings), I selected Earthlife Expeditions. It was the single best decision I've made in quite a long time. Deo Japhet is the owner and the main point of contact while discussing your safari needs. We were looking for a family (two parents, two kids) safari on the northern circuit. Deo was patient, helpful with suggestions, and open to more dialogue. Unlike some other tour operators I contacted via email, I never felt any pressure to sign a contract or make a deposit. And even after I had booked, I was allowed to add on other activities (a coffee plantation tour), which he deftly scheduled in a suitable timeframe.
During the safari, our driver-guide Paul help to exceed all our very high expectations on safari. He was super friendly, answered tons of questions (both on animals and just about life in Tanzania), has that uncanny ability to spot animals.
The safari started in Arusha, after Paul picked us up at JRO. We left the next day for Tarangire National Park. In consultation with Deo, we selected Tarangire over Lake Manyara, and are so happy with the decision. Tarangire was a wonderful start. Don't skip out on it. We stayed at Tarangire Simba Lodge, which Deo selected and was wonderful. This felt like a luxury safari without the luxury price tag.
The next day, we did a cultural tour in Mto Wa Mbu village, hike to Enduro waterfall and explored the elephant caves, and visited a coffee plantation. All arranged by Earthlife, with expert local guides for each. Paul was waiting for us at the end and we headed to Ngorongoro.
The crater was incredible. Paul was expert at plotting out our day. We stalked lions as they stalked buffalo. He spotted a bat-eared fox first thing the morning, which are tough to spot. We forded a rocky stream in our Land Cruiser easily. And speaking of the Land Cruiser, this vehicle has it all. First, Deo promised plenty of water, soft drinks, candy and snacks in the vehicle to be sure the kids were always fueled up. Paul didn't disappoint on that front. The icebox in the back was always accommodating. And ginger snaps, butter cookies or cashews would appear on the shelf in front of us. The four seats were spacious, with lots of storage (a shelf ran across the front with walls ... very handy), and each seat had at least one outlet with international prong access, no adapter needed. Two large beanbags were under the seats for your camera. Don't waste space or weight packing one. And some tour operators promised 1L of bottle water per person per day. Earthlife has no limits, which is good when you do long game drives under the Tanzanian sun. Stay hydrated!
Paul knew that in June, the main road between Ngorongoro and Serengeti would be under construction, causing some slowdowns and even more bumps than usual. With our permission, we went off the road (allowed in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, not in the crater or SNP) and found amazing sights we would've missed otherwise.
In Serengeti National Park, we stayed at Kubu Kubu Tented Camp in the Seronera area. Again, Deo hit it out fo the park. Paul had not yet visited this camp as it was relatively new, and even he was impressed. Staff, food, views, cabins ... all excellent. Without Deo, we'd have missed out on it.
We relied on Paul to plan out our time in the Serengeti (three full days). He was masterful at it, with one day going into the Western Corridor for the migration, another searching (and finding!) one of only three packs of African Painted Dogs (aka, African Wild Dogs) relocated from the south of the country. Even other driver-guides were incredulous of our find, pestering me to confirm what Paul had told them.
Deo had booked our tickets out of Seronera to Zanzibar and Paul delivered us and handled all the logistics at the airport. It was a sad time since not only was our safari ending, we had to say goodbye to Paul, who had become a great friend.
Bonus Plug for Earthlife Expeditions: We had booked our international plane tickets into JRO and out of Dar es Salaam, going to Zanzibar after the safari. Deo graciously booked our plane tickets from ZNZ to DAR. However, after we got to Zanzibar, reasons cropped up that caused us to want to be in Dar for a night before our international flights. We contacted Deo on a Saturday afternoon, asking a HUGE favor: could he rebook our tickets for a day earlier? Not only that, he had already given us gratis two free aiport transfers, so could we get picked up a day early, also? He called the airline (Coastal Aviation, recommended) and got the manager he knew at home. He secured a promise to get us rebooked in the morning and told us to be ready for the pick up. He said to expect an email by 9:30 am with the new tickets. Well, Africa Time is a serious condition and I wasn't sure if we'd have the tickets then. Call me a Doubting Thomas: the email arrived at 8:48 am.
This was supposed to be an item I had always dreamed of doing (African Safari!) and then I could check it off and move on to other things. It went sooo well and simply was far better than anything I had imagined, that we will return to Tanzania. We will book with Earthlife and we will ask for Paul to guide us again.
If you have been searching for a Tanzanian tour operator, stop now and contact Earthlife Expeditions. You. Will. Not. Be. Disappointed.
OM
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Serengeti big and full of animals..
Comparing 2015 Masai Mara experience guiding was weak. The foods in the hotels as well.
Hotel staff was tired and looked unhappy mainly.
We should repeat a few times and wait so long time to reach the desired F&B.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a great and unforgettable experience
Everything was great from the booking request to the end of the safari.
Rama was very helpful and the driver/guide as well.
The hotel was amazing and mikumi park is great not too crowded.
The safari was unforgettable. Good money for value !
SG
Efficient service that exceeded expectations
My family visited Kruger National Park, the Victoria Falls and Johannesburg in June. Rose and her team made the experience fuss-free and extremely enjoyable. After we discussed what we wanted to do during the trip and our expectations regarding accommodation, she and her team arranged all the logistics for us. Everything that she arranged went seamlessly and exceeded our expectations. One particular incident that left us extremely impressed occurred when our flight from Kruger to Livingstone was delayed (through no fault of the company's). We were running on an tight schedule and the delayed flight reduced our touring time and caused us to miss a helicopter ride over the Victoria Falls that we had been looking forward to. Thankfully, Rose and her team rose to the occasion and quickly arranged another helicopter ride for us the next morning, and even arranged for the helicopter to take us immediately to the airport so that we could catch our flight out of Livingstone punctually. Rose's responsiveness and efficient management of this hiccup on such short notice allowed us to enjoy our holiday without worries. We are very happy with the services that Rose and her team provided, and highly recommend The Luxury Safari Company to anyone who wants to enjoy the beauty of South Africa hassle-free.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
One of the best journeys ever
We just returned from a 7 day tour with Tony through Chobe Waterfront and Savuti on a camping safari. The experience was overwhelming. Tony proved to be an excellent guide and a great host.
Tony himself obviously is a great wildlife enthousiast and passionate photographer. Being a photographer himself he offered excellent angles and light of the animals he tracked for us (we will never understand how he does it: even in wild bush he would find an hyena for us, he tracked cheetahs, lions, and a huge variety of other animals). Other than I experienced on previous safaris, all the animals were very active, making the photography extra interesting.
The tour was well organized and left nothing to be desired. What was a very pleasant surprise was that he offers 220 in the Jeep for loading camera batteries, which was a thing less to worry about. The helpers Eddy and Mash were very friendly and served lovely food on the trip. For the two of us this was one of the very best trips we ever made. Thank you very much Tony and Merry Christmas!
IN
Good value for money choice
Yes safari tour helped us to get this economic and good tour
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable wedding trip!
We spent wonderful days during Safari organized by Savannah explorers. Beautiful lodges, charming animals and stunning views, pampered and supported by a very nice and very professional guide. Thanks for making this trip unforgettable.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience thanks to Engagi Safaris!
Robert of Engagi Safaris looked after me so well and I couldn't recommend him enough. He and his family also own the Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort near Kabale where I had the pleasure of staying for my gorilla trek experience - it is just the most beautiful, serene place. I had a fantastic 3 days thanks to him, his family and staff. I was treated like a queen and he made sure I had the best gorilla trek experience (which I did - mind blowing). The people of Uganda are so kind and I hope to come back and visit Robert and his family again! If anyone is considering gorilla trekking in Bwindi (which I highly recommend) contact Robert at Engagi safaris! As a solo female traveller I was taken care of so well and made to feel very welcomed and comfortable. Robert gave me a lot of information about all the different areas of Uganda that we passed through as well as about the gorillas. He is very knowledgable and knows everyone so is definitely the guy to take you around. He was kind enough to stop many times for me to take photos and pointed out points of interest. It would not have been the same experience if I booked with anyone else. Also, they fed me so well - the food was fantastic! I feel very grateful and will never forget this incredible experience.
US
Beautiful, absolute serenity and once in a lifetime experience
Experiencing the delta through the mokoro boats is an incredibly peaceful and beautiful experience. I did the boat trip as well as a helicopter ride to see the vastness of the delta itself and it was stunning. Our mokoro guide was personable and even let us practice rowing ourselves. Camping inside the delta was great and morning bush walks allowed us to see elephants, wildebeast, giraffes, and zebras. Nature at its best.