50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Extremely Organized, Warm and Clear on getting your goals met
Alpine Chat gave us the experience that we could not imagine. Erick and his entire team were so organized, warm and always full of positive enforcement. The communication was impeccable. Right from Erick, the guides and even some of the porters were very fluent in English and were always willing to help. Smaller companies like Alpine Chat pay attention to every detail and you also get personal care and attention. Not only Alpine Chat was so efficient probably even better than most bigger operators, the value for the money is unbelievable. I have done ultra races in the desert organized by foreign tour operators who have such a big markup and they don't have the personal touch for two reasons. One they don't know the local language and are not able to respond to situations that come up quickly. Two not knowing the local culture makes them disadvantaged of not providing you the inner details of the area, about the mountain, about the animal habitats, the people, the tribes etc. These are the things along with the personal touch is what makes it interesting to go with Alpine chat. They are local Tanzanians, almost all of them born in Tanzania and know a lot of history. Nobody can beat that and you get to tap into that information as a bonus. A BIG add to this is Alpine Chat is significantly cheaper than the bigger tour operators plus you are also supporting the local Tanzanian company and citizens rather than some multi-national tour operator whose primary aim is to make money in all tourist locations. What blew my mind is that when I mentioned to Erick that I am a pure vegetarian and additionally don't like onions and garlic, his response to me was that it will not be a problem and his chef will arrange it. I was quite skeptical because getting vegetarian food even in America or Mexico where there are various cuisines is quite hard. But believe it or not, the vegetarian spread that I was given was so varied and delicious that I couldn't believe that Tanzanians could make such fabulous dishes. I actually started liking soups when until now I am not a soup person at all. The Chef was par excellence!! Meshak and Isaac the guides were so knowledgeable that our conversations as we were trekking were so interesting. We learnt so much about Tanzania, Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Meru and other places. We learnt the actual name is Mt KiliMachiaro and since the british couldn't pronounce it ended up with the current name. Alpine Chat is a bird that lives all the way up at higher altitudes. A little about the Chagga tribe and other tribes. About the mystery as to how the cows ended up as wild cows at 4000M and so on. I can go on and on. Just one final thing I would say is that if you do plan to make a trip here whether to trek or to do the safari and other adventures offered by Alpine chat, you should definitely try them out. Not only it will be a good value for the money, you will be extremely happy with the experience. Namaste
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything well planned
Kruger was amazing , we really enjoyed our stay at the lodge that was situated by Sabi river Bank.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience with Maasai Mara Train!
We were a group of 3 and had a great experience with the Maasai Mara Train staff. We were greeted by Mr. Wilson and our driver who accompanied us the entire trip. Our tour included the hike to Mount Kenya and a safari. The staff during the climb was extremely friendly and helpful and our incredible cook accommodated us with our diet. During the safari, we drove into the parks with our driver who took us to the best spots to see wildlife. All accommodations were standard level (of course, it depends on what level you choose) and were equipped with everything we needed. We definitely recommend Maasai Mara Train!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable
We went on a three-day safari in Tsavo East and Tsavo West. Everything was well organised without any surprises. Our driver (Ahmed) done an excellent job all around.
SI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable and fun
My friends and I booked the safari well in advance, and we also agreed on a transfer from the airport and an extra night's stay, since we were going on the safari the very next day. We also settled the advance payment for the reserved one with slight delays, but they were just fine. Our guide Steven was very flexible. Despite the later rescheduling of the flight and the change of airport, there were no problems, he picked us up at the agreed time, dropped us off at a nice hotel, and the next day we set off on our adventures. We visited the Serengeti Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. There was a lot of laughter during the drive, Steven was happy to accommodate our wishes, provided us with beer and stopped for the toilet many times without any ill will. :) We were lucky and saw the big 5! For me, the best moment was hanging out under the stars among the zebras. Definitely an experience not to be missed.
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best honeymoon ever!
The Gosheni experience was unbelievable. Peter was patient and extremely helpful throughout the planning process of our trip. We did 1 week on Kilimanjaro, 1 week safari and 1 week in Zanzibar so there was lot of logistics to cover and Peter made this as easy as possible. Our guides on Kilimanjaro, Sam and Swibert were extremely knowledgeable and experienced. They helped maintain moral by singing, dancing and telling jokes as we made our way up the mountain. They always put our well being first and made sure they we were comfortable every minute of every day.
Ombene, our guide for the safari was also extremely knowledgeable and experienced. He had a sixth sense for navigating the parks and got us up close to every animal possible. It’s safe to say that everyone on the Gosheni team went out of their way to make our experience a memorable one. I highly recommend Gosheni and their amazing staff for anyone looking to travel to Tanzania.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great service and knowledgeable
What can we say, perfect from start to finish, Thom and Issa where accommodating and helpful with arranging the trip and then the service, knowledge and good humor of Nina our guide was incredible. We did the 4 day safari and saw so much wildlife and learnt a lot about all the animals. The accommodation was superb and the food provided was nourishing and delicious. We will definitely recommend this to anyone looking to book a Tanzanian safari.
One bit of advice to travelers, if you’re paying in USD make sure it’s new money past 2016 as they didn’t accept it, we had to pay using bank transfer which cost extra fees so be mindful.
Thanks for an unforgettable experience
KM
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great team for a great safari
6 days safari in Masai Mara, Amboseli, Naivasha Lake and Hells gate, a lot of species from elephants to mangoes. We really enjoyed our time during the trip. Lenox replies very quickly we customized our trip as we wanted and help us with the transfer to Mombasa. Kevin our 10-year experience guide has driven and guided us very well. He is flexible and funny, and drove some additional road to get my lost glasses.
I recommend !
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional & accommodating
I had a wonderful 2-day Safari experience through Tanganyika Travels. I visited Ngorongoro Crater on day one, stayed the night in Moshi, and visited Tarangire National Park on day two. My driver and guide was very friendly and communicated with other Safari drivers to ensure we saw elusive creatures, such as a leopard with its kill in a tree. Saw 4 of the big 5, missing only the rhino. An amazing experience!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professionals who care about your experience
Australian, solo male traveller, age 30.
Big time safaris are professionals through and through. They offer great service at a budget price.
For myself, I intended to complete 11 days safari but after 4 days I wanted to go hiking instead. Steve, David and Jimi arranged this for me with zero stress and zero worries through WhatsApp.
The safari time that I had was perfect. Patrick was my guide and he was knowledgeable and made sure we had a great time. Don’t expect luxury accomodation or transport, it is a budget tour after all but with that said, the van is perfect for your safari needs and the tent accomodation meets your needs of saving costs (ask the organisers to upgrade you if you want something more comfortable, which they will gladly arrange).
Hiking mount kenya was an unreal experience and I am so grateful to the big time crew for organising it because it will remain my holiday highlight.
Thanks big time, I had a great time