65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded our expectations with excellent customer service and accommodation choice.
Excellent communications before our holiday from Melanie proved very valuable giving us valuable hints for planning during our stay. Our itinerary/written guide was detailed and similarly helpful. The tour guides were great. The accommodation chosen for us did not disappoint, was first rate and added to the enjoyment of our holiday.
PE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It Started in Africa ¿An Option?
I write these commentaries because I believe that we have a responsability with other tourists who, as we did, organize their trips taking into consideration the opinions and commentaries of people in Tripadvisor and Safaribooking.com
I will try to be objective in my commentaries most of all because the experience we lived surpasses all inconveniences and obliges us to put things in their true dimension.
All coordinations were wonderful, Luis Gama as well as Joao Oliveira replied and answered all our questions promptly and clearly.
What did they offer us:
1 "Pickup/dropoff from Kilimanjaro airport":
We arrived to Kilimanjaro¨'s Airport on time, the van that was supposed to pick us up was not there, although we must state that they had arranged for someone to have a poster and explain to us that they were on their way to pick us up.
2. "All our vehicles are extremely well maintained 4x4 Land Cruisers with pop-up open roof":
It called our attention that the van was not as modern as others we had seen picking up groups of turists. The handles of the windows did not work and it was very difficult to open the windows. The door on the right side did not have an internal handle to open it so we always had to ask the guides to open and close the door for us.
The seat on the second row, on the left, was totally broken so it was imposible to go through a long journey without causing back pain. Because of our complains they changed the vehicle. This was worse because the transmition, the springs, the shock absorber and the two back tires broke. It was a miracle that it just added up to a big fright. I want to take this opportunity to thank the African Scenic and the group of young doctors of Hong Kong who so kindly helped us and transported us to our camp. Finally we went back to our first vehicle. They had fixed the seat but, apparently, the steer started to fail and we wondered if we would get to the airport in time for our flight
3 "You will have at your disposal, a pair of High End Large Binoculars (Nixon, Olympus of Bushnell) that will dramatically enhance your safari experience when compared to standard binoculars":
This made us think that each member of the group would have a pair of binoculars. It finally happened but only one pair could be considered "high end", the others were broken or you could not see clearly.
4. "All our safaris have unlimited mileage which means you will be able to do game drives for as long and far as you¨[would like within the parks operational hours": Complied
5. "All National Park entrance and camp site fees": Complied
6. "Accommodation as detailed": Complied to our total satisfaction
7. "All food-breakfasts, packed lunches and evening meals":
The lodges were responsable for our food and the chefs were very kind and prepared special meals according to our alimentary restrictions, if somebody could not eat from the buffet. We were surprised, however, to learn that they did not have our meal restrctions registered, This situation delayed our trip to the Tarangire National Park because we had to look for a restaurant where they could cook special meals.
8 "Bottled wáter and soft drinks": We could always find bottles of water but never soft drinks.
9. "Lonely Planet about Tanzania": In January they offered us that they could buy three of these books in spanish. We paid for them in advance. When we arrived, four months after, they had only two books in english. We understand that it may be dificult to find spanish version but they had four months to do it or warn us that they failed finding them. Finally we got a third book in spanish.
10. "Our guides, which are our real stars and the ones who can make the difference between a nice trip and a once in a lifetime journey that you will never forget for decades to come":
We had Frederick Isangya (Alfred) as our guide in spanish as well as Estomi as our driver. This was a plus as we were told that the presentations were in english and we observed that the driver was the guide in other safaris.
Frederick answered with certitude all our questions relative to the animals, their habitat and behavior. He complimented this information with literature that was in the vehicle and thus allowed us to learn more about this fascinating continent. He always fullfilled our expectations. Estomi is an excellent driver and thanks to his skills the accident we had had no mayor consecuences.
Frederick and Estomi, as the visible face of the Company, had at all times the best disposition to face and solve, in the best way, all the problems and inconveniences during the safari.
When they realized that an adequate lunch pack for one of the members of the group was missing they bought a box and searched for the special meal in a restaurant. They made the necessary coordinations with the Arusha office in order to find a solution to all the inconveniences that arose during the trip and never avoided the reponsability that "It Started in Africa" had towards us.
Conclusion
It Started in Africa did not comply with two fundamental things in order to make a safari successfull : i ) The maintenance of their vehicles and ii) the care of the special food we required.
¿Would we hire "It Started in Africa" again? We dont think so, although we must aknowledge that at all times, through their team, they faced all inconveniences. ¿Would we hire Frederick (Alfred) and Estomi? Yes with no doubt, they were extraordinary.
To finish I would like to state that the group had decided from the very start that nothing would ruin this marvellous adventure and that our motto, in spite of the problems, always was "Hakuna Matata"
I hope our commentaries may be of help to you
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
4 locations over 9 days and everything went perfectly
Ute handled all the details well for us. She contacted me with updates prior to the trip and responded quickly to questions I had asked. The tour package she put together was excellent. All of the ground and air transportation was on time and we never felt unsure of what was going to happen next. Everything went according to schedule. We had personal guides at Chobe and Pom Pom that were very friendly and knowledgeable. All the accommodations were beyond our expectations, along with the food and hospitality of the staff. The safari tours were spectacular. Each day was filled with activities but not overwhelming so.
Experience level: first safari
Review about Tarangire National Park by Maria
probably my favourite one, relatively small and not as crowded as Serengeti or Ngorongoro. mostly famous for the elephants, but we have seen there much more, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, just to name a few.
Experience level: first safari
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Maria
although too much crowded for my liking, the beauty of the scenery is undisputed and as in Serengeti the abundance of wildlife was amazing.
Experience level: first safari
Review about Gombe National Park by Maria
you can only reach the park by the boat journey, so there is no mass tourism there. it's a demanding climb to get to the places, where the chimpanzees can be spotted, so it has an authentic feel.
Experience level: first safari
Trully unforgettable experience
In February 2017 I took part in 4 days long safari starting in Tarangire National Park with driver Frederick Julius. This was like a delicious starter before the proper feast started. Famous Serengeti about which I have read so much and longed to go for a very long time lived up to all my expectations. The abundance of wildlife was overwhelming and the scenery stunning, especially at dawn with the sunrise above the baobabs. During two days in Serengeti we have managed to see all BIG FIVE and probably every animal, which lives there. Mating lions, cheetahs tearing the antelope or leopard climbing down the tree. I can’t even remember how many times we had to stop to let the herd of elephants to pass the road. Zebras running in front of the car, hippos bathing in ponds or giraffes nibbling on the high trees leaves.
We were very lucky with the weather, as it was sunny for the whole length of the safari. The accommodation was basic, but comfortable enough and personally in national park I would rather stay in tent than in the lodge, food was always freshly cooked for our dinners and once for our lunch as well.
It was mostly thanks to our guide Frederick ( + 255 753 433 313) that our safari turned out to be such a success. He was knowledgeable, highly professional and extremely patient, he always made sure that all of us had enough time to take photos or just admire and enjoy the scenery, so we never felt rushed.
Pleasant person to be with (it’s crucial as you spend most of the day in the car with your guide) with sense of humor and good English, he should also be praised for his considerate and careful driving.
There were so many memorable moments during our safari, probably the one most engraved in my memory was a wildbeest giving a birth. The dramatic events followed: hyenas trying to attack the newborn, the wildbeests heroic defence and glorious victory.
Experience level: first safari
BR
Very organized operation. The staffs was available and care. Everything went as expected.
The communication has always been easy and care, the services provided always punctual. We had no problem. Everything was perfect!
SE
Amazing adventure that stays with you long after it has ended
The safari was good. We only did a short one over a weekend, but got all we needed and made some good friends on the way. Where we stayed was great and the tour guides were great too. We are vegetarians, so that was our only struggle, to find suitable food. Otherwise we were very happy.