US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari at Mikumi and Udzungwa!
We had a great time on our tour of Mikumi National Park and Udzungwa!
We booked a three-day safari leaving from Dar Es Salaam. Two days before the safari, Mwajabu, the owner, arranged for us to be picked up by the driver, Athman, who is her brother. It was a nice touch and saved us on the taxi fare to the hotel. She met with us that evening to conduct a pre-safari briefing and to provide the final payment. She explained the itinerary, asked if we needed any special services or changes. There had been some miscommunication and apparently the final payment needed to be in cash so that they could pay for the park fees. Mwajabu and Athman gladly took us to the nearest ATM.
On the morning of the Safari, Athman picked us up and provided us peanuts and juice for breakfast. We drove directly to Mikumi, which was a five hour drive. The roads in Tanzania is quite challenging, but Athman handles it like a pro. After checking in at the park office, we started on our safari with another couple. We were joined by our guide, Gilbert. Athman drove around the park expertly, while Gilbert was hard at work on his phone getting leads from other guides. We started with a view of many impala, warthogs, zebra, wildebeest and zebra. Then, Gilbert got a call with "good news". We drove toward the good news and ran into some elephants on the way. The good news turned out to be two lionesses and their freshly killed wildebeest lunch. We were able to really get up close to to one of the lionesses, which was napping just 5 feet from our land cruiser.
After seeing the lions we headed to a restaurant in the park for lunch. Lunch was some tasty chicken. Outside the restaurant a marabou stork and some monkeys were hanging out. The rest of the day was spent driving around cm viewing many elephants, zebras, and giraffes.
After a long day we headed to Camp Bastian, where we would be staying overnight. At Camp Bastian, we were welcomed with refreshing glasses of avocado mango juice. Camp Bastian is very cute and had about a dozen cabins surrounded by beautiful gardens. The cabins were private and cute with en suite bathrooms. Dinner was served outside by candlelight and started with soup with a main of a delicious curry and rice. Alcohol was available at the bar. During dinner they took out breakfast order (omelet or pancakes) and asked us when we would like it served.
We got up for breakfast around 6:30 the next day. Breakfast was delicious and served with coffee from a French press. We then got on the road to Udzungwa. The road was mostly dirt and rutted, but again, Athman handled it like a pro. We arrived at Udzungwa and we were joined by a guide from the park. The guide was quite knowledgeable about the plants in park. We hiked a couple of hours up into the mountains and the views were spectacular. We had lunch on the top of a waterfall overlooking a beautiful view if the plains below. Lunch was a packed lunch of chicken, veggie sandwiches, banana, boiled egg, and chapati. We hiked down to a pool where people could swim though we elected not to do so ourselves. While we didn't see a lot of animals in the park, we did see a lot of beautiful butterflies and for to see a couple different kinds of monkeys.
On the last day, we went back to Mikumi and saw many giraffes, elephants, zebra impala, crocodiles, buffalo, hippos, and jackals. It was a lot of fun.
We then headed back to Dar Es Salaam. Unfortunately, we got to the city right in the midst of rush hour and it took more than 7 hours to get to our hotel. Athman never lost his cool despite the horrible traffic. Despite dropping us off at the hotel after 10 pm, Athman gladly arrived at 3:30 in the morning to take us to the airport.
We really enjoyed our safari and wholeheartedly would recommend Hello Tanzania to anyone looking for a safari in Tanzania. Thank you Mwajabu, Athman, and Gilbert!
KR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Nice trip with nice people
I got a great experience with my friends last may. First of all When I booked safari, This company's response was very fast and professional. So I got a best price. Also When I meet Hamadi, He treat to me as a friend not customer. He was caring very well so I didn't have any complain. He provide many information about safari it was very helpful when i went around safari.
If I get a chance for safari one more time I will going with this guys. Thanks Hamadi.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A third wonderful safari with Sunny
This was my third safari with Sunny Safari's. I have never been disappointed. The price is very reasonable and the value is excellent. We did a 5 day camping safari in the Northern Circuit. As they have in the past, the staff tailored the safari to our preferences and budget, and were very responsive and trustworthy. The cook prepared delicious food (the crepes were particularly delicious!) and our guide made sure we saw as much wildlife as possible (especially wild cats! -- 40 lions, a cheetah family of 4, 5 leopards, and 1 serval cat). Our camps, dining areas, and tents were all comfortable. The safari went smoothly without a hitch. There is a reason I have chosen Sunny Safaris three times now :)
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Amazing and Unforgettable Experience
This has been our second trip to Africa and the second time I used Tropical Vacations, Inc. This is an amazing experience for people of all ages, solo travelers, couples and groups alike. Mathew truly makes your vacation memorable by showing all the places of Africa that you otherwise would not know to visit. As a travel agent I expect the very best for my clients and work with tour operators who give exceptional service. On this particular trip I was traveling with a group and Mat has exceeded our expectations and went above and beyond in service. Mathew is an amazing tour guide and very welcoming host. He is experienced, knowledgeable, and professional. Mathew wants you to come as a tourist, but leave as a friend and my traveling group truly did feel special and cared for. Be sure to bring a lot of memory cards to capture all the beauty, culture and history that Africa has to offer.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded my expectations
I highly recommend Tropical Vacations, Inc. for your travel needs to Africa and other destinations. Mathew Adams - owner of Tropical Vacations, Inc. is a true professional and a man of his word. He gets to know each of his clients and goes above and beyond your expectations to make your travel dreams come true. Mathew Adams and his team made my vacation to Africa unforgettable. I have used Mathew's help throughout my stay and his invaluable advice on what to see and do was very beneficial. Mathew Adams takes care of everything once you call him or email him and I happy to say that Tropical Vacations, Inc has many satisfied clients and repeat business and referrals. I know this because before working with Mathew Adams, I talked to his past clients and they all said that his professionalism and timeliness is what made them use his services and recommend him to others.
As a travel advisor I want to work with honest, ethical and professional tour operators. I found just that using Tropical Vacations, Inc. I will recommend and refer my clients because Mathew Adams has a lot of experience and connections in the travel industry.
So whether you are a solo traveler, a honeymoon couple, a family, a small group or a large group of travelers Mathew Adams can plan an unforgettable time for you. I highly recommend Tropical Vacations, Inc. for travel to Africa and beyond.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
If experiences were a meal, this one had plenty of entrees yet left me wishing for second helpings
Generally the opportunity to visit the wilds of Tanzania to see the wild life was all that I had expected. The accommodations were excellent. Staff in all locations were so attentive and went beyond the call to see to it that all needs were met.
The down side was wishing we could have spent more time in some locations to get to know the people and culture better. For example, we ended our trip with a one night visit to the Masaai Lodge. The one night stay was due to limited availability, I know. However, this was a great place with much to offer to learn more about the setting and people."Not enough" isn't really a complaint.
NZ
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing experience, thrilling to be "up close and personal " with so many different wild animals
Communications with Jude Hartley was excellent. She helped out in so many ways and that was much appreciated. Our tour guide Anthony was just the best. He was so knowledgeable, interesting and considerate of all our needs. Tour group size of 8 people was ideal. Good to have one empty seat in land cruiser. Vehicle was a little older than expected and took a battering on all the bumpy, uneven surfaced roads and tracks. This aspect of the amount of time and distance traveled (about 5000Km) was not clearly stated in the initial information about the trip. A reasonable level of physical fitness and endurance is required. However our group of mostly over 65's coped extremely well and we all maintained a positive and cheerful attitude. "Don't worry, Be happy" was our our theme song played many times on CD while travelling.
The standard of accommodation and food throughout the trip was excellent. Wonderful to have comfortable beds with clean sheets every night. It was fun preparing our own food and sharing cooking responsibilities together on some evenings. I enjoyed the African "banquets" in the larger restaurants also. Probably the best of all was the 5 days /4 nights out in the Chobe National Parks. Our team of 6 locals looked after us superbly well and prepared delicious meals cooked over a fire. The long days and early starts in the morning were worth the effort , and rewarded by the most amazing sightings of so many different animals. As this was the main purpose for our tour, I was just so thrilled to see the full range of animals and birds and vegetation so typical in Africa, but only seen in books or zoos here in New Zealand. My 10/50 binoculars were perfect, and I spent many hours observing close up these amazing creatures living in their natural environment. The huge number of photos and videos taken will be a lasting memory of the unique and wonderful experience. Well worth every dollar spent, and excellent value for money.
A couple of suggestions. I know this was primarily a wildlife and game park reserve and we also had so opportunities for some sightseeing, in particular around Victoria Falls which was magnificent. However, for me personally I would have enjoyed a few more opportunities to visit local communities and get to interact with the local people in their on environment . Also some more chances of walking around the areas, as I missed my regular exercise regime.
Another idea. While the Okavango Delta visit was a unique and special place, and I really enjoyed the peace and fascination of the environment, my suggestion would be to condense this visit into one night only, by including a plane trip to to local airstrip on the first morning early, do the beautiful sunset cruise, and mokoro pole cruise the next day through the the delta, then return to Maun that afternoon. Include the flights in the full costs instead of paying for additional sightseeing trip from Maun. This would mean one less day on the Tour, but would eliminate 2 long days of travelling in the cruiser over very rough roads. Just a thought.
Thanks so much for a wonderful experience. I will be thoroughly recommending to others.
TR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything is well planned
it was perfect, everything is well planned and as talked. Thanks.
MX
extraordinary! amazing!
Everything outstanding. The guide (Good luck), the truck, the hotels, the landscapings, everithing! More people should do a Safari with thhis company. Best prices also!
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful impressions of Uganda
We - parents with 18 year old daughter- made a round trip from Kampala to Budongo-Murchison-Rwenzori Lake Mburo-Kampala in 10 days. We don't want to spend much money and choose good and not expencive Lodges. The Budongo EcoLodge has good meals (2 of us are vegetarians-no problem) and is situated in the forest. We enjoyed the birding tour very much with a guide who had much knowledge. Great was the game drive and boat cruise in Murchison NP. Red Chili hide-away has a nice view over the NP and friendly stuff. In Rwenzori NP it wasn't easy (for us) to head to Ruboni community hill trek. To see a three horned chameleon during the walk was fantastic.
In Lake Mburo the Rwonyo camp with tents is simple and it is not easy to get to the restaaurant at the seaside. You always need a ranger to get there because of the animals on the way. We meet Felex from Rainforest Tours, drivers, park wardens and rangers who all arrive in time and are very helpfull and friendly. Our expectations are more than fullfilled.