Reviews

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laura caito   –  
United States US
Visited: April 2023 Reviewed: May 28, 2023

Email laura caito  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Excellent sources of knowledge, patient with the kids and perfect!
5/5

Alika Africa is a wonderful company to work with from beginning to end! The communication, feedback and support for planning this trip was invaluable! They service and value for the money of the places they selected for us to stay and visit was perfect! I can not recommend them enough. You get local tours and tour guides on the ground and have an experienced person state side that knows what you want, how to make it happen and loves the continent as it is her own!

Eugene   –  
United States US
Visited: September 2022 Reviewed: Apr 13, 2023

Email Eugene  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Professional and dedicated to ensuring your trip is incredible!
5/5

I would give Duma Explorer 6 stars if Google would allow it. Stacy Readal who runs Duma organized the most incredible Safari in Kenya and Tanzania for my wife and me. We wanted a great first Africa trip where we saw lots of wildlife and felt safe and comfortable while having a great adventure. We definitely got all that, and much more! We are both very well travelled and this was by far our most favorite trip! We are left with the most incredible memories from the Masai Mara in Kenya and from the Serengeti in Tanzania! Our guide in Tanzania, Msangi was absolutely top notch, we loved spending time with him and he did his best to ensure that we had the exact experience we were looking for....true professional and fellow lover of wildlife. We are very grateful to Stacy and her team and would readily go on another adventure with Duma!

Linda Vena   –  
United States US
Visited: February 2023 Reviewed: Mar 8, 2023

Email Linda Vena  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Duma Explorer staff professional, personable, passionate, and expert.
5/5

We used Duma to plan a 10 day private safari in Tanzania. We had never been on a safari before and we had never been to Africa. Thank goodness for their expert guidance in putting this trip together! They guided us to plan the ultimate itinerary. They respond lightning fast and answer every silly question. On the ground, our guide Ebeneezer Kilepo handled absolutely everything so that we could just sit back and enjoy the exerience. He is professional and incredibly knowledgeable but at the same time fun and funny. The accommodations that Duma recommended were all impeccable. We saw more animals than we ever could have expected, more up close than we expected and more active than we expected. Ebeneezer is an amazing spotter and knows literally everything about flora, fauna and geology (or at least it seemed to me). I literally have no critiques at all of this experience. We chose Duma because our friends had used them in the past (they also had Ebeneezer as their guide) and we are so glad that we did.

Chris   –  
United States US
Visited: February 2023 Reviewed: Mar 2, 2023

Email Chris  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Uganda & Northern Tanzania Family Safari
5/5

Buck list item check! Duma (Stacy) was fantastic to work with. Our group of seven included 3 generations ranging from age 7 to 71. Stacy worked closely with us to ensure there was something for everyone. Our trip included 3 separate itineraries: Uganda gorilla trekking for two, five day stay in Arusha for five, and a seven day safari for the entire family. Each itinerary was expertly planned and the result was an incredible family vacation.

If you have the time, we strongly recommend adding the Uganda Silverback Gorilla trekking experience to your trip. Being with the gorillas was awe-inspiring. Based on Stacy's recommendation we spent Valentine's Day at the Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp and it was breath taking.

Our safari trip included a Maasai village tour that was great for the kids & interesting for the adults. Our guide Safuni was terrific. We were able to see the Big 5 & the wildebeest migration through the Serengeti. Overall, we could never have planned such a complicated trip without Duma's professional expertise. Stacy took the time to really listen and identify what would be best for us given the different ages, personalities, and desired outcome. Everyone (including the teenager) said it was the BEST trip ever and asked when we can do it again.

Jo Dixit   –  
United States US
Visited: December 2022 Reviewed: Jan 15, 2023

Email Jo Dixit  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Expertly Tailored Bucket List Vacation to Tanzania's National Parks and Zanzibar - Stacy Readal
5/5

Stacy Readal of Alika Africa/Duma Explorer is an absolute treasure! She planned a bucket list of 3 weeks of vacation for our family to Tanzania's National Parks in the North Circuit and a beach vacation at Zanzibar that exceeded all of our expectations.

Stacy is an American, residing in San Francisco. She has over 15 years of living and working in Africa, including extensive travel throughout the continent and fluency in Swahili. She knows exactly what families like ours are looking for in a safe, luxurious, and fun vacation in Africa. She used her unique understanding of both America and Africa to design a custom bucket list vacation for our family.

As a professional and an expert in her field, she demonstrated high availability, and her communication was top-notch. Despite the time zone difference (while we were in Tanzania and Stacy was in CA), she was always available to answer our questions and connect with us.

Her attention to detail and high-touch experience made us feel truly special. She went above and beyond to ensure that all of our needs were met, and she even helped us with special requests such as Indian vegetarian food and Masala Chai. Her ability to negotiate great deals with luxury tent operators was impressive, and she made sure that all of our local flights and transportation were seamless and hassle-free.

The National Parks that Stacy organized for us to visit in Tanzania were nothing short of breathtaking. From the lush and diverse landscapes of Arusha, to the vast and wild expanse of Tarangire and the Serengeti, to the otherworldly beauty of the Ngorongoro Crater, every park offered a unique and unforgettable experience. And the true highlight of our trip was the time we spent at the beaches of Zanzibar. The crystal-clear waters and powdery white sand were like something out of a dream.

Her team on the ground in Tanzania was friendly, and professional, and provided top-notch service. Omary, Milcah, Robert, Isack, and especially our Tour guide Ben were always available to answer our questions and provide assistance, and they made sure that our trip was an unforgettable experience. Stacy's leadership and her team's dedication to their clients is truly remarkable. We felt well taken care of throughout our entire trip, and we couldn't be more grateful for the wonderful memories we made.

I highly recommend Stacy, her team, and Alika Africa/Duma Explorer to anyone looking to plan a dream vacation to Africa. She is an expert in her field and will go above and beyond to make sure that you have an amazing experience. Five stars all around!

David Stern   –  
United States US
Visited: November 2022 Reviewed: Nov 16, 2022

Email David Stern  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Exceeded our expectations!
5/5

We loved our Duma Explorer trip! I traveled with my 28-year old daughter and her fiancé. I heard about Stacy and Duma Explorer from a friend in Rwanda, and I was really impressed with Stacy's 20-year experience in Tanzania and with her commitment to support her Tanzanian team. I like supporting in-country businesses vs. large international ones. Stacy was super responsive to our requests to pack in a lot in five days and to spend less on accommodations (which were all very good with great food and outstanding staff). We hit the jackpot with our driver/guide, Isack, who was absolutely phenomenal. He is a master guide, an encyclopedia of wildlife, and was able to identify every bird and animal we saw. Plus, he is a great spotter! He spotted a rhino on the horizon, and we couldn't believe it, but we take a blurry photo through the binoculars, and it confirmed it was a rhino. I also saw how all the other drivers/guides respected his leadership/expertise. He met our appetite for long days but without causing stress or over-doing it. He is a great driver and a fabulous storyteller. His passion and enthusiasm were contagious. I can't say enough good things about him and our experience. Bottom line: I highly recommend Duma Explorer!

Kathi   –  
United States US
Visited: June 2022 Reviewed: Aug 1, 2022

Email Kathi

Excellent in Every Aspect!
5/5

We booked a trip to Kenya through Duma Explorer in June. The communication prior and during the trip were outstanding. I felt totally prepaired when we arrived thanks to their guidance and planning. We spent 8 days on the trip visiting parks, hiking, biking, animal viewing and going to the beach. The vehicle we traveled in was comfortable and perfect for the terrain. The camps and hotels were even nicer than described. We say the "Big Five" within the first few hours of entering the Mara. The best part of our trip was our guide Kikitu! He was the perfect match for our group. Funny, patient, incredibly knowledgable and knew about everything there was to know! He made the trip beyond perfect. I felt like every little thing had been considered and taken care of. It was a life changing experience that I give my highest recommendation to.

Family from California   –  
United States US
Visited: June 2022 Reviewed: Jul 5, 2022

Email Family from California  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

We highly recommend Duma Explorer, they were perfect from beginning to end!
5/5

We just returned from a trip with Duma Explorer. We highly recommend this company! We did a one-day Kilimanjaro hike, Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti, and a Maasi Experience. All of our activities were fabulous - we have zero complaints. Our driver Ebenezer was really talented at spotting wildlife. We saw the big 5 at the Crater and 4 of the 5 in the Serengeti. All of the lodging was great with excellent food and service. We couldn't recommend this company more!

Dave   –  
United States US
Visited: March 2022 Reviewed: May 1, 2022

Email Dave  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Duma Explorer planned the perfect family safari
5/5

We are a family of 4 (kids ages 3 and 11) and barely knew where to start planning a safari trip to Tanzania. Stacy, the owner of Duma Explorer responded the next morning with a great itinerary. I instantly connected with her since she lives in the Bay Area and is also a parent. She tailored our safari trip as we continued to communicate. Most safaris require a large down payment, so it’s critical you trust the company arranging your trip. Duma Explorer delivered an incredible itinerary, great vehicles, and most importantly, an AMAZING guide, Ebenezer. He was extremely knowledgeable, very patient, and had great interaction with our kids. We were very fortunate to have Ebenezer as our guide on this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

We saw so many animals in every location - words can't describe it. Just in the Ngorongoro Crater, Ebenezer guided us straight to a pride of 9 lions pursuing herds of wildebeests and buffalo. We were very lucky to see a Black Rhino and there were hundreds of animals including spotted hyaenas, golden jackals, impala, wildebeests, buffalo, gazelles, hippos, elephants, zebra, flamingos, and many more. In the Serengeti, the wildebeest migration filled the horizon with animals. We were fortunate enough to see a leopard, and on the last day, we watched a cheetah chase a Thompson gazelle.

Our itinerary was in/out of Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (JRO), had 12 days in Tanzania from mid-March to late March 2022. We only have great things to say about each of the locations we visited and stayed at. We spent 1 day in Tarangire National Park | stayed at the Elewana Tarangire Treetops (great staff, wonderful experience), 2 days at Ngorongoro Crater | stayed at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (amazing property, staff, and views!), 3 days at Lemala Ewanjan Camp in Central Serengeti (great location, awesome staff, and accommodations), 4 days in Zanzibar (2 nights at Zanzibar Serena, 2 nights Melia Zanzibar, which was pure luxury).

Sofia   –  
Sweden SE
Visited: March 2022 Reviewed: Mar 25, 2022

Email Sofia  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Excellent service and a fantastic trip!
5/5

Just came back from a 7 days private safari. We got to see all the Big Five and over 40 different species. We had the best guide and Duma Explorer planned the perfect trip! All accomodations were excellent with great staff and food!

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