Team
Kilidove Tours and Safaris
- Located In:
-
France
Spain
United States
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 2001)
- Member Of:
- TATO, TTB & ATA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $280 to $400 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
3-Day Safari to Serengeti National Park & Ngorongoro Crater
My trip to Northern Tanzania in early April of 2015 was a very memorable experience thanks to the services of Kilidove Tours and Safaris Ltd. If you ever want to undertake a safari to Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater - and also decide to actually climb Mt. Kilimanjaro - then I would strongly recommend using the services of Kilidove. Indeed, their flexibility and amenability to any type of safari and/or climb are never a problem, because the company is staffed with experienced personnel who have access to a large fleet of LandCruisers. In terms of professionalism - whether it be measured from the standpoint of expertise, reliability, competence, customer service, or integrity - the organization is second to none.
As we deboarded from the plane that Sunday afternoon at Kilimanjaro Airport, it was none other than George Joseph himself, Director and Owner of the company, who greeted me and my son. He immediately drove us to his office in nearby Arusha to finalize payments and to answer any questions we might have concerning the Activity Sheet handout. Finally, George chauffeured us to our hotel - but not before taking us to the outskirts of the city, to view Kilimanjaro just before sunset.
One invaluable service rendered by Kilidove - ever mindful that accommodations have become as important as the wildlife - was their choice of Outpost Lodge in Arusha. The hotel staff was both friendly and hard-working. Our unit had two comfortable beds, TV, fan - with an adjoining bathroom never short on towels, soap, hot water nor electricity. Unforgettable were the lush grounds and communal poolside restaurant -lounge where free breakfast always included fresh-squeezed juices.
Equally commendable was Kilidove's choice of hotels over the next three days of our safari: first, at luxurious Seronera Sopa Lodge in central Serengeti National Park, followed by Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge directly on the Ngorongoro Crater rim. Food and service were excellent at both places.
DAY 1, SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK: The next morning Joshua, our gracious and experienced guide, arrived promptly at 7a.m. - as indicated on our Activity Sheet handout. Being conversant in Swahili and English (Tanzania's second national language), there was never a communication barrier.
Fifteen minutes later we had already left Arusha - reaching the Park entrance by noon. En route, we drove through open plains and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where the Maasai live and cling defiantly to a pastoral lifestyle (little changed from that of their forefathers) continuing to graze their cattle, goats and camels for milk and food, and even cooking termites extracted from nearby 3-foot mounds; women still make and wear intricate beadwork, which they also sell to tourists alongside the road.
Made an optional stop at a full-fledged Maasai "manyatta" (a semi-permanent village of huts ringed by a thorn fence as defense against wild animals) in order to acquaint ourselves better with the culture and mores of these noble people. Also stopped to visit the memorial of Professor Bernard Grzinek who wrote the book, "Serengeti Shall Not Die," in his quest to have the Serengeti plains declared a National Park, which finally happened in 1951.
It is now also a World Heritage Site.
At the Park entrance, our guide had us eat our box lunch (a wonderful assortment of chicken breast, potatoes,
crackers, fruit juice, and dessert). We then hopped into our LandCruiser and began our journey (or "safari" in Swahili) into the interior. Over the period of six hours Joshua'a expertise,persistence, diligence, keen vision, good driving skills (avoiding mud holes), and maintaining radio communication with other Kilidove-guided tours proved very beneficial for us.
From our lofty convertible deck we could gaze out in all directions over the expansive grasslands, capturing the thrill of seeing Africa's great wildlife. That afternoon alone we beheld not just 1 but all 3 of the Big Cats: a pride of lions, a female leopard rejoining her cubs, and a solitary cheetah (the swiftest animal on earth). Moreover, we even sighted one of the most elusive Small Cats of all - the Serval. Our guide explained to us that this spotted feline, smaller than a cheetah but with a similar build, favors a habitat of long grass and reed beds, and is therefore rarely seen when hunting for small mammals, birds and reptiles.
My son and I also witnessed an incredible array of "Cud-Chewing Mammals" - dozens of different species of antelope, from the imposing Eland, Roan and Greater kudu, to Hartebeest and Wildebeest (the most abundant antelope in East Africa). There were also Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle (the most abundant gazelle in East Africa, with numbers approaching 1 million), and the African buffalo (very heavily built and very dangerous). Interestingly, commented our guide, the "Acacia Savannah Grassland "eco-zone of the Serengeti plains are dependent upon being grazed by these wild animals. If grazing were removed from the equation, the grassland would naturally revert to acacia woodland (where Tanzania has more than 40 types of indigenous acacia!).
In our sightings there were also "Hoofed Mammals" such as the Maasi giraffe (the world's tallest animal, grasping acacia leaves with its amazing 18-inch tongue), zebra, warthog and hippopotamus. "Other Land Carnivores" included hyenas, jackals, Bat-eared fox, and Banded mongoose.
Amongst reptiles, Joshua pointed to the unforgettable sight of a full-grown Nile crocodile warming itself in the sun beside a river. Attaining a length of about 16 ft. and weighing around 500 lbs., it could deliver a crushing bite of more than 3,000 lbs. of force per sq. inch - by far the most powerful bite in the animal kingdom. This brute force would allow them to shatter bones of zebra, warthog, wildebeest, or even the shells of animals such as turtles!
Thus, by the end of the first day, we must have encountered at least 30 types of large mammals. (By "large" zoologists mean anything from the size of a domestic cat.) Yet this count was to be expected in Tanzania, remarked our guide, where over 80 species reside.
Day 2, Serengeti National Park: Leaving Serengeti Sopa Lodge at 7a.m., we continued to explore the savannah habitat - consisting of broad rolling grasslands dotted with lone acacia trees. The openness and vastness of this landscape made it a perfect home for large herds of grazing wildebeest and zebra.
In particular - and thanks to Joshua's persistence - we especially wanted to track down the Great Migration, where some 8 million hooves - mostly belonging to wildebeest and zebra - would pound the plains in search of fresh grass (as a consequence of the rainy season).
This happened, when suddenly over the horizon line, there appeared a massive column of thousands upon thousands of wildebeest - with accompanying herds of zebra, Thomson's gazelle and Grant's gazelle. We were just dumbfounded - looking on in disbelief and amazement for close to an hour.
Later that morning, our guide obligingly took us back to a desolate "koppie' (an isolated granite hillock) to revisit the spotted leopard caring for her two cubs. With our binoculars we could barely discern them inside a cavity underneath a high overhanging ledge. Also saw several herds of majestic giraffes (comically unperturbed whenever little birds perched on their heads), another pride of lions, some Vervet monkeys, and countless baboons (Africa's largest monkey).
When having our box lunch at a Park rest stop, my son and I noticed a pod of hippos submerged in a river bend
only a 100 yards away. But why the signs, "DANGER: HIPPOS"? Our guide quickly explained to us that a full-grown hippo can be even more dangerous than the crocodile . Although the hippo's jaws do not possess as much power as a crocodile's jaws, they are still capable of biting down with great strength with their razor-sharp tusks. Moreover, weighing up to 4 tons, they can easily overpower and kill even a large Nile crocodile.
In the course of two days, however, my son and I were especially surprised by the abundance and variety of bird life seen on the Serengeti. Indeed, with Joshua's help and expertise (while also reverting to a "Field Book," when necessary), we must have identified about 30 species - starting with brilliantly colored rollers, starlings and bee-eaters perched on trees, alongside beak-heavy hornbills and nest-making weavers. The open savannah was home to the magnificent Grey Crowned crane and snake-eating Secretary bird, as wells the flightless ostrich and showy Kori bustard (the world's heaviest flying creature). And everywhere the sky was alive with birds of prey, ranging from the Pygmy falcon to the immense Martial eagle and Lappet-faced vulture.
Equally unforgettable, as we were leaving the Park en route Ngorongoro Conservation Reserve, was encountering an adorable Kirk's dik-dik by the side of the road. The tiniest of all antelopes, it was no bigger than a full-grown hare!
Day 3, Ngorongoro Crater (a World Heritage Site): After spending a pleasant night at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge (crater rim elevation 7,000 ft.), we proceeded early next morning to drive down 2,000 ft. onto the floor of the world's largest complete volcanic caldera. This vast scenic area of 100 sq. miles supported around 20,000 large animals, including the work's densest population of lions and spotted hyenas. Very noticeable were large herds of zebra, as well as a gathering of hundreds upon hundreds of Lesser flamingos on a shimmering salt lake.
By the end of the day - due to Joshua's expertise, persistence and keen eyesight - we had finally encountered multiple herds of Savannah elephants, together with 1 Black rhino. Thus our wish to have seen Africa's "Big Five" -elephant, rhino, lion, leopard and buffalo - had been fulfilled!
That evening - back in Arusha at Outpost Lodge - my son and I could really celebrate (and Joshua deservedly received a nice tip from us).
Email Reynolds | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Going to Tanzania? Go with Kilidove
After a long search on the internet we ended up choosing Kilidove Tours simply because the manager Mr George tirelessly answered all our questions ontime and put our itinerary together that matched our requests
This trip exceeded our expectations in every way! what a trip! it was part of our honeymoon, our first time in Africa and our first time on safari
First, George(the manager) organized us an amazing itinerary, our guide was Emanuel a fantastic guide not only he is genuinely a nice person but he is a very experienced guide which I think really makes a difference, we felt we were in good hands all the time
the safari jeep were spacious enough for all four of us and luggages, suprised with charging facility on board, real working fridge and comfort, our driver was the safest driver of all safari drivers we saw in Tanzania
We took thousands of photos from a Maasai village, to the school where George went during his childhood, thousands photos of animals the big five of course, cheetahs with cubs, giraffes baobab trees and just too many nice things! good memories for sure
Let the surprise come, I wont tell you anymore! We experienced it, its a must hakuna matata, asante sana Kilidove, asante George, asante Emanuel badaye
DK
Professional and pleasant safari team!
The cooperation with Kilidove Safari was a pleasure right from the first enquiry to the end after four great safari days. The team is service minded, professional and well prepared and the itinerary worked out well and met the standards and qualities, which had been advertised in this "all inclusive, full package tour". The guide was very friendly and attentive to the needs of us as travellers and took good care that all worked out fine. By comparison with other tour operators, we preferred Kilidove exactly because it was an all-inclusive full package tour and very transparent - other companies require you to pay separately and directly daily salary to both the driver, guide and cook and that could easily be an uncomfortable situation. Moreover, we enjoyed not be treated as tourist by Kilidove, but as keen travellers. The settlement of all payments directly to Kilidove went well and was well documented by finance department in Kilidove - however the international bank transfers turned out to be quite expensive especially as we had to cover the bank charges in Tanzania also and not only the bank charges in Denmark. Perhaps alternative methods of payment could be sought in the future. The Kilidove gift to my teenagers - Tanzania football shirts - matching their age - was really a nice gesture showing that Kilidowe pays attention to each customer in a nice manner.
AE
Email KD | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent company for safari!
We found this company over the internet and wrote to them. I had my flights to Tanzania booked and I needed a company to arrange the land portion but our trip but it had to fit with our flights. The land portion consisted of a 6 day safari plus 3 days in Zanzibar. Kilidove responded to my email immediately and I have been super happy with their service...from start to finish.
The Managing Director, George, responded to my email immediately and was very prompt with all of his correspondence (and believe me, I sent him a ton of emails asking him a million questions). He was patient and provided all the information that I asked. He revised the itinerary for me until I was perfectly happy. George arranged everything - the hotels, internal flights, and transportation to/from the airport/hotels....we didn't need to do a thing. He made our holiday totally carefree. He is a real asset to the company.
Our guide for the safari was Joshua and he was fantastic. Professional, on time, easy to get along with, and knowledgeable. He driving was wonderful (we saw other companies speeding). He picked us up at the airport and we were in his very capable hands for the 6 days of our safari. Don't forget to tip the guides as they do such a good job. We felt totally safe and we had a magical safari.
We were lucky that we didn't have a flat tire (that could happen to any jeep) but our jeep was in good shape which was a relief. I mention this because we saw a few other companies that were broken down....and you don't want to waste time trying to get your jeep fixed.
We chose to wire the money for the trip to George and, to be honest, I was a little nervous doing this but everything was easy and went perfectly.
Overall, I would highly recommend this company!!
LK
Email Shehara Ferdinandis | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kilidove- professional, reponsive and prompt
We booked our Kilimanjaro climb and three day safari to Serengeti and nogorongoro with Kilidove. George promptly responded over 100 emails we sent with questions, comments and changes. When we arrived we were always introduced to our guides And information clearly passed down and explained to us.
Max our guide on the mountain was fun and kept us going with his humor, Boniphus our safari guide has an amazing eye for spotting animals from great distances! And he made sure we saw the big five in just two drives.
we are glad we chose kilidove, because they ensured that we had an unforgettable experience in Africa!
LK
Email Shehara Ferdinandis | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional help to organize an amazing trip!
We chose Kilidove for our Kilimanjaro trek and safari and a stopover in Zanzibar. George was very helpful in the planning stage and promptly answered over 100 emails! thank you kilidove for an unforgettable trip!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3 days Safari
Very good experience with Kilidove : good timing - very good organization - perfect accommodation.
We had a great experience and saw many animals thanks to Boniface our guide/driver who knows everything about the wild life. Everything was perfect.
The hotel Eileen's trees is a very nice place too and we had very good meals too.
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great staff who will ensure you get the most out of your trip to Tanzania.
We chose Kilidove tours to for our three week honeymoon in Tanzania and had a wonderful experience.
We booked our trip just 2 months in advance but the staff at Kilidove ensured we could still climb Kilimanjaro, enjoy adventure on Safari and relax in Zanzibar. Before we arrived we kept in close contact with George who was quick to arrange an itinerary matching our needs and happy to adjust it at our request.
Our guides, chef and porters for Kilimanjaro were excellent. Peter the chef and Emmanuel the waiter ensured we ate well and encouraged us to fight on when nausea and headaches got the better of us. The guides Paul and Deo were positive, motivating and demonstrated their expertise throughout our climb which ensured we made it to the summit.
The safari trip was amazing. There are never any guarantees on what you will see on your trip, but our guide Baraka worked hard to show us all the wonders of the Serengeti and surrounding national parks. With his keen eye and good rapport with other guides we were able to see a cheetah, 3 leopards, 5 rhinos, prides of lions as well as many herds of wild animals in plain sight. It couldn't have been better.
The hotels throughout were wonderful and varied. We stayed in eco lodges, luxury hotels as well as safari camps where we were serenaded at dinner. Of course every trip has a few mishaps, but Kilidove staff were quick to respond and sort out any problems that arose.
With our final trip to Zanzibar, we arranged our own hotels due to timing, but George stayed in touch and offered advice to ensure the rest of our trip went off without a hitch. It was the perfect way to end our adventure.
The Kilidove staff are friendly, efficient and all demonstrate great expertise in their field. We'd recommend Kilidove to any traveller, honeymooner or family.
US
Email Marina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Maurice, our guide was truly great! He knew so much and was so friendly and nice.
We started in Tanzania and went through from Arusha to Ngorngoro to Serengetti and Masai Mara to Nairobi. Maurice, our guide was so great! He knew so much about the animals, plants and birds, it was astounding! He was so friendly as well, I was grateful for my experience with him and with Kilidove. Our car was nice and clean, our accommodations were perfect and everything was done with the utmost respect to the environment, the local people and us. I would highly recommend Kilidove for your African Safari! I have been on safari twice with them, and both times they were amazing!
US
Email Jackie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!
I have always wanted to go on an African safari so my sister and I went on a 4-day camping safari with Kilidove. We started at Lake Manyara National Park, went to Serengeti National Park and then the Ngorongoro Crater. Joshua, our guide, knew everything about all the animals and their whereabouts - even spotted all the big cats up close and a black rhino! Camping was super fun and our chef, Noel, cooked the best dinners. We felt very safe and comfortable the whole time. If you're looking for an unforgettable trip, look no further - Kilidove takes care of you! Thank you George!