Getting muddy in the Serengeti
Kusini Safaris
- Located In:
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United Kingdom
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Member Of:
- African Travel & Tourism Association
- Tour Types:
- Custom luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $500 to $2,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Gary | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mr.Tickner is an incredibly knowledgeable tour operator with an unparalleled dedication to wildlife.
After many family discussions, my wife and I settled on an African Safari to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. We also decided that the entire family of 12 ranging in age from 8 to 75 would be going on the once in a lifetime adventure. In order to sort through the overwhelming number of options, we used Safari Bookings and their reviews almost exclusively. After many emails and phone calls with potential tour operators with very high reviews, we settled on Paul Tickner. What a perfect choice! Paul tailored a safari that matched precisely with our expectations. We stayed at Kiba Point in Selous Game Preserve and Ikuku in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania. In both cases the facilities exactly matched our family of 12 and the staff , tours, guides, and facilities were all superb. Paul kept us incredibly well informed and answered our questions without hesitation during the planning process. We all have nothing but superlatives to describe Paul Tickner Safaris. It was an adventure of a lifetime we will not forget.
Reply from Kusini Safaris
Posted on Apr 21, 2020Oh, thank you Gary, what kind words. You know, I feel so lucky to have been in the right place at the right time to meet you and your wonderful family. Three generations of you together on safari, it was so special.
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Email Kurt | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
My parents, my family (of 6), and my sister's family (of 4), spent two incredible weeks with Paul in southern Tanzania (Selous and Ruaha) in June 2018. It was all of our first safari experience and it blew away every expectation I had - it was truly a trip of a lifetime. Paul's organization of the trip his knowledge of the country, the animals, the camps, the guides, the people and his passion for all of the above made this an experience that we'll never forget. If you have the opportunity to travel to Tanzania, do it with Paul, you will not regret it.
Reply from Kusini Safaris
Posted on Apr 21, 2020Thank you Kurt, it's really a privilege to be able to work in such a place with such wonderful people.
CA
Email Amani | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Totally Amazing and Fun Holiday, Thanks to Paul!
Paul's assistance was invaluable in planning what turned out to be a perfect safari and beach vacation in Tanzania. He looked after all the details, and the result was a seamless, worry-free, fun and perfect holiday. Our Tanzanian safari and beach vacation vastly surpassed our expectations, and much of the credit for that, belongs to Paul. Minute by minute (literally) we saw animals and birds that were gorgeous, stunning, surprising and beautiful. We never had to travel any distance to see the next animal or bird. We saw 40 different mammal species, more than 110 bird species (and still counting), lizards and butterflies (haven't had a moment to count these yet). We haven't stopped talking about our Tanzanian adventure since we returned home. We went to Ras Kutana, Ngare Sero, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Ndutu, Serengeti and Pemba Island. Paul arranged everything on EXTREMELY short notice, and never seemed to break a sweat doing it. He was a fun and charming companion, even if we insisted on utilizing every possible minute to view more and more animals and birds! Paul's knowledge about the many animals and birds we saw, was the perfect addition to our holiday. Thank you Paul for an unforgettable holiday! Words cannot do justice to describe the fun we had.
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Email Tom Thayer | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An outstanding guide with great knowledge of the animals, great stories and great people management
Paul is a great guide. He far exceeds the minimum requirements for knowing the Serengeti and the animals. His stories are first rate too. But most impressive is his ability to work with a wide range of people, and his willingness to work hard, doing whatever it takes to ensure a safari's success.
Well planned, organised and everything was just as it should it was supposed to be
Paul planned the trip with us suggesting places and lodges to visit and stay. His personal suggestions proved to be the highlight of the trip and his suggestions for lodges where fantastic. The whole trip went like clockwork and we were helped without fuss from one location to the next.
If you go to Southern Tanzania the Ruaha is a must and Ikuka Camp is the place to stay. This was so much more than I expected and I had high expectations. But its was just fantastic.
Pauls organisation planning and support was fantastic. All done by email but always there to help. Thank You
CH
Email Karim | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Paul is a great and very knowledgeable guide, we had so much laughs and great sightings with him!
We enjoyed our trip with Paul enormously. The main thing that impressed us was his seemingly endless passion for the African savannah and wildlife, and Ruaha especially. When you go on a safari and you feel that your guide enjoys nature and wildlife at least as much as you do, then you are really lucky because it adds so much to the experience. What came on top with Paul was that we had so many funny moments with many laughs. He is a great spirit, deeply committed towards conservation and definitely a great spirit to spend time with. Thanks to his knowledge we also learned so much about Ruaha and had awesome sightings towards the end of the dry season in Ruaha. We would recommend Paul to anyone considering safari in Tansania. Thanks again, Paul!!
Email Richard Plows | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Honeymoon safari in Tanzania and Zanzibar
We used Paul to book our honeymoon.
Having never been on safari before, and prior to speaking with Paul, we were a little overwhelmed with the prospect of booking our first trip to Africa. Paul was very patient with our queries and took time to understand our requirements. He responded quickly and personally, taking time to understand our budget and where he could best add value to our trip before providing a tailored itinerary. We visited two parks (Selous & Ruaha) followed by some R&R in Zanzibar.
Pre-travel advice was great, but it wasn’t until we landed in Dar Es Salaam and subsequent transfers where we truly appreciated the Paul’s efforts. The transfers and background logistics were seamless. Having experienced local customs, taxis, internal flights, etc. first hand we were so glad that Paul stepped in to arrange for us – we would have been naive to think we could have arranged on our own.
Moving on to the safaris, Paul booked us into the most incredible camps. The experience far exceeded our expectations and it was clear that the camp managers personally knew and respected Paul.
Paul personally guided us during our stay in Ruaha. He was exceptionally knowledgeable of local wildlife (as would be expected), but mixed in a good sense of humour made the game drives great fun. Paul was also well integrated with the other local guides so we were never to miss out if another guide stumbled across a viewing somewhere else in the park.
The gushing sentiments sound like the introduction for an internet dating profile, but we couldn't have asked for a better honeymoon and I would (and will be) wholeheartedly recommend(ing) Paul to anyone who is looking to book a safari.
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Email Hannah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Custom Safari
We booked our honeymoon 10-day Tanzania safari in Ruaha and the Serengeti through Paul Tickner, and were so glad we did! While booking, he was in constant communication about our preferences, giving us advice and a good idea of what we could expect at each camp. Once we were on our trip, we began to truly appreciate the amount of coordination required! Everything was arranged perfectly - flights, car transfers, hotels, safari camps. It all went off without a hitch!
Regarding Ruaha specifically, we found the park to be wonderful! The animals stay close to the riverbed during dry season, so it's common to see many different animals (baboons, giraffes, impala, wort hogs) all together at once, which is truly amazing. The days are hot, but not unbearable, and there aren't as many cars as you'll find in the Serengeti, so it's a more personal experience.
Could not recommend Paul or Ruaha more highly!
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Email Lori | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Custom Safari Exceeded Our Expectations
This was our first safari, and with zero experience we needed a lot of guidance and hand holding while planning our 21 day adventure in Tanzania and Zanzibar. Hannah was a tremendous help, responding quickly to every question and concern. The safari camps were fantastic, each one unique but of similar high quality. The food was wonderful, healthy and delicious. Paul was our guide in Ruaha, and his knowledge, expertise and good humor were a highlight of the trip. We recommend Paul Tickner Safaris without hesitation, and are confident that we made the right choice in safari companies!
CN
Email Haidong YIN | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari trip
Eerything arrange well. Campsite are all great. Much satisfied with Paul.