Hamadi Ningaa - Founder, Face of Africa Adventures
Face of Africa Adventures
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $1,700 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
Email Nico | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best Safari
Booking a safari in Tanzania is not an easy decision because there are so many different options. We had one clear plan: we wanted to see the Ngorongoro Crater. However, organizing this from Zanzibar for just a 2-day safari was quite challenging. Many operators only offered 3-day safaris that included Ngorongoro Crater, while others were extremely expensive. Another important factor for us was that we wanted to spend only one night away from Zanzibar, and we also had a relatively small budget.
In the end, I found that The Face of Africa could provide exactly what we were looking for. I got in touch with Hamadi and asked about prices and tours. From the very first minute, Hamadi was incredibly supportive. He offered us many different options, explained everything in detail, and answered all of our questions. Since we reached out quite close to our travel dates (just 2–3 weeks before), time was working against us. At first we weren’t 100% happy with the proposal, but Hamadi adjusted it several times until we were fully satisfied. In fact, we made our final decision only about a week before the safari, when we were already in Zanzibar.
We did face a small issue with the payment process because our bank wouldn’t allow us to transfer money directly to the company’s account. Hamadi quickly provided us with a payment link so we could pay by credit card. This came with an additional charge, but it was the only feasible solution.
Once the payment was completed, our trip was confirmed. On the morning of our flight we were picked up from the hotel. This is maybe the only point of criticism: the pick-up was scheduled quite late, and due to heavy traffic we almost missed our flight from Zanzibar to Arusha. We arrived just 25 minutes before departure, and the airport staff told us we were very late. They rushed us through security and straight onto the bus where all other passengers were already waiting. It was a close call. Not really Hamadi’s fault, but I would suggest scheduling pick-up at least half an hour earlier to avoid this stress.
After landing in Arusha, we were greeted by our safari guide. He explained the plan for the day and even gave us a small gift from Hamadi — a cap and a water bottle from The Face of Africa. A very nice gesture.
Our first stop was Tarangire National Park. It was a long drive, and we arrived around 10 or 11 a.m. to begin our safari. The experience was amazing — we saw lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, monkeys, and more. Our guide made sure we got the most out of it, and we really enjoyed every moment.
In the evening we drove to our hotel near Ngorongoro Crater. It was a small place still partly under construction, so the atmosphere was a little different than usual, but the staff went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed. The food was good, the rooms were clean, and the overall vibe was pleasant. We had a good night’s sleep before starting early the next morning for our second day at Ngorongoro.
The crater safari was again absolutely breathtaking. We saw so many animals, and our guide was always attentive, answering our questions and taking us exactly where we wanted to go. It truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
On the way back to the airport, we stopped for food and then continued safely to our flight. Since Hamadi couldn’t meet us in person, he called us to check that everything was fine, which we really appreciated. At the airport we met Pedri (Football player of Barcelona, not really part of the Safari but it was nice anyways haha). The flight back to Zanzibar was on time, and upon arrival we were picked up at the airport without delay and returned safely to our hotel.
All in all, the safari was perfectly organized, and we couldn’t have asked for more. If we had known in advance how incredible it would be, we would definitely have booked 3–4 days instead of just 2. It was one of the best experiences of our lives.
We give this safari a clear 10/10. The price was a little high, but since it was a last-minute booking, that was to be expected. Booking earlier would certainly have been cheaper.
We would like to thank Hamadi and The Face of Africa for everything they did for us. We will carry this safari in our hearts forever, and whenever someone asks me for a safari recommendation in Africa, I will always recommend The Face of Africa. I also hope to do another safari with them in the future.
FR
Email MAILLOT Emile | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A truly memorable journey that we highly recommend!
We had an unforgettable experience during our safari in Tarangire and Ngorongoro.
A huge thank you to Hamadi, the CEO, for his flawless organization and great reactivity, especially when we faced an issue with our return flight – everything was handled quickly and efficiently.
A very special thanks to Emmanuel, our driver and guide, for his kindness, professionalism, and outstanding knowledge of wildlife and nature. Thanks to him, we enjoyed unique moments and learned so much.
A truly memorable journey that we highly recommend!
ES
Email Josep | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect
We did our tour with Face of Africa and were delighted. The treatment we received from our arrival at the airport was sensational and we were treated beautifully during the 7 days of safari fulfilling all our expectations and proposing new experiences if we decided to modify the route.
I definitely recommend this agency to anyone who wants to take a private safari and avoid the crowds.
Email Elias soka | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best family adventure
What an amazing safari experience we had, went on safari with Face of Africa adventure on march with my family. Our lovely guide Mr Saad was super friendly, professional and very welcoming
He looked after us like his own family. He spent so much time with boys whenever we needed his help
He took us to the best spots to see lions, wildebeest and other animal
The lodges camps we stayed we super clean and good standard
We hope to be back again November
Highly recommend this company
IN
Email Subramani | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome wildlife safari with Face of Africa
It has been a pleasure planning another trip with Face of Africa—a wild safari in Tanzania. Mr. Hammad, who runs Face of Africa, is a very kind, soft-spoken, and gentle person. He made our trip truly memorable by arranging excellent safari vehicles, comfortable accommodations, and meals tailored to our requirements. This time, with two travelers and as a professional photographer, I expected a knowledgeable driver-cum-guide suited for photography, and Mr. Hammad’s arrangements perfectly met our needs. Previously, before COVID, I visited the same place with a larger group, and that wonderful experience led us to book again with Face of Africa. Thank you, Hammad, for the excellent trip arrangements. As discussed, I will soon plan a trip with my family.
LK
Email Raj | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Knowledgeable and Friendly
I have been to Tanzania for wildlife safari thru Face of Africa being our travel agent. As a wildlife photography enthusiastic our needs were bit different from regular tourist. All our expectations were well taken care by the company. They even customized the safari vehicle to be photo friendly. The stay in each place was well arranged...the driver of our vehicle had good knowledge about animal behavior and he was able to identify all the bird's. Over all we had a awesome trip with great sighting. I would definitely recommend and use their service in my next visit to Tanzania and other place around since they cover Kenya and Uganda.
MX
Email Ofelia Borja | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzania, via Face of Africa Adventures
Face of Africa Adventures has been the company that takes you by the hand to facilitate your trip to Tanzania and to get to know the most important conservation areas such as Tarangeri, Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
The entire team of this company has been very professional in their work, friendly and very knowledgeable about their environment.
The vehicles in which we traveled, the places where we stayed, the food have been part of a wonderful experience!!!!
MX
Email Dulce Maria Ley | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excelent Service
Our Safari trip was wonderful and amazing; the service that Face of Africa provided us at all times was of great quality. Their drivers and guides make you feel very safe, they are very attentive and kind; they are trained in everything related to the animals you see, they speak several languages, in my case I felt very comfortable because our driver spoke Spanish, the camps where we stayed have excellent rooms, food and service. Face of Africa makes you feel very welcome in Tanzania.
US
Email laura hill | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Efficient, helpful, friendly
We were a group of 16, with 4 guides, all of whom were knowledgeable, friendly, and went above and beyond to ensure that everyone was safe and having an excellent experience. Spectacular trip. The pre-trip planning was also great. Highly recommend and would work with Face of Africa if I re-visit Tanzania.
Email Richard and Irene | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent face of Africa!
Safari Tour to Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater
Conservation Area and Lake Manyara National Park.
We were initially impressed with the service from the company and its owner Mr Hamadi Ningaa as we took this trip in the middle of an existing trip to Tanzania and had to change the normal
itinerary. Rather than be collected from the airport and transfer through their normal stopover hotel in Arusha we asked to be collected from and returned to where we were staying outside of
Arusha. Mr Ningaa was very accommodating, allowing last-minute changes to our agreed
itinerary due to the weather – everything was “hakuna matata” and our driver arrived on time to
collect us and our luggage. The vehicle was a large 4-wheel drive Toyota with a Safari cabin and 7 seats for passengers, for just 2 of us. It was clean and felt high spec. We especially appreciated all the pockets and shelves for items like water bottles, cameras, phones, and
sunglasses etc., and charging points. Another lovely touch was the provision of some bottles of wine in the cool box alongside the water and other soft drinks. The safari lunchboxes were also
good.
The drive to Tarangire is quite long and Sadi, our guide and driver, talked to us knowledgeably about the local tribes, cultures, and features en-route. Tarangire itself was fairly busy as June is
a busy month in all the parks. The way Sadi took us round the park meant that we saw lots of animals and their behaviour in depth. We never rushed and by staying in one spot for a while we saw the animals doing things that other vehicles missed as they rushed to an area took some pictures and rushed off again. The highlights were some male lions washing themselves, and a
family of elephants spraying themselves with mud at a waterhole.
We drove to the overnight accommodation (Baghayo Garden Suites, Karatu) where we were well
looked after with excellent food and service from the staff. There are some reviews of the hotel which mention the noise between rooms, and you can hear conversations in the next bedroom,
but remember that everybody has had a long day of travelling or safari and follows a pattern of getting to the hotel, showering, having dinner, and then going to bed, most people are asleep
fairly early and within 30 minutes of returning to their room. Face of Africa Adventures use other lodges in the area but we can only comment on our experience which was good.
Day 2 was Ngorongoro Crater and once again Sadi’s experience and way of navigating the park helped us to see everything that was on offer including a black rhino, lions, buffalo, hyena,
wildebeest, elephant, giraffe, gazelles, antelope, zebra, hippos, warthogs, monkeys, kori bustards, flamingoes, pelicans, grey crowned cranes and many more. We would not have
spotted the rhino without the sharp eyes of our guide, Sadi. It was lying down and looked very much like a large rock in the distance. With binoculars and camera zoom it was clear it was a
resting rhino. Sadi suggested after lunch we return to the same spot and we are glad we took his advice as the rhino got up and presented itself for some good photos after about a 10 minute wait later in the day. His knowledge of animal behaviour and patience paid off once again. We
were never rushed at any point through the drive and on our way out of the park spotted another group of lions and stopped for more photos.
We overnighted again at Baghayo Garden Suites and our schedule was arranged to suit us, agreeing a start time for our drive as it had been for the day before.
Day 3 - Lake Manyara is a much smaller park and has changed over the years as the lake has expanded and many of the larger groups of animal species have left. Despite this we were spotting wildlife within a few hundred metres of the park entrance as Sadi knew what we were likely to see and where, this included incredibly some very small crabs in the water channels alongside the road, monitor lizards as we crossed a bridge, trumpet hornbills, blue monkeys and many others. The
highlights were the families of elephants grazing in the bush, the large troops of baboons and a very large bull elephant disturbing soil to give himself a dust bath.
Sadi returned us home that evening, taking great care and using his knowledge to avoid heavy
traffic in Arusha town as he drove the 160km back to where we were staying.
We have been on safari in Tanzania several times over the past 30 years and have visited all these locations before. We felt this trip was the best guiding we have had, and we had a different
experience in each park to what we had before. Sadi’s knowledge and expert driving was vital to our enjoyment of this trip, he is a brilliant companion on safari and we highly recommend him
and Face of Africa Adventures for those looking for a Tanzanian safari experience.
