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Migration Venture Africa
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Member Of:
- TATO, TTB, MNRT & TLTO
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
-
TZ
- Price Range:
- $200 to $1,500 ppper person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email anonymous | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Was part of Friendship Force group, which included safari and separate trip to Iringa.
The safari part of the trip was outstanding. The Ruaha NP was rather bland after the excitement of the earlier parks (Serengeti, Ngorogoro, Manyara, etc.) The only real negative was the Arc Hotel in Morogoro. The hotel itself was very nice, but getting to it from the main road was extremely laborious and time consuming, especially when we were travel-weary to say the least. Certainly there could have been something more convenient. Overall, Amos and his team did an outstanding job of coordinating the trip. Thank you!
Email Bonnie Evans | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Outstanding coordination and flexibility
I was the leader and planner of 26 Firendship Force ambassadors from the Atlanta area. I chose Migration Venture Africa to organize and coordinate with me a three week adventure that covered 2300miles of Tanzania. With due diligence and communicating with at least 5 other outfits I chose this company because of superb communication skills, flexibility, positive attitude, knowledge and great human interpersonal skills. The owner of the company, Amos Lufumbilo, had great management skills and worked with me over a year on our amazing journey. We had his company do all the intracountry transportation and transfers to and from the airport. There were a couple of small snags but Amos was right on it. He assisted me in planning a philanthropy visit with Msamaria Street Children School where there was great need. The day after I arrived he took me into Moshi to buy bulk food and supplies for the orphanage and even arranged a truck to transport it there for me. The food was enough to feed the orphanage for two entire months. We also gave school supplies and toothbrushes to the children. It was such a joyful experience that left such an impression on our group. One of the first days we visited a privately owned organic coffee plantation where we observed bean to the freshest coffee ever. We particularly loved the men singing and dancing as they did the work. Next event was to hike up part of Mt Kilimanjaro which was suppose to be just a 30 minute hike but turned out to be 6.5 Miles round trip. One learns that Tanzanians interpretation of time and distance is quite different than ours. It was a narrow path going up and down. When 10 of us saw the last steep climb, we decided to stay put and sit on the river rocks and soak our feet in the cold clear water. We could see the waterfall in the distance. We had a casualty of one of our women slipping with dislocating her ankle and breaking it in three places. Amos and our tour guides were supermen in getting her down off the mountain and carrying her about a mile and a half on their backs so a motorcycle could rush her to the hospital. Amos was a hero in that he got the orthopedic surgeon to come into the hospital to care for our ambassador. He stayed with them and made sure they got back to the Mountain Inn and got them to the airport that next night. Her husband and her raved about Amos and how he handled the emergency.
Our group booked the 6 day 5 night Northern Circuit Safari where my suggestions in accommodations and tent camps were accepted. The Bougainvillea Safari Lodge, Osupuko Tented Camp Serengeti, Rhino Lodge Ngorongoro were all either satisfactory or fantastic. The Tented Camp did not serve any grilled game meats so that was a dispppointment. We had Cape buffalo and Elephants visit our camp. The game drive each day was awesome. Each park had its own personality. We did not see any rhinos. We had four safari vehicles with pop up tops where each person could see out. Our driver did not want us to stand on the seats but we did after taking our shoes off so we could see better. You get up close and amazed at the animals . The roads getting to Serengeti are horrid with sand blowing in your face and the condition of the roads. Someone with bad backs or necks should not do this adventure. It is an adventure of a lifetime. Only 9 of us did the Balloon Safari over the Serengeti which is very expensive but once in a lifetime experience. I highly recommend it. We also visited a Maasi Village and meet the people who wore colorful robes, danced and sang for us. The chiefs son told us more about the Maasi and their customs. We were allowed in their compound and were able to go inside one of the huts.
It took us two days of driving to get from Moshi to IRinga where we would stay with a Friendship Force Iringa family for 5 nights. Halfway we stayed in Morogoro at the Arc Hotel which was a good place except that the government had torn up the roads and gave us a challenging maze and gutted roads to get to it How our drivers managed to get there is extraordinary.
We met up with our Iringa Hosts. The Iringa Club ended up hiring Amos’ tour vehicles so we could be transported from place to place. Their driving skills are to be admired. We would say something was impossible and they would conquer it. We did find the Tanzanian people to be very gracious and live using just basic needs. We were requested many times to donate to a list of needs by the club, church, schools and villagers that we visited. Our group dedicated the seed money for a deep water well, 290 uniforms to the Primary age children of the school as well as a huge pile of school supplies and a piece of candy. We visited two other city type schools wher the needs were not as great but we donated at each school supplies.
Amos grew up in Iringa thus he knows the area very well and stayed in town while we were there. He even attended some of the Friendship Force events which was so gracious of him. He normally does not go along on the adventures but he went on ours. He contributed immensely to its success.
Our next and last Safari was to be at Ruaha National Park since it was close to Iringa so we could visit a park that did not have the swarms of tourists as the Northern Circuit did. It was a real treat. We did several safari drives and even a safari walk but I recommend you just stay and stare in wonder at Ruaha River Lodge which was phenomenal. Even the food was terrific. You each have a banta that overlooks the river where scores of animals roam as well as exotic birds. Elephants same right up to the sides of our porch and walked right in front of us so close that one could touch them ( we did not ). The rooms and common area are tastefully decorated with first class design. Everyone of our members would had loved to had stayed here two additional nights instead of just two since all we wanted to do was stay at the banta or common areas all day and watch the animals. There was no need to go on a drive. The accommodations were located right in the park. Do yourself a favor and stay there. You will love it!
We had another two day drive with the same stop on Morogoro on he way back to Moshi. Our home base was the Mountain Inn where we started a total 7 nights. It is okay but there are not much choices in Moshi. The rooms are simple but adequate with a bathroom that had a shower, sink, toilet and shelves. The restaurant needs great improvement since both the breakfast and dinner buffet was always cold. The staff was wonderful and did their best to assist us in any way they could. The Inn has nice gardens and a clean pool which one will enjoy. It is all secured and only about 20 minutes from downtown and about 45 minutes from the Kilimanjaro Airport.
The paved roads in Tanzania are also challenging since there are no traffic lights. They use high speed bumps to slow traffic down which are jarring. Bring a cotton kerchief to cover your face when on the sand roads.
I highly recommend Amos and his staff. They were all gentlemen and professional. We enjoyed making friends with them that we will treasure for a lifetime. The company exceeded our expectations.
Email Cindy | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lots of things to see, you get to experience amazing stuff and meet amazing people who don't own muc
The trip was amazing, it's definetley worth going!
Email Iben | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Execellent service and safari
The Company Provides extraordinary good service from the first e-mail contact with them througout the safari and even after the safari if you need any help with further travels and such. The safari guide who took us to Ruaha was fantastic! He knew everything about the Nature and wildlife of the park and managed to find even animals that are very hard to see at the time of year.
We would definetly recomend going with Migration Venture!
Email Simon | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The great team and organization brought us to the summit of Kilimajaro
With Amos in the office, nikkolas as our guide on tour and a very friendly team with us we had a very good time climbing the Kilimanjaro. The Accomodation before and after the climb at the "Secret Garden" was clean and good located with a nice Mountain view. Spending Time on the Mountain with our Guide and Team was wörth all the effort to get there. We are happy we made it and we are happy for chosing Migration Venture.
Email Elena Karavelova | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari,our driver Peter is the best. Exceeding expectations.Peter ,thank you
Everything was perfect,if i have a
choice i take again Migration Venture Africa Ltd.
Email Philippa | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A fantastic experience with a local friendly company who really delivered beyond our expectations
The wildlife was fantastic and we saw the big five as well as many other animals alongside an exceptional range of birdlife and beautiful natural settings. The weather was perfect for us too.
The accommodation at Kudu Lodge, Rhino Lodge and Osopuko Tented Camp was delightful. Each of these places was very different in character but we really enjoyed our stay in each of them. Not only was the accommodation lovely, but the staff were, without exception, helpful and friendly. The food throughout was of a really good quality and all packed lunches substantial and much appreciated.
The first night at the hotel in Arusha was disappointing in that it was rather tired and basic and the bedroom and shower were, to be honest, not a great start to the trip. Having said that, the food there was good.
The hotel at Lake Eyasi was also fine, but if I am being picky, I would say that we had probably the longest time there to relax of any of the places we stayed, yet there was the least to do. The wifi was very poor and the pool, which we did use later on the afternoon for a quick swim, had no shade available and it was too hot to use the poolside loungers without umbrella protection. This as a shame as we would have been delighted to spend the afternoon by the pool. Also there were mosquitos in abundance so we didn't hang around the dining area in the evening. However, the staff were good and the food was fine.
The visits to the two different local communities and the lakeside visit were enjoyable and made particularly so by the great local guide Thomas.
The final day visit to Manyara NP was perhaps an anti climax as it was the least spectacular of the parks we visited and it felt rather in hindsight that if we had visited there before the other places we would have enjoyed what it had to offer more.
If we were to visit again, which I do hope we will at some point in the future, we would revisit Serengeti, Ngorogoro and Tarangire but probably not Manyara nor Lake Eyasi.
The vehicle was fine and what we expected and stood up to the terrain well.
Our driver and guide Anderson was very friendly and we were well looked after by him. The vehicle was always ready, clean and tidy with water and packed lunches all stowed away for prompt starts to each of the day's adventures.
He was able to drive us confidently between and inside the parks and gave us an overview of where we were and what we may see. He was good at spotting animals and helped us 'get our eye in' in the first few days. It was also nice having his company at mealtimes and I think we all felt comfortable with each other and there was plenty of laughing during the trip.
I think that Anderson does lack some in depth knowledge of animal characteristics and behaviour and I personally would have welcomed more 'commentary' about the way the animals live their lives etc while we were driving around - perhaps that will come with more experience. Having said that, we really did like Anderson and he did contribute to what was for both of us an unforgettable experience.
The liaison with Amos at the company office via email from the start, was the principal reason we picked the company. He got back promptly and helpfully to all my questions and inspired great confidence - a confidence which was definitely well placed.
As you know, there is a huge range of options out there on the web for the potential visitor, and having the overall umbrella of the Safari Bookings.com portal made me confident to explore companies within it. The company's offer and their responsiveness then stood out for me which made choosing to book with them an easy choice. Their price was reasonable and, I believe, pitched right for what they delivered and indeed the quality of the food and accommodation in most respects exceeded our expectations.
I definitely recommend this company.
Email John | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Safari: Safe trip and an experienced, caring driver
We booked a 5-Day/4-Night Safari (Tarangire National Park, Serengeti, Ngorongoro) with Migration Ventures in January 2018 and are still very happy that we chose that company!
Communications ahead of the safari were very friendly and focused. For non-African customers it is important to keep in mind that you have to make an international banking transaction if you don’t want book via a travel agency.
The service before the trip left no wishes open but the best thing was that we had an extraordinary friendly and engaged driver/guide!
Ninah gave us the feeling of safety throughout the whole safari! We felt that he really liked his work and to be in the nature, with us and close to the animals. As a studied wildlife expert he was able to tell many interesting and informative background info about the whole Tarangire, Ngorogoro and Serengeti environment.
I can highly recommend Migration Venture and would book another safari at the company without hesitation. Thanks again to Amos, who managed our preparations and especially to Ninah, who as our trustworthy driver made this an unforgettable experience for us!
Email Lynne | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent 6 day / 4 parks safari experience in Northern Tanzania
As part of a lot of research, I found this small company's 6 day accommodated northern Tanzania safari (Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater) on safaribookings.com - with the places we wanted in the number of days we wanted at a good pricepoint. Communication with the manager Amos in the enquiry and set-up stage as I went through a couple of iterations of what we wanted to do, was prompt and helpful, though I was a little anxious when it was less so after I paid (I was pleased to be able to pay by credit card through a gateway link set up from Migration Venture's end - it involved a surcharge but this was cheaper and easier than an international bank transfer). But everything was fine and all that was promised was delivered. Accommodation was very good. Breakfast and dinner on all days were buffet and were plentiful, and packed lunches very substantial – we could always keep some for mid-morning snacks next day. One of us did have a short but sharp stomach upset during the trip but it is difficult to say exactly where it came from, though it was a surprise as we had already been in other parts of Africa for 6 weeks without any problems.
But the most important element of a safari is the guide – their ability to find and show you the animals can make or break the experience. The parks visited were great with lots to see and our driver guide, Anderson, was excellent – great at spotting animals and birds, knew a lot about many of them which he shared, he did the logistics well, getting us to camps/lodges etc in good time, he was pleasant to chat with, answering our many questions on all sorts of topics, and he looked after his vehicle, for example getting it checked and cleaned after the tough roads of the Serengeti. From our experience, and comments of others, he is also skilled at understanding his clients preferences and wishes and does his best to meet these.
Overall we can certainly recommend this safari - and the Serengeti was the highlight of our 7 weeks in Africa!
Email Nina G | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Day Hike on Kilimanjaro
Communication with Amos was quick and informative about the costs and trip. We were provided a ride, a porter, lunch and water for the hike up to the first hut. It was a wonderful experience and we would highly recommend this activity and this company. They also offer many other options for your visit to Tanzania.
Disclaimer
- All corporate and/or tour info is provided by Migration Venture Africa, not SafariBookings
- The tours offered by Migration Venture Africa are subject to their terms & conditions