Chabo Africa Safari
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 1997)
- Member Of:
- TTB & TANAPA
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $95 to $1,050 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
AT
Email Stefanie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome Safari-experience, worth all the money!
We (4 girls) spent 2 1/2 days at the Ruaha Nationalpark (2 days of gamedrive and a walking safari) with Chabo Africa. The communication via Email was okay, there were some misunderstandings but in the end everything worked out perfectly. Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and a bottle of water per day & person were included and the food was really delicious. If you want coffee or Softdrinks you should take some money with you, because you have to pay for them yourself. Chabo Africa picked us up in Iringa and after a bumpy 2 hours car ride we checked into the accommodation (nice and cheap bandas inside the national park with private bathroom - totally fine). Afterwards we had lunch and started with the gamedrive. We saw a lot of different animals (lions, leopard, elefants, zebras, giraffes and so on). Our driver was very reliable, on time and friendly, he showed us all the animals but he could have given us a little more information about them. All in all the price was good and really worth it because we had a beautiful trip and were very happy and satisfied. We are totally recommending Chabo Africa to everyone who wants to have a nice and "cheap" Safari and we would totally go with them again.
SE
Email Anders | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Four days of amazing safari in Ruaha NP
After visiting Ruaha for safari for four days in the end of June, we would like to thank you for a very good arrangement!
Especially we appreciate our guide Frank, who took very good care of us. He appeared to have very good experience and knowledge about not only the big animals, but also birds and smaller mammals, and even bees.
He also showed very good understanding for the kids, and always put security first.
Furthermore, the accommodation was fully satisfying, also a special thanks to our chef, for supplying us with nice food.
We find the arrangement well worth the money spent, and also appreciate the help with transport and hotel-booking before and after.
It was an experience of a lifetime for us, and we will happily recommend Chabo Safari to our friends, and hope to see you again in the future.
Best regards
Anders Sandberg
Anna Löfroth
Lund
Sweden
IT
Email Roberto FattoriRobertoc | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kindness, avaibility and efficiency
We are very happy to write this review, both for the safari played and for the staff we were in contact. We have emailed our safari in the south of Tanzania and we have to thank Elen for his kindness and willingness. We are very pleased with our safari we visited the parks of the South Selous game reserve, Ruaha National Park, Mikumi National Park and Udzungwa National Park, experiencing unique emotions, seeing breathtaking landscapes, getting in touch with the culture and the famous hospitality of southern Tanzania . We also have to thank our Serafino guide who with his sympathy and availability has shown us many animals, even seeing two consecutive days a leopard near us. All the accommodations were near, if not inside, parks. We can only advise Chabo Africa and our "guide" Serafino for all those who want to visit Africa and get in touch with it. A heartfelt thank you to all the staff at Chabo Africa and Serafino in particular.
NL
Email Marleen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Family safari
We went for a holiday with the whole family (2 parents and 5 children) and we had the time of our lives!
We started at Dar-Es-Salaam and made a trip past various parks in the south of Tanzania, like Selous, Ruaha, and Mikumi. We were stunned by the breathtaking views along the way. Tanzania is such a beautiful country with nice white beaches, impressive mountains and most important, very kind people. Everything was planned, so we could sit back, relax and enjoy our time in Tanzania.
Modest was our guide and he told us everything about the areas we crossed. He taught us a few things about the nature and wildlife of the different parks, he showed us 4 of the big 5 and he made us laugh a lot because he is a really funny guy.
If you want a nice, relaxing holiday with some very interesting experiences and with everything well cared for, I would recommend this company. I'm sure you will have a wonderful holiday!
IT
Email Franco Rigotti and Agostino Cordano | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
"A wonderful experience : Katavi,Ruaha,Mafia NP "
We (a group of 5 adults) did a 16 days tour in Katavi , Ruaha NP with Mafia island at the end to see whale sharks with Chabo Africa of Iringa . We had carried out already safari in Botswana, Zimbawe, Zambia; Uganda ,then we had chosen the wild west,and south parks of Tanzania
The scenic and animal views ( 25 lions in a day) were well over the expectations and it also thanks to Sam ,a very skilled guide He was also a safe driver and always available .The tour was a success
The planning was well done by Hilda and also the contacts were easy and immediate .
Hilda was very efficient when Air Tanzania cancelled an internal flight . She solved the problem (effecting the program ) by an immediate alternative solution.
We were assisted also in Dar and their representative Anna also help us for the small needs (i.e. local sim purchase etc) .
Then we have experienced Chabo Africa as a fully reliable and advisable travel agency.and
we strongly recommend Sam as guide .
Email Gabriela | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY
1 hour after leaving, the 4x4 broke down.. no front brakes! The driver tried to fix it just enough to keep going which meant driving in second gear for the entire journey. A 2 hour trip turned into a 5 hours trip which was just to the park entrance. The driver took the car to a mechanic after our game drive, which was limited to just 1.5 hrs due to our late arrival, but had no luck so we continued with no front brakes. On the way back, one of the doors almost fell off and the driver had to secure it using rubber strap. We had to stop every 40 minutes as something else went wrong (low oil pressure, refill leaking radiator). Eventually the car died and we continued our return in a taxi. We wasted another 5 hours getting back to our hotel. Ann from the agency agreed to compensate each customer USD 50 each, which amounted to USD 200 as we were 4. But as it was a Saturday and she had no cash and we were leaving Iringa, she agreed with the Mama Pizza Iringa Hotel, where we were staying, to deliver the $200 first thing Monday morning which would go towards our accommodation bill. This never happened, the hotel manager (Richard) called her and went to see her in the office but no money.. always offering another excuse. We tried to contact her but she refused to answer. Eventually we gave up and transferred the money to Richard so at least the hotel was not out of pocket. This company cannot be trusted and their service was absolutely terrible as was their unsafe vehicles. As for Ann and the way she managed this situations, she should be ashamed of herself. You can confirm this info with Richard at Mama Iringa Pizza Hotel.
BE
Email Beniti and Jacqueline | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
if a dream could come true ... it happened on our safari!!!
From the moment we were picked up at the airport to the moment we returned, Chabo Africa Safari operated with enormous professionalism. Understanding that not all factors are within their control, our driver-guide Serafino and chef Salim conducted their tour with lots of courtesy, humor, and plenty of knowledge that definitely enhanced our experience. We visited Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP and Ngorongoro CA. We were able to see THE BIG FIVE and we drove through a countless number of animals: the migration. Our driver Serafino was responsive to our remarks and comments and if we happened to see something that we wanted to stop for. Being a photographer; Serafino stopped the jeep at the best possible locations. We camped in tents in the Parks where we were spoiled by our chef Salim. On the campsites we experience the true nature; animals close by and the beautiful landscape of the savannah. Thanks Serafino and Salim for all your efforts to give us a very good time!
US
Email Lilly Olson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
BiBi is taking her family to Tanzania; everyone in our group, ages 9- 82 had a great time!
Communications were prompt and informative during the planning of our trip. I had been to TZ 8 times so knew what I wanted to experience with my family. Chabo was very helpful in working within my budget and planning an efficient daily schedule for us. Our driver/guides Ernest and Modest were engaging with all members of our group. They were prompt, our lodging was excellent, guides had a wealth of knowledge and were great at spotting game out on the vast Serengeti.
The final day of our trip, two of the grandchildren were ill with fever and aching, feeling lethargic. When asked about the possibility of Malaria, they agreed that the two should be tested. They found a place that did the testing with results in 20 min., one tested positive and they promptly found a pharmacy that provided the medication and Modest interpreted the instructions carefully for us. Even tho there were 2 nurses and a medical Dr. in the group, they were not familiar with tropical diseases so having their (Modest and Ernest) concern and expertise was important to us in finding a lab to do the testing and a pharmacy for the medication.
DE
Email Benjamin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience in a group of four (plus guide)
What can I say? Our Trip to Ruaha National Park and Udzungwa Mountains was great! Our guide was Serafino, who is very experienced and also a funny, decent and modest guy.
Everything went fine (well, we had a flat tire at 60 mph but Serafino handled it very well, and his driving skills are excellent, by the way), Chabo Africa adapted our safari to our plans. We wanted to travel from Dar Es Salaam to Iringa by airplane, and wanted to leave Udzungwa by airplane, too, which went very well - thanks to Auric Air, who offer direct flights from Dar Es Salaam to Iringa and from Kilombero (Udzungwa) to Dar Es Salaam.
The tour was totally worth the price, since we saw all of the big animals which are present in Ruaha National Park (even a Leopard, thanks to a hilarious collaboration between Sarafino and Ernesto, who spotted a Leopard in a tree during their talk while standing side-by-side with their cars, chatting). July is a great month to travel to Ruaha, since it is not rainy season anymore but there is still enough water making it worthwhile for the game to hang around or go for a hunt. There were also lots of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and lions of course (we even saw those.. "cuddling"). The Udzungwa Mountains included some serious hiking (well, at least for us, it was, since we did not expect it to be that exhausting :-)). But the waterfalls and the views were totally worth it!
The mornings and the evenings were also very funny since we had the company of Serafino and sometimes also Ernest, who guided a Belgian group through the same areas simultaneously. The accommodations had a great value for the money, but we did book the budget option, so we did not expect much.
Many tour operators from Tanzania had major trouble with a new tax law that was introduced on very short notice in summer 2016. Due to the new rules, we had to pay an extra 10 % because there was an extra tax on accommodations which cause the majority of the costs. Since my wife lived in Tanzania for 6 months prior to our tour, always reading the newspapers, we knew that this was no scheme or something, but many customers became suspicious and cancelled their tours (instead they booked in nearby Kenia or Zambia, where taxes were not increased).
All in all, we would like to thank Chabo Safari for our great trip. It was a real adventure for us, since three out of four have never been outside of Europe before. My slightly younger sister is extremely frightened of flying (including crying, refusing to board in the first place etc.) but she went through all of that. Afterwards she said that she would do it all again, since she never saw something even remotely exciting like the wildlife in Tanzania.
CA
Email Jean | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experiences with an excellent guide and a very helpful company.
We were extremely pleased with both our budget safaris arranged through Chabo Africa. Our guide Modest was extremely knowledgeable with regard to all the animals and birds. It sometimes felt as though we were in a National Geographic documentary, as the information provided was so complete. He was excellent at finding and spotting game that we would have never seen. He is very personable with a good sense of humour and his English is excellent. He was on time and we were happy with his driving. Our communication with Chabo (Elen and Modest) was prompt and clear. Through many conversations with Modest we were able to learn a lot about present day Tanzanian culture which greatly enhanced our experience during the trip. We were so pleased with our experience in the Southern parks, that when our previously arranged safari in the Northern parks with a different company fell through due to payment issues, we requested a recommendation from Chabo for a Northern safari company. Modest said he could do the Northern safari for us as he had worked in that area also. Within a day or two, Chabo had a new personalized Northern safari all arranged with Modest as our guide again. We were thrilled to be met In Arusha by Modest a couple of weeks later to go on our Northern safari. Our Northern safari proved to be just as good and interesting as our Southern one as Modest proved again how good he was at spotting wildlife and explaining their different behaviors. We would highly recommend Chabo as a company and Modest as a guide for anyone who wants to go on a safari and experience Tanazania.