A life changing Tanzania experience
Afrikakukaye Tours and Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Member Of:
- TTB & MNRT
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $120 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Dineo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A wonderful adventurous time in Tanzania
It was smooth arrangements and back and forth emails with Mr. Remsi, then finally, we met at the international airport.
Email Mpya Lefty | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Best experience of our life, highly professional staff well informed guides,Joseph our cook the bes
Our trip started like a dream, me and 3 other friends from Cape town for along time we wanted to visit Kilimanjaro and climb, and finally we were recommended to inquire with Afrikakukaye, they dis a great job organizing everything for us, a team of guides and potters was A plus, Joseph our cook, he prepared meals everyday that helped us energize our body. The Moshi tour after the climb was also a highlight. We did Limosho route which was 8 days, we are coming back to do another route. Polepole, Hakuna matata karebu Tanzania
Email Allen Mugandani and Tracy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Exquisite
Me and my girlfriend bumped into Afrikakukaye representative as we were searching for the tours that best suit us for Tanzania, Davis was so helpful in designing a private itinerary for us, we traveled in early March, we enjoyed being only 2 in a 4x4 jeep that can fit in 7 people, our guide Omary was superb, knowledgeable, friendly and can spot anything before anyone could spot, he also taught us some Swahili words. The selection of accommodation was super awesome and the camp near ndutu was perfect, we are glad to have spotted the big 5 and endless group of wildebeest. We were briefed of our Safari by Resmi the manager and he met us after the tour with lovely gifts of elephant cups. Tanzania is a beautiful country and we hope to bring our family soon.
DE
Email T Weber | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible tour operator. We were threatened during our tour!
First of all I would like to make clear that our guide Simon Yuma was incredible and really made our safari an unforgettable experience! THANK YOU SIMON. YOU ARE AN AMAZING PERSON!
Simon has an amazing knowledge about animals and is able to anticipate their behaviour. We saw so many animals super close, which other groups didn’t. I can highly recommend him and I hope that he will find a better employer in the future and here is why:
The company, which was recommended to us, AFRIKA KUKAYE, seemed small but legit. We actually wanted to book with a smaller company then with a big operator.
We heard many times that on group tours people from different companies were just put together in the same car and everyone having a different itinerary. We said to Remsi that we did NOT want to do it this way. Communication went well and we WERE ASSURED by the owner Remsi Sungwa that we would definitively go with this company.
So far - so good. He confirmed everything. However, 1 day before our Safari was supposed to start, and of course AFTER WE PAYED, he told us that we would be going with another company from his „long term and highly trusted business colleague DAVID MARO owner of KILI SLOPE.
This led us to be already suspicious. On the day of the Safari our cook had to leave the car, because we were getting a 7th person in the car due to an „emergency“ they said. I would rather attribute this to their inability to properly organize a tour.
On the first evening of our Safari we talked to the persons in our group. It turns out that EVERYBODY BOOKED WITH A DIFFERENT OPERATOR AND EVERBODY HAD A DIFFENTENT ITINERARY AND PAYED A DIFFRENT PRICE. Nobody actually booked with Kili Slope.
Furthermore most of us were promised 3 full days in Serengeti National Park. During this evening we were told that it would ONLY BE 48h because that’s the way the permits in the park work. THIS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE ON HOW THESE TOUR OPERATORS CHEAT THEIR CLIENTS.
Long story shot: Everyone was very angry this evening. I contacted my „agent“ complaining about this. I was assured that everything will be fine an that I just should enjoy my time.
Next day the 7th person who was squeezed in our car had to wait for another group from Arusha in order to join them. We felt really sorry for him, because he HAD TO WAIT IN THE CAMP INSTEAD OF ENJOYING HIS SAFARI DUE TO DISORGANIZATION of his tour operator. This made us even more suspicious, because we had an excursion to Lake Manyara on the last day of our itinerary (actually this was supposed to be on our 2nd day, but who cares for the itinerary, right???) and 3 persons in our group did not. One girl had lake Manyara in her itinerary but apparently she was not going to see it because she only booked 5 days Safari and was going back to Arusha with the rest oft he group
Next day we got a call from the owner of Kili Slope Tours Mr DAVID MARO the long trusted business partner of RAMSI SUNWA from AFRIKA KUKAYE:
! Please read this carefully. We have travelled many counties and have been on many tours but this was: the Mount Everest of REALLY BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE!!
MR DAVID MARO HEAVYL THREATEND ME AND MY GIRLFRIEND VIA THE PHONE. WE WERE REALLY SCARED AND MY GIRLDFRIEND WAS EVEN AFRAID HE WOULD SEND PEOPLE TO BEAT US UP! THIS IS HOW HE SPOKE TO US!
WE WERE INSTRUCTED NOT TO SPEAK TO THE OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR CAR ABOUT ITINERARIES AND THAT WE HAVE KEEP YOUR quote: „MOUTHS SHUT AND NOT TO COMPLAIN ANYMORE!“
FURTHERMORE HE THREATENED US THAT HE WILL SEND A CAR AND TAKE US BACK TO ARUSHA (I GUESS WITHOUT ANY TYPE A REFUND)
I can only advise everyone who reads this to stay away from Afrika Kukaye and Kili Slope Tours. These guys will treat you like cattle and only want your money. They give a sh*** about you. They do not have the slightest customer service thoughts and will even threaten you if you complain!
We did our Safari in February 2019 but, to be honest, we first wanted to be out of East Africa before we publish this review. We know that these Tour Operator have a network in East Africa and at that time we were still afraid of consequences posting a negative review about them.
I guess this shows every reader how strong the threat to us felt.
So please, do not book with these people!!
Reply from Afrikakukaye Tours and Safaris
Posted on Mar 25, 2019Thank you for the review.
Firstly I would like to assure you the following:
Tanzania is a very peaceful and Safe country, people are very friendly, and very helpful. There can be some miscommunications that may mislead people’s perception about the country, but overall, Tanzania is a safe country, and you should feel lucky to have visited our country.
I'm also deeply apologizing: that you felt threatened and I think this is a reason why you hesitated to share as much honest feedback of your safari when I met with you after your safari. I assure you, our company is legit, fully registered and operates under the laws of the country, in no way we can take chances to threaten customers, violate the laws of the country or undermine one’s dignity and humanity, As much as you felt safe with Simon, that is a reflection of how most Tanzania’s are.
I acknowledge there were miscommunications of how the JOINING SAFARI operates and how it can be, and I believe this was a core source for your mistrust, I also acknowledge that your chef had to move into another vehicle so that another person join the seat in the vehicle, Joining Safaris can utilize all the seats available on the jeep, and we may have a supply vehicle that a chef may come along with to ensure supply of fresh food is available, so I also understanding this as well drew a bit of suspicious thoughts on how the tour was operated. It is also true that some members of your group had shorter safaris, meaning, they only wanted to do few parks and others could join on the way, I believe if this was made clear to you before you made a decision, you would have managed the expectations quite well, I apologize.
We had a smooth communications from the planning stage, and also during the tour through email and whatsaap, I understand your last query while on tour was about hours in the park, of which later you told me you spoke with my colleague and everything was clear and understood and you were enjoying your tour, no problem. Now, in regards to the park hours, of which it is known that the parks permit/tickets last for 24 hours, and you had 2 permits/tickets for Serengeti of which was 48hours ( 3 Days), and your itinerary DO NOT SAY 3 FULL DAY, It is 3 days, 2 night (48HRS).
Your itinerary was;
Day 1-Tarangire National Park
Day 2-Serengeti National Park
Day 3-Full Day Serengeti National Park
Day 4-Serengeti NP to Ngorongoro Crater
Day 5-Ngorongoro Crater floor
Day 6- Lake Manyara National Park – Arusha
Again, I apologize this was not clear to you.
You had a fabulous time: I also have met you after your safari, and you clearly mentioned that you have seen the BIG 5, groups of migrating wildebeest, and many more, the chef, guide were excellent and you really enjoyed your tour.
I am glad you were happy with: The quality of the vehicle, you enjoyed the service of your chef, you enjoyed the service of your guide Simon, and you saw the BIG 5, plus as much animals and beautiful scenery, plus your itinerary for 6 days/5 nights for you went as planned, of which I believe other members had their different itinerary that ended as it said.
I want to assure you that we acknowledge your concern and have taken steps as per below:
1. We decided to suspend the Joining Safari product. We are now proud to only offer Private tours to individuals and group tours until this issue is resolved. The suspension will enable us to to formulate a clear friendly policy that will stipulate all details for clients to read and understand before making contract with us. Conduct investigations, and share the findings.
2. Review contract with partners.
3. Follow up a THREAT incident, and I will email you directly on the report for this.
Finally, I like thank you for your time to share your experience, of which has opened an eye and really enable the next guests to have a smooth and a fabulous safari.
On behalf of the team, Thank you,
Email Jordan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lifetime experience !!
What an adventure of a lifetime to remember !! I and my friends were skeptical on what tour company to go with but our friends who have done business with Afrikakukaye and highly recommend them because of their good prices and great customer care. We decided to do business with them ! We didn’t regret at all for the whole week safari which started January 25th, 2019 and ended on February 1st, 2019!! Remsi the lead consultant was extremely quick and reliable on responding to our requests. Our tour guide, Ziggy was very friendly, nice, and knowledgeable about the wild species and places to see big 5. Thanks again so much for your wonderful hospitality! Looking forward to do business with you again and definitely recommend this company to our families and friends! Asante sana Rafiki !!
Email Bruce Milke Sr | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing expirience .Splendid.
I am an American elderly gentleman who recently took my very first overseas trip. I went with another family member to Arusha Tanzania Africa. I am an animal lover and I am aware of the declining population of somw of the world's most wonderful animals . It has been on my bucket list to see some of my favorite animals in their natural environment . I am of the old school mentality that believes a Pearson must do their jobs the best they can, and doesn't need praise for doing so. Due to my traditional thinking I have never written a reveiw of any kind. I am not sure exactly how to do this but my expirience with Afrika kukaye tours and Safaris , Remsi and Edwin moved me to share my wonderful expirience. Remsi is the owner and I was impressed right of the bat with his very involvement. I find most of the owners of the company to be faceless people that delegate all the work to Someone else. All of my pre travel contact was directly with Remsi. Not only did he ask questions in order to customise my trip for my desires but he was a wealth of information. I feel like if it were not Remsi, my trip could have gone very wrong. He was born and raised in Tanzania and is very educated on his country but he also travelled and worked in the United States for a year so he was also able to help advice me and give me travel tips and hints.
Prior to my trip he gave me enough information and over view of Tanzania that I knew what to expect and I never felt like I suffered from culture shock. There is so much to know and think about to get me from my home in the country in Michigan to the plains of the Serengeti looking at the animals . Remsi asked a lot of questions and narrowed things down for me but kept me involved in the final decision making from our itinerary to each place we stayed in Tanzania.
At the risk of sounding ignorant I always had the impression that people travelled to Africa to go on safari. Remsi raised awareness of so many other things but what stuck with me was all the cultural expiriences that were available. We stayed focused on my original goal - to go to the Serengeti. He arranged for an amazing guide, a very young man named Edwin. Edwin was so educated on the animals of the Serengeti and seemed to have a command of the terrain as if it were home to him. On the drive from Arusha to our camp in the serengeti edwin explained everything we were seeing on our way. EDWIN had a wonderful sense of humor and could handle this grumpy old man with ease. Edwin never dictated our days in the Serengeti but gave us options with the pros and cons to those options so we could make the best decision for ourselves. It was clearly out of my element at camp but Edwin and Remsi were right there to make us feel at home and answered questions.
Remsi and Edwin were very honest and told us right up front that they could not guarantee any sightings of animals because of course it is natural environment in the wild but they knew what we most wished to see and due to their knowledge of the plains they knew the best places to look and it sure did pay off. We saw lions (tree climbing lions), a cheetah, zebras, wildbeasts, spotted hyenas, jackals, leopard, giraffes and my personal favorite - THE ELEPHANTS.
Edwin ended it with an amazing sighting of a leopard sleeping in a tree.
We were interested in doing some souvenirs shopping and they knew just the right places to stop. They advised on negotiating prices and I always felt satisfied with my purchases and feel I had paid fair prices never underpaid or overpaid. If I had questions on food prep or water, they always advised my travel partner and myself never once suffered from any travel illness. That had been a major concern of mine being in my late 70s and having had 2 heart surgeries. I attribute my trip going well with my health all to Remsi and preparing me and watching out for me and making it easy to talk to him. My bucket list has grown . I want to return to Tanzania and see a few more national parks but also want to add some cultural expiriences to my list. This grumpy old man had an amazing trip with so many unexpected wonderful expirenced expiriences and I attribute it to all Afrika Kukaye tours and safaris , Remsi and Edwin .
Email Dennis | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life-touching Experience
We had a life-touching, unforgettable visit to the Kilimanjaro region during July, 2018. Our planning to visit Tanzania began last year when we had the pleasure of meeting Remsi while he was a Disney cultural representative at the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Disney World in Florida. Remsi's dynamic personality immediately won us over. After Remsi returned home, we decided to plan our next adventure with AfrikaKukaye. The planning of our trip through the booking process could not have been more smooth and easy. Once we arrived, I cannot overstate how well we were taken care of during our visit to Tanzania. We experienced a concierge-level treatment throughout our time in Moshi, Arusha, and the Lake Eyasi region. Our personal tour guide, Shaffi, with us for a full seven days of our adventure, made sure every detail was fulfilled, made us feel safe and secure, and provided extensive knowledge on safari and during cultural exchanges. During our time together he became a part of our family, and going forward he will always remain a friend.
We had a wonderful experience with AfrikaKukaye. From the very beginning, they had a personal touch during all of our exchanges. They are proud of their country and the cultural and natural experiences the region has to offer. As a local tour company, their knowledge of the area and their expertise in designing a trip was very evident.
We plan to return to Tanzania and climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and the only company we plan to work with is AfrikaKukaye.
Email Kathleen Kuvalanka | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life changing experience with incredible company!
After weeks of attempting to sort out a sea of complicated and reliable travel logistics, accommodations, and experiences, I finally reached out to Afrikakukaye, and I am so grateful I did. The staff at Afikakukaye were incredibly patient and thorough, asking questions and repeatedly revising the proposed itinerary until my perfect experience was designed. As a company of LOCAL experts with first-hand knowledge, staff are ready to design personalized, varied tour experiences for all budgets. Although safari, and particularly elephants, was an essential part of my Tanzanian bucket list, I wanted a cultural component as well. In my opinion, visiting a country without interacting with its people is mistake. Afrikakukaye designed an itinerary with diverse cultural tourism components, and per my wishes, visits that allowed me to roll up my sleeves and get involved. Through my stays with the Chagga at Machame Cultural Tourism, Hadzabe, Iraqw, and Maasai,I danced, cooked, hiked, visited schools, biked, rode on motor bikes, went to market, ground coffee and corn, melted metal with a bellows, accompanied bushmen on a morning hunt, shot with bow and arrow, played billiards, and saw village natural sights to name a few, all while exchanging ideas and cultures with my hosts, but more importantly exchanged some emails with hosts who are now friends.
In addition to life-changing cultural tourism, Afrikakuaye designed a variety of national park visits in northern Tanzania so that we could enjoy Tanzania's natural beauty -- Arusha National Park, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, and Tarangire National Park. Here's where our guide Shaffie enters the scene. Shaffie is incredible -- patient, knowledgeable, humorous, experienced, attentive. We had hours and hours of conversation about all aspects of life in Tanzania and America. While navigating unbelievable driving conditions, he explained tribal life, education, life in general, answered questions and managed to spot wildlife that eluded several other sets of eyes. He went to incredible lengths to ensure we saw the Big 5, especially the elephants for I told him I wouldn't go home unless I did (thank you Tarangire National Park -- the pachyderm jackpot!), and DOZENS of other mammals, fauna, flora, and habitats. Actually, Shaffie entered the experience as our personal guide right from the beginning. He tirelessly interacted with additional guides, translated, confirmed reservations and accommodations, ordered meals, registered at national parks, took photos, and I am sure all manner of other things we weren't aware of. He did it all with a smile (and I'm sure he was exhausted) and incredible efficiency. In addition to all the aforementioned admirable qualities of Shaffie (and I'm sure they apply to the other Afrikakukaye guides as well), he was notably kind. In just one example, while we were enjoying our picnic lunch in the bush one afternoon, some local folks passed by. Shaffie offered some of his lunch, which was quickly and happily received. We quickly followed his example. As if this isn't enough, each morning the jeep was spotless -- cleaned and well-stocked for the next adventure.
Clearly, Afrikakukaye is a socially minded company. This became evident through many conversations with staff, but worth noting is the company's recommendation of Shanga Shanga. Instead of going to touristy souvenir shops, Afrikakukaye recommended Shanga Shanga, and that did not disappoint either. The project features the SKILLED works of Tanzanians with various physical challenges. Some crafts are jewelry, blown glass products, woven blankets, etc. Several pieces made it home with me, and I am so happy I can connect the piece with the actual artists whom I met that day.
I cannot recommend Afrikakukaye enough. If you want a memorable, personalized, life-changing experience, and want to SUPPORT A LOCAL, SOCIALLY COMMITTED COMPANY travel to Tanzania with Afrikakukaye. Afrikakukaye will shrink your world and change your life.
Email Michelle Milke | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not just a tour operator...a friend. A golden friend that you always want in your life.
Who do you trust MOST in this world.....a parent? A sibling? A best friend? Remsi quickly felt like that person in my life. Conversation prior to my trip was easy and felt like I was talking to my best friend. I was so excited for my first trip to Africa and, as opposed to it being just another trip for someone, he was just as excited for me. I never felt like he asked a million of personal questions because it always felt like i was talking with a friend but he knew what to ask to make sure our time in Tanzania was geared just to us. He chose a guide who was so perfect for us. Edwin was our guide and I wanted to make sure our guide had a good sense of humor yet was knowledgeable. Edwin was a young man who was amazingly knowledgeable about the animals in the Serengeti and was an awesome spotter/tracker. He wasn’t just a walking encyclopedia about the Serengeti and the animals but he was a part time comedian and the keeper of all our things and kept us on schedule and organized. What was important to us was just as important to Remsi and Edwin. I can’t say enough good things about my experience with Afrikakukaye Safaris and Tours Ltd, Remsi and Edwin. Before I was even done with one day in the Serengeti I was already planning my next trip to Tanzania. I loved every single minute of my trip.
Email Janet Stewart | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
“Extremely amazing safari”
My husband and I had a great time with this specific safari company. Awesome and welcoming stuff, they answered all our questions and were very helpful. The safari is self is beautiful. I will definitely recommend them to my friends and family.