Guided Photographic Safari - Meleck John
Parakuyo Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $250 to $950 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Adelaide | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best of experience with Parakuyo Tours & Safaris
I would love to recommend Parakuyo Tours & Safaris team for excellent service and incredible experience we've had with them. I've met Meleck John for the 1st time in 2004 while travelling to Arusha for my very 1st safari experience and then again in 2013 on my second visit. On my first visit in 2004, I was with 2 friends from France and we did not have anything booked in advance.We opted to ask around for a private guide and Meleck John got recommended to us. We went with him on a 1 day safari tour at Ngorongoro national park and it turned out to be an amazing experience. John is very honest, funny, friendly and extremely patient person. He is very knowlegeable and very generous sharing his culture and land.We learnt a lot about different landscapes, customs, animals and tribes. He is excellent at spotting animals and always ensured that we saw all different species. I remember that we even managed to see lions on our 1 day visit which is not always gained in advance and it was impressive.We felt very safe in his company and had great fun - Since then me and my friends have been recommending Meleck and his company to all our friends who go to Tanzania for a Safari-tour experience and they all come back thrilled with the experience and amazing service received from Meleck and his team.
I would highly recommend Parakuyo Tours and Safari for high quality service, great fun & unforgettable lifetime memory in one of the most beautiful countries in East Africa. You won't find a such honest & professional team anywhere else in Tanzania!!!
Thanks again Meleck for one of the very best experiences of my life. I will for sure come back again :)
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Email Tammy Johnston | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
6 Star Experience!!
Parakuyo organized my Kilimanjaro climb, Serengeti safari and Zanzibar stay on Spet of 2021.
First, I want to be sure to let readers know that I am not, in the slightest, an experienced climber/hiker - especially on anything over 9,000 ft. Upon arriving at the Machame route gate, Melek John, and his experienced guides KNEW to help me pace myself (pole ploe in Swahili) to ensure I sumitted the mountain. Melek, Idris and Alexander were with me EVERY step up the mountain and down, to ensure my safety and are absolutely responsible for making it a positive and memorable experience.
How Parakuyo was able to top that with a FANTASTIC safari experience is testament to their commitment to their customers. The safari was amazing. We saw the great migration of the wildebeest on day 1. We saw EVERY top animal on the Serengeti except the cheetah. The safari accommodations were top notch: the tents, the food, the service. All exceeded expectations and left nothing to be desired.
Parakuyo is top notch, and unparalleled in Kilimanjaro and safari excursions. I highly recommend them, and want to use them for ALL of my upcoming African excursions if I can.
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Email Pearlette | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Parakuyo & Meleck John provide the BEST custom experiences and service!!
I had an outstanding time traveling with Parakuyo Tours & Safaris and highly recommend them to anyone wanting a personalized, culturally enriching, and adventurous experience in Tanzania!
Meleck John, the leader of Parakuyo, and I met about 5 years prior to my actual travel to Tanzania: September 6-25, 2021. He was patient and kind and worked with me, meticulously, to plan a 3 week journey through his country that included hiking Kilimanjaro, a safari across the Serengeti, stops In Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangeri National Park, and a peaceful stay on the Indian Ocean in Zanzibar.
I organized this trip for a group. Although we were originally scheduled to visit in 2020, our trip was postponed due to Covid. Despite the one year delay, and two persons who canceled their reservations from the original booking, Parakuyo continued to provide superior customer service and excellent advice.
Summiting Kilimanjaro- Each of the travelers was able to summit “Kili” which made the hike special for everyone. Meleck recommended we take the Machame Route because of its beauty, vast changes in topography, and summit success rate. I am grateful for his recommendations because he was spot-on. There was exceptional beauty on the mountain and sleeping on Kili was a magical experience every night. In addition, the meals were great, the porters were kind and Parakuyo took extra care of one of the hikers who struggled to summit. Because of his team’s patience we were each able to realize our dream, together, by reaching the top of Africa.
Serengeti (Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire)-I wanted desperately to see the wildebeest migration and as many lions as possible. We accomplished this and so much more! It’s amazing to see animals roam free on the Serengeti. I was in awe of both the number of wildebeest, elephants, lions, zebra, and other wildlife we saw. We stayed in Bush tented camps, took in a safari from the sky on a hot air balloon ride, and enjoyed learning about Tanzania and it’s people along the way. The accommodations were akin to “glamping” which I REALLY appreciated after sleeping on the ground for six nights on the side of Kilimanjaro. I loved hearing the sounds of lions and birds at night. Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire are equally special places and shouldn’t be missed and Meleck was insistent that I include them on our itinerary.
Zanzibar-It’s paradise. Parakuyo arranged our accommodations and the place we stayed was exceptionally beautiful. We went to sleep and my woke up to the beauty of the Indian Ocean from our bedrooms every day. It was glorious.
Our adventure was not an ordinary one. In addition to the holiday, I was producing a documentary. Meleck John aided me in taking care of some administrative details for the feature length film, “Three Extraordinary Women,” by working with the Tanzania Film Board and others and ensuring our camera crew were cared for.
Parakuyo Tours & Safaris is a unique company that provides boutique services of exceptional quality to its clients. In addition to ensuring we had a great time it was important for Meleck to gain our trust and he did just that! He is reliable, conscientious and meticulous—and that’s a powerful combination!
Lastly, it was important to me to do business with a local Tanzanian company. I would encourage anyone who reads this review to consider spending their dollars “consciously” in the country by supporting businesses, like Parakuyo, where staff are treated with dignity and respect and profits are fed back into the community. Parakuyo pays its staff decent wages. Sadly, some tour operators provide only one meal per day to porters to cut costs, but not Parakuyo. Parakuyo provided a culturally enriching experience. We left having felt connected to more than the natural beauty of the land, but the beauty of its people!
CA
Email Darlene & Bruce | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best Safari company in Tanzania in my opinion.
My husband and I and two friends went on Safari with Parakuyo Safari and Tours and had the best experience ever. Meleck is very knowledgeable about the animals as well as the culture of the area so if you had any questions he could give you an answer. The service started as soon as we stepped off the plane at Kilimanjaro airport...there was someone there to help us get our visa so we didn’t have to stand in line, which was awesome after a long flight. The whole two weeks we were on Safari we were his focus, he would always check to see that we had everything we needed and that we were enjoying our time in Tanzania. We had decided before we left home that we wanted to do a balloon ride over the Serengeti, so Meleck made all the arrangements for that also...it was a highlight for us!! We also wanted to go to Zanzibar for a week after our Safari and again; Meleck arranged it all, flights and accommodations. If you have the chance I would recommend Zanzibar after a Safari, it was so nice to just relax before the long flight home. Meleck, Ombeni and Ibrahim are a great team and are now friends for life. We shared lots of laughs and learned a lot about each other and our cultures. I’m trying to convince them they need to come to Canada to experience our winters!! Thank you Meleck and team for everything you did for us, memories forever.
CA
Email Sandra and Garry | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Meleck provided us with amazing cultural and wildlife viewing experiences! The trip of a lifetime!
We can't say enough wonderful things about our experience with Meleck and Parakuyo Tours! During the planning phase of our trip we received enough information that we arrived in Tanzania well prepared for our safari, and from the moment we landed at Kilimanjaro airport we were made to feel welcome and at ease. The food, lodging, and friendliness of staff exceeded all of our expectations.
Melecks in depth knowledge of the animals and their habitats enabled us to learn about and to see many more animals than we had originally thought. We were amazed by the number animals we did see and how close we were able to get to them. We have some great pictures and videos!
Because we were interested in the local people and culture, Meleck provided us with the opportunity to meet and talk with people and to take part in a number of cultural activities. He was very knowledgeable about the people, history and local culture.
The quality of our trip is a direct result of Melecks attention to detail, his high degree of prepardness, and well as his desire to provide his clients with the very best possible experience.
We will definitely recommend Parakuyo Tours and Safaris to anyone who is interested in experiencing Tanzania!
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Email Kim | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great Experience with Amazing Tour of Serengeti
From the planning of the trip to Tanzania, arrival at the airport, the Tanzania cultural experiences, local transportation/activities and the incredible trip to Serengeti, Meleck and the Parakuyo team did an outstanding job! I was met inside the Kilimanjaro Airport by a team member who was excellent in helping me through the arrival process. Meleck was waiting to transport us to our excellent hotel. Meleck and his team are professional and provided timely/excellent communication between the U.S. and Tanzania, and during the time we were traveling throughout Tanzania. Meleck worked with us in making the total experience more than I hoped for! Our expectations were more than met because of the extra, personal experiences that Meleck arranged for us. The tented accommodations throughout Serengeti were first class as well as the lodge in Karatu! The meals in both locations were absolutely outstanding! The safari jeep was clean and comfortable. Meleck is extremely knowledgable in guiding during the safari. He knows all about the animals and where to find them, particularly the ones we hoped to see, and he provided great information throughout our safari experience. Meleck planned several picnic lunches during our safari which were lovely and in picturesque locations. We thoroughly enjoyed watching the wildebeest migration. Meleck is very personable, flexible, easy to work with, timely, concerned about details, and simply an incredible guide! I have been to Tanzania many times, but this was my first safari experience in Serengeti. This was by far my best adventure because of Meleck and his team at Parakuyo. I found them to be dedicated to making our experience more than memorable. If you are hoping for the experience of a lifetime in Tanzania, I give Parakuyo the highest recommendation possible!!
CA
Email Connie & Larry | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our bucket list adventure with Parakuyo Tours & Safaris exceeded all expectations.
After many years of dreaming about a trip to Africa, we have just returned from an amazing photo safari to Tanzania. We had heard great things about Parakuyo Safaris and Meleck John, owner/operater did not disappoint. We were able to plan together what our goals were for the trip and he customized a package for ourselves and our 2 travelling partners. From the time we were met at Mount Kilimanjaro airport to the time we said our goodbyes 2 weeks later, the details of each day and each part of the adventure were totally taken care of and our only job was to enjoy the beauty of this amazing country and store away as many picture memories as possible. We chose to stay in tent camps as much as possible in order experience being in the midst of the animal migration and our guide provided us with amazing opportunities to see every animal possible in its habitat. After long days of game drives, we opted to spend a few days on the beach at Zanzibar and the accommodations Parakuyo selected for us were superb. Because he pays attention to every detail and demands excellent quality from all the services he sub-contracts, you can be assured of an excellent safari experience. Meleck John, owner operator of Parakuyo Safaris has a lifetime of experience with the local culture and wildlife. As we encountered each species, Meleck was able to answer our many questions and we came away with many previously unknown facts to accompany the pictures we took. We cannot say enough about the integrety with which he runs his business and the individualized care he took to make sure our experience was exceptional.
CH
Email siri | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect!!
This was the second time with Meleck John as a guide. Everything has worked perfectly from A-Z!
A beautiful, interesting safari, but also culture, country and people he showed me. He acts on any request. Also the lodges were carefully selected. I can only recommend Parakuyo!
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Email Lena Steele | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Meleck is knowledgeable, service oriented & determined to make your experience unforgettable!
I cannot express my level of satisfaction with the service I received from Meleck and his team enough. We were impressed by his knowledge of the animals, their habits and the expertise with which he navigated through the Serengeti. He anticipated our needs and answered all of our questions and concerns with kindness and patience. The accommodations were top notch and we were treated like royalty. The safari experience was incredible! I never imagined how close we could get to the wildlife. The staff was passionate about making sure we enjoyed our time in Tanzania to the fullest. If you’re looking for the perfect tour guide - look no further!
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Email schneider | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely perfect!!
We were lucky enough to receive Meleck John as our guide. He is very competent, smart and fulfills every wish! His goal; Satisfied, happy customers. It all worked out perfectly, he is also a very careful and experienced driver. His horizon goes far beyond Tanzania. The lodges were beautiful, the food excellent. We can only recommend Parakuyo !!