Happy safari guides from Aardvark Expeditions
Aardvark Expeditions
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $180 to $650 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Viral | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fraudulent Thief- Don’t Risk It
Here are the reasons why choosing this safari option is just not worth risking for your once in a lifetime trip:
1. Broken down cars (ours broke down and needed to be serviced mid-trip). He will try to say this didn’t happen - well, it did, and we have photos and videos to prove it. We had to wait so long before it was repaired.
2. Broken radio, You will be the only car in the park that can't communicate with other other guides in the park (which will severely limit your ability to see wildlife). We had agreed that a radio would be in the car - and he guaranteed this, but told us it was broken after we had driven 5 hours and were in the park so there was no turning back.
3, Tiny windows (like being in a plane), other operators have jeeps with windows twice the size. Im 5'9 and had to hunch to see anything. He will try to say Tanzania requires all cars must be the same model, this is just not true. Look at photos yourself!
4. Philemon tried to put up into a budget lodge after we specifically discussed the lodges we wanted to be in (and had a written contract). We agreed to the lodges and then he tried to make last minute changes to get us in a cheaper one. What a joke!
5. Philemon tried to cut out a full day of our itinerary (we paid for 5 days, but to save money on park fees etc, he tried to persuade us the safari was only a 4 day trip). We agreed to itinerary e tried to change when we were mid way through!
6. Philemon will require you pay in full upfront. And he is very sweet to work with to start, but once he gets paid in full, he will ignore you and you will receive terrible service from him.
There are so many other operators, just dont risk your once in a lifetime trip. We chose this company because of the tripadvisor reviews, but it appears that they may not all be true. While out on safari, we did meet several couples/families who had chosen Leopard Tours and seemed to love it. They had modern cars, working radios, and very intelligent and knowledgeable guides. We cant vouch for them since we didnt use them, but I would try anything else but this!
Really disappointed.
Just don't risk it.
SE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly Recommended Local Safari Company
We did a Budget Safari Camping Tour (7 days, 6 nights) with Aardvark in Dec 2014-Jan 2015. We visited 4 National Parks (Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara) and were overall very pleased with the trip! We chose to have one extra day in Serengeti (total 3 nights), which we highly recommend!
We were two couples travelling together in our own safari vehicle (private tour). We stayed in tents of good quality with comfortable mattresses. The campsites chosen by Aardvark were very good (especially the one in Serengeti, which was small and quite) – always very close to the real wildlife!
The vehicle was equipped with a power inverter (for charging cameras), which came very handy with all the photographing ☺ We had some minor problems with the car, but Julius, the driver, always managed to fix it quickly.
Julius (guide and driver) and Moses (cook) made up a really great duo. They took great care of us all week and really made the trip a memorable and fun experience for us. Julius was very knowledgeable and told us a lot about the different animals as well as the culture of Tanzania, although a bit quieter so we had to ask many questions. Thanks to him we managed to see plenty of animals and all the “Big Five”! We appreciated his responsibility, both towards animals and other tourist groups, and he always drove safely. Moses cooked very tasteful food and also taught us Swahili throughout the trip. He always had a smile on his face and spread a friendly atmosphere.
We would highly recommend Aardvark as a local, trustworthy and knowledgeable safari tour operator! Philemon (the manager) was always very accommodating and patiently answered all the questions that we had prior to our trip. He also met up with us at our hotel the night before the Safari to go through the itinerary and answer any questions - a nice and professional gesture. The trip turned out to be just as stated in the itinerary we received when booking 7 months earlier. The safari trip with Aardvark exceeded our expectations!
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Email Abhishek Anchliya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Six Out of Five Stars- Amazing Kilimanjaro and Safari Experience!!
My wife and I, along with few friends climbed Kilimanjaro followed by a safari with Aardvark Expeditions. Over the course of 12 days spent with Aadrvark, we experienced nothing but great hospitality and excellent service. Kilmanjaro trip was very well organized. Our guides were excellent and food was delicious. Aardvark chose a great group of porters for us. Hard working lovely people. The arrangements on the mountain were A class. Our tents were always ready before we got to the camp and we were always greeted with hot tea and delicious popcorn followed by sumptuous meals. Four of us were vegetarians and they took our special diets into great consideration. The guides and porters played a critical role on the summit night. The attention we received was unbelievable. There was no other team on the mountain with porters singing for them on the summit night except us. It really kept us going during rough patches. If it were not for Aardvark, the wonderful guides and the porters, we would not have made it to the summit.
The safari experience with Aardvark was also fantastic. The vehicle was brand new and the chosen lodges were great. We stayed at Kati Kati Luxury camp in Serengeti and Rhino Lodge in Ngongoro Crater, both the places were quite amazing. Specially the Kati Kati camp, Its an experience in itself. Our guide Aaron was very knowledgeable and was able to spot animals from far away. We saw great wild life, all the big five and many others.
The owner Philemon Joel is a lovely human being. He was really prompt in communicating with me right from the beginning. He never took more than a day to reply to my text messages or emails. He went out of his way to help us whenever a situation arose in Tanzania. He also helped me in getting a local Tanzania sim. He even helped my wife and I to book tickets for Zanzibar. He helped us throughout our entire stay in Tanzania by giving us great advise and booking things for us. We only paid Aardvark for Kili and Safari but Philemon was pretty much our guide and contact for the whole trip.
I can go on and on about our wonderful experience wth Aardvark and Philemon. However, all good things must come to an end. I highly recommend Aardvark for Kilimanjaro and Safari trips in Tanzania. You cannot go wrong with them. I have extensively travelled throughout the world and Aardvark is one of the best adventure companies I’ve dealt with. Tanzania is a beautiful country with wonderful people. Must visit. 6/5 stars- Highly recommended company!!!!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful, fun and fully immersed in the Tanzanian national parks
We did a safari with Aardvark expeditions in September 2014 and it was all we expected and more. We chose to do 5 days, just the two of us, and toured the Tarangire, Serengeti and Nogorongoro Crater. The whole safari was organised by Philemon, who took great care of my partner and I on our arrival and departure days in Arusha. He was also very prompt when answering the many questions I had prior to our trip. On our arrival, he made sure we were well catered for at our lodge and even took us to an amazing African restaurant, where we felt immersed in the Tanzanian culture, far away from the many tourists in Arusha.
Godefrey (driver) and Moses (cook) formed a fantastic team and were eager to make our safari a memorable experience. And it was definitely memorable. We saw all the big 5! Yes, there’s a bit of luck involved but on a couple of occasions Godefrey spotted animals from miles away and drove us to them. The most amazing example was when he spotted a Rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater (only 15 left in the entire park!) on our last day. You definitely needed sharp eyes to see it. We also saw plenty of zebras, gazelles, elephants, giraffes, lions, lionesses, cubs etc. and had quite a few sightings of leopards and cheetahs. Moses was a fantastic cook, making much needed warm soup when the weather was getting chilly in the evening and the most delicious one was his cucumber soup. His pancakes were also really delicious. Both Moses and Godefrey chose a great campsite in the Seronera area of the Serengeti. It was very quiet, laid back and there was a burrow of Banded Mongoose nearby, which meant that we had the most incredible sighting of a pack of 20 leaving it together in the morning. It was wonderful to witness wildlife this close-up as soon as waking up. We definitely had great fun during our five days with them, felt safe and even learnt a few words of Swahili.
I hardly recommend Aardvark expeditions, especially if you want to get a true feel for the parks. We chose to do 5 days, including 2.5 in the Serengeti and I highly recommend this circuit too. 5 days is perfect to take the time to see the animals. Doing just 3 parks and staying at least 2 days in the Serengeti is best as we never felt like we were rushing from one park to the next.
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Email Ray P. | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Tour of the best Africa wildlife and scenery.
Going to Africa?
If you want to have the best safari experience contact:
Aardvark Expeditions
1. Very comfortable Land Rover with pop-up roof and WIFI.
2. Experienced and knowledgeable tour guides. English is spoken.
3. Picnic lunch served during tour.
4. Beautiful, safe, clean and comfortable accommodations.
5. Affordable prices with several tour options.
Website www.aardvark-expeditions.com
E-mail: travel@aardvark-expeditions.com
Review by Ray P. in Las Cruces, N.M. June 2022
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Email Mäx | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The booking, pick-up at the airport, the Safari (7 days), transfer to airport > all was perfect !
I made the 7 days Safari and I was super happy after this tour.
My driver / guide „Donatus“ was a safe driver and he knows a lot about wild animals, plants, people and country.
In this days he get my friend.
All booked Hotels, Lodges or Camps were clean, the staff very friendly and the food great.
I saw tausends of wild animals and the most very near, I will never forget this amazing time.
I can warmly recommend Aardvark to all to do one of the Safari they offer.
Thank you very much for this great time.
BE
Email Jerome | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Safari of five days
I highly recommend to choose Philomen's company. Very professional team. Excellent guide who knows very well flora and fauna and who is able to detect and recognize each and every animals, including birds. The cook was an excellent chef, always ready to help and flexible to accommodate our needs. This is an excellent choice. You will never regret it. We had a marvelous time with Philomen's agency.
FR
Email P.a | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Philemon has been attentive and very flexible in building a journey that reflects our request.
Philemon was attentive and very flexible to build a course that reflects our demand for sites of interest and type of accommodation. He is a man of confidence and it was a beautiful stay.
Remember to ask the driver to stop to benefit more, he adapts to the marathon pace does not suit you. Flat: shame about half a day in a park without seeing anything ...
(automatic translation from French)
FR
Email Nat. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service
We booked a safari for the Arusha National Park at the last minute. Philemon was very accomodating and managed to fullfil all our requests (such as drop off of some of us at the airport and others in Arusha). The driver was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. In addition to having a beautiful visit throughout the park, we also learnt about plants, local culture, and many other.
Highly recommended
CH
Email Rimma | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best trip of my life
Our Kilimanjaro climb and then three days safari that we booked with Aardvark Expeditions were unforgettable! The whole trip was very well organized, Philemon answered our questions in detail in a very short time and gave us good tips. Our escort team was very friendly, competent and helpful. My daughter and I felt very comfortable and well looked after during the ascent to Kilimanjaro. We learned a lot about nature, life and the culture in Tanzania and had a lot of fun. Our cook Erik surprised us every day with a new delicious dish. And so we were well strengthened and made it to the top. We thank all team members for the unforgettable experience!
The subsequent three days of safari were very impressive and went just as smoothly. Thanks Philemon! The Aardvark expedition did an excellent job.