East African Safari & Touring Company
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 1992)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $230 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Mas Tadesse Harris | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jamal Njarita - Best. Guide. Ever!
We settled on East African Safari & Touring Company because our friends used them three years ago, and it was a great mix of locations and property styles. Simon King was our contact we communicated with throughout the process. He was accessible and very knowledgeable with our many queries. If he does not respond, email again. Sometimes there are communication disruptions and delays.
We got immunizations in the U.S.
We secured our visas upon arrival in Tanzania, and it was kind of a cluster. Everyone who just got off the plane and has to go through this line. I admit I was exhausted. You must pay in cash (As of 07/2015 it was $100 USD - Bring new currency, fresh crisp bills).
We traveled U.S.---> Turkey ----> Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
When we landed after flying for 22 hours we had to take two more in-country flights. We had a layover for many hours (3 am local time, flight not departing until 7 am local time) and we were exhausted. We had to wait outside on metal benches because the domestic portion of the airport doesn't allow you in until two hours before your flight. None of the shops are open. If we knew we were going to wait an additional 5 hours on a metal bench at the Dar Es Salaam airport, before getting on two more flights, and then being in a car for 30 minutes I think we would have opted to stay in Dar Es Salaam for the day and just fly to Mwanza the next day.
Nights were cool in July and required sweaters, jackets, long pants. Mountains were cool, other places were HOT, but a nice mix. Also good to have scarfs to cover up against dusty roads, eye drops, hats, and sunscreen.
Definitely need flashlights, good binoculars and I rented a fabulous camera. We brought one great travel guide book about Tanzania and E-readers with many books on them. Books are expensive there. Bring your own. The guide also had some books, but we like to have our own. Good shoes for walking and also light shoes for heat. We brought a First Aid kit. Bring snacks that travel easily, I brought a box of KIND bars, my friend had Cliff Bars. A clothesline and pins are helpful if you need to rinse anything. Usually, everything dries fast.
We stayed in tents in the Serengeti, and private lodges in other bush areas. At times, we were the only tourists at a location. Simon also mixed that up with some comfortable lodges with many (loud) tourists. It was a good balance but if something is "not your thing", you should specify and pay for higher end locations. If you are roughing it, bring extra batteries particularly for cameras. Many places will not have access for Internet or Phone. I use T-Mobile in the US and was able to pop out my sim card and buy a local one. My phone bill was not affected.
We toured for 10 days with Jamal Njarita. He worked so incredibly hard. What makes a good guide? First comes safety, especially on walking safaris, which requires a cool head, a respect for dangerous game and a thorough knowledge of animal behavior. A good guide can read situations, react in an instant and avoid putting his clients in harm’s way. As two women traveling, this was key. He has a great sense of humor, and could be serious when explaining things like how Maasai live in a 'Boma'. Like all true professionals he appears relaxed, yet all his senses remain on high alert, suddenly breaking off a conversation to point out a bird in a tree or the flick of an ear in the long grass. We were alone in our 10 year old Toyota Landcruiser with Jamal. He was very good and accompanied us most everywhere. Guides work on commission only, so be prepared to tip well.
There is a LOT of driving roads, and imaginary roads are rough and can be surprisingly exhausting.
I loved the Serengeti Horizon tents. I would say it's more "glamping" or glamorous camping than camping. The guys who work there are truly amazing, welcoming, and made this a great start of our journey.
I was petrified during the night drive! While we were at Boundary Lodge (when it's dark outside we had escorts) I was not prepared for a man they call "Commander" who carried a bow and arrow. Additionally he shone the spotlight during the night game drive. I didn't catch the other young man's name but he had a spear to protect us from animals. I felt safe but it was unexpected to say the least.
Large lodges had safes. Theft was not an issue.
My friend is a vegetarian (who eats fish) and they prepared special food for us. Lots of food, not fancy, but tasty and 3 meals a day day, which is much more than our normal diet. Soups were great. The large lodges had incredible food.
My advise is as follows: Be flexible. Be clear about what you want so they can manage your expectations. Ask for a exceptional guide like Jamal. (If you are a woman remember you are traveling in a predominantly Muslim country--everyone did not treat us like Jamal).
Things that were less than perfect, is when accommodations were made at a place with a different name/location then what was printed on the itinerary. It was just confusing and it happened twice. (On the itinerary it says "Hilton Hotel or similar" which is not cool when you see a man is holding a sign with your name driving you to a location with a different hotel than you think you are traveling to. If it can be firmed up in advance it's helpful).
This is not Disney animals on demand. There were days we drove around for hours and saw nothing, and then there was the day we saw a Cheetah, Leopard, Zebra, Elephant and Rhinoceros. Believe your guide wants you to see these animals as much as you do. He is working and listening to radio chatter in Swahili trying to link up with colleagues for the best spots. Also, give him a break, you don't have to leave at dawn and come back to home base at dusk. If you're on vacation, be on vacation, trust me the animals will be there.
Finally, my favorite moment was riding bikes for three hours with a man named Sandy to get a close up of Lake Manyara. We saw literally thousands of flamingos and got to sit in a local fisherman's canoe. The landscape was breathtaking. We did this bike tour on Jamal's recommendation and it was incredible!
We traveled to Zanzibar to relax. If I had to do it again we would have stayed at the Z Hotel in Nungwi. Much more our speed, more people, and an exceptionally good Bloody Mary! We managed to go snorkeling using One Ocean Dive spent a day touring Stone Town enjoying lunch at Jafferji House & Spa.
Hopefully I can come back in 5 years or so.
Like anything, people make the experience and our guide Jamal made it wonderful, and it went by too fast!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A really good guide and efficient pre-tour organisatiion enabled a fantastic trip.
Simon was extremely efficient with his email correspondence and help with our itinerary prior to departure. He really made organising things easy. Our guide, James, was a bonus to have and helped make our trip trouble free and very welcoming. Whilst we understand the vehicles do take a battering we felt that it was slightly under our expectations. Overcoming a hitch with an accommodation booking and an unexpected early departure on our final day didn't dampen our experiences. Very memorable trip.
Email Alexander | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Adventure of a lifetime
Our first ever trip to Africa went above and beyond our expectations thanks to the catering, assistance and overall service provided by EASTCO. From the initial contemplation stage of visiting Africa to the end of our journey Simon and the team were absolutely fantastic. They developed the perfect itinerary to meet our needs in constraints with; budget, time, destinations and activities. When we received our final itinerary from Simon we couldn’t have been more excited. The only negative we had (our own fault) was booking 8 months in advance and frequently found ourselves excitingly pondering other peoples safari photos, blogs and Facebook pages for the next 8 months.
All members and staff were extremely professional; our driver James was an exceptional guide/driver, easy going, very informative and looked after our every need (including ridiculous questions). Costa was an amazing person and chef; we had three course meals most evenings that were well and truly beyond our expectations. We woke up every morning to the delight of a wonderful cooked breakfast and a beautiful sunrise. Not once on our voyage did we feel unsafe or insecure; the staff members were not only professional towards us, they also acted the same to locals and other tourism operators. For those who have been to Africa will understand how boisterous, chaotic and unorganised a border crossing is, I couldn’t praise Simon and James anymore for making this process stress free and simple.
My hat goes off to Simon for their amazing knowledge and overall professionalism as they suggested two amazing treks that we would have never considered. Trekking with Mountain Gorillas in Biwindi Impenetrable National Park and trekking with chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park. These two adventures were absolutely remarkable we were fortunate enough to spend a great deal of time within meters of these beautiful creatures.
Walking with Rhinos in the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was an incredible experience especially knowing about the significance of protecting these extraordinary animals and all expenses and donations made at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary go towards conservation within the area. Our time game viewing throughout multiple National Parks in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have supplied me with millions of memories that will last a lifetime.
Our favourite park was Serengeti National Park where Simon relocated our camp last minute to a special campsite among the beautiful Kopje in hope that we would catch a glimpse of the famous annual migration. Not only were we luckily enough to relax in our car viewing the amazing migration with Wildebeest and Zebra as far as the eye can see, right next to the road were a pack of African wild dogs. Once again we thank James not only for his amazing eye, as we would have missed them but also the historical excitement as he saw the dogs and this enjoyment was provided the entire safari. This all seemed to perfect to be true, was just waiting for David Attenborough to commentate in the background. The amazing Migration wasn’t the only beauty of this campsite, at night after dinner we were laying out the front of our campsite admiring a sky full of stars and the frequently suprising shooting star. Something so little which we no longer see from our home but at the same time brought us all together and formed absolute bliss and serenity.
Something I never thought I would have done in my life was White Water Rafting and Bunjee Jumping into the Nile river at Jinja, which was an amazing adrenalin kick (James was in shock that we completed these tasks and to be honest so was I)
Our final nights were slent indulging at Boundary Hill lodge in Tarangire Conservation Area. Our room was perfectly designed and placed among a spectacular escarpment looking over the plains of Tarangire National Park and a perfect resort to conclude our once in a life trip.
I would Just like to thank Simon for the ongoing support, assistance and providing the trip of a life time. Every part of the safari flowed from one great adventure to another, from the numerous day drives, night drives, walks, bike rides, boat trips and treks to the unique accommodation and destinations. We would love to return and will certainly be in contact with Simon to organise our next trip, we strongly recommend EASTCO to anybody looking to enjoy a trip of a life time.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My driver/guide was excellent. Many opportunities to see wildlife
Sometimes there were short delays in communication but Simon always returned emails
Email Cynthia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All our dreams come true.
After 2 years of researching where to visit in Tanzania , I had a dream itinerary for a 30 day trip for my husband and I. I sent it off to several safari companies for quotes. Some didn't reply, some ignored some parts of the itinerary, and some were way too expensive. East African Safari Company included everything and had a vey reasonable quote. And, Simon was enthused about some of the "different" things we wanted to do. Beforehand, there were lots of emails back and forth to fine -tune the itinerary, to debate the merits of one place over another, and for Simon to make excellent suggestions based on his 20 years experience organising safaris. When we found out 8 months beforehand that our accommodation in Mahale National Park was ceasing operation, I panicked, but Simon went about working out the logistics for us to stay in the TANAPA bandas with our own cook. So much cheaper and so much better! Transferring money was simple as we could just transfer direct to the company's Australian account.
On the ground, everything worked seamlessly- our private transfer from Nairobi airport, a handover to our wonderful guide James and excellent cook Michael , and then our 20 days with them, in a mixture of lodges, tent camping at special campsites in Arusha and Serengeti parks, a banda in Manyara, donkey-portaged tent in the NCAA, and a hotel in Mwanza. The internal flights on Auric Air from Mwanza to Mahale and then Safari Link from Mahale to Mafia were also a great way to see a little more of the country.
Our safari was a mixture of interaction with locals ( former street-kids, Maasai, the villagers of MtoWa Mbu, Sukuma) wildlife viewing, and physical exertion( walking and canoeing in Arusha National Park, a 3 day trek from Nainokanoka to Lake Natron, 4 days chimp tracking in Mahale National Park and snorkelling and deep sea fishing off Mafia Island) All of it was terrific, but I especially enjoyed having the time to walk/tour with people and hear their stories. The wildlife viewing was wonderful, with James able to find many things on his own, and with judicious use of the radio to hear about special sightings. We happened across both a zebra and wildebeest migration in different parts of the Serengeti- animals as far as you could see. The chimp tracking in Mahale with our TANAPA guide, Peter, was hard work- hot, humid, steep hills, but so worth it to have the chimps walk right past you, less than 30cm away. After all the sweating , it was great to snorkel in Lake Tanganyika watching the cichlid fish. Our final 4 days on Mafia Island was great as a wind-down with more snorkelling and successful fishing.
Every single day was wonderful, with new things to see and do, but enough time to relax and just "be" in the landscape. Guides, cooks, camp crew, lodge staff were universally terrific at their jobs, and James, especially, surpassed our expectations. He was versatile, adapted to things as they happened, funny, enthusiastic, warm and had our very best interests at heart.
We cannot recommend Eastco highly enough. We'll be going with them again- in February 2016 hopefully.
From Mwanza to Tamborani Lagoon with East African Safari and Touring Company
We have just finished a 2 week safari with East African Safari and Touring Company . We have traveled with East African Safari and Touring Company in the past and this time wanted to go somewhere we hadn't been before to see more of the country. Simon from East African Safari and Touring Company suggested we go to Mwanza.
We arrived in Tanzania and sat around Dar Es Salaam airport for the evening flight to Mwanza. Not much at the airport here, sat outside on the benches with the sun in our eyes before checking in on the Fastjet flight.
Arrived in Mwanza in the dark, small airport with a very rustic arrivals lounge! It was warm and humid. We were staying at Ryans Bay Hotel which was only about 20 minutes away. The hotel was great and we had a second story room with balcony and view over Lake Victoria.
The next day we met our guide from East African Safari and Touring Company, Bernard, and did the very short drive to the National Parks dock. It was great meeting up with Bernard as in the past he had been our guide and we shared an interest in birds! We were heading out to Saanane Island National Park to spend the afternoon with a ranger and guide exploring the park. The park launch was covered with a canopy and since it was just us and the guide we headed off straight away.
The thing that struck us most was the massive granite rocks everywhere. We were told the locals call Mwanza Rock City. It was good to get out of the water and stretch our legs on the island. Saw quite a few zebras and antelope, also a monitor lizard sun baking on the rocks.
The next day we headed off for the drive along the lake shore towards the Serengeti. This was one of my wishes, to drive through the Serengeti from near the shores of Lake Victoria to Ngorongoro.
We spent two nights in a bush camp in the Grumeti area. Lots of mud and long grass, but saw so many buffalos and elephants here. Also saw in the distance a basking crocodile. Then headed to the plains around Ndutu and Olduvai for two nights in a bush camp. These were two totally different experiences, from the valleys and rivers near Grumeti, to the long sweeping plains around Ndutu .
We especially wanted to spend some time at Olduvai gorge, visiting the museum and taking a guide into the gorge, so we asked Simon to choose a campsite nearby, and we were lucky enough to be under a small kopje about 20 minutes drive away so we could spend as much time here as possible. I had visited Olduvai on an earlier trip quite a few years ago and wanted to visit again.
We skipped Ngorongoro this time and went straight to Naitolia Camp in Tarangire. The change since our last visit was amazing, everywhere was green and so bushy with trees and shrubs where in the past was open area overgrazed. We had three nights here for some walking and game viewing. The birds there were fantastic.....I don't think you could find a better place for watching birds.
After this we went to Mkomazi National Park. We hadn't been here before. We stayed in a bush camp in the park. It was very wet which made getting around hard, but the surrounding mountains, the isolation and having the entire park to ourselves was something special. Game viewing was scarce, we did see some eland and other antelope, but the walks were fantastic.
We then drove over the Pare mountains and down to the main road. We did get lost a few times on the twisting roads and the low clouds made for interesting driving! We headed for Tamborani Lagoon south of Pangani. This is part of Tanzania’s latest Marina Park, the Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park.
This is not a beach resort place! We stayed in very basic tents on the beach, surrounded by palms. We loved exploring the beach and mangrove swamps. We also did a trip out to a small sand island in a outrigger dhow and visited the Tongoni Ruins. It was a very special four nights. We had the place to ourselves, and enjoyed watching the locals go about their daily life. It was interesting watching them catch squid at night with a torch right in the shallows near the camp!
All my communication with East African Safari and Touring Company was prompt and the service we had for our whole trip was great!
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Email Mary Jo Ferneding | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Tarangire Trip
I just got back from a private safari with the East African Safari & Touring Company (EASTCO) based out of Arusha, Tanzania. As a seasoned backpacker who has traveled to well over twenty-something countries, I must say that I have found this trip to be one of my most extraordinary.
Before my trip, I spent a great amount of time researching safari/tour companies and exploring many travel options. First and foremost, I was looking for a company that was respectful of the environment as well as the Tanzanian communities & people who work for them. It was also important for me to have opportunities to meet and interact with the locals. And as a woman traveling alone, I wanted to feel safe and comfortable with my driver and cook.
I decided to go with EASTCO for many reasons. I really liked that they are a local company invested in preserving the cultural integrity and well being of surrounding communities. I was also impressed with owner Simon King, who has worked with neighboring Maasai villages to create opportunities for collaborative partnerships, dramatically decreasing poaching practices within a conservation area just outside of Tarangire National Park.
After making my decision, however, it was nothing less than a true leap of faith when I wired off my hefty triple-zero deposit to a bank in Australia. I worried that I might be in for a scam or that I should have chosen a company who has an office in the US. My concerns, however, ended as soon as I traveled to Arusha, met Simon, and planned out the final details of my safari. At the end of my six-day stay that encompassed the Nogorongoro Crater, the Serengeti, and Tarangire National Park, I was so happy that I had chosen to go with EASTCO.
This was my first safari. Therefore, I cannot compare EASTCO with other companies except to share with you the things that I appreciated the most about my experience. First of all, Charles, my driver and guide, taught me the art of observing animals. He also helped me to refine my eyesight and learn how to observe the amazing, yet obscure eco-systems of East Africa. Charles could spot the tiniest of things and share a depth of knowledge about everything we saw. He also somehow knew where we might find animals, and most of the time we were the sole spectators, as we did not travel in caravans with other tourists. Charles also knew where to position the truck when we did have a crowd of people. One day we saw a family of thirteen elephants. He anticipated their crossing, maneuvering our vehicle to the perfect place where the animals, one by one walked right in front of our truck. After crossing, Charles predicted their path and drove to a point where we could see them walking a perfect line into the horizon. It was a magnificent moment! My cook, Michael was a wonderful travel mate as well. He always kept me laughing and cooked up amazing meals. I thoroughly enjoyed traveling with both of these gentlemen and felt as if I was saying goodbye to two dear friends when my safari ended.
Lastly, I really enjoyed most of the places that I stayed at. The first campsite, Simba was my least favorite. It was a beautiful location but was quite crowded, thus creating a disgusting bathroom scene thanks to the many tourists who did not know how to use squat toilets. Also due to the crowds, people became very territorial of their eating spaces. I was so grateful that Michael had staked out a good spot for me early, so I did not have to participate in all of the drama. My Serengeti experience, however was remote and peaceful. The campsite was full of wildlife. Teams of Mongoose would run wildly about in packs. A family of baboons would make their daily rituals, playing around my tent during the day and climbing a nearby tree at night. Cape Bull grazed within sight of my tent, and one day an enormous elephant wandered onto the grounds to eat the garbage out of the community trashcan. My last night on safari was spent at Boundary Hill Lodge, an upscale yet rustic lodge that enables views of wildlife from every angle of your suite and boasts a private bathtub on the balcony that overlooks Tarangire National Park.
As with any trip, I am sure that if I thought hard enough I could pick apart my safari and find some things that could have been better. However, I know that nothing is perfect, and these minor flaws are insignificant and would be dwarfed by the incredible things that I experienced each and every day on my safari. It was a trip of a lifetime, I was living the dream, and I feel so fortunate to have traveled to this part of the world and to have met so many amazing people, both through EASTCO and the other places that I visited.
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65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing wildlife, beautiful places and wonderful people - an excellent safari!
We are very happy that we chose to book our safari with East African Safari! In 13 days, we visited Ngorongoro, the Serengeti, Tarangire and Zanzibar and the trip more than met our expectations.
We found communication to be very good. During the planning process, Simon King kindly took our desires and expectations into account while also giving us very good advice. Later, when we ran into a snag on Zanzibar (concerning transport from Stone Town to Fumba Beach), Simon promptly solved the problem and also kept checking to make sure that all was well.
All of the staff, whether employees of the lodges or of East African Safari, were friendly, kind, and attentive. Our guide/driver, Ezekiel, was fantastic! We appreciated his expertise, his willingness to try to find the last of the wildebeest/zebra migration for my husband, and his sense of humor. Having visited game parks before on our own, we now understand how important an expert guide is. I cannot praise Ezekiel too highly! It is easy to measure a safari by the number of animals seen, but I felt that it was really all the wonderful staff who made our trip so memorable.
Some of the highlights of our trip included an afternoon walk with a ranger on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, the spectacular views from the rooms at Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge, the beautiful camp in the Serengeti (complete with a leopard for a neighbor), all the wildlife we saw of course, and Boundary Hill Lodge. There is no word for Boundary Hill Lodge, but magical. I loved every minute of our time there. The beauty, the quiet, the remoteness made me want to just stay. On Zanzibar, we wish we had spent less time in Stone Town (our choice, not on Simon’s advice) and more time at Fumba Beach Lodge, another wonderful place where you can sit by an infinity pool and watch the white sails of the dhows passing on the blue water of the Indian Ocean.
I am already thinking of another trip to East Africa and will certainly arrange my safari through East African Safari Co.
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35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari to Ngorongoro, Serengeti & Tarangire
Overall we had a fantastic experience with just a few things that could have been improved upon. Our group of 8 people (ages 14 - 75) booked a 6-day / 5-night safari with EASTCO. First day/night to Ngorongoro, then to Serengeti (2 nights / 2-3 days) and 2 nights / 1 day at Tarangire. I know that numbering is a little confusing, but one blocked-road delay and the transiting between parks makes the "bookkeeping" difficult.
Itinerary: The itinerary was great in many ways, but in the end I wonder if we tried to cram in too much in the amount of time we had. There ended up being a lot of time driving. If I were going to do it again, I would try and stay in each lodging for 2 or more nights. We also had two walks scheduled into our safari. The one ended up being canceled because a stuck water truck blocked our way into the Crater on our first afternoon, so we went the following morning and skipped that hike, but putting in some walks is a really nice way to break up all the driving.
Accommodations: Mostly excellent. Ngorongoro Rhino Lodge - very cool with lovely rooms and an outstanding dining room / loungey area with fireplaces. Turner Camp in Serengeti - Nice tented camp, though apparently the camp had screwed up our reservation. When we arrived they told our guides that they could only host us for one night although we had been booked for two. The guides scrambled and found us a place for the following night in the Serengeti Savannah Camps, one of the Sera campsites. Since the Savannah Camp did not have much warning that we were coming, they were not very prepared for us and many of the staff had gone on holiday. (One of the tents we got was quite below-average compared to the others). But the few staff who were there worked really hard to accommodate us. Both tented camps had showers and flush toilets in the rooms, though limited water as would be expected out there. That seemed very luxurious given the location. The last two nights we were at Boundary Hill Lodge near Tarangire. This place is exceptional with beautiful and interesting rooms (all separate from one another with balconies overlooking the a valley). The staff were excellent. We were supposed to have been at Ol Tukai Manyara for one of the nights but after lots of heavy rain a part of the roof had collapsed and wasn't yet repaired. Though we don't know what we missed, we were very happy to spend two nights at Boundary Hill.
Guides: Our guides both had very sharp eyes and were very informative. Melk was very funny and chatty. Kessy was mostly quiet, though if we asked questions he was more than happy to answer them. Both spent a lot of time on their mobile phones, which, well, it detracted a bit from the experience. Kessy had a radio in his car, which he used a lot as well, though he turned it down when we asked. I realize the guides use the radios to help find game for the clients, but... I don't know, it's a mix. Both were good drivers, although we thought Melk drove way too fast at times (not while on game drives, but during transits between parks). I'm quite certain he could get a job as a stunt driver in the movies! It didn't even make sense since he would then have to stop and wait for Kessy. In any case, I finally requested he slow down, which he did.
Communications:
Pre-trip - Simon mostly responded to our pre-trip emails very promptly, though sometimes it would take a while. I had been on a trip with EASTCO in 2009 and I know there are often internet and phone problems, so I didn't worry too much when this happened. It never happened at any critical, time-sensitive moment. Simon is very friendly and also gave us a LOT of help organizing some pre- and post-safari travel for which he didn't request any compensation. He came out to our hotel to chat and never seemed to be in a hurry. I'm sure his schedule varies throughout the year, but we got a lot of his time and advice for nothing extra.
En route - At times the guides should have been more forthcoming with information. E.g. one day we stopped at a Maasai camp after leaving the Serengeti. Melk had arranged a hike for us to go on there because we had missed our Ngorongoro hike. We should have seen this coming, but after the hike (which was cool and interesting) the Maasai invited us to watch one of their traditional dances, visit the village, see their huts, etc. It was $50/car and we decided, "What the hell, we're here". So it was fun and we learned a lot and got the hard sell to buy some beaded products. We ended up with the Maasai for probably 3 hours. Fine. What we didn't know was that we were 5+ hours from our next lodge and it was already after 3pm. Had we known, we probably would have just skipped this or at least left directly after the hike. As it turned out, we were driving the last part of our day in the dark, we got lost for a while on the last stretch to the lodge and didn't arrive until late. They had been waiting to make dinner so it would be fresh, which was nice, but it meant we had to wait a while. It got to be a very long day.
In general: I have been on two EASTCO safaris now and I am impressed with what Simon delivers, especially at the cost. The park fees make up such a large part of a safari that it seems a really good value to get the fees plus the vehicle, guide/driver, unlimited miles, really nice accommodation, all your food and bottled water. And we saw so much cool stuff! All the "Big 5", including heaps of lions and a mother cheetah & 4 cubs. It was awesome. Good guides will know where to look for what you want to see, and we had that. No guarantees, of course, but we had a less experienced guide at a park in Kenya and it really showed.
People all want different things when they travel, but I would recommend thinking about how much time you want to spend driving and ask those questions when arranging a safari. The nice thing with EASTCO is that you are not on a pre-packaged tour. You can choose your own adventure. Simon will certainly help you choose a good itinerary, but you can weigh in with your preferences of what you'd like to see and do along the way. And then keep in mind that this is kind of the Wild West (or the Wild East). Things will happen along the way that are not really anyone's fault and your trip will likely have some glitches; if you can roll with it the misadventures sometimes make the best stories later on. If I decided to go on a third safari in East Africa, I would certainly go with EASTCO again!
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Trip to Tanzania with EASTCO
Hello everyone. We just got back from our trip to East Africa and visiting Tanzania. We are both hoping to go back again some time at a different time of the year and experience another aspect of the wildlife.
We arrived in Arusha at around 11pm on March 1st and were greeted with a smiling James from EASTCO. We were not really expecting to be greeted at the airport since our Safari was going to start on March 3rd but Simon sent James over any way (which was a relief for us).
Day 1
We had booked this day to stay in Arusha, rest a bit and get ready for our 7 day adventure in the country but once again James came out, took us to Simon's place for a cup of coffee and we also got the chance to give him the balance for our trip. Afterwards he took us to Shanga for lunch and buying Tanzanite which we had asked for. He also promised to help us with getting a sim card on Monday.
Day 2
We were picked up in the morning, our sim card/cell phone matter was taken care of, packed lunched were picked up and we headed for Tarangire. It proced to be a beautiful park and we saw 3 of the big 5 on our first day of Safari! We saw a big herd of about 200 elephants migrating locally through the park. We saw a pride of lion with tiny cubs and we saw a beautiful leopard in a tree. We also saw giraffes, waterbucks, impalas, Zebra and ostriches which was nice. While driving to get to the leopard, James made a turn somehwere suddenly and to our surprise we had stopped a couple of meters from 4 male lions just hanging out under a tree! I'm not sure how he spotted them but I'm sure glad he did. They were gorgeous. at around 4:30, we started heading back to our camp for the night. We stayed at Naitolia and were the only guests so we were well taken care of and found the outdooor bush shower and toilet quite interesting.
Day 3
We had an early morning walking safari in Naitolia with a Masai guide. We spotted zebras from a distance but were really interested in seeing giraffes so our guide started tracking and leading us to where the Giraffe families were. They were terrified at first but after about 1 hour and slowly moving towards them, we ended up getting very close to them and it was thrilling to be walking so close to these magnificant creatures.
We called James to meet us along the trail back as we were too tired to walk back! We had walked for about 4 hours in the sun and didn't want to go back on foot. The camp staff awaited us with water ready for showers which was great as we were terribly sweaty and after lunch, we headed towards the great Ngorongoro.
We arrived in the conservation area and saw the baboons hanging by the entrance and then entered the park. We stopped at the viewing point to admire the beauty of the crater from up above and managed to spot elephants, buffalo and a rhino with our binoculars. It was great to go from the heat and dryness of Tarangire to the green and lush Ngorongoro. We arrived at Rhino Lodge to spend the night and saw a huge buffalo right next to our porch grazing at around 9! He didn't budge when we went out to the porch to look at him. Had a great dinner and went to bed early to wake up early in the morning for the crater drive.
Day 4
The crater offered us the rest of the big 5 and we managed to see 3 black rhinos (from a distance) and tons of buffalos. I never imagined that I could be surrounded by so many animals and so much beauty. It was just amazing. We saw two pairs of lions (Male and female) and about 30 cars watching them. James mentioned that they are going to be mating and all the cars stuck around. After about 40 minutes one of the pairs got up and left for the bushes and went out of sight. The second pair followed them shortly after and we ended up not seeing the lions mating! We did however, see some of the playful moves of the females trying to get the males to mate which was good enough for us.
We left the crater around noon to go towards Ndutu and southern Ngorongoro. Had our packed lunched with the Kites flying above us and trying to steal the food. It was quite interesting as I hadn't thought of Kites as the stealing type! They would literally come close to scratching people to get their food so we just got back in the car and had our lunch in there.
We stopped on the way for a visit at the Masai village and found it interesting to learn about how they live.
Driving south, we saw tons of Gazelle, giraffes, and Zebras and the local cattle and goats grazing along with them. Some wildebeest here and there as well so it was an interesting mix of animals. We got to our mobile camp in the middle of the wilderness eraly in the evening and had dinner and quick showers. We were also warned about the sound of the animals at night and not to move or make sounds if we hear an animal (elephant, lions, hyenas) coming close to the tents!
We did hear an elephant and a lion fighting in the distance but it was too far so didn't scare us much
Day 5
Our first game drive in serengeti was a great success. We saw lion cubs eating a zebra. We also saw the beautiful lake Ndutu and the giraffe, zebra and wildebeest on the plains. The highlights of the day however, was seeing the great migration! We saw what I can only guess was over 500 thousand wildebeest and their young calves all around us. It was amazing to be driving between this huge herd of animals. There were also tons an tons of zebras getting ready fo rtheir migration. I can't even describe the feeling we had watching these creatures and all the young feeding. We saw more lions and two cheetahs (a mom and an older cub) and back for the day. We also saw hyenas, jackals and vultues eating the remains of a baby wildebeest.
We had a great dinner and woke up at midnight at the sound of a lion and hyenas fighting! This time, a little too close for comfort but it was still awesome.
Day 6
Our second game drive was amazing as well. We saw two prides of lions and spent about 1 hour with one of the families as more and more of them kept coming out of the bushes and they started grooming each other and showing more affection for the cubs. It was a beautiful sight and I feel blessed to have witnessed this at such a close distance. The highlight of the day was seing a momma cheetah with 5 tiny cubs, little hairballs, eating and playing with a Thomson's Gazelle. Then the mother dragged the food to the shade of another tree since the first one was a little too much out in the open. The cubs started following her and it was just an amazing sight to see. heading back to the tent, we saw dik diks, two male lions hanging out in the marshes and making our day.
Day 7
We left for an early morning game drive, saw some more lions, giraffe, ... and headed towards Central Serengeti and the Western Corridor to see the Grumeti river and its Crocs. We saw 3 lions up in the trees in Central Serengeti and we also saw two leopards here. We went towards Grumetti and saw 4-5 big crocs in what was left of the river in this season and also saw lots of hippos. Our arrival in Speke bay was around 6 pm which gave us enough time to shower under running water for a change (it felt so good) and go for dinner. I loved the Speke Bay Lodge with its great view of the bay.
Day 8
We took the boat to the Fisherman's village close to the lodge, saw the people and how they lived there and saw the resident crocodile at Speke Bay lodge. Early afternoon we headed for Mwanza, had dinner and got on the ferry leaving for Bukoba where our Tanzania journey would end and Uganda would start.
Overall, we loved loved loved our time in Tanzania and would love to go there again, this time at a different time to see another aspect of the wildlife. EASTCO did a great job and there were no hiccups whatsoever on the trip. Our only complaint was that the car was a little too old but really, after being on so many game drives, I'm pretty sure that it doesn't matter what car you're in, it will still be pretty bumpy!