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 Rachel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari with Eastco- OCT 15-28
Eastco / Simon went above and beyond to make sure we had an amazing trip.
That being said, yes our range rover was super old and had some issues, but one of the best memories of the trip was a lion kill in the serengeti that we would have missed if we hadnt spent the previous hour fixing the vehicle, so we didnt really mind. filling water bottles along side of the road from puddles to use in case the car overheated, it was all part of the adventure.
some stuff happened that was out of simons control, like a schedule change on our coastal aviation flight from kogatende to kigali, but simon handled everything behind the scenes and we ended up flying kogatende to kilimanjaro to kigali and it all worked out seamlessly.
James, our guide in Tanzania, was as amazing as everyone said he was. who cares if our car didnt have a radio- we didnt need one to spot the animals- all we needed was James 17 years of experience and his keen eyesight. he spotted leopards in trees we would never have known were there!
we saw everything we wanted to see and more- from a mama cheetah and her babies in central serengeti, to a rhino in the crater, to multiple migration crossings walking distance from our tent in northern serengeti.
our trip in Rwanda was handled through Eastco by Jambo Tours who also went above and beyond. our guide Claude was very knowldedgable, and the manager of the company, Catherine, met us on our last day to make sure we were happy.
Overall, i would reccomend Eastco for those looking to get off the beaten track and get alot of cultural experiences that the big tour operators can't offer.
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Email Jeff | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
August 2015 Safari with Eastco – Issues and Warnings
My wife, Robin, and I recently returned from a 22 day (Aug. 6 – Aug. 27) northern circuit safari arranged through Eastco. Being our first time in Africa I would like to thank all of the contributors here for the information they provided while I trolled around the forums researching and planning our trip. I’ve been waiting to post this review while negotiating a refund with Simon King, owner of Eastco.
First let me say that the Tanzanian people are wonderful to be around and the parks and animals are truly amazing. We never once felt unsafe or threatened in our travels. I believe our guide James was outstanding, not only did he find a ton of animals for us but he also imparted a tremendous amount of knowledge to us. He is also just a great person to be around.
While we did have a “Trip of a Lifetime” we both feel that it was in spite of Eastco and not because of them. The only good thing we can say about them is James. He was put in some tough situations by Simon and worked hard to get us the best experience possible. We booked with Eastco because Simon said he could provide everything we wanted in our itinerary and get us into the accommodations we requested while the other providers we talked to were hesitant on some things. Back in 2014 when we started the booking process there weren’t as many negative reviews of Eastco as there seem to be now. After going with them for our safari my advice would be to find another company to book your trip through. The people, parks and animals of Tanzania are a given while the tour operator should enhance your experiences; however the failures by Eastco added stress into our trip. I only wish I could recommend James as a guide separate from Eastco.
Here was our final itinerary as negotiated and agreed upon with Simon.
day 1 - Evening arrival Arusha (jro) w/ overnight African Tulip Hotel
day 2 - Explore Arusha with EastCo Guide w/ overnight African Tulip Hotel
day 3 - Morning drive to Tarangire, afternoon game drive w/ overnight Tarangire Safari Lodge
day 4 - Morning, afternoon game drive, Tarangire w/ overnight Boundary Hill Lodge
day 5 - Morning Maasai visit Tarangire Conservation Area, afternoon game drive Tarangire
Night game drive Tarangire Conservation Area w/ overnight Boundary Hill Lodge
day 6 - Morning walking safari, Tarangire Conservation Area
Afternoon drive to Babati for canoe ride on Lake w/ overnight White Rose Guest House
day 7 - Day Trip to Kolo rock art w/ overnight White Rose Guest House
day 8 - Morning, afternoon cultural visits Babati (TBD) w/ overnight White Rose Guest House
day 9 - Morning drive to Mto Wa Mbu, cultural walk around town w/ lunch
Afternoon drive to Lake Eyasi w/ overnight Tindiga Camp
day 10 - Morning Hadzabe visit, afternoon Datoga visit w/ overnight Gibbs Farm
day 11 - Late morning drive to Ngorongoro, hike in Conservation area w/overnight Sopa Lodge
day 12 - Early morning Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive
Afternoon drive to Serengeti Seronera valley w/ overnight Kati Kati Camp
day 13 - Morning, afternoon game drive Serengeti Central w/ overnight Kati Kati Camp
day 14 - Morning, afternoon game drive Serengeti Central w/ overnight Kati Kati Camp
day 15 - Drive to Serengeti Mara w/ overnight Serengeti North Wilderness Camp
day 16 - Morning, afternoon game drive Serengeti Mara w/ overnight Serengeti North Wilderness Camp
day 17 - Morning, afternoon game drive Serengeti Mara w/ overnight Serengeti North Wilderness Camp
day 18 - Morning, afternoon game drive Serengeti Mara w/ overnight Serengeti North Wilderness Camp
day 19 - Drive to Lake Natron through Klein's Gate w/ overnight Lake Natron Camp
day 20 - Morning Fossil footprints, flamingos on Lake Natron
Afternoon drive to Tarangire Conservation Area w/ overnight Naitolia Camp
day 21 - Morning walking safari along Sand River, w/ overnight Boundary Hill Lodge
day 22 - Morning transfer to Arusha, dayroom at Arusha Hotel, afternoon transfer to jro
Here is a short list of what failed to meet our expectations or didn’t happen according to our itinerary.
day2 - Simon showed up late at the hotel for final payment, after which he called to let James know to
stop by and pick us up. We didn’t get started exploring Arusha until almost noon.
day4 - Charged for additional (Un-purchased) Tarangire entrance permit.
day6 - Accommodations changed without notice from the White Rose Guest House to The Winners Hotel.
day7 - Accommodations changed without notice from the White Rose Guest House to The Winners Hotel.
day7 - Accommodations changed without notice from the White Rose Guest House to The Winners Hotel.
Cultural visit in Babati consisted of a walk around town.
day9 - Eastco made no reservation for us to stay at Tindiga Camp.
day10 - We had to pay Tindiga Camp fee ourselves even though we had already paid Eastco in advance.
Range Rover broke down and we were delayed for a few hours.
day11 - Accommodations changed without notice from Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge to Wildlife Lodge.
We had requested the Sopa Lodge specifically to allow an early morning start into the Crater.
Eastco booked us into the worst room at Wildlife Lodge, directly under the dining area so we
could hear all the chairs, tables and people moving about right over our heads.
day12 - No early morning start into the Crater as Eastco didn’t pay for the permit until after 10:00.
We didn’t enter the Crater until 11:30 and were leaving by 1:30 including a lunch break. We
only had 1 ½ hours in the crater an then because of the late start it was a mad dash to get out
of Ngorongoro Conservation Area on the one 24 hour permit.
Charged for additional (Un-purchased) Ngorongoro Conservation Area entrance permit.
Acquired Serengeti permit good for only one 24 hour period instead of all seven planed days.
We specifically requested at the tented camps to be at the far end of the row away from the
main gathering areas. We were put in tent number one right next to the dinning tent.
day13 - Returned to airport twice to extend Serengeti permit for one extra 24 hour period
because the first time there was not enough money on card.
day14 - At lunch we were told that we would have to go back to camp, pack up and change camps
because KatiKati was full and Eastco had only booked us for two nights not the three that we
paid for. Only the efforts of the camp manager allowed us to stay, Eastco would have made us
move. We both felt that the camp manager was working harder for us than Eastco.
Returned to airport to extend Serengeti permit for one extra 24 hour period.
day15 - On the drive to the Mara area we were told that we didn’t have a place to stay yet but they
were working on booking two nights each at two different camp, not the four nights at
Serengeti North Wilderness Camp like we had paid for. This meant an extra move in between
camps. We stayed at Savanna Mara Camp.
Stopped at the airport to extend Serengeti permit for one extra 24 hour period.
day16 – Accommodations changed from Serengeti North Wilderness Camp to Savanna Mara Camp.
Returned to airport to extend Serengeti permit for one extra 24 hour period.
day17 - Had to pack up in the morning because of the change in camps.
Accommodations changed from Serengeti North Wilderness Camp to Kenzan Mara Camp.
Put into tent that smelled like it had a sewer leak.
Returned to airport to extend Serengeti permit for one extra 24 hour period.
day18 - Accommodations changed from Serengeti North Wilderness Camp to Kenzan Mara Camp.
day20 - Range Rover broke down and was not fixable. We were stranded beside the road for several
hours until a friend of James showed up to drive us onto our next destination while he
stayed with the vehicle in order to get it repaired.
day22 – When James arrived to take us into Arusha the Range Rover had a broken motor mount so
we had to drive very carefully back to town.
Eastco did not book a dayroom for us at the Arusha Hotel that we paid them for in advance.
Simon was “out of town” and unavailable for a review of how our trip went or to reimburse us .
We feel one of the biggest failures was not being booked into the accommodations we requested and paid for in advance. This was one of the very reasons we chose Eastco because Simon said he would put us into the places we wanted to stay. By the end of the trip I got the feeling that they were waiting until the last minute to book our camps and trying to get the cheapest place they could find. It would explain why we almost got kicked out of KatiKati Camp, didn’t get into Wilderness Camp, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, the White Rose and in general got such bad rooms and tent locations. We paid deposits more than a year in advance to reserve these locations and specific dates with payment in full being made before leaving Arusha so there is no excuse for our accommodations being changed without warning. Of course, worst of all was having to pay twice at Tindiga Camp. We paid Eastco in advance and then we had to pay again at the camp because of Eastco’s nonpayment. Not only that, but we paid Eastco a markup for the privilege of paying twice. The uncertainty of where we would be staying each night definitely added stress into our trip.
Another big failure, there was never enough money to pay for entrance permits. Again it seemed to be a day to day thing even though we paid the total amount to Simon in cash. This meant that we only got to spend 1 ½ hours in Ngorongoro Crater and while in the Serengeti our days were arranged around daily trips back to the airports to renew our permit. The constant permit renewal situation, never knowing if we were going to get into or be able to stay in a particular park just added a little more stress. Eventually we began questioning what experiences we were missing because of the frequent airport stops.
Now a few words about the general condition of the Range Rover we were in. But first let me say that I grew up in rural Oregon in a small logging town so I know what beat up trucks are like and what rough roads can do to them. I have ridden in and driven them my whole life. That being said, this vehicle was in terrible shape and ill equipped to send paying clients out in the bush for an extended trip. It only had one spare tire, no radio, no air conditioner and no shovel or any other recovery equipment. While the tires did have decent tread on them they were street tires not traction tires. Two of the four doors didn’t open properly and neither did the tail gate. The weather seals around the doors, windows and tail gate were all in bad shape. This allowed dust to flow into the interior and coat everything inside including us, not to mention the constant rattling. The motor was so worn out that it had no power when pulling up even the smallest hill and the shocks were so weak that they could not control the wheel bounce on the wash boarded roads making for some long and rough travel days. I know this might sound like a lot of nit picking, but you spend the majority of your time in the vehicle so its condition is important.
We first started noticing that every time there was a small hill the Range Rover would lose power, slow way down and a huge amount of black diesel smoke would pour out of the tail pipe. This became acute climbing up Ngorongoro from Karatu and then out of the crater the next day and it only seemed to get worse as the trip went along. I really didn’t think it would last the entire trip.
We had two break downs, the first occurred on the way back from Lake Eyasi to Karatu on Day10, one of the water hoses sprung a leak and the motor began to overheat. After some time James was able to make a bush repair and we were able to limp into Karatu where he fixed it properly the next day.
The second was on Day20 when we drove from Lake Natron back to Boundary Hill Lodge. Just after passing through Mto Wa Mbu the front pinion gear ate itself and locked up the differential. We were stranded along the road side until one of James’s friends came to take Robin and myself on to Boundary Hill. We didn’t see James again until the morning of Day22 when he showed up to take us to the airport. However as we loaded up James informed us that the Range Rover now had a broken motor mount so we would have to take it nice and slow on the way back to Arusha. We feel very lucky the breakdowns didn’t happen far out in the bush because that would have left us stranded for much longer periods of time than we were.
Our biggest disappointment was that Simon didn’t feel it was necessary to contact us once while we were on the trip to explain what was going on, nor did he feel compelled to meet with us afterwards. The uncertainty of Eastco’s multiple failures added so much stress to our trip that it made it difficult at times to enjoy the incredible places we were traveling through.
Upon returning home I’ve been in email contact with Simon and negotiated a refund payment of $800 for all the things we were charged for but Eastco didn’t deliver. It’s been over a month now and all I get from him is one excuse after another. At this point in time I feel that I will not receive compensation for the over charges and forced double payments. Simon will tell you want you want to hear when you are planning a trip but he doesn’t feel obligated in any way to deliver what he charges for. After considering everything that happened to us on our trip we feel that he is dishonest and someone we would never do business with again. If you have booked a trip through him good luck, if you are considering using him, don’t.
Email Graham | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
EASTCO - Not to be relied on
We made our safari booking with EASTCO many months in advance but found that everything was still being put together at the last minute and in a slightly shambolic manner. The owner, Simon, advised us when we arrived in Arusha that our itinerary was being reversed due to road conditions making the original route too arduous. Whilst this may have been accurate and necessary, it wasn’t a sudden occurrence and Simon should have been aware in advance and had our new itinerary in place before our arrival. We met Simon a couple of days before the start of the safari but he didn’t even know then who our drivers would be for the trip, and on the first morning we had to chase to find out if anyone was going to turn up when we’d been ready and waiting to go immediately after breakfast as agreed. After a couple of hours or so, the two drivers did arrive but they seemed to have little idea as to what the itinerary was. The first day was wasted as we went to the wrong place and ended up driving all day, missing out on an afternoon’s walking safari at Boundary Lodge.
The next day was fine with an excellent day at Tarangire National Park, but the following morning we discovered that one driver was complaining about not being paid and was refusing to take us any further, so we ended up spending 3 hours at the roadside waiting for Simon to send out a new driver and vehicle – another half day wasted. As it happens, we were happy to see the back of that driver as he had a surly attitude and little regard for us as clients.
Things picked up after that, with a much better driver, Julius, who, together with the other original driver, Rogers, worked hard to make the trip enjoyable. Julius’ engineering skills also came in handy in dealing with a number of problems with the slightly dated safari trucks. The high quality of the game viewing in the Serengeti also started to make up for the earlier problems. After travelling some distance to the northern Serengeti we found ourselves in an excellent camp for 2 nights (supposedly) in order to witness the wildebeest migration. On the first morning however, we received a call to say that we had to commence our return trip early because Simon had been unable to alter our onward flights to Zanzibar which had been booked as part of the original itinerary. We had to immediately leave our morning’s safari, pack our bags and set off on the road again.
We’d lost confidence in Simon’s arrangements and began to get concerned about the Zanzibar flight booking. On the morning of our final day we made direct contact with the airline at Arusha who told us that they had our booking but the flights hadn’t been paid for, despite our already having paid Simon in advance. Simon assured us that a man was being sent to make payment and thankfully (but when we were just 30 minutes from the airport) we found that the airline had been paid – but why did it have to be last minute and stressful?
Simon met us at the airport with a slightly begrudging apology, preferring to blame the first driver for all the issues but failing to acknowledge that the drivers are his responsibility. He admitted that he had recently sold off his vehicles to his drivers on the basis that they would contract back to provide a guiding service. It turns out however, that some of them just sub-contract out the vehicle to other drivers over whom Simon has no control – hence our first driver problem. Simon offered to refund us for the loss of the first day, but that appears to have been a false promise with no sign of any payment (or indeed correspondence) after 6 weeks. We are not entirely surprised.
The Serengeti was spectacular, we loved the camps and lodges, we saw pretty much everything we wanted to see and our two eventual drivers had a fantastic attitude. I would urge anyone to visit Tanzania, but DO NOT use EASTCO if you want a well organised and stress free safari.
CA
Email Jim | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
So many Possabilities.....
This review should be read in conjunction with Clives’s review posted in February 2015—he and his wife were the travelling companions with me and my family (wife, daughter and son). https://www.safaribookings.com/or5815
I have delayed in giving a review of Eastco in order for my mindset to become more objective as Clive has pretty much given an accurate outline of our experience with Eastco plus I was interested to see if Simon would make any contact with us to see what our view was. It is now September and we have not heard one peep from Mr. King although I expect he might have a response to my comments here.
My view of the trip was similar to Clive’s and I back him completely in his version of the events as they unfolded. I will ad that on the face Eastview’s proposed itineraries look pretty good—lots of “game drives” shown, nice mix of mid and very nice accomodations, etc., but what the itinerary doesn’t reveal is that many of the “game drives” are simply long drives over rough and dusty roads to get from place to place with little or no gave evident. The use of Ol Tukai lodge puts you several hours out in a virtual desert and fills in a couple of days there with”cultural” activities involving hot walks to neighboring village and school—I have no problem with learning about local cultures but we specifically stated in our work up that our primary interest was game drives and game viewing.
Boundary Hill lodge, which is a beautiful place to stay, is again a long drive to get to and from with little game in its immediate area so more long drives to see game.
We had specifically planned this trip to coincide with the wildebeest birthing stage of the great migration and clearly set this out when planning the itinerary with Mr. King—no luck, the migration moved faster than expected and had already passed the location of Eastco’s tent camp and lodge accommodation placing the main herd several hours drive from where we were staying—no opportunity was presented or even available to us to change itinerary to accommodate because the Land rovers were broken down.
We had also specifically asked for 2 days in the Ngorongoro Crater—we got one day and one of the accommodation nights was changed to a much cheaper location—ostensibly because the more expensive lodge was full and we didn’t book soon enough—yeh, right!!
The last few days of our itinerary were spent at replacement (read Cheaper) lodges and we were offered no explanation or refund.
We did see a good selection of game but not what we had hoped and planned for—this safari was not good value for the money—which was quite embarrassing for us as we had made the selection of Eastco based on the reviews we had read prior to our trip and our e-mails with Mr. King. We advised our friends that Eastco had good reviews and they went with our suggestion--too their dismay I am sure!
We quite agree with Clive’s assessment that Eastco is a second rate operation and we do not recommend booking with them either. My daughter was quite upset by the "hostage incident" and my wife and I were disappointed with missing the birthing. Mr. King's operation appears to be running so close to financial difficulties that there is little or no room for any flexibility once you are committed to the itinerary--but yet there is no problem in shifting accommodations to cheaper venues with no explanation (or refund).
Email Pat Whie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An adventure for sure but a financially unstable company
It gives me no pleasure to write this .My wife and I have recently finished 23 days though uganda and tanzania which was action packed ,saw stacks of animals and met heaps of brilliant folk ,both locals and tourists .James the driver /guide and costa the Cook were brilliant blokes.James especially made the trip memorable and without his resilience and mechanical prowess the trip would have been a disaster.The ageing land rover should have been pensioned off a long time ago .Out of 23 days james would have worked on it 18 or 19 .we pushed started it at least 15 times and spent a lot of down time in wired places while james worked his magic on the Landy (5 hours in a petrol station in Macindi)as one example.we are Aussies who rough it heaps when travelling and all the dramas and changes of itinery did not particularly stress us ,you know go with the flow this is Africa no worries.BUT when we had to cough up almost a thousand US just to keep moving was a bit rich and now three weeks later not even responding to our emails is not good enough .if we had a reasonable response this review would have a different tone because it was an adventure and I don't think Simon is a crook .ps I am Rosemary's husband
Email Rosemary White | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Still waiting to be reimbursed US$982
James and Costa were wonderful. Will withhold further details of our trip until our money is reimbursed, as my review will definitely change for the better at that time. eg. All will be forgiven.
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.
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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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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!
US
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!