Easy Travel & Tours
- Located In:
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 1987)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $320 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Patricia Smarts | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Choose Easy Travel if you want to score a Once In A Lifetime adventure trip to remember & share!
We've traveled the world for over fifty years, but a once-in-a-lifetime safari trip had escaped us!All our global-traveling friends told us that an African safari rated #1 in their life's travels. We just returned from our memorable safari trip with another couple, and.......they were right........a safari is just something very special.
We spent months reading traveler's reviews, emailing companies, and responding with more questions.
Ultimately, we decided on Easy Travel & Tours in Arusha, Tanzania. We are four seniors (65-73). I planned the trip and shared all questions, concerns with Lizbeth Gabriel at Easy Travel over a period of several months. Her response was immediate to me. If I wrote late in the day in the USA, I could expect a response when I woke up the next day. She included her personal WhatsApp number, too.
We had hoped to see the Great Migration, but obviously no guarantees are possible! However, based on her recommendations, we scheduled our safari from October 17-21. We arrived via Nairobi late on the 15th and spent two nights at the Kibo Palace Hotel, arranged by Lizbeth. This is an excellent hotel and gave us time to explore Arusha on the 16th and be well rested for the flight on the morning of the 17th to Kogatende Airport in the Northern Serengeti. We were met at the airport by our safari guide & driver, Gilbert "Mariki".
Folks, we were so very fortunate to have Mariki assigned to us! He briefed us and listened closely, and over the next few days, we became a Family & Team! We shared our breakfasts & dinners together at the Lodges and lunches together al fresco in the bush. We gave Mariki free reign to set our morning departures as we trusted his knowledge & experience. In the first 24 hours.....we saw 4 of the big 5 and 4 Great Migrations of the wildebeests & zebras navigating in the thousands across the Mara River between Kenya & Tanzania, trying to avoid the waiting crocodiles in the river. We have video of 15+minute crossings that rivaled National Geographic. What we saw, did, & heard over that week, will never be forgotten....thank goodness for pictures/videos to share with loved ones and those planning a future safari of their own. We were dropped back at the Kibo Palace Hotel late on the 22nd and the following morning, Mariki dropped us at the Arusha Airport for our flight to Zanzibar.
We were in Africa a total of thirty days, but our Arusha safari experience thanks to Mariki, Lizbeth & Easy Travel was absolutely the highlight and we're just so very grateful. BTW, with keen eyes, Mariki was able to spot the Rhino in Ngorongoro Crater, completing the Big Five for us!
There are hundreds of safari companies to choose from, itineraries vary, accommodations, and prices for sure. We all agreed that we would not change one single thing about our safari....it was perfect..........far, far better than we had even imagined! Our friends were right, that an African safari is so very special. Seeing these beautiful animals free in their natural habitat is inspiring. We were able to get an impressive safari at a very reasonable price....we would very Highly Recommend Easy Travel, write to Lizbeth, and ask for Mariki
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Email Kush M | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely fantastic group -- thanks to Norah & Hubert for an incredible vacation.
Norah (agent) and Hubert (guide) were absolute rockstars. All the reviews here are spot-on; definitely use this company for your safari. Norah was incredibly patient in helping craft a perfect itinerary and very responsive (from when we first booked in 2019 through COVID and ultimately through our trip in Sep '22). Hubert was phenomenal in coordinating with the guides to make sure we were in all the best spots at the right times. He even sped us around the Northern Serengeti to make sure we got as many river crossings as possible (we got lucky with five!).
A few tips when planning/coordinating with your tour guide:
- Do some research on the options the agent gives you for lodging. We trusted Norah and got lucky with awesome spots, but worth looking at the options she offers with a bit more detail. 3* typically means tented camps (which have generators that don't go 24/7), 4* typically means tented lodge (full power, but you can't walk around at night bc you're in individual units in the middle of the wild), and 5* typically means lodges (e.g., Serena). Huge fan of the tented lodges (4*) with a few lodges (5*) sprinkled in.
- Tarangire is ok. I'm glad we did it first because it seemed cool at the time, but looking back, it was by far the least interesting day of our safari.
- If you go during the migration (Jul-Oct I think?), a chance at the Mara River Crossing is worth the extra 1-2 days to get the Northern Serengeti. We were lucky to see FIVE crossings in a day and a half. Super cool to see.
- Go to Zanzibar to relax afterwards and if you're looking for a 5* property, maybe ask for alternatives to the Melia and do some research. We weren't super impressed by it, but maybe that's actually the best option.
IT
Email Carolin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Phenomenal
Review of Easy Travel & Tours Ltd
We can’t recommend highly enough Easy Travel if you plan a trip to Tanzania. Communication is excellent from the very beginning and very personal. You are not just a “number”, they really care and are so passionate about their work. they won’t stop until they’ve worked out the perfect trip you’ve been dreaming of. The jeeps for safari are in perfect shape, and you get Masai massage free every day ;-)))) water and soft drinks are in the cooler, you can recharge your electronic devices and you even get Wi-Fi during your driving if you want!!!!
We went for a safari tour in august (family with our 14 year old daughter) and truly had the trip of our lifetime! our dream came true thanks to the staff of Easy Travel, in particular Norah, who was our contact person from the very first email we've sent until our arrival in Arusha after two long years, since we had to postpone twice our trip due to covid, but this year we finally made it. Norah worked out a perfect trip for us: Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and lake Eyasi where we went hunting with the Hadzabe (which was another highlight of our trip). communication was great with her, she never got tired answering all our questions, rearranged anything we asked for, and so after some time we had the feeling that we were mailing with a friend. when we finally met her in the Arusha office it felt as if we had known her forever.
We opted for the comfort safari. So, we slept in beautiful tented camps, most of them were the Tortilis camps, which we loved: staff was so incredibly nice, food was delicious, the places of the camps were just WOW! in lake Eyasi we stayed at the Ziwani lodge, and although it was completely different from our tented camps, it was a dream!
BUT, what really made our trip so special and perfect was our guide Richard, our BOSS :-)))) We had such a great time! He was not just a guide to us; he was a friend! he never seemed to get tired and was driving us around from morning to evening. He would only get a rest after we’ve explored every corner of the park to make sure we saw as many animals as possible! and we did see soooo many: we saw all the big five, the great migration, river crossing, anything and even more what we could have hoped for! he was able to spot animals anywhere, even in places where for us didn’t seem to be any :-)))) we were in the right place in the right moment, and he always put us in the right spot to have a perfect view. he knows so many stories about the animals, but we also learned a lot about culture and politics. we loved our daily chats with him.
We are homesick already for your beautiful country and hope to come back sometime soon to meet you all and go for another adventure with Richard!
Thank you so much, Asante sana from carol & Filippo & Flavia
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Email laure travers | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
super professional organization, super knowledgeable guide
my husband and i did a 6-day safari (2 nights in ndutu, 2 nights in Serengeti, one night in Ngorongoro) plus 2 nights in arusha in February 2022. we chose easy travel among several tour companies we had contacted because their agent Lizbeth was the most responsive to our questions and small requests (she was actually amazing), and because their quote was competitive, we felt. the safari itself with our driver guide Abisai was simply fantastic : Abisai was always in a good mood, flexible, attentive, a good driver on occasionally difficult terrain, extremely knowledgeable about all topics (including birds and plants!) not to mention he had plenty of initiatives thanks to which we saw so so much ! he knew where to find what, how to approach it, and was willing to drive us around pretty much from 8am till 6pm, with tons of passion to share and enthusiasm. it was truly perfect! also, all accommodations (tented camps at the "comfort" level) were really nice, much above what we were expecting frankly !
for my fellow travelers, who have not done a safari before, you might want to know, in a safari you are in a car being driven around to see animals everywhere (you cannot get out of the car because that would be dangerous) so you don t have to worry too much about hats, or walking shoes :-)
PT
Email Evelyne | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unique and fantastic experience
The EasyTravel agency in Arusha is really up to it. Lisbeth accompanied us throughout the preparation of the trip in a very professional, very reactive way, with good advice.
The rates are reasonable, the tortilis camps are a unique experience, the French-speaking guide Baraka allowed us to see a host of animals from near and far thanks to his lynx eyes!!
Congratulations to the whole team.
(automatic translation from French)
HU
Email Andrea | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect Tanzania Safari by Easy Travel
It was the best trip we have ever been on! We spent 3 amazing days in Ndutu area and in Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Our driver/guide, Sudy, is extremely knowledgeable, speaks several languages and knows everything about the country and the animals. Thanks to him we almost managed to see the Big Five. We only missed the leopard, but we promise to come back and find them! We were searching for adventure and we found it every single day, because we have seen a lot of action in the wildlife. We have been telling everyone that they NEED to do a safari at least once in their lifetime and I will certainly tell them to do it through Easy Travel Tanzania. Please contact Lizbeth Gabriel who is a Tanzanian Safari Specialist and a Team Leader at Easy Travel. I really couldn't recommend it enough and if you can you should absolutely request Sudy as your driver/guide! He is the best!
CA
Email Vaish | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The absolute best tour group.
From the time I was matched up with Lizbeth as my tour operator, to the day we concluded our trip, the service provided by Easy Travel was unlike any other. Easy travel offered competitive prices for quality accommodations. We did a 3 night / 4 day safari and had an unforgettable experience. We stayed at the Serena Lodge in Arusha, the Tortilis camp in the Serengeti and Serena lodge in the Ngorongoro crater. Everything from beginning to end was amazing. Our driver, Richard, became more life family. He was knowledgeable, kind and friendly. We spotted the big five and even saw a kill. Richard was very keen on us seeing as much as possible in the 4 days we were there. Thank you, Lizbeth and Richard and the team and Easy travel, for the best experience.
CA
Email Lynn & John | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable 25th Wedding Anniversary
We decided for our 25th wedding anniversary to do a safari in Tanzania. After reading numerous comment/advice on TripAdvisor I sent a well thought out email of what we were looking for to 10 different tour operators all from my research, 1 year in advance of our intended travel date. Out of the ten I received 3 replies over a 6-week waiting period. After weighing the pros and cons Easy Travel came ahead. Our contact Lizbeth was the first to reply and I got a very good vibe from her right away. Throughout the whole process of tweaking our itinerary as well as sound advice and her valuable expertise it was a very smooth encounter. We settled on a perfect itinerary of 13-day itinerary including a hot air balloon ride as well as flying from Northern Serengeti back to Arusha.
Upon arriving in Arusha, we were met by our driver/guide with a wide grin from ear to ear. Everest Mboya set the relaxing mood right from the start. Upon our late arrival to African Tulip hotel, we were overwhelmed with our bed decorated with rose petals, nice touch!
As noted, in previous comments for safaris your driver/guide determines the outcome of your adventure. Everest is one of the best in our opinion, his knowledge, politeness, attentive manner, sense of humor, flexibility and his interaction with us. His skills as a guide and network of fellow guides (with whom he was in constant contact over the radio) ensured we had a fantastic time. His head was constantly moving to see things we would have completely missed. We were fortunate enough to see 4 migrations across the Mara River, the last crossing being the most spectacular about 2000 wildebeest. One day we had a picnic lunch right beside the hippo pool!
Loved the hot air balloon ride with Miracle Experience. They offered us coffee while up in the balloon, champagne on the ground and bush breakfast with even a cake for our 25th.
We stayed at 3 of the Tortilis camps (owned by Easy Travel), one lodge at the crater and one other tent camp. Spacious tents with 4 poster beds, private bathroom/shower. It was great to hear Wildebeest outside your tent as well as other animal sounds. Staff were great going above and beyond to respond to our requests. Nice touch on staff singing goodbye song in Swahili on each departure at tent camps.
I could go on forever and cannot say enough about Lizbeth and Everest they went above and beyond, listened throughout the whole adventure. Kudos to all the camps, they were top notch.
Thanks for making our 25th anniversary most memorable!!!!
Mama Twiga & Papa Timba
CA
Email MIke and Helen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
Norah helped us so much - from refining our choice of the best time to visit, answering all of our questions, and selecting a guide - Adrian - who was a delight to be with. He has an excellent understanding of all the many different wildlife we saw and how to find the best time and place for viewing. He also has a good sense of humour which made the trip great fun for us. He made sure that our needs were well met every day on the game drives and at the lodges and camps where we stayed.
We saw many animals very close up without any stress or disturbance to them thanks to our very skillful guide.
The highlight of seeing the crossing at Mara River was spectacular - well worth waiting patiently for the second afternoon. Adrian’s skill came to the fore again when he was able to get us right to the edge of the riverbank to watch the wildebeest plunge in, swim across, and leap out right in front of us, all accompanied by their desperate calling and frantic scrambling.
We can recommend this safari trip with Easy Travel without any reservation- it was a pleasure travelling with them - a truly memorable experience!
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Email Jeff | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our Wonderful Picture Safari Tour
In summary, we rate our engagement with Easy Travel as excellent. We will highly recommend and promote Easy Travel to our friends, family, and others who have a desire to travel to Africa and participate in a photo safari. I would like to thank and compliment Easy Travel for the tour package that they put together for my wife and I. The points of interest that they chose for us were phenomenal and our tour guide Adrian’s execution could not have been better. We saw much more than what we could have ever imagined and it exceeded our expectations. This made the sometimes long days and demanding roads that we had to travel an afterthought. We stayed at a combination of both very well-appointed resort properties and tent camping grounds or glamping which provided a nice variety of accommodations.
We engaged with Easy Travel about six months before our travel date. Lightness was our customer service representative. Her professionalism, promptness, and attention to detail built trust and confidence that we had chosen the right tour company to work with for our trip.
Thank you again Easy Travel for the wonderful experience that you provided for my wife and I.