We Are Smile Of Africa
Rupia Adventure
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Member Of:
- Tanzania Tourist Board, TANAPA & BRELA
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $300 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
IN
Email Bhisekh Das | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing service
We initially contacted Rupia Adventure direct to inquire about safari options. We received a prompt reply from Janniken who worked with us to accommodate our exact requirements and put together a wonderful safari experience. Communication in the lead-up to our travel was responsive and very helpful, which gave us full confidence ahead of traveling over to Tanzania from the India. Upon arrival in Kilimanjaro, we were met by a Rupia driver and given a full briefing at the Rupia office in Arusha. For the safari, we were taken through the Ngorongoro crater and Serengeti National Park by our driver Elasto. Elasto was extremely polite and helpful, and also very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the animals and safari experience. He really made very positive difference to our trip and ensured that we not only spotted all the animals we had hoped to see, but also arrived on time and smoothly at all of our accommodation, whilst never feeling rushed to move on from a particular location. All in all an unforgettable and fantastic experience which we'll never forget. I would highly recommend contacting Rupia Adventure for a quote on your safari; we found them very cost competitive, provided the best service in planning the safari and then found the quality of the actual experience, vehicle, driver and accommodation to be exceptional. Thank you for making our honeymoon safari experience everything we hoped it would be and more!
Reply from Rupia Adventure
Posted on Jul 23, 2018Thank you for your feedback Das
Welcome again friend
RU
Email Ana | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Seven Day Safari in the Serengeti
We selected Rupia Adventure based on their long history of excellent SafariBookings (the pop-up jeeps!), prompt response to email queries, and proactive effort to provide us a hand-crafted experience tailored to our interests. Rupia Adventure was not the cheapest of the tour operators I queried, but I feel we got great value for our money. We were traveling as a couple, with a single adult (our nephew), who needed his own room; we thought the “single supplement” was reasonable.
Angel Davidt tweaked our itinerary several times as we refined our travel plans…we were very pleased that she stayed on our account after we paid our deposit and did not hand us off to “back office” staff (I saw a couple of other reviewers note this as an issue, but we did not experience it). Angel responded promptly to all my questions and was transparent about prices and options so I could make informed choices. The Rupia Adventure team obtained discounts for our nephew, who is living and working in Tanzania, and handled all the other paperwork, including “Flying Doctors” insurance, without a hitch.
We paid in advance via wire transfer in two installments, and promptly received acknowledgement and a receipt from Rupia Adventure. The pre-safari orientation was brief and pleasant (who wants to hang around in an office on a Sunday when you could be out on safari)? and the Kilimanjaro airport drop-off at the end of our trip went smoothly. I got there in plenty of time to deal with the multiple layers of security, check my duffle, and have before my 9:00 pm departure (this after a full day of game driving in Ngorongoro Crater).
The Rupia Adventure team was pleasant, professional, proficient in English, and knowledgeable. Information seemed to flow well through the team: Angel, the billing team, the manager who gave us our orientation and our guide were all on the same page, and all knew what we wanted. I never felt that we were lost in the shuffle.
Back to the jeeps. As other reviewers have mentioned, we saw several other safari groups stranded in broken-down jeeps (Land Rovers). We had no mechanical issues at all. Rupia Adventure provided us with a large Toyota Land Cruiser equipped with a pop-top, a cooler, seat cushions (we were very grateful for this amenity, given the condition of the roads), and a hamper with a thermos (we had two serious coffee-drinkers in our party). They also provided several pairs of binoculars, and an inverter for charging electronics. The Land Cruiser had air conditioning, as I had requested, but the weather during our mid-June safari was so pleasant we never used it.
Aside from your transportation, the other factor that will make or break your safari is your guide. Our guide, Mathiasy, was exceptional. He clearly loves his job, and is passionate about the animals. His cheerful enthusiasm, tireless zeal, and entertaining stories and animal facts made even the longest drives between viewing opportunities enjoyable.
More than that, Salvatory has an excellent eye for lighting and composition, and frequently pointed out photo opportunities, and then positioned the jeep for the perfect shot. On one occasion, he avoided a cluster of jeeps around a female lion to park us near her adolescent cubs (who, he explained, were ignoring their mother’s call, so she would be coming to check on them). Sure enough, minutes after we were in position, the mother lion got up, strolled over to check on the adolescent cubs, and was joined by the male, who crossed right in front of our jeep! On another occasion, Salvatory positioned us ahead of two groups of elephants, who converged around our jeep. We took amazing pictures and videos that we have enjoyed many times since returning home.
In addition to expertly navigating the deeply-rutted roads (and never referring to a map once during our week-long safari), Salvatory was also personally concerned about our well-being. In addition to ensuring we were adequately caffeinated, he did his best to make sure I had tasty and nutritious options that complied with my medical needs for every meal.
We visited Lake Manyara, the central and western Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater. I had to fly back straight from safari for work, but my husband and nephew stayed a night at the African Tulip before going on to other adventures, and they highly recommend we stay at the Tulip next time we safari in Tanzania. I will review the lodges we visited separately.
Reply from Rupia Adventure
Posted on Jul 23, 2018Thank you for your feedback Ana
Welcome again friend
Email Kenned | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing Trip
I chosed Rupia after looking on the net for the most reliable tour operator and i was convinced by the very high reviews. What can i say....they exceeded expiation. Great communications and organization pre-tour, great English, great accommodation and great itinerary. One mention for the driver Elasto, he was the best. Knowledge of the nature, animals and culture and always with a smile. Good job everyone.
Reply from Rupia Adventure
Posted on Jul 23, 2018Thank you for your feedback
Welcome again friend
Email Mathias Steiger | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience!
He knows how to find all the animals. I saw everything in a one week safari, also a rhino. Sleeping in a tent outside the serengeti was a magnificent experience and with a torch me and my friends were safety. All 4 of us enjoyed that trip very much. Thanks and maybe cu again
Reply from Rupia Adventure
Posted on Jul 23, 2018Thank you for your feedback
Welcome again friend
IN
Email Adiba | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional Safari Company in Tanzania
I cannot say enough about Rupia Adventure's.
My husband and I traveled to Africa for 5 weeks, and booked the 8 day Tanzania portion of our trip with them.
We visited Tarangire, Lake Manyara, The Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti and Arusha national park with them.
Mathias, who planned the trip with us did an excellent job listening to our requests and our budget constraints. They were very flexible with tour options, managing to fit in everything we wanted to see, included a quick stop over at the Olduvai gorge, a walking safari, and a canoe trip in Arusha.
The price was reasonable. They listened to our request about caring more about the game viewing then the accommodations, and found great lodging options in the medium price range for us. We decided to book with them.
When we arrived in Arusha, we were met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. The next morning, we met the man who truly made our experience unforgettable, our tour guide Miraji. He was outstanding. He listened to our interests for what we wanted to see (which was everything, not just the big 5), he listened to our concerns about my husband's back problems and roads and he made sure that my husband's special dietary needs were taken care of. He had an incredible body of knowledge, and went out of his way over the days we were with him to ensure we saw everything we were interested in, no matter how big or small the animal was. He was extremely patient as we took literally 1000s of pictures in all the parks we visited with him, and only prodded us to move when he knew there was something important we wanted to see ahead. He really worked hard with the staff at the different camps to ensure that my husband's lunch box was gluten and egg free, which wasn't always easy. Whenever he had to get the paperwork done at the park entrances, he ensured we found something interesting to do while we waited for him (walking the nature trails, taking pictures of the baboons at the Ngorongoro gate, etc).
He helped us identify everything we saw, whether plant, bird, four legged creature etc. He had a great sense of humor. But what impressed us most was when our flight form the Serengeti was cancelled (NOTE this was booked directly by me, not Rupia Adventure so this was in no way their fault), he and Janniken at the office ensured we got out on another airline, and made sure we weren't left stranded.
The lodges and camps were excellent value, our favorite was the Serengeti Bush Camp.
The animals...., I don't know where to start. I think our favorite viewing was the lions in the trees at Lake Manyara, but there were just so many highlights. We joked with Miraji that we didn't see just the big 5 ,we saw the big 500.
A quick note on the flight, I booked it through Chase Ultimate Rewards with Precision Air. Apparently they stopped flying to the Serengeti in November of last year, but I never received any notification or refund, and neither did Chase. In fact the day of my flight my reservation still showed as confirmed online. Luckily for us, when we met at the Rupia office the day we started our trip, Janniken asker for the information on this flight and told me he would check with Precision Air to ensure the flight was not delayed. When he found it was cancelled, he presented us with a couple of different options. This extra effort turned what could have been a major problem into only a minor nuisance. Thanks to Janniken and Miraji so much for their help.
We spent 4 more weeks travelling in Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and while we met some other great guides, none were able to meet the benchmark that Miraji set for us.
Thanks so much for such a great experience.
Reply from Rupia Adventure
Posted on Jul 23, 2018Thank you for your feedback
Welcome again friend
TH
Email Anil dhakal | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great company and amazing tour Guide
My wife, best friend and I booked an 8 night private safari in Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara with Rupia Adventure. We had an amazing time and would HIGHLY recommend this company. Specifically, our tour guide Elasto made a great trip into one we will never forget.
Planning: Booking a safari tour in Africa from the Nepal is a lot harder than your standard vacation. There seem to be close to a hundred or more tour companies and unfortunately bad actors among them. We almost decided to cancel our entire trip because we had such a bad experience wiring money to another fraudulent company before finding Rupia Adventure. Janniken at Rupia Adventure was great to work with. Prompt, friendly and gave us helpful suggestions in preparing our itinerary. We are also amateur photographers, so she made sure we had the right equipment in our vehicle and a guide knowledgeable for this type of trip. We priced the same semi-luxury itinerary with several other companies and Rupia Adventure was the most competitive.
Safari: I'm in my late 30s and being on safari for me brought back the excitement I felt being a kid in Disney. We were the first ones out of the camp and the last ones back in every day. Every morning we felt excited about the adventure our guide Elasto would take us on that day. He was not only an expert at spotting animals, but also in knowing their behaviors and anticipating their movements. He helped us set up countless epic shots with his understanding of light and shooting angles. His passion for nature was evident and his knowledge of the country, parks and wildlife was impeccable. Most importantly he was always an absolute pleasure to be around. We considered ourselves supremely lucky to have drawn him.
Thank you Elasto and thank you Rupia Adventure! Hope to be back as soon as possible!
Reply from Rupia Adventure
Posted on Jul 23, 2018Thank you welcome back our friends
Email Mike | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Unforgettable Safari
We did the 5 day Impressive Tanzania safari and there aren't enough words to describe how amazing this experience was. Everything from the very beginning of getting a quote to the end of getting dropped off to our next transportation was completely professional and smooth. All communication with the head office/booking agents throughout the months leading up to the safari was terrific. Response time was excellent, very friendly and professional. Everything on the safari ran according to plan (as best as it could), and our driver Miraji was absolutely phenomenal. We loved every minute of the safari and I wish I could go back and do it every day!
\Accommodations were excellent along the way, and all inclusions were exactly as listed. Miraji was extremely professional, knowledgeable and friendly, we loved spending time with him and learning all about the animals and nature throughout the safari. I wish we could have taken him throughout the rest of our travels in East Africa!
We recommend Rupia Adventure for all future traveler
Reply from Rupia Adventure
Posted on Jul 23, 2018We are so happy to hear from you Thank you
IN
Email Jagamohan dash | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thank you Rupia Adventure
I recently went on a Lake Manyara/Serengeti/Ngorogoro Crater safari with Rupia's and it was an unbelievable experience. I was joined by my now fiance (I proposed on the safari), my now future mother-in-law and my parents. From the moment we touched down at Kilimanjaro until our return 5 days later, we were treated fantastically well. Our guide Mathias was informative, kind, thoughtful and kept us all motivated to make the most of such an amazing experience. We stayed at both Serena & Sopa lodges and both were excellent. I spent a long time deciding which operator to use for the safari (as there are more than 200), however, my decision to go with Rupia's was well rewarded. As a result, I would recommend Rupia's for anyone who wishes to have an outstanding safari experience.
Reply from Rupia Adventure
Posted on Jul 23, 2018We are so happy to hear from you Thank you
NP
Email Gannu Da | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kilimanjaro Climb
I had great experience and enjoyed with Rupia Adventure. We trekking for eight days via Lemosho route we saw all three peak Shira,Mawenzi and Kibo our team are worked hard and Honest our guides Julius and Majula are very experienced and porters is very smile our cook David and our waiter Samora is very fun, we recommended another future climbers to choose Rupia Adventure the smile of Africa. Thank you all Rupia's team to take care for us
Reply from Rupia Adventure
Posted on Jul 23, 2018Thank you
NP
Email suraj | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Above and Beyond Expectation
With a short amount of time to make arrangements for a safari before volunteering at a hospital in Tanzania, we immediately felt comfortable with Angel and Mathias, the communication and arrangements. We relied on their experience for the best trip for five days and we were not disappointed; we only wish we had more time. Everyone at Rupia Adventure will make you comfortable and do whatever it takes to make your adventure top-notch and unforgettable.
We started in Tarangire National Park and saw an amazing number and variety of animals with the close up experience of a small herd of elephant going around both sides of the Land Cruiser. As we entered the Serengeti National Park, there did not seem to be any wildlife around, but as Humphrey took us further in, it couldn't have been more alive. The number of zebra, gazelle, reed buck, impala, hyena, etc. is amazing. We saw a female lion miss a zebra kill because of a split second hesitation of which of two zebra to take down. A courting male lion was clueless to the pride preparing to take down some zebra approaching, thus he ruined the hunt with a growl to the lioness as she approached the pride. Humphrey saw a leopard (the second of the trip) and as we approached she crouched, and pounced, but missed the rabbit she was after. She spotted a reed buck but was also unable to successfully make a kill. In the Ngorongoro Crater another drama occurred involving a pride of 16 lions, 5 more male lions, buffalo preventing an attack on a lone buffalo, and a group of hyena circling and killing a wart hog all near the hippo pool.
Elasto is an excellent guide and eager to share his knowledge of the animals, the eco-system, and Tanzania while spotting animals and making the whole experience fun. His English is outstanding as he can discuss classes of rock, their formations, and try to confound you with riddles.
Elasto and Mathias went above and beyond to make sure we had accommodations at the end of our safari when communication with people outside their company did not come through. We will be forever grateful to Mathias for his persistence to communicate on our behalf with hospital personnel and shuttling us into town for supplies to make us comfortable as we began our volunteer time. Meredith also helped us connect with Miraji who made three weekend day trips unforgettable as well.
Reply from Rupia Adventure
Posted on Jul 23, 2018Thanks Suraj