The Chalo Africa Inc Team
Chalo Africa
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- ATTA & APTA
- Tour Types:
- Custom luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $500 to $1,600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Kim Wallihan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
FANTASTIC customer service and communication! Flexible and Knowledgeable! Highest recommendation!
Let me preface this review by saying that I rarely use travel agents as I enjoy researching and planning vacations. However, for a bucket list Africa trip, I wanted to make sure it was done right and was at a bit of a loss. Chalo was recommended by a friend who sang Sangeeta’s praises and am happy to report the accolades are well earned. My expectations were exceeded!
The biggest advantage Chalo provides is their knowledge about Africa (in our case, S Africa, Krueger, Namibia) and their incredible on the ground service. Our trip was shortened by one day because United Airlines cancelled our connecting flight (that’s a very different review, lol) and we missed the flight into Johannesburg. Whilst we were hurriedly getting retested for COVID due to expiring test results for S African entry, Sangeeta and team did the Lord’s work notifying various hotels/lodges, reconfiguring tours and itineraries and reticketing intra and intercountry flights (intracountry flight to Krueger, intercountry to Namibia). Her team did this quickly and with no effort on my part and I appreciated not having to worry about these changes.
Even more critically, Chalo has an extremely reliable agent on the ground in S Africa. Stanley met us at the airport to introduce himself. That alone assured me I was in good hands. However, Stanley’s benefit really came into sharp focus when the COVID testing lab produced “inconclusive” results for my son at 10pm when we were supposed to fly to Namibia at 10am! Even prior to that, Stanley was on the phone really pushing the lab for 3 hours, just to locate the status of our results as they had mistyped our email and the results were lost to the ether. I cannot imagine having to deal with this lab and communicate the quandary. Stanley ended up taking a cab to our hotel at 5:30am in order to personally walk us into the lab at the airport at 6am
To make sure we got retested in time for our 10am flight. EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE!
Finally, I know I haven’t referenced the actual itinerary. It was amazing! We loved our safari lodge (Simbavati Amani) and the hotels in Namibia (Sossusvlei Lodge and Olive Tree guesthouse in Windhoek). We had great guides in the safari and the food was spectacular. Sossusvlei was ethereal and magical and I would never have thought about visiting unless Sangeeta had suggested it. However, lots of different travel planners would be able to provide wonderful itineraries - where Chalo stands out is the attention to detail, amazing communication (seriously, they are so quick to respond and happy to entertain any number of questions and changes), and fantastic service in the event of hiccups.
What I thought of us as a bucket list vacation was such an amazing experience, thanks to Chalo, that we are already taking about our next trip to Africa. Not bucket list anymore, it is now my favorite place to visit, and I can’t wait to go back!
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Email Karthik K | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent & Reliable
Our group of 16 people was scheduled to go to Kenya in March, 2020 which got cancelled due to the travel restrictions in place due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Our booking was a very complex one with people coming from multiple destinations on separate dates to meet up in Nairobi before heading to Olare Mara. The team at Chalo Africa never said no to any of our requests and many changes we requested during the course of the booking. They made sure everything was covered. And i knew they were good because i had gone on a trip to Tanzania which was planned by them in 2016.
I am sure there are a few other operators who can provide such service. But the way they kept in touch after the cancellation and worked out various options for us to either get a refund or credit is a statement of their character in such tough times and is truly commendable. My family and friends will definitely make this trip and Chalo Africa will be our agency of choice to plan the trip.
I would like to thank the all star team of Sangeeta, Smita and Malavika for everything and would like to wish them all the best.
Best Wishes
KK
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Email Sushila | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent attention to detail - every request handled with infinite care!
This was our very first safari - 5 of us - and we decided to combine it with a Kili-climbing effort. Our research started 6 months before our intended trip and Chalo Africa handled our zillion questions with patience and detail. How many routes are there to Kili - which route is the best option for novices - day-time summit or night-time - temperature ranges on top of Kili - gear checklist - menu options for vegetarians - sampler safari for first timers etc. Each question/concern/apprehension was dealt with promptly and with unfailing politeness.
Our kili team was with Shah tours - and we have not come across a harder-working and more professional set of porters and guides - not to mention the one cook who catered to our every whim with a cheerful smile on his face - salad, french fries, rice, vegetable stews, omelettes, pasta and marinara - you name it - we had it on Kili. Eventually, 2 out of our group succumbed to altitude sickness and had to return before summit day. Chalo team made sure that they made it back to ground zero safely and followed up on their health status the next 3 days. I, on the other hand, will maintain until the end of my Life - that had it not been for the strong and supporting hand of Augustine - our tireless Kili guide & our two summit porters - would've never made it to Gilman's Point - the very first peak. We ran out of time to get to Uhuru - guess that'll have to wait another year.
Our safari experience was incredible. We covered the major parks in Tanzania in 5 days - Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorogoro. Our guide Fadhili Miya - incredibly knowledgeable about every subject under the sun. He was our very own Google/Wikipedia combination and tirelessly educated us on everything from the big 5 to local politics, the Masai people, economic stability, cuisine - there is nothing that the man does not know.
Our very first day - we saw a black Mamba cross our path - Fadhili said in all his years he has seen just one other time. The third day, Fadhili spotted a mamma cheetah with 2 cubs and decided at one glance that they were hungry and on the move for food. That if we followed them for a little while, we would be able to witness them hunting. Sure enough - we carefully stalked the mom and her babies for a little over an hour just as they themselves stalked a herd of unsuspecting gazelles - until at the very end - even though I was closely following every move of mamma Cheetah, she was so darn fast - that it was over in a flash. Just as well - because I was saddened for the gazelle herd even though I understood that the Cheetahs had to eat. We were literally parked 15 feet away from the Cheetahs while they scrunched and slurped their way through lunch - but they were very refined and couth. There were no gory blood and guts sight - and we went home that evening awed at Fadhili's instincts and grateful for that very rare opportunity to witness something so uniquely untamed and wildly beautiful.
Our "tents" and lodges were beautiful and given the surroundings - lakes, forests etc. - surprisingly mosquito-free. And the food - SPECTACULAR!!! There was a buffet in all but one place - sumptuous salads, bread rolls, fresh fruits, vegetables grilled to perfection, chicken & beef for the carnivores, dessert table with cheesecake, chocolate cake, custards et al. The pineapples here are the sweetest I have had anywhere in the world. And a bar with an assortment of great wines and other alcohols/cocktails.
Today is my last day in Africa - we moved on from Tanzania to Nairobi - Kenya. I am already feeling sad at the thought of leaving - but hope to be back again someday. Thank you Chalo - for an amazing journey and for opening up a whole new world for us. Asante sana!!! :-)
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Email Girija | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent attempt to details
Hi Chalo Africa team, we all returned from our memorable trip to South Africa. I am very impressed with all your local team members. I was a little nervous traveling with all the kids but all the places we stayed were kid friendly. The trip was organized well with attention to details. The location at Camps Bay village was unbeatable. So was the hospitality at Tau game lodge. Our guide Damion was kind enough to take all the kids on a kids safari drive. All in all a memorable time for our family. Thank you for your help organizing this trip.
Email Tonu B. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Designing thoughtful, customized, responsible travel itineraries
I travelled to the Masaai Mara with my parents and husband this past summer. Chalo Africa provided us with an excellent recommendation of the camp in the Mara and designed our safari itinerary with thoughtful precision. The camp they chose - Speke's Camp, turned out be fantastic. They were beautifully designed, comfortable, and provided excellent hospitality. They were also very respectful of the animals and the reserve, and provided a car per group, ensuring we had our privacy throughout the trip. Chalo Africa selected this camp with care and provided competitive rates even during a very busy season in the Mara (during the great migration). They provided reading lists before our trip, packing check lists, and ensured that the planning was done to the last detail. We had a fantastic time, and highly recommend their services!
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Email Jyoti | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible
We have just now come back after an incredible trip to Kenya. It was a trip of a lifetime.
After checking with multiple operators we went with Chalo Africa.
They were very helpful in building the right itinerary tailored to our requirements, providing all the information needed to plan & prepare for the travel. It was great interacting with Smita - she was always prompt & reachable for all our queries. All the arrangements were perfect. Being vegetarians we were anxious on the food aspect. But Chalo Africa handled it perfectly. We never faced any issues. Imagine having a picnic in the middle of an open African grassland with poha, chilla, rajma-chawal, roti-sabji, along with the regular fare! It was fabulous!!
The quality of any safari trip depends most on the guides you get to go with. We had some excellent guides with whom we could experience the wild life of Amboseli & Masai Mara - up & cose, especially the big cats & elephants. They were very knowledgeable and ensured we had the best experience.
Overall it was a great trip. Thank you !
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Email Rupa | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent trip, fantastic service and exceptionally organized
It was an optional pleasure to work with Chalo Africa to plan our family reunion and trip to Africa this summer. After contacting a few different travel agencies we proceeded with them as they provided the most efficient highly personalized and organize trip for our group at a very reasonable cost. They’re always had prompt and friendly service and responded to every request we had made. All details were taken care of. They even provided delicious yummy snacks for a safari rides and accommodated all personal food requests and organized a very special birthday celebration I would highly recommend this to a company to anyone visiting Africa
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Email Maureen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
We were very pleased with the tour, all arrangements worked out perfectly
We loved our safari experience. All of the accommodations were varied and gave us a great variety of experiences. All of the staff at all facilities were outstanding, all transfers were prompt and well organized. Tour operators and guide were outstanding
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Email Vikram Ghanekar | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Exceptional Service from Chalo Africa
Sangeeta from Chalo Africa helped in planning and executing a memorable trip to Kenya for me. The trip was tailored to my budget, my requirements (the species that I wanted to see) and comfort. They also had a Whats app group for my trip in case I had to communicate with them urgently. All in all, the trip was a grand success. I would not hesitate to recommend Chalo Africa as your tour operator for your trip to Africa.
Email Harin & Lakmali Panambalana | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Zambian Safari 2019
Our first Safari in Zambia. Chalk Africa planned and organised every detail of an excellent Safari covering a stay of 04 nights in South Luanga and Lower Zambezi - respectively. All the internal travel, lodge bookings, Safari Interests were catered for in a professional and courteous manner - no request to difficult or bothersome. A pleasure to deal with all members of Chalo Africa with their invaluable input making for a memorable trip.