Ecological Wilderness Adventures
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TALA
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $2,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Mary Beth & John Schoen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible Wildlife Encounters in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, plus Gorilla Treks
This was our second fantastic safari with Brian Mengoriki and Ecological Wilderness Adventures in Tanzania and Uganda. We thought our first 2 week safari in 2007 could not be beat, but our 3 week 2020 safari blew our minds! We had exceptional wildlife encounters in Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro Crater, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti and gorilla trekking in Bwindi, Uganda. Brian and his guides Amir Shabani, Fred Kissay and Sammy Sikombe were knowledgeable, highly experienced and skilled spotters and educators. Our group consisted of biologists, teachers and wildlife guides who were interested in birds, mammals, and reptiles, the ecology and culture of Africa as a whole. The service at EWA and other tented camps was excellent. We appreciated staying close to the parks so we could get to the action at first light. Brian arranged for a gorilla trekking expedition to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda for two days of amazing, intimate encounters with mountain gorillas. When on safari, you will see other companies racing around the savannah with jam-packed vehicles of guests who have very brief sightings of some wildlife. With EWA, you have in depth, intimate encounters with trained guides who care about the welfare of the wildlife and the long-term health of the ecosystem. You will have the experience of a lifetime.
AE
Email Warren | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Another Dream Safari with Ecological Wilderness Adventures!!
This was our 2nd outing with Brian and the team from Ecological Wilderness Adventures (EWA) and we still can't recommend them highly enough!! Book with them and you will not regret it!! We brought new adventurers with us to Tanzania this time and they loved the safari and their experience with Ecological as well. This trip we did the Northern and Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park.
I have now recommended this company to 3 groups that have gone with Brian and EWA- all of them came back with the same glowing reviews that you are reading here!! Ecological Wilderness works with you every step of the way as they answer any and all of your concerns via phone calls or email- they are extremely responsive and very helpful!!
More important, Brian, Emiri, Gerald and all the guides were great on finding so many animals and experiences for us to see. This was our second safari with them and we were just as riveted as on our first safari 4 years before this one. These guys will put you right on some of the best scenes you will ever see!! Lions, Cheetahs, Leopards, Giraffe, Elephants and many of the babies too!! Also, we saw some great Wildebeest crossings in the Serengeti this trip!!
Plus, they are extremely knowledgeable about all the animals, plants, birds and geology. It is truly amazing how much they share with you. Further, they always knew the answers to the unending questions from both the adults and children on the safari!! (Ecological Wilderness is great with children by the way- we first took our daughter right before she turned 6 and she was 10 on this last trip with Ecological).
Also of note, this is a smaller operator where YOU ARE THE TOUR!! Many larger tour companies pare you up with others and you run on a more set schedule. With Ecological Wilderness- you will be the tour and thus can tailor it to your specifications. This allows you to start early one day, later the next or send one car in for an afternoon nap while another vehicle stays out in the field. The flexibility is wonderful and you will appreciate the sensation of being their only concern during your trip!!
As a final note, we originally used Ecological Wilderness on the recommendation of a relative of mine who has a Harvard PhD in biology and tours the world to many exotic places for work. They have been everywhere it seems and really know the best operators to go with- they use Ecological Wilderness and now so do we!! Simply fantastic and can't recommend them highly enough. Also- I am willing to discuss my 2 safaris in Tanzania and my experience with EWA with you if you'd like. Just email Brian at Ecological Wilderness and he knows how to get in touch with me!!
CA
Email Karin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful journey with Ecological Wilderness Adventures!
Really can't say enough about this tour group. Brian was prompt to answer all emails ( and there were many !) before our arrival in Tanzania. The tour guides, Fred & Amir ere outstanding- friendly, fun, engaging, and informative. We toured Arusha National Park with Fred and he made every minute count! Starting with an incredible walking safari, and ending with a magnificent driving safari we loved every minute. Our cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing all day! Amir then drove us to visit Lake Manyara stopping along the way with patience and smiles at our " oh can we stop for 5 minutes at that store?!" He drove carefully by all the lovely goats and cattle as we snapped away with our camera. His attention and kind manner to every detail was so appreciated. We can safely say Brian, Amir, and Fred made our stay in Tanzania a very memorable one!
Email Tom Lamal | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ecological Wilderness Adventures far surpassed my expectations.
Our trip with Ecological Wilderness Adventures was a wonderful and memorable experience. The entire trip was well organized and we always knew what to expect for accommodations and daily viewings. The food was great and I'm surprised I didn't gain much weight. I really enjoyed the days when we had picnic lunches and breakfasts - it was fun to eat lunch in the field.
The viewing was incredible and ALL three of our guides (Brian, Amiri, and Gerald) are extremely knowable. Their experiences with animal habits and interaction made the trip very educational. We saw everything one would want to see on a safari and up close! My personal favorite is the cheetah and we saw a lot of cats - lions, leopards, serval cats, & cheetah's. I won't list all the animals we saw but we saw them all multiple times and many times close enough to use and iPhone!
The camps were very comfortable and the staff was very friendly and always willing to help make our days as comfortable as possible. Everything was extremely clean - cooking facilities, dining area, sleeping accommodations and camp tents.
I would like to return to enjoy the wonderful viewing but I would also like to see out three guides again. I feel like I make three good friends - Brian, Amiri, Gerald.
Email Kate | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Every day was breathtaking!
Our safari was planned by our neighbor here in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was his 8th tour with Brian so our 3 week adventure had everything you could ask for. We started at Arusha National Park in a woodland setting, then moved eastward through Tarangiri, Lake Manyara, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro Crater, Sarengeti and Ndutu through the savanna. Our group had 10 people, and three vehicles. Our guides were Brian, Amiri and Gerald. These men were incredible naturalists that could tell us anything we needed to know about plants, birds, animal habits, mating rituals, birthing, raising young etc. We switched vehicles everyday so got to spend time with each of these knowledgeable men. We had the opportunity to meet with Hadzabi, Datoga and Masai tribes. The accommodations and food were as good as it gets and the service provided at each camp or lodge was outstanding. Every day was breathtaking and an immersion in wildlife. If you are going on a safari you need to go with Ecological Wilderness Adventures - up close and personal!
Email Marilyn | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime!
My husband and I spent practically the entire month of February, 2017, in Africa. Brian at Ecological Wilderness Adventures planned this wonderful trip for us, based on what we wanted to see. The first 2 weeks were spent in Tanzania, and our guide Sammy was wonderful! He had studied and recorded elephants, and he knew everything about them! He showed us beautiful giraffes, zebras, hippos, rhinos, wildebeests, buffaloes, cheetahs, lions, jackals, hyenas, vultures, and various birds and plants. We saw a Wildebeest giving birth, and lions and zebras procreating! Sammy knew where to find the most interesting animals, and answered all of our questions along the way! Then we flew to Nairobi for another safari journey through Massai Mara. We saw many of the same animals in a different environment, but the most exiting thing was when Peter, our guide, found a leopard in a tree! We watched that animal for a long time, and took many pictures. My husband opened and slammed the door of the Land Cruiser so the leopard would look at us. That's a fantastic picture! From there, we flew to Rwanda to do some gorilla trekking. William was our guide in that country, and we first spent a few hours in their moving Genocide Museum. Then we headed out to the Mountain Gorilla View Lodge to spend the night before our early rise for the Gorilla Trekking. Although the climb took a lot out of us, we saw many wonderful gorillas in the jungle. Bosco was our guide for this adventure, and he was very patient with us old people as the climb was steep, sometimes slippery, and the air was thin! But, we made it to the area of the jungle where many gorillas were eating, and we even got great pictures of a baby gorilla, estimated to be about 4 months old! Only 80 people/day are allowed to view the 10 families that are being tracked, so only 8 were in our little group. We had one hour to view them, and then were told 'time's up'! The trek back down was pretty taxing as well! But, it was all worth it! What wonderful memories we have, and beautiful pictures to last a lifetime! Many thanks to Brian for coordinating this trip for us and making it such a success!
Safari experience of a lifetime!
Our Tanzania trip with locally owned and operated Ecological Wilderness Adventures was beyond expectations. The family we were with had used them four years ago and we understand why they wanted to use them again. Brian, Amiri and the team were wonderful guides. They were honest, flexible, fun, and considerate of young children (including dietary needs/wants...they have families themselves). The accommodations were great, especially at the camps in the Serengeti. EWA bring maturity and a respect for the wildlife and environment that can only be acquired by a lifetime of firsthand experience. We were so impressed with how extremely knowledgeable they were about animal, plant, and bird life. We saw everything and then some. We visited four areas, North and Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park. All not to be missed. We highly recommend them. You won't be disappointed.
CA
Email Ken | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This operator made a lifetime trip into Tanzania an unforgetable adventure.
We booked with Ecological Wilderness Adventure and have not been disappointed in any way. The accommodations were great and well cared for. The food was always good with only a couple of minor let downs in the box lunches we ate during the day while on the road. But I will trade a fancy meal for more wildlife time any day. They took care of all our needs and made good for any slight errors that were made.
I would recommend this tour operator to my own mother! That is how good they are. Our guide provided us with excellent opportunities to witness all the Big 5 as well as many more joyful encounters with all the new birds, mammals and reptiles that I have never seen in the wild before. Or in some cases never seen before anywhere including in all the nature documentaries that I have watched in the last 5 decades.
CA
Email Chris | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
trip of a lifetime
My husband and I just got back from a wonderful 12 day safari with Ecological Wilderness Adventures. I cannot recommend this company enough. Brian answered our e mails promptly and professionally, providing all the information and preparation we needed to proceed with our trip of a life time. Our driver/guide, Gerald, took great care of us from arrival to departure and not only answered all our questions about the wildlife but also gave us some excellent insight into the Tanzanian culture and history. He is a great driver and was always able to get us into an excellent position for viewing. The man also has the eyesight of an eagle! The lodges and mobile camps we stayed at were clean and comfortable with helpful and friendly staff, good food and great locations inside the parks. We saw some amazing sights but my favorite location was in the northern Serengeti Savannah Mara River camp. This camp puts you right in the center of the migration and we were lucky enough to see several river crossings. Truly a trip of a lifetime! Hakuna matata!!
Asante sana Brian and Gerald!
Chris
CA
Email John and Chris | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Top notch guide, food was great and the wilderness was incredible.
The trip exceeded all expectations. We had an expert guide that showed us all the highlights - the cats, the migration etc. All of the staff was polite and provided great service. The big surprise to me was how great the food was - expect to gain a few pounds on the trip. We also had stops at a Masai village and local town. These tours should not be missed. The guide picked is up at the airport and made sure I visit was care free until we left.