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
A great travel experience with a knowledgeable driver/guide
We booked our vacation after my son and daughter in law came back from a safari and sent us their pictures. Having now been on a safari ourselves, I can tell you that the whole experience is one to be remembered. Our driver/guide was Ameri who had previously worked for a number of years as ranger, there was nothing that he did not seem to know and explain to us. When we were driving along he would suddenly stop and say "see that ... over there?" when he pointed out where to look, we saw animals quite plainly but they blended into the background so easily, that without him we would surely have missed almost half of them. Even when the other guides around seemed to be drawing a blank Ameri would quietly take us to another spot and for sure, the wildlife would turn up there.
We found the camp staff very willing to help and the food was always excellent, nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them.
I can thoroughly recommend this safari to anyone who is interested in getting closer to nature.
Visited October 2015
MX
Email Laurel Patrick | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I got much more than I asked for…lucky me.
For my long awaited first African Safari, I wanted a custom, private tour, Guides knowledgeable in flora, fauna (especially birds), customs, history and geology and luxurious tented camp facilities.
Friends who had visited Africa on many occasions recommend Ecological Wilderness Adventures. They could not have been more right! Applause, bows and cheers to Ecological; experts in flora & fauna, knowledge, service, gracious upbeat attitudes, excellent equipment and comfort. I got much more than I asked for…lucky me.
To locate animals, Brian and his Guides relied on ‘reading’ the animal signs, in depth knowledge of the habitat and familiarity with the maze of back roads and water holes, past experience. These chaps know their stuff! They would willingly spend the entire day seeking unique safari experiences from a pack of wild dogs (very rare to find in Tanzania) to a full hyena den and all the species between. Brian’s ‘normal’ was to be the only safari vehicle in the area reveling in the unique and full wonder of the animals.
(A surprise to learn that many of the ‘other’ tour companies rely on constant radio contact to locate the animals. Who knew? Radio contact is a jarring, invasion of distracting foreign noise and the radio ‘tips ‘mean that masses of Safari vehicles end up at the same location, together ogling the same animals. Not the experience I visualized.)
I will add that though it was not on my priority list, the camp food was simply fabulous! Creative, fresh, eclectic flavors; certainly another grand surprise from Team Brian.
What a joy top to bottom, beginning to end. The experience of a lifetime that I sought was granted because of team Ecological Wilderness Adventures. I cannot recommend them more highly. Oh by the way, beyond the Big 5 and endless other fantastic species, we identified 215 bird species. !!!!
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Email Carolyn Mc | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great animals, wonderful birds, perfect camp sites and the best guide in all of Tanzania.
My husband and I had an unexpected opportunity to travel to Tanzania this fall with a friend who had it on her “wish list” and urged us to go with her. This was our eighth(!) trip to Tanzania (our twelfth trip to Africa), and this last trip was just as wonderful and memorable as our first. As always in Tanzania, we went with Brian of Ecological Wilderness Adventures. Brian started out working for another safari company, but has had his own company for several years now. He has great equipment - vehicles, tents, amenities, etc. - and a wonderful staff who work very hard to make sure the needs of every client are met.
From the first soft “Morning!’ wake up call to the last safety walk to the tent at night, every day was unique, filled with great and often unexpected sightings - from the tiniest birds to the large cape buffalos, everything was quietly pointed out and all questions answered - except the elusive answer to how the red-cheeked cordon bleu got its name.
From the first trip we were impressed with what a great “sighter” Brian is, and his skills have improved over the years. We would be driving along and he would say “Did you see that leopard?” and we would have to admit that “No, we hadn’t”. Then he’d back up a few feet, and there were the dangling legs of a leopard (in one case a leopard and a cub), looking to us much like another tree limb.
The food has always been tasty - what we’ve come to think of as “safari” fare. But we were pleasantly surprised this time by the quality and variety of food prepared by Brian’s cook. The meals were wonderful. You definitely have to pace yourself or you’ll bring home a few extra pounds along with all your photos and memories.
Speaking of photos - Brian is a very good photographer himself, so he is very aware of the best angle and light for your photos. He positions the vehicle so you can get the best shot possible. We came home with hundreds (or is it thousands?) of beautiful photos.
If you’re thinking of going to Africa, Tanzania is a great place to visit. The country has done a remarkable job of setting aside land for parks so that the animals can move freely around the country. And when you go to Tanzania, use Ecological Wilderness Adventures as your safari company. They will work with you to develop an itinerary that gives you an opportunity to visit the Africa you have dreamed of and they will tailor the days to make your safari a wonderful experience.
Now we’re just waiting for some other friend to say they want to go to Africa so we have an excuse to return.
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Email Kate Persons | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Thanks Brian and EWA crew for a fabulous safari and Kili climb!
Thanks Brian and EWA crew for a fabulous safari and Kili climb!
I recently returned from an outstanding Ecological Wilderness Adventures (EWA) wildlife safari with wildlife biologist friends in Kenya and Tanzania and I would enthusiastically recommend this professionally operated company to anyone. Our itinerary was complicated, orchestrated beautifully and in each place we saw most of what we hoped to see and so much more.
The Kenyan portion of the safari began in Nairobi, continuing on to Samburu, Lake Nakuru, Lake Navasha and Amboseli over a 10 day period. We had expert guiding by EWA owner, Brian Mengoriki, and his top-notch (and very funny!) associate, Gerald as well as excellent guides, Ken and Duncan from a Kenyan company that EWA partnered with in Kenya. In Tanzania we visited Tarangire, the Ngorogoro Crater, Ndutu, and the Central and Northern Serengeti over 13 days. There, another outstanding EWA guide, Amiri, joined Brian and Gerald and they are an awesome team…all so knowledgeable and expert at delivering not just the wildlife, but wildlife in action….and at photographic range! They have the knack for knowing when it's worth waiting patiently for things to happen and when time is better spent moving on. Our guides were keen on all species of wildlife, including birds which was important to most of the people in our group and they went all out to find what the group was interested in seeing. And these guys are all just great people who were a pleasure to spend all day, every day with for 3 weeks! There was no shortage of laughter either, our guides had a great sense of humor!
We stayed in various types of lodging from a large Sopa Lodge on the rim of Ngorogoro to comfortable tented camps where one could hear the intriguing sounds of the savanna throughout the night. All accommodations were excellent, but the tented camps were my favorite, particularly the ones owned and operated by EWA in the Central and Northern Serengeti. The staff there was especially gracious and the camps were situated in particularly wildlife rich areas. One night I awoke to the sound of munching and looked through the tent netting to see a wildebeest grazing in the moonlight just a few feet from my pillow. (However, there are guards patrolling all night to ensure clients don’t get munched!)
The food was delicious and plentiful. Picnic breakfasts and lunches eaten in the field were particularly enjoyable and enabled us to spend long hours in the savanna in search of animals.
The logistics of our complicated itinerary were managed beautifully. Brian and his crew were adept at satisfying divergent interests within the group and dealt quickly and easily with all unexpected circumstances that inevitably arise over a 3 week period.
In addition to sharing a wealth of information about wildlife, our guides educated us about the history, politics and diverse cultures of Kenya and Tanzania, including interesting visits to a multicultural village and a Maasai family compound.
EWA also arranged a pre-safari Kilimanjaro climb for me which was a rich and wonderful experience in itself. My guide, Dismas, had climbed the mountain 100’s of times (it was his office, he said), he was superbly competent and knowledgeable, great company, humorous and hadn’t run out of enthusiasm for guiding or for the mountain. We followed the interesting Machame Route through many different vegetation zones and Dismas, besides guiding me up the mountain, was able to explain much about the natural history along the way. Though he said at the beginning not to ask him about birds, it turned out he knew most of them. It was a pleasure to be on the mountain with someone who was so clearly well-liked and respected by the numerous other guides and porters we met along the route. Dismas had an excellent team of porters and a talented cook to support the climb. These amiable young men work with him regularly and went to great lengths to make the camping very comfortable and the food delicious.
Not only did we reach the summit, but we descended into the crater and up again to the rim of yet another crater within the larger crater where one looks down into yet a third crater, the Ash Crater. It was a fantastic, little-visited site, with amazing views and smells of the dramatic volcanic landscape, the walls streaked with yellow sulfur and the odor of sulfur hanging in the cool, still air…a special and totally unexpected opportunity!
I should mention that my luggage with all my climbing gear did not arrive on the KLM flight with me and when it showed up a day late and at the last minute, I discovered important items had been stolen. EWA staff filed all the paperwork with the airline for me and Dismas obtained rental gear to substitute for my losses so I could proceed on the climb as scheduled. I’m grateful to EWA staff for dealing efficiently with the problem so no time was lost getting to the mountain. KLM did eventually fully reimburse me for my losses.
The whole experience, from the climb through the safari was fabulous and exceeded all my expectations!
IL
Email Ilana | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
fantastic!
Recently returned from safari in Tanzania with my mother. From the start Brian at EWA answered every question within hours and planned our trip perfectly as per our requests. our guide, Amiri, was fantastic - friendly and funny, knows every animal, bird, plant and insect in Tanzania and is also a great driver!
The camps were great - comfortable, clean and beautifully located with amazing staff and chefs.
We got to see everything we hoped for and then some (we planned our trip according to the wildebeest migration). Amir was extremely sensitive to our needs and we were treated like royalty.
We will definitely use EWA next time we are in Tanzania!
Email Chris & Annabel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An awe inspiring experience
Time to heap yet more praise on this wonderful company. We recently enjoyed a 6 night Northern circuit with EWA and as other reviewers have noted, this is a company committed to ensuring a good time...
We were met at Arusha Airport by Baraka (the office manager) and Amir (our guide) and taken to our overnight hotel - a nice and relaxed vibe from the pair of them.
Our Safari encompassed Lake Manyara, Serengeti (both Seronera and Kogatende), Ngorongoro and Tarangire, Despite the distances involved, Amir maintained a calm, careful and cheerful manner. A word or two about Amir - he is a wonderful guide who is always willing to share his vast knowledge of the game and birds on offer (of which there are so many). We feel that in the week we spent with him we became friends, and gained much insight into his life and country. He truly has a knack for sniffing out where particular animals are to be found, using his "Big Machine" (his nose)!
Whilst on Safari it was a pleasure to meet Brian (the boss) and Gerard (another guide), and we were so impressed with the way the outfit was run, especially the tented camps owned & run by EWA.
The quality of accommodation and food was high - we spent 4 nights in tents (with plumbed in loos), in 3 of them your shower water is manhandled by your tent manager and loaded into a tank behind your tent - so welcome!
We will review the camps and lodges separately - we stayed at Zawadi house in Arusha, Bougainvillea Lodge near Lake Manyara, Serengeti Savannah Camp, Serengeti Mara River Camp, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge and Tarangire Safari Lodge.
In conclusion, this is a superb company with wonderful customer service, friendly, interesting and engaging - you need look no further when considering a Tanzanian Safari..
We will be back! Chris & Annabel
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Email Travis | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ecological Wilderness Adventures Gave us a PERFECT Safari
My family and I returned in early July from a safari in Tanzania, organized and executed by EWA. I cannot say enough good things about them, but will try! Brian, the owner, is very organized, responsive, honest, easy to work with, smart, expert at the planning level. Allows payment by check in the US ... no messy wire transfers. The safari itself was magnificent: lovely tented camps, including the one in the Serengeti owned by EWA. Driver/guide, Amir, was wonderful: incredibly knowledgable, former Park Ranger, speaks 11 languages, knows 3200 species of birds, expert at finding game, explaining flora and fauna. And excellent company over our 8 days with him. You cannot get a better outfitter than these guys ... I would do the trip again tomorrow. Let me also note that by using a local company, the value is much better than using a group w US office ... you pay a lot to the latter for something that doesn't matter to the actual safari. So, I give our experience, and EWA, an A+ (and I'm a hard grader!)
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous guide, Great camps, Perfect safari experience
We went on a 7-day safari in Tanzania, parents and two grown daughters in our twenties, celebrating dad's 60th birthday. My mother coordinated the trip from the States with Brian who she said was flawless in organizing from afar and answering all our concerns. We loved our guide Amir, a true-blue guy who was very knowledgeable about not only literally thousands of bird and animal species and their habits, but also local culture and history. He was always punctual, very responsive to small health and dietary concerns of the group, knew just where to find which animals, let us stop to take a million photos, and had a fun sense of humor. Your guide is hugely important to the experience -- since you spend all day together! Amir is a gem, and Brian said that all of their guides are on par with him. I will also recommend the Serengeti Savannah Camp, a tented camp we stayed in that is run by Brian and Ecological Wilderness Adventures. Of the tented camps we stayed in, it was one of the best. The showers were hot, they wash your dusty clothes, the staff was super friendly, and the food was good. There was just an easy, peaceful spirit to the place. We saw some fabulous animals in their natural habitat, rode with the wind in our hair through the bush, and spent a beautiful week having an unparalleled family adventure. I truly recommend this experience and booking through this company.
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Email Teresa Barger | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best safari, best guide, most responsive Tanzania safari operators.
It starts with the amazing responsiveness of the proprietor, Brian. He answers emails day and night. He can give you outlines of suggested safaris and you can customize from there. He made paying easy as I sent a check to a U.S. address. (No money transfers which are usually painful.) On the ground, we had Amir as our driver and guide. He is so intelligent plus hugely reliable, cheerful, fun, and, of course, knowledgable. He knows the statistics on everything if you ask. He knows 11 languages ( 8 he taught himself), can identify 3,200 bird species, and of course all the animals and their habits. He also understands that we want to take 100s of photos of zebra hoping that a couple are worth keeping. He is very patient. He cleans the car everyday, is always early for pick up, and also great fun. It is so much better using Ecological Adventures than one of the big operators with so-so guides, and who don't treat their employees as well.
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Email Frank Maxwell | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A top drawer adventure! There are no negatives associated with this safari-only accolades.
We arrived a few days ahead of our group and asked Brian for some ideas on how to spend them. He offered several options and we chose an overnight hike part way up Mt. Kilimanjaro. Brian made the arrangements and we wound up with an excellent guide and crew. The hike and stay were very rewarding. Returning to Arusha, we settled into a comfortable cottage nestled with other cottages in tropical trees, brilliant flowers and darting exotic birds that tantalizingly showed themselves before furtively melting into the thick tree crowns.
This was the auspicious start to a string of accommodations that ranged from beautiful lodges to tent camps. All facilities were very comfortable, clean and well equipped from beds and hot showers to the charging stations for camera, computer and other electronic equipment batteries.
Over the three week trip, we visited a number of Rift Valley parks and ended up at the Serengeti. Along the way we saw sights ranging of age from the very young to the very ancient. The young included baby baboons clutched tightly to their mothers and others chasing around like kids at recess. Elephants, zebras, gazelles, wart hogs, jackals, wildebeests, cape buffalo, lions, cheetahs and even a fuzzy yellow grey crowned crane chick (colt?) rounded out the young set. On the other end of the time spectrum, we stopped at Oldupai Gorge where the Leakeys discovered the early hominid, Lucy. Along the way there were visits to settlements and villages and the opportunity to share in the culture of Tanzania and to pick up African mementos. Our guides were always eager to answer questions about the cultural practices, economic activities, history and other aspects of East African society. They are particularly proud of the success Tanzania has had in integrating the numerous religions, ethnicities, and tribes.
Our group included individuals whose interests tended toward ecology and plants, others in birds, and still others in mammals. EWA masterfully satisfied these divergent interests. Our guides were so experienced, and knowledgeable about all the species that they found them, anticipated their movements and positioned us to best observe and photograph them. I was very impressed by their willingness and skill in positioning us for the best photographs. They have an uncanny ability to spot birds and animals in cryptic situations.
The food, service, and staff friendliness were outstanding. Sitting in the dining tent one evening and listening to the lions roaring a moderate distance away and having a herd of elephants cross in front of the vehicles as we left the camp for a game drive constituted icing on the cake.
Riding to the airport for the long flight home, I looked back from the vehicle to see that the clouds had retreated from the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the snowy peak was bathed in rosy alpenglow, providing a perfect metaphor for what I was feeling.
Brian and crew provide an unparalleled experience and I'm giving it the most cogent recommendation that I can-we're returning for another EWA safari this summer.