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
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Email Leeanne Alonso | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Perfect Safari for the Whole Family
I tell everyone- if you’re going on safari- you should go to Tanzania and you must go with Ecological Wilderness Adventures! When my mother offered to take the entire family on safari, she put me in charge of arranging it. I first wanted to find a Tanzanian operator so that we could support Tanzania directly and have local guides. I also wanted to find a good price and an itinerary that visited a wide variety of sites. I found Ecological Wilderness Adventures on the internet and started a conversation with Brian Mengoriki and his staff. I was a bit nervous about booking such a big trip with an operator on the other side of the world without knowing much about them, but my fears were quickly abated. Brian and his staff were attentive and flexible and allowed us to modify the tour schedule to suit our needs, which were varied since our group was comprised of five kids ranging in age from 6 to 14 and ten adults including young parents and grandparents. Brian arranged for us our own personal tour with three safari vehicles and three guides!
Our experience with Ecological Wilderness Adventures was absolutely amazing and was a once in a lifetime experience for all of us! A year later, we are still talking about all the animals we were able to observe closely including 9 cheetahs! Countless wildebeest! 635 elephants in one afternoon! And a pack of Wild Dogs on the hunt! We loved the beautiful scenery, the wonderful lodgings at all the sites, and all the fun that we had with our friendly guides. The itinerary developed by Brian was perfect- we visited five national parks, each with their unique habitats and animals, which made the tour interesting every day. The safari was well paced for all of us, with a range of activities each day including game drives, visiting local villages, tasty lunches, and opportunities to walk around.
The kids never got bored and were actively engaged by our guides at all times. They especially loved sticking their heads out of the roof of the vehicles and trying to count all the animals we saw. Our visit to a Masai village was especially fascinating to all. The safari was also well suited to our “older” travellers who enjoyed the scenic views and delicious food at our distinctive and comfortable lodges selected by Brian. Since our tour was during Christmas and New Year’s Eve, we were delighted by special celebrations such as waiters dressed like Santa serving champagne!
As a biologist and natural history tour guide myself, I was especially impressed by the expert level of knowledge held by Brian and our other two tour guides. They knew the common and scientific name of every animal and plant we saw and had detailed stories of their natural history. They also had fun facts and stories to entertain the kids! Besides being knowledgeable, they were funny and helpful and quickly became good friends with our entire group. We all still keep in touch.
The entire tour was absolutely perfect and we would highly recommend Ecological Wilderness Adventures to everyone interested in an African safari. You can’t get a better value or more amazing experience than traveling with Brian and his friends.
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Email Harvey Sapir | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The only way to see Tanzania wild life!
This year was my second trip to Tanzania with Brian Mengoriki and Ecological Wilderness Adventures,
the first trip was last year in May.
Both times the experience was outstanding.
For my original trip in 2012 I discovered EWA and Brian on the Internet, as I was looking for a unique safari experience, with the maximum possible photography opportunities.
From my first email communication with Brian, I knew I had made the right decision.
All his planning and suggestions were absolutely first rate.
The 2 trips were in very different times of the year, and very different accommodation options. In 2012 the 3 weeks were built around lodges (all of them chosen by Brian were excellent in every way - food, rooms, atmosphere, etc) and the object was to see a number of different parks, each with it's own special characteristics and photo opportunities. We saw it all - elephants, leopards, lions, cheetahs, all the buck, birds, flamingoes, buffalo. Brian was a tireless and professional guide, who always knew how to be in the right place at the right time.
This year Brian planned a different type of trip - the main object being to photography the immense herds of the wildebeest (gnu) fighting their way across the Mara River. We spent 1 week at a bush camp right on the Mara River, then another week in another bush camp in the middle of the Seronera, concentrating on getting up close to the big cats.
The river crossings are absolutely unbelievable - hundreds, sometimes thousands of gnu making the crossing, the noise, the excitement, the water splashing, the incredible jumps made by full grown gnu from the river bank into the water, and of course, the huge (I mean huge) crocs cruising the banks and the water.
The bush camps are definitely a very different experience from a lodge, and one I heartily recommend.
Nothing can beat a glass of red wine around the campfire, watching the African sunset, and reliving all the excitement of the day's adventure.
Missing the Serengeti and Brian's brand of safari already!
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Email Janeen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
I would give 10 stars for this experience!
A zebra standing up for the first time! A cheetah successfully taking down a wildebeest! Lions mating! A wildebeest giving birth! A pack of wild dogs! YES, we saw this and MORE on our 3-week Tanzanian safari with Ecological Wilderness Adventures. I have dreamed of going on a safari with Brian and his guides since hearing of a friend’s adventures 5 years ago. This experience did not disappoint. Not only did we see all of the aforementioned events, we saw all of the main African animals and more birds than I can begin to list here (but I will name drop – Secretary Bird!). We viewed all of this from the comfort of 4 jeeps for our group of 14 (mostly biologists and teachers united in our interest in wildlife and birds). We had room for our day packs as well as room to move around to get the best photographic angle. Brian and his guides (Fredy, Amir, and Sammy) knew where they were going, what they were looking for, how to find the wildlife, AND how to get us into the best location to see the action. They knew animal behavior well enough to get us to the right place at the right time. After our eventful days in the field, we returned to excellent lodging and wonderful food. My favorite accommodations were the mobile tents set up just for our group by Ecological Wilderness Adventures. All of the comforts were provided for us by friendly and competent staff and we were close to all of the action, hearing hyena and lions in the night. Additionally, we got to go on cultural tours with the Maasai, the Wadatoga, and the Hadzabe people and did a cultural walk of Mto wa Mbu. It was a nice blend of culture and wildlife all professionally managed. We visited the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Eyasi, Lake Manyara, and Ndutu. Oh wait! Did I mention Mountain Gorillas?? Brian arranged a trip extension to Uganda to see visit the gorillas for the end of our safari. All details of our trip to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park were prepared beautifully for us and we had 2 successful days of gorilla trekking. If you are looking at a safari in Tanzania you have a plethora of companies to choose from. Some may be cheaper than Ecological Wilderness Adventures, but they will not provide the level of comfort, personal attention, and success that EWA will. EWA did not rush us around nor limit our time viewing. When we were ready to move on, we moved on. Our 6-passenger jeep had 4 people in it (not 7 as some companies do). We got to spend quality time with this quality company and we truly had the experience of a lifetime. I hope it isn’t my last experience with Ecological Wilderness Adventures – I covet another experience of a lifetime with them! You will NOT regret selecting Ecological Wilderness Adventures.
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!!
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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.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Safari With Extremely Knowledgeable Guide
We booked an 8 Day Wilderness Tour with Brian. It was an excellent experience and we can highly recommend him. Our itinerary consisted of:
Northern Serengeti: Migration
Central Serengeti: Resident wildlife
Ngorongoro crater: The unique crater & its wildlife
Lake Manyara: Flamingos, lots of scenery
Tarangire national park: lots and lots of elephants
We managed to pack in quite a bit. Brian recommended that we fly in to Northern Serengeti from Arusha to start our tour and save time. This was a wise choice as the drives can be very long and boring. The scenery was absolutely astounding with amazing views of Kilimanjaro as we flew through the clouds. As we landed on the dirt airstrip we could see herds and herds of wildebeest. We got stuck in to the action and on the very first day, we saw wildebeest, giraffe, antelope, zebra and had a beautiful sunset on the way home. We finished the day with a Tanzanian shower, campfire and some great food.
The next two days were also spent in the north and we experienced the migration in full force, with a massive herd of wildebeest stampeding towards the river. It was a rush! Brian sped to the riverbank and we had an excellent vantage point to witness the massive herd crossing. You really have to experience this in person to get an idea of the scale of the migration!
On day four we made the journey to central Serengeti. It was long but unavoidable. If there is an opportunity to fly here it may be worthwhile. We finally arrived in central Serengeti late afternoon and did a short game drive. We saw Ostrich some bird life, zebra and antelope and had a relaxing evening by the campfire.
On day five we did a morning and afternoon game drive. We saw male and female lions and a leopard finishing off a kill. We also saw Baboons, Giraffe and Hippos. We had a bit of bad luck with weather in central Serengeti but we still managed to see quite a bit. Wildlife was much more sparse than in northern Serengeti due to the migration so it took a little more effort to spot interesting wildlife.
On Day 6 we travelled to the Crater. The scenery along the way is absolutely spectacular, and the scenery from the crater rim is even better. On the crater floor we saw flamingo, buffalo, hippos, rhinos (from a distance) and lots of other wildlife. You definitely should not miss the crater.
We finished up our trip on day 7 and 8 with a stay in a nice lodge which was flanked by some beautiful scenery and a drive through beautiful lake manyara and the tangier national park. We saw lots and lots of flamingos, baboons and many elephants. We also saw elephant bath time in the mud which was quite interesting, especially with Brian explaining why the baby elephants bath in mud. We also saw some female lions up close and got some great snaps.
Overall Brians hospitality was excellent, his camps were clean & well maintained, the food was great and the staff were very friendly. The vehicles were very well maintained, immaculate Toyota land cruisers with panoramic roof, bean bags for camera equipment and chargers. We had plenty of water too. This was definitely a major plus as we did see a lot of other vehicles in very poor condition with lots of tourists jammed in fighting amongst each other to get the best vantage point for pictures in their cramped rusty 4x4s. We had no such issues, we had the whole land cruiser to our selves and could take our time.
We can definitely recommend Brian and his team. Brian is incredibly knowledgeable and will explain specific animal behavior and habits as you encounter different types of wildlife. You won’t just be looking at the wildlife but you will learn about them in detail, their habitat, behavior, predators and prey. Thanks EWA and Brian for a great Safari!
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65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ecological Wilderness Adventures - All the elements of a fabulous trip
Ecological Wilderness Adventures: It is hard to find enough of the right words for Ecological Wilderness Adventures. Well organized, bottomless knowledge of the areas and animals, smoothly operating camps with outstanding staff and a dependable ability to find animals when other guide operations seemed to be anxiously searching.
Tourists face a blizzard of safari-related services. Most of which often require the traveler to somehow combine them into a comprehensive package. EWA met us at the Kilimanjaro airport on our arrival and helped unload and check us in on our departing flight. Between those times, they were terrific hosts and guides.
Brian, Gerald, Chaffie and others on the EWA team offer a seamless one-stop solution to the swarm of options thrown at visitors. EWA has the guides, camps (shower and toilet in each 2-person tent), in-country relationships (Brian was born and raised in the Ngorongoro Crater) and knowledge to get it all done properly.
I am a seasoned adventure traveler, founder of an Alaska guiding service and a picky photographer. EWA is a quality outfit by any measure - all at a very reasonable price.