In front of our office
Northern Circuit Adventure
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $195 to $580 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
great camping safari with northern circuit adventure
We looked for a good safari-company in the internet. As Northern Circuit Adventure had a good offer for a 7 day camping safari and Michael (Chief of the company) answered e-mails very quickly we decided for this company.
It worked out to be a good decision. We were picked up at the airport late in the evening. The hotel (Clouds View) was a bit out of town, but clean and the staff friendly.
For Safari we were picked up in the morning by Denis. He was our guide and driver. He brought us safe to all the different parks and campsites, told us a lot about the animals and managed all the other things around as repairing flat tires or waiting in the queue at the entrance gate of the national parks. He even kept his promise to find us 30 lions.
In the evening our chef Sweetbart prepared delicious dinner – simple but tasty local food with fresh ingredients. It was a good experience to help him cooking and learn more about Tanzanian food. Usually Denis and Sweetbart had their meal together with us. It was very interesting to hear about Tanzanian life and culture and we had good discussions until late in the evening.
We really can recommend Northern Circuit Adventure as everything was well organized, people were reliable and interested in having a good time together.
Thanks again for that great experience!
Wonderful people ensuring a high quality safari experience
We have had an amazing 5-day Safari experience in Serengeti, Ngorongo Crater and Manyara lake thanks to Northern Circuit Adventure company. Michael, the owner, was very helpful and friendly, he provided all the information requested, adjusted the Safari offer accordingly to our request, we felt well taken care of. Our guide Wumi was simply wonderful - he ensured we saw all the animals including the Big Five and explained us a lot about wildlife and animals life. He took us all the way to the Mara River to give us a chance to see the Wildebeest migration. Moussa, our chef, managed to cook amazing meals throughout the whole trip.
The abundance of animals in Serengeti and Ngorongo was simply amazing, so many lions so close from us. We spent nights at public campsites - and it was also an interesting experience sleeping in tents in the middle of African savanna. Just make sure that you bring warm clothe if you spend the night at Ngorongo crater campsite as it gets pretty cold at night.
In general we are very happy with our Safari experience and would recommend Northern Circuit Adventure as a Safari operator.
PL
Email Zenek | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
4 days Safari - Best experience with best company
NCA was recommended to me by my friend and it was great decision to choose them. Mike is very helpful - you can see that he really want to provide best experience for his guests. What is also important he can help to book hotel in Arusha - they cooperate with Clouds View hotel which is in very good price and is quite good. In regards Safari I spent 4 wonderful days in Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro - our driver Denis was also wonderful guide with vast knowledge about wildlife - he knows also a lot of interesting stories - nice for evenings :) Please keep in mind that this is not obvious in other companies that driver is also good guide! Our cheff Sweetbert cared so that we have every day fresh and good food. In summary Denis and Sweetbert are dream team for such trip. NCA in my opinion is best company for Safari in Tanzania. Asante sana Denis Mike and Sweetbert!! :)
EE
Email Johanna&Kaspar | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
6-day honeymoon safari
We started to organize our safari only 2-3 weeks before arrival. Mike from Northern Circuit Adventure was very responsive to the emails (he answered the same day) and made us a great 6-day itinerary. We took a small-group safari, but ended up getting a private safari :)
On arrival they picked us up from the airport and offered free accommodation for the first night.
Our guide Dennis was extremely sophisticated and nice. He knew exactly where to drive and drove safe and smooth. He always knew the answers to all of our questions about the animals and told us many great stories.
Our cook Sweetbart was a funny and nice guy and made tasty food.
After the safari Mike organized a taxi back to the airport and helped with everything.
It was a fantastic adventure and we would like to go again on safari with Northern Circuit Adventure!
ES
Email Jordi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Normal company.
In general, we loved the experience; however, we didn't like that the program changed 5 minutes before getting on the car. Visiting Lake Manyara after the Ngorongoro was a failure, and I wouldn't recomend to any
Body a 5 days safari. We paid the same amount for the last day and we didn't do much. And we were told that we will pay less if the group was bigger and when two more people came, there wasn't any difference.
The company is serious and I would recommend it, but only for 4 days. Please clean the pillows and the sleepbags.
Reply from Northern Circuit Adventure
Posted on Sep 2, 2016Dear Jordi,
Thanks for the updates regarding your safari and it was nice to hear that you love the experience, but i think there was miss understanding between you and your agent from Moshi because the maximum number of people in a car is 6 and by the way you were the luckiest person who paid less than others.
Thanks and we will love to take you again on safari in a future!
Northern Circuit Adventure Team,
AE
Email Jackson DSouza | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best experience
After doing a lot of research, we selected northern circuit adventures. Then we came in contact with Michael, the main person who interacted with us about the tour and the payments. Hotel in Arusha was average , as the water pressure was very less. Keeping all that aside, we had a great time and had an excellent guide "Dominique" who educated us on the wild life and the cultures.
I would totally recommend using this tour company as its trust worthy and dedicated staff to arranged what you have paid for.
SE
Email Anna and Jesper | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari!!!
We had an amazing safari with Northern Circuit Adventure in the middle of June 2016
Michael helped us arrange the trip and everything went very smoothly. He was very fast to reply on all our questions before we arrived and gave us valuable advice. He also came himself to pick us up at the airport.
Before the safari we stayed a night at Clouds View Hotel which was a nice hotel with very friendly and helpful staff. It was very clean with nice breakfast. They stored all our extra luggage during the safari and helped to wash our clothes when we got back. The restaurant at the hotel cooked Chapati for us when we got back from the Safari - even though it wasn't on the menu - so yummy!!
Michael, Dennis (guide and driver) and Sweetbart (chef) met us the first morning of the safari with the car ready right on time. Since it was our honeymoon Mike treated us with a private safari, we felt really lucky and spoilt and we really appreciated it!!
We went to Tarangire and Lake Manyara the first two days which was awesome, we got to se lots of animals in the different environments. The first times you see the zebras, giraff, elephants, hippos and lions is really special, it's even hard to believe its true!
We slept at Heaven Nature tented camp two nights. The camp was very nice with tents under roof with real beds and they even had a private shower and toilet! The campsite also had a pool which was nice after a warm day. The last day there was a group (Kati Culture Group) that came to perform after dinner, singing dancing and acrobatics which was lots of fun!
The middle of June (13-18/6) turned out to be the perfect timing for the safari. Before high season so not so crowded with other people, very nice temperature and almost no mosquitoes or Tze-Tze flies. The park was greener than usual (we were told) after the long rains and the animals had lots of babies :)
Dennis was the perfect guide and driver. He drove very well, we always felt secure and he was very kind and answered all our questions about the parks and the animals. He knew were to look for the rare leopards, cheetahs and rhinos and we got to see all the big five! But just so you know, roads are long and bumpy so prepare for a but-massage :)
On the way to Serengeti we visited Oldupai Gorge and the shifting sands which was really cool to have seen.
Serengeti was truly amazing. We spent two nights in the park and got to see like 20 lions per day, some of them climbing trees. We saw over 100 elephants, lots of giraff and kilometer after kilometer with zebras plus gnus, buffalo, different antilops and birds. We were also lucky enough to see cheetahs with killings twice and also leopards twice!!
The campsite in Serengeti was nice with only one or two more groups there at the same time. There was a big kitchen and it also had cold water showers. It was exiting to camp inside the park, the first night we could hear a buffalo right outside our tent and we saw the droppings two meters away in the morning...
Ngorongoro was the last park we visited. We stayed there on the way back from Serengeti. We camped on the rim (over 2000 m high) so it was a bit cold in the night (and even down in the crater so take warm clothes) but there was hot showers!
In Ngorongoro we saw the last of the big five, the rhino, and also a pride of lions that had killed a Buffalo.
Sweetbart, the cousin of Michael who also studies business, planned and cooked all the meals the whole week. It was really delicious, three course dinner with different soups for starters and fruit for desert each day. We specially asked for and got to try some really nice Tanzanian food like Pilao and Ugali and we also had really great breakfasts with omelet, coffee/tea/chocolate, pancakes and even toast (!). To be able to see more of the parks we had lunchboxes which was great.
When we got back Sweetbart guided us in Arusha and took us bathing. He even wrote down the recipes for us and helped us pick out spices in the market (great souvenir by the way) and showed us the best restaurants and what to see. He was really nice and we really feel we were treated like friends.
All in all we are extremely pleased with the safari and we can easily recommend Northern Circuit Adventure and Michael to arrange the trip. Be sure to ask for Dennis as a guide and Sweetbart as chef :) they are the best and will take excellent care of you!!
We have a lot of really beautiful photos, memories and also a some delicious exotic recipes home with us to keep the memories alive!
Thank you so much Sweetbart, Dennis and Michael for this amazing experience!!
BH
Email Jenny | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
once in a lifetime experience
you might think Northern adventures safari is a safari company as many others,but they made me feel not like their customer but a guest or friend.From the beginning of our email/whatsapp communication,Michael was always very helpful and went an extra mile for us.He even booked the bus for us from Nairobi to Arusha which we really appreciated.Everything was well organised.Even though in Nairobi airport was no sign of bus or the name of bus company withim 5min I found some man who knew about us and was waiting for us.Then,in Arusha,another person was waiting for us and took us to the hotel.We started safari the next morning.First day,I couldn't understand that we are not in a big zoo but this is the animal's natural environment.I also liked that in 5days we have senn different landscape each day...the whole experience was just wonderful,amazing,unbelievable.
NL
Email Laura | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari with a very good driver and cook
Last June 2016 I went on a 6-day Safari with my boyfriend. Before booking with Northern Circuit Adventures we wrote to 3 different agencies. Northern Circuit seemed like the best option (regarding price and what they offered) and the owner (Mike) was very quick to respond to our questions. Communication by email prior to departure was excellent and once we arrived at the airport there was someone waiting for us who drove us in about 1,5hours to our hotel. Mike even called us when we were in the cab to make sure everything was okay, a very thoughtful gesture. He also welcomed us at our hotel and explained what we could expect in the days ahead.
Mike's staff is excellent. We were with 3 people in the jeep + our driver/guide and sometimes our cook. Our guide 'Manu' knew literally everything there is about animals and told us a lot about wildlife, the national parks and life in Tanzania in general. He really knows the area very well. We saw so many lions, elephants, zebra's hippo's etc. It was an amazing experience, really. Manu speaks very good English, although sometimes I got the feeling he did not quite understand us, but it was no mayor inconvenience. He is really friendly and an excellent guide. The cook is also very good. Beforehand I didn't expect much of the Tanzanian food, but I was really surprised by the delicious meals he prepared for us during our safari. Very tasty with a lot of herbs. For breakfast we could always expect fresh fruits and pancakes. The cook doesn't speak english very well so we didn't really get to know him, but it was no problem.
The safari was really one of the most beautiful experiences I've ever had. Seeing the animals from that close is really special. I absolutely loved Serengeti national park and am glad we stayed for a few days there. Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongro were also impressive but Serengeti was my absolute favourite.
All in all, I highly recommend going with Northern Circuit Adventures. They are truly professionals that can add an extra feel to the whole experience. Mike, and the rest of the team, thank you!!
Best,
Laura & Raoul
AE
Email Jessica & Jenny | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An absolutely incredible trip!
Hi all.
A friend and I returned from an amazing 4 night, 5 days safari in Tanzania with Northern Circuit Adventure last month. We had the most amazing trip with Mike as our tour organiser, Dennis as our safari guide and Musa as our chef. What an incredible safari with so many stunning animals and sights to see.
We were extreeeemely last minute with planning our trip to Tanzania, but from the first point of contact Mike was very accommodating and on the end of the phone/whatsapp at all times. We were still in touch with a couple of safari tours the day we arrived in Arusha, but Mike's price was unbeatable. As there were only 2 of us we decided we needed to join a group safari to keep the cost lower and this is something that Northern Circuit Safaris offered us.
Our itinerary:
Day 1: Lake Manyara National Park - Lodging at Sun Bright Camp
Day 2: Serengeti National Park - Camping at Pimbi campsite
Day 3: Full day in Serengeti - Camping at Pimbi Campsite
Day 4: Sunrise safari in Serengeti afternoon depart to Ngorogoro Crater - Camping at Simba campsite with views of Ngorogoro Lake - stunning!
Day 5: Ngorogoro Conservation Park
We really wanted to see as many of the safari sights as we could during our stay, and Mikes tour made this possible for us.
We started our first day with the trip to Lake Manyara. We left Arusha with Dennis, Moosa and all of the camping equipment that we needed for our trip (provided) and stopped at a local supermarket to stock up on a few extra snacks, wine and beers.
During the drive we passed many Masai tribes and villages along the way before arriving at Sunbright Camp Site to drop off our things before heading to Lake Manyara National Park.
We were amazed by the wildlife in Manyara and just wanted to take pictures of everything. At this point Dennis told us that this really was just a starter, but what a fantastic way to start our trip - just watch out for the Tsetse flies, make sure you have thick clothes that cover you (we didn't and are fine, but the bites really aren't pleasant, and better to be safe).
Sunbright Campsight - actually really pretty! It's definitely more like glamping than camping, with camp beds and an outdoor ensuite attached.
Food so far: incredible!
Day 2 started with a rather chilly shower accompanied by a frog and gecko, and a breakfast of pancakes, toast, omelette and sausage. We grabbed our bags, packed up the jeep and set off for the Serengeti. Wow, just wait for the views along the way, and the stop off at the Ngorogoro Crater view point. stunning!
We arrive in Serengeti and Dennis our driver tells us that luck is on our side, and sets off to show us something spectacular. Within an hour of being in Serengeti National Park we see our first lions - mating! That was just the beginning...
Our second evening was spent in Pimbi public camp site where we set up our tents and enjoyed a dinner of pumpkin soup and spaghetti bolognese. What you will realise from this point is that Moosa makes the most amazing soup! We enjoyed an evening of hearing stories of what other travellers had seen during their day under the most incredible view of stars that we have ever seen. To top it off, we even heard the hyenas howling throughout the night. We really were sleeping wild.
Pimbi Campsite - pretty much just camping wild in the Serengeti, but with some cooking and cleaning facilities. The toilets and showers weren't great, but hey, there were toilets and showers :-).
Food: still delicious!
Day 3 started with a full day of safariing in the Serengeti. We woke up at 6.15 to watch sunrise at camp, considered showering (they are not quite as nice here) and enjoyed another 3 course breakfast. What a day! You will not be disappointed with anything in the Serengeti - simply outstanding.
Day 4 was our most favourite morning yet. We woke up at 5.20am and headed out on a sunrise game drive. Again, absolutely stunning. The sunrise was everything we imagined and more. Today we were on a mission to find the leopards, and Dennis did everything he could to make sure we found not just one, but two! We decided from day one that the migration was definitely starting (Dennis did not want to agree as it was too soon, and he really does know best), but today was just magnificent. We spent the day surrounded by thousands of wildebeest, and zebras all seemingly making their way north for the migration. If this wasn't the start of the migration, then I'm not sure you would be able to even move in your jeeps during the migration! Insane, but amazing.
We arrived back at camp at 11 for brunch, packed up our tents, and set off on our way to the Ngorongoro Crater rim. Our evening was spent at Simba Campsite - highly recommended - with a gorgeous view of the crater and hot showers. We enjoyed more conversations about people's safari experiences over beers and hot chocolate. We were told that the elephants sometimes come to drink the water at this campsite, but no such luck for us, only the Buffalo came.
Our final day began at 6 am as we started our decent into the crater for our final game drive. The views heading down were incredible and the crater itself was just as we imagined - beautiful. The highlights of our day: watching a pride of lions lazing by a small lake, spotting a black rhino, more lions mating, hyenas and jackals eating the left overs of a buffalo, and finishing our safari just in time before the huge rain shower that had been heading our way hit the crater.
Simba campsite: our favourite yet! Peaceful, good showering facilities, hot water and gorgeous view of the crater.
What an amazing trip! Thank you so much to Dennis, Moosa and Mike for making this possible