Nature's Wonderland Safaris

Amazing birding & wildlife safari in Tanzania with Nature's Wonderland Safaris, highly recommended!

We were looking for something a little different from the average safari as my husband and I are birders. Of course we wanted to see the Big 5 but we didn't want to miss the many birds that we knew called Tanzania home. I heard some great things about Nature's Wonderland Safaris out of Nairobi running some specialized birding trips. I contacted them and immediately had a good feeling that they understood the kind of trip we were looking for. We settled on a private 12 day birding safari starting in Nairobi and taking in the major parks on the Northern Circuit in Tanzania. I communicated with our guide Joseph from the start of the planning process and he did an amazing job of taking all my requests and turning them into reality. As many people are, we were worried about wiring a large amount of money to a tour company in Africa. Our fears were groundless as we were informed as soon as our funds reached Nature's Wonderland's account. Communication throughout the planning process was excellent and they never seemed to tire of answering my considerable list of questions! We were met at the Nairobi airport by Joseph and warmly welcomed. Then we were whisked to our hotel, the Stanley, as Joseph reviewed our plans for the next day. In addition to birding we also wanted to make the most of our full day in Nairobi and do some shopping, visit the elepahnt orpahnage as we had adopted an orphan elephant and see Karen Blixen's House. All these were arranged and Joseph even managed to get us a sizeable list of Kenyan birds! We had decided to take the shuttle bus to Tanzania not just to save money but to see some of the countryside. Joseph delivered us to the bus, secured our luggage and made sure we had the best seats. He sheparded us through the border crossings and made sure we had the proper forms before we got to the windows. A big plus as other tourists ended up at the back of the line when they didn't have the forms filled out. On entering Tanzania we began the safari in earnest. Each park offered something different. We visited Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Lake Manyara. We saw a wealth of wildlife and over 300 new birds. Joseph made sure we didn't miss a thing even taking time at the end of long days in the vehicle to bird the lodge grounds with us. Not only could he spot all the birds and wildlife but he knew all the bird calls by heart and patiently combed through an area where he heard a call and then made sure we both got on the bird. He took us on an amazing hike in the Crater Highlands that afforded us some rare birds we would never have seen from the Land Cruiser. All the lodging was wonderful. The Sopa lodges were amazing and our stay at Whistling Thorn Camp in Tarangire was an experience we will always remember. Joseph even took the time to find and make reservations at a place I had read about in Arusha called Shanga Shangaa which has disabled Tanzanians making crafts and has a restuarant. This was an inspiring place and we loved our lunch in the thatched hut here. We had an amazing time and the whole trip went flawlessly. Joseph and Nature's Wonderland Safaris went out of their way to ensure we had the trip of a lifetime. They exceeded our expectations and we cannot recommend them highly enough!