MJ Safaris & Adventures Team
MJ Safaris & Adventure
- Office In:
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 1984)
- Member Of:
- TATO & EAWLS
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $250 to $1,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Holly Williams | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Poorly organised, vehicle not as advertised, terrible communication
I did a three-day safari organised through MJ. It was a really disappointing experience in terms of the organisation, and not matching what I actually paid for. I contacted the company afterwards and was impressed by Jackson's swift explanation, apology and offer to partially refund the cost - but after successive emails and excuses from them went quiet, and never actually did refund me, which is a really poor way to run a business.
I am aware joining safaris are liable to be a little slow and chaotic, and I was patient about this - even when I nearly ended up being taken to a different country! But not being provided with the agreed kind of vehicle on the final day made me feel like I needed to officially complain.
On the first day, on arriving in Arusha, I was put on a bus that was going to Kenya - and only realized it wasn't the right vehicle when I was asked for a passport! No-one from the shuttle bus transport company knew anything about a safari. This was alarming, as a solo female traveler suddenly in a different city, not knowing where to go.
After being driven around for a while by a taxi driver who had no clue what was happening, I had to use my international data roaming to get online to find MJ Safaris number, which cost me a further $10. No phone number was provided when booking. I was then taken to the correct hotel to join a safari group, but it was not a great start!
On the second day, I was told to get up for breakfast at 6am. After waiting three and a half hours, we finally left at 9.30am. This was frustrating.
On the third day, again there was a delay at the campsite, as my driver struggled with a card payment. At the entrance to Lake Manyara, we again waited for a further hour - something to do with the card, or it being a Sunday? It wasn't clear. Again, this delay was frustrating.
Worse, however, was that the car I was in was not a Land Crusier 4x4. It was just a taxi. This meant the windows were blacked out, which was not good for viewing animals. There was a sunroof, but of course it was open to the sky. The sun was very fierce, and I had to avoid it to prevent getting sunburnt, which also made things difficult. They did not have any binoculars, which made viewing animals more difficult. You couldn't stand up when the vehicle was moving, as the sunroof was not padded. I also had safety concerns given there were animals such as baboons who might have jumped in! Finally, the vehicle was clearly unsuited for some of the roads/rivers it had to travel on; it was a very bumpy ride, and the driver was evidently nervous about driving through water.
The driver did a really good job, all things considered, but the booking specifically stated it would be a different vehicle.
I was very disappointed by the disorganization of the trip, but especially the fact that it deviated on the last day from the vehicle as advertised and paid for.
MJ Safaris explained when I complained afterwards that all this was because a group had cancelled at the last minute, and so I had been subcontracted out. I appreciate mistakes can happen, and appreciated their response, which offered to refund the cost of the final day. But it was doubly frustrating to be offered compensation and then just to have follow up emails completely ignored.
Email Damian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid these guys!
I have never written an online review but feel I should.
As soon as I paid my deposit communication suddenly went very quiet and I had to send several chaser emails to find out what was going on.
Finally a day before we were due to start I received an email 'Pick-up at 6.30am'. 6.30am came and went and at 7.30am I finally received an email response saying 'Call driver 07xxxxxxx'. Not even an apology. You can imagine how stressful this was morning was! When I spoke to the driver on the phone he explained that one of the guests on our safari had a delayed flight and was waiting at the airport. When I met the others they said they all arrived the previous day! Other than that, they hadn't prepared the vegetarian option for lunch which I had requested.
The second day brought more dramas. After being told to wake up at 7am for an 8am start we were all extremely frustrated to find the driver had disappeared. He eventually came back at 10am and explained that his boss hadn't put the funds on his company card. We missed out on 2 hours in the Ngorongoro crater because of this.
We were promised extra time in Serengeti to compensate for this but on the 3rd day exactly the same thing happened! The driver even asked if anyone could pay the balance on their card and that his boss would refund through the web!
I know they offer extremely cheap packages but no saving is worth the stress of waiting around to get into a park on a once in a life time trip. Pay a little bit more and avoid MJ Safaris."
Email Holly Williams | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Refund
I have previously written a review about the difficulties I had on my safari. However, the company have since apologised once again for the mix up with the vehicle on the final day, and have refunded me the cost of the final day, which is a generous response to a genuine mistake. This also makes me feel sure that the experience I had is not at all the usual quality you can expect from them, as reflect in the other very glowing reviews below! Thanks to Jackson for sorting this out.
Email Char | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Cheap Safari but rubbish organisation
The safari may be cheap but we lost a lot of time because of lack of organisation between the office and the guides on site. Our itinerary changed every few hours and th guides were pretty confused about who was going where and which day. Everything was planned last minute, basically an hour before we were due to depart somewhere. Leaving in the mornings to go to the parks was always an hour later as the guides needed to get money or pack things or prepare our lunch despite assuring us we would leave at the time we asked and hence waking up extra early so we could be in the park as soon as possible. It was budget but we actually wanted to et to the parks. Our car broke down on the first day so we only got an afternoon game drive. The many guides we had were mainly drivers. At least they had good mechanical skills to fix the car. Th food was really nice though and the tents not to bad with a semi mattress which was quite comfortable. The campsites were good as well. The organisation of our hotel after the safari was also good and we stayed in really nice places. Overall, go for budget joining safari if you don't mind wasting a lot of energy trying to get to the parks and yelling everyday with the driver to leave at the right time and get things moving! We are told all budget joining safaris are like this.
Once in the park everything is amazing, you just need to get there!
AT
Email Anita | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience
I am very happy that I booked a 4 day safari and the Kili climb with MJ Safari. Jackson was very helpful and giving me reply to all my questions that I had upfront. Everything was very good organized and I had a fantastic time in this beautiful country.
SE
Email DHXStockholm | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Catered to your needs
A great operator with a good network and knowledge of the surroundings. I was travelling solo and went on a 5D/4N safari with MJ and was absolutely delighted with the experience. With prompt reply, competitive prices and a new and reliable car (something essential when out on a bumpy road) all my needs were looked after. Of course, there are always things happening out of your control and we did encounter them, however their mindset of always being able to solve problems and make sure that you don't end up dissapointed is the key. I would go with these guys again if I had the chance. Thanks Jackson for arranging this trip!
Email Sonny | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent, affordable and experienced.
I recently fulfilled a dream by climbing Mt Kilimanjaro via the Lemosho route. I booked for a 7 day trek and every part of the journey was seamless, from the entire booking process right through to my arrival, the trek and my departure. Some of the best prices you can find compared to others, however I don’t understand where they could possibly have cut corners as the whole experience was perfect. Save your money from booking with the bigger operators and contact these guys. They are KPAP certified, have excellent guides, porters, chefs, and management/bookings team. The hotel included for before and after is perfect. The entire trek was amazing, with my highly experienced guide Juma making it easy to get through each day and make it to the summit and down with no problems. The food was delicious and beyond enough portions wise. The porters were friendly and extremely hard working and my tent etc. was large, warm and comfortable. Would recommend these guys to anyone looking to travel to Tanzania for Mt Kilimanjaro, other hikes or safaris. You have my gratitude and praise !! Asante sana
Email Roger Lewis | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
MJ Safaris & Adventure provided the amazing, customized experience I was looking for. + I summited.
I went with MJ Safaris for my climb of the Lemosho route on Kilimanjaro and I couldn’t be happier my experience. Jackson and Noela’s communication was excellent, I was comfortable with all the details of my arrangement and all the logistics involved, the gear provided, the information regarding the route, etc.
My guide Dennis was absolutely amazing, keeping my spirits high, answering all my questions and addressing all my concerns, and providing great information about the flora and fauna on Kilimanjaro along the way, without being overbearing or providing TMI. He balanced everything quite well, which reflected his deep mountaineering background and tremendous experience on Kili, having summitted over 60 times in the past. He was polite, professional, down to earth, compassionate, and simply a joy to do this expedition with. I feel very fortunate to have been paired with Dennis.
Christian, my new Rafiki, was awesome around camp, from setting up my private dining tent and portable toilet (which, if you’re still deciding on, GO FOR IT, you do NOT want to be locating public Kili bathrooms in the middle of the night, in high wind, at altitude, on rocky unfamiliar terrain, only to come upon the nastiest toilets (not actually toilets but literally an enclosed, disgusting hole in the ground) you’ll ever encounter in your life. Get the private / tented bathroom!!), to serving all of my delicious meals and condiments, hot tea in my tent upon request, coffee ready and waiting in the morning, etc. The whole crew (including guide Dennis, Christian, and several additional porters) were awesome, I was 100% cared for, supported, and I truly felt like it was a team effort and they were all personally invested in me getting to the summit. You could tell it was a victory for them, me getting to the top, they took pride in it.
If you’re looking for a smaller operator that really cares and supports you in every way, go with MJ Safaris and work with Jackson. Oh, btw , the hotel they put you up at in Moshi, TZ., called the Mariadi, is an absolute gem. Small, well kept, beautifully landscaped, tranquil and clean pool area, delicious breakfast buffet, etc. This was a great hidden benefit I was not expecting as part of this package but looking back I'm very grateful for.
Dennis, Christian and team, thank you all once again. I’ll never forget my time on Kilimanjaro and how comfortable you guys made me feel while climbing a 19,000 + foot mountain.
Email Phill and Hayley | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very professional and knowledgeable tour operator
We are so pleased we booked with MJ Safaris and Adventure. They picked us up from the airport 2 days before our hike so we stayed an extra night at the hotel that they chose. The Maridadi hotel has great food, great rooms and a lovely clean pool. They met us the next day for our briefing and to give us our duffle bags with included sleeping bags. All the support staff were amazing, Silvano, Nicholas, Kelvin and Benjamin plus the porters who have a tough job. The food they provided was really good, nice flavours and more than enough to give you energy, they couldn't do more for you. The mountain huts were basic but comfortable and we had a 4 person bunk room for the two of us and we want to thank them for looking after us so well. The hike was amazing, as per other tour operators, it included Little Meru on day 2 in the afternoon which is well worth doing. The summit day we set off at half past midnight and got to the summit to see the sunrise over Kilimanjaro, this was beyond expectations. the summit day is tough but well worth the effort for an amazing experience and stunning scenery not to mention the sense of achievement as this is not a small mountain! You should feel confident booking with MJ Safaris as they delivered in all aspects better than we imagined and were actually better value than most and at the end of the day everyone is on the same route and same accommodation.
RU
Email Evgenii | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very responsive, approachable, good price, interesting programs and offers
I contacted MJ Safaris & Adventure for organizing a enough long tour of Africa. Initially, I was planning only safaris and jungle treks in Uganda and Tanzania for 2 weeks, but while discussing the trip details, my "appetite" grew, and i decided to add a climbing to Kilimanjaro summit and the final tour duration became 21 days. It was my first time visiting mainland Africa, so I spent a long time choosing a tour company for organising this adventure for me, trusted my intuition, and was absolutely right. From my inquiry, to the subsequent discussion of details, to the organization, the guides, and all the little details along the way, everything was top-notch; I was absolutely delighted. It's been two weeks since I returned from the trip, and I already miss the unique African vibe, the breathtaking landscapes, and the very friendly and helpful people. It was a wonderful adventure and I will definitely repeat it again. Thank you to the entire MJ Safaris & Adventure team for such unforgettable experiences and emotions.
Plus, I want to add that for me, as a very passionate photographer, this trip was a real gold mine - I brought back thousands of wonderful pictures, and I plan to organize my own photo exhibition.