Bright African Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2007)
- Member Of:
- TATO, TTB & TLTO
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $85 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Jim | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fabulous doesn't even begin to describe Bright African
The short version is this: You're in great hands with Bright African. Don't hesitate to arrange your safari through this locally owned company. Be sure to request that Junga guide you and Jamal do your cooking.
Here's the long version:
Just like you, I waded through the huge numbers of safari companies I found online. In the end, I relied on the Trip Advisor reviews and a gut feeling about Bright African. Our group of four was sooooo lucky that I recommended BA.
From the start of our inquiry through finalizing the itinerary for our 8 day northern circuit safari in mid-September and all the logistics, Msangi, the owner, and Rukia, his delightful office assistant, were prompt to respond to emails and were true professionals. It was such a pleasure to meet them when we arrived in Arusha!
Little did we know that Msangi had chosen a man to guide us who, quite honestly, none of the four in our group can describe with words alone. There just aren't enough superlatives for Onema Junga. (Everyone calls him "Junga".) I'm sure all of Msangi's other guides are wonderful but do yourself a favor and juggle your trip dates if that's what it takes to make sure Junga is your guide.
This man went above and beyond in every way imaginable. From dealing with broken leaf springs in the Serengeti at night and getting us to a camp site at midnight to turning around as we were leaving Ngorongoro on our last day when reports of a rhino sighting came over the radio he was superb. Junga could have just called it a safari and headed out of the crater but he was relentless in his pursuit of our satisfaction. We got the big 5 and more.
He has an uncanny ability to anticipate what animals will be doing and putting the vehicle in the best viewing position possible. Other safari companies' guides weren't doing what Junga did and trust me, we were treated to better viewing than many others. He was also relentless in his search for animals in spite of the long hours behind the wheel. Junga did this even though it meant extra work for himself and Jamal. He would also stop to offer help to any other vehicles or guides that looked like they may need help. He struck us an overall good and trustworthy man.
Here are a couple of examples of how Junga went above and beyond. We were at a hippo pool and were enjoying the scene for quite some time when he popped the driver's hatch and announced that he was going to find us a snake. Five minutes later he announced that the game was on for us to find it with our binoculars. He described generally where it was and said its recently shed skin was nearby. We had the best time spotting this snake, a boomslang, and it was a treat. Its bright white skin being right next to it was just a great bonus. While I can't guarantee that the other safari vehicles parked near us didn't spot a snake, I highly doubt it.
He brought us in the "back entrance" to Lake Manyara which was absolutely the right call. It seemed we had one entire section of the park all to ourselves. It made for a longer day and another late arrival at camp that night but Junga really did put our interests ahead of his and Jamal's comfort.
As for Jamal, our wonderful cook, again there's good news. We had some onerous dietary restrictions and this man bent over backwards to accommodate us. I gained weight on the trip due to his huge portions of delicious food. It was simple but delicious and exactly what you'd expect on a camping trip. We even had a scratch baked cake and banana custard a couple of evenings! I was glad to have brought plenty of snacks, though, as it sometimes got be a while between meals.
Msangi went above and beyond as well. He met us at the Mvuli hotel at the end of our safari to see how things went and to say goodbye. When he learned we were going to Zanzibar for a few days he arranged for a taxi driver to pick us up at the airport and take us to our hotel. He told us that even though our safari was over, we were still his clients until we left Tanzania and to let him know if we needed anything. How gracious!
We forgot to pick up a couple of t-shirts at the Bright African office and Msangi learned this after we were on Zanzibar. Imagine our surprise when his taxi driver arrived at our hotel with the t-shirts. Msangi had them sent to Zanzibar on a flight later that day and arranged for his taxi driver to deliver them to us! Unbelievable service!
Here are a couple of helpful hints for you. Number one is tipping. I'd read many formulas for what constitutes an appropriate tip and saw one of Msangi's posts that suggested 10% of the safari price. We ultimately took the 10% as a base and increased it significantly for Junga and Jamal going north of 15% to make a nice round number. I also gave each of them our headlamps to help with future night breakdowns and tent set-ups in the dark. Last, I gave them what remained of the roll of duct tape I brought. Do yourself a favor a bring a roll along - we made good use of ours several times.
I could write a novel about the vehicle breakdowns (yes, plural) but be advised these vehicles take a beating on those roads and if you don't have at least one breakdown I'd be amazed. We saw other victims of the worst washboards you'll ever drive. Just be patient and realize that AAA does not exist in Tanzania. No complaining. Hakauna Matata. You're all in it together and you'll have a great story to tell.
If you're doing the budget camping trip like we did, be prepared for very refreshing, almost cold, showers at some campgrounds. Take sturdy sandals and expect no place to hang your towels or set your shampoo. It was also helpful to have some good sturdy sandals, like Keens, for the campgrounds in the evening. The first night I used flip flops and got a few nasty stickers in my foot that were difficult to remove. It is also a good idea to bring toilet paper as it was frequently in short supply in their bathrooms. Oh, and I saw a fairly creepy spider on/under a toilet seat so be prepared to do a toilet sweep and sit at your own risk.
I was a little nervous about the comfort of tent camping expecting to be sleeping on the ground but they provided very comfortable cots and sleeping pads with good wool blankets which I found surprisingly comfortable. I was still a bit chilly when we camped on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater so bring some warm clothes and socks if you itinerary takes you there.
Take along some type of plastic bag in case you have to relieve yourself in your tent in the night because the buffalo/lions are too near to risk going to the restroom. Better to go in your tent than die by buffalo.
Get the best binoculars you can, they will make the animal viewing even more spectacular. We rented Swarovskis from optics4rent.com - Todd, the owner, is great. When Junga first saw them, he immediately told me they were the best. No kidding! We were all amazed and trust me, when your Rhino and her baby are 400 yards away or you can count the whiskers on the leopard in the tree you'll be glad you brought them.
The Mvuli hotel has basic clean rooms - it's not a Hilton but you're not paying Hilton prices. It's really off the beaten path at the end of a very bumpy dirt road. Going into town will require a taxi. The food was good. Check out your shower before you accept the room. The first night we stayed there, our shower had virtually no pressure. After our safari, I made sure we had a different room. They will also do laundry for you for a small fee and have it folded and ready by morning.
Start your safari with a trip to Arusha National Park. Do the walking safari with an armed park ranger. It's a great appetizer for what lies ahead at the crown jewels of the northern circuit. It also gives you a day to get over jet lag before you start driving long distances. If you do it at the end of your safari it won't have much of an impact.
They did not ask for additional passport photos or a copy of our passport when paying for our visa at KJO airport. Just $100. Be prepared to stand in lines for about 45 minutes.
Be careful at the roadside curio stands. They are ruthless, high pressure negotiators and we ended up paying higher prices than we found later in Zanzibar and even at the airport for the same articles. As much as I would like to support them I felt the prices were pretty outrageous.
We tried to pack light and do laundry every few days but if I were to do it over I would just pack enough clothes to get through the whole trip. Since you are sitting in the vehicle most of the time you don't really get too hot and sweaty so it's no problem to get a few days out of shirts and pants. Laundry was difficult to do in the showers and did not dry by morning causing unneeded hassle. The zipper pants were handy as the mornings were a bit cooler but as it warmed up it was easy to unzip the bottoms and convert to shorts.
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Email Elizabeth | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible Experience - Thank you again, Bright African Safaris!
Wow. Where to begin? The first comment I have to make is that Bright African Safaris was the best choice we could have made for our Tanzanian safari. I wholeheartedly recommend this company, and I will certainly use this company again in the future.
From the moment I first contacted the company, I was impressed. Rukia responded promptly and thoroughly, answering my numerous questions with ease and making excellent recommendations for our safari. I felt no qualms at all about wiring money overseas to this company, having done so before for past excursions. I appreciated that Rukia contacted me as soon as the money was received, and she ensured that our driver and guide, Mrindoko, was at the airport well before our arrival.
In terms of the safari itself, Mrindoko was an exceptional guide. He was friendly, flexible, and extremely knowledgeable, engaging us from the moment we met him. He drove carefully and efficiently, and he truly made our first experience in Tanzania incredible. We went to four different national parks with him: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro. Every park was an exceptional experience, and we were very fortunate to see lions every single day of our trip. During the last part of our trip, in Ngorongoro, we were extremely lucky to see the rhinos, which are very rare in the wild. Aside from lions, we also saw countless elephants, zebras, hippos, birds, and numerous other animals; thanks to Mrindoko’s trained eyes and patience, our high expectations were consistently exceeded. In addition, at the end of each day, Mrindoko reviewed the day’s activities with us to ensure that we were satisfied and that he fully adhered to the schedule, which Rukia provided several months before the safari.
Aside from the spectacular wildlife, we were also extremely happy with the meals, lodging, and other excursions. The meals were excellent, often featuring fresh vegetables and other healthy cuisine, as well as a wide variety of meats and desserts. The lodging was outstanding; we stayed in the Maramboi Tented Lodge, Acacia Farm Lodge, Serengeti Serena Lodge, and Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. Truthfully, I’ve travelled through several countries, and Tanzania has some of the best, if not the best, hospitality in the world, and every lodge exceeded my expectations. In terms of other excursions, we also did a village tour, which I really enjoyed, as it gave us the opportunity to learn about the Masai Mara and obtain some nice handmade gifts for people back home. At our request, Mrindoko also took us to The Tanzanite Experience, which gave us the opportunity to purchase additional, unique gifts, as tanzanite is only mined in Tanzania.
At the end of our tour, we personally met Rukia and Msangi, who owns the company. They were extremely friendly and asked for feedback regarding the safari. In addition, Msangi also provided excellent insight into additional opportunities offered by Bright African Safari, including Zanzibar add-ons, the Selous Preserve, and even excursions in other countries, which really interested us. This was the first time we had personally met the owner of a safari company, which demonstrates the level of commitment that Bright African Safaris has to its customers.
Overall, I was extremely satisfied with Bright African Safaris, and we were very fortunate to have Mrindoko as our guide. Whenever we use Bright African Safaris in the future, we will certainly request him.
Email nik | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
More than we expected
We were a group of 7 people and shared a common dream of visiting Africa. It came true recently when we made a trip to Northern Tanzania. We started with contacting several tour operators and finally zeroed in to Bright. From our first email exchange with them, we felt a positive vibe and hoped that we can partner with them. Msangi is the owner of the company and a wonderful person. He chalked out a initial draft of the itinerary and asked for our suggestions. We suggested few changes and he incorporated them all. Special mention should be made of Lake Natron. Lake Natron is an off beat attraction with no proper connectivity. Most of the tour operators were not ready to cover this place and discouraged us from going there. But Msangi readily agreed to it without a slight hesitation. This is what was really the deciding factor in the favour of Bright. And we are thankful that he agreed to take us here; for this place is really unique in its landscape and a different world compared to other parts of Tanzania. You can see Ol Doinyo Lengai (Mountain of God) - an active volcano on way to Lake Natron and drive through volcanic ash strewed paths. Feel free to call him up to discuss your plans as I did. Everything was arranged meticulously and per the plan agreed upon. We all flew in from different parts of the worlds and arrived in different times. Separate pickups were sent to the airport and one even at midnight. We visited Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Lake Natron NP, central and western Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The vehicle provided was in top shape, fitted with charging points and a minibar. The lodges we stayed were all very good and top quality. To be frank given our budget, we were overly surprised at the quality of the accommodation provided. And finally special mention must be made of Osman, our guide. You will be lucky to have him as your guide. He is a very pleasant person with a smile on his lips always. He is very knowledgeable about the wildlife and would patiently answer all our questions. He is a very good spotter and spotted a lioness on a tree top at Serengeti which just blew our minds off. He is also a good and safe driver as we came to know when we drove to Lake Natron. Overall, it was a wonderful trip, much beyond our expectations. Asante Sana Osman, Msangi and Bright African Safaris.
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Email Kathy Henderson | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely Amazing Company !!
This was our second trip with Bright African Safaris! Our first trip 5 yrs ago was soooo wonderful we just had to return! The company is top notch and goes way above and beyond expectations. Every staff member is wonderful! The marketing/scheduling staff (Evania and Salim) pay close attention to every detail….and are amazing to work with prior to the trip….very quick to respond and always eager to arrange anything you want…this time we were interested in adding a rhino experience at the last minute….Evania expertly got that arranged for us! During the trip, the day we were supposed to do the rhino experience the govt managed trip turned out to be a big pain in the neck! Salim from the office had to come in on Saturday and wire money from he bank and literally spending hours on the phone with the govt people and rangers to get it straightened out. He did and we had an amazing experience!
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Email Isabelle | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great company and superb driver/guide
Bright African Safaris are a locally owned and excellent safari company. We went on our second safari in late February/March of this year. Our first safari was with another company. We thought it and their guide were excellent, but they were outdone by Bright African. We chose them after sending proposals to several companies recommended on the Trip Advisor forum. They had the best price and the best organized proposal.
They have excellent and speedy communication. Evania, their “Sales Consultant”, is much more than that. Here English is flawless. She responded to our requests and needs. The proposal she issued was very organized, complete and easy to follow. She devised a trip which flowed well and made sure we were in good locations. She and the company know the various parks and take visits each year to check out accommodations. The itinerary they gave us was comprehensive and clear. We knew where we were going, where we were staying and what was included. Their clear instructions made it easy to make our deposit and final payment by bank transfer. They also accept credit cards, but with a fee, and we could have made the final payment in cash (US$).
Our driver/guide Hamis (Hamisi Mashauri) met us at the airport with a huge smile and handshakes. He was wearing a white shirt with the logo for Bright African. He led us to his very clean, well equipped, and fairly new Toyota Land Cruiser and drove us to our hotel (We wanted a budget hotel and their suggestion of the Outpost Lodge turned out to be just fine.)
The next day on our way to Tarangire, Hamis took us to Bright African Safari’s headquarters which are out of town near the airport. We met Evania and Salim, another representative. Evania personally welcomed us and thanked us for choosing Bright African. She also wanted to go over our itinerary once more and make sure everything was clear. (It was!)
On our final morning Hamis drove us to the Arusha airport where we again met Evania and Salim. They wanted feedback on how our trip went. We gladly told them how exceptional everything was.
Now for our driver/ guide and new friend, Hamis! What a vibrant, intelligent, personable man he is! We so enjoyed our time with him. My husband likely bored him with his discussions on topics of science, history, etc. but Hamis always appeared interested.
Of course he knew all the roads in the parks without signs and without consulting maps. He could spot a leopard in a tree in the late afternoon shadows while driving. He would say there are two cheetah in that bush (when we could see nothing) but sure enough when we got closer, there they were! Indeed, one day while driving at about 30 KPH, he slammed on the brakes to show us a dung beetle which was in the process of making a relatively large ball of elephant dung to attract his female mates. Wow! Who knew the little beasts can be so interesting!
He possesses an intricate knowledge of the interrelationships of the various animals, what they eat, and how they behave. With Hamisi, you may be able to witness a lion, cheetah, or leopard in the act of hunting and learn how the predator uses wind direction, camouflage and patience to stock its prey. Even though it was our second safari, we saw and learned new things. He taught me to be patient and not want to rush away. Sure enough things would happen. That is how we saw a male lion mating (twice!) with a female of his pride in heat.
He used the radio a bit but most of the time it was off. Often he stopped to talk to other drivers and much of the time it was him giving information to others. We encountered other driver/guides who were new to the job and needed directions. Hamis is experienced and it showed. His conversations and descriptions of the whys and ways of not only the flora and fauna but also of the nomadic Maasai people and how they survive as cattle herders in the midst of so many predators is truly enlightening.
Hamis succeeded in finding a wide variety of animals to see. New on this trip were lions mating, lions in trees, a cheetah on the hunt, dung beetles, and several mongoose raiding a termite mound. Ndutu was new for us and in Feb/March it is a fantastic place to be! The migrating herds of wildebeest and their accompanying zebra – said to be two million strong – made a spectacular sight while they journeyed around their annual loop of the Serengeti and adjacent areas searching for fresh pasture. It was also where we saw lots of lions and thousands of flamingos.
Every morning Hamis would be ready before the agreed time and greet us with his smile and handshake. He managed to have the vehicle clean every day. He would go over the rough plan for the day. At the end of any day he could summarize what we had seen even knowing how many lions and cheetahs we encountered. (No he could not count the thousands of wildebeest and zebra!)
Lunches with Bright African Safaris are a special treat. Their Land Cruisers are custom equipped with a folding table. This along with chairs allows for dining under a tree in places where it as safe to do so. Each evening at our accommodation, Hamis ordered a special lunch for the next day instead of the usual boxed lunches. We got to enjoy these with a table cloth, dishes and utensils. These had good variety, generally with rice, meats or fish with sauces, vegetables and fruit. Hamis quickly learned what we liked. Leftover food was given to workers at picnic spots or where we stayed.
To summarize, Bright African Safaris are a very professional and experienced company. I highly recommend them.
Wonderful to work with and delivered an amazing experience!
The Bright African team was exceptional to work with! I originally reached out to several companies for itineraries and quotes, and in the end we went with Bright African as having the best of both. Our group did a 9 day safari to multiple parks plus 3 days in Zanzibar.
Like many others, we had originally planned to go in 2020, but ended up deferring until 2022 due to COVID. So I worked with Salim in sales/planning for about 3 years!! We went through many changes including changing our group size/members, adding days, locations, and activities, and Salim was so flexible and kind throughout the entire process. He was quick to respond, open to requests, and ready to provide suggestions when asked. Even when I had multiple email issues (check your spam folder!), he was always patient and professional. Our itinerary was excellent and very customizable, and we enjoyed every lodge/hotel/bush camp we stayed at that Bright African chose! Bright African also had nice eco friendly touches on safari, such as refillable (clean) water canteens and reusable metal lunch sets with plates and silverware; most other companies used paper lunch boxes (provided by the lodges which will prep the lunches for safari goers) that generate lots of waste.
On safari, our guide was Hamis. He was absolutely amazing! He was very skilled and safe behind the wheel of the Land Cruiser we were in, especially on the rough and bumpy game drive roads. He also knew everything about every animal, bird, plant, tribe, everything!!! You can tell he has so much experience as a guide, navigating the vast game roads for the best spots, chatting with other drivers to tell them what we found and vice versa to make sure nobody missed out, and of course spotting animals - one time he caught the ears of a red buck poking out of the grass!! We learned and saw so much thanks to him!! I also feel very grateful that Hamis was our guide for his personality. He was so friendly and open, always had a smile on, and was quick to laugh and eager to chat. Our whole group felt very comfortable with him. This matters a lot; you are with your guide pretty much whenever you're not sleeping, and sometimes even then even you doze off in the car!
In Zanzibar, Juma was our contact and he arranged the activities we did with local guides along with transportation. This was a completely different vacation compared to safari so we spent more time at the excellent hotel that Bright African arranged, but all activities and taxi rides we did went very smoothly. This was also very flexible; we were able to customize activities and change around what day we did them. If I could do the vacation over though, I would not have booked activities and just relaxed at the hotel the entire time!
I'm very happy we went with Bright African Safaris. Throughout my research, I saw they were very highly regarded especially in the forums here on Trip Advisor, and now having worked with them for this trip, the reputation is justified!!
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Email charles emanuel | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bright African Safaris gave us an EXECTIONAL safari experience.
We just completed - Sept 1 to Sept 14, 2022 a 14 day private tour with Bright African and were over joyed with the results. I liked the idea of working with a locally owned company and was not disappointed. Bright African is a professional, organized and extremely pleasant organization to work with. I had no problems with communication in the planning process and Salim in the office was more than happy to make adjustments we requested and answer our many questions. The pricing for the tour was reasonable . I also liked the idea they were not demanding about the timing of the final payment- a small point but shows their integrity.
Our guide Albert Mungre was a delightful person and excellent guide who had a great grasp of the plants and animals we encountered. In addition to the flora and fauna, Albert gave us a good insight to the people and country of Tanzania . We were able to see all the bucket list animals in the various parks we visited and got to see 4 migration crossing at Mara river which was an amazing experience. We traveled in a Toyota Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof for each game viewing. Considering how bad most of the roads are in the parks, the ride was fairly comfortable.
Here was the itinerary for our private safari. The lodging we selected was all mid-range type accommodations- and this can be adjusted to fit your particular tastes and requirements.
Day 1: Kilimanjaro airport/Arusha. Overnight at Kutoka lodge
Day 2: Arusha/Arusha N.park. Overnight at Kutoka lodge
Day 3: Arusha/Tarangire N.park. Overnight at Tarangire osupuko lodge
Day 4: Full day in Tarangire park. Overnight at Motto cottages
Day 5: Manyara area/Lake eyasi bushmen. Overnight at Hhando coffeelodge
Day 6: Full day in Ngorongoro crater floor. Overnight at Ngorongoro lion paw
Day 7: Ngorongoro/Serengeti N.park. Overnight at Zawadi serengeti tented camp
Day 8: Full day in endless plain of Serengeti. Overnight at Zawadi serengeti tented camp
Day 9: Another full day in endless plain of Serengeti. Overnight at Zawadi serengeti tented camp
Day 10: Central Serengeti/Northern Serengeti (special day for migration watch). Overnight at Heritage Mara migration camp
Day 11: Full day in Northern Serengeti area. Overnight at Heritage Mara migration camp
Day 12: Early morning balloon ride and Another full day in Northern Serengeti area. Overnight at Heritage Mara migration camp
Day 13: Serengeti Kogatende/Arusha airport Under the shade safari lodge
Day 14: Arusha/Kilimanjaro airport. Fly out
Each area had its charms- I would especially recommend the Lake Eyasi bushmen as something truly unique to see.
If you have the time and money take the balloon safari it offers a unique perspective and the experience is well organized and fun; plus you will have the best breakfast of your stay.
In conclusion, selecting Bright African will be the best decision you make
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Email Suzanne | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Most Memorable Safari from a Great Company
This trip was an awesome experience. We visited Kenya- Lake Nakuru and the Masaii Mara, then crossed into Tanzania where we experienced 8 more days of game drives. Our accommodations, mostly tented camps, were beautiful. The service in the camps was superb. On game drives, we saw all the Big And flamingos, ostrich, an endless list of beautiful birds. Most memorable was being able to witness the crossing of the wildebeest accross the Mara River. I will never forget the thrill of seeing a grazing herd suddenly come to life and stampede together.
We had excellent guides. Ronnie in Kenya found the Big 5 for us in two days! In Tanzania we were guided by Hamis for 8 days. Hamis is passionate about his work and wanted us to have the best experience. His smile and enthusiasm made the start of everyday full of anticipation of the adventure ahead of us. Hamis could spot game and birds expertly. He shared with us his vast knowledge of wildlife. And he gave us all the time we desired to observe. Only when we said "All good" did he start the engine and move on. This meant so much to us because by quietly watching the animals we felt we really experienced their behaviors. The wildlife were so close to us too! Sometimes we would drive out to meet them in the tall grass and they would almost seem to pose for us. What a thrill to be so close!
I highly recommend Bright African Safaris and Hamis as your guide. You will have the Trip of a Lifetime.
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Email Ken C | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bright African Safaris delivers the Best Trips at the Best Price.
We just returned from our African safari. For three years we had been planning this "trip of a lifetime" and Bright African Safaris truly made it happen! Through numerous postponements and reschedules Salim communicated promptly and worked tirelessly planning our custom itinerary and securing quality lodging for our adventure.
We began in Kenya and Ronny (our driver/guide) expertly located game for us (four of the "Big Five" in our first game drive)! After four days Ronny handed us off to Hamis at the Tanzanian boarder. Hamis proved to be worthy of being called "a guides guide". Not only was he an expert at locating game he was also a wealth of knowledge about the animals, their behavior, habits and charistics. Likewise he was equally informative about the various native tribes, their culture, customs and their relations with each other. All this shared information made our safari more than just a trip to see animals - it opened us up to a truly enlightening and learning experience. (I highly recommend both of these guides - request them if you get a chance.)
All in all Bright African Safaris fulfilled all of our expectations and exceeded every one of them!
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Email Barbara | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The BEST guides and professional company, exceeded expectations
We planned our Safari with Bright African Safaris in 2019, and had to reschedule several times due to Covid. With each change, Bright African Safaris was flexible and were able to maintain our original agenda. We FINALLY did our our “trip of a lifetime” in August 2022. We started in Nairobi, where we were met at the airport. We then went to Lake Nakuru, the Maasai Mara, Northern and Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tangire National Park, and Amboselli NP. A total of 13 days. Our guides, Ronny in Kenya (4 days) , and Hamis in Tanzania (8 days) , were so professional and extremely knowledgeable about all the animals we saw, as well as the flora and culture of all the areas we visited. We saw dozens of lions, cheatas, elephants, zebras, ostriches, wildebeest, impalas, gazelles, giraffes, warthogs, buffaloes, and even a very rare sighting of a southern white rhino mother and baby! Also a huge variety of birds, which was unexpected. Some of our sightings were so close we could almost touch them if we weren’t in the protection of our Safari vehicle. A highlight was Hamis finding two wildebeest herds crossing the Mara River. It was so exciting to see them jumping, swimming and struggling to reach the Kenya side of the river. Hamis knew just where to go and how to position ourselves to witness this amazing spectacle. Our guides were expert at spotting animals, and then educating us on the biology, ecology, history and characteristics of each animal. We learned so much that we hadn’t expected. We also visited a Masai Village, which was so interesting. We were so warmly greeted and educated on this important tribe. Our lodging was excellent and somewhat unique- a bucket shower in the Serengeti was actually pretty fun! Some of the lodges were top notch, and all of the staff were so accommodating. We can’t say enough about how important the guide is to a fulfilling Safari experience, and ours were just simply the very best. We felt like “friends “ by the end of the trip, and were sad to say goodbye. We highly recommend using Bright African Safaris for your Safari. We hope another Safari with them is in our future.