CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzania would be nice - with good roads and less dust.
Hello.
I was surprised that 2019 Dar Es Salaam still has bad roads, almost no modern supermarket and some people living in a box of the size 2x1x1 meter (next to the bus station at the fish market)!!
Arusha has some good roads - from the Kilimanjaro Airport to Arusha and from Arusha in the direction of Tarangire and Ngorongoro - and some bad roads. But WHY are there NO paved roads from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti?? Now in July the dust on the road was so massiv, that you COULDN'T see the cars crossing your way - and that IS VERY DANGEROUS! My driver was caughing every few minutes. He had a chronic caugh, because he was inhaling this dust since months - or even years (he is doing this job since 15 years). For him it's like working in a mine!
Please pave those roads!!
I might visit the Serengeti again - but I will NEVER EVER drive in to the Serengeti again! Next time I will take the plane from the Arusha Airport to the Seronera Airstrip.
The wildlife inside the Serengeti and in the Ngorongoro Crater is fantastic. You can see a lot of animals. Ok, sometimes you feel a bit like in a "drive in zoo".
The accomodation was superb - better than I ever expected, even in the tents. Hot shower, very nice furniture, great food and so on.
Food: Well, I am NOT a vegeterian, but in Tanzania i didn't eat meet anymore. The quality of the meet is not like in Europe. But that's ok - the rest of the food, the dinners e.g. were fantastic. I just had more potatoes, rice and mash potatoes... :-) and vegetables.
My driver was a very good driver and his English was fantastic. I'm glad, in Tanzania English is important too :-)
So - all in all - I have a bit mixed feelings. The Serengeti is very nice, but the distances to get there are too long. On a nice road - like they have to the National Parks in the USA - it would be much more comfortable. The reason why the USA has nice roads in to the parks is that older people, retired people with a lot of free time, can drive in to those parks as well and be close to the fantastic nature.
Best Regards
Urs
.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Tanzanian Safari should be on everybody's bucket list. Not to be missed.
Went to the Selous Nature Park and stayed at the Serena Mivomu River Lodge flying from and back to a hotel in Zanzibar. Every part of this trip was expertly arranged. The flight was in a single prop plane landing on a dirt strip - an experience on it's own! The lodge was built in a way that was sympathetic to the landscape at plant life but came with a five star amenities and service. As many game drives or boat trip as you chose were available and all were with very informative guides. The food was great and plentiful with a dated printed menu for each meal. The weather in August was very pleasant as it is not too hot.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An amazing view to wildlife
The wildlife in Kenya is various，showing me the place that city human do not set foot in.the scenery in TV before become ture in front of my eyes.I can face to face with rhinoceros、zebra、impala、giraffe and so on.
Our guide is Charly,a Samburu people with excellent driving technique and abundant knowledge of safari, which let me witness the hunting of lions in Amboseli and the new life of lions in Masai Mara,we got optimum shooting angle fortunately by his exquisite driving technique so that I can take documentaries-rivalled photos,but only a moment lasting in order to give other people chance to enjoy the rare scenes by the gentleman's manner of Charly. He also introduced us Samburu people after we visited Masai village，with his concern for compatriots，it is really an unusual experience to let me have acquaintance of the two big peoples of Kenya.
The only deficiency is in Sopa Lodge,there was network wrong with their card-reading,which let me wastage unnecessary money to pay again for the same goods,it is really absurd to let me assumed the liabilities of the fault making by Sopa Lodge’s bank.Although Classic Journeys had help me to negotiate about it,I still do not get responds till now,the Sopa's service is not sopa at all.
Overall，it is a satisfying trip to feed our sight on Africa,letting me fall in love with Africa.Classic Journeys is the best choice of travelling in Africa
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Roberto is very professional. Guides are very kind and friendly. We enjoyed the experience so much!
Excellent communications with the agency.
They were very clear and willing to answer all our questions.
Our guide for Safari, Richard, was so kind and friendly!
The service was very good.
The chef DVD was very clever, he managed to Cook everywhere!
I would definitely advise Savannah Explorers for a Safari in Tanzania.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience!!
Paul and his team helped us to get a fantastic experience during our stay in Tanzania.
The arrangements were perfectly coordinated from the moment we arrived to the airport, personalized assistance and very accommodating of all our requests. Excellent service, safe driving and great knowledge of the area! I highly recommend their services and hope to have the chance to come back soon!!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great sightings and a comfortable ride.
The driver was knowledgeable, kind, and very patient! We saw just about everything we’d hoped, and felt like we were able to explore most of the park. A very enjoyable experience.
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All was amazing, they pay an attention on the feeling of the clients and ability
Every minute they are checking if you are ok, food waa excellent, guide was helping your needs and physicall status
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible experience, top-notch company
Exploring Nairobi National Park has been a huge dream and this safari was even beyond my expectations. The staff was incredibly professional, kind, and knowledgeable. The amount of time was perfect and the route allowed us to see all kinds of terrain and wildlife. Would 100% recommend to anyone traveling to Nairobi!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Madagascar, South Africa & Namibia - Unforgettable experience
My 5th grader and a small group middle school and high school students along with educators and a few parents went to Madagascar as a part of a school organized trip in Northern Virginia. We wanted to extend the trip for a total of 4 weeks (2 weeks - Madagascar/School trip and 2 weeks - Family trip with 2 boys 14 yrs and 11 yrs - South Africa/Namibia), and decided to work with Chalo Africa for the entire trip (as they were recommended by the school). From start to finish - and they were incredible. They by far exceeded all of our expectations and went above and beyond anything we could have ever imagined. We are last minute travelers, so booking safaris and other unique experiences in such short notice is incredibly difficult to do alone. But they have many connections & contacts and were able to provide us with top notch accommodations in less than a month before our trip. We are not typical touristy travelers, as we tend to enjoy non-obvious type vacations that create long lasting memories and experiences. Sangeeta listened to our needs and from talking to us - she suggested traveling to Namibia (which wasn't even on our radar), and created an itinerary that fit perfectly with our travel style. She recommended that we participate in Rhino conservation where a group of scientists sedate the endangered rhino and perform rhino notching. I didn't know what to expect, and had never heard of this before. I have to say that being a part of this experience of Rhino darting/notching is something our family will never forget. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. We received a leather bound journal and itinerary, information guides on animals - geared for the kids, a safari cross-body bag and binoculars. They provided us with detailed information about clothing, what to bring, what to expect, helped us figure out immunizations/shots etc. Madagascar was organized by teachers from the school and they worked with Sangeeta and her team to create the itinerary. My husband and my 11 year went to Madagascar and really enjoyed the trip. We were also able to communicate with the team and the ground team through Whatsapp during our entire stay. Any questions or concerns were handled immediately. It was such a pleasure to work with them. Our trip was complicated, with several stays, flights, and requests - and I'm so impressed that they were able to figure it out in such a short time. I have already recommended Chalo Africa to several of our friends who were amazed when they saw our pics of our accommodations and destinations. We will definitely be using them again.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great operator, but much of the experience hinges on local guides, not the tour company.
Very responsive operator...we texted and figured out details over the weekend just before the safari. The pickup service was prompt and friendly, and the vehicle was comfortable. Meals were as expected for the price—basic but tasty. The tent was also as expected.
One thing to be aware of is that the “polers” and guide are part of the village community and they are assigned from a rotating list. Thus, as I understood, the boat operators and tour guides (who also help with camp requirements) can be hit-or-miss. Ours were very friendly and knew what they were doing (good empirical / local knowledge) but not stellar on technical knowledge and customer experience. The Shipungo staff was great, though. Overall it was an amazing experience.