MX
Most reliable, responsible and fun way to go Gorilla trekking!
Living and Adams were amazing tour guides, they took me and my two female friends on a memorable trip to Uganda for gorilla trekking. They were very warm, respectful and always cared about our best interests whether that was making technical stops for restrooms in the road, getting to an ATM, or just engaging in a quite unique conversation about Uganda and its people.
They would always help us troubleshoot and took us safely from Kigali to Uganda.
The food was very good, there were even vegetarian options, and the only thing that is not included is beverages other than limitless bottled waters in the car.
The hotel is supported by a local NGO, and the earnings continue to help the local community to redistribute water through a water-spring supporting project they started. For us, this represented sustainable tourism.
The guides and trackers were very professional and explained to us everything we needed to know.
Finally, the gorilla trekking was AMAZING! One of the best in a lifetime experiences that anybody visiting Rwanda or Uganda should definitely go for.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very friendly and experienced operator
I organised a tour for someone else and from my very first contact with Mopoo at Hekima, I was really impressed with the speed of his replies, his friendliness and the patience and time taken to answer all my questions.
Everything was beautifully organised, it worked like clockwork. The safari was sensational: the experienced and knowledgeable guide searching every nook and cranny to seek out the hardest to find animals.
Hekima arranged the holiday of a lifetime. We could not be happier.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most gentle and flexible guides
We felt safe and comfortable from the very first moment that William, our safari guide, picked us up at our hotel. Also Isaya has been very kind in helping us before arriving in Tanzania! We booked a 3 days safari but although the shortness of trip, the tour operators made the unpossible to let us see all the animals in one game drive only! Specifically William was super friendly and helped us with everything unrelated with the tour.. we call him as a friend by now.. thank you for making our stay unforgettable!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
"Awesome"
My friend and I are back from a 12-day trip with Hekima Safaris - a climb of Kilimanjaro (Lemosho route) and a 5 day safari, with a few rest and travels days mixed in. I can say without any hesitation whatsoever that this was a trip of a lifetime and that we picked the right travel company with which to entrust all of the details.
Picking a travel company for a Kilimanjaro trek requires a leap of faith - they are mostly local companies without any brand recognition. I found Hekima Safaris through my own research, and they quickly won my confidence. The sales manager who fielded my initial inquires, Richard, is simply extraordinary- helpful, thorough, responsive, and professional without being pushy. Long after we committed to this trip, Richard was my primary point of contact, and I am very grateful for all of his help. Every question about everything- packing, logistics, preparation- Richard was my go to person and he always got me the information I needed. Thank you Richard and of course the owner Mopoo (Eli :)!
Our lead mountain guide and his team were likewise excellent- the mountain guides, cooks, porters, you name it- every last person we dealt with excelled at their job and was committed to our safety, well being and comfort every step along the way. Richard and his team did a great job of communicating with us, and likewise keeping the mood upbeat. Make no mistake about it, this is a serious trek, but this team of professionals got us both to the summit and back- we are very grateful for the entire team for leading us through it all!
A tip for those considering this trip- get the private toilet. The public toilets at the campsites and heavily used, potentially a long, cold walk from your tent and generally disgusting. The private toilet is a small price to pay for sanitary conditions.
On the safari, our guide Maulid and Ambrosia was outstanding. They seems to know everything about everything out there! They are very personable and was really committed to making sure they tailored each day to fit our needs. We very much enjoyed his company on the long, bumpy rides across the 3 parks we visited. They are dedication to us on this trip- our safety, comfort and enjoyment- is a tribute to they are skills as guides.
Finally, all of the hotels booked through Hekima Safaris were great, and also a shout out to the drivers who seamlessly transferred us from place to place Ambrosia :-). Hekima has a real 'spirit of customer service' that is evident in every interaction we had with everyone before, during and after the trip.
In closing, I simply cannot say enough good things about Hekima and the trip in general- thanks to everyone who made it happen.
RO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was an amazing experience, we visit Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater.
It was perfect, we have it 2 days and visit Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater.
HU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A flawless, unforgettable adventure
Me and my wife did a 2 day safari with Qualified Tours Tanzania from Zanzibar to Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. We enjoyed every minute of it! We were on our honeymoon, and the tour operator even suprised us with a "Just married" car logo. It was so nice to see this on arrival. Our guide was Lameck, who told us a lot of information about the animals and the parks, but we also learned many things from him about the history of the areas we visited. Both our guide and the tour operator went above and beyond to make sure we have the maximum game viewing opportunities and time in both parks, which is really important on a short safari like this, but we never felt like we were rushing. Lameck our fantastic guide always made sure that we also have enough time to rest and to make photos. We saw all the iconic animals on our safari except leopard and cheetah. We even saw rhinos in the Ngorongoro Crater with binoculars. Tip: if you go on a safari make sure you bring binoculars! Our best moments was seeing herds of elephants up close in Tarangire with one herd crossing the road just behind our jeep. Seeing the beatiful landscape of the Ngorongoro Crater and the crazy numbers of animals on the crater floor was also breathtaking. The accomodation at Hhando Coffee Lodge was fantastic, the staff, the room and the food was superb. This lodge is actually not inside the conservation area, but it is so close to the entrance of the Crater that you can reach it 10-15 minutes. This is a really important factor if you want to do an early morning start in the Crater. And the forests of Ngorongoro are also very close so you can hear some really cool sounds from your terrace at night. We even heard the whooping sound of hyenas at night which was fun, but dont worry they are far away! Wish we could have stay longer to explore this fantastic lodge a bit more. In summary i strongly recommend you both Qualified Tours Tanzania and our guide Lameck, we had a perfect experience. Wish we can do a longer safari with them in the future! Tip if you are on a holiday in Zanzibar and want to do a short 2 day safari: choose this tour, because you will see huge, guaranteed numbers of animals in these parks with the chance of seeing the Big Five, but you will also see the towns and beatiful landscapes of mainland Tanzania during your drive to the parks which was a nice experience for us in itself.
MT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely Fantastic absolutely
It was a fun and interactive tour. No dull moment guaranteed. Value for money most definitely. I recommend to anyone always.
Just ask for Taufique, he knows the way
35-50 years of age
Serengeti, Lake Manayara & Ngorongoro Safari experience within budget.
It wasn't the way we had envisaged going on safari when we originally decided to go, but a camping safari was definitely the best we have experienced to date. Previously we have stayed at lodges in safari parks, and they have been very good. This time we were working to a budget and had to go during peak times so we had to look for alternatives. We booked a package directly with the tour operator based in Arusha and gave them details of what we wanted to see and do, they arranged everything: pick-up at the coach station, car, driver, cook, sleeping bags, tent, food. The tour guide/driver knew exactly which camping sites to stay at, the amount ot time needed to view the wildlife and also specifics about the wildlife. This allowed us plenty of time to see and enjoy the beautiful national parks (Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti). Once you arrive in Arusha it takes a couple of hours to get to Lake Mayara and the road is good. Getting to Ngorongoro takes a further 3 hours, but to get to Serengeti you have to go through Ngorongoro and it takes a good few hours, and be prepared for a rough ride, as the road is not smooth. But the whole experience was fantastic. Apart from the amazing wildlife the experience of staying in tented camps was graet. One night was spent in the middle of the Serengeti, where we could hear wildlife around at night and when we woke up we were a facing a glorious sunrise and giraffes and zebra roaming within a few hundred metres. Another night was a freezing cold night at the top of Ngorongoro Crater, but where you could see the stars so clearly that you felt you could touch them. Generally, the washroom facilities in these camps weren't great but the were usable. And having a cook travelling with us was great, he provided breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. All-in-all this was a great adventure holiday for the family (2 adults and 2 boys) which we will never forget and which will provide us with stories to tell.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari tour company that really listens to your requests
I found YZS through an internet search and am glad i did.
I sent a brief email explaining what my wife and I were planning (we wanted to safari in Tanzania and see the migration on a restricted budget!) and within 45 mins Julian - director of YZS, had called me back to discuss further.
He was very pleasant and massively informed on Tanzania. He gave me a run down on his personal history and I knew then that I could leave the planning of our holiday to him and be confident that all our requirements would be met.
He offered 2 suggestions - one South Tanzania and one North and it wasn't hard to decide when he explained what both would involve and the costs involved.
To describe the holiday briefly does it an injustice however it does demonstrate how personally Julian takes planning your holiday.
We had had a few days in Kenya attending a friends wedding and then headed to Tanzania where we spent 7 days - 5 of which were on Safari with YZS.
We were picked up in Arusha by our tour company - WAYO africa. Danford was our guide and he was brilliant. WAYO's ethos is that your safari is your private holiday and therefore my wife and I were on the jeep on our own.
We set off and our first port of call was Lake Manyara. - Amazing. Baboons, Girraffes, Zebras, Hippos, Elephants and buffalo ( amongst others all on the first day)
We then headed on to and stayed the night in a tented lodge called Rhotia Valley. Our only regret is we didn't spend longer than one night here.
Our next day was spent in the Ngorogoro Crater. - Stunning. Here we saw the animals as above but also Rhinos. Danford again sharing his vast knowledge with us.
That evening was spent in Rhino lodge on the ourskirts of the crater.
We then moved onto the Serengetti. We spent 4 days 3 nights travelling round the Serengetti and saw the 'Big 5'.
The camp provided by WAYO was outstanding.
As i say, a very brief summary of our holiday organised by Yellow Zebra Safaris but they certainly made our holiday that of a lifetime by using their local knowledge, contacts and by listening to their clients needs and wants.
I can not recommend Yellow Zebra Safaris highly enough and will absolutely book with them should we or any family members be heading back to Tanzania at any point.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime...Thank You EASTCO
My wife and I went on a 12 day safari with EASTCO. Before choosing EASTCO, I read all the reviews. There were many great reviews and some not so great reviews. What I definitely understood that the #1 most important aspect of the trip is the selection of tour guide. Based on many great previous reviews we requested James to be our tour guide…we made this request one year in advance of our trip.
This review is neither a blow by blow detail of our trip nor a detailed list of what to bring or not to bring. This is a review of EASTCO and all that goes into selecting a tour company, accommodations, logistics and the tour guide.
I will begin with the end….this was the most spectacular trip and far exceeded our already incredibly high expectations. Without seeing it in person it is hard to explain the beauty of Tanzania, the spectacular amount of diverse wildlife and the friendliness of the people. We saw it all….the big 5 plus so many other animals and an incredible (surprising) amount of beautiful birds. The month of February means baby animals everywhere in the park….it also meant the migration. You could look in every direction and it would be impossible to count all the Wildebeest, Zebra and Gazelle’s.
The communications with EASTCO was exclusively with Simon King. During the selection and planning phase, I must have sent Simon 20 emails. Almost without exception Simon got back to me within 24 hours. If he was later than that, he apologized and told me why it took 2 days to return my emails.
The selection of James as our driver was fantastic. James is an incredibly good guide (as you can see by all the great reviews). He is very knowledgeable about the parks, the animals (he was a great spotter of animals)….we would say “how would you know it was there?”….remember EASTCO drivers do not use radios to communicate. He was also a very good driver. We drove approximately 1,500KM during our 12 days together. So many times I witnessed out of control safari drivers and others rushing from one place to another. As they rushed past us...inevitably they would miss so much to see from the varied landscape to the far off lions on the rocks. James made our vacation fantastic….that is how important a driver can be for the overall experience.
Our safari car was a Landrover Defender 110 with slightly less than 300K miles before we started and more than 301K after we finished. There are a lot of newer safari vehicles in the parks, but ours was just right for us. Our car had no mechanical issues and several times we pulled over to help out other broken down safari vehicles….mostly Toyota Landcruisers. The vehicle was comfortable and very effective….remember you are not driving down a highway in America, you are on Tanzanian dirt roads with so many ruts and holes.
The logistics of a safari can be a nightmare….there are so many opportunities to miss being picked up or dropped off. The logistics for our trip were spot on and perfect…that is very important and showed the communications between EASTCO and the drivers, greeters, etc were handled without incident.
Our itinerary was designed by Simon and I used the Trip Advisor community to get 2nd and 3rd opinions. We took a hybrid approach to camps/lodges. We flew into Kili and overnighted in Rivertrees in Arusha. The next morning we flew to Mwanza and had a driver pick us up an bring us to Speke Bay Lodge on shores of Lake Victoria. This allowed us to get to the Ndabaka with 15 minutes from Speke Bay to start our safari. Our 1st night in the Serengeti we spent at the Four Seasons Serengeti….our 2nd night was at the EASTCO camp in between Olduvai and Ndutu, this was a basic camp but very comfortable. Our next 2 nights were spent at the Serengeti Savannah Camps and in particular camp #10….we really liked the camp location and the overall experience with Serengeti Savannah Camps. On safari we did the balloon ride with Serengeti Balloon Safari’s…the ride was great (it is fun being in a hot air balloon) but the winds were not in our favor in terms of the migration and we didn’t see a lot of animals while ballooning. After the Serengeti we went to Ngorongoro Crater for game viewing and stayed in the most spectacular lodge & Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. The following night we spent at the one EASTCO camp I would skip and that was Naitolia Camp…we thought this was too far away from everything…but the camp was still very beautiful and functional just not right for us. After Naitolia we headed to Tarangire Park for 3 nights at the Boundary Hill Lodge. I thought that 3 nights were too many at this place…but that was only before I stayed there, we loved our time at BHL. The views are spectacular and we took one full day of just relaxing, reading and playing cards…a great down day during a busy safari. We loved the incredible wildlife in Tarangire and ranked this only behind Serengeti in terms of the wildlife. After 3 nights at BHL we went to Manyara Park for a day of game viewing. We like Manyara for its diverse landscape but the wildlife is certainly less than the other parks we visited. We ended our stays with EASTCO with a final night at Ol Tukai camp on the shore (the shore was one mile away due to the time of year) of Lake Manyara. The following morning James drove us to Arusha airport for our last part of our trip 5 days at the Next Paradise Boutique Resort in Pwani Mchangani…we booked this separate from EASTCO.
One last point, when we were at the Arusha airport Simon King came by to personally see how our trip went…we talked for 10 minutes and we shared our experience with him.
Overall a trip of a lifetime which was made possible by our planning, our use of EASTCO and of course our driver James.