US
Experience level: first safari
amaizing experience .... with the best guide ever.
bubbling welcome with a bottle of champagne was just a fantastic surprise , the driver Jackson was excellent and experienced . when it comes to guiding and driving off road looking for animals , he is the best . for an adventurous safari , it can only be Tazama... thank you Jackson and Antony Gitau.
US
Glad I chose Barafu for Kili trek
I had a great time climbing Kilimanjaro and couldn't have done it without Raphael and his crew. The summit day was brutal and Raphael pushed me harder and I was able to make it to the top. Excellent crew, porters and cooks. I wanted to do the 7 day Lemosho route but after the second day, I knew it would take 8 days for me. Raphael had gladly accommodated my request.
Chance is a very honest and professional guy to deal with. Right from the airport pickup till drop off, everything went so smooth and their service exceeded my expectations. I did a lot of research and spoke to a number of different people who had booked through Barafu and was glad I chose them.
Climbing the mountain itself was pretty tough and the summit day can get brutal. But when you make it to the top, it's such a rewarding experience. I am already looking forward for my next climb to Mt Meru.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A life-changing experience
Having read books on Africa and heard the stories for over 60 years, finally I had the chance to experience it. Absolutely fantastic - the people, the animals , the landscapes and all bought together in a compact form by John Cooper and African Adventures. A series of emails prior to the trip help set the scene and make sure we were prepared for the excitment to come.
My trip was just two weeks and started in Harare, Zimbabwe travelling to Great Zimbabwe, Matobo Hills, Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls and finally Chobe River in Botswana. The adventure started slowly allowing participants to feel the atmosphere - then the tempo increased -the animals got bigger -more dangerous - as we were able walk among elephants, rhino, and also view from bunkers as they visited the water hole. Vic Falls was a welcome break and allowed a few days shopping interspersed with helicopter flights over the falls and sunset cruises on the Zambezi.
Finally the tour reached its' climax -Chobe River and floating amongst the animals in the Pangolin Safari photographic boats. This is certainly not the cheapest safari but the money is well spent in getting to the best spots and having the flexibility of a small group tour. John was most attentive and ensured each persons needs were taken into account with his planning and tour delivery.
I am looking forward to going back
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Honeymoon in Africa!
My wife and I travelled on our honeymoon throughout the Serengeti, Ngorogoro and Tangire National Park. Our tour guide was Arasto who was absolutely incredible over our five day adventure. From the start, we knew that we were in good hands. Our guide drove for hours and hours, answered any questions we had with pleasure and an upbeat attitude. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner together and can say that we made a friend by the end of our vacation. For anyone considering a safari in Tanzania, we highly recommend "It Started in Africa".
Travelling in September was great because it was dry season. The weather in the day-time was hot to say the least; but overnight temperatures dipped and bringing proper clothing is important. The guide will look after the rest and ensure you have a great time. We said from day number one, as long as we see a cheetah, we will leave Africa happy. Arasto patiently watched for hours and hours until we found the rare cheetah. You could truly tell he loved his job! Would definitely go back, incredible experience!
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g297913-d4997591-r472229875-It_Started_in_Africa_Day_Tours-Arusha_Arusha_Region.html#
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Seeing the places I wanted to see, the way I wanted to see them
This was the second adventure that I had been on with this company. I wanted to see something different even though it was hard to imagine a better selection than I had seen first time. Before the trip, I was well informed by a series of emails on all aspects of African travel. We even had a meeting of the group to get to know each other.
I was away for 5 weeks and the trip covered over 6000kms from Capetown in South Africa up the West Coast of Africa - Namibia, Botswana and I finished in Vic Falls, Zimbabwe. On a trip this long there were many unexpected events - some good such as rare animal sightings -pangolin, black rhino and more, and some not so good such as being bumped from a planned stop for some reason. In every case, John Cooper was able to use his knowledge and contacts to obtain an alternate of equal or better quality.
The group was generally under 10 people - some joined and left- and this enabled a very flexible itinerary to take advantage of local conditions or special sightings. The trip was planned to limit the number of long drives and where possible to stay an extra day or two in interesting locations.
This was another once in a lifetime experience for my wife and I made possible by African Adventures and in particular John Cooper.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best service and best adventure thanks to Safari Online
Walter from Safari Online organised such a great experience for my friends and I in the Kruger. I think he’s the most helpful person I have ever worked with.
Let’s start with Sunrock Guest House since that was our first stop. The rooms are super comfortable and the oversized two head showers were a treat after a long plane ride. We had a chance to speak to the owners when we arrived and they were so lovely and welcoming. They organized food packs to take with us on our shuttle to the Kruger, since we left before breakfast. Definitely recommend this place.
The shuttle ride to the Umlani Bush Camp took about 7 hours because of road works but we had plenty of stops so the trip was broken up well. The shuttle is comfortable and the company supplied us with enough water for the trip.
Umlani Bush Camp was just perfect. Rustic but very comfortable. The staff were so lovely and accommodating that at times we felt a little overwhelmed with how attentive they were. Each day the safari guides made it their mission to make sure we had a really great adventure. We had all the luck and saw every animal we wanted to see and more. On our last day, just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we had the opportunity to watch two male lions stalking a leopard hiding up a tree with his kill. The leopard eventually made it away safely. On our last night we stayed in the Umlani tree house, about 500m from the camp. I would totally recommend this to anyone visiting Umlani. It was a night sleeping under a sheet of stars listening to the sounds of the beautiful wild. Before we went to bed our torch caught the eyes of a hyena, a buffalo and a herd of impalas - as confirmed the next day by the tracker. We requested a night in the treehouse as soon as we found out about it on arrival, but perhaps to ensure a night there people might be able to do it before they arrive. Definitely recommend the Umlani Bush Camp to anyone visiting Kruger.
Walter, thanks again for your help organizing a memorable adventure, answering all our questions so quickly and and being thorough with sending us all the details we needed for the trip. You helped make the trip as awesome as it was. If anyone I know plans to visit South Africa I’ll be sending them your way.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant experience in Kenya
The safari took me through three of Kenya's most renowned national parks. I was doing a solo safari and my driver and I had many great conversations about everything from wildlife to life in Kenya and overseas.
His knowledge and attention to detail meant that I was able to see most of the wildlife that Tsavo East/West and Amboseli had to offer. I highly recommend Khanga for anyone looking for an authentic Safari experience.
safari in south west uganda
We gave Buffalo the areas and activities we wanted to do, and they did the rest. We stayed in some wonderful lodges in Ishasha, Queen Elizabeth national park and in Bwindi Inpenetrable Forest and a homestay in Fort Portal. All were great. In Bwindi and QENP, we were had local guides, but elsewhere our driver took us around and took great pride in ensuring that we saw as much as we possibly could. In Ishasha, at the end of two trips through this incredibly scenic area, he tracked down a tree climbing lion which had eluded us, and even a glimpse of a leopard. He was very a great source of information. Other than a roadslip which forced the cancellation of a trip to Lake Bunyoni, everything worked out very well.
Highly recommended.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent Murchison Experience!
Communication with Tim is always clear. He's a highly organised individual and always flexible with changes to itinerary. The safari was above our expectations - the family cottage at Murchison River Lodge was stunning. We loved the personal trip in the boat down the river (even if it was quite close to the crocs!). On the Safari, Rogers went above and beyond to help us see all of the wildlife - so much so, that we would have enjoyed another game drive! The park ranger was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of interesting information. Unfortunately the weather conditions weren't great for the chimp trekking, but such things can't be controlled. All in all, our expectations were exceeded in every way and it was a highly enjoyable experience - perhaps my parents' favourite place in Uganda!
RU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything was very professional and accurate
We took a short safari to Mikumi on our way to Zanzibar. Nyasi Adventure offered the best price out of 11 agencies I've contacted and were among the first to answer my price request mail.
We've booked without any deposit. Nyasi's manager and driver met us at the airport in the afternoon upon arrival, I've paid the settled amount and got an official receipt. The car was ok (the very vehicle we went to the safari). Not new, but comfortable enough (no air conditioning).
We got to Mikumi in the evening (our driver, Gaston, was great at getting us to Tan Swiss Lodge where we stayed on time, so we could get some sleep after a long flight).
In the morning we went out to the safari. There were some difficulties at the entrance (some troubles with our driver paying with a card of another company on his previous visit), so we've lost about an hour.
It was all compensated bu a most wonderful safari! We've even saw a lioness (how our driver noticed her under a bush - it's still a mystery, we've managed to see her only after he drove the car on a few-meter distance!), and a great pack of elephants (with babies), crossing our road and posing for us.
We were back at the Dar as Salam airport right in time for our flight to Zanzibar.
To sum up: that was our first trip to Africa, and I've heard that local people are not the most accurate in terms of timing (and our further experience confirmed that). But with Nyasi Adventure everything was different. They've delivered everything they'd promised, everything we'd agreed upon, for a fair price, at the right time. There were a few drawbacks (at the park entrance), but we were compensated for that with a great safari experience.
And, a big "thank you" goes to Gaston, our driver and guide. He knows his job really well, both as a driver and a guide.
When we come back to Tanzania, I hope to go with Nyasi Adventure for a longer safari. Thank you!