FI
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
Traveling to Tanzania for my 45th birthday was the most meaningful way I could have celebrated. I went with two close friends from Helsinki, and from the moment we arrived, the trip felt special. We combined Kilimanjaro with a safari, and even traveling during the rainy season only added to the adventure.
Tanzania Wildlife Adventures organized everything perfectly. Our safari guide Hamisi was calm, knowledgeable, and made us feel safe and excited every day. Driving through dramatic landscapes, muddy roads, and open plains, we saw elephants, buffalo, huge herds of wildebeest, and predators never far away. Every day felt different and unforgettable.
Climbing Kilimanjaro together was challenging and emotional, and reaching that goal at 45 felt incredibly empowering. We had an excellent crew of 2 guides; Joseph and Musa, assisted by 9 porters and cook. In the evenings, we enjoyed the camping experience, excellent food, and warm service, which made the experience even more memorable.
Celebrating my birthday in Tanzania was something I will always treasure. It was not just a trip, but a reminder to keep choosing adventure.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable and service oriented travel partner
I booked two safari tours with Toto Tembo. During the first tour to Masai Mara-Naivasha-Nakuru some issues appeared (seating, vehicle, the guide, the meals). It felt unpleasant and I reached out to my contact persons Emmilia and Esther about the issues.
They are very committed, professional, friendly and 100% available for occurring questions even during the game drives with directly tackling issues I pointed out.
So you don't have to wait long for support which I think is very important when you're traveling in a foreign country and be on safari.
Special requests like my meal preferences, as I'm vegetarian, have been taken seriously and been tried to execute as best as possible.
For the second tour to Amboseli, Toto Tembo made up for the previous inconveniences I faced during the first tour. I saw many animals, also the big 5, and experienced many different landscapes and facets of Kenya.
Some facts in short that I found important during my travel:
Vehicle provided: modern, very clean, comfy and well equipped (chargers, box for water). I want to point out that the safety belts were working properly which isn't granted with every vehicle in Kenya or safari agency!
My guide: friendly and calm guy, good and safe driver, very knowledgeable during the safaris. I loved his company and infos during our trip. Very much appreciated Lenards calm warm personality!
The schedule: Pick up was always punctual, so no long waiting but the schedule is very tight. Safari means you be in the vehicle long hours, roads can be rough and very bumpy, getting up early and being in bed late.
You should plan your game drives and days to stay at a certain lodge or camp accordingly or ask for advice from Toto Tembo to get the best experience based on your own energy levels and preference. This will shape the whole safari experience so you want to think about that and not just about how many game drives you can fit in one day. -Trust me!
Accommodation:
Check the accommodation yourself in advance so you can tell Toto Tembo where you like to be booked in. I personally think Sopa Lodges deliver a very good experience and I especially loved the variety and high quality food + they have nice pools and big inside fire places. The lodge itself to me would be worth a one day stay to just relax and enjoy nature, the views and the many amenities.
Toto Tembo as safari agency:
I really appreciate that they are so serious about delivering a pleasant and high quality experience and also take accountability when things go wrong. Because of this I always would recommend and book with them again. I made the experience that they are a trustworthy and professional travel partner.
Thanks a lot for all the memories I could make and your friendly and open ways of being!
Side note: as a solo traveling white woman I always felt safe and taken care of during my trips.
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Astonishing
Lovely time spent with Robin, a very good driver and animal whisperer. We saw lots of animals thanks to Robins instinct. We are very Lucky and Happy to book Jungle Roam and our driver. I recommend everybody to do the tour with them.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful
Thank you Safari Moja Matata for the adventure! Leopard was very helpful in planning our safari and gave us a warm welcome. Richard, our tour guide and driver for the safari was fantastic. We are so grateful to have had such a knowledgeable and experienced guide to deliver unforgettable moments on our journey and with the animals. We had so much fun! Asante sana!
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent professional and customer focused operator
I can strongly recommend Ernest Magic Tours and Safaries and for you who maybe like us were new to this and not sure what to choose amongst tons of offers here is why I found this operator nothing but just excellent.
First of all Ernest MT are a completely reliable operator. We had some troubles transferring money and we had to make a few late changes to the trip and all was accommodated without any problems. Ernest, the owner himself, even turned up and met us in the Kilimanjaro airport.
Second, everything was delivered according to the standards, description and itinerary described in the contract, no surprises.
Third, the company is still relatively small and works only with experienced guides. This is probably the absolute most important part to look for. Our guide Karim had 15 years of experience and was outstanding, completely committed give us as clients the best possible experience from our perspective. We love to see as much as possible of culture, landscape and of course wildlife and he gave us that, was very friendly and almost became and extra member of the family during the trip. You spend around 12-14 hours a day with your guide so this is important.
When you are on safari there is no guarantee that you will see every animal but the experienced guides, like Karim, give you a better chance and when you have found the animal, the next thing is to find the right way to see it. The experiences guide can predict the next move and in many occasions our jeep was positioned in the front row of action e.g. the leopard claiming a three, a cheetah with her five cubs playing around her or a herd of elephants crossing the road just in front of the jeep.
Fourth, giving the little extra. On our way back on a day where we spend more than 14 hours together, there was still time for a 30 min stop in a town on Christmas day attending a local market.
I am sure there are many good safari operators and some bad. If you choose Ernest MT I think I can say you are in good hands. Our experience was just excellent.
SA
20-35 years of age
Best experience you will get with this company
We are a family of 3 parents and a little child this company made our dream come true 👍
We really enjoyed our tour to the Masai Mara. Everything was well planned and the experience was unforgettable. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable, and we got to see a lot of wildlife. Overall, it was a great trip and we liked the service very much. Highly recommended!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Theodore is a nice person. Very helpful.
Been a great experience. Memories to cherish for life.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Theodore was very accomodating, knowledgeable and friendly, his English was great!
Appreciated from the start of our journey that Theodore explained how the trip the accomodation would go.
He explained how long the drive was, the stops we would take along the way, what not to do during these stops, as well as made us feel comfortable to ask for a stop if we needed.
He would also mentioned what to look out for during the drive - eg. Where we might see monkeys, hippos, etc…
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely happy to have chosen this company!
Everything was great! Our driver, Titus, was amazing and always did his best to ensure we saw as many animals as possible. The highlight was witnessing lions catching their prey in the Maasai Mara — an unforgettable experience. The accommodations were absolutely fine, and I have no complaints at all. Susan also did a fantastic job with the organization; everything was handled smoothly and easily.
Thank you for an amazing safari tour!
