NZ
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about South Africa by Bubba_NZ
Not a 5, because while the country's parks and staff are simply outstanding, there's an undercurrent of corruption and poaching which threatens its long term tourism prospects.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
10 day safari June 27 thru July 9 2016
We had a wonderful Safari trip arranged via It Started in Africa. Our total trip was for 12 days (9 days of Safari + 3 days in Zanzibar) between June 27th to July 9th, 2016. The Safari included visits to Tarangiri National Park (2 nights in Tarangiri Safari Lodge), Lake Manyara National Park, (hunting) activities with Hadzabe tribe and Toga tribe (1 night in Kisima Ngeda at Lake Eyasi), Ngorongoro Crater (2 nights in Pakulala tented camp), flight to Central Serengeti (1 night in Chaka’s Kyota camp) with a day and half of game drives in Central Serengeti, drive to Northern Serengeti (2 nights in Chaka tented camps), and finally flight from Kotangade (N. Serengeti) to Zanzibar for 3 nights in Pongwe beach hotel).
Overall It Started in Africa had made excellent arrangements for us. As we were planning for the trip – It started in Africa customer happiness team was very responsive and patient answering the myriad of questions I posed – with good suggestions to customize the tour as I wanted. Impressed with their responsiveness to email – I got an email reply within a matter of hours no matter what time I sent them the question. Pricing / payment options and polices were clearly explained and there were no surprises. They provided us with our own safari vehicle with driver/guide (not shared), all the regional air travel were smooth (booked via Coastal Air), and we did not experience any unexpected expenses throughout the trip. Would definitely recommend It Started in Africa without reservations. See below for more details and ask all the questions so you are fully aware of what to expect.
Our driver/guide Erasto was absolutely fantastic – we would highly recommend him to anyone arranging tours with It started in Africa. He was very courteous, all ways on time, efficient as well as proficient in finding all the different animals we wanted to see and fluent in English. He did an excellent job of guiding us and seeking the right locations. E.g., when we wanted to see more lions – he took us deep into their habitats even though it was a longer drive – we were lucky enough to see a pride of male lions and the highlight was a lioness with 2 cubs (that were barely 2 weeks old). We saw all of the big 5 – Elephants, lions, leopards, wild buffaloes and even the very elusive black Rhino (this one alone was from afar – but we still could see it via the scope) and much more (zebras, wildebeests, warthogs, leopard, cheetah (with a cub and eating a kill), giraffes, hippos, Impala, gazelles, dik diks, mongoose, vultures, eagles, ostriches, jackals, hyenas, flamingos – the list is almost endless. Erasto covered the drive from Central to Northern Serengeti in about 5½ hours while still highlighting all the animals along the way (most other tourists mentioned it took them a whole day 8 to 10 hours to cover the same.) At the final stop Erasto was patient in tracking down the right crossing point for the Wildebeest crossing/migration across the Mara river as the final highlight of our Safari. Erasto appeared to be well connected within the driver/guide community across all safari companies and was able to glean a lot of information on animal locations via the radio, his cell phone and in talking to other drivers/guides. He also helped out several times when other safari vehicles were stuck on the roads (without creating any undue burden on us). Ask for Erasto if you are booking a trip with It Started in Africa.
We had excellent service at all the lodging options we used. Tarangiri Safari lodge was the largest camp (35+ tents) we used – the rest were all much smaller in size (10+ tents). The service at all the camps was exceptional (yes – we chose mostly the higher end of the luxury offerings). The tents were very well appointed and service staff were willing to cater to every request. Instructions were clear. We are all vegetarians and the chefs in every camp customized the menu to meet our needs – the food was delicious. We would recommend all of the camps without any reservations – without exception every camp went above and beyond to cater to our needs and requests (even doing laundry when the service was not generally offered). We were celebrating a couple of birthdays and our wedding anniversary thought the course of the trip (I had mentioned this in my preferences form to It Started in Africa which they had communicated to all of the camps) and the camp chef and staff at each camp surprised us with a celebration (including a cake, camp staff singing and dancing.)
Zanzibar and the Pongwe beach resort – the beach was definitely nice and interesting how much the water recedes during low tide (almost a mile exposing the sand bar that you can walk out on). We only had breakfast included in the package with Pongwe beach resort – so had to pay for lunch and dinners (and they were pretty expensive – so plan for it). We did not do any local activities in Zanzibar – most activities were a good distance away at other locations that were at least 1 to 2 hour drive – so choose your location wisely if you want to do any activities. We just stayed put and chilled at the beach. Had we planned better – I would have either picked a different location closer to some of the activities or would have skipped (or at least reduced the duration) of our stay in Zanzibar.
Specific things we wished we knew / planned better:
1. While the safari vehicle we had (an older 1990’s land cruiser) was mechanically sound (never broke down or got stuck) – it was still old and rickety. It did not have power windows and even the manual windows and doors were very difficult to operate. Given the dusty road conditions (exacerbated every time you pass a vehicle in either direction) – a good working set of windows that can be easily raised and lowered and doors that can be opened from both the inside and outside would have made the overall experience much more pleasant and easier to manage. It was definitely a difficult chore for us to operate the doors and windows on the vehicle we had. Not sure if we just got unlucky with the vehicle assignment – but most other vehicle we saw during the tour seemed to be in much better working order. I wish It Started in Africa had arranged for a better vehicle for us.
2. The transfer from Ngorongoro to Central Serengeti – we had specifically arranged to fly this sector (35 minute flight) as this was supposed to be the worst sector for road transfer. When we were planning the trip we had assumed that we would have a different car/driver/guide meet us at Central Serengeti for the Serengeti portion of the safari. We only found out after we started the Safari that our car/driver/guide would be the same for the entire safari and that he would drop us at the Lake Manyara airport for the flight and drive by himself (for about 5 hours) and meet us again at Serengeti airport. Unfortunately this meant we had to drive from the crater rim at 6 AM (in a complete fog where we could barely see 15 feet in front of you – needless to say a very scary drive) and a long wait in the Central Serengeti airport while our car/driver/guide covered the distance by road. Even though It Stared I Africa tried to arrange a different car to transfer us from Ngorongoro to the Lake Manyara airport – due to park fees and such – our regular car/driver/guide had to drive us down from the crater to park exit and had to drive back the same route again to get to Central Serengeti. Had we known this we would have definitely planned this portion differently – we would have exited the crater the previous night and stayed at a lodge in Lake Manyara near the airport instaed of a 2nd night at Pakulala tented camp – this could have given our car/driver/guide the extra time needed to get to Central Serengeti on time to pick us up at the airport while we could have had a leisurely morning at Lake Manyara (providing us some much needed rest and avoid the scary early morning drive down the crater) before catching the flight – and most likely would not have increased our overall cost. Wish we had known/planned this transfer better or gotten better advise/clarity from It Stared in Africa
3. Drive from Central to Northern Serengeti – more on this below – but this is another sector worth considering a flight – but not sure how you manage the car/driver/guide situation if you are using the same car/driver/guide for the entire trip. I was told this is where the “game package” option of flying and using different cars/drivers/guides may come in handy – but at a potentially higher overall cost.
4. Having said the above – we were very happy we had the same driver/guide Erasto for the entire trip.
A few general things to note:
1. There are almost no paved roads – all of the game drives inside the parks and most of the transfer drives were on rutty, unpaved, rocky and very bumpy roads. So drives are usually slow, long and bumpy requiring a lot of patience. Erasto did a fantastic job for us navigating the very difficult terrain.
2. Animals roam freely – so requires a lot of effort to track and spot them. Some are fairly common (zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, impalas), some are easy to find (elephants, giraffes) – we saw lots of them, but others are hard to track and find (specifically leopards, cheetahs, rhinos). Requires a lot of driving and patience. We had a 16 and 12 year old and there were times when their patience was tested
3. The roughly 1½ hour drive each way to Lake Eyasi/Kisima Ngeda (once you get off the main highway) is horrible – very dusty and bumpy (really no road or path that we could discern) – but is the only way to get in and out and get to the region where you can see the bushman (Hadzabe tribe). While the interaction and hunting expedition with the Hadzabe tribe was interesting – in hind sight not sure if the horrible drive required was worth the experience. But if you are interested in experiencing what you see In the movie “Gods must be Crazy” – then you will want to include this in your trip. The tented camp in Lake Eyasi though is a class apart – this is where we were first surprised by the staff with a cake and celebration – so unforgettable experience for us.
4. The drive from Central Serengeti to Northern Serengeti is long and arduous – again over very bumpy non paved terrain. While our driver covered this in 5½ hours – 8 to 10 hours seems to be the norm – so unless you want to specifically experience the drive (to follow the migration) – would highly recommend taking a flight.
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great 5 day safari where we were in good Hansa and everything was taken care of! - Lovely
Everything was very nice. We could decide our own date of the trip, which was very pleasent. It was nice, that we could pay by banktransaction, because it is easier than paying cash ( if you pay with shillings).
The safari itself was fantastic with all the animals. We got tasting food and had a great and experienced driver.
Next time it might be nice to get a guidening price for the tipping the driver and chief.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The coffee tour and hike to the waterfall was a highlight of our family reunion.
There were 20 of us, ages 1-60. Our competent, safe driver picked us up in Moshi mid-morning. Our drive took us right up to the base of Kilimanjaro and to the village home of a family who grows coffee. We entered their tidy compound and were warmly greeted by our host and guide, Oscar. Oscar gave a good presentation on single source coffee. He demonstrated every step of the process of taking the bean from tree to cup. Everyone got a chance to try the husking machine (handmade by Oscars grandfather, I believe), to grind the beans by hand with a 'pilao', (huge mortar and pestle used for pounding grains into flour). Water boiled over the fire, the grounds were sprinkled liberally into the pot, and then the brew was poured through a strainer into our cups. A perfect cup! This was a most delightful event. Most of us ordered coffee which Oscar roasted and delivered to us the following day.
After our bag lunch, Oscar took us on the hike to the waterfall. Our path was well beaten, narrow and often had us teetering on the edge of the ridge. The views of the valley below, the village homes and the gardens took our breath away. Our guide peppered our walk with interesting facts about the culture and the flora and fauna around us. His love for his home sparked enthusiasm in all of us. We all made it to the waterfall after walking an easy 1+ hours (it took us longer than it might normally as we had small children making the trek). We spent some time playing in the water before it was time to hike back. This tour was so refreshing, fun for all ages. Our guide was excellent and communicated well in English. The logistics of this tour ran smoothly, thanks to Amos who accompanied us the whole day.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great experience with a few bumps
First I would like to thank Mack for his patience whilst we sorted out our end. Mike, our driver and guide, for his knowledge and willingness to assist us in getting the best experience during our time on safari. And Nicho for some excellent food at the Hippo Camp.
Some points that would have improved the overall safari, prior planning on the part of Kiliholidays to ensure vehicle is in the best state prior to commencement may have prevented the flat tyre just outside of Dar Es Salaam, and having a fully serviceable jack would have reduced the amount of time on the side of the road. In addition having to wait in Dar Es Salaam whilst groceries were purchased detracted from the excitement for all participants who were on their first safari. And though it was necessary to have a spare prior to departing the Hippo Camp, it was not good having to wait for two hours whilst it was being repaired when it should have been done the previous day/night, and I do understand this is not Kiliholidays fault as the tyre was dropped off for repair with plenty of time to do so.
The sunset boat tour on the Rufiji was spectacular, with the sun setting over the hippos. Accommodation provided by Steve and his staff at the Hippo Camp was a pleasant surprise, much better than what we expected. The safari was, from start to finish, a magnificent display of african animals in the wild, Giraffes, Impala, Warthogs, Zebras, Wildebeasts, Lions, Hippos, Kudus, Water Bucks, Crocodiles, Babboon, Monkeys and Elephants. The best experience though was getting within a couple of meters of 3 month old Lion Cubs with their mother. And the view from the bank of the lake/river whilst we ate lunch was brilliant. Didi and his magical 2 hour walk through the bush the following morning was an adventure that none of us will ever forget, and then he topped it off with more elephants.
All in all the six of us immensely enjoyed the experience, but the time wasted for provisions and tyre change/repair on the voyage to and from Dar Es Salaam could have been avoided.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highly managed, experienced and affordable tour operator !
I recently did my Uganda trip last month with excellent support of Ababa Uganda Safaris team. Their services are really awesome. I will suggest all to contact them for an amazing trip.
AE
Good management and arrangement by magical retreats
Good hotels and stay arrangements.
Nice management of the trip. Though the van could have been in more better condition.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A great family experience!
Reasonable all round. Eveyone was friendly. If there were issues they were minor and was all sorted out.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Helpful and cheery, variable in communications
We did self cater, self drive to Kruger.
Service was helpful and upbeat. Booking consultant was very enthusiastic and friendly. Information regarding the cost conservation fees for foreigners could have been more specific. Generally, given we had an unfortunate cancellation the outcome has been favourable and Kruger.com assisted in the credit.
We enjoyed our Kruger visit.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari!
We did a 5day safari in the Serengeti, Ngorogoro and another NP. We slept in tents put up by the drive and the man who Cooks. Had the best food, the best experience, great guides! ! Had so much fun!! And we saw a lot of animals!!!!!