35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Best Hospitality
Thanks for best hosting and give us brilliant experience.
We have arrived Arusha and lost baggage, although we are bit panic, the great driver Mr. T helped us by intermediating between airport officer and us.
As a result, we have successfully received it few days after(we are away from Arusha for Safari).
With regard to safari, it is great experience that Luis safari conductor gives us a lot of opportunity to see something different from South Africa(we live in SA).
All the arrangement for Safari is well planned and organised, special thanks for Tito the best Chef in this company gives us unforgettable meal each time.
We have seen all big five including tiny dot of Rhino far away, in course of our tours which made us so happy, I am sure this is definitely contributed from Luis skill and experience.
In between of Arusha and Camp site, we are hosted by very safe driver Rafa. This safe drive gave us the comport and reliefs.
The accommodation in Arusha which is arranged just before and after Safari is still acceptable, not the best (maybe the best in Arusha…).
One thing if we can request, we would like to have recommendation restaurants list around the hotel for someone want to experience Tanzanian meals.
Again, thanks for your all arrangement. Asante.
CH
35-50 years of age
Mount Meru and Uhuru Peak 5,896 masl in mid December 2021.
Mount Meru and Uhuru Peak 5,896 masl in mid December 2021.
Because i had a short timeframe i decided to do Mount Meru for acclimatization and then Mount Kilimanjaro via the Umbwe Route.
I chose Aardvark Expeditions because it is a local Trekking and Safari Specialists operator based in Arushavand I was more than happy to use their services. In fact Philemon Joel organized everything in a short timeframe with many special wishes from my side, and they have the Headquarters in Arusha which is shown on the company's website.
As i am from Switzerland, i am used to hike on the Alps and climb the mountains. So Mt Meru for me was just the perfect warm up peak, but more important, it helped a lot to acclimatise to the altitude. So, it is what it is, just study the mountain...for regular hikers it will be a very pleasant peak, for others, make sure you're fit enough for this challenge.
Mount Kilimanjaro via the Umbwe Route is the shortest trail to the peak of the mountain. It is also the hardest. I was more than happy to pick this route because it fitted my fitness level and was a pure adventure for me. I didn't see any climber on this route for the first two days with a very step track through beautiful mother earth. And here, in the middle of nowhere, are the little things that matters, and it is reassuring to have the right and experienced tour operator. Just to have a waterproof tent, hot coffee and a warm meal gives you the power for the next days...
In this environment everything takes time and you will have plenty of it between the activities. So make sure to bring your favorite book or something else you like to do. Also, hiking up is just the first part and do not underestimate the part of killing the meters by walking down.
I had ten days for both peaks, and it was just perfect for me. Next time i will climb Kilimanjaro via Marangu Route, the most comfortable
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Attentive operator for a fun filled trip with lots of wildlife
We chose the 6-Days comfort Safari for me, and my two parents (60s) during Christmas 2021. This was a trip of a lifetime for them due to their age and wanted to do something special and chose Shemeji after shopping around a few other operators.
Overall it was a fantastic trip - caring/responsive safari operator, very helpful and knowledgeable guide, saw a ton of animals (even the elusive ones like the cheetah, leopard, lions) and got to catch the early part of the wildebeest/zebra migration which was lovely to see.
Pros
+ Guide: David was our guide and was amazing - first, he is very kind and nice guy - so fun/great to be around. He was receptive to changes we wanted to make (e.g., impromptu stops for bathroom, wanted to go souvenir shopping at a reasonably priced market), and made a pro-active effort to find animals (we saw Big 5 minus the enigmatic rhino but they are endangered species so makes sense) as well as patiently answer all my questions about animals (there were a lot of questions!). I also appreciated that he kept the car very clean as well every day since there is a bunch of dust/dirt that can creep in the car from the game drives and supplied us with ample water.
+ Communication/Service: Before the trip, I was contacting Shemeji quite a bit due to potential Covid restrictions (Omicron was just announced a few weeks before the safari) and about pricing, logistics - they were all very responsive via Whatsapp so definitely appreciated that. During the trip, I had Whatsapp working most of the time (due to my phone plan) and when I had concerns, it was easy to contact Michael (GM of hotels), Fidelis (operations), and David. The context was that there was a mix up between HQ and the hotel which they 1) 2nd camp did not know my dietary preferences, 2) how many days to stay at a hotel, 3) did not know there were 3 people in one room vs a room prepared for just 2 (for 1, 2, and 3 - this was communicated to Shemji when we paid a few months ago) and 4) did not pack two of our bags when we went from 1 hotel to the next and we only realized when were hours into the drive. I flagged this to Shemeji (Michiel, and the hotel manager) and the next day this was rectified (i.e., able to accommodate to my dietary restrictions with the following meals, gave an extra room for the last night, bought key items from the misplaced luggage like toothpaste toothbrush) and figured out a plan to get the luggage back (last day but luckily there were not tons of critical items). Really appreciated the responsiveness and the customer service/attentiveness to solve the problems.
+ Accommodation: For a comfort safari, though the accommodations were great - clean, high quality tents. Highlight was that for the Lake Manyara safari there were zebras grazing on the grounds!
Things to note
+ Food: The lunch boxes could be a little more varied/higher quality food - a lot of chicken legs, some rice, and hard boiled eggs. i think this is a matter of the price we paid for the safari though and the fact we are in the bush so it's not something I really minded. Sharing this info for people who are very food minded.
+ Car: Overall our car worked great - there was 2 large cracks in the window but it didn't affect our trip (David said it would be fixed and the company knew it) and great to have phone chargers in the car and a fridge. What I noticed was that across our 6 day trip, the two other Shemeji cars broke down for various reasons (one was a car malfunction issue with a sensor and one that was human error (the driver drove over something in the evening but no one was hurt). The result was that we had to tow one of the cars for 2~ hours in the Serengeti instead of going on our game drive. Of course we wanted to help out other car (and did) but the opportunity cost is that we were unable to really see the Serengeti which was a highlight. Understandably, things like this happen on this type of terrain but my observation that this frequency seemed a bit odd to me. Not sure if this frequency of car problems is something typical of all companies or just Shemeji.
+ Covid protocol: The servers all wore masks but the drivers/other staff typically did not - I am sure that if we asked David to mask up during the game drives he would have but we did not since there were was mostly a lot of air blowing through the car. Also, almost every other driver we saw also did not wear masks so this is not Shemeji specific. Depending on how Covid cautious you are, you may want to set expectations upfront!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unique African Experiences curated specifically for us and executed flawlessly!
Bernard and his team at Nziza Hospitality make the magic happen for your African experience. From listening to what you would like to experience while you are there and creating an amazing itinerary just for you, to making sure your travels from country to country go flawlessly. Our itinerary was a very intense itinerary because we were there to learn as much as we could so we can go back and make our client's dreams come true. We traveled to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zanzibar. The team made our travel days very easy for us. The resorts we stayed in were so unique and five star all the way. We had breakfast with giraffe's at Giraffe Manor, we hiked a mountain in Uganda and spent the afternoon with gorillas, we stayed at the Original Maasai Lodge and got to experience how the Maasai people live and their customs. We got to witness the most spectacular sunrise over Mount Kilimanjaro, witnessed a pride of lions feasting on a kill, watched a 3 legged lion climb a tree and hang out on it and witnessed the Great Migration of the Wildebeest crossing the Mara River in the Serengeti. And ended our trip at the most beautiful resort in Zanzibar on Mnemba Island.
Life is all about collecting memorable moments. We made so many incredible memories on this trip thanks to Bernard and his team. I can't wait to go back again and again. Africa is more than I ever imagined it would be.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
thanks to Speke Uganda Holidays we had a spectacular and absolutely great trip to Uganda
right from the beginning it was a wonderful trip.
we had an exceptional good driver (Vincent) who was also an excellent guide and a really good guy with a lot of humor and a german speaking guide (Wahab) who was always very friendly and had always a good solution for our very rare problems.
The accommodations were outstanding either about their locations and also about their luxury. No wish was left open.
all was very very well organized and everything went out perfect.
Thanks to Speke Uganda Holidays it was a phantasmic an unforgettable trip.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Straight forward and simple to book and incredible experience from professional tour guides
Me and my husband booked Jocky Tours to visit Amboseli for our honeymoon trip. Our guide Andrew picked us up from our Airbnb and drove us to the destination. Throughout the trip, Andrew was very attentive to our needs and went above and beyond to ensure we saw the Kilimanjaro mountain during various stages of the day and also for us to see as many of the wild animals Amboseli has to offer. We stayed at Kibo Lodge Amboseli which was 10/10. The staff, the food, the view and overal ambience was the best I have experienced.
I cannot thank Jocky Tours & Safari, our guide Andrew and the staff at Kibo Lodge Amboseli enough for providing us with the most incredible honeymoon experience ever!
If you are thinking of booking, don’t hesitate and make sure you ask for Andrew as your guide.
Kind regards,
Nina & Ahmed
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Full of fun Adventure
We really enjoyed our safari in Uganda, it was fun to trek the gorillas for the first time, all hotels were incredible and our guide made sure that we don't miss anything about Uganda.
I recommend Dav Safaris
SA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing team and wonderful experience
We had wonderful 4 days in Safari with Daniel and his amazing guide Titho, visited Tarangire, ngorongoro, and Serengiti, we been lucky to see the big 5 and cheetah.
The trip was well organised, even when we had comment on one of the hotels, Daniel took immediate action to keep us comfortable.
Titho is an amazing guide with massive knowledge, answering all of our questions and doing the best to ensure you are satisfied and see all animals.
The cost of the trip was the best we got as well after talking to many agencies.
I would recommend Daniel and Titho for sure.
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
what a safari in Kenya!
we enjoyed our safari sooo much. the climate was sunny, chilly; animals were so diverse, we saw all animals we expected to see; about hotels, it was so comfortable and we loved to stay at tent. our guide was professional and no language barrier in communication. recommend them!
PL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lovely experience with Hello Tanzania
I highly recommend safaris organized by Hello Tanzania. They took me and my daughter to 3 days safari to Mikumi National Park. Fom the beginning contact with Sylwia was very good - before booking the safari trip I received a detailed offer and an answer for every of my questions. Everything was well organized, drivers nice and helpful, lodge at Camp Bastian comfortable, food delicious and the safari itself unforgettable - we saw so many wild animals. Hello Tanzania offers very good value for money.
