CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great company and superb driver/guide
Bright African Safaris are a locally owned and excellent safari company. We went on our second safari in late February/March of this year. Our first safari was with another company. We thought it and their guide were excellent, but they were outdone by Bright African. We chose them after sending proposals to several companies recommended on the Trip Advisor forum. They had the best price and the best organized proposal.
They have excellent and speedy communication. Evania, their “Sales Consultant”, is much more than that. Here English is flawless. She responded to our requests and needs. The proposal she issued was very organized, complete and easy to follow. She devised a trip which flowed well and made sure we were in good locations. She and the company know the various parks and take visits each year to check out accommodations. The itinerary they gave us was comprehensive and clear. We knew where we were going, where we were staying and what was included. Their clear instructions made it easy to make our deposit and final payment by bank transfer. They also accept credit cards, but with a fee, and we could have made the final payment in cash (US$).
Our driver/guide Hamis (Hamisi Mashauri) met us at the airport with a huge smile and handshakes. He was wearing a white shirt with the logo for Bright African. He led us to his very clean, well equipped, and fairly new Toyota Land Cruiser and drove us to our hotel (We wanted a budget hotel and their suggestion of the Outpost Lodge turned out to be just fine.)
The next day on our way to Tarangire, Hamis took us to Bright African Safari’s headquarters which are out of town near the airport. We met Evania and Salim, another representative. Evania personally welcomed us and thanked us for choosing Bright African. She also wanted to go over our itinerary once more and make sure everything was clear. (It was!)
On our final morning Hamis drove us to the Arusha airport where we again met Evania and Salim. They wanted feedback on how our trip went. We gladly told them how exceptional everything was.
Now for our driver/ guide and new friend, Hamis! What a vibrant, intelligent, personable man he is! We so enjoyed our time with him. My husband likely bored him with his discussions on topics of science, history, etc. but Hamis always appeared interested.
Of course he knew all the roads in the parks without signs and without consulting maps. He could spot a leopard in a tree in the late afternoon shadows while driving. He would say there are two cheetah in that bush (when we could see nothing) but sure enough when we got closer, there they were! Indeed, one day while driving at about 30 KPH, he slammed on the brakes to show us a dung beetle which was in the process of making a relatively large ball of elephant dung to attract his female mates. Wow! Who knew the little beasts can be so interesting!
He possesses an intricate knowledge of the interrelationships of the various animals, what they eat, and how they behave. With Hamisi, you may be able to witness a lion, cheetah, or leopard in the act of hunting and learn how the predator uses wind direction, camouflage and patience to stock its prey. Even though it was our second safari, we saw and learned new things. He taught me to be patient and not want to rush away. Sure enough things would happen. That is how we saw a male lion mating (twice!) with a female of his pride in heat.
He used the radio a bit but most of the time it was off. Often he stopped to talk to other drivers and much of the time it was him giving information to others. We encountered other driver/guides who were new to the job and needed directions. Hamis is experienced and it showed. His conversations and descriptions of the whys and ways of not only the flora and fauna but also of the nomadic Maasai people and how they survive as cattle herders in the midst of so many predators is truly enlightening.
Hamis succeeded in finding a wide variety of animals to see. New on this trip were lions mating, lions in trees, a cheetah on the hunt, dung beetles, and several mongoose raiding a termite mound. Ndutu was new for us and in Feb/March it is a fantastic place to be! The migrating herds of wildebeest and their accompanying zebra – said to be two million strong – made a spectacular sight while they journeyed around their annual loop of the Serengeti and adjacent areas searching for fresh pasture. It was also where we saw lots of lions and thousands of flamingos.
Every morning Hamis would be ready before the agreed time and greet us with his smile and handshake. He managed to have the vehicle clean every day. He would go over the rough plan for the day. At the end of any day he could summarize what we had seen even knowing how many lions and cheetahs we encountered. (No he could not count the thousands of wildebeest and zebra!)
Lunches with Bright African Safaris are a special treat. Their Land Cruisers are custom equipped with a folding table. This along with chairs allows for dining under a tree in places where it as safe to do so. Each evening at our accommodation, Hamis ordered a special lunch for the next day instead of the usual boxed lunches. We got to enjoy these with a table cloth, dishes and utensils. These had good variety, generally with rice, meats or fish with sauces, vegetables and fruit. Hamis quickly learned what we liked. Leftover food was given to workers at picnic spots or where we stayed.
To summarize, Bright African Safaris are a very professional and experienced company. I highly recommend them.
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good and nice safari operator
The company arranged for us an interesting, cheap 2-day safari in the park of tarangire and ngorongoro
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very knowledgeable of all aspects of the tour
We had a great time,we were able to see all the wildlife close up. The driver was very knowledgeable of all the animals that that we were able to see. I would recommend this company if you are in the area and thinking about safari. Thank you Philemon.
CZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best Safari tour ever
Go to Safari with Lemali Tours and Safari was the best choice I and my boyfriend made.
Communication with owner of these company, Elias, was great. He answear us all question we had and send photos of type accommodation that we choose. So we known what we can expect.
Lemali with our guide Dismas picked up us on the airport and the trip started. Safari with Dismas was really awsome experience. He know everything about nature and animals. His English was brilliant and I never met another guy with such a big heart. We told him, that we can see everything and we acctually saw everything! :D (Big five almost every day, cheetahs, giraffes, Pumba etc.). And as a bonus we had a lot of fun along this trip.
Finally, I must writte about our best chef, Frank. Good and funny guy which cooked the best meal in Tanzania! And the birthday cake was awsome (thanks a lot again for that surprise for me :)).
So I really recommend this company. We have the best experience for all life.
Thank you so much for that, Elias, Dismas and Frank! You are the best
CZ
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Really amazing services, reasonable prices & honest and realible staff
I have searched a lot to find a best company for safari with reasonable prices. It seems easy, but it isn't. For Tanzanias safari you hundreds and hundreds option. After all, we choosed Lemalisafaris and it was the best option.
The guide was called Dismas. He was really experienced boy with great English (also French) and nice hearth. After 6 days I saw him almost like my old friend:)
It was start of February. Me and my girlfriend wanted to see "everything". So it meens Big five, all types of young and old animals, sunsets and sunrises, beautiful landscapes or cats during hunting... And Dismas showed us everything:)
Also the boss of the Lemali company - Elias. Honest and realible guy. We ordered a private safari and created the schedule really as we wanted. Everything was possible.
For 6 days safari i suggest to start from Arusha in the morning. Go to Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Ngorongoro crater and spend 2 days in Serengeti. From Serengeti airport you can fly back (to Arusha, Zanzibar or Kilimanjaro...).
This kind of trips are not cheap for sure. But with this company you will get a good price and really amazing services. Highly recomended!
ES
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Experts in Uganda
My experience with Mooi was great. They are serious and committed, with clear prices, services and schedules. Always trying to meet my expectations and adjusting to my needs and budget. They know the best spots in Uganda and cover the whole country, from safaris, to rafting, hiking, waterfalls, lakes, bird watching and gorilla tracking. 100% reliable.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
First class
I booked my 3 day Gorilla Safari with LuLu & couldn’t be happier with my experience. My guide Samuel was informative friendly & couldn’t do enough for me . The road trip was great , & Samuel knew all the spots for great food & coffee. Always asking me “are you ok “ ?. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending LuLu Safari’s for an unforgettable Ugandan experience. Just loved everything about my Safari. Thank you LuLu Safari’s for a trip of a lifetime.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent tour guide..Great communication
Had a lovely 3 day safari with our excellent driver snd your guide - Dickson. He was able to organise everything to suit the whole group and was very accommodating. Thanks for the great trip Dickson!
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great guide, excellent communication, and stress-free visit
We did a three day trip with Hyrax at Masai Mara between 3-5 April (non-private tour). Emmah was excellent in communicating all the details of the trip in advance, and was very prompt in responding to all our queries before and during the trip. Ben, our driver and guide was very knowledgeable and thanks to him we managed to see a lot of the wildlife at Masai. We stayed at the glass house in Jambo Mara, which had excellent facilities. Do note that because the place is run with solar power, the power is cut off between midnight and early morning at Jambo Mara. But the weather was cool at night, and it did not bother us. Highly recommend Hyrax for making our trip stress-free and very enjoyable.
It was very pretty
My family and I had a great time. The tour company was very accommodating and went above and beyond for our needs.