50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic!!
Lance and Kirsten are truly amazing. They are both very attentive and are committed to superb customer service in all areas of their business. We would not hesitate to recommend their tours, you will not be disappointed!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A professional, well informed, and friendly team
After emailing about 15 travel + safari agencies, and doing 4 months of research on Tanzania, Zanzibar, safaris, Mt.Kilimanjaro, lodges, camps, etc, I decided to move forward with Lion King Adventures for our honeymoon and every day we spent on this trip, I felt that I picked the right company to work with!
We worked with Nickson and he was amazing. Due to getting covid, our trip was on hold for a while and as soon as we got a negative test, Nickson booked everything and we were on a plane to Tanzania within 2 days! I also had created my own itinerary and chose which accommodations I wanted us to stay in and this was not an issue for Nickson. Whether or not they had a relationship with my chosen locations, they went ahead and booked it all. We were unable to book 2 of them since they were full and Nickson's recommended alternatives were amazing! (Definitely can trust their recommendations if you are not looking to pick and choose everything yourself) We got to Arusha late on day 4 and Nickson was there to meet us in person along with James. They sat with us, asked about our time on Mt Kili and went through the rest of the trip. SO nice of them since it was after work hours and also since they really didn't need to.
On our first day, we stayed in Moshi and our mountain guide, Saladini came to our lodge to brief us about our 3 days on Kilimanjaro. He was extremely detailed, went through everything we were bringing to the mountain and made note of a few items we didn't have so that he can have rentals ready. We were picked up the next morning in a bus w a full team to help us safely climb and return! There was our 2nd mountain guide, Abdi. A chef, (Famous) Amos - his food is legit delicious! A waiter, Allen; who is just really sweet. Then there were also 2 porters to help with everything else, I believe their names were John + Eddie. The whole team was nothing short of kind, welcoming, and so sweet! Abdi + Saladini were a joy to climb with. During our low moments, they knew exactly how to distract us and keep us going. They are like brothers, have a great banter and beautiful energy that keeps you going up! They are both very knowledged about all things Mt Kili! They pointed out so many birds, monkeys, trees, flowers, insects, plants, and were able to teach us about them. Abdi also turned out to be a wrestling fan, so my husband really enjoyed the john cena and roman reigns references lol Both Abdi + Saladini are very patient, and will always remind you to just go pole, pole, because "we don't necessarily want to be number 1, we want to be the BEST!" :) the entire team got together for a mini ceremony/celebration at the end of the climb, and Saladini had such beautiful words to say that really stayed with us!
We had a 9 day safari which we began on day 5, led by our safari guide, Ozzie. Just as with Abdi + Saladini, we have nothing but good things to say about Ozzie. You're really lucky if you end up with Ozzie as your guide. Energy wise, he is so chill and laid back. I'm sure I talked his ear off with my commentaries to the slew of animals we ended up seeing, but he didn't seem bothered once. He was always so on and ready to answer any question. Like our mountain guides, he was full of knowledge and taught us so much about the animals and the vegetation. I was curious about the landcruiser and he even showed me and taught me info on driving them. (He just knows a lot about a lot!) He is a superb driver when it comes to muddy territory; he will give you a fair warning to hold on and step on it to ensure you will not get stuck in one of those muddy traps around Ndutu! He got us some really great views of animals. My husband does videography and wanted to get as much footage as he can, which sometimes will slow you down, but again this was not an issue for Ozzie. On the contrary, he was super accommodating of our cameras and was definitely in tune w when we were filming and photographing, that he would move the vehicle up or down to help us get the right angles. As chill as he was, he was persistent when need be to get the right view or right shots. While visiting one of the tribes, he even took my husband's camera and filmed while my husband was interacting with the tribespeople. Overall, we just enjoyed our time with Ozzie and got used to him so easily, that our first day in Zanzibar, we found ourselves missing his company!
Aside from climbing Mt.Kili, and the safari, we also had 3 tribe visits. While the Maasai visit was no issue linguistically, the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes required a translator. Lion King was able to arrange the interpreter for us who also knew a lot about both tribes that he was able to teach us about their lifestyles. We highly recommend visiting the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes. The visits leave you driving away in silence with a ton of thoughts and self-reflection on your own life.
We ended our 13 days on mainland Tanzania with hunger for more, and headed to Zanzibar. We stayed a single night in Stone Town. We got some shopping in and headed up to Nungwi to catch the full moon party at Kendwa. After a couple of days there, we headed to Pongwe where we stayed in Tulia (Nickson's recommendation). It turned out to be our favorite accommodation on our trip, which was so perfect since that was our final stop on our honeymoon.
Overall, I just don't have enough good things to say about Lion King Adventures. When you have a random question or an issue or anything else, regardless of the time, they are right there with a prompt response. They are aware that you are in a foreign country and try to make you feel as comfortable and as much at ease as they can. They definitely go above and beyond the required amount to ensure your comfort. I think in a trip like this, your trip is as good as the people guiding it, so I believe our trip ended up being so perfect because of Lion King's team. Thanks a ton to everyone in Lion King!
LT
Perfect and cheap
Nice tour to Serengeti and NGORONgoro, good food, good driver, many different animales, And very caring travel agent Humpry. Asante sana!!!
PL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect tour operator!
I highly recommend Safari with Mufasa. Everything was very well organized down to the smallest detail, we were taken Care of in every way and safe. Our driver Joe was a great guide, he told us a lot about the animals we saw. Thanks to Mufasa, we had an absolutely amazing time in Kenya. If I come back someday, I will definitely choose Mufasa. Thank you for this unforgettable experience!
DK
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Quick answers, fine contact, sympathic and good driver and guide
Fine safari to Mikumi National Park over the weekend. The communication with Isaya was easy and quick and our driver and guide, Mr Peter, brought us safe from Dar to Mikumi and back again. Many useful informations.
The cottages in the park were rather basic, but ok. The food was not ok.
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent First African Safari Experience
My wife and I had a sensational time in Tanzania discovering the wildlife and culture.
This was our first safari and we are very much activities oriented, it was also the first time we used a travel agent.
This allowed us to organise a complex trip 3 weeks before departure and have a good level of support while we were in Africa.
Rose Hipwood tailored exactly the kind of holiday we requested. I recommend using her expertise, as we certainly will for our next safari.
MX
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect all-inclusive tour for travellers with a tight budget
I went on a 6-day tour to Maasai Mara, Amboseli, and Lake Nakuru, which is perfect for any solo traveller on a budget out there! I chose to book with Parrot Safaris because communications were incredibly swift from the get-go. After requesting a quote, I got all the tour details that I needed to make a decision within a few hours. Joseph's attention to his clients is prime. He is always available to answer any questions you may have and is always listening to the client's needs. Budget accommodation was especially good in Miti Mingi Eco Camp in Maasai Mara. I also stayed at Kimana Camp in Amboseli, but this place does need a little bit of TLC, to be honest, both in maintenance and food. If you're going to Amboseli, I'd request different lodging. The tour itself was really well planned, and our Safari guide and driver Clinton was absolutely superb. We saw all the Big Five on our first full day in Maasai Mara! If you're looking for a budget, solo-traveller-friendly, unforgettable tour, this is the one for you.
CZ
20-35 years of age
The best Safari ever!!
We had really unforgetable memories while visiting Safari. Our drivers did their best and thanks to them we saw many animals, also like gepards, leopards, lions, elephants and others. They sugested us also morning Safari and we saw animals eating - AMAZING!!! Very good comunication with agency, delicious food, good price compare to other agencies. We visited also waterfall and factory with making coffee and we enjoyed. HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED!!
IE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional Tailored Safari Holiday Tour Agency
Off 2 Africa is the best tour and travel company we have experienced after travelling around the world in many countries. They are a small specialised tour operator, offering unique safari travel experiences for individuals and small groups, and they work with ecologically friendly lodges and support local experts. No wonder they were Zimbabwe's Leading Tour Operator for 2021! We wanted a romantic anniversary trip (after being unable to travel for so long due to Covid) and they organised all the details that included breathtaking experiences, learning about wildlife and nature, and luxury. From the beginning Chloe was fantastic, responding to our initial query with cost estimates, options, and a clear knowledge of the places we wanted to visit. Rather than just give a typical series of things to do, she found out what we really wanted to do, what our tastes were, and gave us always a choice, while working within our budget. We really had individualised attention from start to finish, including important local advice (like bring US dollars for Zimbabwe, what Covid-related protocols were needed, getting guides known for their experience and safety, help with border crossings). She always found us the best, most luxurious options for our lodges and meals, and made sure that we got the either individual or very small group tours (in Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, and Hwange National Park). She even came out to meet us at our hotel shortly after we arrived, and was available to us after working hours to make sure that everything was sorted when we had problems getting PCR certificates printed. All this while not charging service fees, extras, and offering at cost or better rates than if you were to work directly with lodges, game drives, etc. In other words, they take the stress out of your holiday by doing the local research and organisational work for you from start to finish! What more could you want?! We can't recommend Off 2 Africa and Chloe more highly!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely the best tour company we have ever dealt with (and we are a traveling family :).
We connected with Ben and his team at e-Trips through a friend referral. Ben came highly recommended and his entire team exceeded our expectations by a huge margin. What I appreciated most was their patience and flexibility to get us the absolute best value for what we needed and wanted as a family from this vacation. It took us nearly 2 years to plan this unforgettable experience. Our first year plans didn't pan out due to Covid, second year there was a civil war in the country we were living in at the time so we had to evacuate and change our plans again. Ben patiently helped rearrange it all, consistently stayed in touch and worked out every little detail from meals to Covid tests and getting us the most discounts at lodges. This became, for all of us from the 5 year old up to a picky teenager, the best ever family vacation. And trust me- we have been to some other incredible places you only read about in travel magazines. During the planning of our experience, Ben was up front and honest about best time to see what we wanted to see, he understood our family needs and our budget, - and planned exactly what we wanted rather than what was best for his bottom line. I truly felt he had our best interest in mind the whole time and the result of the trip showed this.
During the Safari, everything went very smoothly and magically thanks to having all the logistics worked out ahead of time. There were no surprises, no extra fees, no unwanted or annoying stops at tourist trap shops. The lodges were top notch, the meals excellent, the Toyota Landcruiser we used for the Safari was new, clean and super comfortable. Our guide David, was extremely professional, kind and experienced. David knew how to spot wildlife and had excellent knowledge on all species from their biology to their habits during the day. He spotted an elusive Black Rhino a mile away, a leopard camouflaged high up in a tree, or a tiny chameleon on a side of a fast moving 'highway'. We witnessed magical moments of driving through the Great Migration, seeing wildebeests calving, hyenas chasing away vultures to enjoy the leftover game, lions hunting zebras and warthogs, dik-diks playing in front of our balcony at sunrise, and many more. The whole time during the safari we thought we were casting a National Geographic nature documentary.
Needless to say, we highly recommend e-Trips for the planning of your next experience. To really experience Africa in its purest form, rather than a tourism trip, Ben is the right guy to contact.
