20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lucas puts his heart into it!
Before I begin praising Lucas for his generosity, thoughtfulness, patience and safety, let me start by saying this. Most of the Safari companies are run by European or American companies. Lucas is a Tanzanian man Who is working hard to start his own company for African safaris and adventures. Lucas has a quick, adaptable, hard-working attitude, resulting in phenomenal “inside scoop” tours that also support the Tanzanian economy.
We went on a luxury trip, and WOW! everywhere we went was so hospitable, comfortable, and safe.
LODGING- Bring your swimsuit! The hotels were so charming and clean and unique. People welcomed us warmly and enthusiastically. Most of the places had shampoo, body wash, conditioner, and hot running water. (If you want to do a camping-in-real-tents style, that’s an option too on Lucas’ other tours. Bathroom facilities are available even there).
FOOD - The cooks are experts. Actually, most of the food we had was more western, but with some local flavors and styles, so we stayed pretty healthy throughout the trip. Lucas spoiled us with hot lunches every day. Because we would be out adventuring for most of the day, lunch would be a little later, around 2-3, so I was glad that we brought some snacks from home. But even though I am prone to getting “hangry”, I did just fine. There was coffee and tea everywhere we went!
DRIVING - The nature of safaris requires a lot of driving, I’m not gonna lie. We used these fun Land Cruisers that were comfortable enough, spacious, and had roofs that pop open. A lot of the roads are bumpy dirt roads, but even my mom who does not like road trips or bumpy roads did just fine. Lucas is also a trained and good driver, able to navigate challenging terrain safely. He also said that he adjusts for people based on their needs, maybe doing less driving in a day and taking more breaks. There is a decent amount of getting in and out of the car. definitely bumpy!
ANIMALS - ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! I never thought I would see so many animals so close in their natural habitat. No, they don’t plant the lions for tourists or have fences. ;) Birds of all shapes and colors, big land mammals living “in perfect Harmony“ as Elton John sings— it’s like the Lion King! I think my favorite were the hippos with their funny grunting noises!
BUGS - we went in September, towards the end of the dry season, and it was definitely very dry. We do not have any problems with bugs. In fact, we didn’t really see any.
CULTURE - Lucas was so gracious to answer my millions of questions. He was very happy and open to share about the culture. I would recommend looking at his website too for some tips. The people in general were so friendly and gracious and kind. Home: Lucas' Africa Adventure (lucasafricanadventures.com)
LOCAL TRIBES— visiting the local tribes can be quite a learning experience. We had the honor of seeing 2 groups of people, the Hazdabe Bushmen people and the Maasai. It was very interesting to see how the Hazdabe lived off the land, and also some difficult stark realities between men and women. At the end of the tour, we have the opportunity to buy things that the local people have made. But since the people live off the land, they don’t really need money, and it goes to buying alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana, so that was probably the most uncomfortable part of the trip. The local guide and translator said it was still OK to buy things in support of the people. Next time I might just buy one thing out of support for the people and go in with a predetermined budget ($20 maybe) for something small. The Maasai visit was definitely worth it!
SHOPPING - probably the most expensive country I’ve been to when it comes to souvenirs. There actually were not very many places to buy gifts. Sometimes the hotels or national parks would have a small gift shop. Otherwise the local tribes had some beautiful things for sale. (It’s an awkward experience actually, just just be prepared to feel pressured and pay a lot.) But honestly, this isn’t actually all that important in the long run. The memories and stories and people matter more.
TIPPING – we never really got a clear answer on this. I think you are supposed to tip as you feel is appropriate, like from the heart, and it’s based on the quality of service. I would bring some smaller bills, because they do take American dollars. I left Colorado postcards with a little note at the hotels we stayed at, and that seemed to be a really special thing. Even in Norway (our layover), they emailed us thanking us for the postcard and note!
BATHROOMS – probably some of the cleanest bathrooms in the world. Attendants are constantly clearing them. There were also little hoses (like a bidet) everywhere we went.
PACKING LIST – getting excited to go!? Some good things to remember: chapstick, long pants and closed toed shoes if you’ll go to the bush, sunglasses maybe, snacks, candy/gum was helpful for the dusty long roads, the postcards were a hit, HOODIE (aka sweatshirt, it actually gets chilly at night!), comfortable clothes (capris, lightweight pants, t-shirts, extra socks; you’ll get real dirty/ dusty), pen and journal to write experiences, extra camera batteries possibly, PMA (positive mental attitude)! :)
FLIGHTS – we had a great experience with Ethiopian Airlines. My dad thought of a great way to book the trip. First of all, it seems that most flights at this time go through Europe to get to Africa. He booked round trip tickets Denver<>Oslo for the full 14 days. And then round trip tickets Oslo<>Kilimanjaro airport for the 8 days in Africa, leaving some wiggle room for “adventures in travel” (delayed or canceled flights, weather, whatnot). The layover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was totally fine. Iceland Air was fine too, but just a heads up, you’d have to buy food. We weren’t eating on the planes for covid precautions, so I have no comments on the food for either airline. The food in the Iceland airport was expensive but good.
OVERALL – this trip was such a gift. We are incredibly grateful. I really can’t believe how many animals we saw (there is no guarantee, but when we went, we saw 14 lions in one day!) Happy hippos, elegant elephants, graceful giraffes, warthogs doing their thing, zebras and wildebeest grazing together, even a rhino from a distance! We learned so much about Tanzanian culture even though we were very much in the tourist bubble. The people were so kind, so beautiful, so generous of heart–it’s hard to describe! Hakuna matata is a new word in my vocabulary. :) Karibu Tanzania . Welcome to Tanzania.
under20 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
He made the tour an educational one.....he was also very reliable💯....
I learned a lot about wildlife.It was a fun trip full of meet expectations .I learned a lot about rhinos ,like the difference between the black and the southern white rhinos ;the black rhino is very aggressive .The history about the white rhino in that it's name is gotten from its wide mouth and that it's a grazer.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent communication, extremely knowledgeable and impressive attention to detail
From the moment I first contacted Darren and Kate early in the planning, referred from a previous happy customer of theirs, the communication was detailed and helpful. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to visit exactly and Darren was extremely patient with his suggestions.
Our trip was fantastic from beginning to end, our family of four all had the most amazing experience due to Darren’s local knowledge and understanding of what would work for us. He really listened to what we were saying, and worked hard to put together a trip that was seamless and so well organised all we had to do was relax and enjoy.
Cannot speak highly enough of Compass Odyssey and would use them again without hesitation!
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing,thoughtful,professional operator!
First,the communication with Judith is efficient and pleasant.She always responsed rapidly and was willing to make adjustments according to our requirements until we were satisfied.Second,the accommodation was awesome!Even in Serengeti,the tents were commodious and cozy.They had enough hot water,tasty food,fluffy bed.Also we saw the amazing starry sky and heard the roar of lions there.Nyota is highly recommended.Thirdly,our guide is so gentle and professional,He always kept the viehicle clean and tidy inside and outside.He helpd us find a lot of different animals such as lions, elephants,giraffes,hyenas,jackals,cheetahs,leapards and so on.He has unbelievable eagle eyes and never hurried us to leave.What is more,he can always find the perfect spot for taking photos.The last but also important thing,our hotel at Zanzibar gave us a wrong room.Judith dealt with the problem immediately and let them upgrade our accommodation to full board .We really appreciate that.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Savannah Adventures are friendly & professional - highly recommended.
We booked the day before, and communication to arrange the pick up was quick and clear.
Our guide Bradley was super friendly & great at talking us through the process of tracking animals and we thought it was one of the best safari experiences we have during this visit to Zim.
Don’t hesitate - book now!
CR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience for solo traveler!
I am so grateful to Lulu Safaris for an amazing experience in Uganda and Rwanda! Coming from Costa Rica and as a solo female traveler, I was a little nervous about making this week-long trip to Uganda and Rwanda. But I really had nothing to worry about! From the very beginning, Elvis was easy to get in touch with, answering all my questions quickly and being patient with me as I finalized dates and made my final decision on traveling. I arrived in Kigali and they had someone waiting for me, and I was well taken care of until the moment they dropped me off at my hotel at the end of my tour. My tour guides, Audence and Simon (trianee), were both fantastic. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and open to sharing personal stories and answering all my questions. They were organized, always on time, and they knew their way around perfectly, using their strong connections to other guides, the hotels, the national parks, etc., to ensure the best experience for me at every moment. They were very sensitive to what I might need at every moment, and I felt very well taken care of 24/7. And of course, the places they took me were also fantastic! I absolutely loved gorilla trekking in Bwindi (Audence made it much better by checking with the rangers the night before and agreeing on meeting at an entrance to the park nearer to where my family of gorillas had last been seen the day before, so we found the gorillas early and spent a long time with them), I loved the game drive in Queen Elizabeth Game Drive Park, etc. All this said, it is important to go with an open mindset, ready for the unexpected. Things happen and plans change, and it is important to go with the flow. I found some of the changes in our itinerary ended up being some of the best parts of the trip. I can't recommend Lulu Safaris highly enough, and I hope to come back with my whole family sometime soon.
IT
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic emotion in fantastic place
We were not ready for the beauty we saw, a fantastic emotion to see how much greenery and how many animals. Our safari guide, Babu, was too funny and kind, he knows everything about the savannah and knows our language perfectly, Italian... we were thrilled to have slept in the savannah, a unique experience that I recommend to all those who they want to discover Safari for the first time. We were very lucky to see every animal in the savannah and Babu was perfect in finding the best place and information for us to see them all. It was truly wonderful to visit Tanzania and we are happy to have spent this holiday with them. For sure we will organize another trip with them to see more animals and maybe migration to Kenya... fantastic experience, I will carry this experience for life, choose Savannah Explorers
TR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional fulfillment of your desires
It was amazing journey. And I’m really thankful for Chris and his professional team. From the first message we decided to work with Sunup Adventure and didn’t regret about it. All our wishes executed immediately, we filmed all the animals in different positions and very closely. Unforgettable emotions! Thank to Sunup Adventures for helping us make our dream come true.
BE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing 7-day safari with our guide Johny
We just finished our 7-day private safari to Masai Mara, Nakuru, Navaisha and Amboseli. Every park was breathtaking and different. Endless green plains in Masai Mara with abundant wildlife, a prehistoric looking lake with rhinos in Nakuru, hippos with a mysterious island in Navaisha and finally the jawdropping Kilimanjaro with massive herds of elephants in Amboseli. I believe none of these parks should be skipped for the true experience.
Booking was fluent. Payment is best in dollars cash to avoid a credit-card surcharge. Our guide, Johny, was very professional, knowledgeable and he knew all the parks like his back pocket. Highly recommended!
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Safari
We had a stunning 3 day safari to Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongo Crater with our amazing guide Godlove. In advance Boris of Professional Safaris answered to all my questions immediatly, i really appreciated that. Our guide Goldlove has a lot of knowledge in wildlife, always interested in our needs and very respectful. We could learn a lot concerning wildlife and also about Tansania and the different cultures. We had such a great time together. We would recommend Professional Safaris and our guide Godlove 100%.