US
Wonderful Experience!
The scenery was beautiful and the accommodations were exquisite in the Nambia desert regions.
US
The tour guide provided excellent and he is a walking history book.
He spoke many African languages and his communication in English was perfect!
LB
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable Honeymoon in Kenya
From A to Z. Everything was perfect organized by AE. We had a great time and will return to lovely Kenya soon. Our Honeymoon was unforgettable. Special thanks to Diana!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzania has stolen by heart. Only book with Wildtrek!
I traveled to East Africa with friends in early February of 2020 and it was the trip of a lifetime. For myself, the primary draw was to see and photograph wildlife. We were all operating on relatively modest budgets (under $1500 per person), so I developed an entire spreadsheet comparing various safari companies (I know. I’m crazy.). We initially planned on “adventure camping” in public campsites, but decided again it as we were warned this was not significantly less expensive and often more time consuming than staying in camp. After all, this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, right?
Bernard, with Wildtrek, stood out to us because the value of his suggested trip seemed to be superior to several other companies. In addition, we made several alterations to the trip itinerary and Bernard happily and patiently accommodated each time, provided up updated proposed schedule and fee sheet. From prior research, I was dead set on staying at only Tanganyika Wilderness Camps. Bernard adapted our itinerary so that was possible and so we would be able to fill each day with maximum wildlife viewing time. Once we decided on Wildtrek and sent in our deposit, it was easy breezy and hands-off. We submitted our deposit about 4 months in advance of our trip, but this was cutting it close for booking our desired accommodations, even though we were traveling in the off season.
Our safari departed and arrived in Arusha. We selected a 4 day, 3 night safari, which was just the right length for a wildlife enthusiast (like myself) traveling with peers who were more enamored with exploring cities and climbing Kili. Arranging pickup at our Airbnb of choice before and after the safari was easy. Bernard and our guide, Baraka, picked us up promptly on the first day of our safari. Bernard introduced us to Baraka as we drove through town, and we dropped Bernard at the Wildtrek offices before proceeding on our way. Here was our itinerary:
Day 1: Pickup in Arusha at Airbnb of our choice. Tarangire National Park. Accommodations at Burunge Tented Lodge.
Day 2: Serengeti National Park. Accommodations at Sergenti Kati Kati Camp.
Day 3: Ndutu region of Sergenti. Accommodations at Ndutu Kati Kati Camp.
Day 4: Ngorongoro Crater. Drop-off in Arusha at Airbnb of our choice.
Our actual safari was incredible. We saw every single animal we could have hoped to see, including a leopard and rhinos. We saw too many elephants and giraffes to count, jackals, hyenas, zebras, and the wildebeest migration. We witnessed meerkats viewing a newborn baboon and the various eagles of Tanzania. We saw a mother cheetah with her two cubs, flocks of flamingos, and massive pools of hippos. February in East Africa is baby season, so nearly every specie was accompanied by babies. The lionesses were all very pregnant and Baraka said we were likely only missing lion cubs by a few weeks. I packed along my Nike 7500D and was SO thankful I did. Never have I ever been surrounded by so many wonderful animals and photo opportunities. A zoom lens is a necessity, in my opinion; it doubles as a pair of binoculars! I would also highly recommend all the above camps. The food and sleeping quarters were marvelous; rustic, but incredibly comfortable. Burunge Tented Lodge even has a pool! The highlight to me was hearing lions, zebras, and birds nearby.
February was pretty rainy, but pleasantly warm. The nights were cool and daytime temperatures consistently topped out around 85 degrees Fahrenheit. We found ourselves trying to outrun the evening rain storms, as the heavy rains created very muddy roads that the safari vehicles get stuck in. We had tremendous luck in avoiding these muddy spots, but got stuck a couple of times, once when it was almost dusk. But oh, the stories I can tell you about when we got stuck. Somehow this became a highlight of the trip and it is truly just part of the experience! The vehicle itself was very clean (when we started) and well-kept. There were binoculars and a guide book for us to borrow, as well as several charging outlets and plenty of water.
Now to brag on our guide. Baraka is an expert at navigating the backroads and keeping us out of treacherous situations. He is able to spot wildlife from far away and high speeds like I’ve never seen; once, he pulled to a screeching halt because he spotted a tiny little chameleon on the road ahead. Baraka utilized his communication with other guides to find us the best viewing spots and locate tough-to-find species. He was able to share a wealth of knowledge with us about the animals, his time as a guide, and the ecosystems of Tanzania. We laughed with him a lot during this trip, and it was fun to have an unexpected fourth person added to our safari. One day I will be back in East Africa and if I go on another safari I wouldn’t choose anyone but Wildtrek Tanzania. Thank you Bernard & Baraka for making this trip so wonderful!
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tsavo West
Last year in April my friends and I visited Tsavo West. Adventure Expeditions offered us some good lodges and our choice was Serena Kilaguni.This lodge is located at a waterhole and the view on the animals was great. Our guide Ramos picked us up and showed us a very beautiful landscape.He knew exactly where he had to go to find the animals.He gave us a lot of informations and this safari was an fantastic experience. I´´'´' 'll book my next safari at Atventure Expeditions again. Thank you for a great time!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An absolutely memorable experience !
It was an amazing adventure.
The communications before our arriving were excellent and easy.
Our guide, Richard, was the best in the world, always kind, polite, well-informed about the country, the flora and the fauna and very friendly. More, it is a good driver and a person that you can trust, someone that you wish to have as a friend.
We have met many nice people along our trip.
The safari in itself was great. We have seen two leopards, the lion king, the shoebill feeding its young, many gorillas, chimps and golden monkeys.
Thank you Adventure Vacation Safaris for your professionalism, thank you for Safaribookings for helping us to know Adventure Vacation Safaris.
BE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Safari
Our 6 days safari tour to Tanzania Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater was incredible. The Game drives with Erasto are unforgettable, we didn’t expect to see so much wildlife. Everything was better than described in the itinerary including the choice of lodges by Amos the owner of MAV who did all the scheduling.
I have no complaints about anything on our trip and can only recommend them to other travelers for quality and professionalism at very reasonable prices.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great guide, lots of animals
We had a great time with Peter, our guide through the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. He was very knowledgeable about the mammals, and eager to discuss birds and learn more about them. He made sure we were always comfortable, happy and having a great time. Jalala (owner) was good to deal with, and we would recommend this tour group.
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Machame Route Success
We had an amazing Kilimanjaro Machame trek with KWESA. Teacher the proprietor KWESA was very helpful in planning our trip, we requested to join a small group and were put in a group with 2 other climbers. We had an amazing trek with a very experienced crew that provided excellent support from start to finish. KWESA provided best quality tents and mats that kept us dry and comfortable in the rampant rains. The food by Moses was excellent as he prepared different dishes everyday. We safely made it to the summit and I am very happy that my bofriend and I accomplished this unforgettable achievement with KWESA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hillary swapped customers to cheaper tour operator without disclosing this
I spent a good while researching safari options prior to my trip to Tanzania. I chose to book with Suricata Safaris based on their great reviews (#6 of 1,294 Outdoor Activities in Arusha) and accepted the cost as a part of the great experience I was in for. Weeks in advance, I had emailed the company to confirm this tour was going ahead on that day. Hillary from Suricata Safaris confirmed this.
When the tour started, I quickly realised it was not the 5-star treat I had paid for. Another day in, I realised that we had ended up with Arunga Expeditions & Safaris (#674 of 1,294 Outdoor Activities in Arusha) and their rude personnel. When I asked about this, our driver told me to "stop complaining". When I confronted the Suricata representative, Hillary, he said that they moved me to a cheaper operator to save costs.
My experience with Arunga was very poor. There was no toilet paper, no hot water and no WiFi in the camps, and I shared a small tent with two people (I was told differently when I made my online enquiry with Suricata Safaris). When one of our crew fell ill and needed transportation out of the nature reserve, our guide suggested that we need to sort that ourselves.
I ended up getting dinner and 10% of my money back from Suricata Safaris after the tour. This really does not make up for the difference in quality for the two tour operators.
