TW
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Pleasant & safe
Good guider, smiling chef, responsible owner .
It is worthy of recommendation.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent experience, would recommend without reservations
Great experience end to end. Like others have mentioned, I too went deep into the rabbit hole of reviews, but it was clear that there’s a large difference between Eastco Before and Eastco After.
The process was pretty seamless end to end. David was responsive and communicative throughout our planning process, patiently walking us through various options and adjusting the schedule and accommodation options every time we had a new request. We wanted to pay for part of the trip through a credit card based money transfer, to take advantage of the trip insurance provided by our credit card, and the team spent days trying to hunt down our money transfer when it got rerouted incorrectly.
We split our trip into actual camping and then lodges, to minimize driving. During camping, Dixon accompanied us to prepare the meals—we wished he could have stayed with us the entire time. He made amazing meals for our dietary restrictions (one vegetarian, one vegan). Definitely the best food we’ve had in a long time, fancy restaurants with tablecloths included.
Wilson, our guide/driver, has the literal eyes of a hawk. No other way to explain how he could spot with his naked eyes a speck in the distance that turned out to be a cheetah or whatever. We set out one day with a goal of seeing male lions—having not seen any so far—and eventually had to tell him that we’d seen enough and wanted to go back to the camp. He was endlessly patient with our exhaustion and happily let us fall asleep in the car pretty much every single day. He had a genuine joy in seeing all animals, too, so we weren’t always chasing after the Big Five at the expense of other experiences (dueling giraffes!).
We always felt like we were in communication with Eastco and in good hands. We asked at the last minute (aka, during the safari) if it were possible to replace a driving leg with a flying leg, and David sent us all the details within a few hours. We asked if it were possible to get a snack for the airport at the end of our trip, and Dixon ended up making us full dinner boxes with all the favorites we’d missed.
If I had to be picky: while Dixon and the tented camp were fully cognizant of our dietary requests, the larger permanent lodges we stayed at (which did buffet-style meals) didn’t seem to have been informed. After I spoke with one of the chefs the first night, the buffet the second night had many more options that worked, so the lack of options the first night seems like it could have been avoided.
Recommend without reservations, hurry and make yours now.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Samburu National Reserve by Michael
The bush vibe in Samburu was exceptional. It was really hot (almost too hot) but we still got to see an impressive array of animals, including the leopard, cheetah and lion. The hotel was beautiful and we really liked that we could see elephants drinking water by the river without having to leave our room! Spotting animals was pretty easy since there wasn't thick bush all around, and the scenery with the mountains in the distance, made for some very Mars-like impressions. We were really glad that we stayed here for two nights - loved Samburu!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Ol Pejeta Conservancy by Michael
It was great! The opportunity to see rhinos up close was fantastic, as was the birding experience and the chimpanzee sanctuary. There was a large diversity of wildlife, and the hotel was beautiful.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Everything about the trip was perfect
The wildlife and scenery were amazing - we were lucky as we got to see everything that we were hoping to see, including all of the Big 5. Each park felt different, whether it was the diversity of wildlife, the scenery or the weather, which made each park its own incredible adventure. While technically in the rainy season, we experienced almost no rain, except for about 30 minutes one afternoon in the Masai Mara (and even then, the raw power of the rainstorm was fascinating). The accommodations were very luxurious and the rooms were great - there were no complications with check-in or check-out, staff was friendly, and the food was delicious. Our guide was incredible, and we were really happy that we drove from place to place so that we could see more of the beautiful country rather than just the national parks. In all, we went to Amboseli, Mount Kenya, Samburu, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara. Everything about this trip was perfect and we would recommend it to everyone!
IL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stunning
Stunning scenery
Amazing wildlife
Kind and welcoming and fun people
Good value for money
Great accommodation and food
IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
It was excellent.
We had a very memorable experience with EarthLife expeditions. Right for being picked up from the airport to the drop it was very efficiently charted out.The whole trip could not have been so memorable without both our guides Mr.Joseph and Mr.Abu.The camp sites were also very clean and served us very good food.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip exceeded all expectations; it was amazing!
Everything was better than we expected, and we expected a lot. We loved every minute. From the very beginning, our guide and driver, Joseph, was wonderful. His knowledge of the flora, fauna, and history of the park, Selous, was unbelievable. In addition to being extremely knowledgeable, he was funny, confident, and great company. We saw so many more animals than we expected, and with Joseph’s knowledge, we learned so much. The accommodation, food, and service were spectacular. We had no idea how much we would bond with our driver and guide in such a short time. We are so glad we chose a small Tanzanian company. My luggage did not make the trip, but Joseph, with Raja’s help, made that less stressful. I got my bag when we got to Ruaha, with the help of Joseph, Raja, and our guides in Ruaha. They went above and beyond what they had to do.
We had a lovely flight to Ruaha. Our guide and driver met us at the landing strip, and we immediately started on a game drive. Although we missed Joseph, our previous driver and guide so much, we soon became comfortable with our new guide, Jovin, and the driver and tracker, Mkonda. Seeing so many animals living the way they should was emotionally intense. The guides were so incredibly skilled at spotting animals and explaining details about how they lived. We also loved the walking Safari with the armed park rangers.
Every day was an adventure, and when we returned to our lodges, both in Selous and Ruaha, we were welcomed by the wonderful staff, and had wonderful meals and service. The sleeping quarters were beautiful and clean, and we were overwhelmed by the warm service we received.
In addition to the amazing flora and fauna we witnessed, the night skies were amazing.
We flew to Zanzibar for our last 3 days and loved that, too. We went snorkeling, visited Stone Town, and a spice plantation.
Raja really took care of every detail. We were thrilled and would recommend Raja Tours to anyone who wants a trip of a lifetime!
BR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
100% of our expectations
Everything done, always in the correct time, our driver was very nice, polite, helpful.
Our doubts always answered. Nice tips!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tour as discribed on website with bus driver being outstanding.
Communications with the tour operator was always quick, clear, and extemely polite. The accommodations in Victoria Falls were different than originally descripted but were very comfortable and updated. The Hwange Safari Lodge was as well maintained and a great place to stay. A large watering hole is adjacent to the lodge attacted many animals. Herds of elephants were the most thrilling to watch.
We had different local guides but our bus driver was the same throughout the tour. He was available to take us most anywhere we wished to go - dinner, shopping, etc. Was always on time. He added a lot to our fun and enjoyment/
The entire safari/Victoria Falls tour exceeded our expectations. The only thing that was a little disappointing was the walk along Victoria Falls. It felt rushed with little time to just stand and enjoy. We would definitely use this tour operator again.
