US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service and an unforgettable experience
It is not easy to plan a safari from half way around the world. There are a bewildering amount of safari outfitters offering their services online, but it is nearly impossible to distinguish the outstanding companies from the mediocre. Fortunately, we had a friend who was working in Dar es Salaam at the time who helped us navigate through the complexity. She said to check out Tanzania Choice Safaris. We did, and we could not be happier with the service we received. This is a family run business and they go out of their way to ensure you have an unforgettable trip.
After filling out the web-based request form, Brenda contacted us with some possible itineraries to consider. It was easy to deal with Brenda -- who is an expat from the USA -- and she was prompt and helpful throughout. After several email exchanges, we decided on a 12-day itinerary: 8 days traveling through Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and Seregenti, followed by four days in Zanzibar at Matemwe Beach and Stone Town.
Brenda's husband Kakasii was our guide and he met us at the airfield in Arusha to begin our safari. Kakasii was wonderful -- he was knowledgeable, personable, and fun. The safari vehicle was comfortable and we always had a bottomless supply of cold water available. The private vehicle is the way to go. We sometimes would see parties of six jammed inside other Land Rovers and the passengers did not look very happy. Tanzania Choice Safaris only does private trips, so this aspect should be considered favorably.
Kakasii did his best to show us the most amazing animals -- rhino, leopard, elephant, lion, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest -- we saw them all. But he also knows all of the birds and other rare animals that are less identifiable to the untrained eye (Klipsringer or Lesser Kudu, anyone?) Kakasii knew all of the animals on sight and he freely shared his knowledge with us, along with teaching us a few Swahili phrases and words.
The lodging choices Brenda recommended were outstanding. We were the only guests for three nights at the Kichiguu Camp in Tarangire. My wife was a little apprehensive about staying in a wilderness camp (with lions roaming about), but this place was amazing. The food was great and plentiful. The boys running the camp were super attentive and the service was great -- from the welcome drink to the nightly bonfire -- this was a memorable experience. The Serena Lodge in Ngorongoro was solid, although after being the only guests in camp at Tarangire, it felt a little more crowded and traditional. The evening entertainment in the lodge was fun. The views from the lodge into Ngorongoro Crater are spectacular, particularly at sunrise. The Kubu Kubu Camp in Serengeti was the best of the bunch. The food was outstanding and the staff was super friendly and helpful. Swimming in the infinity edge pool while overlooking the plains with wild animals all around was pretty neat, particularly after some long dusty days in Kakasii's Land Rover. The all-inclusive drinks were a nice touch as well.
When Kakasii dropped us at the airfield in Serengeti for our flight to Zanzibar, it felt like we were saying goodbye to an old friend.
Upon arriving in Zanzibar, the Tanzania Choice Safari representative met us at the airport like clockwork. Our new guide Hamisi was a hoot and he showed us all kinds of sights and cultural points of interest on our ride to Matemwe Beach. Matemwe is a little off the beaten path, but the Jafferji Resort where we stayed was a perfect beachfront hideaway. We were able to scuba dive off of Mnemba Island without any difficulty. Our last night in Zanzibar we stayed in the Maru Maru hotel in the middle of Stone Town. Hamisi is a licensed tour guide and he walked us through all of the best sights in Stone Town. Maru Maru was quite nice, particularly the roof top bar/restaurant/pool area, which provided a peaceful oasis in the middle of a busy town at street level.
All said and done, we had a wonderful experience with Tanzania Choice Safaris. They made it easy for us to relax and enjoy our time in Tanzania. They pay attention and get the small details right, and as a result their product is demonstrably better than nearly all of the other outfitters we saw (for instance, we never had a picnic lunch without a table cloth!) Because of the excellent experience, we have already referred other friends to Brenda and Kakasii and more will likely follow behind them. You should too!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
As a solo traveler, Compass made me feel safe, secure and I had an absolute blast!
I had the best time on safari thanks to Compass Odyssey! The animals were incredible, the food was fantastic, the accommodations were unreal and I was able to live out my bucket list safari!!!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A truly wonderful family holiday that exceeded our great expectations.
I contacted eight travel companies to plan our adventure to Tanzania, and then studied in detail our favourite three offerings. It was clear that WildWays offered a very knowledgeable local experience, and this was shown throughout the tour, with incredible knowledge of wildlife, culture and history. Keeping two families, with children from 10 to 19 engaged was not a problem, and they kept the pace absolutely perfect every day. We wanted a packed adventure, as we were limited by time, and we also wished to travel by land to get a real sense of space and country. The vehicles were perfect for the occasional rugged terrain, and well stocked with snacks, cold drinks and USB chargers....although surprise surprise the kids only needed them for photos and videos. If we return for another trip to Tanzania, Wild Ways will be the only stop. Thanks for a great family trip.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best experience in Namibia travel
Discover is so great，my friend and me booked a camping tour from Swakopmund to Sossulvei for 3 days，and they provided us a perfect service and being so sweet and gentle to us. Besides we talked a lot like Namibia culture and their custom，and both we shared our local cuisine， It was a wonderful experience we had in Namibia，Even after the tour end，they still care whether we were safe to be our destination. It was so great to meet them and having them as our tour guide.
Danki Fanuel and Lukas.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful 8 day safari with Jackson
Our initial contact with Tekko Tours was with Carol, who was very efficient, patient and detailed with planning our safari. All communications was done via email and was super-easy.
As for the actual safari, our guide Jackson was phenomenal. He is obviously a true professional and knows his stuff. His knowledge of the parks, animals, roads, people etc. is bar none. We saw all of the Big 5 and in the Mara he actually spotted two male lions before anyone else, and we were alone with the animals for at least 15 minutes. He was also a great and safe driver which is important once you see the driving situation in Kenya. In addition, he is a really nice person!
We can whole-heartedly recommend Tekko as your safari operators.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
Very good experience,great service, a real clear communicatie! Safaritour was fantastic, pur guide Abu did everything to let us see as many animals possible and don 't droger the big five!!!! Great jeep and confy hotels, one night we had an amazing night in the serengeti. Do not hesitate and book this unique experience with longway expeditions! Greets Layela
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Robert has a wonderful passion for what he does and it's contagious and he is very educational.
Our experience was first class all the way. It far exceeded our expectations. Yes, we saw the animals we wanted to see, but it was much more than that. Each day our motto was"We'll take what the bush gives us". And he gave us much more. Educational, the beauty of the landscape, the laughter, tears of joy. Robert CARES!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic, knowledge and educational bush experience was provided by Robert every time we were out!
A first class experience which exceeded my expectations. We knew what to expect from the moment we arrived for our tours, but the excitement of the unknown of what was tracked and found for us to see, engaged us on the entire Safari!!! The passion for sharing their experience with us leaves us planning our next trip...with Bushlullabies Safaris !!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Adventurous safari trip!
I had a 5-day/4-night camping safari with FOAA touring Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorogoro. I joined five other people that roughly had the same age like me which made it quite easy to get along with them. We had lots of fun together and shared many interesting stories.
Besides, we had a driver/guide and a cook. The guide was really experienced and knew all the locations where we were able to spot all the Big 5 any many more animals. Our cook always prepared delicious meals - far exceeding my expectations for a camping safari!
During the evening we were setting up tents for a good night's rest at different campsites. As there wasn't any fence around the campsites, it was kind of normal that animals were walking around within the location (e.g. hyenas, buffallos) which made every single night quite adventurous.
Hamadi coordinated everything perfectly from my hotel pickup to the airport dropoff. At the end of the trip he even invited me for a typical African dinner which was really nice.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Exellent. I enjoyed the services with unforgettable experiences
Communication was good.They have professional and sufficient guides staff.I enjoyed the good services provided by Trust Tours team. The satisfaction was high with unforgettable experiences.
It is a best Tour Company for mountain climbing and widlife tour in East Africa.
I recommend on it.
