NZ
Email Lu | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
No problem at all, every part of the trip is good.
My wife Fei and I went to Tanzania at end of August till Mid of September.
First, We Climbed the Kilimanjaro mountain using Lemosho Route 8 days. The weather on these days are good, no rain at all. We live in the tents and has our own private toilet. we can see the monkey in Low attitute area.Both Romly and Dennis are very Professional. The porters, the waiter and cook are all nice and helpful. I will suggest to other people climbing the mountain with Romly and Dennis team. I carry nothing during the summit day, two guides carried every part of my equipment and water ect. without them it will be nealy imposibble to get to the Uhuru Peak. The suggested tip is around 300 till 400USD per trip. I thought it is really small amount for 13 people team to share, I decide to tip them more for hard working. The Summit day is really hard, We left around 11:30PM and made to the top Uhuru Peak around 6:45AM.
Second, the safari. Jerry is profesional guide. Savannah explorer arrange everything really well. The Hotel we live is really good. The weather in September is dry season, no rain at all. We saw the Lions, Leopard, Servals,hippos. we live in Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha, quite nice hotel to live. We live in Maramboi Tented camp, nice hotel and the View at Swimming pool area at sunset area is really really nice. For the middle Serengeti, We live in Four season Hotel. it is a must stay hotel for us. The elephant came every day to drink water at swimming pool area is a life time memory. For the northern Serengeti, We live Kenzeni Luxury Camp. The staff there is good and helpful. The wildbreast crossing the Mara river in Northern Serengeti is also a life time memory for us. We also live two nignts at the Retreat at Ngorongoro. it is a nice hotel with beautiful Garden.
Overall, Savannah Explorer arrange the trip really well. I contacted 3 companies via safaribooking. The other two companies are good, but Albert in Savannah Explorer is better. He reply the email quick and I can get every informaion I need from his reply. The Jeep in Safari is nice, and Jerry clean the Jeep everyday.
Email Louise Craddock | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic
Everything about the trip was fantastic, the guide cum driver was incredibly helpful and experienced at finding the animals and a very safe driver, the cook rusted up fantastic tasty food taking into account our food diets. the Jeep was comfortable, we chose the camping option but this was very comfortable with proper beds some nights and thick comfy foldable mattress other nights and table and chairs for dining. the scenery was varied from park to park but all stunning, as for the animals well - we never thought we would see so many so close up it just amazed us every few minutes - I still look at my photos and smile, it was such a lovely experience I would recommend to anyone we all loved it all.
Email Tania Daniels | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing animals and beautiful scenery
I was unsure about travelling in March after research on the internet but it was fantastic. There were so many animals to watch and enjoy because it wasn’t as hot and not so many tourists made the experience even better. The people are so friendly and our tour guide Saleh from Lion King Adventure was the best. We learnt a few Swahili words which the locals loved teaching us. We just love fitting in with local life and culture when we travel and for some that can be difficult but if you do, Tanzania is a wonderful country to visit and you won’t be disappointed.
US
Email Steve C | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The good, the bad, and the ugly: how Kiliholidays turned crisis into comfort
I think that this review may turn some people off, but the events that happened to us were unlikely, and could have happened to anyone at anytime, anywhere. I feel that the response to these events by Kiliholidays (and in particular, Mack and our driver Laurian), are worth commending.
The good: My wife and I took our children (ages 8 & 6) on safari last week. We went to Tarangire National Park, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater. Laurian was an absolutely amazing driver. He had vast knowledge of the areas we were traveling, the animals we were seeing, and to any question we asked. He was observing of speed limits, and particularly cautious because we had the kids with us. Throughout our journey, we observed all of the Big 5. The parks were amazing, each offering its own charm. Laurian always seemed to know where to go to find big game. My wife was initially hesitant to bring our children so far from home - by the end of the trip, we were already planning our next visit.
The bad: While we were leaving Serengeti National Park, the rear spring on the Land Cruiser broke, and we couldn't ride on it. We had to go ~4 hours to get to the Lodge we were supposed to be. We found it amazing that every single driver who went by us stopped to help. Eventually, the Wildlife Service came by, and the preliminary solution was to cut down a small acacia tree, and wedge a firm branch into the spring to keep it in place. My wife and I were a little reluctant that it would work, and we certainly weren't comfortable putting our children in that vehicle. So, Laurian asked another driver to take us to the Ngorongoro gates, at which point, he had arranged a staff member from Farm of Dreams Lodge to meet us and bring us back. Laurian himself stayed with the car, the Acacia solution worked, and he was able to drive it to a 24 hour mechanic in nearby Karatu. The vehicle was ready to go for the next day. And, Kiliholidays had a bottle of wine ready for us when we arrived at Farm of Dreams, to apologize for our inconvenience. At no point did we feel helpless.
The ugly: The following night, Laurian was bringing us to the Kilimanjaro airport, after an amazing trip to the Ngorongoro crater. About 10 minutes from the airport, he decided to pass 2 slower drivers at the same time. (Again, note that he was an extremely cautious driver). When he started to pass the car immediately in front of him, that car also decided to overtake the lead car. The other driver went straight into our lane. To avoid collision, Laurian drove off the road. Within a couple of seconds, a large ditch (10 feet deep x 15 feet across) appeared in front of us. This was literally the only ditch on a 30 mile drive, so really bad luck. We ended up straight in the ditch, going about 35 mph. The accident was not his fault, and he handled it how I would have handled it myself. Had he handled it any other way, the results could have been drastically different.
I needed several stitches on my forehead, my son banged up his cheek and had some swelling/bruises on his face. My daughter and wife also had some bruising. It was a nightmare situation, being so far from home. Thankfully, we had traveler's insurance, which helped in getting us medically evacuated the next day.
But in the immediate aftermath of the accident, it was all Mack and Laurian. Laurian arranged with another driver to take us back to Arusha to get medical care. Mack met us at the hospital, and waited the 6 hours with us until we were released. He paid out of pocket for the medical expenses. He arranged a hotel for us to stay the night (because we missed our flight). He went to the pharmacy for us to pick up our medications. He arranged transport to the airport for us, and he checked in on us several times. He felt horrible that this happened to us, and did everything in his ability to make it right. While we were far from home, and in one of the worst situations possible, they made us feel at home.
The accident could have happened to anyone at any time. I think the special part about Kiliholidays is how they responded to the incidents. They treated us like part of their family, and we are forever grateful for their support. We went to Tanzania looking for adventure, and we certainly found it - and we left with friends. We will be back, and we will use Kiliholidays again.
Also, look into travel insurance. They coordinated our flight out the next day, and due to our injuries/soreness, were able to get us into Business Class, which was absolutely amazing in allowing us to stretch out and not cramp due to our soreness.
BR
Email Fernanda Martinez Tarran | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience
Our safari trip was just as we planned. Our guide and driver, Mussa, is someone you can really trust: he was always there at the right time, solved all the problems that came in our way and was kind enough to send us emails with the photos he took during our trip. We visited Tarangire and Ngorongoro and saw lots of lions in both parks, and also elephants, rhinos, even wildebeest giving birth. Tarangire has beautiful vegetation, and Ngorongoro is just stunning - a place we will never forget. We stayed at a budget hotel at Mto wa Mbu, in the Arusha region, that was very comfortable and had nice food. Everything was great. We highly recommend Mussa and Roam Serengeti.
US
Email Andrea Simpson | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing honeymoon trip!
We loved our safari experience, first and foremost we loved our guide Ali, we was so nice and funny and went above and beyond so my husband and I could se everything we wanted to get out of our safari. Second, we loved our home cooked meals every single day! Delicious picnics in the middle of the wildlife. We loved every day, drives are long and understandably the roads are not smooth but that is part of the fun! Suddenly doing and turn and finding an elephant a lion or a giraffe! Thank you for helping us plan this unforgettable trip!
US
Email Steve | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I Dream of Africa: Excellent Immersion Safiri - The Great Rift Valley, the Serengeti and more
This is a small company lead by Christopher Zululu of Arusha, Tanzania. The company specializes in what is called "budget safari", but that belies the reality. We visited the Serengeti, Tanangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Arushu National Parks over a period of weeks. We pitched camp (large tents) deep in each park, and were surrounded by the local environment, geography, flora and fauna. This enabled us to see far more of each, for far longer, than luxury safaris, which almost always start in a lodge outside the parks. We would start safari wildlife drives before dawn, and end just after dark. Our owner/guide has 25 years of experience in the parks, and is an expert on locating wildlife to view, and knows the biology and ecology so that you can understand what you are seeing.
The camping aspect wasn't roughing it: we called it glamping. The safari had an excellent camp cook, who prepared 3 hot meals a day, based on local produce. Because of the altitude in northwestern Tanzania, sleeping was great: it was cool every night. Dawn and dusk were filled the calls of birds and monkeys in the trees overhead, and during the nights you could here the grazers and sometimes the predators moving. Each morning provided an interesting task of identifying the animals that had roamed right outside the tents and campsites from their tracks and scat.
Here are some outstanding moments: dozens of forest elephants walking, running, trumpeting, and calling with low frequency infrasound right next to you; prides of lions with cubs, roaring at leopards with a kill in acacia trees; lions hunting wart hogs less than 40 meters away; adult and infant rhinoceroses in the forest; hiking with an armed ranger through cape buffalo herds and groups of giraffes in lion country; hundreds of wildebeests, impala, gazelle, zebra and buffalo; night safari to see civet cats, porcupines, bush babies and hippopotami out of water; birds of all kinds; baobob trees ... Visiting local towns and villages.
See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_protected_areas_of_Tanzania for a list of species you are likely to see in each park mentioned above. You are likely to see everyone of them, and many more in the highly diverse environments in these parks, ranging from high altitude rain forests to broad grasslands and plains.
Fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport near Arusha to start.
It's a trip of a lifetime.
AE
Email Huong Anna | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Supper wonderful trip
The best trip i have so far . Really enjoy each and every moments . Thanks so much Mudy owner of company . He helped me to arrange from beginning coz this is first trip I travelled to africa and solo . During the trip and driver is amazing, his name is Sebastine he is flexible person together with us spot out animals, gave us usefull information about the wildlife . Special our cook, food which he prepared is amazing . I cant forget such wonderful experience.
Suggest you if u planned for safari in tanzania, this company is highly recomended . Really professional , really amazing trip
DE
Email Heinrike | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing experience
We were very surprised about the very friendly and lovely people in Tanzania. We enjoyed our time so much. The game drives in the national parks were amazing, we saw lots of different animals including all of the big five. The accommodations were great, we had lodges and tented camps in Tarangire NP, Serengeti and on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. In all of them we could find wildlife and could watch the animals. The food in the lodges was very delicious and the staff was so lovely and always met our expactations. We are sure we will visit Tanzania again.
Lake Tanganyika trip to Gombe Stream National Park to see chimps
This was a unique and fun trip. All supplies are brought with you by boat, along with a chef, with comfortable tents (with beds) at the site. Sighting of chimps is not guaranteed, but trackers go out early in the morning to find their locations on the mountains and report back to your required - and valuable - guide. We were very lucky and saw over 13 chimps on 2 (out of 3) days. There is significant hiking and climbing involved over fairly rugged terrain. Some was bush-whacking. A hiking pole helped a lot. We also saw baboons, colobus monkeys and dung beetles. For people who love the out-of-doors, hiking and the chance of seeing chimps in the wild, this is an amazing experience. I am a Canadian, living in Tanzania for 9 months.
