Noel organised a fantastic safari for me which was 6 days in Northern Tanzania visiting Tarangire National park, lake Manyara, Ngorongoro crater and Serengeti. I had lots of questions before the trip which Noel was able to answer through phone and email. And then met me before the safari and after the safari. I went solo with the guide/driver and the cook. It was a fantastic experience and I had such a great time. The guide was excellent - keen, enthusiastic and was knew all the different animals and birds. The food was good and the tent/ 4 wheel drive comfortable. The only thing that was not good was the campsite in Serengeti but this was not the tour operator's fault but the Serengeti Park authorities who just do not maintain their campsites.
Would highly recommend booking this tour.
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Camping, Tent, Lodge
Age Range
5-79 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Tanzania Safari Parks, Moshi, Ta
Tanzania Safari Parks, Moshi, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara
We had an unforgettable experience last week on this tour. We were a group of 4 women with limited to some hiking experience. Anna and Stasia from the tour company were very responsive leading up to our booking. They were very easy and transparent regarding all the booking details. During the trip, our guides Baraka and Gerald were highly professional throughout our trek. They made sure that we were as comfortable as possible. This included all the small things, such as making sure we got enough lights for dinner and bringing more if we needed, as well as the big things, such as making sure that we summited! Baraka and Gerald were highly experienced as guides, and made sure to adjust their walking speeds to the individual needs of our group. They were also very personable, friendly and extremely approachable if we ever had questions (and we had many!). In addition, the rest of the crew (there were 20 people in total), that helped us were all highly attentive and very competent- we could not have done this without them. The food from our chef Justin was delicious - weve never had soup as creamy and eggs cooked the way he makes them- it stood out as unparalleled hiking food! Our server Benson told us really funny stories about his many trips in the mountains while he prepared dinner. The rest of the crew who worked behind the scenes tirelessly made everything seamless! We couldnt have asked for more. Some tips in addition to the other ones you may find online:1. Bring Vaseline - it gets really dry in the mountains so that would really help.2. It also gets very dusty in the mountain, so if you have dust allergies, you might need some medication. Even if you are not allergic to dust, it may be good to bring a bandana or something equivalent to keep off the dust.3. Rent the portable toilet!!! It is much better than the public restrooms, and relatively clean. Much more convenient if you need to go at night.4. Bring an extra roll of toilet paper- you wont need it for the toile if you rent the portable toilet, but it is useful if your nose runs because it gets cold.5. Bring extra hand warmers if you can. In addition to using them on Summit Day, some mornings are also cold. The crew does give you heated rubber bottles for warmth as well- so this is just for extra comfort.6. Bring mouthwash! Some nights are somewhat cold, so you may choose to mouthwash rather than do the full floss/brush. Makes you feel cleaner for sure. Same goes for disposable baby wipes in addition to a camping towel (quick dry so you dont have to use a wet one the next day!)7. Bring extra snacks if you can- the crew never will ask you for food, but we think they really appreciate it when you share. Same goes for anything else you think you can spare. Sharing is caring!8. Ask questions! We learned quite a bit about the mountains and the lives of our entire crew when we did- it was very rewarding learning more about the local culture and language.
The Marangu route is one of the most popular routes to the summit of Kilimanjaro. This could partly be as a result of the fact that the Marangu is the least expensive route but more so perhaps the fact that it is possible to do the Marangu route in 5 days thereby getting to the summit one day earlier compared to the Machame route. This is not always the best way due to a shorter acclimatization period. That is one thing to take into account before decided to do the Marangu route.
Nobody, even how fit they are, know how their body will respond in high altitude. If you want to increase your chances for making a successful summit, we recommend the Machame route.
The shared hut accommodation on the Marangu route is one of the main differences compared to the other routes, where you have to camp. Mineral water, soft drinks, chocolates and beers are also sold at all the camps on this route.
All your equipment and supplies are portered and our cook will prepares all your meals.
Trekking and HikingClimbing
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hut, Hotel, Sleeping Hut
Age Range
12-79 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Kilimanjaro Marangu Route, Arush
Kilimanjaro Marangu Route, Arusha, Marangu Gate, Horombo Hut
It took us long hours of research and hundreds of emails exchanged before we have decide for your company so I would love to give you my opinion and recommendation. Hope this will help you out!
Firstly, why have we decided to go on Safari with your company.
Friendly and prompt communication with Steve, flexibility and willingness to meet our needs and kind of gut feeling ;)
Booking process was very easy and at the end we put a trust in Steve and sent 75% of the payment - we were travelling to Zanzibar before and we did not want to carry that much cash.
My 2 friends and I, we went for 9 days safari with following itinerary: Tanzania starting in Arusha - Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara with walk, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Empakai Crater, Kenya - Amboseli with walk. We had amazing guides, I could not wish for better company, we had a lot of fun and I learnt so much about animal, Masai culture and life of African people. In Tanzania our guide was Godlove Goodluck and in Kenya - Onesmus. We had also cook named Alifa - cooking is really his passion and food was tasty. Much better than in any African restaurant we had been :D
Everything was organized and yeah, sure, things did go sideway, as our car got broken, but what I appreciate is how the things were handled and what Steve did to make sure our trip is untouched (new car was sent, meantime rescue car camet to not lose any game drive etc). And to make it up Steve made us amazing surprise. We were flying out of Nairobi at 6 am so he arranged for us home stay at lovely Kenyan family. We had wonderful last night in Africa with his friends. We could not wish for more. Ah, one more great surprise from Steve! We had budget safari with basic accommodation to keep cost as lower as possible, and is like Steve would know us better, he booked for our last 2 nights amazing lodge with swimming pool and view on Kilimanjaro. After diving and 9 days in the car on bumpy roads this was like a dream!
I can honestly recommend Steve and his team for organization of your Safari. Steve - thank you so much for amazing experience and providing us great guides, this made all difference.
Wildlife safaris and game drives
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Camping, Resort, Lodge
Age Range
5-79 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Arusha, Lake Manyara National Pa
Arusha, Lake Manyara National Park, Nairobi, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve
I thought every single day was the best day of my life... Until the next day came along and overtook it, and then the next day and the next...
The Okavango Delta is pure magic. Easily the best place to see wildlife in Africa (and I have been to most of them on Contiki's). Its remote, there are barely any other tourists on safari out there and it felt like we were truly in Africa, experiencing it for how it should be and not a tourist destination to see wildlife. The camping set up there is awesome, you arrive and everything is set up from your tents and bedding, to a fire place to sit around at night, to a dining tent and chill tent on the river to watch elephants come downt to drink in the middle of the day - right in front of us! On the Game Drives we saw lions and even Wild Dogs (Painted Wolf) pups as well as the adults on the hunt. The safari vehicles had fridges to keep the beers cold, charge ports for our phones and a roof to climb on to watch the sunset over the Delta's waterways while lions were calling in the distance.
The Meerkats at the salt pans were amazing to see go about their day without even giving us a glance as we got close for photos and the sunset on the pans where you can see the horizon 360 degrees around you was extra special.
And Chobe was out of this world... That sunset on the river when everyone had left the park but we stayed in it at Contiki Special Campsite, plus the leopard in the tree... Goosebumps...
And I nearly forgot the adrendline and pure adventure of Victoria Falls. Bungeeing, rafting, heli flights, walking safaris... It has everything to get the heart racing but also some activity from sitting on safari vehicles. I guess some of the activities are pricey, but I felt super safe doing everything and would always rather pay a higher price for safety on the adventurous activities. I'd reccomend them all! The accommodation here felt so fancy with swimming pool, the spray of the falls in the distance, elephants drinking at the waterhole in front and out the back you could safely walk into town to do some shopping or exploring...
A trip I could VERY easily do again and again. Every safari drive is different with varying chances of seeing different animals doing different things (drinking/eating/hunting/playing with babies etc etc). Every drive felt special and unique...
The Africa bug has bitten me hard - I cant wait to go back
Natural landmarks sightseeing
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Camping, Hotel, Lodge, Tent
Age Range
18-35 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Victoria Falls, Maun, Chobe Nati
Victoria Falls, Maun, Chobe National Park, Makgadikgadi Pans, Okavango Delta
Nungwi a village at the north coast part of Zanzibar Island . This trip focuses on a cultural village visit to Nungwi, including sightseeing and free time to relax on the white sand beaches of the north.
In Nungwi there are number of very interesting things to see and do, including a natural aquarium that is home to endangered sea turtles and a variety of fish. The aquarium itself is a natural formation carved out from the coral bedrock by the erosion of millions of waves crashing against the shore. The depth of the water rises and falls with the tides providing a natural environment for its inhabitants.
The best time to visit Nungwi is in the early morning when the fish market is in full swing – depending on the catch the previous night you might see tuna, king fish, dorado and a variety of other large fish for sale. In the morning, local fishermen (and women) wade out to the edge of the coral reef to catch a number of different small sea creatures including squid, octopus, puffer fish and the occasional ray – their catch will be sold at the fish market throughout the day.
The Nungwi Boat Yard is another riveting experience where you’ll meet the ship yard owner and learn how the dhows are built; from the sourcing of the wood to the joints used and how they are launched.
Please also be aware that the village is the home and workplace of the local population and we ask you to respect their privacy – it is always best to ask before taking pictures. At the end of the walk, you can either relax on the sandy beaches or go swimming in the natural sea. Lunch and refreshments are arranged there to taste local delicacies or international food.
Suggested itinerary follows:
Visit the village
Visit the dhow-building capital of Zanzibar
We will stop at the blacksmith and see the traditional way of making the tools for the construction of dhows. At the construction site, we will see the way dhows have been built for centuries and see how skilled craftsmen bend wood to create the dhows. Take advantage of the opportunity to try your hand at this unique craft.
Visit and swim at Mnarani Natural Aquarium
Hawksbill turtles have traditionally been hunted around Zanzibar for their attractive shells, and green turtles for their meat. The project was established in 1993. You'll also get a change to swim while on tour.
