Serengeti

Posts Tagged ‘ Serengeti ’

C + D Summers 2012

Dear Julian,

We have had an amazing holiday in Tanzania – thanks so much for all the planning that you put into it.

We were so disappointed to have such a short time at Onsea House, especially when you had gone to all the trouble of fixing the honeymoon suite and we were particularly miffed to miss the meal as we didn’t arrive until after midnight.

Alex Walker’s camp was exactly what we wanted. You were right, we felt really involved with the actual bush – especially when we were out walking with the Massai and Hadza guides who were with us; they did tracking and dug up roots for us to eat and taught us about the plants. The honey guide also came with us and opened up his ‘hanging log’ hive to find us some honey. We loved it all, so interesting. It was also great to have our own truck, driver and guide when we went out; we saw masses of animals and absolutely masses of birds. All in all a great mix, especially as there was only one other couple there, so camp life was tremendous fun.

As for Faru Faru, I’m really glad that we did fly in the end – thanks so much for re-fixing it at short notice. We had seen huge herds of wildebeest and the rain enroute ensured that the driving that we did do to the airstrip was mainly sideways – so a longer journey could have been difficult. Anyway, we didn’t want to miss a moment of Faru Faru, it totally lived up to your description 5*******! The lodge was amazing, the food was absolutely superb, even better than the top vineyard meals that we had had in South Africa. Also Aloyce was totally on our wave length, even more enthusiastic than me! We had a fantastic time discussing every bird and animal; my bird list was pages long, he really made a huge effort. Lunch at Sasakwa was quite an experience; they showed us round the whole lodge after lunch including the cottages. It was all quite amazing but, you judged it correctly, totally over the top for us to stay there.

So well done Julian – you have done it again, we had a really wonderful time – thanks so much!

With love, Diz

P. Feriola, New York, 2012

Jullian and Edward,

We wanted to say a huge thank you for organizing such a wonderful honeymoon. You guys did a top-notch job. From our first conversation explaining to me the dynamics of planning a lifetime experience travelling through the bush of Africa to our final itinerary, I felt very confident with your recommendations. The service provided by Tanzania Odyssey was highly professional and knowledgeable.

The quality of accommodations was simply incredible. Each lodge was better then the next from Arusha Coffee Lodge, Serena at the Ngorongoro Crater, Serentiti Under Canvas and Singita’s Sabora lodge. The service and professionalism from the staff at each place was extremely welcoming, friendly and always eager to help. The standard of dining was very high and simply put, amazing.

We found it incredible how smoothly the trip ran. Everything went just as planned. From the moment we arrived in Tanzania we were greeted at the airport on the runway and escorted to our private ranger Steven from Assilia, who was ultra professional and knowledgeable. He made sure we were set up and that everything ran smoothly at each camp and that our flight arrangements were re-confirmed.

The sights were breathtaking. From sunrise to sunset, each day was truly a new adventure. We experienced incredible sights and saw a lot of game from a very close range. I could go on for hours giving highlights of our trip but the experience of the great wildebeest migration was incredible. We literally saw hundreds of thousands traveling in herds, canvassing for new green pastures of the beautiful Serengeti. We got extremely lucky and were able to see a crossing at the Masai Mara and even a crocodile attack and kill of a wildebeest.

What was simply amazing was to see all the animals freely roaming in huge herds from buffalo, hippo, crocs, zebra, giraffe, lions, cheetahs etc. in undisturbed lands free from human developments.
It was a trip of a lifetime and will be cherished forever. We took thousands of pictures and each time we flip through them or show them to friends we tell everyone these pictures, although stunning cannot do justice to the exceptional experience we had.

Thanks again for all your help and planning. You guys did a great job coordinating everything. We were both hugely impressed. If you need us for direct recommendations please feel free to reach out.

All the best,

P and M Feola, New York, 2012

G Reynolds 2011

Greetings Julian The trip was excellent in every respect. As to Onsea. No real major complaints except the first night the dining and drinking area was just outside our windows which was noisy for some time, the return 2 nights we had no electric and had to be moved to another room which shared a common living room and kitchen with others. Despite that , we adapted and had a pleasant stay. What we liked about Rivertrees was the spaciousness of the grounds which gave a greater sense of privacy. Plantation Lodge was fantastic, with lots of attention to detail. You might tell clients beforehand that it is a long dirt road off the main road to ease any concerns since both Cindy and I and other clients were a bit concerned where we were going and if to the lodge. Sopa is very unique with great views. Food at both places was good .The view at Sopa of the Crater was spectacular. Norgorongro Crater was very dry and dusty with OK , but not great game viewing , likely due to conditions. Whereas, the Mara River area was fantastic. Alex Walker’s camp was everything you said it would be. Grass was green and lush , saw three crossings and lots of game. All in all , we were very satisfied and pleased. Glad to refer anyone. You planned a great trip. Thanks and hope to plan another one soon. Be Well, Do Good Work, and Stay in touch. Gene

D Neuerman 2011

Hi Julian
Everything went very well. We were timely met in Nairobi and hotel accommodations were very good. The transfer from the Mara to Serengeti went smoothly and without issues. Serian in the Mara was great. The entire staff was as helpful as possible. Guides were knowledgeable. I liked that Serian Mara is secluded and away from most of the crowds. The staff was great, as everyone went out of their way to make our adventure special. The guides were very knowledgeable. The camp is located just above the river and I liked that we could hear the sounds of hippos all night long. The wildlife in the Mara is exceptional. Lions are everywhere. Plus we saw leopards, cheetahs, elephants, hyenas, zebras, crocs, and thousands of wildebeest. The river crossing is truly a special event. The living areas at Serian are spacious with a deck that connects to the bath area. They are not mobile tents but permanent structures. Beds were very comfortable and there was plenty of hot water. I highly recommend Serian to any one who is traveling to the Mara. I think the only misunderstanding was that we could have spent some of our 5 nights at the mobile camp by the river. We didn’t know that this was an option. We probably would have stayed 3 nights at Serian and 2 nights at the mobile site. That being said, it was not a real big issue. The 5 nights in the Serengeti were equally as good. If one is planning to go to either the Mara or northern Serengeti, I would strongly recommend either camp. I am glad I went and experienced the Mara River crossing. It is a once in a lifetime experience. Thanks for all your planning, advise, and overall help! I’ll contact you for future African adventures.
D Neuerman 2011

B Casilis – 2011

Our trip to Alex Walker’s Serian was unforgettable! The camp was picturesque and just blended in with the bush to make you really feel part of nature – so much so that we had a herd of elephants roam through our site one night!

Our guide Geoffrey taught us so many fascinating facts about the wildlife and the Serengeti and we were even lucky enough to see two (yes two!) leopards on our last day! Our spotter, Pius was incredible – you’ve never known eyesight like it! He could spot a lizard from 300 feet away! We had so many laughs with them both and we were sad to leave! We hope to go back again in the future and would recommend Alex Walker and his team to everyone.

B Casilis – 2011