K. Spurgeon, UK. 2009.
I wanted to follow up with a big thank you!. We arrived home on Jan 2nd. Our trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar was fantastic. Our guide, Nicolas was outstanding. His knowledge, responsiveness and ability to spot animals is the distance was amazing.
The parks, the food, staff and accomodation were wonderful.
Our only concern was our stay at the Octagon Lodge. The food was fine but the accomodations weren’t great. When we went to check out at the following day they didn’t want us to use a credit card for our incidental spend during our stay. He wanted cash. He claimed the rain had knocked out his credit card machine. When we offered to wait until it was back up he agreed to let us put our costs through on the credit card.
Thank you again for helping us plan and book the wonderful holiday!
Cheers!
R. Shepard, UK. 2009.
Just wanted to tell you we had a wonderful time. A true adventure and what made it perfect was that there were so few people. It was possible to drive an entire day without seeing another vehicle and the walking safari was great. The lodge was beautifully run and very comfortable with a super staff. Definitely a great destination. Thanks for all your assistance and all the best for the New Year.
C. Pierce, UK. 2010.
My husband and our three children went on a safari in october 2009 that you organised. I just wanted to thankyou. We had a lovely time. We went to the Selous for 5 nights then Zanzibar for three nights.
C. Stones, USA. 2009.
It really was such an exceptional time and trip. We still had a wonderful time at Ras Nungwi.
We saw something fantastic animals on our safaris and it’s difficult to choose a highlight. We loved the big cats and I never tired of seeing the giraffes – although I didn’t tire of seeing anything. I also loved the fact that we felt surrounded by the migration while camping at Olakira too. Really wonderful memories.
I’ll get some photos over to you soon.
K. Craign, UK. 2009.
Just a belated & quick email to say thank you for all you and your teams work put into producing our honeymoon. It was simply fantastic. Echo beach and Lake Manze were both excellent and Rus Kutani at the end was, in the words of my wife a ‘magical way to finish up!’
Work the following Monday was an uncomfortable jolt back into reality!
Anyway, many thanks once again.
J. Claydon, USA. 2009.
As you know we have just returned from our trip, and a big thank you for all the suggestions and recommendations, they were all superb. We had a fantastic and memorable time, in no small way because your recommendations.
Our 25 anniversary at the impala was spectacular, table on our own by the fire, cake! and song from the staff, what more could you ask for.
We loved lake Manse, Richard reminds me of an old school master!! quite formal in his ways but very interested in what you have done etc, which is great especially as he must hear the same things day in day out! Organised people on the first day to ensure he mixed everyone up. Elephants on form including a morning raid for bananas.
Modonya, was as we expected, only points I would make is the distance from the river and therefore the game, through areas which held little game as they are so far from water. Camp was a little rudderless as the manager had the weekend off and the relief who was very Italian, was only to be seen at mealtimes!
Echo beach was great, we had room 9, which I understand you always try and get. Only thing I would say is the lighting in the room is very poor and with the overhead light and both bedside lights on it is still very difficult to read in bed. Other than that it was a lovely place, the food was great, although we both got “the true African experience” for the last couple of days and missed out on alot of great looking food.
Your organisation was faultless and we would be happy to recommend Tanzania odyssey to anyone, so please use any of this any way you want, or give our e mail to anyone who wants to ask an “independent” about your company.
J. Marshall, USA. 2009.
Just wanted to let you know we had a great time on our trip. Everything exceeded our expectations and feel free to consider us a reference if you ever need one.
I have referred your company/name to three people who are thinking about a similar trip since we returned.
Thanks again.
P. Pearce, UK. 2009.
Just to thank you, now the dust has settled after our return, for the really memorable holiday which you arranged for us. All the arrangements worked perfectly, and we felt your care to reflect our preferences in the trip you designed for us was not only very professional but resulted in the holiday being everything we had hoped it would be, and indeed more. It is rare to have your expectations exceeded; that was absolutely what happened. Thank you! We have been singing your praises and directing others to you, so will expect a monster discount next time we come (only joking).
I think you asked for feedback and we can only really award 11/10 in all respects. Manze and Impala were both fabulous. Richard, the manager of Manze, impressed us particularly. Impala may well be in the river next year unless (as we heard is planned) they rebuild it before the rains, further back from the rapidly receding bank – but that is another matter! The guides were exceptional. Lazy Lagoon was perfect for us; as I think we discussed, the laidback “bush chic” style might not suit the spa brigade, but we loved it. The journey out is of course a bit of an experience.
Echo Beach- perhaps our initial impression was coloured by the paradise we had just left which could not really be matched, but although we warmed to it, it was not quite at the level we had expected, particularly from the website on the bathrooms. The one in our room (no7) was below par; dim grungy lighting, sometimes a smell of drains, scarily slippery marble floor when wet which it was all the time as the shower didn’t properly drain, some marble tiles cracked and the soapholder missing; salt water meant you could not properly lather up in the shower. All details, but of course details matter. Sue and Andrew could not have been more friendly and attentive and dealt immediately with points raised, but the whole place somehow felt it could go up a notch. Nevertheless we had a great and relaxing time there. We were told one of you had stayed there not long ago so this may all be familiar. The answer to all this may be “this is Africa”, of course.
Anyway, I don’t want to end on a slightly qualified note; it was a fantastic holiday, we loved it, and hope to return.
A. Herman, USA. 2009.
Just a short note to say we had a great time in Tanzania. Everything that you organised worked well, the game viewing was great and we thoroughly enjoyed the Zanzibar beach and Stonetown. If I had to single out one place for extra praise it would be Kwihala where the guiding and facilities were outstanding.
J. Lever, UK. 2009.
I am so sorry we haven’t been in touch, i cant believe that we have been home for a week! The time just seems to have zoomed past and I keep meaning to email you. Thank you so much, we had the most amazing holiday ever. We really wanted a holiday of a lifetime and it really did fulfil all of our dreams. All of the places that we stayed were just perfect and just what we had wanted. We were treated like royalty wherever we went and made to feel so special. I don’t think that either of us could get over the amazing honeymoon suite at Ras Kutani, especially after having spent so much time in dirty clothes on safari! Everyone was so kind and friendly at all of the camps and resorts and we have already recommended you to so many people – although half the people on safari seem to have come from Tanzania Odyssey!
Thank you also so much for the tour of Stone Town. That was such a thoughtful gift and we really enjoyed being shown around and probably going to places that we would have otherwise felt uncomfortable in venturing into on our own.
I have attached a couple of pictures from our safari, that just blew us away (not to mention the candlelit dinners at our tent and the sunset drinks on the bank of the river at Lake Manze).
A proper thank you will be on its way to you.
Just one thing to mention was that we didn’t get our pick up in Stone Town to the airport. We waited for about half an hour and then the hotel arranged a taxi for us – just so you know in case it happens to anyone else. Was not a problem for us though.
Thank you again so much for arranging the perfect trip – everyone we saw sends their regards to you, I kept wondering who Julian was…. clearly my brain was on holiday!
I hope that all is well with you.
Hope to see you soon.
A. Hotston, UK. 2009.
Sorry for the late reply, just trying to catch up with things, Thats the down side to be away for 3 weeks I guess!
What can I say about the Honeymoon….
Amazing I think sums it up, We had a great time, your choice of accomodation was spot on.
Pongwee was so relaxing and a great way to start the holiday
the day in Stone town was good fun and thanks so much for the guided tour and booking the roof top dinner.
We had a great start at Lake manze seeing a lepoard with an impala just minutes from the runway. Malcolm who was in charge at Lake manze made us feel so welcome he even treated us to sunset drinks by the lake and our own priavite dinner on the last night made from the fish we had caught that morning.
Old madonya river camp was also very enjoyable, they to treated us to a privet dinner with own camp fire.
Spending the last 4 days at Ras Kutani was perfect, staying in the Honeymoon suite and beign treated by such frendly staff.
We paticularly liked the number 1 rule at Ras Kutani “Relax” which we became very good at!
Thanks again
T. Antoine, UK. 2009.
Hi Nick,
Hope this finds you well. Thank you for organizing a great trip in Tanzania for us. Everything worked out perfectly and we wouldn’t have changed anything.
Best,
H. Hatfield, UK. 2009.
Just a quick note to say what a wonderful honeymoon we had.
Everywhere we stayed was fantastic and more than lived up to our expectations. We were met at all connections so that everything went very smoothly and was very easy and relaxing.
Thank you for your help with arranging this
C. Foresters, UK. 2009.
I just wanted to let you know we had an absolutely fantastic time, we loved it.
The camps (Manze and Mdoyna) were excellent and we were really happy with everything, the guiding was very good as was the food.
We also ran into Ed at both camps and i’m sure he’ll be a great addition to your team.
Hopefully we may book with you again some time.
G. James, UK. 2009.
Meant to email you ages ago to say we had a brilliant trip but with going back to school, work etc we have been too busy.
All arrangements went very well – the boys loved the safari and we were glad we had chosen both Manze and Impala in the end. Manze was great (Richard was very entertaining) and it was interesting having elephants wandering between the tents all the time. We really loved Impala as well – Pietro (our guide) was endlessly patient and went out of his way to keep the boys interested. Loved the fishing.
Kinasi was a welcome rest from sitting for hours in cars and boats on safari – the food was generally good although it was very quiet there. This did however mean that we could choose exactly what we wanted to do and managed to fit in a lot of snorkelling trips. The dive guy Aude was really friendly and helpful (and nothing like the character suggested on Tripadviser.com).
We surprisingly survived all of the small flights which all worked well (except when they closed the airport at Dar and we had to help our pilot locate an airstrip in the middle of a field somewhere just outside Dar).
Zanzibar was good but not as nice as we remembered – it had changed a lot since we were there 13 years ago ! I was a bit alarmed by the number of groups of young women wandering around completely inappropriately dressed but the Jozani forest trip was great.
Thanks for all of your help anyway – will be in touch if we decide to go back to Africa in a few years (or will send our friends your way!).
E. Frechette, UK. 2009.
I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed your visit to B.C. Let me know if you are ever back this way again as I would welcome the opportunity to meet you (I intended to visit the office in London but we were there on the weekend of the bank holiday).
The highlight was the entire time spent in the North. Everything was terrific: the game drives, the wildebeest crossing the river, the accommodation at Sayari Camp, the hospitality of Joe, Barbara and Ken and their team, our driver (“Prim”). Even the weather was perfect (warm days and rain showers in the evenings).
We were also pleased with Onsea House. The food was good and it was an excellent place to recuperate from the journey before beginning the safari.
Thanks again for putting the trip together for us.
D. Roth, USA. 2009.
Well, the Lerners have returned from their trip and may I quote, “by far the best trip of our lives” they absolutely loved it said there was not one thing that went wrong and Wildlife Safaris was great.
I have just emailed Wildlife to see if they have any Travel Agent Fam trips to Momo and or Kings Pool, I have to get over there so I can sell it to more of my clients,
I want to thank you and Marc once again for helping me provide my clients with the trip of a lifetime, Job Well Done!!!!!
Thanks again, hope we do more in the future.
M. Foster, UK. 2009.
Just to let you know we are back from the most amazing 2 weeks ever!!
Everything went exactly to plan….all the pick ups, flights etc. We had the best time, all the guides were fabulous the camps were amazing, the stay at Oliver’s Camp stood out though – the people the camp everything was unbelievable we would love to go back, on the walking safari we came across a lion with a kill approx 50 ft away it was a heart stopping moment but fantastic. We left the camp with a tear in our eyes we made some good friends there, it will always be a very special place for us. Sayari was fantastic too- but maybe feels a bit new still… it needs time to bed in – the safari experience was great getting into also sorts of areas and seeing a migration across the Mara river one day – a brutal never to be forgotten experience-
Zanzibar a fascinating place was a bit of a shock after 1 week on safari but we got the hang of it!- Ras Nungwi again was wonderful, the people there were amazing and again we made some good friends and totally chilled out.
Think you get the gist of things…It was GREAT.. thank you so much.
Now we have the bug and want to return – We have planned to visit a good friend in Mauritius next year late feb/march maybe – with the international flights etc we wondered if it was possible to have say 3 – 4 nights on Safari may be in a different area Selous perhaps then get a connecting flight to Mauritius!! I would be grateful if you can look at some options for us…
C. Alawi, USA. 2009.
Many thanks for preparing the most amazing itinerary for us for our African adventure!!
Just a few highlights:
Livingstone, without a doubt swimming in the Zambezi and in the Devil’s pool. We were so lucky, because of the excessive water this year, the pool had only just been opened. It was a most exhilerating experience!
Chobe, the all day safari and specifically the 3 hours we spent on the river. Lunch was taken on the boat which was pulled up on a bank where we were amongst a herd of around 100 elephants! Pretty amazing!
We also saw our first lion and leopard both of which had had a recent kill.
Lebala, for an all round experience and off-road tracking this was outstanding. Our guide Spencer was very experienced and we felt totally confident in him, especially when charged by a herd of elephant!
We saw lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, honey badger and pangolin as well as many other wonderful birds and mammals.
Little Vumbura is an oasis of calm and was a brilliant place to stay after our frenetic few days at Chobe and Lebala. We had more R&R and spent time in an around the pool. We thoroughly enjoyed the boat trip and Macoro and it was nice doing something other than game drives.
The game drives with our guide Sevara were a real education, his knowledge and enthusiasm for his subject certainly rubbed off on us all. The highlights here were the tracking and spending time with 3 lionesses and 2 cubs and we spent a whole evening with them which was magic.
We had another close encounter with an elephant who started feeding off the roof of our tent at 1am. Half an hour of being buffetted and her trunk hitting the roof was slightly disconcerting, but here we are with yet another tail to tell! She was still in camp when we left on Friday morning.
The organisation throughout the trip was quite extraordinary, with flights arriving on time and being greeted at every point of arrival by a great group of people.
It is going to take me weeks to sort out the photographs. With 3 cameras and about 6000 pictures! Thank you for the advise re buying and SLR- definitely and essential piece of kit, but it is also necessary to have a small wide angle camera as well we thought, as Matt took some great panoramic shots. I will send links to some of my pictures in due course.
We all agreed this was the best family holiday we had ever had, and thank you for your part in advising us on where to go etc.
PS. I think we will be going back!
I Baird, UK. 2009.
Thank you so much for recommending Chiawa!!!
What a special place! We had amazing wildlife experiences (lion kill in camp by a mating pair, hippos and elephants in camp every day, leopard in tree on the river and lots of other wonderful sightings on foot and by car and on the river. I think the croc with the huge eel in its mouth was a first for me!). Dave and Grant were there for part of the time and just wonderful to us. The camp staff were terrific as well – so patient and helpful with the kids. I think it was a life-altering experience for our friends, the Friedlands. It took their kids some time to adjust to camp life, but they are raving to everyone back in New York about their first-ever trip to Africa and Zambia. Although Peter and I and our kids have been on many safaris, this was one of the very best in terms of guides and wildlife.
Peter and the kids and I definitely hope to return next year – we are moving to Cape Town in January (schools are secured but still need a home!) and will be doing lots more travel around southern and east Africa. Perhaps we can book Mombo far enough in advance to ensure a place – let us know the best time to be there.
I so appreciate your professionalism and guidance and hope to meet you at some point somewhere in Africa!
T. Kurth, France. 2009.
We are just back from a truly fantastic dream trip in Tanzania! All was very well organized and the location, scenery, and adventures were stunning!
Here is a little feedback on our trip and some recommendations.
Flights and transfers:
Wonderfully organized! There was always somebody waiting for us at the airports or hotels etc. Some, for African countries minor confusions (such as not recognizing some tickets or mixing names) could be resolved quickly. It may be worth mentioning in the description that sometimes one is placed in other plane than expected and sometimes one even fly with different “airline” so one is prepared for that. But flights and transfers were truly superb!
Oyster Bay in Dar:
What a nice first night!! A beautifully designed small hotel with very relaxing atmosphere, great staff, and delicious food. We were lucky enough to be the only customers that day and we fully enjoyed our first day. A perfect place to start the trip and in our case our honeymoon. If we have the chance to do it all again, we would certainly stay 2 nights to fully relax and recover from the flight. Highly recommended!
Sayari Camp:
As you know, the camp has recently gone “stationary.” A wonderful camp with excellent tents, great food, and exceptional staff and guides! Game drives are spectacular in the Serengeti and very well and flexibly organized even with drinks in the afternoon in stunning scenery. The walk tour is highly recommended. We only walked for a short hour on our last morning but that was already great. Walks can be flexibly organized and can last even a full morning. The new pool is also very nice and relaxing in the afternoon (if there are not too many kids :o) ). Highly recommended!
Ngorogoro Crater Lodge:
Wow! what an outstanding place!! The most exceptional place we have ever been to! The design and splitting of the lodge into three smaller independent lodges works beautifully and you only see a few people during dinner. Staff is fantastic preparing a rose bath and lighten the fire and take care of anything needed… Food was exceptional with local products and spices!
The game drives are certainly interesting but there are too many people and cars in the Crater. In addition, the animals are used to vehicles so the experience is not as great as in the Serengeti. We felt that the quick game drive upon arrival in the afternoon and a full morning game drive were sufficient. The landscape, however, is wonderful. For a honeymoon a fantastic place! We certainly would have stayed longer but even two nights are worth the journey! Highly recommended!
StoneTown, Beyt al Chai:
As expected, a little culture shock from the Crater Lodge to Stone Town and the Beyt al Chai. However, this small B&B is warm and welcoming and nicely located. The third sultan room is ready now so we could stay all three days in one of them (the “blue room,” which was very nice and was our favorite). The only thing that could be changed is the mattress, which was a little run down. We tried the newly opened restaurant in the Beyt al Chai, which is quite good serving local food variations. A little on the expensive side but certainly worth it.
StownTownis overall pretty run down but one can imagine its beautiful past. We took a guided tour with a guide recommended by the hotel (Abdul, $25 pp), which was great and we strongly recommend to take such a tour. Street food is excellent in Stone Town and the open BBQ in the evening in front of the house of wonders is amazing. A very nice local food experience also is “Two Tables,” were a family cooks a pre-set dinner in their private house.
We also booked a lunch trip to Mangapwani Beach (the Serena Beach Resort). The location was great (we had the beach for ourselves since most people only come for lunch) but the food was not worth the trip (about 45 minutes, of which the last 25 are on terrible “roads”).
Recommended!
Ras Kutani:
As the pilot said: welcome to paradise! What a wonderful place and final stay of our honeymoon. Suite 1 gave us all the privacy, exceptional views, and relaxing moments! The beaches are equally marvelous! Staff is great and food very delicious! They usually serve fish but special arrangements could easily be organized. We were a little surprised that the full board did only include their filtered water, tea, and coffee.
All other drinks including bottled water had to be paid for. We found the Sayari concept (basic drinks and basic alcohol included, premium brands with an extra charge) better. Another good thing to know in advance is that the guaranteed late check out does not mean late check out from your room or suite! This may happen if the room is not needed that day. We had to move to a “day room” which gives you pretty much a warm shower and a place to change… Alternatively, one could just stay in the lounge area and at the pool and take a shower (cold water though) there. So, we would recommend to add specifics of Ras Kutani so one is prepared. However, this place is exceptional and we highly recommend it.
Tips and cash:
We followed your recommendation on tips and took adequate amount of US dollars in cash with us. However, independent local recommendations for tips are pretty much doubling your recommendations! Most placed recommend $10 USD for housekeeping staff per room per day and $20 USD per day for a guide. We run out of money and it was quite a challenge to get US dollars in Stone Town from a credit card account (one has to go the the main branch of Barcley Bank). It is also not always apparent to whom the tip should be given. In most places, there is a tip box for hotel/camp staff overall. Usually guides and drivers getting their tips in person. At the Crater Lode, one personally tip the butler, the housekeeper, and the guide and then provide the tip for the “other” staff to the manager. We would recommend to ask about tip arrangements at each place. It is also recommended to change some US dollars to Schillings to tip airport baggage carriers etc. and to buy some local food or bottled water. It is also advisable to take small US bills (ie, $1, $5, or $10) … return money is often given in Schilling. We did not save on tips since it is a good opportunity to support local people somewhat and, compared to the overall cost, tipping costs are minimal.
Other:
We had no trouble with security or other safety-related issues. People are very friendly and most speak English very well. If needed, cell phone reception worked in most places. The Tsetse flies in the Serengeti are sometimes brutal during the day … and anti mosquito lotion won’t help much. It is advisable to take a gel that reduces itching and swelling of bites. mosquito nets were provided in all locations and usually the room is sprayed in the evening. Electricity: international plugs are usually provided. Some places shut down electricity during some ours.
Enough said! This trip was a dream! It was extraordinarily organized and your prior advices were excellent! We hope to be able to do another trip like this again… but we need to first fill out accounts again :O)
All the best wishes from Paris,
R. Hardy, UK. 2009.
Hi Julian,
Just to let you know we had a fabulous trip, and that everything worked like clockwork.
We particularly liked the wilderness camp (Xigera) and the CCAfrica Savuti under canvas, and Nxabega. Were they (the CCafrica camps) a lot more expensive?
We hope to go to Namibia next. Do you cover that?
Many thanks for organising it all
J. Hales, USA. 2009.
I’d have to say it would be difficult to pick one specific highlight. From day one on Zanzibar it was beautiful just what we needed after the wedding, even down to the flower arrangements on the bed. The staff/guides and management everywhere we went were more than helpful.
We especially liked the Riverbed meals at night at Mwagusi, truly amazing to eat under such a beautiful sky with such good company.
I guess ultimately the animals are the stars of the show. The Lions though lazy have so much character, I could have taken photo’s all day, and the Elephants are so much more protective and graceful than you could ever imagine compared to seeing them in a zoo.
The Hyena’s crunching through a buffalo carcass was quite a sight and the African hunting dogs too with their 7 pups.
But each and everything we saw was amazing in its own way.
The one other outstanding thing to draw from the trip was the land itself, it’s difficult to explain to people when we tell them.
It’s just a place you have to see for yourself, the miles and miles of dried yellow grass and dusty earth with splashes of green and brown of the trees and bushes. Yet there’s so much beauty in the landscape and its inhabitants. It is vast and we saw just a fraction of it.
And finally Ras Kutani could not have ended the trip better… relaxing and massage’s, eating and drinking.
Rambled on a bit there but take it from me you and everyone involved did a fantastic job, hope to travel with you again.
Wishing you all the very best.
A. Robbie, UK. 2009.
We have just returned from our honeymoon in Tanzania that we booked through you last summer, and just wanted to say many thanks for all your help in organising it for us. We had a fantastic time in Pongwe, Selous Safari Camp and Ras Kutani.
The weather, food, views and animals were all amazing. Certainly a memorable way to start married life!
A. Piper, UK. 2009.
our trip was really great!!
thank you so much for all you did to make it so nice, so smooth and such a success. the only things i would change: i would not stay at the souk hotel, too far away from the ferry; i would fly next time i went to zanzibar, although the ferry was an experience! that is really all. a particular nod to the asilia resorts: matembe, olivers camp and olakira were amazing. our guide, aenae was also really amazing, fun, thoughtful, knowledgeable….i would give very higih marks to him, if you could give back our thougths on him to asilia. he really made our trip special.
thank you nick. it was a wonderful trip!!!
J. Macdougall, UK. 2009.
Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic
What a brilliant time we had. All your arrangements were perfect and given so many flights etc, astonishing there was not one single delay
Both camps were stunning, we saw loads met great people and must say the two camp managers, particularly Molly, at Jongomero, were a credit to their companies and themselves personally. The guiding was superb,tents, food, services astounding. We truly had a fantastic time.
Zanzibar was excellent too, particularly Echo Beach…superb owners and staff, made it very special..food simply outstanding, boy does Andrew( the owner) know how to cook!! You really should try to set up a referral scheme with them, everything you could want is there.
Could, and perhaps, should have stayed one more night at echo beach, one less in Stonetown, as I think one day would have been enough. Not the most attractive place on the planet, and the hotel was fine but no more than that. Anyway that didn’t spoil anything as we only used it to sleep in anyway.
So many thanks for all your patience and hard work and we certainly shall be recommending you to anyone who listens.
cheers
L. Quoirez, UK. 2009.
The trip in Tanzania was great. Weather was perfect, no rain a bit of wind and warm. Safari is wonderful. Thank you for advising me to go see the migration. It was fantastic.
G. Frank, UK. 2009.
Hi Julian
Just wanted to let you know we had the most fantastic time in Zanzibar. All the transfers and connections were really efficient, and Echo Beach was paradise! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who is looking to just switch off and chill out.
Thanks for arranging it all for us.
All the best
K. Burke, USA. 2009.
Hi Julian,
My Dad and I are back from the big trip and I wanted to give you some feedback. Overall it was a wonderful vacation and everything went incredibly smoothly and as planned. We started off with an upgrade at the Palacina Hotel in Nairobi so we had the penthouse suite which was a real treat after the long flights.
Our guide for the Kilimanjaro trek (Hickson) was great and they all took very good care of us. We were pretty lucky with the weather too and we made it to the summit! It was harder than I thought it was going to be and we were pretty proud of the accomplishment. The only disappointing thing about the trek is that we were not with a group. It ended up just being the two of us, which wasn’t what we wanted or expected, but it was fine. We did meet others along the trail and I even ran into some people I know! It just would have been nice to have shared meals with others. We also had one other issue with the tent leaking one night during a good rain storm. Luckily it wasn’t a big leak so that worked out OK too. We both enjoyed the trek very much.
Then the Ngorongoro crater was amazing! There were animals everywhere we looked and one morning we even got to see a pride of lions finishing a meal of wildebeest with jackals and hyenas waiting in the background for leftovers. It was unbelievable! And the Serena Hotel was super fancy and comfortable after our nights in the tent.
Then it was back to Moshi for the marathon and we did it! My Dad did the entire thing and I did the half. It was a much bigger event than either of us imagined and well organized. There were over 3000 runners total (marathon, half, and a 5k fun run). It was a lot of uphill and also more difficult than we thought, but there were locals lined along the streets, lots of water stations, and a full stadium cheering you on as you finished. We also got medals and t-shirts! I haven’t taken my medal off yet… (kidding!). The route was well marked, traffic was controlled, and the best part was when the little village kids would run along side you for awhile keeping you company. We were extremely tired after it, but again quite proud of the accomplishment.
The Arusha Hotel was another LOVELY retreat and the perfect place to rest after the run. My favorite part was the Serengeti. I absolutely loved the safari camp set up and it was quite luxurious. We loved having drinks in the evening around the fire with the other guests and I think those meals were the best we had the entire trip. We saw lots of animals including a family of elephants, giraffes, lots more lions, a python that was still digesting a baby wildebeest, and cheetahs. No leopards but pretty much everything else.
It was the trip of a lifetime and I want to thank you for organizing everything so that all we had to do was show up and enjoy ourselves.
Thanks again!
H. Button, UK. 2009.
Julian
Just a note to say many thanks for producing such a wonderful itinerary for our trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar. Everything was perfect and we had a fantastic time. The wildlife was spectacular and the hotels were all good in their own right. We did not get the Sherali Suite in Zanzibar but the Dumai with its roof top bathroom was quite a novelty despite the number of stairs!
Glad we stayed at Echo Beach (single cottage) after seeing Breezes and Sue and Andrew were good hosts. The sea food was out of this world!
The best part for us, aside from Crater Lodge, was the Nomad camp. Great guide, great food and great viewing. So all in all 10/10.
J. Smith, USA. 2009.
Hi Julian,
Just a quick note to say that we arrived back Sunday following our holiday in Tanzania that frankly was well beyond awesome. We had a fantastic time, the hotels/camp that you recommended were excellent and the organization on the ground was so unbelievably efficient. Our flight arrived 3.5 hours late but after fiddling with timetables we arrived at Nomads only one hour late. Thank you again for what was an amazing experience.
Scuba diving off Mnemba Atol…wow!
L. Mackenzie, USA. 2009.
We have just returned from a holiday in Tanzania which included 4 nights at Katavi and simply wanted to tell you that it was the highlight of our trip. We had a wonderful four days criss-crossing the area with Apollo who was the perfect guide, he told us the obvious things and then elaborated on reasons and examples etc. and was, as far as we could tell, word perfect on bird identification, showing us the pictures in the book to confirm what he said. Also Adam and Vicki were excellent hosts, we had a guided tour of the developments and would love to go back and check them out… Adam’s knowledge of bird life was phenomenal, and he shared his enthusiasm with us even lending us his telescope for an afternoon.
The cuisine was amazing, I cant imagine how the chef produced such good meals, and it’s the first time in
Africathat we haven’t been troubled by Gippy tummy!
So, congratulations to all concerned, and thanks for a wonderful trip,
S. Wilson, UK. 2009.
Dear Julian.
Thank you so very much for organizing an amazing holiday. All eleven flights pick ups and transfers were seamless.
Zanzibarairport is the best. Coastal Airways delivered airline tickets not given at departures, through the pilots open window on the runway. They also very kindly flew in a fresh supply of anti-biotic when the old intestines packed up.
ZanzibarPalace with the roof top view of the India ocean and sunset action all while taking a much needed cooling shower unforgettable.
Beho Beho was absolute tops. The staff are incredible and how they train all those animals to turn up and entertain on quoi Disneyesque.
Quite frankly we have had a wonderful time, and I really just wanted to pass on our thanks.
Yours sincerely.
M. Allchurch, Australia. 2009.
Marc, Julian and the team at TO
Now we are back in Australia, many, many thanks to the whole team for an absolutely wonderful experience. It was unforgettable. Thanks in particular for helping my parents meet up with us – it was a very special time for us all.
In terms of specific feedback, Ras Nungwi was absolutely lovely. It had a friendly, family atmosphere. The staff were terrific – helpful, attentive and charming. The food was first rate, and I really liked the idea of dinner being served at a set time with a set menu. The accommodation was spacious, well maintained and comfortable. And the beach was stunning. It was a perfect place to unwind after a month of serious sightseeing in India.
Kusini was great, impossible to fault. As our first safari experience, it was unbelievable. I had struggled to envisage how a tented camp could deliver true luxury, but it really did. We saw some amazing things – the migration was spectacular; and one morning, we had a cheetah actually sitting on the front of our vehicle!
As we left Kusini, my son commented that it would be hard for the Selous to top that – but unbelievably, it did. The accommodation was fantastic, so spacious and luxurious. And the level of the food and service was just a notch higher. It felt truly decadent. As far as game viewing goes, the mix of the Serengeti followed by Selous was a great balance and contrast – the vast, open plains of the Serengeti and the sheer numbers of animals were spectacular; whereas the river and lake systems of the Selous made for greater variety, and it was easier to find certain types of animals (giraffes in particular!).
The only piece of “constructive” feedback concerns Precision Air. We had a hilarious experience when they decided to divert the fight from Nairobi to Zanzibar via Kilimanjaro, to pick up some “stranded passengers”. When we got there, there were more stranded passengers than seats on the plane, so we spent a couple of hours sitting on the tarmac (no aircon) while they tried to sort it out. In the end, the plane took off for Zanzibar leaving all of the stranded passengers where they were, so we could have just flown straight there in the first place.
So it was an absolutely fantastic trip. I’d like to thank you all for your expertise and patience in dealing with us, answering our interminable questions and ensuring everything went well. I would have no hesitation in recommending you to others, and am happy for you to use anything I’ve said in your materials.
D. Slocum, USA. 2009.
Hi Jamie and Marc
GREAT TRIP!!!
We returned to Florida late last Thursday evening.
Everything you arranged went smoothly. All the flights were there, all the drivers were there and all of the resorts were expecting us. Thanks for a great job in making our arrangements.
We really enjoyed Tanzania and seeing our daughter. Our daughter Sue is living in graduate student housing on the campus of the University of Dar es Salaam. The campus is much different from the city, not crowded, little traffic and lots of open green space. Can’t say any thing too nice about the city. We went down town 3 times to restaurants on the water front, to the National Museum and to the Village Museum.
The safari to Lake Manze was great. Saw lots of animals and birds. Landed on a dirt runway in the middle of no where to be met by a guide and a jeep. Liked the people running the safari, we were well taken care of.
Stonetown was fantastic–the narrow streets and friendly shop owners. We had a fabulous suite in the old Emerson and Green B&B. Really enjoyed Ras Nungwi. Great atmosphere.
Thanks again for your work.
K. Learmonth, UK. 2009.
Hello
Firstly, thank you for helping us to plan and book our honeymoon we recently had in Zanzibar and The Selous – it was absolutely brilliant!!
I also wanted to see if there had been any communications from Air Tanzania regarding the flights that never were!
Thanks
K Learmonth 2009
L. Liu, USA. 2009.
Hi marc,
It was great! thank you so much! We are all recovering – thank you for making such a special trip for all of us. Was unforgettable!
S. Wachter, UK. 2009.
Hi Julian
The highlight for me was flying into Selous Game Reserve, 8 elephants deciding that their midnight feast was to be held right next to our tent & & staying at Echo Beach.
But to be honest the whole trip was brilliant.
Thank you all again for helping to make it so.
B. Hill, USA. 2009.
Dear Jamie,
Just to let you know that the Tanzania trip went very well with Coastal Airways meeting us at every point right on time. Roy’s Safari Ltd. also did an excellent job. Accomodations were great,howver, we would suggest that clients know a bit more about Ras Nungwi prior to going there in Zanzibar. The resort itself is great and as good as any tropical paradise. It’s just that it is at the tip of the island and very far from anywhere. Taxi hire to Stonetown is 60 USD each way which is a bit pricey and the extras at the resort itself are also more expensive than we expected. I think that the Serena Inn in Stonetown would be more suitable for those of us that don’t scuba dive etc. If your clients are looking for all kinds of water sports and seclusion Ras Nungwi would fit their needs perfectly.
Thanks for doing a great job on our itinerary and the support available once in country. We will surely recommend your office to anyone that asks.
