Reviews of safaris to Mahale Mountains National Park

"Overall we were very satisfied with our holiday. On hind sight, there are only 2 things that would have have heightened our satisfaction. One was the order of the trip: we would have preferred to have stopped in Zanzibar first not last (see comments on this section of the feedback form).

The rest of the trip schedule was perfect - Arusha, Mahale & then Selous.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience!" Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari

"On past trips we have tended to prefer smaller, individually run places and I was not sure how I would like these two "top of the range" places. However, I was very impressed by Nomad. Good policies on local involvement (running trips for local kids and dignitaries into the park at Chada, gifts in the "shop" made by local women and sold with profits fed back to the village school) and well trained local camp staff. A cheery greeting from the lowly night watchman says a lot about how a camp is run.

All the Nomad guides (including the one who took us for a day trip into Arusha NP) were very knowledgeable and wanted to share this - for instance they all preferred to "talk you through" identification of a bird (flight pattern, habitat, solitary or group) rather than just giving you a name. The guides at Greystoke really did know the chimps individually and were most keen to point out their favourites, but also really knew their stuff on other species and birds." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 13 on a Tanzania safari

"We did have great expectations for our trip through Southern Tanzania - and were not disappointed.

The standard of the camps was consistently excellent, game viewing extraordinary and everything worked without a hitch. These parks can only be recommended for everyone who likes to be a bit off the beaten track and form a truly unique safari experience.

Further comments:

Excellent advice and great work as we have come to know from Expertafrica." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 13 on a Tanzania safari

"Whenever we met anyone who had used Expert Africa, their comment was invariably "Wasn`t Ellie wonderful?"

I thought the whole trip had been brilliantly organised and all the information I had been given befrehand was accurate.

Suggestions for improvement:

No particular thoughts, I`m afraid. A very satisfied customer!" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 15 on a Tanzania safari

"Worth every penny! All expectations met (maybe a little more than we bargained for with the the tsetse flies!) Having travelled to Africa with a small number fo travel companies over the past 20 years, Expert Africa come top of the list, and we will certainly look to you to again for future trips.

Your help in easing the blow of the lost wallet is very much appreciated as this could easily have dampened what has has been a truly excellent trip, many thanks.

As an aside it may be worth noting that if people's expectations are for smooth roads and Michelin star catering then perhaps the middle of Africa is not for them! Considering the locations and the tools available overall the camps manage extremely well.

Suggestions for improvement:

Nothing to add!" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 13 on a Tanzania safari

"The trip was absolutely fantastic, the game in Katavi stunning and the Chimp expereince breath taking.

Katavi deserves a week and Mahale needs the four nights if you are a keen wildlife buff. The trip was well organised and once again EA came up with the goods.

This is probably my best ever trip so far owing to the wildlife and the great friends I made along the way.

Suggestions for improvement:

I think you have everything about right. A personal service is always worth paying for, a good personal service that delivers what it promises is woth it's weight in gold. Once again thank you for another great trip and I will be back for more next year." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari

"Overall our trip was a fantastic experience. Pretty much every piece of advice from Expert Africa turned out to be spot-on, and our requirements were captured perfectly. Everything went seamlessly from start to finish.

We flew from Arusha to Katavi, Katavi to Mahale and Mahale back to Arusha. All of the arrangements for the internal flights were taken care of, and all of our guides and hotels were aware of when we were arriving and departing. An unexpected bonus was flying over the Serengeti and Ol Doinyo Lengai on the way back to Arusha from Mahale.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Expert Africa and the tour operators, Sokwe/Asilia and Nomad, that they arranged for our trip. Thanks to Ellie and the rest of the team at Expert Africa." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 11 on a Tanzania safari

"We had a great time. Some of our preceding comments are critical but these are finer details; the overall holiday was marvellous.

We do want to point out that February in Dar, Selous, Ruaha and Mahale is wet season. It did rain a lot and made roads in the Selous very difficult. Overall we got to see lots of game and other wildlife but it was not always easy. We would love to do this again in the dry season to see the difference.

Our itinerary involved several domestic flight connections and transfers but all worked perfectly. Curiously the only place where we had to hand over a voucher was the Holiday Inn in Dar.

It would be good if camps could provide more information and maps on their situation and ecology. It seems odd to come all this way to places specialising in the natural environment and find so little background material." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 13 on a Tanzania safari

"A truly memorable experience" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari