Travel reviews by Martina from Austria
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
7
Excursions taken
0
An Unforgettable Journey !
Tanzania between 27 Jun 2017 and 18 Jul 2017
"Our trip as a whole was: very well prepared and perfectly organized, the mere fact that we had not one serious problem on such a long journey, is amazing !
Thanks to the way Expert Africa helped us to choose among the various possible destinations, we could benefit from an itinerary that led us to variable parts of Tansania and we enjoyed entirely different landscapes and surroundings. Each of the camps and lodges we stayed at had their own charm and asset. Obviously James Denny was able to empathize our wishes and preferences so well that we really got what we wanted.
There is only one small critical item we would like to mention:
What we did not know beforehand (and what we could have been told when planning) was the distance from Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha, which is a car drive of about three hours, not really very much longer than the flight together with the time for waiting and transfer to and from the airport. In addition to this we flew to Kilimanjaro Airport instead of Arusha AIrport, which would have been much nearer to the hotel, although the plane did actually got to Arusha Airport."
Thanks to the way Expert Africa helped us to choose among the various possible destinations, we could benefit from an itinerary that led us to variable parts of Tansania and we enjoyed entirely different landscapes and surroundings. Each of the camps and lodges we stayed at had their own charm and asset. Obviously James Denny was able to empathize our wishes and preferences so well that we really got what we wanted.
There is only one small critical item we would like to mention:
What we did not know beforehand (and what we could have been told when planning) was the distance from Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha, which is a car drive of about three hours, not really very much longer than the flight together with the time for waiting and transfer to and from the airport. In addition to this we flew to Kilimanjaro Airport instead of Arusha AIrport, which would have been much nearer to the hotel, although the plane did actually got to Arusha Airport."
Feedback response
We were thrilled to hear that these travellers had such a great time in Tanzania and that the lodges they stayed at suited them so well; however we are sorry that the arrangements on their last day could have run more smoothly. Due to the nature of their itinerary it was necessary for them to fly from Lake Manyara to their lodge in Arusha. The only alternative would have been for a private vehicle to drive from Arusha to collect them and drive them back to their hotel which would have added cost. Though in hindsight, we accept that it would have been a quicker journey to their hotel (which is situated on the outskirts of Arusha) to fly to Arusha Airport rather than Kilimanjaro Airport. We hope that it didn't impact the enjoyment of their trip too much and we will ensure that this mistake is not repeated in future.
Impala Camp
"Great Beginning with our Great Guide Festo"
5 nights
Arrived
27 Jun 2017
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Kichaka Zumbua
"Oh what an experience !!!!"
4 nights
Arrived
2 Jul 2017
"Moly and Noelle can hardly be topped !
Moly offered best guidance, scientific explanations on all aspects of the surrounding nature brilliantly performed and still well understandable: the walking tours offered information on all kinds of natural interrelations as well as innumerable details of flora, fauna and geological facts, but they were also highly amusing and deep and moving experiences. We could not have been better cared for !
At home" Noelle was the perfect host: her kitchen left no wishes open - veggies f.e. were always offered .......... and she also entertained perfectly !
The fact that the camp is small as well as really very remote ( apart from the rangers we met litarally nobody !) only added to the fascination of this stay !
We would always highly recommand Kichaka to everybody who looks for African impressions that reach under the surface and go deeper as well as beyond the usual safaris !!"
Moly offered best guidance, scientific explanations on all aspects of the surrounding nature brilliantly performed and still well understandable: the walking tours offered information on all kinds of natural interrelations as well as innumerable details of flora, fauna and geological facts, but they were also highly amusing and deep and moving experiences. We could not have been better cared for !
At home" Noelle was the perfect host: her kitchen left no wishes open - veggies f.e. were always offered .......... and she also entertained perfectly !
The fact that the camp is small as well as really very remote ( apart from the rangers we met litarally nobody !) only added to the fascination of this stay !
We would always highly recommand Kichaka to everybody who looks for African impressions that reach under the surface and go deeper as well as beyond the usual safaris !!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Greystoke Mahale
"Face to Face with the Chimps"
4 nights
Arrived
6 Jul 2017
"To begin with a critical comment, an important fact is certainly not stressed, maybe not even mentioned in the descriptions of this place: as we were told by our guides (very good and very competent !!) it depends on the time of year how far up into the mountains you have to climb in order to meet the chimps.
However, we were lucky (and as amatter of fact fit) enough to make it to the chimps ( all in all a five and a half hours walk ) and we were very well rewarded !!! Meeting them up there in a rather unaccessable mountainous area was certainly one of the highlights of this whole trip !!
Julian, the manager of the place, tried hard to be a good host - he could, however, spread his attention more evenly to all members of the party. Guests from other parts of the world should be as well cared for as people from Australia......
The staff seemed not as well trained and not as ambitious as in the other places we visited."
However, we were lucky (and as amatter of fact fit) enough to make it to the chimps ( all in all a five and a half hours walk ) and we were very well rewarded !!! Meeting them up there in a rather unaccessable mountainous area was certainly one of the highlights of this whole trip !!
Julian, the manager of the place, tried hard to be a good host - he could, however, spread his attention more evenly to all members of the party. Guests from other parts of the world should be as well cared for as people from Australia......
The staff seemed not as well trained and not as ambitious as in the other places we visited."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Average
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Kuro Tarangire
"Almost in the open - wonderful !"
2 nights
Arrived
10 Jul 2017
"The area we covered in the course of our game drives was comparably smaller and our guide less ambitious. We had however a good time, partly due to the fantastic structure of the newly built bungalows that gave us the feeling to stay entirely in the open. Being so near to all the wild life we would not even have needed to make game drives at all: elefants, zebras, impalas.......... could be watched with the naked eye !
In addition to this we were really lucky and had the night-drive of our lives !!!! This was the moment, when our guide woke up as well, got enthusiastic and said that even he himself had not seen such a scene before: two leopards on one side of the car (one of them in hunting position up in a tree) and on the other side three lionesses putting up their ambush on a group of impalas ! Coming back to the camp we finally saw a spring hare, which is an unusual sight as well, as we were told !"
In addition to this we were really lucky and had the night-drive of our lives !!!! This was the moment, when our guide woke up as well, got enthusiastic and said that even he himself had not seen such a scene before: two leopards on one side of the car (one of them in hunting position up in a tree) and on the other side three lionesses putting up their ambush on a group of impalas ! Coming back to the camp we finally saw a spring hare, which is an unusual sight as well, as we were told !"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Good
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Lamai Serengeti
"In the Midst of Migration !"
3 nights
Arrived
12 Jul 2017
"Apart from the fact that this was the first time we had to share the guide as well as the car with other people ( which went well ) we had now definitely left the solitude of the former parks ( the parking space near the airstrip was already overcrowded ).
Still our experiences were again outstanding: driving for nearly an hour among thousands and thousands of gnus (wilderbeests), watching a group of them crossing the Mara river (in this case fortunately unbloody !), spotting a male lion myself for the first time (just about four meters from the car !), the endless plain of the Seregeti alone is breathtaking........
Our guide Anafi was competent, but had to be asked to "share his wisdom" with us ....."
Still our experiences were again outstanding: driving for nearly an hour among thousands and thousands of gnus (wilderbeests), watching a group of them crossing the Mara river (in this case fortunately unbloody !), spotting a male lion myself for the first time (just about four meters from the car !), the endless plain of the Seregeti alone is breathtaking........
Our guide Anafi was competent, but had to be asked to "share his wisdom" with us ....."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
"On the Top !"
2 nights
Arrived
15 Jul 2017
"Everybody knows by now that this lodge is considered one of the very best in Africa, so there is no need to add our "hym of praise": Situated on the rim of the crater ( due to this fact you reach the bottom of it as one of the first in the morning, when it is still a bit more quiet there), spectacular views, zebras on the lawn, extravagancy of the interior as well as of the service.
Some details were really unbelievable and never experienced before: having the breakfast table laid just for us and without being asked to on the very spot that we personally preferred was as uncomparable a treat as having a hot bath waiting for us when returning from the game drive ! In addition to the extravagancy it was the personal touch of the luxury that made our stay so outstanding.
Our guide showed the by now well known and appreciated "And Beyond" - guidance - quality.
The crater itself is a busy place: one group of lions, at least ten cars ! Anyway, this is a touristic hotspot (what we knew beforehand) and you can hardly visit Tansania without having been there !"
Some details were really unbelievable and never experienced before: having the breakfast table laid just for us and without being asked to on the very spot that we personally preferred was as uncomparable a treat as having a hot bath waiting for us when returning from the game drive ! In addition to the extravagancy it was the personal touch of the luxury that made our stay so outstanding.
Our guide showed the by now well known and appreciated "And Beyond" - guidance - quality.
The crater itself is a busy place: one group of lions, at least ten cars ! Anyway, this is a touristic hotspot (what we knew beforehand) and you can hardly visit Tansania without having been there !"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Machweo
"Back to Civilization"
1 night
Arrived
17 Jul 2017
"Machweo was only the base for our homeward journey (we left there at two a.m. !)
The diner, however, was very nice and our wakeup-call at night on time !"
The diner, however, was very nice and our wakeup-call at night on time !"
Good
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location
Good
Service
Good
Rooms
Average
Food
Excellent
As far as our game drives are concerned, we were lucky to have such an experienced and ambitious guide as Festo is. It was, however, interesting to feel a difference concerning the behaviour of the animals in comparison to the other places we were going to see later on: obviously the wild life is still touched by the fact that the Selous was and in a big part still is a hunting area. Most of the time you could see animals on the flight.
Festo's skill to make us watch and somehow even meet a lot of fantastic animals was under these circumstances was therefore even more appreciated by us (funny that the camp manager did not join us in our enthusiasm about Festo's skills !!! )"