Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs G from St. Louis
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
1
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
4
Excursions taken
2
My Oct 2022 trip
Tanzania between 29 Sep 2022 and 12 Oct 2022
"Expert Africa was a great travel agency!
Maruska was a pleasure to work with and had great recommendations to create a customized itinerary. She was very knowledgeable about each camp, park, and area we would be visiting. Our trip would not have been as enjoyable without her recommendations.
The website was very easy to use and we enjoyed the animal sightings tracker to help us determine which camps and areas had the best wildlife.
Thanks Maruska and Expert Africa!"
Maruska was a pleasure to work with and had great recommendations to create a customized itinerary. She was very knowledgeable about each camp, park, and area we would be visiting. Our trip would not have been as enjoyable without her recommendations.
The website was very easy to use and we enjoyed the animal sightings tracker to help us determine which camps and areas had the best wildlife.
Thanks Maruska and Expert Africa!"
Arranged By Maruska AdyeRowe
Kuro Tarangire
"Kuro Tarangire review"
2 nights
Arrived
4 Oct 2022
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Buffalo
10+ sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Eland
2 sightings
Elephant
10+ sightings
Giraffe
10+ sightings
Hippo
1 sighting
Leopard
3 sightings
Lion
3 sightings
Spotted Hyena
1 sighting
Wildebeest
10+ sightings
Zebra
10+ sightings
Entamanu Ngorongoro
"Entamanu Ngorongoro review"
2 nights
Arrived
6 Oct 2022
"Entamanu was a beautiful camp set on the ridge of the crater! The staff were amazing! They were incredibly kind, attentive, and accommodating. The rooms were incredible. They were appointed with king beds, a sitting area, heated room, a separate bathroom with vanity, hot running water at both shower and vanity, proper toilet, and closet area to store your baggage.
The food was amazing! We were incredibly impressed by how delicious every single meal we had at Entamanu was. Just spectacular!
From the entrance gate of the crater to the camp it was an hour and 15 minute drive on bumpy dusty roads, so be prepared. We would do it again and it's totally worth it! Also, the only drawback we could see with the whole camp was the soft-sided tent. It's very windy on the ridge of the crater so the tent is pretty noisy at night because it's flapping quite a bit in the wind.
That being said, the staff let us know that this season they are replacing all of the tents with hard-sided walls so that will fix the problem of having trouble sleeping due to the noise. Honestly, if you just wear ear plugs (which the camp provides) it wasn't bad at all. There were a few guests complaining about it, but we didn't find it to be as big of an issue as they made it seem.
WiFi was available, but only at the communal tent."
The food was amazing! We were incredibly impressed by how delicious every single meal we had at Entamanu was. Just spectacular!
From the entrance gate of the crater to the camp it was an hour and 15 minute drive on bumpy dusty roads, so be prepared. We would do it again and it's totally worth it! Also, the only drawback we could see with the whole camp was the soft-sided tent. It's very windy on the ridge of the crater so the tent is pretty noisy at night because it's flapping quite a bit in the wind.
That being said, the staff let us know that this season they are replacing all of the tents with hard-sided walls so that will fix the problem of having trouble sleeping due to the noise. Honestly, if you just wear ear plugs (which the camp provides) it wasn't bad at all. There were a few guests complaining about it, but we didn't find it to be as big of an issue as they made it seem.
WiFi was available, but only at the communal tent."
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Buffalo
5 sightings
Elephant
2 sightings
Giraffe
3 sightings
Hippo
3 sightings
Lion
3 sightings
Spotted Hyena
3 sightings
Wildebeest
10+ sightings
Zebra
10+ sightings
Lake Manyara Safari
"Lake Manyara Safari review"
6 Oct 2022 • All-day excursion
We were very impressed with our safari at Lake Manyara! We had low expectations going in and didn't really expect to see much other than elephants and baboons.
Wow, were we surprised!! We didn't just see elephants, we saw them up close! I mean to the point where you could reach out and touch them. It was incredible. We also saw lion in a tree practically overhanging the road and hippo in the water.
Further down the path we saw another lion on a kill. It was really interesting to see how the landscapes changed as you drove. In one area it would be barren and dry and then a short few blocks later there would be dense vegetation and foliage as a result of underground springs! It was beautiful!
That being said, if you can only choose between Tarangire and Lake Manyara - we would recommend Tarangire to see more wildlife. Especially near the water sources at Tarangire. Manyara was very busy and only has one road in and out of the park which can cause traffic jams when there is an animal sighting near the road.
There were times at Tarangire where we were the only vehicle on a sighting and it would be hours in between seeing other vehicles which gave us a more private feel to our safari.
Wow, were we surprised!! We didn't just see elephants, we saw them up close! I mean to the point where you could reach out and touch them. It was incredible. We also saw lion in a tree practically overhanging the road and hippo in the water.
Further down the path we saw another lion on a kill. It was really interesting to see how the landscapes changed as you drove. In one area it would be barren and dry and then a short few blocks later there would be dense vegetation and foliage as a result of underground springs! It was beautiful!
That being said, if you can only choose between Tarangire and Lake Manyara - we would recommend Tarangire to see more wildlife. Especially near the water sources at Tarangire. Manyara was very busy and only has one road in and out of the park which can cause traffic jams when there is an animal sighting near the road.
There were times at Tarangire where we were the only vehicle on a sighting and it would be hours in between seeing other vehicles which gave us a more private feel to our safari.
Safari in Ngorongoro Crater
"Safari in Ngorongoro Crater review"
7 Oct 2022 • All-day excursion
We enjoyed our private safari in Ngorongoro Crater very much! It was very interesting to see the habitat that they crater created for the animals. It's a vast area, but there was a high concentration of animals especially near the water sources.
Overall it was a place you had to see, but if we went back, the other locations had better scenery and animal sightings in our opinion. There is a higher concentration of black rhino here though, so if that is important to you, you are more likely to see them in the Crater. We didn't see one, but most of the people in our camp did on their only day in the Crater.
Most of the people in our camp were staying only one day in the crater and then moving on just like we did and we would recommend not more than 2 days max in the crater in our opinion and one day felt perfect for us.
Overall it was a place you had to see, but if we went back, the other locations had better scenery and animal sightings in our opinion. There is a higher concentration of black rhino here though, so if that is important to you, you are more likely to see them in the Crater. We didn't see one, but most of the people in our camp did on their only day in the Crater.
Most of the people in our camp were staying only one day in the crater and then moving on just like we did and we would recommend not more than 2 days max in the crater in our opinion and one day felt perfect for us.
Lamai Serengeti
"Lamai Serengeti review"
3 nights
Arrived
8 Oct 2022
"This was our favorite camp and location! Set amongst the kopje, Lamai Serengeti created a private oasis with luxury finishes for its location in the bush.
The staff were the most attentive out of all the Nomad camps we stayed at and very conscious of food allergies. The open-sided rooms created stunning views and all the sounds of the Serengeti at night! Rooms were well-appointed with hot and cold running water for the dual-vanities and shower. The common areas offered gorgeous views and the staff provided tea and snacks during the late afternoon. This location provided the best game viewing on our trip!
In one day we saw the Big Five, a serval cat, and a Wildebeest river crossing-just spectacular! The camp is set at a perfect location near creeks and kopjes that big cats and other game frequent. It is close to the Mara River, so river crossings aren't far away, depending on the time of year. For our early-October trip the bugs were not bad, even with the migration herds right on the doorstep.
Yasin, our safari guide, was outstanding! He made sure to prioritize the animals we wanted to see and planned the day accordingly while also adding in stops and viewings that he recommended. He always kept his ear to the radio, while still interacting with us the whole time, in order to ensure we would have the best experience. Compared to Tarangire, Manyara, and Ngorongoro Crater, we enjoyed the landscape and scenery here the most. The green, lush rolling hills with kopjes, trees, and granite rock jutting out was a sight to behold!
We chose to do a balloon safari here with Serengeti Balloon Safaris and it was one of the highlights of our trip!"
The staff were the most attentive out of all the Nomad camps we stayed at and very conscious of food allergies. The open-sided rooms created stunning views and all the sounds of the Serengeti at night! Rooms were well-appointed with hot and cold running water for the dual-vanities and shower. The common areas offered gorgeous views and the staff provided tea and snacks during the late afternoon. This location provided the best game viewing on our trip!
In one day we saw the Big Five, a serval cat, and a Wildebeest river crossing-just spectacular! The camp is set at a perfect location near creeks and kopjes that big cats and other game frequent. It is close to the Mara River, so river crossings aren't far away, depending on the time of year. For our early-October trip the bugs were not bad, even with the migration herds right on the doorstep.
Yasin, our safari guide, was outstanding! He made sure to prioritize the animals we wanted to see and planned the day accordingly while also adding in stops and viewings that he recommended. He always kept his ear to the radio, while still interacting with us the whole time, in order to ensure we would have the best experience. Compared to Tarangire, Manyara, and Ngorongoro Crater, we enjoyed the landscape and scenery here the most. The green, lush rolling hills with kopjes, trees, and granite rock jutting out was a sight to behold!
We chose to do a balloon safari here with Serengeti Balloon Safaris and it was one of the highlights of our trip!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Excellent
Activities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
Facilities
Excellent
Sightings report
Black Rhino
1 sighting
Buffalo
7 sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Eland
5 sightings
Elephant
10+ sightings
Giraffe
8 sightings
Hippo
7 sightings
Leopard
4 sightings
Lion
10+ sightings
Spotted Hyena
10+ sightings
Wildebeest
10+ sightings
Zebra
10+ sightings
Airport Planet Lodge
"Airport Planet Lodge review"
1 night
Arrived
11 Oct 2022
"We stayed at Airport Planet Lodge for an evening while waiting for an early-morning flight out of Kilimanjaro Airport.
Great location, only 10-15 minutes from the airport with views of Mt. Kilimanjaro on the way.
Perfect place for a quick night at the start or end of your safari or Kilimanjaro hike!"
Great location, only 10-15 minutes from the airport with views of Mt. Kilimanjaro on the way.
Perfect place for a quick night at the start or end of your safari or Kilimanjaro hike!"
Excellent
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location
Excellent
Service
Good
Facilities
Excellent
Rooms
Excellent
Food
Excellent
The tents were well appointed with a king size bed (complete with a good mosquito net - although we didn't really have issues with bugs during our beginning of October stay), proper flushing toilet, bucket indoor and outdoor shower, sink with vanity, and closet space to store baggage. WiFi was available in each tent which was a plus. No WiFi in the common areas. The sunrise views were spectacular from bed and deck.
The food was good, but the food at some of our other Nomad camps was incredible, so we would maybe say the food was the only thing we didn't enjoy quite as much at this camp. The location is in the heart of Tarangire National Park which made the drive to see wildlife very short. We were just a few minutes away from the main source of water in the area so wildlife was abundant.
We did a walking safari from camp and hiked about 3km away to beautiful vista for the sunset and sundowners. Following the gorgeous sunset we continued by safari vehicle in to a night game drive. We saw many more animals than expected on the night drive - both were totally worth it! We felt safe the entire time on the walking safari having a Masai guide and park ranger both with weapons just in case.
The staff was very attentive, kind, and service-oriented. We were welcomed back after every safari with refreshing cold towels and a smile! The staff was also there to say goodbye every time we left.
Overall, incredible camp with FANTASTIC staff!!"