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What our clients are saying about us and our trips...

With web review sites being all the rage these days, it can be a little difficult to sift through the debris to actually find out what a place or hotel is like. From our point of view, having stayed in 99% of the hotels and safari lodges we sell (and quite a few we don't), we think that these reviews can be very misleading as it is impossible to know what the reviewer likes, was looking for, paid etc. etc. In our opinion our job is to find out what you like and match the correct product to you...see how we have done. (please note that ALL of the reviews we feature are 100% real and unedited. If you would like to speak to any of our past clients please let us know)

Furthermore, we have started to gather customer reviews through Trustpilot so please take a look at our page on there to see how we are doing! Trustpilot Reviews >>

Nick - 

Thanks so much for checking in.

On behalf of the both of us, I just wanted to say "thank you" for setting up such an amazing honeymoon. Tara and I could not have been happier with everything and honestly remarked dozens of times over the past few weeks how every aspect of the trip absolutely not only met, but vastly exceeded our expectations. 

A few notes on the specific legs of the trip:

Ruaha (Mwagusi Camp) - A perfect and exhilarating start to our honeymoon. From the incredible riverbed view from our banda, to the top-notch safari guide, to the incredible game drives, we were completely wowed by this place. The service was outstanding and very personalized (a common theme for all places we stayed) and the game viewing was better than we could have possibly expected. 

Selous (Siwandu Camp) - While the game drives here didn't quite match the high expectations set by Ruaha, Siwandu offered plenty in the way of new experiences (boat safaris, bush walks, etc.). Our banda was exceptional as were the food and service. This was a top-notch choice for honeymoon couples with a ton of surprise private activities (lunch on the lake, private dinner, etc.). 

Zanzibar (Boutique Hotel Matlai) - A pitch-perfect end to our honeymoon and we are so glad that we opted to do the honeymoon package. Personally, I feel like all couples should be offered this package by default, because it is more than worth the cost. Our private island safari and final "special dinner" were two of the highlights of the entire trip. The service there is incredibly polished (attentive without being intrusive) and thoughtful; and the hotel and grounds are amongst the most romantic we've seen. 

As for game highlights, there were a ton! Below are the big ones:

Ruaha
We were led on a very exciting high speed chase looking for a cheetah which - due to some very skillful driving - we were able to track and find resting under a bush
We also saw two female lions eating a young giraffe minutes after the kill
Found a leopard lounging in a tree

Selous
Found a baby leopard (very rare!) guarding its mother's kill in a tree

thanks again,

Best - 
Kent

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Kent and Tara

HI Nick,

Just to say a big thanks for organising everything for us. Everything went smoothly. The only tricky moment was checking at Zanazibar which was a bit chaotic, with not enough staff in the right places at the right time, but everything else was perfect.

We loved the camp. I am so glad we went to Kimondo. The staff were wonderful. fun, kind, and super professional. They think of everything and really want to make sure you have the best experience and take pride in what they are doing. Our guide Masenga worked really hard everyday to ensure we saw what we wanted to see. It was full on and sometimes we were out 10/11 hours a day.

We were lucky and saw two good successful wildebeest crossings (with no fatalities), lions mating, lions fighting, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, impala, Topi, gazelles, vervet monkeys, baboons, elephants, wart hogs, eagles, vultures, hippos and more. I have over 1K photos so will certainly try to pick a few for the gallery.

We loved the Z hotel. Again happy staff and a pleasant vibe. It never felt crowded even though it was full. We loved the roof top bar. Overall, Zanzibar was different to how we expected - perhaps naively.

It was good to know that both main companies contribute something to the local community.

In hindsight I would have added in another safari element and reduced the beach bit, budget permitting.

But it was a truly wonderful experience and the camp staff definitely made my birthday memorable with birthday cake supported by song and dance! everyone joined in and it was great fun.

I would be grateful if you could also pass on our feedback to coastal aviation too! It was a great experience for us to fly on prop planes for the first time and everything went really well. Gareth, our first pilot, was particularly charming and pointed out sites and wildlife as we flew. The only problem was the check in at Zanzibar to Dar. I felt for the one guy trying to check everyone in in a very short space of time with no support. There was just one guy dealing with bags for 3 flights leaving at the same time which was just not doable in the time he had. the company should have more people at check in as it seemed there were three guys standing by the aircraft with clip boards not doing anything!

(Ed's Note: we also asked Debra to say a few words about her experience booking with us) I chose the Tanzania specialists firstly because I found the web site really easy to use and then when I spoke to Nick he was very knowledgeable, putting my mind at ease straight away. He understood what we were looking for perfectly, choosing the best camp in the Serengeti and hotel in Zanzibar - both suited us down to the ground and we loved every minute of our trip.

best wishes
debra


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Debra and Mark

Nick,

I have been meaning to contact you just to say that the trip was perfect.

The accommodation was excellent. We were particularly impressed by the very welcoming nature of the camps and at Lazy lagoon. They simply couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating.

The guides were excellent and we were amazed at the standard of food that could be produce in the middle of nowhere.

All in all a fabulous trip, exactly the kind of experience I was wanting for for our first family trip to Africa.

Thank you for your help setting this trip up I was impressed by your knowledge of the country and what was on offer. I will definitely be recommending you to friends and family.
Kind regards

Ben

Ben and family

Dear Nick,

Thank you for organising a really excellent balance of experiences for our trip and budget.

We were looking for a mix between some seeing some of the day-to-day life in Tanzania as well as some of their wildlife and marine life, all within a limited budget. We certainly got all of that and more! We saw everything from a real working Masai village in the Selous through our stay at Sable Mountain Lodge, to some superb game enjoying varying aspects of their daily existence, caught fish, swam with whale sharks around Mafia Island and even had a 4m African Rock Python on our path sizing us up one day! This was interspersed with some delicious meals either within the camps/accommodation or out in the bush or on boats. The accommodation you recommended was fun, adventurous and very comfortable.

All in all, diverse, exciting, fun, stunning – superb experiences! Many thanks.

Jonathan and Annabel

Jonathan and Annabel

Hi Nick, sorry for the delayed response. It's been slightly crazy since we got back.

It was a fantastic trip and just what we needed after the wedding. Both the Impala Camp and Matlai were amazing choices, so thanks for your guidance on that front. We really appreciated the swift resolution of the honeymoon package issue, especially as it was at the weekend. Thank you.

Stonetown was definitely a step back towards reality, but as we were expecting. One thing you'd probably want to be aware of was that unfortunately we didn't get the room choice you specified. They did however recognise it was their error and compensated us for this by giving us a late check-out which suited us well.

Thanks for all your help in making this the holiday of a lifetime!

Best,
Pip

Pip and Alun

Hi Nick,

I am very well thank you. Hope you are too.

We had a wonderful trip! So many new experiences and we saw some amazing things! The nights did take some getting used to as the sound of animals and bugs are so close but the days were incredible! even the scenery was so beautiful! Especially Ngorongoro crater!

Everything ran very smoothly and all the accommodation was great! The drivers were so informative, especially our first driver, Felix from multichoice safari. He had eyes like an eagle and could spot things from so far away!

We missed the migration in the Western Corridor which was a shame but we still saw some incredible sights.

Overall it was very well organised and we didn't want for anything. Thank you for putting it all together and giving us some wonderful memories. Think a normal beach holiday won't be exciting enough for us now!!

Thanks again Nick :)

Kind Regards,

Mehwish

Mehwish and Abbas

Dear Nick

Sorry to have been long in replying.

Our Tanzania trip was fantastic, so thanks for your help in organising
it !
We saw loads of animal and birds and each place was very different.

thanks again
Stephen and Alison

Stephen and Alison

Hi Nick

Having just returned on Saturday I though I would drop you a line to thank you for organising a perfect holiday.

Organisationally everything went smoothly and all of the venues met our expectations ; the only thing we could/should have done differently is not to have had two weeks in the Sunshine hotel. It was too long and there is not enough to do out side of the location.

As a pointer to you there are no sea views there as all of the trees have grown to such a point that you need to imagine where the sea is rather than see it. Also the food and service is not up to scratch when compared with their new hotel Sunshine Marine at the end of the island.We transferred to Sunshine Marine after 8 days and that is how we were able to recognise the difference.

Do not take this as a negative , we were very happy with the whole thing but thought we would point it out for the benefit of future customers of yours.

If you you would like to call to discuss feed back feel free any time .

Our Best Wishes
Les and Brenda

Les and Brenda

It was our first trip to Africa. We had limited time, budget, and knowledge.

Nick did an outstanding job of helping us assemble an itinerary from scratch that allowed us to hit all the highlights while also having a diverse range of experiences across the country. We recommend the Tanzania Specialist's expertise without reservations.

Also FYI – Kimondo was one of the best properties we have ever stayed at, anywhere. Unparalleled service.

If we had to do it over again, we would probably have paid a bit more for a private vehicle in the Serengeti camps. Shared vehicle worked fine at Kimondo but was logistically challenging at Dunia.

We met the owner of Asilia on our travels. Sending him some pictures at his request. Will give you a proper mention in the process!

Thanks again,

Powell and Anina


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Powell and Anina

Dear Nick:
Preston and I wanted to AGAIN thank you for arranging such a lovely trip for us. For this trip, I want to focus on you, our travel guide, and how much we appreciate you/your team. We have now asked you to help us with three trips, and all three where frankly pretty last minute (nice opportunities popped up for us). In each and every case, you were amazing. Quick to arrange our trip and take care of the details. We know most people probably give you lots more time to prepare the perfect trip.

For this trip, to the Siwandu in Selous, my feedback would be that we loved the experience of the camp - lovely tents, located near the water with regular visits from impala, Kudu, and monkeys… However, we felt like the park, Selous, did not have the variety of wildlife that we found in Tarangire - obviously our first trip set very high expectations for future trips. The camp tried VERY hard to accommodate everyone - we had one early morning game drive where we met for a hot breakfast along the water’s edge - but there was no way they could materialize game that were not present. Our one leopard sighting caused such excitement that quickly there were 4-5 vehicles chasing the leopard. In Tarangire, we never saw another vehicle while watching the animals….

Thank you so much! I think I gave your name and number to several folks on this trip - hope they all come calling for your help with a safari/travel.

all the best,
Kathy and Preston

Kathy and Preston (3rd trip!)

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