Testimonials - Safari reviews

Jambo Brian and Kappia!

 

Our safari exceeded our expectations in every way. The quantity of game was memorizing! Our guide, Kappia, had instinctual knowledge of the terrain so he used this knowledge to bring us to some incredible sites that we experienced as a lone truck!  Our guide was intuitive but empathetic to our wants and needs at all times. We are lucky to have the opportunity to visit Tanzania….and super lucky to have booked with Ecological Adventures!

 

The camp was splendid! I have worked in 5 star hotels; as it is my profession….I never anticipated such attention to detail at a campsite! White linen, silver service in the Serengeti! I certainly didn’t expect it…but how wonderful!Our expectations were exceeded at every turn! In retrospect, as a family of 4 including teenagers….we especially enjoyed the evening fire where the kids really let loose on the day. Kappia was open, and although he may have heard these questions a million times…knowledgeable, .attentive and engaging!How wonderful to interact with your children at this level; to see the most amazing show on earth and to have a guide that can sort it out, give it scientific names and background and relevance in our world today!

 

This tour was as instructional as we wanted it to be! Our guide dealt with us on our level although it was obvious he was capable of being a whole bunch more specific than our needs…ie, Bird watching!The food was amazing….and we were totally thrilled to have a Turkey dinner on Dec 25th! The staff was incredibly attentive and we were simply blown away by our experience! Very nice touch…our kids were thrilled that you made so much of them at this time of year!We have told everyone about Ecological Wilderness Adventures and will continue to do so! This was money well spent!Brian: you made a special trip to meet us on Christmas Day.Bravo Brian! You have a wonderful thing going….keep up the good work!

 

Cheers

 

The Thistles. Canada/Syria

Our honeymoon safari in Tanzania with Ecological Adventures exceeded all of our expectations. Brian (our guide) was the perfect companion, his knowledge of Tanzania’s wildlife and plants, people and culture meant every day was full of new discoveries. Tanzania itself was the star of the show, with awe inspiring landscapes providing the perfect backdrop for the ‘big five’, whilst the Tanzanian people we met were no less fascinating.

 

We would not hesitate to recommend Ecological Adventures as a safari operator (and in fact, already have). Their flexible and bespoke approach allowed us an action packed itinerary, and their respectful approach to the animals meant better and more natural photos. Our ‘once in a lifetime’ trip may just become a habit! “

 

Rosscoe and Alvin Deasy IRELAND

Jambo Festo and Brian

We had a perfect holiday and it is impossible to mention all the exciting things we saw or even list all the most enjoyable experiences. As you know we have been in Africa before and what we enjoyed this time most is the private character of the tour – so all our individual wishes for a safari were taken care for by Festo on our game drives and later by the staff in the Ndutu Luxury Mobile camp. We enjoyed in Tansania the very different and often changing landscape, the possibility to have a short look into everyday life when passing by car during villages or little cities and – above all the chance to stay at the wildlife whenever we wanted, be it big or small animals and how long we wanted as we had the car on our own – with the perfect guidance and high flexibility of Festo of course. We appreciated very much his ability to search and find the wildlife, to give all the good explanations and answer to all our questions, to position the car in the perfect way considering background for the photos, the sunlight and – most important for the cheetah’s hunting or watching the migration – considering the next move of the animals. So our high expectations of watching animals were exceeded and we will remember these holidays for a long time.

Also in terms of organization or timing of the different national parks everything was perfect. We had very good accommodations, the distances between the parks were not too long (avoiding exhausting long drives) and it was enjoyable to see on the way back from the air the landscape we drove through on the way to Serengeti.

The accommodations were very different and all of them were good. Of course the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge is by far too big and with the crowds a shock after the Treetop’s. But taking the distance to the crater into account it is the perfect way to stay there nevertheless. We enjoyed the Mountain Village as we did with the Treetop (with its really special style) but it goes without saying that the Ndutu Camp is by far the top on our list: not only because we had the best food here but also because of the very good and personal service, the flexibility of the whole staff to make our holidays really enjoyable. Camping in Africa makes it possible to listen during the night to the sounds outside is great – and this combined with real beds, private facilities in the tent is just unbeatable The atmosphere in the evening at camp fire as well as the luxury of the tents – we felt like being in the movie of “Out of Africa”. Of course we had the advantage being the only guests – but we are sure you will arrange in the same manner if there are some more – and we hope for your guests that you really will keep a very small camps.

Renate Massman-Krei Germany

Brian did an excellent job putting a dream Tanzanian vacation together for my friend and I. We specified how we wanted safari, climbing of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and some time in Zanzibar and he was able to arrange all of that for us at a fraction of the cost of high-end safari companies, even though we stayed in the same lodges.

 

He is an excellent guide and I highly recommend him to everyone I know who is thinking of traveling to Africa.

Michael Serlin, New York

Our safari was fantastic! We had a very wonderful safari adventure the combination of seeing animals, cultural visits with the Hadzabe, Datoga (black smiths and farmers), Maasai and relaxing time at the beach really made for a very memorable once in a life time experience. We still can’t believe the gourmet food on the trip, we have been telling many people about it. Our guide Kappia’s ability to spot wildlife and identify birds and his in-depth knowledge of wildlife was incredible. Our son Luke prepared a science report on African Adaptations based primarily on things he learned with Kappia. He won a first place ribbon at his school and has advanced to the district competition. Teal has a very beautiful collection of photos and has given presentations at her high school.

Tloma Mountain Lodge was outstanding. The food, the beautiful location in a coffee plantation and farm and the wonderful pool were like paradise. We really enjoyed the Karatu area.

The Serengeti Savannah Camp was unbelievable! The crew there was the best how do you provide such luxury in the wild? The food was outstanding and the location could not have been better. We liked it best when Kappia stayed close by and had dinner with us.

Thanks again to you all and Kappia for a wonderful African adventure. I hope we can stay in touch. You can be sure that we will highly recommend Ecological Wilderness Adventures to anyone we speak to who has an interest in visiting Africa.

Liz Peltola & Randy Rogers Alaska

I just completed my second safari with Brian Mengoriki and Ecological Wilderness Adventures. Once again Brian exceeded all our expectations, from working with us via email to develop the itinerary to actually guiding us for 23 days through the wonderful parks and wilderness of Tanzania. Our group consisted of 12 Alaskans, including several professional biologists. Most of us have extensive travel experience in the Alaskan bush and throughout North America and much of the rest of the world.

 

Brian and his assistants offered a truly first class experience. We stayed in top rated lodges for part of our journey. Service, facilities, and general ambiance at the lodges was outstanding, but we occasionally had to endure cold water showers with little or no water pressure as dozens of tourists all returned from safari at the same time to wash up before scheduled meals. That was never a problem in Brian’s fabulous mobile camps, where cheerful staff awaited us with hot water for showers no matter what time we showed up. The mobile camps also allowed us to stay right among the animals, thus avoiding daily commutes from lodges outside the parks. The camps provided incredible “old time Africa” experiences of “sundowners” around an open fire and candle-lit meals under canvas. Sleeping tents were comfortable and spacious with private showers and even chemical toilets.

 

In the field, Brian and his assistant guides were superb naturalists and very adept at finding and getting close to an astounding variety of wildlife. In addition to the “Big Five” and other large mammals, Brian located numerous smaller game and over 275 species of birds, most of them within intimate camera range. Brian and his assistants are all native Tanzanians and are treasure-troves of cultural and historical lore. On top of that, they are thoughtful, humorous, and genuinely likable travel companions.

Brian’s safari vehicles are comfortable and well maintained, with open roof hatches for all passengers, an assortment of guide books, and a cold box for water and sodas. We often carried picnic breakfasts or lunches so we could stay out longer and not be limited by scheduled meal hours at camp or in the lodges.

Before this trip, I spent long hours explaining to my friends how wonderful our safari would be. Even so, the universal comment was, “Even better than you promised. Far exceeded our expectations.

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Ken Whitten

Tour Guide and Retired Wildlife Biologist

Fairbanks, Alaska USA

We cannot thank you and your wonderful staff enough for making our Tanzania safari the adventure of a lifetime. Everything about the trip exceeded our expectations. Your spotting skills and knowledge of the animals, birds, plants and environment was amazing. The mobile tents were a special way to enjoy the bush and we highly recommend this experience. We are still talking about the meals we had while in camp!

It is hard to put into words the feeling we had while in Africa but sharing our stories and photos with family and friends has been a good way for us to relive our trip. We definitely hope that our paths cross again in the near future. We’ll be spreading the word about Ecological Wilderness Adventures for years to come.

Muchas gracias, Judy & Lee Parker Patzcuaro, Mexico

My wife and I recently spent 2 weeks on Safari in northern Tanzania with Brian Mengoriki and Tryphon Kappia. As a professional wildlife biologist, I had great expectations about Africa and its wildlife. My expectations were dramatically exceeded on this trip. Brian and Tryphon Kappia were highly experienced in locating and identifying both the birds and

mammals of this region. They also were knowledgeable about the natural history of each species as well as the general ecology and human culture of the region. I am a highly motivated photographer and these expedition leaders got us into great position for outstanding photography while also minimizing any stress on the wildlife. On top of this, they were outstanding safari companions and friends and each day was a pleasure to share our explorations with them. I would highly recommend this safari team to anyone who wants to experience and learn about Africa and its incredible wildlife. As safari guides for wildlife viewing and photography, you can’t do better than Brian and Tryphon Kappia. Their detailed knowledge of wildlife, experience in expedition planning and leadership, and friendly enthusiasm made our African safari a trip of a lifetime.

John W. Schoen, Ph.D. Wildlife
Biologist Anchorage, Alaska

It gives us very great pleasure to recommend Ecological Wilderness Adventure as your Tanzania safari operator. Over the years, we have been on seven safaris with Ecological Wilderness Adventure. Each safari vies for its spot as our most memorable adventure.

We were constantly amazed by Brian’s knowledge of the wildlife and its habitat. He is an excellent guide and his camp staff provides the food and service of a true 5-star accommodation even in a bush camp.

We have made numerous trips to East and Southern Africa to enjoy a variety of wildlife adventures. Tanzania is by far our favorite because of the abundance of animals and birds – far more than the other areas we have visited.

Traveling with Brian and Ecological Wilderness Adventure offers a unique and thrilling experience that you will want to repeat again and again.

We would love to discuss our Tanzania experiences with you!

Carolyn & Jim McIntosh California USA

My wife and I had a life-changing experience in Tanzania due, principally, to the personal guidance of Brian and Ecological Wilderness Adventures. Few adventures (my wife and I are world travelers) have so profoundly affected our world view as our safari in the Serengeti and our summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Brian accommodated our personal requests for the itinerary while adhering to our budgetary constraints. Others have spoken to Brian’s knowledge; I would strongly agree and add that the care and sensitivity

of everyone at Ecological Wilderness Adventures provided us with a welcome feeling of safety in a foreign land. My wife and I give Ecological Adventures our highest recommendation!.

Jeff & Rachel Berger, New York, USA

Brian!, we had a great trip. Gerald our guide was very informative and great at tracking down the animals we wanted to see. Only 10 mins into our first drive (after leaving the airstrip) we spotted at Leopard in a tree which was brilliant and over the next 2 and half days we got to see all of the big 5 and a lot of amazing scenery as well. On top of that the accommodation and the food was top class. The mobile camp was way beyond our expectations with a very friendly and helpful team running it. The Ngorongoro Crater lodge was one of the best places we have ever stayed with amazing views, staff and food. Thanks again for all your help in setting up the trip.

Peter & Bennary Horgan Ireland

My son Quinn and I enjoyed our trip to Tanzania very much. We were very impressed with the beautiful country and Wildlife that we saw when we were there. Brian Mengoriki and the rest of staffs from Ecological Wilderness Adventures provided us with excellent safari experience; all the guides were excellent guides. They transported us to several fantastic Wildlife viewing areas and seemed to know the right time to be in each location. They were all excellent naturalists and could identify every plant, bird, and mammals that we have encountered; in addition they could tell us the life history of nearly every animal and answer most of our never-ending questions. Most of our group was professional biologist, so we had a lot of questions. All of our accommodations were very comfortable and enjoyable.

 

The meals were excellent. I especially enjoyed the evening camp fires. It was obvious a great logistical challenge to move us and our camp around, providing meals and everything else involved but it was accomplished flawlessly. The trip was one of highlight of my life. Thank you very much for great experience.

Geoff Carroll Alaska Department of Fish and Game Area
Wildlife Biologist
P.O.Box 1284 Barrow, AK 99723