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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 >>

I would just like to say thank you, so, so much again, for having arranged the trip for me! It exceeded my expectations on every level, truly. Ubuntu is beautiful, as was Plantation Lodge, and all the guides, drivers and staff could not have been friendlier, more knowledgeable or more attentive. What an outstanding holiday!

Lyana

Hi Nick,

We wanted to let you know that we arrived all safe and sound and with no further problems.

We had an absolutely fantastic trip and we really enjoyed the different parts of the honeymoon for different reasons. We saw amazing game in Ruaha, had pure safari luxury in Selous with some fantastic settings, and we then indulged in some complete luxury on the beach in Fundu Lagoon despite the weather being a bit temperamental there which was the only slight dampener on our trip but it didn't damage our spirits!!

We wanted to thank you for putting the tour package together. We really appreciated your co-ordination, contacts and your touches with the various hosts who were first class. For us, the sign of a good tour operator is not when things go swimmingly as they usually should do, but its shown when things don't go to plan but everything still gets sorted! (Ed's note: Kenya Airways delayed their flight from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam so we had to rearrange internal flights to get them to the bush that day) So thank you and well done. Nicola's parents have seen some sneak previews of our honeymoon photos and they now have the itch to go to Africa so we will point them your way<.strong> if they plan to go anytime soon.

We also wondered if you wouldn't mind emailing us Sandy's email address at Kwihala. Only after coming off cloud 9 did we think of some helpful suggestions that she might appreciate hearing about directly! We really enjoyed the whole trip.

No doubt Nicola will add her thoughts from here!

Thank you.

Kind regards
Ed

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Ed and Nicola

Hi Nick!!

Thanks - we were planning on emailing you to say thanks so much - it really was perfect. Your advice was spot on.

Selous was beautiful and a great start - its rain had gone on a little later than usual apparently and as such the animals were more dispersed but we saw loads of fantastic things and also enjoyed the boat and walking safaris. We had one sighting of some lions and a great experience with hyenas after a recent kill. The water areas were beautiful and having then seen Ruaha gave us a fantastic comparison, The accommodation was great and the room was perfect. Guide-wise again we couldn't have been happier. What a great start and we were anxious about leaving - thinking it couldn't get better. Having found out that the majority of Selous is used for hunting might mean we would not choose to return there - a few guides in Kwihala had left Selous for the same reason.

For me (and I think Judy too) Ruaha and Kwihala was the highlight. The reserve was stunning and had been dry for a long time. We had multiple sightings of lions on many different days (including a failed hunting attempt by a large pride) and a great time spent following a leopard at twilight. We took a night safari and were lucky enough to drive along the road surrounded by a pride of over ten lions softly walking along all around us.We caught back up with them on the way back to camp and they were lying across the road so had to take evasive action - one took umbrage to this and approached looking a bit cheesed off and the ranger escorting us actually raised and cocked his gun - a hairy moment!! We would love to return to Ruaha again absolutely. For me - I personally found the communal dining a bit much for both lunch and supper (just me really) but on our last night they arranged a beautiful separate dining area. We really really loved it there - an unforgettable experience.

Then on to Zanzibar - transfers were perfect again.

When we arrived at Ras Nungwi we were very excited to see how beautiful the place looked and were shown around the resort and to our room. They had kindly arranged a bottle of sparkling wine for us on arrival and showed us to the room. Here was the only "problem" with the whole trip - we were in Room number 1, and it is very very overlooked by the swimming pool and main restaurant, with all windows being easily looked through (in fact it is difficult NOT to look into the room). Furthermore this position means that all walking traffic by the room is heard easily and the morning staff cleaning, sweeping and chattering wake you very early. If you go back to Ras Nungwi - you should have a look to see if you agree. 

We immediately mentioned this on arrival and the manager helpfully showed us to two alternative rooms further set back from the sea - unfortunately these were not superior deluxe rooms and so I asked if the corresponding rate difference would be refunded and he said that would not be possible. I expressed that we weren't really happy with that situation and that we would have a think about our options (to be honest we would have taken one of the "lesser" but more private rooms). In the meantime the manager came back and said that we could have a free upgrade to the Ocean Villa but would have to wait one night whilst they cleaned it. Of course we accepted! That room/suite is amazing! Private pool, private beach terrace, private roof terrace, option to dine there one night. Fantastic! And a great resolution - we would have been happy enough with the other room but this was superb. But for honeymooners Room 1 is best avoided.

In general Ras Nungwi was perfect - the beach was perfect, beautiful, clean and quiet. The resort was the right size and felt personal without being too "nosy". We took a boat trip from the hotel and were able to swim with a large pod of dolphins - another unexpected and unforgettable experience. Each afternoon the wind would pick up and I managed to track down someone to hire some kiting gear from - so I even got to spend a great afternoon showing off my kite surfing in front of the hotel - another bonus!! Again the food was amazing (full board was probably unnecessary but not a problem :))

The organisation and itinerary you set up were fantastic and it all went very smoothly. The only small point of stress was that the itinerary we had put our flight out of Dar as 2015 and the transfer from Zanzibar to Dar was at 1815. It turned out that the 1815 was delayed by nearly an hour and on arrival no-one was expecting us for the short transfer to the international terminal - but fortunately the 2015 was actually 2055 so although we got quite stressed about missing that flight it worked out ok! 

We were so sad to leave (although it was helped by torrential rain on the last day!). Thank you so much for organising the best holiday we have ever been on. We genuinely hope to be able to repeat this experience and we would love to return in particular to Ruaha although Botswana was also recommended by some of the people we met! I would not hesitate in recommending you to friends (and a colleague at work has already taken your details).

I have just started to go through my photos now - there are lots and lots - but because some our friends were so keen to see I have put a few on facebook already.

In all honesty I will be going through the photos over the next few weeks and will share with you a bigger flickr album so you can see them in better resolution than facebook - but if you want any of the pictures at ultra-high resolution (36 megapixel) for proper publication then let me know (I'd be chuffed!).

Thank you for taking the time to understand our needs - 10/10!

James

James and Judy

Dear Nick,

Thank you for the perfect organisation of our honeymoon.
The trip was better than we could have imagined!

Julien and Alexia

Hi Nick,

WOW what a place and what a holiday. All seamless and streamline - THANK YOU!!

We loved the room as it just worked and the gardens and hotel. The owner was fantastic and very accommodating. It was really only us and another couple the entire time, so we pretty much had the run of the place.

Thanks to you and the hotel - we really loved it and really love Zanzibar. Maybe next time we could look into a better food option but then again it was only a week and we loved the hotel itself.

The room really worked

Thanks again and I will pass your details around. I am having lunch with the Australian Ambassadors wife next week as she wants to know all about it and she is really into having people book her holidays for her........... I will pass on your details.

Thanks heaps Nick

Kindest Regards

Jilly

Jilly and family

Hi Nick:

The trip was all wonderful! However the highlight was our time at Oliver's Camp! The three days we spent there really allowed us to fully see the park - leopards, lions, and of course the magnificent elephants! Jakie, Justin, and the rest of the camp staff were spectacular - hands down the best hosts we've ever experienced! Loved our wake-up call with French pressed coffee each morning. We had a walking and night safari - both great fun! The time there has spoiled us for all other vacations :)....

I should add that the Coastal team was awesome! We had planes all to ourselves several times. The landing strip in Bagamoya is so new that all the kids came out to cheer for our landing!

We plan on future trips to Africa and will be sure to call you for help - can't say enough positive about our experience!

Preston has great pictures - happy to share if you want any....

Kathy and Preston

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Kathy and Preston

Hi Nick, we had just came back from our honeymoon and would like to thank you for the superb service.

We had perfect rooms in Kilindi and The Seyiida and received special treatment as they previously know we were in honeymoon (like free dinner and massages).

Thank you very much. When we return to Africa, we'll sure ask for your assistance again. :)

Elainne and Marcus

Good Morning Nick

Just a quick e-mail to thank you for organising a great holiday, everything was as you had said and Gemma Dell Est was even better.

We had the best driver ever and would love you to pass on a message to multi choice safaris about 'Habbatt' if that is possible. He listened to our every need, professional, courteous and we saw every animal possible including Dung beetles and a baby wilder beast being born, as well as feeling safe even though we got really close to all the animals including a leopard. He made our first 7 days so memorable and he is such a humble gentleman we arrived home with a new way of looking at life.

We shall always remember our experience and be talking about it for many years to come and will be recommending your company to anyone that may or may not be thinking of doing a safari.

Thank you
Michelle and Chris

Michelle and Chris

Nick

We so much appreciate the Tanzania tour that you arranged for us. We thoroughly enjoyed it from the first to the last.

We were met on time at the Kilimanjaro airport, and the Kibo Palace hotel was lovely - including a great restaurant. After being taken to the Arusha airport the next morning we enjoyed our small airplane ride to the Serengeti area, overflying the Ngorongoro Crater. We arrived at the airstrip (no airport, there) and were met by Exaud who turned out to be a fabulous guide, driver and travelling companion. His low-key manner belied a vast knowledge of all things Tanzanian, both animal and cultural. With a dry sense of humor he kept us informed and enchanted the whole way. We had been to South Africa where game viewing was arranged by the individual camps. Your suggestion of having the same driver throughout was exactly right. We had a much more relaxed, but in-depth experience, at our own pace. It seemed extravagant to have a driver just for ourselves, with him staying at the same facilities as we did but this allowed us to dine with him for most meals, a definite plus. It was the right way to go.

We enjoyed the Mara Under Canvas Lodge, but as you recall there was a mix-up on the two facilities. It is a tough call which we liked better. The Lake View was more luxurious, and had the view. But the Mara Under Canvas was a much more intimate experience with better, more individualized food -- truly excellent cuisine.

As I said, we had been game viewing in South Africa and had seen the Big Five animals -- in fact all of the larger animals we saw in Tanzania -- but the viewing was so much better in Tanzania. The sparse trees of the savanna, and the bare grass of the plains made for superb viewing from close up (never leaving the vehicle, of course). The fact that we could leave the roads for close up views was spectacular. We saw: all forms of antelope and gazelle; zebra; wildebeest (including a birth - 30 min from labor to walking !); lions (mating!); hippos; elephants with babies; many giraffe; lots of large and small birds (including storks, flamingos, feeding vultures, eagles, owls, and the magnificent crested crane); cheetahs hunting; a leopard; a black rhino in the Ngorongoro (so rare); cape buffalo; hyenas lunching on a carcass; jackal; wart hog; mongoose and a lonely crocodile on his island.

After three days in the Serengeti we went to the Ngorongoro Crater -- called a "crater" because of its shape but it is not volcanic. It was a collapsed mountain perhaps as big as Kilimanjaro (which we never saw due to the clouds -- but we did see its little sister next to it at "only" 15,000 feet, a massive uprising out of the plains -- I can't even imagine climbing it, much less the 19,000 feet to the top of Kili). The more correct term for Ngorongoro is a "calderon", but no one calls it that. The rim hotel was lovely, but it felt "big", feeding quite a few people at once. After being in the crater, the next day we went to the Coffee Plantation back down on the plain. We loved this place, with a great pool, and an intimate atmosphere despite having quite a few rooms itself, and feeding a large number of people (we had gotten used to the 12 or so for dinner at the Mara Under Canvas). The next day we went to the local park and saw baboons and other wildlife on our way back to Arusha.

People said we did it backwards, you usually go to the small park first, then Ngorongoro second and Serengeti third, and fly back in a small plane. We can see the logic, but we loved the way we did it. We had no worries making it back to the Kilimanjaro airport for a 5:00 pm flight.

By the way, we went to the cultural center in Arusha and visited the "king" of tanzanite, the beautiful blue-purple gem stone. We bought a lovely ring there.

Your planning was superb, and all details worked beautifully. Thank you so much for arranging an unforgettable trip!

Scott and Kassandra
San Mateo, California, USA

Scott and Kassandra

Hi Nick,

We had an excellent trip and I would not hesitate to recommend your services to anyone. Additionally, it was nice to see that the people that we dealt with in Tanzania…such as the people at Maru Maru and Multi Choice seemed to like you.

We will send some photos to the website…once we work out how to do that.

Thanks again.

Emilie.

Emilie and family

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