Tanzania safari feedback

From: WayneHJv1
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd <enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk>
Subject: Re: How was your trip?
 
Chris
Yes, we’re slowly recovering from the jet lag and doing some work with our pictures.  We had a great time, it was all we could have expected.  Dennis and Ackmad (sp?) were great.  Dennis really knows his stuff and always catered to our needs and desires.  I think we were lucky to have him available for our trip.  We were very happy with the accommodation and the food.  The highlight for us was camping and listening to the scary African night sounds.  I kept reminding my self that a lions roar can carry much farther than one might think, at least according to my memory of a Nat Geo special.   
Thanks for all your help, we all felt like the trip exceeded our expectations.  The Serengeti has so much more wild life than I guessed.  Our Yellowstone NP has the best concentration of wildlife in the 48 continuous states but offers nothing like the Serengeti. Of course, the Serengeti doesn’t get 6 months of winter with sub freezing temps for months on end. 
Best wishes,
Wayne Joerding
WA, USA
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." — often attributed to Robert Hanlon.

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From: Brian Fiorino
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: How was your trip?

Hello Chris - 
We are home and we had a great time.  I want to thank you first of all for your help in arranging all details prior to our arrival in Tanzania, including helping out with planning, ancillary questions, and helping our good friend Thomas join us on the trip as well.  Also thanks to you and Dennis for arranging the pickup at the Namanga airstrip at the beginning of our journey.  As it turned out, the airstrip is an unmanned patch of grass, about ten km down an unpaved road from Namanga proper.  Having Dennis there turned out to be necessary for a good pickup!  It would not have been possible to just "call a matatu" which was my first plan for arriving there. 

As for the safari, we all enjoyed the Maasai lands walk in Longido.  The village was extremely educational and I am glad that the chance to meet the Maasai in their own lands & homes was part of the safari.  The visit to the Maasai house made a deep impression on the three of us, and I was really impressed with the choice of lunch venue on that walk - only after we had finished the first of our "TFC (Tanzanian Fried Chicken)  lunches" in what I thought was simply a picturesque cliff cave did the guide let us know that we were eating in a spot where the local Maasai young warriors stayed following a their circumcision rites. Lunch in a sacred spot. 

Lake Manyara was a beautiful park for our first game drive.  We all enjoyed Endoro Lodge, which was the best of all the places we stayed.  The visit to the Iraqw on day three was easily one of the highlights of our trip.  We were extremely lucky to have Baba Dinga as our guide that day.  He showed us his family, lands, and people with pride and an amazing sense of humor too.  It also turned out that the entire dinner staff at Endoro Lodge knew Baba Dinga - they saw us looking at videos from the tour that day and were all very impressed that we knew the famous man himself. Even at breakfast the next morning, the servers were shouting "Baba Dinga" at us with a smile.  We found the packed lunch unnecessary that day, because the homemade ugali and accompaniments were delicious.

The stopover at the Oldupai Gorge and its new museum is not to be missed and I am very glad that we made time for it on the tour.  Being on the Serengeti is the highlight of any trip to Tanzania and the place and landscape did not fail to impress.  We did find the cold shower facility at the campsite was a negative though and It made for an unpleasant wake-up the two mornings we were there.  On balance, however, the facilities at the Serengeti campsite were the sole negative of the trip and did not overshadow the experience of being there at all.  The support staff from Kwetu Tours made the Serengeti very pleasant, from pitching our tents for us to preparing delicious meals to the very professional driver.  Our driver Duma and cook Walter were both excellent and professional. 

Rhino Lodge was gorgeous and our final game drive through Ngorongoro was very productive.  All in all we spotted most of the Big Five, except that we saw a cheetah in place of a leopard. The hippo pools in the Serengeti and at Ngorongoro were great, and Duke enjoyed them immensely, as the hippo has been his favorite animal since childhood.

The add-on day at Kilimanjaro National Park was a perfect end for Duke and me.  I do think you should consider offering the day hike up to Mandara Huts and Maundi crater as an optional extension to every seven-day Tanzania safari.  I was impressed by how pristine the nature was there..  Duke and I slept well on the plane from JRO airport that evening.

Finally, Dennis has our greatest respect.  I'm sure that this is not news to you, but he is a gentleman of the highest caliber.  He is a very knowledgeable guide, an excellent interpreter for all we saw in his country, and even a very smooth talker when encountering the local traffic cops (who were out in force on our last Sunday on the way to Kilimanjaro National Park.)  We could not have been in better hands.  

Just yesterday I was at my local gym in San Jose, California when I felt a gentle stab in my foot, inside my gym shoe.  I had last worn those shoes in Karatu during Baba Dinga's tour, and when I took off the shoe, I pulled out a little brown seed from Tanzania which had stuck itself in there. Memories of Africa do indeed have a way of staying to you.  This was the first trip to Africa for Duke and me and I am glad we worked with you.

Many thanks for helping us to arrange this tour, Chris.

Brian
San Jose, CA, USA

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From: Manuel Paloma
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: RE: How was your trip?

Hello Chris,
Yes, I got your previous email too but we were still enjoying our honeymoon in Zanzibar! Now we are back at home.

The feedback of Marlies and me cannot be anything but good things. We did really enjoy the week of safari. From the very beginning at Bernadette's house, we felt very welcomed.
Dennis is a great guide we already gave him our feedback. We like the fact that he is very knowledgeable but he is not constantly throwing information at you, he also let you some moments of silence to enjoy the landscape and so on. The driver was also a really nice guy, we did not speak a lot with him but we felt super safe with him behind the wheel.
Apart from the staff that was as I said very nice to us we also think the planning of the 7days can't be better, it fits perfectly. Starting with a cultural visit at Longido were we found the Tembo project (we talk with the people involved in the project and found it very interesting). Then the first game drives at Lake Manyara, then another cultural visit to the Iraqw where we met Babadingi (quite a character, we laughed a lot with him). The Lodge at Karatu was also a nice memory and a good stop before Serengeti because you get to really relax and have a couple of "luxurious" nights. Oldupai Gorge was a nice visit, personally for me not a big highlight but it is on the way so it would be a pity not to stop by. The days at the Serengeti were for me the highlight of the safari, I loved it, so many animals in such a vast piece of flat land. We also enjoyed staying at the camping in the middle of Serengeti it gave an extra point of adventure to our week. Rhino Lodge and Ngorongoro is a perfect end to this safari.
Regarding the food, we were stuffed every day, never hungry at all. We enjoyed the food (our favorite was the Pilau cooked by the chef).
In summary, a hustle-free, very complete experience. The fact that for the cultural visits we went to real places and not to those "fake" villages next to Serengeti is much appreciated.

Thanks for the great organization, we have already recommended your services to family and friends.

Kind regards,
Manuel and Marlies
Netherlands

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From: Elena Bianchi
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: how was your trip?

Hello Chris,

I hope you are fine. Sorry for my late reply, I was back to work straight after my holiday and it took me a while to reboot the system, also because I wished I had more time to spend in Tanzania...it is such an interesting country to discover and I really feel I have just about had the time to scratch the surface.

I can only say positive things about the tour and the overall experience. Dennis and his team were great and made sure all the time that we were happy, comfortable, well fed and well informed. Dennis is really knowledgeable and it was a pleasure to hear his stories about the wildlife in the NP of Tanzania. 

Starting from the beginning:
1. All the transfers you planned for me went great. I always felt safe and everything was always on time

2. Accomodation
In Arusha, I spent my first and last nights in two different houses because there had been some overbooking issues with the house in Mianzini. That was not a problem and on the contrary, it gave me the opportunity to meet two different families. The first day, the daughter of the host family walked me to Arusha centre and showed me around...it was a great way to be introduced to an African town!
Other accommodations: I really enjoyed the Rhino Lodge in the Ngorongroro NP and the accommodation in Tembo Lodge Longido. The camping was an interesting experience and I also really liked that, in particular thanks to the efforts and work of Dennis and his team. Endoro Lodge was of course really nice and comfy.

3. National Parks
Beautiful, stunning, unbelievable. Dennis and his colleague managed somehow to avoid the crowds and allow us a lot of time to observe the animals, look at their behaviour and learn about them. We were amazed to see how they easily spot animals when nobody else is around. We all had a great time and enjoyed this a lot.

4. Cultural tours
I really enjoyed the day in Longido and the visit to the training centre. There is so much more I would like to know about the Masai now... I think it would have been great to have some additional information about the community-based tourism project. Unfortunately we were in Longido on a Sunday and the office was closed. 
Interesting tour with the Iraqw as well.

5. Food,facilities, safety
All great. We were so well fed all the time and so well taken care of. Thanks for that.

General notes:
I am very happy with the information you provided before the trip and with the care you had in dealing with the different stages of my booking. Very high quality was always present all along my travel experience. 

It was a great tour. We were I think quite easy to manage as a group and the staff did great to take care of us. Fantastic to see the positive attitude they had also when we had some problems (rain while pitching the tents and a minor problem with the car on our way back).

It would be great to be able in the future to have more interactions with local women, as I think they were quite underrepresented during our overall stay. I guess this is quite a long-term change to be made, with lots of cultural implications but it would be a great way to get to know the other half of this tribe (and country)

Last but not least, you might be interested in the links below: 

Interview to Peter Richards, who has a proven experience in CBT in Myanmar (and is an alumni of the Responsible Tourism Master, as me :) ) 
https://sustainability-leaders.com/interview-peter-richards/

A link to a database of publications from the Myanmar Responsible Tourism Organisation, with plenty of resources that you might find useful
http://www.myanmarresponsibletourism.org/learning-resources/

Well, I think that's it! Sorry for this long email, but I think it is worth to share some feedback after all the work you do to make our holidays so special.

Thanks a lot for your support. I will recommend Into Africa in the future!

Kind regards,

Elena Bianchi
Italy (but studying in Cardiff, Wales, UK)

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From: Theresa
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,
So sorry about the delayed response we have been offline for awhile.  We had an absolutely wonderful time!  Dennis and Athuman are exceptional spotters and we never felt rushed.  The cook Charles prepared incredible food.  We obviously lucked out in that the rains came early so we got to see the beginning of the great migration which was amazing.  The only thing I wasn’t head-over-heals about was the bathroom at the campsite but ultimately it was fine. The tent was comfortable the drives during the day were amazing.  We really liked both the village tours - Babadengue is an incredible human being.  I would without hesitation recommend you guys to anyone looking for a great safari.  Great job for the world’s fastest safari booking and journey. ;-)

Many thanks!

Theresa & Ken
Napa, California, USA

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From: Jessica Smith
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris, Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I've just got back and finally got some proper wifi!

I had an incredible time with Dennis and the team, and really enjoyed the packed itinerary. The days with the Masai and Iraku tribe were probably my favourite. I felt so privileged to get such an authentic, inside experience. And I was amazed at how warm and welcoming everyone was, as I was concerned that we might be intruding. It's clearly testament to the great work you guys do for them. We met other people who had gone to meet Masai tribes, but they said it was very inauthentic, and at times awkward. I think we were very lucky!

Also really enjoyed the walking element. I think the only thing I would perhaps change about the itinerary (although I'm not sure if it's possible, and I'm sure you've gone through every possible scenario!) is I would maybe include one more walking/cultural day. I know with the Serengeti it's inevitable that you spend a lot of time driving, but if there was a way of breaking up one of the game drive days with a walking safari that could work.

The food and accommodation was also great, and it was nice to stay in places like Tembo where you know the proceeds are again going back into the community. Food was plentiful and delicious, and it was great trying authentic Tanzanian cuisine when we met the Iraku tribe.

I really can't praise Dennis, Walter and Duma enough. They went out of their way to ensure that we were comfortable and that we saw everything we wanted. And I saw so much more than I expected, some really incredible things in the Serengeti (including an elephant trying to fight a tree climbing lion!). Dennis was so knowledgable about the animals and the environment, and answered all of our MANY questions! It was also so great getting to know them, and learning about their culture. It was like travelling with friends - fun and informal. We had loads of fun! I really feel so lucky to have had such a special safari experience. So unlike any others out there. I can't recommend you guys enough, and in fact my Dad and Stepmum are considering going to Tanzania so I'll put them in touch if they go ahead and book (you have some options without camping don't you?)

Let me know if you'd like me to post a review on any sites. You guys should get an Tripadvisor page - people would only have great things to say I'm sure, and myself, Joaquin and Manu would be happy to get the 5 star reviews off to a great start I'm sure!

Thanks again for a fantastic trip.
Jess,
Scotland

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From: Joaquín González
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Hey Chris,
We have just arrived to Argentina, we wanted to be at home so we can give to you a good review from the Safari Trip. We agree with my wife (Manu) on the idea that this experience, perhaps, has been the best one in our lives. Your Tanzania Explorer trip was an unique, authentic and cultural experience.

Everything went as it was supposed to be, we really appreciated Chris the time you spent answering our endless emails with enquiries about malaria, the camping thing, accommodation, and transfers, just to mention some.  Dennis (that guy deserves a separate paragraph) was waiting for us at Kilimanjaro Airport and the first Safari day we met Jess and we were also lucky in having a travel companionship like her.

Visiting Longido Maasai Village was a truly incredible experience because we not only had the chance of trekking and talking with a real Maasai like Rugatu (guide) but also the opportunity of getting into one of the houses (we won´t ever forget this experience).  The family who received us in there was totally receptive showing how they live, what they cook, etc.  It was also great also to stay at Tembo Lodge because after knowing the place and what they do to help the Maasai people you realized how important is to staying in places like these.

The second day we met with the rest of the Safari team, Duma (driver) and Walter (cook). We had a game drive at Lake Manyara and we lived an incredible experience with an Elephant on the road. We MUST congratulate the Safari team on how they proceeded with the Elephant coming to us because we watched similar experiences on many websites and some companies solved this kind of situation using the horn to scare them away. Of course Dennis and Duma didn´t proceed in that way and we just waited quietly until elephant was gone.

Visiting Iraqw tribe was a similar experience to those in Maasai village and we really appreciated the authentic Tanzanian cuisine we had there. We must say it was a surprise for us because we were saying to Dennis: When we will have the chance to have the Ugali you recommended to us? It´s amazing what Iraqw people do to keep their culture.

The camping experience at the Serengeti was unforgettable. After been there many people would ask themselves: How camping at the Serengeti would it be? Would it be Safe? Once in there you realized that the Camping Site which you use is well prepared for camping and not only has very nice facilities but also they are totally well maintained.

The food Walter prepared for us was delicious and plentiful. That guy is highly skilled in cooking, really. After been in Tanzania for many days we can say Walter´s stew was the best one we had and also breakfast was outstanding. I told Dennis you should offer cooking lessons with Walter as an extra for the Safari.

Game drives at the Serenget and Ngorongoro were MAGNIFICENT. God! I remembered the time we spent there and I feel so lucky having the change of been there. Duma was always trying to get the best spot for animal/birds viewing, must say their nickname agrees with the skills he has. He was so nice with us. After talking with Dennis, we realized it was possible to have a walking safari if you ask for it and get the required permits. We didn’t know that and we think you should offer as an extra also because it would be a great experience.

After seeing many Safari companies we realized how IntoAfrica UK is the only one among them who has Driver, Guide and Cook. The rest of the companies just have a Driver that act as a Guide also and must say the Safari price they offer is similar to the one we paid to IntoAfrica, afterwards what you can conclude is that IntoAfrica share their profits among more people. Please let me congratulate you on that Chris.

Finally, we wouldn´t have had a fantastic trip if Dennis wouldn’t have been there. He is a GREAT person and believe me he is the type of person that anyone would like know. Dennis knowledge in animals and birds is unbelievable. His degree in Wildlife Management plus the love he has for animals is such a good combination that allows him to be admired for the people he is leading in the Safari. We had amazing talks with Dennis about Tanzania, Argentina and Scotland sharing our thoughts and ideas. The Maasai toothbrush which Dennis prepared for us after asking him many times (because we wanted to try it) was a good way to understand how the Maasai People clean and whiten their teeth. I told him, you should have reviews in Trip Advisor because you only find yours on IntoAfrica UK webpage, if you do that many people would have the chance to experience Tanzania in the way we did it.

Thank you so much for this fantastic journey Chris, we will be recommending you for sure. In the link below you and your customers can find some pictures from our trip.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B4kXt1duOBm3YjI0ZGlVOUkzQUU?usp=sharing

Regards, Joaquín & Manuela
Rada Tilly, Argentina

From: Fred Michael
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: RE: how was your trip?

Chris,
I know Joette is going to send more detailed comments when we get back from Zanzibar but wanted you to know that we had a fantastic experience with Dennis and crew.  Thanks!

Regards,
Fred

From: Elizabeth Hallford
Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2016 9:21 AM
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Hello Chris:
Yes, we are back home in and I’d be happy to give you some feedback.

I appreciated the flexibility of our tour and Dennis’ graciousness. He was ever so helpful, and even came to the  host family where were staying in Arusha earlier to introduce himself  a few days before the safari began, explaining to me in detail our tour.  I also was very grateful when he was able to shift gears and arranged for a different stay on one of the camping nights. He made it work, and for that I’m very grateful…

He also was flexible and found a nice walking tour which was not originally on our itinerary (I had told him that it would be a repeat of what my son and I had already done with my volunteer group  the weekend earlier at another village). I found him to be understanding and accommodating in all areas, particularly with leaving time in the morning (my son is not an early riser, and he understood)

At this time, I can’t comment on anything else … but of course the wildlife was amazing .... and I was happy with most everything!

Kind regards,
Elizabeth,
Bonn, Germany

From: Gross, Rich
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd ; Nancy Deutsch
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,
Sorry for taking a week to write.  I can't tell you how pleased we were with the trip. From the moment we arrived till we were dropped off at the airport we were thrilled and excited about what we saw and the conversations we had.  In the end, it was the cultural experiences that were most profound and what we were looking for. But of course the wildlife was amazing.

The village tours and meetings were so well planned and we didn't ever feel like we were getting a cleansed tourist experience.  Staying at the center run by Tembo was also an added education.  The director was there at the time and Nancy and I were able to sit with her for a while.

The staff and drivers were all friendly and always helpful and could answer any questions we put to them.

Needless to say, Dennis is amazing.  I may have mentioned before that I am a wilderness guide, part time, and so I know what it takes to guide trips.  His knowledge and insight was so helpful and he is a gifted guide, always aware of people's needs.  We had one person on the trip that was more needy and Dennis was able to handle him with humor and grace. We would go with Dennis again in a heartbeat.  His work with Asante is inspiring.

Please feel free to use our names and what I wrote here for any reference and we're happy to talk to prospective customers and tell them what a great trip we had. I will also put a review on Trip Advisor

I love rustic camping and may have missed the description of the camping but I was expecting the fancier safari camps that many companies have.  I was much happier in our camp, truly in the middle of the Serengeti but you might make it clearer that it's not luxurious.  Hearing lions roar near my tent was amazing though.  Thanks for that. Oh, and give out toilet paper at the beginning of the camping.  There was none in the bathrooms when we first arrived and the women were concerned.

There is no need to respond to these comments.  Take them as suggestions for the future.  I am a happy customer.

I'm making these suggestions only to be helpful but please understand that this trip was one of the peak experiences for Nancy and I and IntoAfrica and Dennis make a fantastic trip.

Rich and Nancy,
San Francisco, CA, USA

From: Peterson
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: RE: feedback

Chris:
We’ve just returned from your Tanzania Explorer tour. We were overwhelmed by the experience in a very good way. The richness of a combined cultural and animal exploration of northern Tanzania was beyond compare. We can’t imagine anyone having as fulfilling a trip to Africa without the combination.

Your service, which began with thorough answers to neophyte African explorer questions and reassurances for Rita, who is a first time camper, was extraordinarily helpful.

Dennis Lyamuya should be declared a Tanzanian national treasure. His knowledge of the people, places, plants, and animals of the areas we visited was astounding and his ability to share it with us was impressive.

Rogate, our assistant guide, was especially good at looking after the two of us and helping to give us a better understanding of the landscape and the local uses of plants.

Athuman our driver brought joy to the journey and was great at spotting game, including lesser game like monitor lizards atop termite mounds or cobras along the roadside. Charles, our cook, was so good that Rita suggests you offer an add-on tour to allow visitors to spend an extra day with Charles learning his cooking secrets for both African and European dishes. Peter, our Maasai guide in Longido, was also great. Nangay and his father Paolo were beyond impressive as our Iraqw hosts in Karatu.

The accommodations – Ahadi Lodge in Arusha, TEMBO Guest House in Longido, Endoro Lodge in Karatu, and Rhino Lodge in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area were top notch. If anything, the Endoro was beyond top notch. We were less enthused with the toilet and shower facilities at the Tumbili campsite in the Serengeti. The camp itself and the tents were fine. The toilets, however, were a little dirty and not working properly and the showers were cold. But we understand there are some concessions one has to make in Africa and we don’t blame IntoAfrica as we understand this was not the site you’d requested and usually use. Nor did this spoil the trip. It makes for more stories to tell everyone back home, many of whom wanted to make sure we knew we were crazy for going to a place like Tanzania.

Our extended trip, a one-day exploration of urban Africa in Arusha, was also fascinating. We enjoyed walking the streets and through the local markets. The trip to Shanga Shanga was phenomenal.

In all it was a magical trip and one that we would unhesitatingly recommend to anyone with an interest in Africa. Thank you and please pass along our thanks to the IntoAfrica staff for a great trip.

Mark and Rita Peterson
Ogden, UT, USA

From: Hal Havens
Subject: Re: feedback please

Chris, we had a great trip. I enjoyed the cultural tours the most. Baba Dingi with the Iroqu tribe (don't know actual spelling) was lots of fun to spend time with. We saw lots of animals up close, which was exciting. Our guide did a great job telling us about Tanzania and the animals and our cook made the best food we have ever had camping.  I would definite recommend IntoAfrica to friends.

Ps. On the next to the last day I got a pain in my stomach. Our guide got me to a doctor in the Serengeti, who said that I had an acute appendicitis – that could’ve happened anywhere. He gave me pills that took care of it. I appreciated being able to take care of it before it ruptured and required surgery.

Pps. You can give my contact info to potential guests. I would be happy to tell about our experience and I will send comments to Lonely Planet and Rough Guides.
Hal Havens
Lenexa, KS, USA

From: Jeff Beorse
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd ; bridget beorse
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,
Sorry for the slow response. It's been a bit busy catching up on work, being jet lagged, etc. I'm definitely happy to provide feedback. I'll copy my sister on this email in case she has anything she wants to say.
Overall the trip was fantastic. Thanks for setting up such a great itinerary and hiring such a wonderful staff. I've already been recommending you to my friends. There is still somewhat of a stigma among them about going to Africa, but I'm gaining some traction. I'm trying to convince some of them to go on a Kilimanjaro trip in a couple years and book through you guys.

Dennis, Athuman (our driver, I apologize if I don't spell his name correctly), and Chaz were all great. Dennis was of course very friendly and full of interesting information. With only the two of us travelling (my sister and me) on a 8 day trip, I think Dennis had extra work in trying to keep us entertained, but he did a great job of it. He had just the right mix of facts, stories, and jokes, and he always seemed engaged. I've had guides before who seemed as if they were performing a chore, but Dennis seemed genuinely excited about his work. That excitement was contagious.
Athuman was indispensable on the trip as well. He probably spotted the most animals while we were distracting Dennis with our questions, including our rarest sighting: an albino baboon. He was very good at knowing when to stop so we could look around, and how long to wait. We didn't get to talk to him as much as Dennis, but when we did he was very friendly and fun to talk to.
Chaz provided absolutely excellent food throughout the trip. We got a mix of cuisines, and every meal was consistently delicious. But we especially liked when he made ugali, sukuma wiki, and the Chaga banana curry. Between my diabetes and vegan diet, I generally expect to lose a bit of weight whenever I travel, but Chaz provided an abundance of great food that kept me satisfied.
We also had a lot of fun with our Masai and Iraqw guides. Our Iraqw guide's name was Paolo (he asked us to call him Baba Dingi, again I'm not sure if I've spelled that correctly). He was hilarious, interesting, informative, and fun. We all sang and danced together at the end of the day. I apologize, I've forgotten our Masai guide's name, but he was very interesting as well.
As far as the itinerary, I thought it was very good. Of course I don't know the region and what else I'm missing, but I think starting with Lake Manyara, interspersing with the village tours, and working up to Serengeti and Ngorongoro was just right. I know it’s not standard in your tour, but I thought the extra day we added at Mt. Meru, hiking near the wildlife and canoeing in the salt lake, was a nice denouement to our trip.
The only hiccups I can think of were with the food at the hotels, and these were not major and not any individual's fault. Still, I feel I should let you know our experience, since a significant fraction of your customers are vegetarian. I'll go through each hotel individually:

I'm happy to answer any questions you might have for us too. Thanks for the great introduction to East Africa. I hope to come back soon.

Regards, Jeff & Bridget
Seattle, USA

From: Dian Schubel
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback
Reply-To: Dian Schubel

Dear Chris,
We are enjoying our thousands of pictures and memories of our experiences with you in Tanzania, and will be for the rest of our lives.

Dennis met us at the Kenya/Tanzania border in Naminga and made the transfer easy for us.  We really appreciated the coordination of IntoAfrica on our behalf. 

We have only wonderful things to say about your company and when our grandchildren get a little older we would love to do a family trip with you.

The organization and variety of experiences between the cultural life and animal life made the trip outstanding.  Everyone from Dennis to the local guides were extremely knowledgeable and informative.
The home visit was great and  Baba Dinga and Paulina were wonderful.

We hope to be in future communication.
Jeff and Dian Schubel
Michigan, USA

From: Marc Schenker
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Chris,
 Yes, I’m back. Strange. I wrote a long commentary from Africa in response to your first request but obviously it somehow was never received. To recap, the experience was excellent. Dennis is an outstanding safari guide, with an encyclopedic knowledge and warm personality open to any questions (to which he usually knows the answer). Other highlights were the village walking tours, which felt very special as we were the only visitors and going with a local gave access in unique ways. Ahadi Lodge was a great starting point. Extremely helpful, friendly staff.  The wildlife watching exceeded expectations but that was perhaps the only expected part of the safari. Overall a memorable experience I would recommend to anyone. I’m glad also to help, including contact with anyone interested in travelling on this trip. My speaking to someone who had taken a safari with you previously was key in making my outfitter selection.

All the best, and my regards to Dennis and the others.

Marc & Xochitl
California, USA

From: Jia
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,
Apologies for the delay but thanks so much for helping to coordinate such a memorable and smooth trip! And thank you, Dennis and your crew, so much for a wonderful safari.  As I mentioned in my earlier email to you, Dennis has been hands-down, the best guide I have ever had in my travels which includes extensive travel throughout Asia and also in Latin America. 

This was my first visit to Tanzania (and to the African continent) and I will definitely be back.  I am glad I started my trip off with a safari with you as I found the logistics and transportation especially challenging as a solo traveler in East Africa.  Using several measures, my safari group and I had an incredible journey and I was sad to see it end.  We saw the Big 5 including a rare leopard sighting feasting on his kill atop a tree.  Thanks to our fantastic driver Athuman’s incredible eyes and sense for animals, we also had multiple cheetah sightings.  It is no coincidence that his nickname is "duma" or Swahili for cheetah.  I will never forget the moment that we came upon a pride of over a dozen lions atop a kopje in the Serengeti.  It was a powerful moment for me and I felt honored to have witnessed it.

I chose IntoAfrica because of its focus on small group experiences that include a cultural element. One memory that stands out is that along our first walk, we came upon a few Maasai villagers who were skinning a goat.  It was beautiful to watch how cleanly and elegantly they were able to do so with just a simple knife.  In the middle of the activity, one of the onlookers picked up his cell phone.  I viewed this as a really interesting and realistic depiction of the tension and duality of modern influence on the Maasai. I especially enjoyed our visit to an Iraqw village outside of Karatu.  The day’s walk included ample time for questions.  Plus, Dennis’ extensive knowledge of both the scientific classification and properties and local uses of flora and fauna greatly added to our experiences.  Additionally, Dennis’ experience having served as a guide for over a decade and his ability to speak to social and political changes in Tanzania at large and in the tourism industry made for incredibly rich conversations during our trip.  Dennis treated all of us travelers with both respect and curiosity.  Thanks in large part to Dennis’ knowledge and the humility with which he conveyed it, I received a multi-faceted introduction to Tanzania and now have great appreciation for the struggles and experiences of the people of Tanzania.   

On our safari, we encountered very few hiccups along the way, and nothing out of the ordinary for travel to a developing country.  But the few times that there were situations that needed a little more attention, Dennis was incredibly patient and calm and always went above and beyond to resolve any concerns or issues we had whether they be large or small.  The quiet way in which Dennis resolved issues, often behind the scenes, was both reassuring to the whole group and demonstrates his knack for treating clients as you would friends. 

I am so grateful to have found you and look forward to recommending your services to friends and future travelers.

Best regards,
Jia
California, USA

From: david bomford
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Cc: Andrea Ashley-Brown
Subject: Feedback

Dear Chris,

Firstly a huge thank you to yourself and the team for helping make both the trek and safari a huge success. Both of these were undoubted highlights of our trip to Africa and everyone we dealt with from IntoAfrica contributed to this. From the moment we contacted yourself to the finish of our safari (and actually beyond) I could not fault a single aspect of the service we received. This includes the extremely helpful staff at Rock House Nairobi, the amazingly hardworking and unfailingly helpful porters on our trek (Joseph, Charles, Paul, John and the ridiculously talented cook, Samuel) and our two guides which I now count as friends! All accommodation whether it be a hotel, lodge or camping lived up to or exceeded my expectations. I was also highly impressed with the cultural aspect of both the trek and safari as we obtained some valued insights to the local tribes as we traveled and  also a better understanding of East Africa and a little of its history.

The professionalism, knowledge and expert guidance from both our guides were top notch, can't sing their praises highly enough. Dennis's skillful guidance of our entire tour group made the trip a joy. Both had seemingly limitless knowledge of all flora and fauna encountered as well as being willing and patient teachers of Swahili, tribal customs and more. Also from my point of view was the sense of family I got in relation to your company, in particular from the guides, Dennis Lyamuya and Peter Mwangi Kinyua. Both Dennis and Peter freely mentioned the help and friendship yourself and Patrick have provided to them over the years and the work done in many local communities. A special thank you to them both. A close knit team indeed!

If there was one thing to single out (and its hard as there was so much good service and advice along the way) it is the willingness of your team to go above and beyond the call of duty.

I'd like to highlight one such act in particular by Dennis . Unfortunately along the way I managed to lose USD $200 cash. As we were heading to the Serengeti when I discovered this I resigned myself to accepting its loss and move on. However Dennis had other ideas! After the safari had ended he called the owner of Ahadi lodge in Arusha to get in touch with me as he had been worrying how I would get this money back. He rightly thought that my travel insurance would need a police report to enable a claim to be made. As such Dennis offered to come to the lodge the next morning (Sunday) and take me to the police station in Arusha. I was a little hesitant to put him out but he cheerfully insisted and so the next morning we met up and went to the station. Dennis then spent the next 1-2 hours making sure someone there would take  my statement. Not only that but he then had to return the next day as there was no-one at the station to provide a written copy of the statement at the time. This he did on his own as I had to fly out of Arusha on the Sunday afternoon.  I then received an email from Dennis on the Tuesday with a scanned copy of the report! 

This is on top of the help we received from all our drivers, Rock House staff and every member of your team we came into contact with. There were so many little things helped out with along the way that meant so much to us and helped make our first time in Africa just that little bit easier.

Also if there is anything further I can do in relation to helping with references please feel free to let me know.

Andrea Ashley-Brown & David Bomford
Footscray, Victoria, Australia

From: Deborah Harris
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: Feedback

Hi Chris,
Many thanks for a spectacular tour. 

For us, the most extraordinary aspect of the trip was our guide, Dennis Lyamuya. We have taken week-long nature courses in the U.S. led by staff with wildlife expertise and have been on many short nature trips in the U.S. with knowledgeable leaders. Dennis has a deeper and broader knowledge about animals and plants than any tour leader we have experienced previously, knowledge based on what he learned growing up and then built on and expanded acquiring a four-year college degree in an intensive program in wildlife conservation management (in his year, 27 students started the program; only 5 including Dennis completed it).

Dennis does not just know how to spot and identify wildlife; he knows about the healing properties of dozens of local plants, including many that he has used personally.  He even knows what many of the animals taste like (“eland is especially delicious”) since his college degree program included training to identify meat being eaten by poachers.  Dennis shared his amazing knowledge in a low-key, unassuming way, calibrated to our interests and what we could reasonably take in, given all the new information.  If you are interested, he will tell you the scientific name of a plant or animal you are looking at, including the many species of spectacular birds. Or you can just stand in awe, watching thousands of wildebeest thunder through the Serengeti on their majestic migration.

Other highlights of the trip for us included seeing the Great East Africa Rift Valley, and particularly Oldupai Gorge where human ancestors left footprints three million years ago. We also liked the camping in the Serengeti, made particularly special by the parade of elephants feeding near our tent and the star-studded night sky.

We confess that our reactions to the two cultural excursions are complicated.  On the one hand we appreciated the knowledge, openness and generosity of spirit of the local guides and the local people to whom they introduced us; we find ourselves talking about those visits as much as about the spectacular wildlife; and we know that the villagers derive financial and other benefits from tourists.  On the other hand we sometimes felt intrusive and awkward.  Perhaps there is no way out of this dilemma when visiting a country challenged by the tension between preserving indigenous cultures and addressing widespread poverty.  The cultural components were certainly informative and we recommend them despite our discomfort.

Thank you, Chris, for joining us on our trip, and particularly for sharing your knowledge of geology.  And thank you to Athuman, our driver, for his quiet competence.

Good luck to IntoAfrica and to your vision of supporting local people while providing visitors with a rich and rewarding experience.

Deborah and Lynette
Massachusetts, USA

From: Patricia Chalmers
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd Cc: stevechalmers
Subject: Re: feedback please

Hi Chris, Sorry for the delay in responding to your email from last week but I have been working my way through the everyday things that you come home too. Anyway you asked for feedback on our holiday in Tanzania and as I said it is all positive. From the start of contemplating the holiday your prompt reply to any questions or queries was excellent.

Our group had previously experienced safaris in different parts of Africa so the highlight for myself and all the members of the group was the days spent with the Maasai and Iraqw guides. Both excellent days in different ways and I would especially like to mention Nangi who impressed me particularly taking into account his young age. Dennis and his team were fantastic at all times and as a guide Dennis provided enormous amounts of local knowledge.

The range of accommodation from the basic to the luxurious worked well together and the food was always excellent particularly when we camped in the Serengeti bearing in mind the facilities available to cook with!!. Ngorongoro was a magnificent sight to see and the drive down into the crater was spectacular. On the safaris we saw some amazing sights including the elephant charging at a pride of lions and scattering them in all directions (so much for the King of the Jungle!!) to the Hyenas laughing as they raided the bins on the camp site.

I would like to end in wishing both you and Dennis continued success and to add that I am happy to recommend you in the future.

Best wishes, Pat Chalmers, Leics, UK

Hi Chris Just a quick note to reiterate what Pat has already written to you, if anyone needs to chat about the safari before they decide I will be pleased to talk to them. Excellent excellent excellent in all departments! Already saving for the next trip.

Best regards, Steve

PS Please send my best regards to Dennis and the crew.

From: Chris Pernick
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: Review of our: East Africa Explorer trip Oct 5-19th

Dear Chris, 

We are back in the States and still dreaming of our Holiday.  

We can't thank you and your entire team enough for a wonderful and life changing holiday.  We have traveled quite a bit over the years, but often left a place without completely knowing the place.  We would get bits and pieces, but often you knew the local guide was just telling the tourists what they wanted to hear or what they were instructed to say.  We left both Kenya and Tanzania knowing the place and its wonderful people.  Thank you for that authentic experience.  

We had been on a previous safari trip in South Africa and although a great experience, I would have to say that what Kenya and Tanzania offer in wildlife viewing exceeded my expectations.  There is life everywhere, and it's such a gift.  I could not have imagined a place where the "wildlife" isn't fenced in.  It's magical to be driving any road and you look to the right or left and see giraffes eating from the acacia trees,  next to them is a herd of cattle with the Maasai tending,  then come the Thompson gazelles, and then the thousands of colorful birds.  The national parks and reserves are even more spectacular.  

The wildlife was incredible but the people of IntoAfrica and the local guides made the trip.  
A special thanks goes to Patrick and Lydia at the Rock House for treating us like family. To our terrific safari team Elijah (Guide), Samuel (our driver), and Daniel (our cook) for our week in Kenya, Many Many Thanks.     They worked so many long hard hours to give us a holiday to remember.  They were always happy to answer our crazy questions and were genuinely interested in our lives too. This made for great conversation at dinner.  Elijah and Samuel were so knowledgeable about the animals and Daniel's soups and evening meals were delicious.  I was constantly amazed of how Daniel could put together a great meal with very little facilities.  Open fire was all he really needed.  

In Tanzania, Dennis was our Guide and sometimes driver and was incredibly knowledgeable.   Besides being a great guide, he is also a wonderful and humble human.  Dennis is very active in helping the people of his country, although it's difficult to get him to tell you all that he does. I was also amazed at his resourcefulness.  He literally it seemed, out of thin air, had 3 new tents for us when the rains flooded our first set-up while camping in the Serengeti National Park.   He always had our comfort in mind. 

I would highly recommend IntoAfrica for anyone with a sense of adventure and a desire to not just see the incredible wildlife, but meet the people and embrace their culture.  

Christine Pernick 
California, USA

From: Anne Gunn
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Feedback

Hello Chris, as I am sure you will appreciate wifi connections in Longido are pretty poor, so I am writing this at home in Dubai having arrived back about 8 hours ago.

We have had a super time, with memories that will last a lifetime. It was our first trip to Africa and I think we have got the bug so have no doubt that it will not be our last!

Dennis, Athman and Gabriel were all great. Dennis in particular was superb, a real asset to IntoAfrica and Tanzania. He asked us yesterday during our last lunch before the shuttle bus to Nairobi, for suggestions on how he could improve the trip for other guests. We laughed and said he should make sure that every trip includes an emergency tyre change in the Serengeti and hauling another safari truck out of mud!!
We are not sure that anything could be improved and have loved every minute of it.  4 cheetahs, 2 black rhino, several different prides of lions, leopards, wildebeest, hippos, elephants, hyenas,jackals, water buffalo and of course "just zebras" as we found ourself saying at the end of the trip, not to mention the birdlife.  The cultural days spent with the Iraqw people in Karatu and the Maasai in Longido were fascinating too. The whole trip was a real assault on our senses and a true insight into other ways of life.

Thank you very much! And be sure to pass on our greetings to Dennis, Athman and Gabriel the next time you are in Tanzania.

Best wishes,

Anne, Chris, George and Florence Gunn
From UK but living in Dubai

From: Jose Rocha
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,
I'm sorry for late reply. We came back past Sunday and started working right on Monday, it has been a very busy week.

I would like to thank you for amazing trip. We enjoyed every single day. Dennis is a really good guide and an excellent person. We learnt a lot from him not only about nature but also about Tanzanian culture and history. The tour was great, we enjoyed much our visit to Masai people and also to Iraqw people. Game driving was excellent, I think we were quite lucky because we could see a lot of animals and action: we saw all the big 5, also the cheetah in an amazing spot from Dennis, giraffes, zebras, hippos and so long and so forth.. We liked much the fact that Dennis was very respectful for wildlife, never trying to interfere on them. Unfortunately that was not the case in some other companies, as we could sadly witness more than once.

Lodge were nice, we liked a lot Endoro Lodge but also others: Rhino Lodge is quite ok and we saw elephants and buffalos just 10 meters from our room! Longido Lodge and the camping were cool as well, more basic of course but more than enough for us. Staff in lodge was always very friendly, maybe a little bit more cold in Rhino Lodge compare to others, but it was ok too.

Driver Azman was very good driver, also had amazing sight and was able to spot animals from long distance! We really liked him. The cook Joseph was with us in Serengeti and he prepares really good dishes. Also our guides in Karatu and Longido were very good.

It is really difficult for me to tell something negative, or some areas for improvement. Maybe the lunch box was a little bit repetitive after some days, for saying something!
Hope it helps, we are really happy to have chosen your company for our trip, I we will defo recommend IntoAfrica to anyone interested in going to Kenya and Tanzania. We really share the spirit and values of your company and we really wish you all the best both personally and professionally.
Best Regards,
Jose & Sabina, Spain & Slovakia

From: Suzanne Swift
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,
First of all, thank you so very much to you, Patrick and the whole IntoAfrica team for working so hard to put our trip together. You we amazing at answering all of my questions in advance!! We really loved the trip and really appreciated the balance of cultural and natural aspects. It was a very rich experience for our whole family. We were all so happy that we had chosen IntoAfrica rather than a more fancy sterile company. Everything was well planned and executed. We felt well taken care of always. The crews were professional in both countries. We liked the balance of nicer lodges and camping. We would definitely recommend Into Africa to our friends and family.

Our guides Elijah (Kenya) and Dennis (Tanzania) were extremely knowledgeable and competent and we learned a huge amount.. Lily can get a little stressed out and Jacob can be a little annoying but Dennis always had good humor, mellowness, flexibility and warmth. Elijah on the other hand was a little more structured, he worked very hard for us, knows a phenomenal amount, and is very talented but I think he might be better guiding adults. I think this covers it. Again, we had a really great time and it was a very rich experience. In case you are interested we wrote up a trip log with pictures for our friends and family. Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v8bGPeSr7vLbzmtulkhWLT7P2yOW4LHfSdKW_Xrpj2s/edit?usp=sharing

Again, thank you so much for all your help. Hopefully our paths will cross again the future.

Best regards- Suzanne, Mike, Jacob and Lily, Berkeley, California

From: Diane Watson
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,
I would of course be very happy for you to post comments  or act as a referee at any time . Do we have any news on Kurus's wife ?
Comments :
Another fantastic safari with IntoAfrica; I first travelled with them 9 years ago with my son on the Kenya Explorer - this time the Tanzanian Explorer. The experience was again brilliant, the right balance of cultural and wildlife experiences. The booking process and ease of communication with Chris in England was always prompt and helpful - the factsheets are excellent just the right balance of information - signposting to appropriate reading , the niceties of tipping  etc and details of the supported projects in Africa really helpful.
The party of 7 guests in 2 Landcruisers made for comfortable travelling and real ease for spotting the sometimes illusive wildlife. Our guide Muba was extremely knowlegable as were the drivers Alan and Kuru both in spotting wildlife (how do they do it?) and facilitating visits to local people and the projects they support - well done to all !
The cooks provided excellent meals throughout - we particularly liked the tented camp  where we were allowed to select our own packed lunches - definately cut back on wastage
The camps and lodges  were memorable - Endoro Lodge for the luxury, Rhino lodge for the wildlife - elephants grazing 15 feet away and a nighttime buffalo visit- but so was the village camp under Mt Meru - (a real opportunity to experience village life) and the tented camp with its itinerant mice (think they were from the land that time forgot ! - take head of warnings to keep all food out of tents - our night time raiders managed to eat through a backpack to access the elusive Rowntrees fruit pastilles). We managed 4/5 for the Big Five and with style !
Our village visits were particularly memorable  - we met the Iraqu and Masai in their homes and were welcomed whereever we went largely due to the knowledge and communication skills of our drivers and guide ( all of whom originated from different tribes)
Every day was jam-packed  and bed by 9pm - the best times were sitting out with the crew over supper  and beer- a real insight into life in Tanzania.
Do please tell guests what to take to help local communities - your own gift of a solar powered light (from the tall white man !) lives on !

Best wishes

Diane

PS : will send some photographs for distribution later

From: Martina Straub
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris

Yes of course we would like to give you a brief feedback: - the tour was very exciting, adventurous and pleasant - we are happy that we had such a great group (simon, abdulla, jackson and an american couple), which was one reason for having so much fun during our tour -we liked very much the broad knowledge of simon and the careful style of driving of abdulla and both told us many things how to respect the animals and nature and also what we are not supposed to do.

The accommodations were in general above our expectations - so we were very happy. the only exception was the last night in the masaai-village where in the house of the volunteers it was quite basic and we missed running water, we believe that without much effort this house could be very nice and comfortable.

The three days in the Serengethi were absolutely stunning - to be for three days in a different world with that great wideness and no hurry is still the best thing we remember from our trip.

And yes, we can act as a referee if requested and if you would like to publish our feedback on the website please do so.

Warm regards and many thanks from Switzerland

Martina & Remo

 

Dear IntoAfrica

A review of one of your holidays has been submitted by Helen Brown regarding Tanzania safari via responsibletravel.com online feedback submission form.

Please can you forward this email to the person who deals with reviews so they can read the review and can comment on any of the issues that have been raised by the traveller if they wish.

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Wow! where would we start? Muba - a great and knowledgeable guide with a tremendous sense of humour, Jackson a terrific cook and again a great sense of humour. Stumbling upon elephants whilst walking to the viewpoint at the Serengeti park gates. Sitting in the bush at night with the maasai during a thunderstorm. Animals, people, culture, experiences... there were so many memorable points, we'll be recalling them for years to come.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
A down-side but nothing to do with the company or the trip. Be warned that African airports are not like European ones. We arrived back at Kili airport from Zanzibar at 7.30pm. Our flight out in the morning was 6am and we intended to stop in the airport until then. This is not possible, you are not allowed to enter the airport. We sat outside for hours until some UN employees told us this was unsafe and took us to a local lodge. It cost us £135 for four hours at the lodge, there was no where else to go. Although we couldn't really afford it at least we were safe. Do bear this in mind when making your own travel arrangements.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Those involved in this particular tourism area would have definitely benefited but it was probably a small percentage of the actual local population. The Iraqwi village walk left me wondering whether the village benefited or just our guide and his family. The Maasai were obviously getting a good deal with their school which was funded by the company and the women with their jewellery which they were selling. As for minimizing impacts on the environment? I felt guilty that there were just the two of us in the safari vehicle (I also felt very lucky!). There are many, many safari vehicles out there, they are bound to have an effect on the environment, however, the revenue which these companies bring into the area and the parks is what keeps everything going.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Great! The wildlife viewing was far better than we anticipated and Muba's knowledge and ability to share it made for fascinating listening. The tents were roomy and mattresses comfortable. Jackson seemed to think we needed fattening up, unfortunately we were never able to eat every last scrap of food, what a great cook! The change in itinerary with Manyara National Park being at the beginning rather than the end was a great way to lead you into the safari itself, I loved Manyara, so many trees, a great variation of wildlife, a great starting point. I would recommend this trip to anyone, a full and interesting itinerary and fantastic staff.

Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

**** Some wonderful memories, I would not hesitate to recommend it to a friend

----- Original Message ----- From: David Valls
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: Fw: feedback

Dear Chris,
We spent a week wandering around the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Manyara parks. We went with Elias, our cook, and Dennis, our guide. We were delighted by Dennis explanations and knowledge over the fauna. Not only that, but we were amazed by his 6th sense on spotting animals. At the same time, it was an adventure to travel around the wilderness, but it was an adventure too, to guess what Elias was cooking for lunch or dinner. He is a real good cook, and considering that we were in the middle of no where and going around with few resources, that made it even more amazing! We enjoyed so much his food and patience. Moreover, we were only three tourists together. We got along so well, and that made the trip a unique and personal experience.

One of the things why we choose you, was because you donate a part of your benefits to the communities that we visit, such as the Maasai and the Iraqw. They were proud in showing us their culture and where and how they live, and we were proud in learning it and in contributing to make their lives better, without spoiling them so much, without crowds of tourists visiting their places.

We have our blog where we post it some photos and text. Sorry, but the text is not in English, although you can use Google Translate to have a rough idea of what we say. Oooops! If you use Google Translate, click at the right language to translate from: Catalan ;-)

http://www.barbaraidaviddeviatge.blogspot.com/

Best regards,
Bàrbara and David
Barcelona, Catalonia

And a Catalan version ……

Benvolguts Chris,
Hem passat una setmana vagarejant pels parcs del Serengueti, Ngorongoro i Manyara. Vam anar amb l'Elias, el nostre cuiner, i el Dennis, el nostre guia. Les explicacions del Dennis i el seu coneixement sobre l'entorn i la fauna són impressionants! No només això, sinó que ens va sorprendre el seu 6è sentit en trobar els animals més amagats. Al mateix temps, va ser una aventura de viatjar per la natura tan salvatge, però va ser una aventura també, el fet d'endevinar el que l'Elies ens tenia preparat per menjar. És un cuiner excel•lent, i tenint en compte que érem al mig del no-res i que en un lloc d'aquests no es disposa de massa recursos, això ho va fer encara més sorprenent! Hem gaudit molt del menjar i de la seva paciència. A més, només érem tres turistes i això va fer del viatge una experiència única i personal.

Una de les coses per què vam triar Maasai Wanderings, va ser perquè donen part dels seus beneficis a les comunitats que visitem, com els massai i els Iraqu. Ells ens mostraven orgullosos la seva cultura, i nosaltres ens vam sentir orgullosos d'aprendre'n i de contribuir a millorar les seves vides, sense espatllar-ho tot anant amb un autocar ple de gent.

Tenim el nostre bloc on tenim publicades les fotos.

http://www.barbaraidaviddeviatge.blogspot.com/

salutacions cordials,
Bàrbara i David
Barcelona - Catalunya


From: Eva Melbø
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: Feedback from Eva and Per Martin

Hello Chris

We've really enjoyed the weeks on safari in february.

After this fantastic week we took the bus to Arusha to another safari. This time in Tanzania. We were wondering how this would be as long as long as we came from another safari. But the next week was great as well. The same area as Masai Mara, but different. The huge flats of Serengeti. Driving for hours, and it was still flat. On this safari we had a driver/guide and a cook.

The first day we had to drive for hours to get to our first camp. But still driving for hours it was time to stop for animals. We saw a lot of wildebeests with calves crossing the roads. Two lions at the top of some stones. And of course a lot of Zebras. It is a hard life being on safari. Starting morning game drive at 6 o'clock in the morning. And at this time the the cook had already made a breakfast basket ready for us to bring with us. Joking with Godwin that this day I wanted a Cheetah before breakfast, a lion for lunch, and a leopard before dinner. And Yes, we got it all in one day. Lucky? Yes, I think so.

The sunrises and sunsets was lovely. One day we saw a bunch of elephants playing in a pot of mud. It was like being in the kinder garden when the young elephants was playing. In the Ngorongoro crater we saw the birth of a wildebeest. We were following it for almost 30 minutes. And the highlight of the day for me was The Black Rhino. In Karatu we were out walking with a Iraqwe man, to learn about their tribe, and how they live their life. I have never thought about how to make stone brick to use to build houses of. But now I know hove they make it. And I can tell You it is hard work.

We also visited a family where we learned how to make corn to flour. When the woman used the grindstone it made music, when I tried there were no music. We also spent a day in Lake Manyara National park Her we spent a lot of time watching some baboons that was playing at our car. The last night we spent close to a Masai village. Here we visited the school. A lovely school. It was in the afternoon so it was no pupils there. That was a disappointment for me.

The evening we spent in the village were they were singing and dancing for us. We also visited their houses and learned about their life. We walked along with one of the men who learned us about the plants and herbs they use as medicine, and what hey us it for. All nights in tent, and that gives a feeling being a part of the life around You.

With a great staff, this was also a fantastic week. And a lot of moments I well never forget. It is a hard life for those who work to make our experiences good. They are the first one up in the morning and last ones in bed at nigh. In this two weeks we had no problems at all. No diarrhoea, nothing to complain about at all. I thought I might loose some weight being there, but no chances. I might got some kg on.

Still now, almost 4 months later I wake up in the middle of the night and I am in Africa. If I will recommend You to travel with Into Africa? Yes, for sure. If would had done it again? Yes!

The best regards from Eva and Per Martin from Norway

Brgs Eva Melbø,
N- 2615 Lillehammer,
NORWAY.


From: Susan Secord
Fwd: IntoAfrica.co.uk
Subject: Feedback

Dear Chris,

We've been home almost a week now and have so much to think about. It was truly a trip of a lifetime in so many ways.

Our experience was fantastic. We felt so well taken care of from start to finish. All of your help in planning and preparing for our trip made us feel confident we were in very good hands. Our guide Denis was excellent -- very knowledgeable about the natural world, a great story-teller, well-organized, and attentive to the needs of everyone in our party. Our drivers Steve and Paul were equally superb. We always felt we were in very capable hands on those bumpy roads. The food was good and our accommodations superb. We enjoyed both the camping aspects as well as being pampered in the resort accommodations. The visits to the Iraqw and Maasai villages were a wonderful opportunity to get to know more about the local cultures. Overall, we couldn't have asked for a better experience. We'll definitely recommend you to friends and would be happy to be a reference for you.

I was also planning to write to you with a question regarding your work with the Maasai school. As you might remember, after our safari I went on to spend time in Kambi ya Simba, also Upper Kitete (both outside of Karatu). I visited several schools there and we're in conversations about some of their needs. During our visit to the Maasai school,=2 0I was taken by the art on the outside of the walls -- which added bright colors to the environment and also had great curriculum content. On your web page it mentions that a local artist did this (I believe) and that this person also teaches art. I was wondering if this person might be interested in doing something similar for other schools. If so, I'm wondering if you could give me a way to make contact. Many thanks.

My one regret from our trip was I never got to meet you in person. Hopefully, there will be another time. I wish you all the best with your work.

Susan
Boulder, Colorado, USA


From: Benedict Dempsey
Fwd: IntoAfrica.co.uk
Subject: Feeback Request

Hi Chris,

Thanks very much your message. I've been meaning to write, so apologies for not contacting you sooner.

We had an absolutely amazing time. Godwin was a fabulous guide, extremely entertaining and knowledgeable; Jackson's cooking was excellent, we were amazed how he could create such great food ina camp site.

The safari was spectacular. We were lucky enough to see all the big five, plus a cheetah, two servals and an African wildcat, among dozens of other things. We found that we were consistently the first or only truck to discover an interesting animal because Godwin knew where to go, what to look for and how long to wait. His ability to make out an animal in the undergrowth was extraordinary.

The cultural tourism also really made a difference. We particularly liked that it didn't feel staged or false. The guides we met in both the Iraquw and Maasai were showing us their villages in a relatively casual way, which we liked very much. I hope that it stays this way for other tourists in the future as the project develops.

I'm happy to be an occasional referee if you would like. Thanks very much again for a fantastic holiday.

Best wishes,
Ben

To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2009 1:07 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris

We’re home now and back at work (booo!) – and as predicted, the weather is dreadful. I do miss Tanzania!

I just wanted to write a quick note to pass on my thanks for a truly wonderful holiday – we have so many fond memories of our wonderful experiences that will stay with us forever. It was such a privilege to visit Ilkurot and your home and be welcomed in so warmly. Thanks so much for all your help and advice and for making this the trip of our lifetimes (...well, certainly until our year out honeymoon!!)

Please also pass on our thanks to everyone who we met – they were all fab.

We’ll send over the pics from Ilkurot when we’ve developed them, and I’d love to see if I can set up a link between my primary school in Hackney with your primary school if you’re still up for that?

All the best

Angi,
London, UK

From: Marie Lenstrup
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,

Yes, we are just back from safari and Zanzibar, and had a wonderful time. Despite our worries, Jon's health held up well to the various physical challenges, and your team were really helpful and thoughtful (providing a comfy chair, thicker mattress, extra pillows - and being endlessly patient).

We saw absolutely all the animals that we could hope for - the big five, and the small and medium-sized multitude. Your guides were quick to pick up on any special interests, and Henry in particular was very knowledgeable and a great spotter. One of the reasons we chose to go with IntoAfrica was the cultural element, and we really enjoyed getting a good idea of how ordinary people live, work and learn.

We also really appreciate your help in arranging our week in Zanzibar. Everything went smoothly there, with flights and transfers and hotel. I think the kitchen at Palm Beach may have deteriorated a bit sine you were there, but the location was just amazing, the atmosphere was great, and there was interesting food to be had elsewhere in the village.

Best regards,
Marie Lenstrup
Netherlands

----- Original Message -----
From: Machelle Burroughs
To: contact@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: Wow!

I have traveled all around the world; alone. I was apprehensive going on a "tour", but I want to share something with you....

I have been home for 3 weeks and I feel so far away from who I met, what I experienced, and what I learned. It is almost a homesick feeling.

I tell my friends and clients that I don't think I will ever go on another safari because EVERYTHING, on every level, from the traveling companions, the incredibly professional staff, the safari itself with "our" guides knowledge and their keen eyesight for spotting animals, the cultural part with the children that we taught to sing "Row,, row your boat" walking with the Maasai women to market, and yes even the mouse in the backpack and the wild pigs at our tents, with the wildebeests braying "yes..no" all night . EVERYTHING! was far above and beyond my wildest expectations!

At the end of all of those days I sit at my computer and laugh at myself at how "CHEESY KAMAN DEEZIE" this sounds but the best thing I discovered in Tanzania....was me.

MaChelle
Arizona, USA

----- Original Message -----
From: Roy Hohn
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,

Life has been hectic since we returned. It's nice to have a few boring days in a row.

Africa seems so far away. Our trip with Into Africa was wonderful. I believe that we were fortunate to find you. Not only did we have amazing and close encounters with wildlife in unique and beautiful settings, but we experienced the culture and the people (particularly the Maasai) in a caring and non-threatening way that would have been impossible for us to duplicate on our own or even with other safari companies that we considered.

From the moment Rose and Athman picked us up at the airport until they returned us 10 days later, Into Africa took good care of us and Rose made sure that everything went smoothly. She took Arlene to a doctor (for an infection in her finger). She spoke to our cook when I mentioned that I did not care for a lot of fried food. She tried to solve problems before they occurred. I don't know what to tell you to improve. We received such individual attention (a guide, a driver and a cook for the three of us!) that we felt spoiled. Ludger is an excellent cook. We couldn't believe that he figured out a way to make pizza. Athman was an amazing driver. He maneuvered the vehicle skillfully and safely over even the most challenging terrain. Henry's fluency and facility with people made it obvious why you had chosen him as a guide. We laughed a lot, especially Henry. It was so much fun.

The cultural tours in Mto wa Mbu and Longido were priceless. Henry, and the local guides Raja and Rogati, walked us into people's lives and we were able to see and learn how people lived. We know that aspects were altered by our presence, but we experienced little begging and all of your staff made us feel so comfortable. The Maasai market and bomas were fascinating. Arlene and I are retired teachers. We enjoyed visiting the schools and meeting the students and their teachers. Soon I hope to send copies of some of the 1300 photos I took on our trip.

Thank you for this unforgettable experience. We felt sad to say goodbye to your staff, whom we'd known for only a week or so. Thank you also for your recommendation of the Palm Beach Inn on Zanzibar. We had a wonderful time there too. It seems possible that our daughter's marriage (to a Kenyan) will bring us back to Africa. We would not hesitate to arrange another safari with you. We would be happy to serve as a referee and recommend Into Africa to any prospective travelers. Please feel free to use these comments however you wish.

Sincerely,

Roy and Arlene Hohn
Colorado, USA


From: Lee Astheimer
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: Tanzania feedback

Dear Chris,

We actually only returned from Africa 2 days ago as we stayed for a conference after our IntoAfrica trip.

Our IntoAfrica experiences (Kilimanjaro & Tanzania safari) were truly exceptional, in large part due to the amazing personnel on your team. This included everyone -- guides, drivers, porters, cooks, waiters etc.--who all did their respective jobs very well, but more importantly added good humour, and their own experiences, personalitites and commitment to the group. All, in their own ways, gave us a wonderful impression of Tanzanians and made us feel welcomed in their beautiful country. Oddly enough, it will be these interactions with Dennis, Julius, Oforo, Godbless, Mr Wilson, Gabrielli, and many others, that will stick in our memories even more than Uhuru at dawn, the leopard kill, the 160 bird species, mating lions and ostriches etc.... Without waxing on for pages, the other part of the trip that we enjoyed much more than expected were the cultural visits at MtoWa Mbu and with the Masai at Longido; we learned and felt so much more about these communities after these interactions.

Although Marina, our 14 y old daughter, didn't make Kilimanjaro's summit due to altitude sickness (got to 4600m though), she fell in love with Africa. She was constantly surrounded by children whereever we went; we were seriously offered 20 cattle for her by a Masai man at the Masai market (maybe too much banana beer); she learned a bit of kiswahili; she befriended Mr Wilson in Arusha; she took superb photos everywhere she went; haggled over the price of masai blankets and ate more fruit than she ever has in her life. And now that she is home, and I hear her describe the trip to her friends, I can see that this was a life-changing experence for her.

For myself, the defining image of the trip was about 2 AM on a clear, very cold, windy night, the full moon setting, familiar constellations on the horizon, the sound of Julius' voice drifting past singing in swahili, Godfrey in front of me setting the slow pace; Godbless behind me, grabbing my shoulders periodically when my feet slip on the gravel; walking, in a trance, ever upward, pole pole, time has stopped.

We would be delighted to recommend IntoAfrica to anyone, to serve as contacts for potential travelers etc. We wish you and your team all the best in the future--especially on the US promotion trip-- and thank you for a fabulous and very memorable experience.

Finally, a personal thanks to you, Chris, for your attention, prompt responses and practical good advice in our correspondences!
All the best,
Lee

Lee Astheimer, New South Wales, Australia

----- Original Message -----
From: Carol Thomas
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,

Sorry it has taken me awhile to respond to this message.

My daughters and I had a wonderful time in Tanzania. Your staff was truly outstanding. We would especially like to credit the leadership of Dennis, and the special knowledge and understanding that Henri brought to the cultural part of the program, and that Will brought to the safari.

Our sightings of animals was unforgetable, and sleeping in a tent to the sounds of zebras, wildebeasts and lions was an incredible experience. The the cultural part of the program was equally memorable and we thought it was well planned and executed.We will certainly recommend IntoAfrica to anyone who is interested in going to Tanzania.

Thank you,

Carol Thomas,
Citrus Heights, California, USA

----- Original Message -----
From: Charlie Longhurst
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: Tanzania feedback

Hi Chris

I would be delighted to give my feedback. I am actually still in Tanzania and will be sad to leave in 10 days when I fly home to the UK.

The Safari was more than I imagined it was going to be. The combination of wildlife and the cultural programme really worked for me. I was very lucky in the group that I joined - we were 3 very different dynamics from 3 different countries and it just clicked between us. From the start the IntoAfrica team were so welcoming and helpful. The guesthouse was really special and the food was amazing.

The team of 4 who took us on Safari were excellent - they worked really well together and made sure we had the best time possible. The rains finally arrived as we were in the Serengeti and despite 1 damp night in the tents the team managed the situation well and it did not spoil a thing.

No-one can prepare you for the magic of seeing the animals we read about in books as children as they walk across the open plains. Our guide, David, is a real asset to IntoAfrica. His knowledge of animals large and small is extensive and he managed the each day to meet our needs as well as guide us onto things we didn't expect without hurry and without over-promising. It was perfectly managed and I know I chose the right company as soon as we set off.

I will be happy to recommend IntoAfrica to friends and have already given the name to some NGO's based in Tanzania. You can also use any quotes you like and I would be a referee for future clients. I am rushing this as power is about to go so maybe I can mail you a concise quote for you to use in a few days.

On a different note, has Ame spoken to you about receiving a package of donated clothes? I think the plan is to send them to you in the UK. I will call Ame and check the plan and get back to you. I will also find out approximately how big the package will be.

All the best. Thanks for your advice leading up to the trip - it was great.

Charlie.
UK

----- Original Message -----
From: Ros Stow
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris

Here's some feedback you requested on the Tanzania explorer trip I came on in January 2006. Please feel free to post it on your website and I'm more than happy to be contacted by prospective travellers.

I've been thinking hard but haven't managed to fault the trip at all - the team (David as Guide, Athman as driver and John as cook) were fantastic. David was a mine of information on all the wildlife - there wasn't a bird or animal that he didn't know or a question we had that he couldn't answer - and he was very attentive to all our needs. We liked it that he sat with us at meal times which didn't seem to happen with many of the other companies we encountered at the campsites. Athman had eyes like a hawk and could spot the slightest hint of a big cat and even a grey python slithering over a grey rock some distance away - also he was happy to stop the vehicle wherever we wanted to and for as long as we liked.

Still don't know how John managed to produce the meals he did - especially those amazing soups and, just as I was craving something crunchy, a lunch of chicken, chips and freshly made coleslaw. There were times after the long hot drives when we felt a bit jaded but within minutes of arriving at a camp, John would come round with bowls of warm water to wash in and we were soon restored.

My favourite campsite was the 'IntoAfrica' only bush camp outside Longido. We had a magical night there with just us and our local Maasai guides around the camp fire. I was vaguely disappointed not to hear any big cats roaring near any of our campgrounds at night - the nearest we got to nocturnal activity was a couple of zebras munching grass around our tent at the Ngorongoro campsite - however, I really hadn't expected to see so many big cats around during the day. We were lucky enough to sight leopards in trees on 3 occasions, and a cheetah mum and 3 cubs who sat and posed for us on a termite mound, and many, many lions. This is of course in addition to the zebra, wildebeest, antelope, hippo, rhino, elephant, giraffe, hyena .... the list could go on, nor forgetting the fabulous birds. I'm a bit sorry that I didn't have a bigger lens on my camera - 300ml would have been fantastic, but I was really glad to have some binoculars (and would recommend at least 10x).

This leaves me with the 'cultural' side of the trip. It wouldn't have felt right to me to come to Tanzania and not get a real insight into how local people really live. Prior to the safari I had spent a week climbing Kilimanjaro - a great experience but it's a bit of a tourist bubble there as are the national parks. Our tours around the back alleys of Mto wa Mbu and Longido really redressed the balance. Especially visiting the schools - and seeing that Into Africa really is putting its ethics into practice by building some new classrooms, and the Maasai market where we feasted on roast goat and sipped gingerly at meat stew and banana beer.

I was a bit ashamed of myself that I'd not taken the time to learn more Swahili before coming - of course our team and the local guides all spoke good English but it would have been good to have been able to speak directly to more of the local people. I'll try to make amends next time - I've got my eye on the 5 day walking safari in the Maasai Mara that you mentioned ....
Until then, thanks again for a fantastic trip.
Regards
Ros Stow,
Brighton,
UK

----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff & Erin Fitzpatrick-Bjorn
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Chris,

We are definitely back home now. Africa seems pretty far away, all right. We apologize for the delay in responding to your e-mail. Rest assured that it bears no reflection on our satisfaction with the IntoAfrica trip, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Aside from the amazing animals we saw, the best part of our tour was the friendliness, helpfulness, and professionalism of all the IntoAfrica staff: guides, drivers, cooks, and guest house staff. Dennis "The Menace" Lyamuya (aka the Retired Maasai Warrior), our lead guide, was fabulous, and "Just" John was a capable assistant. Dennis was personable, knowledgeable, friendly, organized (a real plus for our rag-tag group), fun, and funny. He shared many stories about Tanzanian culture and about Chagga traditions. His English (despite his assertions to the contrary) was fantastic. We thoroughly enjoyed his nightly proclamation: "And now I would like to tell you the program of tomorrow." ;)

Ibrahim, our driver, was hilarious and perfect for us as he was also an avid birdwatcher. He spotted many species that we would've missed, and his bird book got nearly as much use as ours did. Be sure to ask him about the mating rhinos we "saw" in the Serengeti.

Also, the "camping" was much easier than traditional tent camping. Since staff set up & took down tents, cooked meals, etc. it was very easy "camping." The meals were plentiful and amazingly good, but snacks were a great way to make new friends on the game drives. Mornings were quite cool, and Ngorongoro was cold, so we'd recommend bringing a warm hat and fleece jacket.

Also it was clear that local people were benefiting from our trip. All of our drivers, cooks, guides, and guest house staff were locals. This benefited us as well, as we were able to interact with Africans rather than European or American staff. One night of our tour was spent at a Maasai village, interacting with warriors and villagers. The crafts we purchased directly from the Maasai women enabled them to have money to use in their households. Other than the fuel used by the vehicles, our environmental footprint seemed to be fairly small.

Our suggestions would be minor improvements, but would add to the experience, at least for some travellers:

- Provide a map of Tanzania showing the tour route and other landmarks. We brought our own Michelin map, but weren't always sure of our location (especially in Serengeti National Park).

- ATM cards are better than travellers cheques. We found the latter to be almost useless.

- Improve your website. (I'd be happy to let you use some of my photos if you want as long as you give me credit.

We really loved this trip: the animals, the people, the places, everything. It was awesome and we were so lucky to have had such a great experience with your company. We will definitely recommend you to our friends or anyone we hear about who's traveling to Africa. And hopefully someday we can come back and do the Kenya trip because I really want to do that (and one more little suggestion would be to get rid of those malaria carrying mosquitos...).

Thanks again for a great trip!

Erin and Jeff Fitzpatrick-Bjorn
Portland, Oregon, USA


----- Original Message -----
From: Sarah Pownall
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: RE: feedback

Dear Chris

We would be delighted to give you some feedback for your website, especially as the holiday was such a success.

The safari exceeded all our expectations - it was well thought out with the itinerary very well put together. For us it was a perfect balance between time spent in the parks to view the animals with a welcome change part way through the trip to immerse ourselves in the culture of Tanzania. The itinerary was packed full but never exhausitng but what made the trip so special and differentiated it possibly from other tours we could have done was the welcome, genuine enthusiasm and hard work of the IntoAfrica team. They were a delight to share our holiday with - always with a smile they worked so hard to make our trip special, accommodate everybody's needs, the team worked like clockwork and the food was excellent - we have never dined so well on a camping trip!

A special mention must be given for our guide Dennis - we wouldn't have seen half of the animals that we did without his expertise, he managed and supervised the whole group with such a professionnal and gentle manner and demonstrated real dedication to the job.

Besides having an excellent safari, we had chosen your company for its ethical and sensitive approach to tourism and we were not disappointed. Wherever we went, we felt there was a genuine welcome to introduce and educate our group in the culture of Tanzania and that the communities were able to benefit from the tourism.

You asked for comments for improvement and to be quite honest we can think of nothing that we would have changed. Please pass on our thanks again to the IntoAfrica team (Dennis, Athuman, Elias, Ibrahim & John) and we will not hesitate to recommend your company or travel with you again if we ever have the opportunity to be in Tanzania again.

Thanks
Sarah & Martin

----- Original Message -----
From: SHERWIN, SARAH
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: RE: feedback

Hi Chris

I am really sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your e-mail, when we came back I was ill so had some time off, then got really busy here as I'd obviously been off for so long! But not to worry, the illness was nothing to do with your part of our holiday! We had an absolutely fantastic time. Tanzania was amazing and our trip was faultless.

Everything about the Tanzania Explorer trip was memorable, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti were fantastic, both the scenery and the wildlife were stunning, but just as enjoyable was the walking safari around the villages and farms. The day with the Maasai was probably the most memorable of the whole trip - shaking hands with the trainee warriors and tasting their soup is certainly something I will never forget!

Meeting the children on the cultural days was a real delight - Dean, my husband, took inflatable globes to the school (he does teach geography) and balloons to the Maasai village and the looks of amazement/bewilderment on the children's faces will stay with me forever. It was these highlights that made the trip with IntoAfrica unique amongst so many safari companies operating from Arusha, and a real bonus was knowing that the local people we met were benefiting from our trip with your support for their projects.

The staff were brilliant, they were friendly, welcoming and hospitable, yet professional and extremely competent, sharing with pride their knowledge of their country whilst making us feel secure and well looked after. Dennis was a fantastic guide and our driver, Norton, was amazing - we were all impressed with the way he could drive and spot animals! The quality of the food on the trip was amazing too, the cooks certainly knew how to keep us all happy!

Between us there was only one slight criticism that Dean and I could think of, but that was nothing to do with your part of the trip. It was about the local guides, they were great and certainly knew their stuff, but they didn't always make sure everyone had caught up and was listening before they started talking.

All-in-all an incredible trip made truly memorable by efficient, friendly staff and an all encompassing itinerary. Nothing more to say other than thank you!

Sarah and Dean Sherwin

Hi Chris,

A summary (for your website if you wish...)

The safari was excellent and I enjoyed the entire trip immensely. The guides, food and accommodation all exceeded expectations, and I would not hesitate to recommend Into Africa to anyone contemplating a safari in Tanzania. While the scenery and game viewing at Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Manyara were amazing, the highlight for me was definitely the cultural aspect of the tour. The local guides were as much fun as they were well informed, and the Tanzanian Cultural Tourism Programs are making a real difference to local communities. Overall - 10/10.

I would also suggest that you emphasise the importance of bringing good binoculars (or a camera with a monster lens). I had 7x20’s but these were inadequate.

Cheers,

Richard Gilmore
Business Development Manager – NSW
Amcor Recycling Australasia

----- Original Message -----
From: Kristen Rupp
To: contact@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: Compliment for Dennis

Dear Chris,

My husband and I recently enjoyed the 7 day Tanzania safari with Into Africa. Our guide, Dennis, was simply amazing. He was patient, kind and caring. He carefully met the needs of everyone in the group. He was enthusiastic with a great sense of humor. Every day was a new adventure with Dennis and the entire group thrived on his contagious energy. His knowledge of the animals, people, natural history, geography, environment and culture was unbelievable. He is a great educator - constantly surprising us with new information, answering all of our questions, and including personal insight on local culture to make the experience even more real and rewarding. I have worked as an adventure travel guide in the US and Costa Rica and have never met a more professional, courteous, friendly, energetic, passionate and educated guide. The animals in the safari were amazing but it was Dennis that made the trip truly unforgettable. If I meet anyone considering a safari I will convince them to travel with Dennis in order to have the experience of a lifetime.
Thank you,
Kristen Rupp and David Peterka

----- Original Message -----
From: "mwalford"
To: <feedback@responsibletravel.com>
Subject: Re: Welcome back from responsibletravel.com

Dear Chris,
Thank you for your e.mail –

The most memorable part of our holiday - well there are many memorable moments - firstly the efficiency of your company, IntoAfrica and the staff who made us feel very safe and organised our trip to include a variety of experiences which gave us a true flavour of the culture of the country. Secondly, we were overwhelmed by the hospitality of the local people and their lovely natures. Very friendly smiley folk who welcomed us into their villages and homes and we were particularly struck by the aura of contentment and happiness - the children were a delight. The animals were in abundance and we were very lucky to see the big 5 within the first two days. The beauty of the country and its inhabitants can only truly be appreciated "live" and we would thoroughly recommend the trip to anyone to see for themselves as photographs just don't do it justice - you need to be there to "feel" it, "smell" it, "taste"it - to drink it all in.

Your company does not present itself with a false image - the accommodation is not luxurious but you are clear about this. The information you provide on your website is comprehensive and mostly accurate and they are keen for feedback from their clients. Our guide was excellent, he had an abundance of knowledge and his supporting staff, drivers and cooks were great.

Our message to anyone thinking of a safari holiday is to do it and we are sure you will enjoy the experience of the stunning scenery, rich game areas and friendly people. We would recommend travelling with a fair trade company because this benefits the locals and offers travellers a true insight into their culture - don't miss it.

Jenny Sharp & fellow travelling companion Wendy Middleditch

----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Bresnihan
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Thank You

Dear Chris,

I have been meaning to write to you for weeks but somehow didn't get around to it.

Never before have I written to a company responsible for organizing a holiday to thank them for their services. I have no hesitation in making an exception with IntoAfrica. My recent week in Tanzanzia on safari was memorable, as I believe it was for all those who shared that time with me. And this was not due just to the African landscape and the incredible range of wild animals, which we were privilged to see. All of that could have been delivered by any of the tens of safari companies operating out of Arusha. No, it was because of the IntoAfrica itinerary - the mixture of the cultural and national park visits - and the staff including all those in the guesthouse. All were so kind and went out of their way to make our time with them so special. And it was all done in an African way, which all members of the safari group appreciated very much. I suspect too that your website attracts a particular type of person, which explains perhaps why our group blended together so well. It could so easily have been otherwise. IntoAfrica have the right balance and I hope there are no plans to change it. In any case, I wish you, your partners and IntoAfrica every success for the future.

Fondest Regards,

Brian

----- Original Message -----
From: Samantha Mcbride
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris, Yes we are back home, with many wonderful memories of our trip to Africa. We trust you had a productive time in Moshi, and are now safely home with your family.

We have spread the word about your company, and the many good acts that you are doing for your clients and the people of Tanzania and Kenya. When I tell our friends about our experience, I tell them that we were on an Animal/Cultural Photographic Safari . Seeing all of the animals of Tanzania, so healthy and plentiful and close up, was definitely an experience of a life time, on the other hand, meeting many of the different people of Tanzania, gaining a deeper knowledge of how they live, how hard they work and how friendly they are, was certainly a "highlight". We were most impressed at how your staff went out of their way to welcome us, take good care of us, and go the extra mile to allow us to accomplish all of our goals. (providing the extra car to take us from Moshi after Dan's 1/2 marathon, was most appreciated). Furthermore, we enjoyed spending a week with people from different parts of the world, Japan, Thailand and Ireland, it just added to the experience of better understanding the people of our world. We felt like we really connected with these folks, as we all seemed to have a common concern for the welfare of our fellow human beings, a concern for the people of Africa, all because of the type of trip you offer people.

Dennis and our other support staff, were fantastic. I hope Dennis has a very successful life, he is intelligent, good natured, concerned for the well being of others (clients as well as the folks working under him) and just fun to be with. You should feel proud that you have been instrumental in giving this young man an opportunity to be a success in life.

Please feel free to use any of our comments, and/or send people our way for questions, etc. If you would like me to send you any photos of the trip, I would be glad to.

Again, thank you so much for providing this "Life Experience" for us, we so appreciate all of your hard work.

As always, Smiles, Samantha McBride

----- Original Message -----
From: Gus M. Garmel, MD
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: Comments/feedback from Gus Garmel


Dear IntoAfrica - What an amazing trip!

The safari was incredible - camping was great. Food was fantastic! Everyone as part of the IntoAfrica team was truly wonderful, helpful, pleasant, etc. Also, Emmy arranged for us to visit AICC hospital, where we donated some medical supplies and met the staff (I am a physician in the US). That was very nice too.

The trip was wonderful. I had such an incredible time. The camping equipment was great, tents and pads especially. There was plenty of bottled water (thanks for that). The mix of showers and non-showers was fine, and the events planned (dance show one night and guitar at the campfire on the Masai bush campgrounds) were wonderful. The cultural tours were superb, one of the reasons (in addition to IntoAfrica being a fair-traded company) we selected IntoAfrica. I have already recommended your company to 2 groups of our friends. Laura had heard of your company from the Lonely Planet guidebook.

Things were wonderful - a trip of a lifetime. Thanks to the staff (esp. Dennis, but also Daniel - who was a wonderful driver and animal guide, the cooks, esp. John and Amos, and Rose and Athman (who accompanied us to the hospital that last day). All were wonderful, nice, honest, pleasant, interesting, and good people. Definitely a well-run company, withseemingly loyal staff.

Only thoughts about things to change - accepting credit cards for payment would have made things a bit easier. But everyone treated us extremely well and we felt very fortunate to be with your group.

Again, thanks for a memorable trip. The activities were great, the safari and climb were really beautiful. The animals and what we learned was really terrific. Oh, one more thought. Daniel was amazing with spotting animals, but didn't offer as much information as Dennis did. That was a great way to split things up, since each vehicle had an advantage in this way. But, just something to think about, having identical vehicles might be helpful for others in the future.

It was truly amazing as a trip, and we hope to come back to Africa in the future. When we do, we will certainly use your company again!
Thanks for a wonderful experience.

Gus Garmel and Laura Kerr
California, USA

----- Original Message -----
From: Irene Toxopeus
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,
We would like to thank you and everyone at IntoAfrica for making our trip to Tanzania so wonderful!!! Our trip was a dream come true. Everything was so well arranged, the food was wonderful, Dennis and Daniel's passion for wildlife and knowledge of the animals, culture and environment was exemplary. We are trying to convince all our friends to go on this trip and would be very happy to act as references.

Many many thanks,
Justin and Irene

----- Original Message -----
From: HIPPOHYENA
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,
First of all we apologize for the delay of our feed-back but we have a lot of problems with our job. What we can say about our travel?

The tour was interesting and satisfying our expectations: all the places we have seen were good ones and we didn’t suggest any change for your tour.

The wildlife and the sightseeing have been very nice in all the parks; it’s difficult to choice the best, also if Ngorongoro has a plus: coming down in the early morning with the fog and see the cloud going gradually out of the crater is really suggestive. Also the visit in Mto Wa Mbu and in Longido to see Masai was really interesting.

About your team……. it was really great!!!! Starting from the guide Dennis, continuing with the drivers and also the cook and the assistants: professional, always smiling (we have notice that this is typical of a lot of people in Tanzania) and in harmony between them and with us.

As Italians we cannot forget to mention the delicious food.

Finally we can say that we will suggest you company by e-mail to our friends because our travel has been a great one: I don’t know how many new customer we will able to take to your team because a lot of people as fear of African disease (especially malaria), on the other hand I hope that this promotion will flows to other contacts and may be……...

Jambo Buana Habari Nzuri Sana………… and we didn’t remember how to write the other words.

Daniela Marra & Alessandro Ravera

----- Original Message -----
From: Warren Tofts
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: RE: feedback

Dear Chris,
I'm sorry that my response was delayed in providing feedback to your email. However I have been very busy in Africa. I'm back in England now.

The trip was truly amazing! Words don't express how good it was. I have seen not just the "big five" but many different animals also. I went to 3 other countries, Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia. I'm glad I went with your company first as it was a great way to be introduced to Africa.

I think that of the two countries, Kenya was easier to manage with my wheelchair. I felt that in Tanzania things were more basic. I’m aware that its a less developed country that would explain why! Certain members of the group felt the roads were worse that they imagined. I think that in the
itinerary there could be reminders that the roads are not like in the western world. As obvious as it sounds, people need reminding. I was o.k because I had been to places like Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Besides this is Africa. Travelling on the road is part of the adventure. That's something about this trip that I liked. You see more by road travel.

On the hygiene issue, I think one of important items that people maybe could be aware of is dry soap. Its a liquid that is rubbed on the hands and cleans like soap. That is very useful I got mine in Millets.

I think that something that I liked about the trips was that there were different guides and drivers, therefore you meet more people from the countries visited. I really liked going to the Maaasi and going into the school in Tanzania. I look back at this trip and can't believe how many different experiences we had! Truly breath-taking!

I also went to Ethiopia, which has so many different cultures such as the Mursi. Do you think your company will expand into other countries? Ethiopia also has animals in the Simien Mountains and Hyena men in Harar.
cheers
Warren

----- Original Message -----
From: Ian Chisholm
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris
Actually we only got back from Africa at the weekend, having stayed on for another 10 days, including a week in Zanzibar. Hence the delay in responding.

We had the most fantastic safari trip. Our guide, Dennis, said we were very fortunate to see so many animals and birds. Among the highlights were the wildebeest and zebra migration in Serengeti; numerous close encounters with lions and elephants ; and the trip to Lake Natron which included seeing a cheetah at close quarters.

We also enjoyed the cultural aspects of the safari which split up well the game drives. The Oldovai Gorge and Engaruka visits were very interesting from the archaeological perspective, while the insights into local tribal culture at Mto Wa Mbu and Longido were hugely worthwhile. Not perhaps surprisingly we were particularly interested in the Maasai.

While we were no doubt fortunate in our encounters with the animals, much of our success was due to the excellent IntoAfrica team. We were most impressed with the hard work, skill and good humour of the whole team. Athman was a superb driver, particularly on the amazing route to Lake Natron, and spotter of wildlife; Lugda was an excellent cook; and Dennis was a magnificent guide - very well informed, with encyclopedic knowledge given in a well-balanced manner, and good natured. We were looked after royally by all three.

Everything worked so well that it is difficult to think of anything that might improve the experience for future travellers. We did note during our walking safari at Mto Wu Mba that some of the local women provided traditional meals for tourists and you might wish to consider including this as an option. On the basis of your kit list we brought sandwich boxes and water platypluses, neither of which were required because you provided water bottles and lunch. I appreciate this may not be the case with all your safaris and generally the kit list and other briefing you provided was very helpful. There was some slight embarrassment when we were tipping the local guide at Engaruka as to whether there was a local tourist tax but I appreciate that you do not always have up-to-date local information.

Please pass on our appreciation to everyone involved. We have no objection to you posting our comments on your website.

Thanks and best wishes for the company in the future.
Ian Chisholm

----- Original Message -----
From: Simon Butler
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: RE: feedback

Dear Chris

We really enjoyed the trip, I even coped with the camping which is not my forte. The best thing about IntoAfrica was the staff.

Emmy was a complete star, we had plane delays on the way out and missed the Amsterdam-Nairobi flight, I called her and she immediately offered to sort us out with accommodation overnight in Nairobi and a guy to pick us up from the airport, which was a weight off our minds. She was also really helpful with the onward arrangements to Dar booking the bus tickets and the hotel for us.

The safari was great, our guide was Denis who took a real joy in his job, spotted loads of great animals- the best was the dot in the distance in Ngorongoro which did turn out to be a Rhino that ambled about 100 yards past us. Enjoyed having Denis join us for meals as well so we could chat about Tanzania and its culture. The meals were great, very tasty and Elias kept up a good standard to the end.

Enjoyed the cultural bits as well, the day at Lake Manyara village was a nice break from bumpy roads and the visit to a Maasai Boma at the end was very interesting.

All in all we had a fabulous trip, very much appreciated that everything that was supposed to happen did happen and on time and that the team of Denis, Athman and Elias were great to be around. the structure of the camping with 3 nights bush, 2 nights more comfortable is good to give us a break.

Feel free to quote anything if it's of value - not sure how coherent this is as I haven't quite landed and still have the trots and feel a bit grotty. Pass on our thanks to your staff.

Regards, Simon

----- Original Message -----
From: Kirsten Cannon
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Chris,
We had a wonderful time.

The staff was excellent and took care of every need and want we could have ever imagined. The food was great. Our guides were great. Basically everything was super. An added benefit were the neat people we meet on both the trek and the safari. With an eco-tour focus, it seems that IntoAfrica attracts may like-minded folks. The cultural tours were one of the highlights of the trip.

A couple of things I would recommend:

Hope this info helps. You are welcome to post on your Web site. Is you have USA customers who are unsure due to the money orders, I would be happy to e-mail with them.

If you have any questions or concerns about my feedback, please let me know.
Thanks again for a great trip!

Kirsten

----- Original Message -----
From: Yngve Sem
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd ; Elisabeth Valvik ; Frode Velde
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris! - How are you?

We know that feedback from our safari comes much too late, but we hope that our experiences is still useful information for you.

No one of us had ever been to Africa before, and we did really not know what to expect when arriving in Arusha, but the next day Dennis and the rest of the safari crew came and picked us up, and we went for the safari. We could not have been more lucky. We got perfectly along with the whole crew.

Dennis (guide) was a great person. He had answer to all the questions that we had, and he learned us a lot during the safari. He told us about the vegetation in general, about all the animals and the history of the area. That was great because we did not only want to observe but also learn as much as possible. Then it is important to have a guide that is well-informed, and Dennis knew everything.

Ludigo (cook) is a very fine cook. It is amazing what he can cook with so simple tools. There was no meal that we did not enjoy. Every day there was a new type of soup and a good hot meal. I think it was especially interesting when he cooked for us at the Masai camp. He put the coal directly on the ground and had several dishes cooking at one time. It was also totally dark he had used a torch so see what he was doing. It was great.

Atman (driver) was also a great person and drove us safely around in the National parks, and got very enthusiastic sometimes.

All the equipments like tents, car, food and all accessories were fine and we do not have any complaints. Personally I think only one thing was missing and that was a “go away elephant” device. I woke up approx one o’clock in the morning and had a desperate need for peeing. Outside there was an large noisy elephant wondering around the tent, and that did certainly not help. It was frightening even if Dennis had told us several time that the animals did never attack the tents. But he strongly advised us to not bring food in the tent.

One of the reasons we did choose Into Africa was because of the cultural program. We found it very interesting. We learned very much about the African/Masai peoples everyday life. We have many moving memories from that, and also from the children school that we are supporting when using Into Africa as tour-operator.

Thank you for offering a great safari and the fantastic hospitality!

We wish you and all of Into Africa a happy new year, and give our best greetings to Dennis and everybody else next time you visit them.

With very best regards

Yngve Michael (Mike) / Anne
Frode / Elisabeth


-----Original Message-----
From: Kim Savo
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Feedback

Dear Chris,

We arrived home yesterday, and I am still reeling from the landscape shock--there is just so much tarmac and concrete here in L.A. and such an absence of that red earth.

You are welcome to post the following on IntoAfrica's web site.

We had an excellent experience all around.

The food was the best we ate in the month we were in Tanzania. Kudos to John, who even conjured up pizza in the Serengeti. We are happy carnivores, so we were especially glad of the goat stew. If anything, there was a superabundance of food. Our only suggestion is to potentially decrease the size of the day time meals and instead provide some snack foods for the game drives. By the time we got back for lunch we were often ravenous.

Dennis is a superior guide and a lovely person. Not only did he know about the various big animals and enormous variety of birds, but he had lots of information about plant life. We would be remiss if we did not also praise Wilfred for his services as a guide despite his title of "driver." He has the best eyesight imaginable and an incredible instinct for spotting animals even while driving. We saw a rhinoceros through our binoculars only after he spotted it with his naked eye at an extreme distance. I should mention his animal noise impressions and general good humor. We often felt luckier than people in other groups because we were seeing so many animals and having a lot of fun at the same time. The only suggestion we have for any of the guides is that sometimes they would respond to our questions directly rather than asking translating them for the local people participating in the cultural tourism programs. Even if the guides technically know the facts, it is more important for the local people to respond so that there is an engagement between the tourists and the local people (and, of course, sometimes even the guides are surprised by the answers....) The whole crew worked like a well oiled machine setting up and breaking camp.

Just when we felt that the pace of things was wearing us out, there was a well-timed break from the game drives by going to the Serengeti Museam, Oldupai gorge, and spending a day in Mto wa Mbu on a cultural tour. We very much appreciated this breather from the game drives and, of course, were pleased to have the cultural tour as well. The Makonde carvers were the most interesting for us because we were able to watch them at work. It would be ideal if people could see the women's group doing their basket weaving as well rather than just going to the house of one woman to look at the finished products. I think everybody enjoyed going to the bananna beer "pub." Although the Maasai market wasn't very busy because we happened to be there on Christmas day, we had a very good experience because we stood in a group more or less surrounded by mostly Maasai women, and we were able to ask some questions of them through one of the Mto wa Mbu guides (Abraham, who for the record is also excellent), and there was lots of mutual observation.

We were perfectly comfortable with our camping accommodation. The provision of the mattresses was great for us. At the Serengeti camp site, we recommend that some water buckets be provided for use in the bathrooms in the absence of running water. We recognize that Into Africa has no control over the conditions at the National Park camp sites when there has not been rain for a long time. However, knowing that there is no running water there, for the sake of cleanliness, it is important for all of the companies to encourage their clients to keep the facilities clean. Perhaps this is something that can be worked out through a collective of the companies??

Bottom line--excellent. I was sufficiently pleased that I am planning to arrange a trip for my parents through Into Africa.

Thank you for giving us a wonderful experience.

Kim Savo
Los Angeles, California

----- Original Message -----
From: Broo, Marie
To: 'IntoAfrica UK Ltd'
Subject: RE: feedback

Hi Chris,
I'm now back in business since one week.

I must say that our safari was absolutely fabulous. Your staff, Dennis, Elias and Athman treated us like queens and best friends at the same time. Of course we saw the big five plus much more and learned a lot about the wild animals in Tanzania. The cultural activity made a huge impression to us. Even if it's not fun to se the injustices and suffering it's an important reminder we wouldn't like to be without. With a good sense of humour, not even a flat tire could change that; we spent seven terrific days with IntoAfrica. Dennis was the perfect guide, Elias the perfect chef and Atman the perfect driver. When the time has come for us to climb Kilimanjaro we will definitely contact IntoAfrica again.

Of course you can post our comments on your web site, (even if the English is quite bad)

Best regards
Marie (from Norway)

----- Original Message -----
From: Julie Ekedahl
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: feedback


Chris,
Leif and I just wanted to say a few things to you about our trip to Tanzania with your company. First of all, all of the people were wonderful. Our guide, Dennis, was also great. He was very friendly and fun to be with. He is also incredibly knowledgeable; the few times he did not know the common name of a plant or bird, he knew the scientific name. We learned a lot from him about the animals and about Tanzania,and he even taught us some Kiswahili and Chagga. Our trip would not have been the same without him. Athumani, the driver, was a very good driver and he made us feel safe on the road. He also spotted a lot of animals that we would have missed otherwise. Our cook was John, and he was great too. All of the meals were good and everyone was always helpful.

We also really appreciated the cultural tourism opportunities IntoAfrica provides. We saw plenty of animals and learning about Tanzania and its people added a lot to the trip. Fortunately, our local guides spoke English, and Dennis also added some of his own information and experiences. The equipment was in great shape, including the sleeping bags we rented.

Thanks for a really spectacular trip. We will highly recommend your company to any of our friends that want to go on safari and to anyone who asks about our trip.

Sincerely,
Julie and Leif Ekedahl

----- Original Message -----
From: Meredith Fox
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris -

Tanzania is an amazing place! We definitely feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to take such a grand trip. Your staff at IntoAfrica was absolutely fabulous in nearly every respect.

Our first week was spent with Dennis as our guide, Elias as our cook, and Athmani as our driver. The three of them did a wonderful job leading us on the Tanzania Explorer trip. Dennis did everything we could have asked, including explaining the culture, translating, pointing out animals, and even picking ants out of our bags one morning. In addition, he was great at keeping us company when we ate our meals. Most importantly, he continually asked us how things were going and was very up front about this being our trip. While he made suggestions, he always let us dictate the schedule. Dennis is an A+ guy!

Our days in Ngorongoro, the Serengeti, and Lake Manyara were absolutely fabulous. There is not many thrills greater than being face to face with a lion. Our only complaint was that the game drives tended to get long given the heat and tough road conditions. Shorter, more frequent, drives might have been preferred at times.

The food was excellent throughout. Elias came up with much better food than we normally have when we're camping here in the US. Athmani traversed the rough roads as well as could be expected. In addition, all our gear was treated with the utmost care throughout.

The most enjoyable part of the trip for us was the time spent in Longido with the Maasai. Sitting in a traditional hut with the women, hiking up to the warriors training center, and meeting many of the friendly Maasai people were exceptional experiences. Meredith tells everyone how cool it was to spend a night in a camp guarded by Maasai warriors. The local guide in Longido, Rogate, was great. His insights into the Maasai culture were extremely interesting and added a great deal of flavor to our time in Longido.

Our additional time was primarily spent in Arusha or Marangu. We weren't as thrilled with the cultural experience in Marangu. It might have been that we were extremely tired by that point, but there was a great deal of hiking without a clear explanation of where we were going. Our local guide in Marangu, Walter, could have provided us a bit more background on what we were going to do and what clothing/footwear we would need. Despite this, learning of the Chagga culture was extremely interesting and once again we encountered many friendly people.

Our accommodations were great throughout and your staff made certain that we were comfortable.

We have absolutely no regrets about traveling to Tanzania with IntoAfrica. It might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us, though we both hope to return to East Africa again someday. We will certainly recommend your company to anyone thinking about this type of adventure. Thank you once again and continued success.

Sincerely,
Meredith Fox & Jon Steadland
Minneapolis, MN

----- Original Message -----
From: Christina von Borcke
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback


Dear Chris,

I have been meaning to write to you and thank you for the fantastic time we had on our safari. As we are still travelling, I had not gotten around to it yet.

We had a fantastic time and were so impressed with the whole package of the trip. It was brilliant, Dennis was so knowledgeable and fun to be with, Elias a fantastic cook and Astmo (spelling most likely wrong) such a conscientious driver! We felt very spoilt and so well taken care of. We also enjoyed that Dennis ate with us and were amazed to see in other groups that that was not the norm. We learned a lot more about life in Tanzania than we would have otherwise.

In retrospect, while experiencing other set-ups did we fully appreciate why, even for two people having a driver as well as guide (and cook) was favourable. One person cannot manoeuvre these rough roads, spot wildlife and tell us about their habits and histories... The experience is so much more enriched. The funniest bit was when a Maasai warrior (intoxicated by their local brew...) liked the looks of me at the Maasai market in Mto Wa Mbu and Dennis and Abraham (from Cultural Programme) had a fun and hard time convincing him that we could not go to his boma (not knowing how far it was - "behind the third tree to the east"). Only when I pronounced a firm no (on Dennis' wise recommendations) did he let us go.

We also loved the cultural aspect and were eager to learn about village life. It enriches the trip to actually understanding life in rural Tanzania. I suppose we can only give minor advise to maybe improve the experience, but that might be a personal thing: After having been to the Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater, Lake Manyara is no match-we could have easily skipped that. We also visited this after we had been to Mto Wa Mbu village and we had become so interested in understanding life in the village better. These might only be personal preferences, but maybe a thought for options? Nevertheless, we loved the trip and have been recommending you constantly to fellow travellers. We now have been travelling for five weeks and that week was a true highlight!

So thank you so much and give our warmest regards to Dennis and the crew. We might be back to climb Kili next year???? You never know!!!!

Christina & Peter von Borcke

ps: a small thought: Dennis always referred to us and others as clients. This is true but maybe "guests" is a warmer and friendlier expression.

----- Original Message -----
From: GSynergy(iCable)
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback


Dear Chris,
I was just back home yesterday. It was a long journey from Nairobi to Hong Kong (13 hours flight).
The trip was very good and enjoyable.

What worked well:
- All the people working with IntoAfrica were nice and friendly.

- The tour was well structured with both Safari and Cultural program. I enjoyed the this good combination and that's also one of the reasons I choose IntoAfrica.

- The food prepared by the cook was excellent and delicious.

- Dennis and the drivers were excellent in spotting animals and that allowed us to see more (e.g. tree climbing lions, cheetah, leopard...)!

What might be improved:

- We enjoyed a lot walking instead of inside a car. When some of us see a giraffe when we were walking, everyone of us was very excited. Maybe more of this.
- The people from cultural program could provide lunch and I would suggest one of our lunch be prepared by them so that we could have a taste of real local beer and food.
- As I am not a native English speaker, it would be good if there is one book about the animals in every vehicle so that we have a look on the name and details of the animals spotted.

You are welcomed to put my comments on your website. Please feel free to resturtured my senetence if necessary.

Cheers,

Alan Chua from Hong Kong

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Henderson Smith
To: contact@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: Thanks


Hi Chris,

I hope you are recovered from your back problems. We were very concerned about you.

Sorry this has taken so long, Richard will email you soon no doubt with all sorts of comments, but I just wanted to say 'thankyou' for a marvellous holiday. Everyone was so friendly, and I think that is the most important part. The way we were transported in and out of Arusha, and generally helped was a major part of the holiday. The guides on the trips were fantastic, particularly Julius and William, but everyone played their part. The only negative as far as I was concerned was the state of one of the toilets at one of the Serengeti camps. I think the National Park authorities have a responsibility there, as we did pay park fees. Just a daily clean with disinfectant would be all that's required. Other than that is was all marvellous, and the details were well thought out. The visit to the Maasai was the really high piont, but it was all great. Thank you for looking after us so well. We ought to have paid more attention to the weather details, we packed all the wrong clothes, but that was our fault!

Best wishes,it was a pleasure to do business with you,

Judy (Henderson Smith)

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Edelstein, MD
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Re: feedback

Chris--hi there! US of A is boring, as usual (well, I guess if you have to work all the time like I do and sit all day on your kiester).

Here's the feedback: wonderful experience, tailored just as we wanted it; our time with the Hadzabe was incredible. You and your staff were very attentive and sensitive to our needs. Can't see much to improve (well, maybe some smoother roads ...) Denis is great! If you want some quotable quotes for any promotional material, we will be happy to oblige with more.

I have not written any articles; maybe I'm all blather about this, or maybe I will write something soon, but I will be sure to let you know.


I gave info about IntoAfrica to a guy we met at the Philadelphia Airport on the way back home. He said he planned a safari for the late summer or fall. Indian guy, born in Bombay, now lives in the States, would be bringing his girlfriend. No clue about his name. Hope he gets in touch with you. And I hope this travel ban nonsense ends soon; I imagine these bans have far-reaching economic consequences and I'm not sure they help us stay "safe."

Rick

----- Original Message -----
From:J C
To: 'chris@intoafrica.co.uk'
Subject: Comments & Thanks

Dear Chris,

Eleanor Davies, Nick Davies, Theresa Canning and I (Joe Corless) have just returned from our safari and Mt. Kilimanjaro climb (1-15th December 2002). Without doubt, northern Tanzania is a fantastically beautiful region. All of the areas we visited had something special to recommend them - whether the teaming wildlife in the 'lost world' 'esque beauty of the Ngorongoro Crater; the magnificence of the wildebeest migrations on the Serengeti, or the massive array of bird life that flocks around Lake Manyara. Lake Manyara is also worthy of a double mention given the time spent at the cultural projects supported by IntoAfrica - particularly the school where our meeting with the children there can only be considered as precious.

The climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro was an experience that all of us are very proud to have successfully achieved, all the way to Uhuru Peak! Whilst obviously quite demanding, not to mention very cold at the top, the climb itself covered some beautiful forest and scenery with awesome views in the early morning/evenings when the lack of cloud permitted. The sunsets on the peak were majestic along with the euphoria of achieving the summit.

Throughout all of our journeys, the staff of IntoAfrica were nothing short of brilliant. Whilst everyone deserves a special mention, this e-mail would end up being too long. However, for the safari, Denis and his crew were superb - always smiling, happy, attentive and full of good stories/humour. Their knowledge of wildlife was excellent, not to mention their remarkable ability to spot things where others see nothing. Wilfred, our driver, was one of the friendliest people I have met and helped make the trip a real pleasure. Ludiger (I hope that is the correct spelling) along with m'Safiri were great cooks - especially considering everything down to baked breads were produced from an open fire! For Kilimanjaro, Oforo really knew his stuff. He set an excellent pace that ensured we all continued with the minimum of discomfort - something quite hard to do given the extremes of a 19,000 ft mountain. Elias produced great food and some of the best soups I have tasted. All in all, the entire team ensured that we were well cared for which cannot be over-rated for such an expedition.

IntoAfrica and all its staff have set a new gold-standard of care and concern that I am certain no other operators in East Africa can hope to match. All have been a great credit to themselves and your company to which all of us can only say a heart-felt thank you.

I for one will have no hesitation in booking another trip in East Africa with IntoAfrica. I am looking forward to the possibility of your company running trips to the national parks in the south of Tanzania to look for gorillas. I understand that such a trip is not yet in your itinerary, but will hopefully be for some point in the future. When you do, please be sure to let me know as both Theresa and I would love to come.

I wish you and all your staff a merry Christmas and the best of luck for the future with all the good work you do. Yours sincerely,

Joe Corless, Associate Director, MRCI

From: Joanna
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: RE: feedback


Hi Chris,
Finally tackling my personal e-mails now the work stuff is (almost) back under control !

I honestly can't think of anything that I felt didn't "work" on the safari. I really enjoyed it and the guys took great care of us. William I thought was fantastic as a tour guide, knew so much about the wildlife we were seeing and was also happy to talk lots about Tanzania in general when we were quizzing him non-stop. And I think we all enjoyed his story/quiz nights under the stars!!

We were in Wilfrid's jeep most of the time and the only thing I would suggest there is that you make more use of him other than just as driver (may be that you do already of course on other trips) - he acted as guide one of the days in the Ngorongoro when William was in the other jeep and he took on the guide role really well - again, huge amount of knowledge about the animals and local culture that he was happy to give to us (we met various other people during the rest of the holiday who had been on safaris and one of the common complaints seemed to be drivers/guides that didn't say much unless specifically asked questions - so made us realise even more how lucky we'd been with the IntoAfrica staff). He was also amazing at spotting animals miles in the distance when we still couldn't see them with our binocs ! And he was very patient with my attempts to learn some Swahili from him when I was getting to the animalled out stage !

On the food side, Ludgar and Mohammed produced minor miracles each night under not great conditions. I've become addicted to soup since I came back because of them ! Also, one of the girls - Rebecca - had her birthday while we were at Serengeti and they made a bit of a fuss for her, making her an amazing birthday cake which was really sweet. The only thing I would say - and its in no way a criticism of what we had - was that it would have been nice to have a couple of more "local specialities" nights with purely Tanzanian recipes - the menus seemed to be catering for westerners - but I can appreciate that that might not go down well with other guests hence the reason for more of a western slant. As I say, not a criticism at all, just a thought.

So, as well as being very hard working and capable they were all really nice guys and we had a lot of fun with them (hopefully we were nice guests for them too !).

I don't think there was anything that I can pinpoint that really went "wrong" - even on the day that we arrived at the Serengeti looking forward to having a shower only to discover that there was no water, the next day for lunchtime, when there was still no water in the camp, they found us an alternative one nearby that they drove us off to - much appreciated by all of us.

I particularly enjoyed the non-animal "cultural" days at Mbu Wa Mtu and Longido so I would definitely recommend keeping those on - that was one of the reasons that we chose IntoAfrica - other than the main fair trade / eco-tourism element - that I knew I'd get animalled out after a few days whereas Alison could watch them 24 hours a day - so your itinerary was a good compromise for us for what we each were interested in. You could maybe sell that aspect of it a bit more in your internet blurb re the Tanzanian Explorer (although may be of course that you're aiming more at the safari customers anyway) ?

So there we go, overall a great service from IntoAfrica and I'd definitely recommend you to other people. I'm getting my photos back (finally) tomorrow and really looking forward to them - I'd said to William too that I'd send him out copies for him to pass on to the school, maasai village etc when next he sees them, and I'll also say thanks to all the guys at the same time.

Regards
Joanna

From: Hilary C
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,
We arrived back this morning, having spent some time in Zanzibar.

The 'Explorer Trip' was fantastic. You have chosen a wonderful group of fellas. They could not have been any more helpful and interacted with us, which made it less of a 'them and us' situation. It also enabled us to learn more about the country and its people in a short space of time. Amel my daughter, will email you too, and she was enthused by the trip as much as me.

We were fortunate to have a good group of fellow travellers too! The safaris were dream- like and the memories will live on for a very long time. We all found the visits to the village and meeting the Maasai so interesting. It gave us an insight into Tanzania as it really is. This was certainly a big plus point.

I would also be grateful if you or your wife could thank Seria (I hope that is the correct spelling) for being so inspirational. I hope to have a photograph of Seria and myself, perhaps we could send it to her at some stage, if that is appropriate? Both Amel and I were captured by the Maasai dignity and charm. It was a great privilege to be able to be part of their lives, albeit for a short time. The group I know found the local visits very inspiring, fulfilling yet thought-provoking.

I came away wishing I could understand more of the language and culture. Thank you for creating such a trip. You have achieved a tremendous balance which deserves commendation. Please give a big hug to 'Dennis and his Crew' they are smashing folk!

Kind regards, Hilary

From: "pablo yee"
To: <enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk>
Subject: feedback

Hi Chris,

Thank you for asking for feedback, and for NOT sending a survey to fill out.

Fremon and I thoroughly enjoyed our East Africa Explorer trip. We liked all the locations we went to, we liked all the people we travelled with, we were happily surprised at how close the animals get to the Land Rovers, and we especially valued the personal time we got with the Maasai and Macunde and Kikuyu tribespeople.

I am an employer, and so I know how good it feels to get compliments about your employees. All of your people who worked with us were very good and are to be commended. In Kenya, that was Kimeli, Samwell, and Patrick. In Tanzania, that was Dennis, Willfred, Elias, Safiri, and Aswan. In particular, Dennis made sure everyone was always taken care of.

We think you all have made a good selection of what places to include in this trip. The one thing that we would suggest to do differently would be to shift the balanceto a little less game driving and a little more personal people culture time. Everybody really appreciated our morning walk through Mto Wa Mbu with the local guide, our mountain hike to the Maasai boys-to-men training area with the Maasai guides, and the time in each country when we were inside the Maasai homes in their manyettas.

That all felt great, and sets IntoAfrica's trip apart from other more expensive trips whose travellers don't get to be that personal.

We do a lot of sitting in the Land Rovers on this journey, so the walking is also a nice break from that. And of course, when we buy something from the person who made it, there is always that memory of experience that makes it more special.

Lastly, we appreciated the pricing of this trip, which made it comfortable to do.
We liked the sorts of people that the IntoAfrica trip attracts. No one was demanding or complaining, everyone was completely receptive to what we were experiencing.
And the personal contact with you via e-mail is very unusual for a business, and really kept us always feeling included and feeling like we chose the best tour for us to go with!

We have already recommended your website to many people.
Thanks for a great vacation!
Pablo Yee & Fremon Best

From: <ESAMUEL>
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear IntoAfrica,

My feedback is 100% positive. This was the first time I had done any camping and I must admit I was a little concerned but in fact, I found it a wonderful experience. I felt it offered an opportunity to get to know our staff much better as individuals and reduced the feeling of tourist and staff-- a real plus. I must admit I liked camping the last night in an "unsupported" campsite better than the conventional sites and I do not know if that would be possible in the parks as well. It was quieter and much cleaner.

All your staff were great but Franklin is your biggest asset. Lovely, knowledgable, enthusiastic and charming. Willie, the driver is amazing--spotted a leopard when we could barely make out the tree.

The walks to the farm and the visit in the Masai village were the high points for me. The cultural aspects were great--I had been concerned that it would be a very touristy experience but again--it was not. I brought a polaroid camera so I was able to give people pictures right then and there which was a wonderful way to open communications.

I look forward to traveling with IntoAfrica again and someday meeting you.

Ellen Samuel

rom: "Caroline Bond"
To: "'IntoAfrica UK Ltd'"
Subject: RE: feedback

Dear Chris
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you - we actually got back at the end of last week but things have been pretty hectic since then! We had a really wonderful trip - made all the better by getting engaged whilst on Safari !

Anyway, to our comments about the trip itself. The staff were great! Both the guides – Dennis and Dickson were also great. We both really enjoyed the cultural days both with the Maasai and at Mto Wa Mbu - a really good addition to the safari.

In terms of what might be improved - we were disappointed that Olduvai Gorge didn't include a trip to the gorge itself (although we decided to pay the additional $10 and walk to the site) and that after Ngorongoro and Serengeti, Lake Manyara wasn’t as spectacular.....rather than 2 drives at lake Manyara, we would have rather had an extra day in Serengeti which was fantastic.

Thats it ! We had a really wonderful time so thank you!


Subject: feedback
From: Legget, Susan (CA - Toronto)

Hi Chris,
yes we are back (although under protest!). Africa was amazing - truly a once in a lifetime experience I think. Dennis and his crew did just a fabulous job and it was a pleasure to spend the week with them. Food was amazing, the animals were far beyond any expectations I had and the cultural visits were fascinating - in fact, the visit to the villages were probably the highlight of the trip. We left feeling that we had learned much more traveling with IntoAfrica than we would have with another company - this is a huge credit to you and your staff.

I would be happy to speak (or email) with anyone who is thinking of traveling with you in the future and would be happy to share the excellent time we had with your company.

Thanks again for an unforgettable vacation and we'll definitely travel with you again once we get our next visit to Africa sorted out!!

Take care, Susan

From: "Davis, Cynthia Mire"
Subject: RE: Tanzania feedback

Dear Chris,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Indeed, we are very much back at work now and the fond memories of our African safari (and the beers shared with you at 7up!) do indeed seem like the distant past. We have shared many stories regarding our trip to Africa since our return, but of the 3 weeks we spent in Tanzania, the safari certainly was the highlight for me. I think I can attribute that not only to the fact that it was a unique and new experience for me, but also to the care and professionalism of our guides. Joseph, Willy and Elias were not only knowledgable about the parks and their wildlife, but also provided great company for the week. They seem determined to make certain we were enjoying ourselves, comfortable and spotting plenty of wildlife. We had a great time with them and I would recommend your tour and them specifically to anyone I knew planning a safari in Tanzania. Although we did not have the luxury accommodations of other tours, I think in the end we had a much more unique experience, especially the time we spent with the Massai. (Ken may have additional feedback for you, but I know he echoes my comments)

Hope all is well.

Cindy & Ken Davis
San Francisco, California

From: "Davis, Cynthia Mire"
To: "'IntoAfrica UK Ltd'"
cc: "Kenneth A. Davis (E-mail)"
Subject: RE: Tanzania feedback

Dear IntoAfrica,

Indeed, we are very much back at work now and the fond memories of our African safari (and the beers shared with you at 7up!) do indeed seem like the distant past. We have shared many stories regarding our trip to Africa since our return, but of the 3 weeks we spent in Tanzania, the safari certainly was the highlight for me. I think I can attribute that not only to the fact that it was a unique and new experience for me, but also to the care and professionalism of our guides. Joseph, Willy and Elias were not only knowledgable about the parks and their wildlife, but also provided great company for the week. They seem determined to make certain we were enjoying ourselves, comfortable and spotting plenty of wildlife. We had a great time with them and I would recommend your tour and them specifically to anyone I knew planning a safari in Tanzania. Although we did not have the luxury accommodations of other tours, I think in the end we had a much more unique experience, especially the time we spent with the Massai. (Ken may have additional feedback for you, but I know he echoes my comments)

FYI -- If you're interested, we can send you an internet link to our photos from the safari and the Massai boma.

Hope all is well. Give our best to Joseph, Willy & Elias

Cindy & Ken Davis
San Francisco, California

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