Kenya and Tanzania Tour Companies

Old Feb 26th, 2017, 02:18 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Kenya and Tanzania Tour Companies

We are starting to plan for a 2017 or 2018 trip to Kenya and Tanzania. Do you recommend any travel companies? Any feedback on Amani Afrika LTD in Tanzania (they are a Zicasso travel partner)?
alidahart is offline  
Old Mar 3rd, 2017, 01:48 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What a good plan its nice always to plan with an operator together they will guide you in that process, i have been to East Africa with www.ababasafaris.com i liked their services and i enjoyed it very well. i wrote my review for them in Safari bookings i visited their office for the final payments when i reached Uganda
Marike is offline  
Old Mar 6th, 2017, 11:30 AM
  #3  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you for your replies. I will research both companies.
alidahart is offline  
Old Mar 11th, 2017, 12:04 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 1,686
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I just did a safari with gamewatchers at porini lion camp and it was excellent. I did one in Tanzania 8 years ago, but found this one was so much better. I put a trip report on line, if you click my name you can find it
live42day is offline  
Old Mar 19th, 2017, 07:54 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 3,184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
i did one with gamewatchers as well about 6 years ago and really enjoyed it. i was at the rhino and the mara camps.
both tented camps were small and provided excellent service.
abranz is offline  
Old Mar 19th, 2017, 05:10 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 8,219
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We had a fabulous time with EASY TRAVEL. Every step of the process was great.
abram is offline  
Old Mar 20th, 2017, 04:20 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,974
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 1 Post
Another fan of Porini Lion here. Gamewatchers, the company that owns the Porini camps, can also book you into other camps all over Kenya and Tanzania. I've also done very well in Kenya with Asilia (Encounter Mara) and just returned from a phenomenal safari (my best yet) with Offbeat Mara Camp (Offbeat Safaris). I booked that directly with them and my package included transfers from NBO and the flights to/from the Mara. Couldn't have been easier.
amyb is offline  
Old Mar 21st, 2017, 07:19 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 1,686
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Amy glad you had a great time. Trip report? I had my best trip ever too
live42day is offline  
Old Mar 21st, 2017, 07:59 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,974
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 1 Post
I only do trip reports on Safaritalk now, which I think you have to be a member to read. Offbeat Mara was crazy good. I saw my first kill, had a phenomenal night drive with a pride of lions taking down an impala and we tracked a female cheetah and her two cubs for three days until they finally caught a meal. I'd see her at Porini Lion 3 years ago with a different cub, so it was cool to see her again. I'm finagling how quickly I can get back!
amyb is offline  
Old Mar 21st, 2017, 05:47 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,570
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi Amy. I likewise enjoyed the Porini camps. How did Mara North (Offbeat Mara's base) conservancy compare to Olare Motorogi (Porini Lion) conservancy in terms of numbers of animals and numbers of jeeps with fellow safari goers?
Porini Lion uses the fact of few (or no?) other camps in its conservancy as a selling point. Do you think it made any difference? Kwaheri!
CaliNurse is offline  
Old Mar 22nd, 2017, 07:08 AM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,974
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes on 1 Post
CaliGirl, I went at the exact same time so think I can make a good comparison. Game-wise it was very generous. I always keep a tally and we saw 52 individual cats in 6 days: 42 lions from 3 different prides, 5 cheetahs, 1 leopard, 2 African wild cats, 2 genets.

Sighting-wise, I felt like the sightings were very easily made, but we had an exceptional spotter who is well known in the industry as being incredible so I'm not too surprised by that. He just made sightings happen at will, it seemed. In OMC, I recall being on a leopard sighting with 8 or 9 other cars. In MNC, we had an actual active cheetah kill and a lion pride on a recent hippo kill with one other vehicle from our camp. We trailed a mother cheetah and 2 cubs for parts of three different days with one or two other cars. We had a lioness and two cubs on a fresh topi kill for nearly 2 hours just on our own. So traffic-wise, this was the lightest traffic I'd seen anywhere, despite MNC being larger and having more camps.

Also re: sightings, I felt that they were more than just finding sleeping cats. A lot of it is luck, and we also had some atypical brutal storms at night, which makes the cats more active the next day. But almost every sighting the cats were doing something: hunting, stalking, actual kill, eating, playing. One sub-adult male lion spent 20 minutes trying to dig a warthog out of a muddy hole, it was hilarious. We had a night drive after dinner where we followed a trio of lionesses with 7 cubs as they stalked and took down an impala, and then fought over it before they ate. I just felt blessed with every sighting being something more than just sleeping cats (which is fine, but you always hope for more).

I think if I were to return to the Mara (which is highly likely) I'd go back to MNC. I've been in OMC, Ol Kinyei, Naboisho and MNC and MNC was by far my favorite. We didn't even bother to go into the Reserve, the conservancy was so generous with sightings.
amyb is offline  
Old Mar 23rd, 2017, 10:55 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,570
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you AmyB for the detailed reply. My time in the Mara with the Porini's great spotter/driver team provided excellent animal sightings, but (just as you recall) while seeing the leopard , happily chomping away on a rock ledge, started with just our jeep, we were soon joined by numerous other trucks. Of course, we had some "alone time" but then, as is the norm, the driver generously shared the info. whither drivers in the area.-- just as we all benefitted from that info. No problem with the other jeeps, as long as it doesnt obscure the view, and as long as the people are quiet! Sill, I was surprised at the large number, as there are few other camps in Olare Motorogi. Two camps with three jeeps each still adds up.
Ironically, it sounds like with the far more populated (with camps) Mara North, you did not feel part of a crowd.
Thanks again for sharing your experience!
Thanks to all others who've given ideas and inspiration as well!!
CaliNurse is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Cheryl_Berkey
Africa & the Middle East
7
May 9th, 2011 07:08 AM
wlbox
Africa & the Middle East
11
Oct 7th, 2007 03:16 PM
puddinbabe
Africa & the Middle East
5
Oct 24th, 2005 06:01 PM
ji
Africa & the Middle East
6
Feb 27th, 2005 05:43 PM
omalei
Africa & the Middle East
20
Apr 28th, 2004 04:58 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -