2Afrika
 

Hi Has anyone recently used 2Afrika. I'm planning a trip to Kenya February 2005 and need to know if they are a good company to use. I have looked at others and they don;t seem to have the 17 day trips I am looking for Thanks

Look at the "Help! Now What?" thread:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34662967

Purple, given the interesting commentary in the post being referred to you may have an interesting decision to make. And, as has been mentioned, comments (both positive and negative) from previous trips may not be a way to forecast future ones with a company. Should you have occassion to do a search on this board I have posted reports on a 2002 and 2004 trip to East Africa using 2Afrika. Both times we had a great trip and I spoke highly of that company and the in-country Tanzania Predators Safari Club but not so high as to the Kenya company in the 2004 trip. Yet, via this board there have been equally contrasting commentary as to both incountry firms. Undoubtedly that reflects the nature of the business with an individual guide or office person being extra good or not so good. All one can do is review feedback from numerous others and then proceed. So far I have not heard of anything that would cause me to ignore 2Afrika if I were planning a trip but then again I am not ready to plunk down big bucks for one right now either. Good luck in your plans. By all means do a search on this board as there is a wealth of information already posted.
Dick

Hello Purple,

Igoustay has a good point. However, one of the most relevant things in the 'Help! Now What?' thread is the fact that 2Afrika is not ASTA or ATOA registered. To me that rings serious alarm bells. I would never travel with an unbonded company, as you have little recourse if something does go wrong, as Wanderlust found out.

In any event, no matter what company you choose, make sure you get trip cancellation insurance that covers not only problems on your end, but problems with the tour company.

Please don't let this scare you off going to Africa -- there are plenty of good companies out there!

BTW, many companies will customise a trip for you if you are interested in a particular itinerary. Of course, this is not the same as being able to join a set departure and will cost you more.

Cheers,
Julian

My wife and I did a 2Africa tour to Tanzania last June. I would recommend 2Africa. We had some problems with the in country outfitter but Kenneth at 2Africa quickly rectified that problem.

Hello JTodd,

Do you mean Go2Africa (with a 'c') or 2Afrika (with a 'k')? The former is a reputable company which has received many good reviews -- the latter has received mixed reviews and by some reports is in considerable financial difficulty.

Cheers,
Julian

Julian,
I believe JTodd is referring to 2AfriKa. You can find some of his comments about problems with Predators in this thread -

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34645330

More recent reports seem to indicate that 2Afrika is now using Leopard Tours as their Tanzania ground operator.

2afrika is a great company, has been featured regularly in a variety of publications in the USA.

Hieber the president has been around for many years, generally gets involved with every booking and as far as I can tell judging his itineraries with competitors offers tremendous value.

Oh and btw, I have bumped into his travellers all over Africa, from Kenya to Botswana.

If you read your inclusions, exclusions and other value adds etc, you should not be dissapointed with 2A.

Shouldn't the "Help! Now what?" woman be coming home soon? I'm eagerly anticipating her report (really, really hope she posts one). Once she got everything smoothed out, it sounded like a fantastic, ambitious itinerary. She was all over that contintent!

Leely,
There have been a few posts recently about the 2Afrika Labor Day trip on the Frommers and Tripadvisor boards (I'm not obsessed with reading about Africa, am I? :D ). Comments were mixed. It sounded like the final itinerary was much different than the original one. No one has posted the actual final itinerary yet.

Yes, Leely, I have returned from my 32 day adventure in Africa, as of last night. I went to work today and the jet lag hits about this time of day for me. So, I am not quite ready to write up my posting of the trip. But I had some incredible experiences and it was truly a trip of a lifetime.

Welcome back, wanderlust123! Glad to hear things worked out in the end. Looking forward to your report.

Great, wanderlust. Get some rest--and welcome home! I'm happy things worked out for you.

Welcome Home Wanderlust123! Can't wait to hear about your trip!

Dennis

Wonderlust glad you had an amazing trip. Looking forward to hearing all about it. For me I am especially interested in the gorillas for my next African adventure but also the rest of your trip so I can re-live adventures & plan new ones!

P.S. Our trip in Feb was with 2Afrika. I wrote a bief report but to sum up it really was a great trip and as far as 2Afrika was concerned I have no problems with their service at all.
J

Is there ANY good reason for a company like 2Afrika NOT to have the travel certifications Jasher referred to in his post above? From the travelers point of view, I think not... It's a way to cut costs I'm sure, but if that cost-cutting leaves a traveler with problems without recourse...well that is in the company's interest but not the travelers interests
Anyone who choses a company without this does so at their own risk, and should not complain if they run into problems.

I just got back from a 2Afrika trip to Tanzania. They used Predators in country and they both seemed very good to us. We did have problems during the pre-trip time, but that is when they were incurring their worst problems as a company. They did fulfill all of thier promises, except one, and we don't really hold them accountable. We tried to arrange a hot-air balloon ride (though a separate company) and were let down when we got there, they had over-booked thier trips. The pres. of 2Afrika told us not to pay in advance, that there could be issues (weather, etc.) and that it would be hard to get our money back in that case. Well, it happened, (the government shut down one balloon, leaving only two) and there were 4 others in our group that paid and did not get to fly! Again, not really 2Afrika's fault. We would use them, or Predators again. But through it all, just remember, that your guide (luck of the draw, unless you know of someone specific and ask for them in advance) can make or break your experience. If you'd like to talk, or want more info, please feel free to e-mail [email protected]