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Africa Travel Resource
I'm intending to book a trip with Africia Travel Resource for a Kilimanjaro climb, followed by some time out on Zanzibar. To date they've been very helpful and accommodating. Prior to making my deposits I'm hoping that someone can provide input on, specifically, their Kili. climbs.
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No experience with ATR on kili climb, only on safari...not very impressed.
Here are some other options: http://www.kiliwarriors.com/ http://www.tusker.com/ |
Which climbing outfitter does ATR use?
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Patty,
It stands to reason that they would use MKSC for the climbs. MKSC, as a ground handler, was very weak in comparison to Nomad. For the unfamiliar, I did half of my Tanzania trip with MKSC as my ground handler and did not have a good experience and the other half of the trip with Nomad where I had an excellent experience. MKSC is ATR's ground handler of choice, but once I switched over to Nomad camps, I was then transferred to a Nomad vehicle and guide. Here is MKSC's website: http://www.tanganyika.com/ |
I concur with Rocco. I was on an ATR safari in January and was not impressed with their ground carrier, MKSC. The vehicle was in terrible condition, and the guide, while pleasant, showed no enthusiasm whatsoever and did not go out of his way to take us anywhere but to the next camp. Like Rocco, we also did part of the safari with Nomad, and everything improved significantly as soon as we were transferred to Nomad.
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Rocco and Leann will you share who your guide was with MKSC? This will help.
Tracie - Mt. Kili climb it a very unique and specialized type of experience. Would think about guides and companies who specialize in this area. Seems like there'd be decisions to make regarding which route/trail you'd want to travel,etc which may influence your choice for this experience. Unfortunately, I also do not have experience on Mt. Kili climb. ATR was very accommodating for me. Have you asked ATR for contact points or references from clients who've gone on Mt. Kili climb with them? Might try that. |
Our MKSC guide was Simon, a pleasant enough fellow, but he didn't do much to keep the vehicle clean and appeared to think his job was to transport us from one camp to another rather than to take us on game drives. He completely bypassed Olduvai Gorge on the way from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti. At one point we were watching a leopard in a tree when his cell phone rang, and he took the call. I must say it detracted mightily from the wildlife experience.
In all fairness though, I must mention that Lenny at ATR was very helpful in planning the safari. He answered my emails promptly, called a few times so we could discuss it, and kept reworking the itinerary until we had it the way we wanted it. My only problem with ATR is their choice of ground handler (MKSC), but I think that is the way they keep their costs down. Also, they push Olduvai Camp and Ronjo Fly Camp, in an effort I believe to keep their costs down. Leann |
ATR uses "The African Walking Company" for their Kili climbs.
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Ditto on what safarilover said. I am not going to mention my guides name...believe it or not I have forgotten it, and that is pretty bad since this is only four months ago and he is the first "private" guide that I ever had, and it was for seven nights. However, if you want to know badly enough you may look up my trip report.
The point is, however, that he was just not passionate about his job (despite being very knowledgable) and he made very little effort to keep the vehicle clean and arrived (probably through no fault of his own) in a vehicle in bad disrepair. I reported this immediately to Petra, ATR's person on the ground in Arusha who you will likely meet, but she brushed aside my concerns and then wanted to charge me an extra $150 per day for a vehicle in proper condition (assuming that their Land Cruisers are in any better condition than their Land Rover 110's). I will be the first to credit ATR for running a very professional organization in London for the bookings, but the end product fails miserably when in the hands of MKSC, and ATR should do something to address the problem. My guide, as well, received at least 3 - 4 cell phone calls per day, many from MKSC who obviously never stops to think that their clients don't want to hear cell phone conversations on their private game drives when they are supposed to be enjoying private guiding! |
thanks rocco. all links/information point to african walking company for their kili climbs. no mention what so ever about mksc. i have asked for references but often the bad experiences aren't shared as readily as the good ones.
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Just back and will have a (controversial?) report up sometime. But wanted to say we very much enjoyed our MKSC guide Edward, recommended by bat on this forum. I can't speak to other guides as we didn't use them. However, Edward is gearing up to retire soon, so he may be off the market. Also, just because we clicked with him doesn't mean others would. We ended up sharing a lot of laughs and he "delivered" everything. Our Nomad experience was a bit anomalous; I'll get to that in my report.
We also had the good fortune to meet Wilbert from Kiliwarriors in Arusha--a fantastic guy. If I were to climb Kili, I wouldn't hesitate to book with them. Just a great person, and they care very much about the mountain, their climbers and those working on the climb. I wouldn't necessarily use ATR again unless I could have Edward as our guide. I didn't think their customer service was all that great. Frankly, the little Arusha-based company we used last time was more responsive to our needs. You live and learn, I suppose. |
Leely!
Karibu nyumbani. My sincere condolences for being back. I’m looking forward to a very controversial report. |
Welcome back, Leely! Can't wait for your report, particularly the controversial parts ;)
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Yes Leely welcome back have you started planning your next adventure yet??!
J |
Thanks, Leely - very much looking forward to your report - all parts.
Welcome home. |
lovetodiscover,
You'll have a great trip; just make sure you push to get what you want from ATR. We had a wonderful time, but I wish I had been a little more insistent on a few points--not in my nature, really, so I'm not wild about having to do that with an agent/operator. |
Thanks, Leely. Been getting more concerned, after I'd already weighed the feedback on the board and made my own decisions. Look forward to your "issues" descriptions so can cover the bases from my end. Nick worked my itinerary and was incredibly patient and creative in his approach and very well informed due to his experience and personal travels.
The "guide" selection is my open issue. Helps to know Edward was good. Maybe he will be there through the end of 2007. Will be using Nomad at Mahale and little surprised about Nomad being anomalous given all the accolades from Rocco and some others. Waiting with anticipation...:) |
Leely
Likewise waiting with anticipation to hear your comments re Nomad. They were so much better than MKSC and Ronjo that our initial impression of them was that they were excellent. However, our experience at Mwagusi (Ruaha) and Sand Rivers Selous in southern Tanzania were far superior to Nomad. Leann |
Tracie - you might also think about Mountain Travel Sobek (MT Sobek) since they have a long history with Mt. Kili climbs.
You're probably thinking about this already, but I'd want to know what type of evacuation protection/support is offered and provided enroute. Oxygen needs, guides training/expertise in emergencies etc. If it's group understanding if the entire group returns or just a portion if some have to break off before reaching the summit. |
Welcome home Leely.
Looking forward to your report which at this time will probably be posted ahead of mine. Yup, not near having started. Bad girl, moi! Have a Happy 4th! |
Leann,
I thought Sand Rivers is a Nomad camp so I'm a little confused by your post. |
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Welcome back, Leely - can't WAIT for your report!! Kennedy, by the way is AMAZING!! We came home with not just a new friend, but an entire new family for a friend!
Sorry tracie we hijacked your report.. but please make sure to read BostonGal's report on climbing Kili - she wrote an awesome report! And, she booked it through ATR. When we were there (to have sundowners in front of it and to fly past it on our way to Zanzibar, not to climb it) I just couldn't stop thinking of all of the people on the board who had climbed it - my hat sure goes off to them, Eben especially who must climb it alot! But read Nicole's report if you haven't already, it will give a good insight into the climb. http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34774854 (REPORT) http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34775275 (PICTURES) There may be more who climbed Kili with ATR, check out the index and look through it, three are a few who have climbed Kili in it. http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34725679 |
Yes, Sand Rivers is a Nomad Camp, but everything about it--the bandas, food, management, guiding, vehicles, etc., were so much better than the Serengeti Nomad camp. The two places were so completely different that I keep forgetting that they are both Nomad.
Leann |
safarilover,
Looking back through your old posts, I see that you visited in January. Did you happen to be at Nomad's camps while the Migration was surrounding it? I was at Nomad in early March and we were setup in the Ndutu area and I rate this as my best wildlife viewing experience to date. Anybody who has spent a fair amount of time on this forum know that I love me my luxury lodges...Singita, Chichele Presidential Lodge, Simbambili, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Lake Manyara Tree Lodge...the more pomp and circumstance, the better! However, I will gladly trade away all of that luxury to have a wildlife experience like the one that was afforded to me by staying at Nomad's Serengeti camps. With Nomad's ground handling/guiding, there was never anything that was not possible, other than night game drives, and that is because they are prohibited. My Nomad guide, Chediel, was excellent and kept the vehicle in tip top shape, cleaning it a couple times per day, while I don't think the MKSC guide cleaned it once during the entire safari (or not even before the safari!). The one occasion in six days that my Nomad guide took a cell phone call, he apologized profusely, while the MKSC guide took numerous calls per day and thought nothing of it...many of these calls were from MKSC! |
Also, I think it is a bit unfair to compare a permanent lodge (Sand Rivers which also happens to be one of my favorite lodges!) and a mobile camp (Nomad Serengeti).
Everything considered (Greystoke, Chada, Sand Rivers and mobiles), Nomad should always be on the short list when planning an above average safari in Tanzania. However, competition is surely STIFF in the mobile world with the introduction of Olakira, Sayari, CCA Under Canvas, Suyan, EMC and Sokwe. |
lovetodiscover,
While at Nomad the other guests were all doing the Mahale/Katavi/Serengeti/Crater circuit, and with the exception of the Crater Lodge, all were staying with Nomad. They were all enjoying it immensely, so I wouldn't worry. As I said, our experience was anomalous: our scheduled guide suddenly became sick, so we had a freelancer--a terrific guy, but really not as familiar with the Serengeti as I had hoped we would be getting from a Nomad guide, fairly new to the Northern circuit. The camp was great. And of course someone becoming ill is far more serious than my holiday. Also, I met chrisamg and his bride at Mawe Ninga and later ran into them in the Seengeti. They were having a great time, so hopefully he'll report back when they return and let you know who their MKSC guide was. |
climbhigh, what about Wilderness Explorers? Just wondered what you thought of them as mobile camping.
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Sorry, I was refering to the new kids on the luxury block and the way they are raising the bar!
Apologies to the established mobiles not mentioned; Kirurumu, Amazing Tanzania, Unique Safaris, Kibo, Wildlife Explorer, Thompson, Royal African, Wild Frontiers and the ones I am forgetting - it is impossible to keep up! By all accounts Wildlife Explorer is really good but I have never seen their camps - entirely my problem not theirs! They are low profile which is a good thing! Note to self - visit Wildlife Explorer in August ;) |
Rocco
My apologies for not addressing your comments sooner. Yes, I was at the Nomad Camp in the Serengeti during the third week of January. The camp was located in the Ndutu area, and while I wouldn’t exactly say that we were surrounded by wildebeest, we certainly did see lines and lines of them moving south ready to drop their calves. We seem to be two of a kind. I probably like luxury lodges as much as you do and have had the pleasure of staying in many of them; however, I’m no stranger to tents, and am also quite fond of the rustic, “authentic safari experience” of a tented camp. Nomad was a fine place, as you mentioned—good guide, clean vehicle stocked with cool drinks, etc. For me, though on my first East African safari, the game viewing was a bit disappointing. I guess I had listened to too many people describe how easy it was to see a kill, how the lions lay down by the wheels of the vehicle, prides of 20+ lions, and more. We saw nothing of this. We saw lots of wildebeest, hyena, and some lions, and our most exciting sighting was a cheetah that had just killed. As a 20-year veteran of Southern African safaris, I didn’t know quite what to expect in East Africa and wasn’t too happy with the closed vehicles and the unrefrigerated box lunches. In East Africa we were out all day in a hot dusty vehicle, and honestly, the last hour or two, all I could think about was how good a shower would feel when I got back to the camp. In southern Tanzania, however, things were quite different and it reminded me a lot of South Luangwa. In Ruaha and Selous there were open vehicles, morning and afternoon game drives with a comfortable lunch at the camp, and particularly in Ruaha where we saw a pack of 28 wild dogs, the game viewing exceeded that of the Serengeti. In Mwagusi we had a shared vehicle, but only for 4 of us—not a problem, and Sand Rivers had totally customized activities. So with such a difference between the Nomad Camp in the Serengeti and Sand Rivers in Selous it was easy for me to forget that Sand Rivers is indeed is a Nomad Camp. On August 15 I’m off again to South Africa and my very favorite spot—Etosha! Leann |
anyone who has used ATR recently?
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Found their prices to be very high on my itinerary. But communication with them was pretty good. Except that they always tried to change things.
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Ditto to what dssxxx said.
Additionally, their ground operator, MKSC, was not so great and their vehicles were in bad shape. |
Good Morning All!
Just back from a 14 day trip booked by ATR to Northern Tanzania and Sand Rivers. Had a fabulous time and am now planning for 2008 already. But I just had to mention that everything arranged by ATR went perfectly. We were very happy with both of our MKSC guides, though one was preferred over the other. We cannot honestly say that the guides at Nomad (Sand Rivers) were better - it was a different experience altogether and we found at least one of the MKSC guides friendlier and just as professional. In terms of price, we paid just over $5,000 each in high season which incuded all internal flights (from Dar to Arusha and then from Serona to Selous) Moivaro Lodge, Gibbs Farm, Oldupai Camp (yes, rough around the edges, but we enjoyed the experience!) Migration Camp and Sand Rivers, then back to Dar at the Holiday Inn. Most of our stay was between Migration Camp and Sand Rivers. I have to say that had not MKSC driven to the norther border of Tanzania and Kenya we would not have seen most of the migration. We saw only 3 only companies that did that - Kleins Camp, Good Earth and Abercrombie. Everyday our vehicles were cleaned, and we only had one bad incident with a flat tire, which was not out of the ordinary. Overall, I cannot think of anything bad to say about ATR or MKSC, just good. And I looked for the negatives, after reading some trip reports on this forum!!...In fact I was getting scared just prior to our trip! But it was fantastic....magical almost. A trip report will be coming along with picures (we took thousands!) I must say that everyone had a fantastic time and I cannot see myself vacationing anywhere else but in Africa in the future! Jeanine |
And Treetops! How can I forget our stay at Treetops, where we had an encounter with John, the elephant (or should I say, John had an enounter with us?)! I loved this place....and Tarangire Park, one of our favourites, but more about that in the trip report! J
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I'd like to make a comment about the guides receiving cell phone calls while on gamedrive.
You can't blame them from picking up the phone! It's the way the system works. Most work on a freelance basis, and altough every company has some "preferred guides", those companies phone around constantly, to see who's on the market in the upcoming weeks, and who is not. |
Forgot to add; so by answering the phone, the guide is merely making sure he stays in business, and is also keeping contact with multiple tour operators.
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I must add that the whole time we were on safari in the north with MKSC, our guides must have restricted cell phone use to the evenings when we were not around, or during bathroom breaks. We did not witness them on the cell phone at all.
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Leann,
Where will you be staying in Etosha? We currently live in Namibia and have traveled to Etosha on a few occasions. Bill |
Welcome back, Jeanine! Can't wait for your trip report.
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