New Tour Operators?
 

Just when I had almost narrowed down the tour operators for Tanzania mentioned on this board I found a few more at the NY Times Travel Show that sound good. Proposals are forthcoming.
Anyone have any experience with Awaken to Africa, Maasai Wanderings and/or Mango African Safaris?
Thanks

Never heard of them but I like their names.

yeah....nice names!!! I like the awaken to Africa name!!!

I logged in last night and saw that all of my comments have been taken away. Can anyone tell me why? I saw a comment from the 'moderator' that said something about being a tout.....my name is Joanne Naseem from the UK - I have spent the last twelves years working for NGOs between southern and eastern Africa with my husband and young son. I am currently in Tanzania and have been for three years working on educating Maasai women about healthcare and family planning. Since I have been here so long my friends and family have been visiting me and after I found Maasai Wanderings via the web one day and they replied immediately to my email, I have used them for my visitors and their service has been exceptional in every way. Is it fair to accuse someone of being a 'tout' when you are recommending a company. I have also used Kibo Safaris, who are also excellent as well when I had VIP guests visit (but too pricey on our NGO budget for just us travelling) so am I their tout too?

Certainly, I wouldn't consider you to be a "tout" if you are recommending companies you've used. I travel with Kibo in Tanzania and recommend them on a regular basis, but that doesn't make me a "tout", either. There are rules against advertising on the Forum and the editors have come down on certain agents who were a bit too "enthusiastic" on the Forum, but it's hard to know when and where the moderator will draw the line. If you don't have much of a "history" of postings on the Forum, they may assume that you are just advertising your own company.

Thanks ShayTay for the feedback - now I understand. I can also understand that some companies may masquerade and promote themselves, but it shouldn't be assumed and then your input deleted fairly swiftly. I came across this forum only a couple months ago (a friend told me it was a great resource) and only a few days ago decided to post my first reply because I felt I had something to offer as I live and work in the areas that were mentioned and see first hand how some things pan out here - many times coming back from villages I have offered lifts to stranded tourists after their company's vehicles were broken down or they went with some 'fly by night' operators, who when they ran out of money, abandoned the tourists. So if I recommend someone who dares to provide good service for good value and I enjoy it - I don't apologise for recommending them here for other travellers to read.

Queen: I do not have direct experience but one of the two owners of Mango is based in Denver. I have been to a slideshow of hers and met her. She's nice, has travelled extensively to inspect lodges and seemed to both have good knowledge and many satisfied clients at the presentation where I was.

Travellingjoe,

Hope to read more from you in the future. Sorry about welcome you received.

Hi. Mango African Safari actually planned our safari last Sept. and we were overall happy with them. I dealt with Casey there. I know that she and her business partner did a lot of traveling in Africa and seemed to know all of the lodges. They believe they also lead a trip over every year.

Travellingjoe:

You were a bit too enthusiastic about Maasai Wanderings in several postings in your first day posting to this forum. That aroused suspicion about your bona fides. We look forward to your becoming a part of our little community of Africa enthusiasts. With your being there in Africa, you can give many insights the rest of us stuck in the outside world cannot have.

Kevin from California

Hi Guys, thanks for everyone's feedback; I'll try to keep my enthusiasm to a minimum - well, it's a beautfil hot and sticky day here in Northern Tanzania today.

The feedback about Mango seems positive - I have seen Casey here on an occasion and she seems a caring agent. Not sure which tour operators they use right now....but if the feedback is great, they must have chosen a good one right?

I have never seen an Awaken to Africa vehicle or sign or sticker or heard about them so they may be very new. Bt you never know in the future - the tour operators around this place come and go quickly if they don't cut it so a resource such is this is a great tool for researching your options if you intend traveling to these parts.

Happy dayz to all

You may not see a vehicle, sign or sticker, because they farm out their business to the main operators in Tz.

As most of the US based travel agents.

Good to hear the positives about Mango since I was impressed when I met them but its been almost 3 weeks without a proposal. I've continued to work with Green Footprint as I fear we are running out of time for late October. Some of the northern, small camps are alread fully booked and we've had to change our dates.
Maybe Mango next time. Thanks to all for your input.

I would have thought that for Awaken to Africa, I would have seen a sign etc because they are apparently tour operators and not just agents.....

Is it better to book directly with the operator or the agent? Benefits for both I guess.

As one of the owners of Awaken to Africa, I would like to correct some of the assumptions expressed on this forum about our company. We are, indeed, a new Tanzanian/American company. However, we do not "farm out" our business. We have our own guides, and we are a tour operator (licensed in Tanzania), not just a travel agent.

Good first post.

Until there are some reputable posts from travelers using your company, I would not tout my operation.

Just MHO.

Welcome Cheetahs - are you based in Arusha/Moshi?

Thanks for the clarification that you are operators, but I'm assuming you have an office in the USA to send clients from?

But I have to agree with dssxxxx - we'll wait to hear from a satified or digruntled client before we know more.

On a different note - what does everyone think of the Ngorongoro Crater park fees increasing again on 1st July - US$50 per person transit or entrance and US$200 per vehicle that enters the Crater. Greed or will go to good use? I see the community project side of things with my work but can I also perhaps assume there is alot of $$$ somewhere in cyberspace?!

dssxxxx,
Was that touting? The owner was only trying to clarify a mistake in YOUR assumption.

You say, wait until someone makes a comment, yet you are constantly singing the praises of the same company over and over again when YOU haven't even traveled with them yet?

travellingjoe - There have been many discussions re the increased fees at Ngorongoro for over a year now. The increases were to go into effect Jan 1,'07, now it's July 1. Fees had remained constant in both Kenya and Tanzania for years, especially those few years after 9/11, when tourism was in the toilet ('02, '03). Not till '04, did the numbers start coming back, especially from North America. So, for 2005, both countries started increasing their overall rates - rooms, park fees, etc. - guess, it was time. That's business.

rafiki,

Are you another tout.

You now have earned a star for first post. We get all these first post wonders coming out of the woodwork when certain operators are mentioned.

I think all you do is hurt any chances for people learning good/bad reviews of certain outfitters.

And, you are right. This will be my first trip to Africa with Roy. I have been to Africa prior, but that is not your concern. I will post of my good experiences in the planning stages of my trip and will post of by good/bad experiences after the trip. But, I will not post anything about a "tout" or tour operaotr that I know or have heard nothing about.

But, again....another one post wonder.

FWIW, I don't see any "touting" in cheetahs' post, just clarification.

travellingjoe & cheetah,
Sorry about the welcome you received. Hope you both stick around.

Anyone familiar with African Spice Safaris? They were recommended to me as former Micato guides that have started their own company in Kenya. I am considering using them for a private safari for my family in June of 2008. Would appreciate and feedback.

No I have never heard about African Spice Safaris - but I am always dubious of companies that open as a result of working for one company and then taking all their information, clients and methods for their own benefit - but that is considered business for some; against professional ethics for others, to each their own.

They(ASS)seem pretty set up with a great website and information.....but of course that is sometimes just a front. Send a few questions through and see what you get back, and hopefully soon someone will have some real feedback for you.

Goodluck!

I went to KCMC today and met a couple of Kilimanjaro porters that had come off worst for wear from the mountain - because of the excess snows at the summit these days as a result of our unusually 'long' short rains. I did ask their company's name because they seemed to come alone and looked lost, I guess fearing that it was going to cost them their whole wage to fix themselves. When I heard the companies' names.....unfortunately I just shrugged as it seems their norm to leave staff members to fend for themselves in terms of health and safety! Although these companies have hundreds of trekkers per year paying good money to climb...if they only knew behind the scenes!?

I think that every tour operator on Kilimanjaro should join some sort of porter association - compulsory,no ifs and buts - then at least these poor guys with their poor trekking gear will have a few shillings left to take home to their families to buy some rice after the hardest week's work of anywhere in the world!

I am sure that every safari outfitter (the in-country ones that are used to handle your ground safari) once started with 1-2 vehicles and a few guides, if that. You've gotta start somewhere and it's expensive. It'll take years for them to have sufficient funds to expand, unless someone somewhere is financing them.

So it's not unusual now, after years of low tourism with things turning around these past 3/yrs, that others are getting into the business - former guides, office staff, etc. Yes, there are lots of new names out there.

While the new guys on the block should be given a shot, you have to inquire of them the same questions you pose to those well-established firms. Especially, age of vehicles, back-up vehicles, how many guides, insurance, and assurances. Hopefully, they have the ability to negotiate good prices with camps and lodges, and on and on and provide the same reputable services of the known outfitters.

Just something else to put on your list when considering your financial outlay for your safari.

Competition is good... we should be so fortunate to see this when if comes to cable options :)