Can anyone recommend some reputable safari companies? I don't necessarily want the highest priced companies, but companies that are tried and true and safe.

Where do you want to go? Some companies specialize in East Africa, some in Southern Africa, some do combos. Post where you plan to go and I'm sure people will give you recommendations.

ccafrica! Treated me like royalty. I went midrange in price, by myself and had the best time of my life! If they can't provide you with your desires they are good about recommendations.

We have just finished planning our March 2008 Kenya trip with Sandi from Africa Serendipity. Yes, this is the same Sandi who provides so much information to us on Fodors. She was wonderful to work with, and we came up with a great itinerary that was within our budget.

She respected our interests and had lots of great ideas about where to go and stay. We were able to plan an amazing trip with our own driver/vehicle for most of it that is lots less expensive than a group tour. Further, she also took care of our four days in Zanzibar.

We spent dozens of hours doing research and finally settled on Roy Safaris. They are getting great marks and gave us a private safari that worked out to about 60% of the cost of most tours. You can find them at:
www.roysafaris.com

Their US agent is A Way to Africa, we have worked with, and been very impressed by, Susan. Website is:

http://awaytoafricasafaris.com/

I'm hoping this is a good thing! We are leaving first of Sep for almost 3 weeks, and I'm antsy as my 3 yr old grandson!

Can anyone recommend reputable companies servicing Kenya or Tanzania?

The Eriksen Adventure is a good option. They offer safaris in Tanzania and Kenya for small groups and individuals. so if you are looking for a personalised services you can check them out.

Look through the East Africa trip report index http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34860283 and you'll see which companies have been used in the past by posters here and their reports.

When we planned our trip to Kenya, we went with Southern Cross (best value and clout with the camps). but also close in price were Eastern and Southern as well as African Serendipity.

For Tanzania, those three also can book but Roy's seems to get the nod as the best value by the cognoscenti.

Good luck.

I have been working with Klub Afriko to book my family's trip to Tanzania. If you search the board, you'll see more information about my experience. Good luck.

So far so good with Good Earth. www.goodearthtours.com They have an office in Tampa and Arusha so I can easly call them.

We don't leave until next Monday but have had great workings with them. Looked at Roy's, Africa Serendipity and Good Earth. All 3 were top notch from what I heard and experienced through emails with them.

I'm sure the ones mentioned above are good too.

Only FIVE days until we leave!
enjoy,
Duane

We've had a really good experience planning our upcoming trip with two different companies -- Eastern & Southern in Kenya and Green Footprint Adventures in Tanzania.

Eastern & Southern can also arrange trips in Tanzania, but they use Leopard Tours as their ground operator there and we'd read some mixed reviews of that company. We chose Green Footprint because they specialize in "active" safaris (hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, etc.).

I found it really helpful to read the trip reports on this board, and also looked in several different guidebooks. Both the companies we chose had great reviews in multiple sources.

We planned our HM through Gamewatchers. They are based in Nairobi. We leave the 13th so we'll see how it goes but they have been good so far. They gave us what we wanted and didn't try to push parks on us we didn't want. We felt lectured to with several agents we contacted but GW did exactly what we asked for and worked with us on dates to get the camps we wanted.

We booked last September a private flying safari with Safari Experts out of Utah, and they used Bush & Beyond. I felt like I had stepped into a book...the whole trip, especially where they arranged for us to stay, was dreamlike. Fabulous and perfectly planned...not 1 glitch in the 3 weeks...all 6 of us completely recommend Safari Experts, as they were recommended to us!

My son and I recently summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and then took a safari. We chose Duma Explorers (www.dumaexplorers.com). We had a fantastic experience with them. Stacey, one of the owners is an American, and answers your emails promptly and is very professional and knowledgeable. Our entire experience on the hike and the safari was fantastic! They were always early picking us up, the guides were very knowledgeable, the food plentiful and delicious! They were fantastic to work with and were sincere in wanting us to have an unforgettable vacation!

I was on safari form June 5 to July 3 which included two days at the end of the trip on Chumbe Island and 3 days in Stone Town. This was anticlimatic after the 22 days on safari in Kenya and Tanzania.

We used BellAric, a new company, and had a new Toyota Land Cruiser (the big version). Also, our vehicle had rubber floor mats which makes it more comfortable on the feet when you are standing up on steel all day or riding in the vehicle all day. In Kenya, most of the quotes we received were for using a mini-van. We got the heavier and more comfortable Toyota LandCruiser for the same price.

Our guide was Shikaya and he is in his early 50's. He was outstanding. After other vehicles left the scene he indicated we should wait. We saw the loepard wake up, stand up in the tree and walk down the tree. We came across sleeping male and female lion and he said let's stick around for another 30 minutes, they will wake up and mate again, and sure enough they did. If invoking my name gets you Shikaya as a driver-guide, then tell them I referred you and you will only go with Shikay in Kenya.

We were then driven to the border of Tanzania after visiting the Amboseli park and switched Land Cruisers to go with our Tanzania driver.

My favorite places were: the Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens and cottages. The restaurant here was the best food we had in East Africa.

Then we spent a night at the Serena Mountain Lodge and got great pictures from the ground level "hide" where I got cape horn buffalo from 10 feet.

Larsens Camp was special being right on the river with river views from the bed inside the tents. Also, the lunch platform is right on the river. Good to watch the crocs and elephants.

In Amboseli we liked Tortillis Camp, the best food of the tented camps.

In Tanzania I found the best accomodation and views of our entire East Africa safari in the western corridor of the Serengeti. We stayed at Mbalageti Serengeti tented camp chalets. These were the largest tented camps and the dining room had the best views of our trip (high on a hill looking at the wonderful countryside).

I would suggest one night in the central Serengeti at the Serena Lodge and two nights in the western Serengeti at the Mbalageti Serengeti.

My feeling about the Serena Lodges and Sopa Loges --- if you can afford the money stay in the tented camps I have mentioned here. Remember, the lodges were all built in the last 10-15 years and 100 people are in the dining rooms at the same time. This does not give you the feeling of Africa.

In June in Kenya 50% of the tented camps were vacant, we loved it, had good weather, eating meals with 2-3-4 other tables. It was fantastic.

The lodges are like big resorts they lack the intimacy of the tented camps. And the three tented camps I suggested here are beautiful properties, especially Mbalageti Serena.

BellAfric is a www.bellafricexpeditions.com

Do not be turned off by the website. They had great follow through and service. When I came off the plane in Nairobi and walked out to the mob of people waiting to pick up relatives and tourists, I knew we were off to a good start when the sign that had my name on it was printed in the biggest letters and was the biggest sign. From there we were escorted out to our guide Shikaya. He was very protective of us when we went to ATM machines, stopped along the way he would take us into stores for cell phone cards, shoe repair, which he dropped off and picked up. My shoe repair did not last from the repair in France, but Shikaya insisted to the repair person in this small Kenya town that it had to be perfect, and the shoes have held up since the repair.

The email for BellAFric is [email protected]

We had a fantastic guide, talking to us all the time, telling us about his children, constantly giving us information about the land, buildings, sites, animals, and he had a great personality.

Also, I would suggest that people take a two day break in Tanzania and go to Lake Eyasi and visit the last hunter-gather tribe in East Africa. Stay on the lake at the beautiful tented camp (only 6 tents on the lake).

Follow my advice, you will love Shikaya from BellAfric Expeditions.

Let me ammend my earlier post. Good Earth Tours was GREAT! We just finished a few days ago and cannot say enough good about the company. Prvate Safari very reasonable price.

enjoy,
Duane

We used a company caller Carrier, as recommended by our local travel agent. Not sure what you need from a safari co, but suffice to say, they pretty much booked what we want, when we wanted it at a reasonable price (we think). We didn't let them book the international flights, as they were charging 400 GBP (per head!) more than I could find on the internet, so we booked those ourselves.

Has anyone heard any reviews about a company called Bush Troop Safaris?