Kruger and Tanzania Safari – a Feast for the eyes!
This epic Kruger and Tanzania Safari saw two couples Ron & Sylvie, Carole & Pierre head to Southern and East Africa. They started their journey in our home town of Cape Town, where they spent a few days exploring all that is on offer. They stayed at the Cape Quarter Apartments. From Cape Town they flew to the Kruger National Park and stayed at nThambo Tree Camp in the Klaserie Private Reserve which shares unfenced borders with Kruger.
From Kruger they flew directly to Livingstone in Zambia and stayed at the Zambezi Sun for a night before flying on to Arusha for their Tanzania Safari. The first night was at Rivertrees Country Inn in Arusha and then on to the beautiful Plantation Lodge in the Ngorongoro Region. From there they headed to the Serengeti National Park and stayed at Nasikia Central Camp. After their time in the Central region of the Serengeti, they headed back to Ngorongoro, but this time to the actual crater, at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.
Ending their epic Kruger and Tanzania Safari in the idyllic island paradise of Zanzibar was perfect. The group stayed at the Breezes Beach Club.
Ron was also kind enough to leave a review on Safaribooking.com for us.
Here is their feedback.
Dear Michelle , this could be a long email. But , you asked for it ! ( l.o.l. )
First off , in this era of fraud , uncertainty and never knowing who you are truly dealing with , especially over the internet , it is always nerve racking to commit to purchases that involve large sums of money. There is always uncertainty in the back your mind. We did some homework on your agency through different means , including facebook , the local tourism board etc… We were soon re-assured that we had made the right choice in choosing your agency to deal with. However , we dealt with 4 different people at your office at different times and that was at times concerning , but we really knew we had made the right choice when YOU got involved. Your service, your quick response to our many questions was very much appreciated .
From the moment we got to Cape Town , and were greeted at the apartment at such a late hour ,we felt much at home. It was our pleasure to pop by the office to meet you, and we later, by coincidence, met Brett at Nthambo. We had no hitches whatsoever with any of the flights, guides, lodges and all staff concerned. Flights were on time, guides were on time, everything went like clockwork. Amazing!
The apartment in Cape Town was great , close to everything we wanted to see. ( a little noisy at night and early morning because of the club down the street that closes at 4:00 in the morning ) We then moved on to Nthambo , where Lilly and the rest of the staff catered to our every needs. The camp, our rooms, the food, the service were all great. We saw lots of game including the elusive leopard. Our guides, Matt and Luan, our tracker Isaac, were very knowledgeable and did all they could so we could get the “ perfect shot“.
We then moved on to the Zambezi Sun , which actually exceeded our expectations as far as the rooms, and overall cleanliness of the place were concerned. The staff there were very accommodating, pleasant and helpful . The food was great and who can argue with zebras by the pool ! We took a helicopter ride over the falls and that was spectacular. ( Sylvie and I were helicopter novices )
We got to Arusha late at night where Peter ( our guide/driver ) was waiting for us. We then drove to the Rivertrees where we believe we woke up Isaac who had been expecting us earlier, but he went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed. Our only regret is that we didn’t spend much time there to enjoy the property.
The next morning we met Elsa ( I believe ) who took the time to explain our itinerary in detail for the Serengeti-Ngorongoro portion of our trip. ( nice touch )
Our next stay was at the Plantation Lodge where we were greeted like royalty. The rooms, the place, the service, the food, the atmosphere, all outstanding! What a gem! We will definitely remember that place for the rest of our lives. Our only regret there is that we didn’t want to leave. The attention to details there was spectacular.
Next was Nasikia camp where, although more on the rustic side, was a fantastic experience. We had great chit-chats by the campfire and the staff there went out of their way to cater to our every needs. They even insisted on scooping the cream and sugar in our morning coffees !
At the Sopa Lodge , we were again greeted like royalty. The waiter who served us dinner, remembered our names the next morning at breakfast ( wow ! ). The chef , the hotel manager introduced themselves and made sure everything was to our total satisfaction.
Our last night in mainland Tanzania was at the Simba Lodge where our hosts literally ran to greet us at the door as we arrived a bit earlier than expected. We were the only guests in the place. There were as many staff as guest to once again take care of all our needs. The rooms were great and the place very peaceful with wonderful views.
Throughout this time we saw all the animals, birds and flora we could possibly imagine , including rare wild dogs, leopards, vultures and hyenas tearing up a carcass , baboons chasing cheetah cubs , newborn gazelles and wildebeest. What a feast ( pardon the pun ) for the eyes !
The Breezes resort in Zanzibar was also a great choice. We had a very relaxing , enjoyable time there as well. The food , surroundings , beaches , rooms , entertainment were all excellent. The staff super friendly and always warm and welcoming.
In general , we were extremely satisfied and if we were to start over , we probably would have spent 3 nights at Nthambo instead of 4 and would have perhaps added a day of R&R at the Plantation ( sort of in between the game drives ).
Of course with unlimited time and budgets , we would have perhaps spent more time in Africa. If we have the opportunity , we will certainly return.
In the next few days , we will endeavour to post feedback on some of the Lodge sites , Facebook and trip advisor. Once again we thank you for helping us create wonderful memories. We will certainly recommend your services to anyone we know who might be considering a similar adventure.
Last , I have included a few photos out of the 1800 or so we took. It is very hard to choose just a few but , these will be engraved in our memories for a very long time. ( Pierre and Carole took close to 3000 )
I am sure Pierre and Carole will be sending you their thoughts as well.
Again , Thank you very much and let us know if you ever decide to come visit our end of the world.
Ron and Sylvie
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There is nothing much to add to what Sylvie mentioned above except reiterate that everything met our expectations and we really appreciated your help in organizing this great trip. We would surely recommend your agency to anyone interested in travelling to Africa. Thanks again. Carole & Pierre
