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Holiday to Tanzania
Sandy Taylor, 26th June 2024The trip of a lifetime! Africa was BEAUTIFUL! Winter was the perfect time to visit (yes, it's very cold before sunrise, but by 10 am or so, it is a very mild and comfortable temperature)! We never experienced any significant "I'm burning up out here!" events. We met so many nice people (staff and fellow tourists of many nationalities during meals)! Our safari guides were well-trained, exceptionally knowledgeable, and helped us better appreciate the beautiful country of Tanzania and the natural habitats of so many animals. Two things we would change if we could: Open safari vehicles seem wonderful at first thought (after all, you are "right there" with the animals)! However, the amount of dust you encounter while traveling the common roads is significant (perhaps this may vary depending on the season you visit), often requiring barrier materials (scarves/blankets, etc) to block the air that you inhale. Additionally, the seemingly ongoing "controlled burns to prevent out-of-control wildfires from occurring" can be disconcerting for unsuspecting tourists! The fumes from the smoke can be overwhelming and sometimes suffocating if the winds are heading toward you or the smoke has stagnated in a particular area. This situation can be a scary event, especially when you feel that your oxygen level is deprived and there seems to be no way out! Some thoughts for those who may travel after us: (1) Open-air safari vehicles made many trail rides dusty and uncomfortable. Breathing dust is difficult to tolerate every day (especially during tented camp stays). You will find that you tend to wear the same clothing every day since you know you will end up dirty and gritty by the end of the day. Why wear clean clothes the next day and experience the same outcome? The good moral of this statement is that you don't need a lot of different clothing in Africa, especially if you are on safari every day as we were. But the good far outweighs the uncomfortable! Just watch the movie "Out of Africa"! You'll see what we mean! A beautiful country with beautiful people and magnificent, intriguing animals!
Accommodation Visited
Hamerkop House by Lemala
“5-star without a doubt! Hamerkop House is in an outstanding location, immediately on the edge of a premier golf-club resort. Hamerkop House is such a relaxing place with absolutely superb staff. The staff is so professional yet so personable. The chef, Mesuli, was a delight. Not only did he individually ensure that patrons received the food the way they liked it, but he also accommodated everyone's preferred dining times. He taught us some wonderful Swahili words and meanings that we continue to use today: "Jambo" (Good morning / Good evening), "Asante" (Thank you), "Asante Sana" (Thank you very much), "Karibu" (You are welcome), "Baadae" (Later), and "Nyuki" (Bee).
Omari, the manager, was so personable and helpful. He taught us many facts and figures during our escorted drive from the airport to Hamerkop House. All the staff at Hamerkop were 5+ stars.
We returned to Hamerkop on our last day of vacation. We were "welcomed home" by the staff as if we had never left! Superb, outstanding staff: Omari, Mesuli, Shedrack (who helped us navigate the golf course and rent a golf cart and came looking for us when it was time to "come home"), Josia, Pascal, Jergmi—we were so appreciative of their hospitality! Thank you, gentlemen!”
Lemala Mpingo Ridge
“Lemala Mpingo Ridge Lodge - WHAT A VIEW! The most stunning view! Top-notch accommodations in the "cabin" overlooking the scenic valley and mountains! "Cabins" seem like an underwhelming name when considering the inside accommodations: a king-size bed with mosquito netting available at night and an outside veranda with seating high upon the ridge overlooking the valley. There is a separate bathroom and seating area in the cabin. Laundry service and valet service are available upon request. This is a great place to start and end your safaris! A 5* rating is absolutely deserved! We met interesting guests and staff that we will remember fondly! We appreciate the Maasai staff who were always available to escort us to and from our cabins to ensure we were always safe. We loved learning about the history of the Maasai and even heard a story that the wild animals also respect the Maasai for their warrior skills from centuries past—it is said that the wild animals pay their respect to their heritage. We believe that! Even though we didn't encounter wild animals wanting to eat us, we continued to appreciate the Maasai for their friendly escort to and from the steep cliffs, wooden bridges, and sidewalks, and for lighting our path along the way with their torches.”
Lemala Ewanjan
“On our first night at the Lemala Ewanjan Tented Camp, we experienced the "Talking Shower" where our room assistant always asked us when we wanted to take our shower. We chose our shower time, and Good Luck would show up with a bucket of water (at the perfect temperature we requested), hoist the bucket into the air with a rope and pulley, and somehow make the water flow through our shower spigot inside our tent. He would then ask, "Is the water hot enough?" from outside the tent, and we would let him know that it was perfect as we stood under the shower tower inside the tent—thus the "Talking Shower." Really, it worked very well for us; we were always glad to shed the dust from the recent safari! Good Luck was a wonderful room assistant, always there if we needed him. Again, the Maasai were always available as our safe escorts!
John, the manager of the tented camp, was the BEST! He was always on top of things and extremely friendly, professional, and accommodating. One could tell from John's leadership that this was a well-managed operation!
One evening at dinner, the entire camp staff participated in song and dance. You could see the enthusiasm in the staff as they performed in their language and native dress, and the guests at dinner were clapping to the sound of the music and joining in. This is a wonderful memory that we will always cherish. Thank you, John, for running a top-notch camp with very professional, accommodating, and fun staff! A+ rating!”
Lemala Mara Tented Camp
“Two days before the end of our vacation, we were able to experience "The Great Migration" along the Mara River. What a fantastic experience to see the vast number of wildebeests and zebras crossing the crocodile-infested waters to get to their next grazing lands — quite a wonderful event to witness! To be in Africa at that specific time was indeed a highlight of our trip! The magic and necessity of the migration were somehow magical! As we left the river, we came upon miles and miles of wildebeests and zebras anticipating their journey across the river. Even the night before we were scheduled to leave Africa for the USA, we understood from the Maasai on duty that an estimated 1,500 wildebeests and zebras trekked a path near our tents that night before heading to the river to cross to their next grazing land! WOW! An unbelievable opportunity of a lifetime!”
Staff Review
“Natasha helped us live our dream in Africa. She was so accommodating to our questions and listened openly to our concerns and the changes we wanted to make in our itinerary. Our trip was a dream, and Natasha provided both the 5-star accommodations and the "live-in-nature" adventures we requested. We couldn't have asked for a better adventure.”
