Private Guided Kilimanjaro Trek & Tanzania Safari
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Private Guided Kilimanjaro Trek & Tanzania Safari
By Amani Afrika
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About
We have carefully put together this itinerary to include a Kilimanjaro Trek, Safari in Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater. Kindly note that, if there will be an infant on this tour, she/he will be able to participate on the safari part only. Also, all the components of this itinerary are customizable to suit your personal preferences, interests and budget.
Kilimanjaro Climb
Lemosho is our favourite route up Mt Kilimanjaro. It is not crowded, offers stunning scenery and has a very high summit success rate. Unlike the popular Machame route which crosses at the Shira Plateau, Lemosho route traverses the whole plain from west to east through a gentle hike, it also rewards you with better views.
Duration: 8 Days trekking; 6 and a half days ascending, 1 and a half days descending. 70 km/44 mi total; 48 km/30 mi to summit; 22 km/14 mi descend from summit, Elevation: 4,4505 m/14,780 ft net gain; 3,915 m/12,845 ft descend
Ages 0-90
Duration: 12 days
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Accommodation and meals as per itinerary
- Transfer to/from Airport
- Flying Doctor Air Ambulance cover in case of medical emergency
- Mineral water all days on safari
- All game viewing in a private comfortable 4x4 safari Land Cruiser fitted with pop-up roof
- Service of an English-speaking driver guide for safari
- Game drives on an exclusive basis with unlimited mileage
- 18% VAT on park fees and game drives for safari, effective 1st July 2016
- Transport to and from mountain gates for Kilimanjaro climb
- Emergency oxygen cylinder(s)
- Services of a professional English-speaking mountain guide & assistant guide
- Services of a professional cook and all kitchen and dining utensils on Kilimanjaro
- Enough porters for your luggage, food, water, sleeping tent and dining tent
- Salaries, park fees, shelter and food for guides, cook and porters
- Camping accommodation on the mountain and food based on three meals a day
- All camping equipment (e.g. sleeping tent, mess tent, table, chairs, etc.
- 1.5” thick foam mattress with waterproof cover designed for mountain excursion
- Use of radios/phones to increase your safety
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Snacks
- Bottled water
- Coffee and/or Tea
What's not included- Tourist visas for Tanzania
- Personal travel/medical insurance. (See more information here.
- Any meals not specified in the itinerary
- Trekking gears and winter sleeping bags for Kilimanjaro (see recommended list)
- Portable toilet rental for Kilimanjaro climb (US$200 per 4-people group)
- Optional activities or excursions not specified in the itinerary
- All items of a personal nature e.g. telephone calls, internet, laundry services
- Tips and gratuities for hotel/camp/lodge staff, driver guides
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks (unless complimentary at camps/lodges)
- Any domestic flights and airport taxes
- Any international flights and departure taxes
- Applicable airport taxes, payable directly
- Applicable tourism levies, payable directly at accommodations
- Applicable government taxes, imposed after the date of quotation
- Any other items not specified in this itinerary
- Start:
- Arusha, Arusha, Arusha Region
Pickup details- Location Name: Arusha, Tanzania
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Infant seats available
- Wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 104806P3- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 104806P3
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Sebastien11250 contributionsBest Tour Operator in East AfricaDifficult to find words to describe our trip and in particular how well it was organized by Amani Afrika and Vivian. If there was 6 stars, I wouldn’t have hesitated. From beginning to the end, everything was well taken care of. We travelled with two young children (8 and 3.5 years old) between Kenya (Masai Mara) and Rwanda (Gorilla Trek). All transfers, hotels, guides were just perfect. Some recommendations from Vivian were excellent and added some magic to our amazing trip. We will remember this trip for a long time, thanks to Amani Afrika.Written September 9, 2023
- LaniC940 contributionsQuality/Value holidays in East Africa with Amani AfricaVivian of Amani Afrika handled the Tanzanian portion of our recent trip to Africa. We had a great time on safari in Tanagire, Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater, it was a trip of a lifetime. Our guide Hamisi was knowledgeable about all the wildlife and was a very experienced driver in the national parks. He made sure we saw all the animals that we set out to see and even more. For our picnic in the wild, he even managed to find a spot with no flies! We stayed in excellent accommodations, especially on safari. In the Serengeti we stayed at Camp Cherero which is owned by Vivian and her husband. It was our best stay especially since Vivian and her husband came and spent time with us.Written February 9, 2023
- Chelsea K0 contributionsOnly Superlatives are AppropriateI used Amani Afrika six years ago for a trip including my son-in-law and myself. We planned to climb Kilimanjaro and follow that up with a safari. That trip was planned meticulously by Vivian. Unfortunately, my son-in-law suffered a medical problem one camp from the final ascent to the summit. The guides and the porters did an excellent job bringing him down safely from the mountain camp. Vivian’s husband and co-owner, Godwin, made sure that he received excellent medical care and stayed with me at the hospital for several hours as he was being treated. Luckily, he recovered quickly and we were able to complete the safari portion of the trip. After this extraordinary service rendered on our behalf, there was no question that I would enlist Amani Afrika for the trip of a lifetime including my daughter, son and their families consisting of two pre-teens and a 16 year old, eight in all. We were to see the gorillas in Volcanoes NP and the chimpanzees in Gombe NP, go on a five day safari and end up in Zanzibar. Vivian’s planning was thoughtful and meticulous again, the guides she chose, outstanding, and the accommodations fantastic. Cherero, one of the camps owned by Amani Afrika, is striking for its setting on the Serengeti. The tent accommodations are amazing and spacious with many amenities. The staff is professional, friendly and responsive to your needs. Amani Afrika apparently has a knack for hiring great people. And the meals were creative and delicious. We were very pleasantly surprised by a visit from Godwin, Vivian and their children at the Cherero camp. This became one of the highlights of our vacation as the families interacted so well together. As we talked about travel, Tanzania and its people, we came to more fully appreciate the philosophy toward travel and the learning it fosters that has made them so successful. I cannot recommend Amani Afrika highly enough. As they have for us, they will provide you with the trip of a lifetime!Written February 1, 2023
- jemmah5820 contributionsTHE BEST SAFARI HOLIDAY EVER!To the organiser: Thankyou so much to Vivian for organising such a fantastic trip and being so attentive to details to our preferences. We even made last minute changes, and nothing was a problem. You were in touch whenever we needed you, Thankyou! Our Guide George: We were accompanied by THE BEST SAFARI GUIDE EVER! George was professional from the moment he picked us up and after 5 days together we felt like he was our friend enjoying the safari with us. The moments we experienced together were incredible and we saw all of the Big 5 more than once thanks to him! We learnt so much not only about animals but about the Tanzanian way of life. If you ever go in safari make sure you ask for him, our experience with George just completely made our trip. Special mentions: Ecoscience camp We especially would like to highlight out special treatment in the eco science camp. Despite being a drive away from the safari park it was well worth it, the welcome we had from staff and general treatment was so kind. They really made us feel like we were on our honeymoon. We were amazed to see elephants only 100m away from us while we were having breakfast what an experience. Cherero camp: This was our treat of the trip, and absolutely 100% worth it. We were treated as though we were the king and queen. The views were amazing, the lodge was beautiful, the food was divine, the staff were so kindWritten August 5, 2022
- kaned20200 contributionsBook Through Amani Afrika!If you’re a planning a trip to East Africa book through Amani Afrika, you won’t regret it. Vivian was fantastic right from the start when planning our trip. She listened to what we wanted to do and see and tailored the trip for us. She was very responsive and the attention to detail was incredible. All of the accommodation we stayed in was exactly what we wanted. Comfortable, clean, staff were friendly and food was great. We started our trip in Uganda for a gorilla trek. Richard, our guide was great fun all the way and very knowledgeable. We then moved on to Tanzania for safari in the Serengeti with our guide Augustine. Again he was very knowledgeable and took great care of us. We especially loved the game drives where he took us to more isolated areas of the Serengeti with less crowds to get up close to the wildlife. Finally we finished our trip in Zanzibar for a relaxing few days on the beach. I can’t thank Amani Afrika enough for the most incredible trip which surpassed our expectations. We will definitely travel to east Africa through Amani Afrika again.Written August 1, 2022
- williamsz960 contributionsAn Amazing Amani Afrika Honeymoon in TanzaniaWe contacted Vivian at Amani Afrika just after our engagement for help with curating a honeymoon in Tanzania. My then fiance and I knew absolutely nothing about Tanzania or traveling there, but from the very first time we connected with Vivian we felt immediately at ease. Within a matter of hours she had shared with us a powerpoint with photos and detailed descriptions for her recommended itinerary. When we were in the planning stages, COVID was still a major issue in the US and with international travel, but Vivian was on top of all of the latest rules, regulations and required procedures, which was a huge help. Amani made all parts of the process easy - from payment, to itinerary decisions, to detailed communications in the weeks leading up to our departure. The trip itself - which included 2 days in Arusha/Lake Manyara/Ngorongoro, followed by 5 days in the Serengeti at Cherero Camp, and then 5 days in Zanzibar - was absolutely fabulous from start to finish. Our guide for everything on the mainland was an incredibly kind, helpful, and knowledgable gentleman named Wilson, who was a godsend. He had an answer to every question, and knew EVERYTHING about the wildlife we saw in the parks. We would love to reunite with Wilson if we ever return. As for accommodations, we were very impressed with everything that Vivian had lined up for us, and there were no surprises (other than good ones!). We could not recommend Amani Afrika more strongly. Vivian and her team are incredible, and made us two very happy honeymooners!Written July 10, 2022
- MantleMaris610 contributionsAwesome safariI recently returned from a 16 day safari to Uganda,Rwanda,Kenya,and Tanzania.Vivian did an amazing job of making sure every detail and every connection was seamlessly made.Trekking the gorillas,seeing red tailed monkeys,chimpanzees,lions,leopards,cheetah,buffalo,wildebeest,zebra,gazelles,seeing the birth of a gazelle,countless beautiful birds,hippos,warthog,all kinds of antelope,visiting a tribal village,spending time at their school,the crater,a balloon ride all part of an incredible experience.My guides were wonderful,all the camps were amazing with a special shout out to Meka and all the terrific people at Kicheche.Thanks so much.Written July 10, 2022
- Sasha H0 contributionsA trip of a lifetime!We spent a month in Africa, and three weeks of the trip we booked through Amani Afrika. We spent a week in Uganda, a week climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, and a week-long safari in Tanzania. We worked with Vivian for a year planning our trip, working out all the kinks, and making sure everything was in order. We originally were planning to take this trip in 2020, but because of covid we postponed to 2021. Vivian was extremely helpful moving our trip, making sure we had every document needed to enter and exit Uganda and Tanzania. Vivian was fantastic working with us during the constant changing travel rules as a result of covid and at one point spoke with us weekly to keep us updated. Any time we had a question she didn’t know she sought it out via her contacts within the country and got us an answer. Without her and Amani Afrika’s diligence we would have never had the confidence to pursue the trip in 2021 and would have certainly delayed again. Once we arrived in country Vivian was available every step of the way if we needed help or just had a question. She even made the trip out to introduce herself in person before we headed off to climb Kili. She was a joy to work with, and she planned us a beautiful and unforgettable trip. We were in Uganda from August 9th-August 15th, 2021. Upon entering the country, we had to provide a negative COVID test and present our vaccine cards. If you were not vaccinated, you had to do a PCR test at the airport and wait until you got results. I am not sure what the protocol is now, so I would check a week before your departure. Once out of the airport, we were greeted by a driver from Africa Tours Adventure. He drove us to our hotel, we had dinner, and met Richard, our tour guide for the week. During our week in Uganda, we drove through the country visiting multiple National Parks on the way. We had the privilege of getting to see Chimpanzees, Mountain Gorillas, Golden Monkeys, Lions, Leopards, and so much more. The country itself is absolutely breathtaking and everyone was extremely nice and welcoming, Richard, our guide, was fantastic. He is very knowledgeable on all the animals in the parks, navigating through the country, and showing us the beauty of his country. You can tell he really loves his job. Our time in Uganda was amazing, but Richard made it that much better. Thank you again Richard! After we left Uganda, we flew into Tanzania where we stayed from August 16th-August 31st, 2021. We did not arrive at Kilimanjaro airport till about 02:00 AM because of flight delays. Once we arrived, we had to get a rapid PCR test, and provide a negative COVID test to enter the country. We did not get to our hotel till about 03:30 AM. After sleeping for a few hours, we met with our lead guide, Marwa, that would be taking us up the mountain. He briefed us and checked our gear to make sure we were ready to make the journey. Whatever we did not need, we were able to leave at the hotel while we hiked. We also got to meet Vivian in person this day. Thanks for stopping by Vivian! We booked the Lemosho 8-day trek and were on the mountain from August 17th-August 24th, 2021. I spent my 28th birthday on the mountain and they baked me a cake and sang me happy birthday. An unforgettable birthday to say the least. Climbing Kili was not a walk in the park, but most of it was mental. One of the coolest and hardest things I have ever done. Oh, and be prepared for your knees to really hurt when it’s time to descend. No one ever mentions that. Marwa was our lead guide and Nixon was our assistant guide. We had 4 people in our group, 2 guides, and 21 porters. They made our trek amazing, from the food, encouraging us every step of the way and carrying everything needed to camp, from the little stuff like hot water bottles for night, hot water to wash your hands, toilet paper, etc. Especially summit day where they did everything but physically carry us up. They held our bags if needed, warmed our hands, encouraged us with kind words, and my favorite they sang to us. What an amazing group of people and I am grateful every day that we were able to achieve such an accomplishment with them. Once we were off the mountain and said our goodbyes to our Kilimanjaro group, we headed off to see some of Tanzania’s National Parks. Our guide’s name was Raymond, and he was with us the last week we were in Tanzania with Amani Afrika. We visited Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, and spent a lot of time in Serengeti NP. We got to see the great migration, countless lions, and leopards. We saw pretty much every animal but the Rhino. One of the most memorable parts of this part of the trip was seeing three leopards hanging out and playing with each other. It was AMAZING. Raymond was so kind, and really showed us the beauty of Tanzania. He was a joy to be around. He was just as excited as us seeing the animals and telling us about them and the country. Thank you again Raymond! We had such a great time! This trip was a trip of a lifetime, and I will have beautiful memories for the rest of my life! Thank you, Vivian, and Amani Afrika, for planning us such a great trip and making it so seamless and effortless on our part! I 100% recommend Amani Afrika and if we ever to go back to East Africa, we will be booking though them again. Also, please don’t hesitate to message me if you have questions or want specifics of the trip. This review would be triple the size if I broke everything up day by day. One thing I wish I knew before we went. If you plan to use USD, make sure the bills are all new. Everywhere we went if the bills had a rip, writing, marks, stamps, or were old bills they didn’t accept them. We had about $300.00 that was useless because we didn’t know. Just go to the bank before you leave the US and get new crisp bills and save yourself the headache. And don’t tip people with ‘bad’ money either. We were told the banks won’t take the money, so it is useless to them.Written December 19, 2021
- Diana R0 contributionsUnsurpassed service made our trip unforgettableIt took me days to find the right words to describe the service we received from Amani Afrika. Vivian tended to every detail - more than once as we had to post pone due to Covid. I trusted her judgment in selecting our camps, our guide and our overall trip and I was not disappointed. In fact, I was splendidly surprised and forever grateful for the way she handled every part of our trip. Our guide was Stephen and we could not have had a more knowledgeable, interesting and nicer guide! Time and again he sought out animals that are hard to see - he knew about each animal, it's habitat, habits and was an endless pool of information! He taught me Swahili and each day we learned something new about him, his family and life in Kilimanjaro .It was evident everywhere he is well liked and well respected. I feel privileged that he was our guide. Our last night at Aurari camp, my husband and I were having a glass of wine at the camp fire, reflecting on how we loved the Serengeti, we were surprised by Vivian, who had driven out with her family to check on things - what a fantastic experience to meet her and Godwin both! The service continued after we left as she had arranged for us to get picked up by a driver in Zanzibar to get our Covid test - an important detail that, after having been through the experience, I am very thankful I had her assistance. She made it a breeze! Asante Sana Vivian Temba and Amani Afrika. You and the Serengeti will always hold a special place in our hearts!Written November 1, 2021
- ma8260 contributionsAmazing safari and beach stay in KenyaI can't say enough good things about Amani Afrika, Vivian and all the wonderful guides and amazing stays during our trip to Kenya for a safari and beach stay. Our trip was originally scheduled for July 2020. As was the same for everyone else, we postponed our trip due to the extraordinary events of 2020 and were extremely lucky to have had the privilege of traveling to Kenya in July 2021. Vivian was so great in rescheduling our trip and was very timely and responsive to our many questions. We were a family of 11 with 4 children from 6 to 17 years old. The trip was at a good pace with a good mix of time to relax and time to explore. Vivan was very helpful with her recommendations and all of the places she recommended for our family's stay couldn't have been more perfect for our family. Vivan recommended few homes to stay at, which we would not have came up with on our own. All of our guides were amazing. We feel beyond lucky to have been able to finally make it on our trip and so grateful for Vivan and her team. We hope to return again on another safari with Vivan and her team in the near future.Written October 17, 2021
- KaylaG4060 contributionsWOW! AMAZING HONEYMOON BOOKED THROUGH AMANIVivian from Amani Afrika was a fantastic travel agent. She was recommended to us by friends as someone who was both caring and honest and this certainly proved true. My husband and I asked Vivian to plan our honeymoon, which was a two week safari trip in Kenya. Vivian truly planned the trip of a life time, one that we will remember for ever. We cannot wait until we can go back to Africa, when we will surely use Vivian’s services once again. She listened to our needs, was patient and responsive and happy to always speak to us via email, as well as over the phone. Vivian took our budget and our needs and made the most perfect itinerary. After planning a covid wedding, we were exhausted and did not want to have to think on our trip of any details. Vivian took care of everything! On day 1 I needed to get to the pharmacy and she arranged for our driver to stop first thing at one. When we needed a covid test, she arranged for them to come meet us in the middle of the Massai Mara to get it done! She was really patient when planning and sent us multiple itineraries with different budgets for us to choose from. We cannot recommend Vivian enough. If you are planning any type of trip to Africa, you must use Amani Afrika! Thank you so much for making our honeymoon such an amazing experience, Vivian!Written September 22, 2021
- douglash300 contributionsGorilla Trekking and Great Migration on the Serengeti tripWe are just finishing up a 25 day tour of Gorilla Trekking and Great Migration on the Serengeti trip with Amani Afrika. We had a wonderful experience. The guides were always knowledgeable of the wildlife, culture and history of the areas we were seeing. We chose a luxury level trip and we’re glad that we did because we always had very clean, nice lodges and delicious food every day. The guides were always safe drivers and this is important as you may spend several hours on rough roads while you are game view driving. During this time of Covid it’s important that you have a tour operator that is knowledgeable and helpful in scheduling your Covid testing and getting your results. As you move from country to country you need to have a Covid test because sometimes you’re in remote locations. The company always had someone there to give us our test and we did receive our results in time to move onto the next country. We do recommend this company if you’re going to tour eastern Africa. The attention to detail was very good.Written September 22, 2021
- Alison E0 contributionsPerfect choice for a honeymoon safariAs someone who always meticulously plans all of our vacations, it was hard to give up control to someone else with a trip as important as our honeymoon. But, I realized I was out of my element and couldn’t plan an African safari and Zanzibar trip on my own. And by chance, I found Amani Afrika and couldn’t be happier! From the beginning, I knew it was a great fit. Vivian listened to what we liked and enjoyed and tailored our trip to exactly what we wanted. We loved every hotel/camp that she chose. It was pure luxury and relaxation. It seemed like each camp and location got better and better! I also wanted to mention what a great guide Raymond was. From the moment we met him, we knew we were going to have a great time. His kind smile, caring attitude, and limitless information made the safari portion so much fun. He always knew where to find the best animals and let us time countless times for every animal we wanted to see. He helped us see the animals in the best possible way while also respecting the animals and their natural habitat. It was sad to leave him at the end of the trip. I wouldn't hesitate to take another trip with the company and recommend it to everyone I know. I know everyone would be in great hands with this company.Written August 8, 2021
- StephanieKrishnan0 contributions20 Year Wedding AnniversaryVivian worked with us to put together the most memorable 20th Anniversary wedding trip. We wanted comfort and we got it, but with amazing experiences such as hippos eating outside our camp in Uganda, leopards, lions, kob, so many animals... great guides (especially Bernard - he was fabulous). We saw cubs, tree climbing lions, experienced good hospitality and a warm reception. Thanks for making it seamless. I have one small confession: I was nervous about sending money to Africa, so I contacted other TripAdvisor users and everyone had nothing but great words to say. They were right... and while times are tough at the moment, I hope that travel resumes and you are able to recover as your tours were good, and attention to our requests very much appreciated. Thank you!Written August 15, 2020
- NatPierr0 contributionsSafari in Afrika and Amani just goes togetherWhat can we add to all these wonderful reviews? There is no doubt about one thing: Amani really makes your trip special! We travel a lot and we can definitely confirm with all our heart: the team of this company makes it a very special experience! We did a 8 day customized Safari in Northern Tanzania incl Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Serengeti... Without a doubt what made it special Wilson was an incredible guide, with big knowledge about all the wildlife ; he's. a super responsible driver ; managed to permentaly find all the wildlife and we truly enjoyed his company!!! This is what makes the difference if you spend so much time on the road.... Nembris organized us the trip exactly as we wanted and we are still impressed how perfect the trip for us was! She organized everything acc to our budget, booked truly special accomodations and you really don't have to worry about anything during your trip as everything is included! Last but not least she organized a coffee plantage visit for us in the end last minute. Thanks Amani Áfrika for beeing such a great company! So if you re looking for a safari tour operator, stop looking now and just book with these guys;you won't regret it.Written March 5, 2020
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Yesim P
Abeokuta, Nigeria4 contributions
Jan 2021 • Family
The Amani tour was a complete disappointment for us. We paid a total of 14,000 USD for the 13-day tour covering Kenya and Tanzania, and the 6 days of the trip in Zanzibar was a nightmare.
The hotel allocated to us was in the middle of the village, an extremely old, neglected and dirty place. Although we bought an all-inclusive tour, we paid transportation and other expenses out of our pocket. We were not even allocated a guide or a vehicle. Vivien took a very reckless attitude, did not even return to messages or calls. We even went to the airport with our own means. Please do not choose this tour company, there are tour companies that provide much better conditions for the money you pay.
The comments written here are people Vivien knows and they are not really tourists. One is the local guide working with Vivien anyway. It was a very bad experience for us. It was the worst holiday of our lives.
The hotel allocated to us was in the middle of the village, an extremely old, neglected and dirty place. Although we bought an all-inclusive tour, we paid transportation and other expenses out of our pocket. We were not even allocated a guide or a vehicle. Vivien took a very reckless attitude, did not even return to messages or calls. We even went to the airport with our own means. Please do not choose this tour company, there are tour companies that provide much better conditions for the money you pay.
The comments written here are people Vivien knows and they are not really tourists. One is the local guide working with Vivien anyway. It was a very bad experience for us. It was the worst holiday of our lives.
Written January 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Mrs. Proctor,
Thank you so much for providing us with your valuable feedback. We welcome any constructive comments and suggestions to help us improve our services. We trust that you have returned to Nigeria safely, and hope that you got some time to unwind after your 2-week holiday to Kenya and Tanzania.
We are sorry to hear that you were displeased with our services, contrary to the accounts of your husband, the safari guides and the staff of the various accommodations where you stayed. We understand your frustration and displeasure due to the fact that Amani Afrika did not agree to pay for your extended holiday, after Kenya Airways delayed your return flight to Lagos for more than 36 hours, so you ended up having a couple of extra nights in East Africa. No one likes schedule changes that are imposed upon them while they are on holiday, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when such inconveniences have become commonplace. We can sympathize with you. But the flight was not booked through us, and such a change caused by Kenya Airways was not our fault.
It is not true that you had purchased an “all-inclusive tour” for the Zanzibar portion of the trip. We outlined the specific inclusions and exclusions in the proposed itinerary, which were also stated on the service agreement that your husband signed when he booked the trip with us. In nowhere had we mentioned that you’d be provided with a guide and vehicle in Zanzibar, other than the transfers to get between the accommodations and the airport. The service agreement explicitly states that additional meals, drinks, transfers and activities in Zanzibar would be excluded. The “transportation and other expenses out of pocket” that you had to pay, were for the Covid tests that you took (which we were not made aware of as a condition for your return to Nigeria prior to your travels, yet duly organized on your behalf to minimize the disruptions you would otherwise experience while you were holidaying on the island), the Safari Blue tour and the diving trip your family decided to do afterwards. We never meant to misrepresent what we set out to provide you. If there were any misunderstandings, we sincerely apologize.
And we can understand your disappointment in not being given another free upgrade with regard to your beach accommodation in Zanzibar, after being offered a gratuitous upgrade to a Presidential Suite by the gracious staff at the Park Hyatt Zanzibar hotel. But that is not a legitimate reason to coerce Amani Afrika into paying for the additional nights of hotel stay outside of our service agreement that your husband has requested us to book on your behalf.
Amani Afrika is a specialist in providing customized travel experiences in East Africa to overseas travelers. We do not sell cookie-cutter itineraries, and always design personalized trips based on the client’s budget and preferences. Over weeks of consultation with your husband, we finally settled on a 14-day itinerary to Kenya and Tanzania over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays at a price of US$14,000 for your family of 3, to include either a 2-bedroom unit or a family suite with a separate sleeping area from the main bedroom for your 8-year-old daughter, for each of the 13 nights. That was after a few iterations to cut the price of the itinerary down, as per your husband’s request to “keep the costs reasonable” with “accommodation that is not roughing it so to speak”. Some travel agents, notably those that sell set itineraries or group tours, tend to only indicate the level of accommodations on the itinerary according to a pseudo star-rating system, without specifying which hotels the travelers will actually be staying at, until shortly before the trip or even when they travelers arrive, which is not how Amani Afrika works. We always present our prospective clients with an itinerary that details the accommodations suggested, with a whole page dedicated to each accommodation that is filled with descriptions, pictures and web links. Never in our communication with your husband had we ever tried to suggest that you had been booked at a 5-star resort for every single night of your family vacation here. The accommodations that we have reserved for you are also listed in the booking agreement that your husband signed back, along with information regarding the room category chosen and meal plans. Therefore, we find your argument of Amani Afrika not having booked you at a 5-star beach resort in Zanzibar an invalid one to warrant a compensation. There were never any complaints raised over the 2 nights you had already stayed at your sea-view beach villa. It was only after we had presented you with an invoice to settle the payment for the additional hotel nights requested that you and your husband called us in an effort to coerce us into paying the extra bills on your behalf. When we asked if you had wanted to move to an alternative accommodation, you expressly said no, that you’d prefer to stay where you were, but that Amani Afrika should take care of the bills.
In the past, we have indeed upgraded some clients during their travels here out of our own accord, either as an expression of regret for hiccups they experienced or as a token of appreciation, because we had wanted to treat them. We have also offered to change accommodations for our clients who did not like where they were staying once they reached their hotel, on our account, when they asked us to do so politely. But threatening to post negative comments online is not a good motivating factor, and we are very sorry about that, for we do not condone this type of negative behaviour.
Prior to confirming your booking with us, you and your husband got on a call with us one Sunday afternoon, to go over the different parts of the itinerary. You were given an opportunity to ask questions, and we were equally given an opportunity to answer your questions and clarify any confusions you might have regarding the travel arrangements. It was never our intention to misrepresent any parts of the trip we had proposed to provide you with.
While it is true that you were quoted US$14,000 for your family holiday in East Africa, we should take into consideration the length of your trip and the inclusions of the itinerary, prior to making a judgment that you had been overcharged. We acknowledge that Tanzania is not a low-cost destination, with park fees in the Serengeti costing US$130 per person per night alone, before even factoring in accommodation or safari costs. Your trip package included a 2-bedroom unit or a family suite for each of the 13 nights, all the meals while on safari, park fees, transportation, guiding fees, activity fees as well as a flight from Serengeti to Zanzibar for 3 people. So it is not fair to say that you should expect to be accommodated at a US$1,000 per night resort in Zanzibar, when the safari part of your trip occupied a significantly bigger portion of the allocated budget. This was a point we had tried to explain to you on the phone while you were in Zanzibar.
And we would be delighted for you to post your travel experience on your personal blog, Madam, as you have repeatedly said you would do, so you can share the beauty of East Africa with your audience. The only plea that we have, is that you try to represent your travel experiences authentically. Posting a photo of yourself next to a flamingo lake at Amboseli National Park on social media and tagging it as Lake Nakuru, and passing a visit to Esilalei Village near Lake Manyara in Tanzania as a trip to the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya—neither of which were on the itinerary that we had duly executed for you—do not constitute good travel journalism. In fact, we do not think that it is ethical behaviour to be deceiving your audience. Such a practice is reminiscent of cultural (mis)appropriation, where the Maasai people of Esilalei Village in Tanzania were “taken for a ride” as if they were people from another village in Kenya. Even though we are all East Africans, with similarly coloured skin, we come from different backgrounds. There are over 100 tribes in Tanzania alone. The Maasai tribes at different villages have slightly different customs, especially since they are spread across two different countries, even though they share common roots. We do think it would be fairer and more respectful to the people at Esilaei Village in Tanzania who have opened their homes to you with open arms, opened their lives to you with open hearts, to at least get a nod of recognition, if not appreciation.
You have a powerful platform, Madam, and with it, a powerful voice. We think it would be a marvelous deed if you were to put it to good use and appropriately portray the places you have traveled to in an authentic, positive, light, as we are sure your audience would prefer an honest depiction over a curated alternative reality.
We would like to conclude this response by saying that instead of settling the bills towards your additional hotel stays, we will donate the funds to Lemugur Village, which is the Maasai community that Amani Afrika is a part of. On behalf of the villagers, we thank you for enabling this generous donation to go towards bettering their lives in Tanzania. If you would like to visit Lemugur Village on your next visit to Tanzania to meet the faces of those you have helped, you are very welcome.
We wish you a very happy new year, Mrs. Proctor, and all the success with your life and travels!
Written January 9, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience