My wife, daughter (11), and I recently returned from a two week safari trip to Tanzania. In preparation for the trip, we did a lot of research regarding tour companies. We ultimately decided to go with Access2Tanzania. We are EXTREMELY HAPPY with the trip they put together for us, and recommend them WITHOUT HESITATION. Here are some of the reasons why: 1) The planning process - A2T does a lot of work up front to find out about you, and what kind of trip you are looking for. This includes a detailed questionnaire, with follow-up communications from the staff. 2) Customization, Input, and Control - Each trip is customized for the particular traveler/group. You have a lot of control over exactly where you go in Tanzania, what you do, where you stay, etc. The A2T staff is a great resource as you sort through the options. However, the ultimate decision is yours. 3) Your Own Vehicle and Guide - We had our own vehicle and guide throughout the trip, i.e., we were not simply part of a larger group. This gave us greater control over our daily itinerary. If we wanted to get an early start on given day, we could. If we wanted to sleep in, that was ok too. 4) Value - Based upon my research, it typically costs a lot more to get the kind of customization and personalization that you get with A2T. Don't get me wrong: African safari trips are expensive. However, A2T's price was comparable to what other companies charge for "off the rack" group tours, i.e., we got a customized, personalized tour at an "off the rack" rate. 5) The Guides - We LOVED our guide, Said. He was personable, professional, fun, attentive, and extremely knowledgeable. (You do not really appreciate the importance of a knowledgeable guide until you have one. It really adds to the experience.) Said told us that the thorough process A2T utilizes when hiring guides. He also said that many, if not all, of the A2T guides work in some other capacity with the company (i.e., they get a tryout) before they are hired as guides. Unlike other tour companies, A2T does not utilize contract guides. If all of their regular guides are booked during a particular period, the company does not take additional bookings. So, you always know you are getting an experienced, quality guide. 6) A2T's Charitable Activities - In addition to all of its other positive attributes, A2T has a truly inspiring charitable mission. You can read about it A2T's website. You don't have to spend much time talking to Brian or Karen to recognize the company's commitment to educating young people in Tanzania. It is inspiring. In conclusion, if you want to visit Africa, you should definitely check out A2T. FYI, I will also be preparing reviews of the lodges/camps where we stayed on the trip.

Our family recently returned from a trip to Tanzania's Northern Circuit and Zanzibar and used A2T to book our tour. A2T allowed me to customize our trip to match the camps I wanted to stay at and for the length of time I wanted to stay at each. Our 8 Internal flights were booked by A2T and each remarkably was on time! I would like to give a shout out to our guide, Willy, who took such good care of all of us. Willy, not only was a great guide at the Ngorogoro crater, but he was an expert driver always getting us to the small airports on time, helped us with our shopping, and when we needed medication for some itchy mosquito bites, he found it. Willy is the best, we recommend him highly. You could not find a more friendly or caring guide.

My husband and I decided last year that we wanted to go to Tanzania and Zanzibar for our honeymoon. We spoke to 10 difference companies that did tours in Tanzania, but when we came across Access 2 Tanzania, we were immediately intrigued because of the history of the company. We loved the fact that Brian Singer was a Peace Corp volunteer and has built a successful non-profit that continues to help Tanzanians. After speaking with Karen, we knew that we were going to get very personalized attention and that our itinerary was going to really fit our preferences. Karen from the start was amazing; she worked with us to build an itinerary that was both active and authentic. She was extremely organized, prompt with phone call returns and really worked to fit our wants into our budget. Once we booked, we felt very confident that everything was going to perfect on our trip.

We were absolutely right! Everything about the trip was absolutely incredible -- it exceeded all of our expectations. Everything was perfect: the hotels/lodges/tents were beyond our wildest dreams, the parks were magnificent, but what really made the trip for us was our incredible guide, Ray. Right when we got off the plane Ray greeted us with a huge smile and tons of energy and enthusiasm. Throughout the trip, he proved to know EVERYTHING, and I mean everything, about Tanzania, the animals, the parks, the people. He had incredible eyes and could see/find animals from miles away and know exactly what they were. On our last day of the safari, Ray found us a leopard, the only animal of the big 5 we hadn't seen, that was just relaxing in a tree. Even with binoculars, it took me and my husband a good few minutes to see what he saw. Overall, Ray really spent the trip making sure that my husband and I were comfortable, safe and having the best time. We are so grateful that we got to spend 10 days with him learning about Tanzania!

While at the beach, there was one time where I needed to contact Karen about changing a transfer. I emailed her on a weekend (which I didn't realize because I had no idea what day it was) and she responded immediately and did as we asked. After the trip, I read over a sheet of paper we received from Zanzibar Unique, the company that A2T works with in Zanzibar that said if we wanted to make any transfer changes, we could contact them directly. But Karen was amazing and responded and dealt with it for us even though if I just had read the paper properly, I could have figured out how to do that on my own!!

Overall, I would 100%, without reservations, recommend A2T. Karen was incredible from the start, the hotels and food were well beyond our expectations -- they were unlike anything we had ever seen before. As a couple who have traveled extensively, Ray was better than any guide I have ever come across. My husband and I left there feeling like we had spent our time on the safari with a friend and with someone who knew more about his country/land/animals than anyone we have ever met. And A2T's responsiveness throughout the entire experience was exceptional. If anyone is thinking about going to Tanzania, this is the company to go with!!

My 3 friends and I booked a tour with A2T to tour the Northern Circuit of Tanzania. We obtained bids from several other companies but the customer service Karen (the ower) providered was remarkable. We spoke on the phone for about an hour to discuss what our expectations, budget and timing. I was impressed with her knowledge and thoroughness of the area. I was also impressed how inexpensive it was given what we got.

We just got back, and wow, what an awesome experience we had! We did a 7 day, 6 night safari with a walk along the foothills of Kili and lunch with a local Chaga village family. That was Day 1. Thereafter, we had a wonderful guide named Mussa, who took us to Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro Crater and of course, the Serengeti. We saw the Big 5 multiple times over (which was amazing since the rhino and leopard are very difficult to see) plus much more - cheetahs, hippos, tons of zebra and more. I was almost tired of seeing so many animals!

The day we were supposed to leave from Arusha airport, Precision Air (the local airline) was playing games with our tickets so we had to fly 2 hours later to Zanzibar. Even though not their responsibility for the delay, A2T came through and comped our dinner in Zanzibar as a gesture. Very unexpected and appreciated.

I highly recommend A2T for any travel in Tanzania and if you can, ask for Mussa as a guide. He was a wonderful guide that made sure we saw everything we wanted to see, arranged a stop at a local Maasai village and even ensured that local vendors did not harass us when we wanted to shop. I would travel with A2T again in a heartbeat.