Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

A cheetah looking out over the Serengeti plains crying out for his missing mate - how could anyone still have a dry eye!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jacob was very good and knowledgable. Everything ran smoothly and you always felt he was in control and had everything in hand. We had an accident with the truck in the Serengeti. An overloaded land rover came around a corner at very high speed and in avoiding us turned over into a dry river bed. The driver of our truck was amazing to avoid us being hit or tipping over as we were just coming off a narrow bridge that also had a big hole in the road. The driver and leader then showed brilliant skill in helping get the land rover pulled back onto the road. They were calm through out and really made you feel safe in their hands. The incident could have been really bad and it was only their skill that kept us safe. The land rover was a government vehicle and has accepted responsibility for the incident. No one from our group was hurt.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you have sufficient use changed into local currency before arriving at the beach resort where there are no cash machines and the exchange rate offered is poor.

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing in the dusk on our first evening watching a family of hippos grazing a short distance away by the shores of beautiful Lake Niavisha ..... What a great start to our African trip

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jacob M was fantastic! A thoughtful, energetic and practical man

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read the background notes so that you know exactly what the trip involves and do your research about the areas you are visiting to be well prepared ........ And then book with Exodus, with confidence.

Most Inspirational Moment

That first sighting of the lions a family too !! with  cubs, how aww struck to see them playing trying to get up a tree with Mum at the top sleeping. That is what I came to see the cats !We also saw a great moment with a giraffe approached a leopard sleeping in a tree, it nudged its tail so the Leopard looked up and just watched the giraffe walk on, great to see. I saw the big 5 in the environment they should be in and that to me is just fantastic to witness.As a group we had some really funny moments and that will stay with me fantastoc memories thanks to all for that!!Exodus run a great trip and I would travel with them again!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jacob was fantastic, you couldnt ask him a question he didnt know the answer too. He was entertaing and very helpful the best guide by far I have ever come accross.  The rest of the crew was just as good Simon the cook amazing creations in the middle of nowhere!! and always gave alternatives to those that needed them! Kennedy the driver/Mechanic dealt with every hurdle the rough terain through at us, 2 shock absorbers, 2 tyres and a gear box (this did require a new truct, but Exodus were on it straight away!)

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you are thinking about it dont do it!!  So much fun this trip the crew and group made it even better if that is possible!

Most Inspirational Moment

We have seen the big 4, two kills (even though I am vegetarian, still a very good natural experience) and 5 ugly :) Many cubs! 

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was friendly and knew his stuff.

Most Inspirational Moment

The clouds in the early morning pouring over the rim of Ngorongoro

Thoughts on Group Leader

Clara was knowledgable, clear, helpful, fun and friendly. Boniface the driver and Esther the cook were also excellent. They all got it just right.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You don't need to take a rollmat! (I hadn't read the blurb well enough and took mine). Your website's list of what to take was v helpful and got it right. We bought pillows in the supermarket we stopped at in Nairobi. Which was a good move as they were really comfortable, tho it seemed rather decadent and in ecological (tho we gave them away at the end).

Most Inspirational Moment

So hard to choose: coming upon a giraffe during the 'walking safari' on the shore of Lake Naivasha; seeing the elephants just behind our truck at the campsite on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater; being so close to the lions in the Crater we could have stroked them (but didn't obviously) or watching a cheetah race and kill a gazelle right in front of our eyes -I can't decide.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Clara, our group leader, was great. She was knowledgeable, funny and capable and together with Ester, our cook, and Bonface, our driver, they made a great team. We learnt so much from each of them not just about the wildlife and places we visited, but also the people and cultures of Kenya and Tanzania.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Try to buy a cheap pillow on day 1, it will make camping more comfortable. You will get a locker on the truck to put important/precious items in; your main bag is stored separately so does not need to fit in the locker. If you go on the village walk when you stay in Marangu you will be taken to a local school. They welcome donations of money or school resources so go prepared! Tsetse flies like dark clothing so wear light stuff when in the Serengeti.

Most Inspirational Moment

How to choose one inspirational moment?  Seeing two prides of lions at close quarters?  A pair of lions mating within yards of our truck (twice!)?  A leopard guarding its kill (a gazelle) and then dragging it off to its hiding place?  A mother elephant suckling her baby?  The glimpse of Kilimanjaro amongst the clouds?  Great coffee!  

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader, Rose, was a gem.  Together with Ken the cook and Boniface our driver, they made a fantastic team.  Rose's knowledge was astounding and there wasn't a question she couldn't answer about local customs, flora and fauna.  She was up two hours before us in the morning, and last to go to bed at night making sure everybody and everything was perfect.  With Ken and Boniface they were the hardest-working, dedicated and good-natured crew I have ever encountered.  Ken came up with something special every day - the meals were varied, tasty and very healthy.  His banana fritters were to die for, as were his aubergines!  Our driver, Boniface, was a true star.  His driving was excellent - we all felt very safe in his hands.  Some of the roads particularly in Kenya were dreadful, but Boniface negotiated them with astounding skill and stamina.  He and Rose would also help us with pitching and taking down tents, and with kitchen duties.  

Advice for Potential Travellers

Travel extremely light - only 15kg of hold luggage is allowed on internal flight to Zanzibar so make allowances for souvenirs (soapstone figures can be heavy!)Use very high sunblock (at least SPF50) if on doxycycline anti-malarials.Use insect repellent day and night - I found RID Tropical Strength worked best for mossies and tse tse flies. The roll-on is better value for money than spray.  Get it from the Safari Store  http://www.thesafaristore.co.uk/products/Accessories/RID-Insect-Repellent/RID-Insect-Repellent/Don't replace fluid loss with alcohol!  Heatstroke is possible so drink plenty of water and it does no harm to have some electrolytes every day.Take spare batteries for camera as it is not always possible to re-charge en route.  (The charger on our truck developed an electrical fault.)A wind-up torch as back-up for your head torch is handy.There is rarely any toilet roll so take your own! 

Most Inspirational Moment

Close encounters with the animals.Camping in the wilderness under the night sky.Cocktails on the beach in Zanzibar 

Thoughts on Group Leader

All the crew were first rate at their jobs. Many thanks to Ben the driver, Ken the cook and Lelei the guide.Local guides were used from time to time and these were all professional quality 

Advice for Potential Travellers

There were relatively few mosquitoes  during early March. No one was badly bitten.Pay the single supplement. 2 people in a tent would be a squeeze. Contrary to Exodus paperwork ,you don't need a photo for a Tanzanian visa. It costs $50 and they don't take other currencies.Apart from that ,you could take your cash in Sterling. That saves changing your money twice,  into dollars and then into Kenyan and Tanzanian currency.  An ATM card would be handy for when exchange places aren't available. - e.g sundays or where there's a huge queue in the only bank in town.The beach hotel in Zanzibar gave a poor exchange rate. Change your money in Stone Town before you leave for the beach. There are opportunities to do a bit of handwashing, now and again. Give clothes away as you go. They'll be gratefully received.

Most Inspirational Moment

Close encounters with the animals.Camping in the wilderness under the night sky.Cocktails on the beach in Zanzibar 

Thoughts on Group Leader

All the crew were first rate at their jobs. Many thanks to Ben the driver, Ken the cook and Lelei the guide.Local guides were used from time to time and these were all professional quality 

Advice for Potential Travellers

There were relatively few mosquitoes  during early March. No one was badly bitten.Pay the single supplement. 2 people in a tent would be a squeeze. Contrary to Exodus paperwork ,you don't need a photo for a Tanzanian visa. It costs $50 and they don't take other currencies. Apart from that ,you could take your cash in Sterling. That saves changing your money twice,  into dollars and then into Kenyan and Tanzanian currency.  An ATM card would be handy for when exchange places aren't available. - e.g sundays or where there's a huge queue in the only bank in town.The beach hotel in Zanzibar gave a poor exchange rate. Change your money in Stone Town before you leave for the beach. There are opportunities to do a bit of handwashing, now and again. Give clothes away as you go. They'll be gratefully received.

Most Inspirational Moment

The black rhino in Ngorongoro was really great to see, especially since there aren't that many of them left. The leopard cub in a tree was an unexpected (but very welcome ) viewing.  The end of the migration in the Serengeti was one of the sights that I wanted to see and I was not disappointed.

Thoughts on Group Leader

She was alright but not in any way exceptional. When I asked why all the wildebeest we saw in the Serengeti were males she came up with some weird and (not so) wonderful explanation that all the females died giving birth!!!!! If that was the case then who raised the calves?? Surely the species would die out within a few years. My theory - while not neccessarily correct - that the females followed on when the younsters were a little stronger made much more sense.... She was good at spotting the animals as we were driving along but not always so knowledgeable when questions were asked.Also we were not made aware of where and when we could do laundry until we specifically asked to be told at every opportunity.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Don't stick too closely to what is said in the trip notes as they are not always correct. Do take mossie repellant, toilet rolls, a blowup pillow, binoculars (though you don't always get chance to use them due to the constant movement), a camera with a good zoom - I took a compact with a good zoom and it was perfectly adequate - you don't need to tote along massive lenses, a good head torch is essential and spare camera batteries as you can't always charge them, though most of the time recharging is available on the truck. Also make sure you have a good memory card or two as you will take hundreds of pictures and you don't want to be running out of memory or battery at that vital moment. You don't need a 3 season sleeping bag as the trip notes say but a good 2 season with liner is perfectly adequate. Also it does not get too cold in the mornings or evenings requiring coats etc but you will need a good fleece to ward off the chill on occasion though one is all you will need. It doesn't matter whether you wear bright colours or not as you are in the truck for pretty much all the game viewing, and besides, all animals except for birds, fish and apes are colour blind.You do not need to search out biodegradeable hand washing deregent with you as you don't really get the chance to do any washing and I just did mine in the shower with me. Likewise with shampoos - there are shower blocks everywhere so you do not have to get your water from rivers or lakes (even if these were available which they are not). A sun hat to me is an absolute must as the sun is very hot when walking round local markets. A large sarong or equivalent is a good idea as there is often nowhere to get dried after your shower so I just wrapped myself in my large sarong and went back to my tent to get dry instead of trying to hop about on one foot getting dressed in the cubicle while not getting your clothes wet.