Big5, Culture and Human History - This was our third trip to East Africa with Orongai Africa Safari and it was the most remarkable. The Guide Asser gave us a terrific experience. We managed to get fantastic close up views of birds and amazing wildlife including the famous "big five". We experienced the Masai way of life by visiting a local village; we went to Olduvai Gorge for a true open air museum of the early men. We brought home memories we will remember and cherish for our lifetimes.

Beyond Expectations, 5-Stars - Everything about this tour exceeded our expectations. We booked the “5 -DAY Best of Northern Tanzania (Luxury) Tour” through Tour Radar and the booking process was very simple. We traveled from the United States for a tour in early December 2020. We elected to substitute the day at Lake Manyara with a day at Tarangire National Park instead, and this was a seamless change confirmed by Orongai. A few days before our tour, we asked for confirmations to the lodges a we would be staying at ahead of time and the Orongai representative provided those for us. We also requested for an airport transfer to our hotel. Asseri, the tour group founder, greeted us at the Kilimanjaro Airport in the safari truck when we landed. Once at the hotel, he sat with us in the lobby to review the printed itinerary for our tour that was to start the following day. The next morning, Asseri met us at the hotel to personally introduce us to our tour guide, Noel. Noel was extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife, culture, and each of the parks we traveled to. His ability to spot and identify animals so quickly was very impressive. By the 2nd day or our trip, we saw four of the “Big Five” animals, and on the last day we finally saw a rhino to round out all five. Noel educated us on each animal’s habits and how their behaviors changed throughout their lifespan. Aside from the animals, Noel shared information on types of trees, plants, and flowers found in the area, as well as the history of how the landscapes came to be over millions of years. He was responsive to us taking pictures, even stopping the truck and backing up if it made for better lighting or angle for a photo. Noel’s knowledge expanded to his navigation as our tour spanned over 400 miles of driving without a map or GPS. Noel also made a point to stop at significant landmarks along the way, such as historical and geological attractions, we enjoyed the added education. The professionalism and expertise Noel demonstrated made our trip remarkable. The lodging set up during our tour was at the Serena hotels: Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti. The hotels were tremendous! The views at each hotel are remarkable, we would wake up early each morning just to watch the sunrise. All of our meals were provided each day and the chefs at each hotel were very accommodating to special requests. The hotel staff provided 5-star service way beyond our expectations. As noted above, we traveled early December 2020 during the corona virus outbreak. From our research prior to the trip, we saw the low infection rate in Tanzania and decided to go forward with the trip. We did not have any COVID concerns during our trip as it was only our group and Noel in the truck all day, which was well ventilated. At the hotels we had a temperature check prior to entering, had to sanitize our hands, and guests were encouraged to wear masks. Hotel staff wore masks. Our experience with Orongai was 5-star. Orongai responded to our many questions within 24 hours, arranged ground transportation to and from airport, set up extra lodging before and after the tour and provided a trip of a life time. Just to note, we read a few reviews that were concerning to us prior to the trip. From our experience we have a hard time believing these reviews as our trip was very well organized and beyond expectations. Our only recommendation to Orongai would be to provide the detailed itinerary and hotel confirmation details a week or two prior to the tour start date. This information was provided when requested and finalized printed itinerary provided in person when we were picked up from the airport. Also, we really appreciated how every representative we encountered from Orongai was listed and pictured on their website and there was an introduction and hand-off from one representative to the next. We highly recommend Orongai as a tour operator and heading on a safari in Tanzania, it truly was a trip of a lifetime.

Wonderful safari - Great safari experience. Our tourguide was very knowledgeable, passionate, and kind. The Serena hotels were lovely. Overall wonderful time!