First time in Africa - First time in Africa but hopefully the first of many. The trip was a stills photographic experience, expertly put together by David, allowing my friend John and I to take in all the places we wanted to see, the highlight being the crossing of the Mara river by wildebeests and zebras with many attacks on the unfortunate animals being witnessed and photographed. Our trip started by being met at Kilimanjaro Airport by Bernard, our driver who was absolutely fantastic throughout the whole trip and we soon became firm friends. We travelled through Arusha, staying the first night at Lake Manyara Lodge, then the next day at Seronera Lodge for one night followed by a three night stay at Lobo Lodge from where we drove to see the wildebeest crossing. On the first day we saw lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, exotically coloured birds and many more animals. On later days we saw hippos, cheetahs, monkeys and many types of antelopes. Bernard was expert in driving over uneven dirt roads while managing to spot animals for us and then stopping to allow us time to photograph them. His knowledge of animals and birds was phenomenal and he organised trips for us to see rhinos, where we went out with a park ranger and also to photograph a Massai village and it's people. Finally we returned on the same road, on the way spending time in the Ngorogoro Crater where we witnessed an attack on a wildebeest by a lion, also witnessed by people in twenty or so other jeeps! I can thoroughly recommend Eastco as a company and would happily travel with them again. The whole experience was amazing.

An unforgettable safari!! Book with EastCo!!! - We planned our safari honeymoon with EastCo, and we are so glad we did! David was our original point of contact who helped plan our itinerary, and he was incredibly responsive, professional, and allowed us to curate each activity (including an awesome cooking class and a visit to Twiga Brewery in Arusha) as well as the accommodations that we asked for. We had a 6-night and 7-day itinerary in the Tanzania mainland, followed by 3 days in Zanzibar. For safari, we structured our safari stays in 3 luxury tented camps (which were incredible; highly recommend!) and one lodge. All of our accommodations recommended by Eastco were excellent — with clean and spacious tents, welcoming and attentive staff, and beautiful surrounding scenery (and at our last camp, even animals such as zebras, giraffes, elephants and others cohabiting the space!). Thanks to the staff, we felt incredibly safe and had escorts after dark. Our safari guide and driver, Wilson, was exceptional and really made our trip what it was. He comes with 10+ years of experience and so much knowledge about the game drive routes (on roads barely marked!) and about each animal we came across, even predicting their behaviors as we watched them unfold! We struck up a wonderful relationship with him. He also had strong relationships with many other guides, frequently sharing tips and interacting with them while we came across other safari vehicles on the road. He made us feel incredibly safe and was highly motivated to take us on great game drives on every single day of our trip. He really made the trip exceptional and we would be thrilled to do another safari with him. EastCo also conveniently helped us complete our honeymoon itinerary and booked our flight, accommodations and a driver while in Zanzibar, including a stay in Stone Town and at a resort we requested called Tulia on the east side of the island (which was a splurge, but relaxing and beautiful - recommend!). In Stone Town, we had an informative, impromptu visit to the East African Slave Trade exhibit (self-organized, and only $5 at the door per person - also recommended!); our driver suggested a spice tour outside of Stone Town while en route to our resort ($70 per person), and we took his recommendation; in retrospect, we realized this was a steep price for what was offered and a bit of a tourist trap — so beware of this and do your research for activities while on the island! We had an incredible trip, especially the safari in the mainland, and we can’t recommend EastCo highly enough!! Don’t think twice about arranging your safari with them; there are hundreds of companies out there but we were thoroughly impressed by how much thought and effort they put into our trip.

My First Safari - For my colleague and I EASTCO's Predator Safari was a stills photographic experience with the highlight to witness wildebeest & zebra crossing the River Mara as part of the Great Migration. The safari covered an eight day period, travelling from Arusha near Mt Kilimanjaro to Lobo in the north near the Kenyan border and back again, in a jeep covering some 1,000 kms. EASTCO's organisation was excellent, they met all the deadlines and objectives and we came away with a memorable experience backed up by some great photos. The success of such a trip is largely dependent on the driver of the jeep. He drives over makeshift non-tarmac road, he spots animals whilst doing this, as well as keeping timings is mind. We were particularly impressed with his understanding of how to, and how not to, engage with the animals, their habits and customs, skills built up of many years. Our driver achieved all of this and we owe him a great big thank you. Needless to say that if we ever returned to Tanzania for a safari we would choose EASTCO.

8 Day Safari with Wilson and Paulo in Tanzania. - We were recommended to use Eastco by our friends who have been on two extended safaris with Eastco recently. David K organised an 8 day safari that went to Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Mt Kilimanjaro, all in Tanzania, for us. Our trip was absolutely brilliant! We had Wilson as our Guide/Driver and Paulo as our cook. We were so happy with both. Wilson and Paulo went out of their way, every day, to ensure that our experience was the best it could be. Wilson is an expert guide, with 10 years of safari experience, knowing every track in each of the parks we went into. He knew where to spot the different animals and was able to get us into the best position to observe and predict their next step! Wilson looked after us superbly. We felt safe, cared for and valued. We all got on extremely well. To top it off, we spent our last day on the Shira Plateau to get an open view of Mt Kilimanjaro! Now to sort through the 1000 fabulous photographs! Our recommendation is to seriously consider Eastco. There are so many safari companies out there. Just let David sort it out for you. Then ask for Wilson and Paulo. They are an excellent team.

Once in a life time experience with EASTCO & Wilson - We are just back from a trip to Tanzania, where we combined a stay in Zanzibar with a 5-day safari starting from Arusha. It was our first time in an African safari, so we did a bit of research and had a short list with safari companies, as it was difficult to choose. We contacted EASTCO & happy that we chose them: communication with David prior to the trip was pretty straightforward and we appreciated his responsiveness and flexibility. We decided ourselves for a 4-night/5-day safari, and David adapted the itinerary, starting from Arusha and going to Tarangire (day 1), Serengeti (Days 2, 3) and Ngorongoro crater (day 4) & Lake Manyara (day 5/first half of the day). Massive thanks, David: it took a bit of patience on both sides, but we are very satisfied that we did this together! As regards the safari, it was the experience of a life time: due to covid pandemic, there were less cars/groups, we saw a lot of animals – even close to the road (with a leopard literally crossing the road only a few meters in front of us) and we were able to take great pictures. We had Wilson as a guide for our trip and we were very happy with him: he was patient, professional, and knowledgeable about the animals, not only providing us with detailed explanations about the spotted animals – but also giving us his guide books to read and understand more on the African wildlife. He took good care of us, he did his best for us to enjoy the safari and he was promptly spotting and showing us the various wild life. Many thanks once again, Wilson! Another great experience was sleeping in a tented camp in Serengeti (Kati Kati), these camps move depending on the migration season, so as to allow tourists to follow the animals, it was a unique experience with good accommodation & meals conditions, as well as hospitable staff. Bottom line: a great experience that left us with wonderful memories! We said that it's a once in a life time experience - but we do hope that we'll have the chance to repeat it !!!

Can't imagine booking with any company other than EASTCO! - My husband and I just got back from an amazing honeymoon in Tanzania, which included an 8 day safari with EASTCO. We could not have asked for a better experience and highly recommend this company for a few main reasons: 1. Local tour operator (important because they know the area and are a better value) 2. Responsive and helpful planning team 3. WILSON is a fantastic tour guide 4. Best value compared to other companies we spoke to We did quite a bit of research leading up to our trip and decided we wanted to travel with a local tour operator and narrowed our list down to 5 or so companies. After inquiring with each of them it became clear that EASTCO was by far the most responsive and helpful company when it came to planning our perfect trip. Charles, who helped coordinate everything, provided multiple itineraries for us to review and was very considerate of our budget. Charlie was a true partner in helping us plan our trip. For example, when I suggested alternative accommodations or routes he would either explain to me why my suggestion was not optimal for the type of trip we wanted or would look into it if he thought it would enhance our trip (some of the other TOs I talked to would agree to all of my suggestions even if they didn’t make sense based on other aspects of our itinerary). We were fortunate to have WILSON as our guide and highly highly recommend him! He was not only a fabulous guide, but great company to have on our safari. He was knowledgeable, conversational, thoughtful and managed everything throughout our trip from the moment he picked us up from the airport to when we had to say goodbye (which was harder than expected!). Wilson sincerely wanted to make sure our trip was memorable. We even got to see a cheetah hunt a gazelle just 200 ft. in front of our truck because Wilson is THAT good at spotting wildlife. He was excited to show us everything and tell us not only about the parks we were in and the animals we saw, but the culture of the people. Because of him we learned Swahili words and phrases beyond “thank you” and have a much better understanding of the Maasai people. He truly is special and we couldn’t have asked for a better person to spend our time in Tanzania with! I hope we have the opportunity to safari again and if we do we’ll only be calling EASTCO.

Awesome Tanzania Safari with Eastco - My husband and I decided to escape winter and do a Tanzania safari. We found Eastco on trip advisor and despite Covid decided to go ahead. The restrictions were a real worry but after discussions with David at Eastco we decided to do it. Eastco helped plan a 10 day trip including 3 days on Zanzibar and the trip could not have been better, they really listen. Wilson our guide was fantastic, could spot a lion or leopard while all we could see where trees and rocks. He was also friendly and told us many stories about life in Tanzania under Covid. Tarangire was a highlight with the elephants and boababs as was the migration at Ndutu. Seeing the actual migration and hearing the wildebeest after only seeing it on you tube was well worth the trip. The planning was perfect from first contact to saying goodbye to Wilson at the airport. The hotel in Zanzibar helped sort out the Covid test for us before our flight and it worked like a dream. In fact the whole trip was a dream come true and I would highly recommend a safari to Tanzania and use Eastco.

Outstanding honeymoon experience - Why EASTCO? We initially booked EASTCO, having emailed approximately 10 safari providers recommended elsewhere on TripAdvisor, because their trip sounded the most well-planned and was a reasonable cost. Furthermore Charles was extremely helpful and knowledgeable throughout the booking process (as was David when we had to delay the trip due to Covid-19) and planned what turned out to be a fantastic trip with wonderful accommodation. Thank you so much Charles. Our guide We spent a fantastic 7 days with Wilson, who picked us up from Kogatende airstrip and dropped us off at Arusha airport a week later. We couldn't have asked for a better guide - particularly important when you spend so much time in their company. My husband, who qualified as a field guide himself a decade ago, could attest to the fact that Wilson is extremely knowledgeable and well worth spending your time and money on. His breadth of knowledge on both animals and birds was incredible (as we were excited about everything from the smallest weaver to the largest elephant), and he was able to tell us everything we wanted to know (which he gauged very well) about everything. He knew exactly where to find all the animals (locating a leopard in the first hour) and seemed to know the various areas like the back of his hand. His stamina - doing full game drives with commentary on most days - was impressive, and he never made us feel unsafe. He was a great mechanic when the rocks had punished the vehicle slightly too much, and a patient language teacher as we tried to learn basic Swahili! His enthusiasm never waned. We were extremely lucky to be introduced to Tanzania with Wilson as our guide. Asante sana Wilson! Accommodation We stayed at 5 places over 7 nights and would recommend them all. We particularly enjoyed the fact that no one place was like another. Our first night was at Ilboru Safari Lodge in Arusha - a fantastic way to relax and become acclimatised to Tanzania after long flights. We then stayed at Heritage Safari Camp in northern Serengeti for two nights. This was the most basic of the places we stayed at, but still had a four-poster bed, an ensuite bathroom and Wifi... Very impressive for the middle of the Serengeti! Then it was a night at Serengeti Pure Tented Camp in the Seronera Valley - which was incredibly luxurious and had fantastic Gin and Tonics, perfect for sitting by the campfire and looking out over the central Serengeti view. Then a night at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, which was a large hotel with stunning views over the crater - absolutely breath-taking. And finally two nights at Boundary Hill Lodge on the edge of Tarangire National Park. I won't spoil the surprise but it's so so worth the 56km drive on rough terrain to get there. Make sure you get Room 1. The food and staff were unbeatable. The parks This will depend on the time of year you visit but if possible we would recommend that you visit the Serengeti first by flying in (whether north or west) as it is highly impressive and a fantastic place for your first safari experience! As mentioned, my husband trained as a guide in Kruger National Park in South Africa and he was still blown away by the Serengeti, which exceeded his expectations. The unique features of Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and Tarangire exceptional, but the drives between them can be fatiguing - so better to visit them after, rather than before, the Serengeti. Covid-19 This is having a devastating impact on the safari industry in Tanzania, which relies on selling permits to tourists to ensure its conservation projects can go ahead. In almost all the places we stayed at we were the only guests - often for the month - but the staff required to maintain the camps for two or twenty guests remains the same, resulting in huge losses to people's livelihoods. From a tourist's perspective, this is probably the best time to visit due to the lack of other tourists! We knew the Tanzanian government's position on Covid-19 before travelling, and personally viewed it as a welcome break from the restrictive environment in the UK's approach to dealing with coronavirus. We saw no trace of illness and felt safe throughout. If this would suit you - visit as soon as you can! Summary The safari with EASTCO and Wilson (and our subsequent few days in Zanzibar) was the best holiday we have ever been on. A well-organised - and re-organised due to Covid-19 - trip, executed impeccably. You will not regret choosing EASTCO and you will not regret choosing to go on safari in northern Tanzania.

Jamal Njarita - Best Safari Guide Ever! - We settled on East African Safari & Touring Company because our friends used them three years ago, and it was a great mix of locations and property styles. Simon King was our contact we communicated with throughout the process. He was accessible and very knowledgeable with our many queries. If he does not respond, email again. Sometimes there are communication disruptions and delays. We got immunizations in the U.S. We secured our visas upon arrival in Tanzania, and it was kind of a cluster. Everyone who just got off the plane and has to go through this line. I admit I was exhausted. You must pay in cash (As of 07/2015 it was $100 USD - Bring new currency, fresh crisp bills). We traveled U.S.---> Turkey ----> Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. When we landed after flying for 22 hours we had to take two more in-country flights. We had a layover for many hours (3 am local time, flight not departing until 7 am local time) and we were exhausted. We had to wait outside on metal benches because the domestic portion of the airport doesn't allow you in until two hours before your flight. None of the shops are open. If we knew we were going to wait an additional 5 hours on a metal bench at the Dar Es Salaam airport, before getting on two more flights, and then being in a car for 30 minutes I think we would have opted to stay in Dar Es Salaam for the day and just fly to Mwanza the next day. Nights were cool in July and required sweaters, jackets, long pants. Mountains were cool, other places were HOT, but a nice mix. Also good to have scarfs to cover up against dusty roads, eye drops, hats, and sunscreen. Definitely need flashlights, good binoculars and I rented a fabulous camera. We brought one great travel guide book about Tanzania and E-readers with many books on them. Books are expensive there. Bring your own. The guide also had some books, but we like to have our own. Good shoes for walking and also light shoes for heat. We brought a First Aid kit. Bring snacks that travel easily, I brought a box of KIND bars, my friend had Cliff Bars. A clothesline and pins are helpful if you need to rinse anything. Usually, everything dries fast. We stayed in tents in the Serengeti, and private lodges in other bush areas. At times, we were the only tourists at a location. Simon also mixed that up with some comfortable lodges with many (loud) tourists. It was a good balance but if something is "not your thing", you should specify and pay for higher end locations. If you are roughing it, bring extra batteries particularly for cameras. Many places will not have access for Internet or Phone. I use T-Mobile in the US and was able to pop out my sim card and buy a local one. My phone bill was not affected. We toured for 10 days with Jamal Njarita. He worked so incredibly hard. What makes a good guide? First comes safety, especially on walking safaris, which requires a cool head, a respect for dangerous game and a thorough knowledge of animal behavior. A good guide can read situations, react in an instant and avoid putting his clients in harm’s way. As two women traveling, this was key. He has a great sense of humor, and could be serious when explaining things like how Maasai live in a 'Boma'. Like all true professionals he appears relaxed, yet all his senses remain on high alert, suddenly breaking off a conversation to point out a bird in a tree or the flick of an ear in the long grass. We were alone in our 10 year old Toyota Landcruiser with Jamal. He was very good and accompanied us most everywhere. Guides work on commission only, so be prepared to tip well. There is a LOT of driving roads, and imaginary roads are rough and can be surprisingly exhausting. I loved the Serengeti Horizon tents. I would say it's more "glamping" or glamorous camping than camping. The guys who work there are truly amazing, welcoming, and made this a great start of our journey. I was petrified during the night drive! While we were at Boundary Lodge (when it's dark outside we had escorts) I was not prepared for a man they call "Commander" who carried a bow and arrow. Additionally he shone the spotlight during the night game drive. I didn't catch the other young man's name but he had a spear to protect us from animals. I felt safe but it was unexpected to say the least. Large lodges had safes. Theft was not an issue. My friend is a vegetarian (who eats fish) and they prepared special food for us. Lots of food, not fancy, but tasty and 3 meals a day day, which is much more than our normal diet. Soups were great. The large lodges had incredible food. My advise is as follows: Be flexible. Be clear about what you want so they can manage your expectations. Ask for a exceptional guide like Jamal. (If you are a woman remember you are traveling in a predominantly Muslim country--everyone did not treat us like Jamal). Things that were less than perfect, is when accommodations were made at a place with a different name/location then what was printed on the itinerary. It was just confusing and it happened twice. (On the itinerary it says "Hilton Hotel or similar" which is not cool when you see a man is holding a sign with your name driving you to a location with a different hotel than you think you are traveling to. If it can be firmed up in advance it's helpful). This is not Disney animals on demand. There were days we drove around for hours and saw nothing, and then there was the day we saw a Cheetah, Leopard, Zebra, Elephant and Rhinoceros. Believe your guide wants you to see these animals as much as you do. He is working and listening to radio chatter in Swahili trying to link up with colleagues for the best spots. Also, give him a break, you don't have to leave at dawn and come back to home base at dusk. If you're on vacation, be on vacation, trust me the animals will be there. Finally, my favorite moment was riding bikes for three hours with a man named Sandy to get a close up of Lake Manyara. We saw literally thousands of flamingos and got to sit in a local fisherman's canoe. The landscape was breathtaking. We did this bike tour on Jamal's recommendation and it was incredible! We traveled to Zanzibar to relax. If I had to do it again we would have stayed at the Z Hotel in Nungwi. Much more our speed, more people, and an exceptionally good Bloody Mary! We managed to go snorkeling using One Ocean Dive spent a day touring Stone Town enjoying lunch at Jafferji House & Spa. Hopefully I can come back in 5 years or so. Like anything, people make the experience and our guide Jamal made it wonderful, and it went by too fast!

Great Safari ! - Fully recommended, the organization and 7 days safari was amazing. Thanks David and Wilson for an unforgettable holidays