Welcome to East Africa's top Birding specialty Tour Operator

Safari Testimonials, Our Clients’ Birding and Beyond Safaris

TRIP TESTIMONIAL

Dear Reader, below are a few of the many testimonials from our tour participants that have been spread out over many years of our safari operations. For more details, email contacts are available on a private request should you wish to contact the authors.

Hope you enjoy reading through some experiences of their travels across East Africa with us…….

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Highlights of Southern Tanzania – Slow pace Birding on the Farm July /Aug 2024
We arrived yesterday in Arusha after a magnificent Second tour with a top Tanzania Birding team. I still have to look through all our observations of our Southern Tanzania special Tour, but it is clear that over 280 species is “scored” with some 120 lifers. Above expectations!

The locations were all accordingly or above our expectations as well, with Vuma Camp in Mikumi, Fox Farm Mufindi and Kisolonza Old Farm House being superb.

About Anthony and Roger, very good team. Roger is a good and very safe driver, which in Tanzania is of great importance of course. Anthony must be the best birding guide of Tanzania – no question.

 

All the logistics worked very well and we were able to adjust the itinerary as we went along depending on our success with the birds.This was a first rate tour and we would not hesitate in recommending the company and Anthony as the lead guide …. he ensured that we got the birds we wanted throughout the tour, remarkably the Usambara Akalat on Camera shot !!!.

Edith and Simon - July /August 2024:
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Northern Tanzania Birding and Big Game – April 2024
It is good to hear from you. Our trip was a complete success. Anthony is an outstanding trip leader as I’m sure you know, and we very much enjoyed having Joel as our driver. Both worked so hard on our behalf, showing us all of the possible birds and mammals and taking great care of us every step of the way. Our safari vehicle was comfortable and capable, and in spite of rough roads and deep mud we always felt like we were going to get through just fine.

The lodging was good as was the food, It’s too bad that we had the delay in our arrival, but other than that things went smoothly.

We appreciate you putting this entire trip together for us, and we wish you and Tanzania Birding the very best in the future.

All the logistics worked very well and we were able to adjust the itinerary as we went along depending on our success with the birds.This was a first rate tour and we would not hesitate in recommending the company and Anthony as the lead guide …. he ensured that we got the birds we wanted throughout the tour, remarkably the Usambara Akalat on Camera shot !!!.

Mark & Teri McClelland - April 2024:
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Northern Tanzania and Lake Victoria, Bird Photography and Big Game Safari – March 2024
This is a somewhat late, thank you note for organizing such a successful birding tour for us in Northern Tanzania. I think I can safely report for all five of us that we enjoyed it immensely. The whole trip went incredibly smoothly. Not only did we see over 400 species of birds and 44 of mammals, but we enjoyed the excellent services and good company of our two guides, Martin and Moses. They must surely rate as the Number 1 Bird guiding team.

Thank you so much for organizing such a magic stay in your lovely country.

Mark Brazil & Fenn Family - March 2024:
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Tanzania Birding – Spotlight on the Tanzanian Endemics with Anthony Raphael Guiding Main Tour – April 2023

This was the first time my wife and I had been to Tanzania and we had a ‘hit-list’ of birds we wanted to see. Tina in the office was extremely efficient at responding to queries by email ( even for changes during the tour!)

Our guides were Kombo on Pemba, Anthony for our main tour and Martin for the Ngorongoro/Serengeti extension. All were really excellent at knowing their sites and finding the birds ….. far exceeding our expectations. For most of the tour our driver was Godbless and both he and the bird guides were really good company …. we had a lot of fun!

All the logistics worked very well and we were able to adjust the itinerary as we went along depending on our success with the birds.This was a first rate tour and we would not hesitate in recommending the company and Anthony as the lead guide …. he ensured that we got the birds we wanted throughout the tour, remarkably the Usambara Akalat on Camera shot !!!.

John and Jane Hopkins (UK) - April 2023:
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Tanzania Birding – Spotlight on the Tanzanian Endemics with Anthony Raphael Guiding Main Tour – March/April 2023

Both parts of the trip were excellent. The Main Tour was with Anthony and Geitan and the Extension with Martin and Peter, all highly expert, very professional and great company. The vehicles were also excellent. All of the arrangements Tina in the office made for the itinerary and accommodation worked out very well and we were very comfortable and well looked after throughout. We will be recommending Birding Tanzania to our friends.

We’d be happy for you to use the above paragraph as a testimonial.

Thanks again to you and the team for all your good efforts and for making our trip so enjoyable.

Dave and Vicky (UK) - March/April 2023:
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Keith Riding – Northern Tanzania Birding, Big Game and Cultural experience – March 2023

My wife and I took our special 18-year-old, recently graduated from high school (and lucky) grandson on a Safari to Northern Tanzania to include Arusha NP, Serengeti Plains, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire NP. This had been very efficiently arranged by Tina at Tanzania Several Tours and enjoyed it very much. This was our Third or Fourth Tour with Tanzania Birding & Beyond Safaris.

Although the focus was to be on Mammals, one of us was particularly interested in birds, so we had two guides, Godbless, a very knowledgeable main general nature guide and driver, and Martin, a bird specialist. Both men were excellent and very pleasant men to be with. We all appreciated their wide-ranging knowledge and thoughtfulness.

The lodgings were unique and very comfortable, and the food was very good throughout.
We were overwhelmed and left with many wonderful memories.

We have recommended the company, Tanzania Birding and Beyond Safaris, to several people after our 2005 visit and all have had wonderful experiences. We will continue to recommend them.

Keith and Margaret Riding (Canada) - March 2023:
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Tanzania Birding – Serengeti to the Usambara Mountains – March 2023

Tim my husband was Traveling to Tanzania with Tanzania Birding, returning for the second time.

I don’t consider myself a birder, that’s my husband Tim’s world. So, when Tim said he wanted to book a second trip with Tanzania Birding & Beyond, I was looking forward to seeing the country and I knew I’d see lots of birds.

Tina in the office was a huge help in arranging our trip to the places that Tim requested! She made us feel like friends even though we’ve never met in person. Anthony and Geitan were incredible! They are knowledgeable about the country’s history, economy, customs, culture, ecosystems, anthropology, crops, landscapes, National Parks, and of course extremely knowledgeable about birds. They are also very thoughtful, considerate, and fun to be with. Because of a previous back injury it was difficult for me to climb into the vehicle. Geitan had the idea to purchase a small table and Anthony had the legs cut off to make a perfect stepping stool. We joked about Anthony having to put the stool in place every time I stepped out, but it made a huge difference in my comfort and enjoyment!

“The signature stool”

When we’d arrive at lodges we were impressed that Anthony and Geitan would be greeted as good friends and not just our guides. They obviously have built long-term relationships and respect at these places.

As far as birding…there were times we’d be driving along and stop. Anthony would use his pointer to show us a bird’s location. When we’d finally see the bird, we’d marvel that Anthony and Geitan were able to see that bird from a moving vehicle. Of course, it was also evident when we were walking the roads in the Usambara Mountains looking for little birds in the foliage. Anthony had a sixth sense of where a bird was and could direct our view to see the bird.

The trip more than fulfilled Tim’s wishes and surpassed my expectations. We saw 388 bird species and 45 animal species! It was truly an excellent experience that I’d highly recommend!

Nancy Dale and Tim Henson - March 2023:
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Tanzania Birding – Northern Tanzania Birding – March 2023

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Martin and Peter were excellent guides, identifying everything and giving us time to watch the birds and animals for as long as we wanted. The parks we visited were stunning and filled with wildlife, providing amazing photo opportunities. The accommodation for the tour was also well-chosen with attentive service and very good meals, all places had our Veg & Vegan Special dietary request on. We particularly liked the tented camp in the Serengeti where we fell asleep listening to lions and zebras. There is so much to see and we would love to return for longer. There was a lot of driving involved and longer than five days would help the trip to feel less rushed, but we still saw lots of wildlife from the land cruiser which made the drives very enjoyable.”
We recommend Tanzania Birding.
Thanks again.

Joshua Brown - March 2023:
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Tanzania Birding – Returning to Africa – July 2022

We had a fantastic time, it was wonderful to be back in Africa after the pandemic disruption. All logistics went smoothly well. We appreciated Anthony’s deep knowledge of where and how to find the birds. He was good at adapting to our needs and maximizing the success at finding our targets. Anthony and Geitan were great company.

Many thanks to everyone who was involved in the planning process!

Nicholas Mundy (UK) - July 2022:
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Tanzania Birding – Spotlight on the Tanzanian Endemics – March 2022

The trip went great. I achieved my primary goal to see my last two African families (Hyliotas and Spot-throat). 109 new birds for me, which is more than I expected (I have birded Kenya and Uganda before). Anthony and Geitan were terrific companions and accomplished professionals. It was a fairly intense trip, but they both kept things light. I really appreciate their sense of humor and adaptability. I would not hesitate to recommend Tanzania Birding & Beyond, and will pass on my recommendation to several other birders who have asked me about the Tanzania trip. My trip report will be up soon.

Thank you!

Eric Shaw (USA) - March 2022:
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Amazing Birdwatching Safari in Kenya and Tanzania with Tanzania Birding & Beyond Safaris July /August 2021

I’m extremely grateful for the three weeks birdwatching safari in Kenya and Northern Tanzania in July/August 2021 !

It was kind of a spontaneous decision and there was not much time for the whole planning and booking process. But Tina at “Tanzania Birding & Beyond Safaris” did an outstanding job !.

The whole planning cycle was very cooperative and effortless for me although it must have taken her endless hours to accommodate all my wishes especially with having in mind the challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was always available even at night or early morning!

Once I arrived in Nairobi the planning paid off immediately. The transport from the airport, my first night in Nairobi, as well as the meeting with my birding guide Chege, all went smooth and without any problems. The programme was extensive and at times exhausting but that’s how I wanted it! Chege made sure that we are on the same page regarding the schedule of each day and what my preferences are. His skills in spotting and hearing birds are incredible! Chege’s experience and knowledge are nothing short of sensational!

It’s a tall order to pick some of the highlights of 21 incredible days. Kakamega Forest, Maasai Mara, Samburu and Isiolo Counties north of Nairobi, Serengeti, and the lark plains north of Arusha were some of the unforgettable places. Besides the hundreds of bird species, some of them highly endemic, we saw countless other animals, visited fascinating places, and met interesting people.

Overall, I can highly recommend a tour with “Tanzania Birding & Beyond Safaris”, and you should not hesitate to get in touch with them!

J. Knocha (Germany) - July/Aug 2021:
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Highlights of Tanzanian Endemics with Tanzania Birding & Beyond Safaris

If you are a birder who wants to explore the rich diversity of birds in Tanzania, you cannot make a better choice than Tanzania Birding & Beyond Safaris to help you plan and conduct your trip. We just completed a five-week trip searching for endemics and other specialties, and our experience was stellar. Our guide, Anthony, and our driver, Geitan, were both experts, on the birds and the logistics of moving our group of four around the country to the best places for our target species. With their help we were able to see 547 species and almost all of our target birds. Anthony and Geitan were professional as well as great traveling companions, and we now consider them both members of our birding family and cannot recommend them highly enough. The support staff in Arusha did a wonderful job of dealing with luggage delayed almost a week by the airline and accommodating the Covid testing requirements. We always felt safe and secure knowing that Tanzania Birding & Beyond Safaris had our interests and our welfare in mind.

If have never birded in Africa, start that adventure in Tanzania with this company; if you are looking for a custom trip to target African birds to add to your life list, work with Tanzania Birding & Beyond Safaris. Five Stars to the staff and to all the friendly, kind people we met along the way. We will never forget this experience. We can see why birders return to Tanzania again and again.

Patsy & Tom Inglet (San Antonio, Texas, USA) - July / Aug 2021:
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A FANTASTIC TANZANIA BIRDING TOUR IN 2020.

I have just returned from a remarkably successful birding tour in Tanzania with Tanzania Birding and Beyond Safaris ( 30 Nov – 22 Dec 2020 )

This Tour was outfitted and designed to specifically fit in my Life Target list and picking up most of the Tanzanian Endemics and rarities!!

The team who planned and performed the tour for me is truly professional and was extremely responsive to my wishes, in particular to my ‘wish list’ of wanted birds which was quite long. The tour was planned meticulously by Tina & her office Team.

The field was skilfully handled by Anthony – the Top Bird guide with great skills through the many species, a great deal of them new to me, and not forgetting Geitan – who certainly proved that he is a skilled driver with no doubt.

I am not a world “lister”, but I am an experienced birder on several continents including Africa – I have met many excellent birders over the years, but I have to be sincere and say that Anthony takes the top prize of all. Not only his eyes are sharp as an eagle and his ears sensitive like a bat, his enormous knowledge and field experience was much beyond my expectations – It is difficult to beat his skills, “the Man with an eagle Eye” and … Bat-like ears!! He birds by your pace and style.

And how Geitan tirelessly handled muddy tracks, potholes and chaotic traffic day after day is an accomplishment.

All in all, we recorded no less than 529 species of birds, including my pre-tour visits to Pugu Forest in Dar es Salaam, and Pemba Island, 158 of these species being my lifers of course. A fantastic success, bearing in mind that I prior to the trip believed around 100 new species (‘lifers’) would be realistic for this kind of Tour and would have been a fair play with hard work. Also, a big thank you to my guides in Pugu Forest (January) and on Pemba Island (Abdi), all organized by Tanzania Birding and Beyond Safaris.

You were all excellent travel companions and good company during my Visit! As a team, you all worked to top my Tanzanian Experience.

Without hesitation I will recommend Tanzania Birding and Beyond Safaris to anyone who wants a birding experience of a lifetime in East Africa! And of course, I hope to be back in a near future, there’s still more to see out there. I will not hesitate to be your ambassadors in Sweden ….

A BIG THANK YOU TO THE TEAM AND BEST WISHES IN 2021.

Thomas Pettersson - Sweden - December 2020:
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I am writing to let you know how thoroughly well I enjoyed my birding “and beyond” tour with your company. So very fortunate to see many, many, many birds and other wildlife in two weeks.
Both Anthony and Moses were excellent companions and expert guides and looked after me extremely well. I very much enjoyed our conversations at meal times – I learnt a lot about Tanzania. The accommodations and meals were excellent with freshly made “ugali” too! I practised my Swahili everyday.

I took thousands of photographs and am now going through them and identifying them as per Anthony’s expert guidance – “Bwana Ndege”.

Moses and Anthony made sure I had the best opportunities to get the best shots by locating the vehicle in the right position – forward a bit, back a bit – Thank you.

This was a trip of a lifetime for me and the memories will stay with me for the rest of my life. I will definitely recommend this type of tour to my birding/photographers here in Canada.

I wish you and your company the very best and may you prosper and grow in the years to come. Asante sana, sana”

Sadik Kassam - Canada - April 2019::
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Jambo Tanzania Birding & Beyond Safaris

During our search for a better place for our Birding Vacation, Yasuko (my wife) found a website of the Tanzania Birding and Beyond Safari. It seemed for us, as far as we looked at the web site, that Tanzania was full of fun and this would be the right company to handle for us. We learned we could enjoy variety of big games along with bird species we never saw before. We therefore made a contact with Tina at the office via email to tours@birdingsafaris.co.tz, and eventually decided to ask them the best time to visit. After several discussions and email exchanges and options, our tour was set to start December 8th, 2019.
We really enjoyed our tour. The tour was far more than we expected, extremely beyond our expectations from the Birds , mammals, people and photography. Many thanks to the professional Team from the office (Tina), Field Bird Guide (Anthony) and the safest Safari Driver (Geitan). Our Trip report is available for this tour.

Akio and Yasuko Yamada - Tokyo Japan – December 2019:
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Hi Team at Tanzania Birding and Beyond Safari,

We had our “Trip of a Lifetime” with Tanzania Birding and Beyond Safaris.

I could not have picked a more perfect tour company. Not only did they cater to my search for Life Birds, they also made sure we saw lots of wildlife too! Anthony (our Bird Guide ) amazed me with his knowledge of all the birds, even at a distance and was good birding by ear too!.

And Edison ( our Safari Driver ) knew all the best spots to search for creatures great and small. I am amazed how he knows his way around those mazes of roads! And best of all, both gentlemen were so fun to be around. They made us feel at ease and answered every question we threw at them whether it was about the parks, the birds, the animals, the people or anything about Tanzania in general.

Thank you for finding me 295 new birds, including all those “BASTARDS”….I mean BUSTARDS ! (Inside joke with the boys during the trip). Thank you for not only finding us the quintessential African wildlife that one expects to see, but also finding us two Servals (great spotting Edison!) and a pair of Bat-eared Foxes at their den. And even though only Dave “Hammer-cop” (another joke on our tour) got to see the Red-billed Firefinch, I hold no grudges. That just gives me an excuse to come back to beautiful Tanzania and explore more of the country.

A special thanks to the staff at all of the wonderful lodges and tent camps where we stayed. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. I hope we made them smile as often as they made us smile. And special thanks to off ice Team (Tina ) who took the list of places we wanted to see and made a spectacular itinerary for us. Asante sana!

Karen Miller & Dave Gilstrap – USA – September 2019:
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Hi Tanzania Birding,

We were away on holiday to Tanzania, Feb/March 2017,ably led by Peter Roberts. Mike and Val Peacock, Tim and Ann Cleeves, Margaret and myself made the UK contingent with Alice from Seattle and Caroline from Florida made up our small, select group up…  I am not 100% sure of the final figures, but over 440 species of birds were seen, with many animals seen as well, including a pack of 15 wild dogs, the first that Peter has seen in Tanzania, in over 25 visits… A trip of a lifetime, great sightings shared with great friends along with 3 excellent guides/ drivers, Moses, Vincent and Martin from Tanzania Birding, words are hard to find to explain the trip, so many thanks to Peter for organising it for us all…

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Happy New Year  2017 to all of you there at Tanzania Birding! I hope 2017 brings you much happiness and success!

I can’t tell you how pleased and delighted we were with our entire trip! Everything that could go right, did. But I do realize that everything went right because of all the effort and planning and attention to details from you all there at Tanzania Birding. Thank you!

From Geitan’s confident, careful driving to Anthony’s impressive knowledge on such a wide range of topics (and his patience and willingness to share his knowledge), we could not have asked for anything more!

The accommodations were amazing, the vehicle was always clean and comfortable, Geitan took great care to keep our luggage as dust- free as possible, the food was delicious, and the company was always enjoyable.

You now have 4 new advertising agents here in the U.S.! We will be pleased to recommend Tanzania Birding to anyone interested in visiting Africa for birding or safaris. Who knows, some day we may find ourselves back in Africa with you!

Again, our sincere appreciation for all your efforts on our behalf.

USA

Bill & Marj and Martin & Ali:
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HI TINA  & TANZANIA BIRDING

We have just got back home after a great holiday in Tanzania ( Dec 2016 )

My wife loved it and all the logistics worked perfectly.

The accommodation was lovely and Geitan our driver was wonderful.

I had specifically asked for just a driver only and not a birding guide as well but Geitan’s bird knowledge was brilliant particularly on calls and even with Cisticolas. He was absolutely great.

Thank you so much for sorting out access to the Beezely’s Lark site. I was gutted when I heard the news as it was the one bird that I really wanted to see bing so highly threatened and localised.

Also  the switch to Ngare Sero lodge was unexpected and great as I saw some great birds in the grounds including  unexpectedly Kendrick’s Starling.

So thanks very much for everything. I will heartily recommend you.

All the best

Paul Noakes - UK:
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Hi  TANZANIA BIRDING

We just gave the first presentation of our TZ adventure with Anthony and Gietan to our local Southern Willamette Valley Birding Group. We have received many positive comments….

John & Laura - USA:
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Dear Tina,
I am very happy to give my opinions of our trip in Dec 2012 to Jan 2013 both Tanzania and Uganda.

Anthony  was more than a guide. He always had a quick a smile and laugh -even when he didn’t feel like it. Many times, we couldn’t hear him properly ( perhaps all 3 of us have hearing problems) and he would have to say the 4 named little bird 3 and 4 times until we all heard it. I know that is frustrating but he did it. the same with instructions. He would give instructions and then have to repeat them several times – -just like you would to a child. Again, he remained patient. So he works well with older people. He was a money lender – several times to me, a shoulder to lean on when going down slippery steps, helped me to find gift shops (no, actually I found those all by myself), acted as our protector as we went through customs, bought us dinner. On top of all of those great qualities, he could find a bird like someone could find a needle in a haystack. He would hear part of a whistle and immediately identify the bird. I respected him in many ways and felt we were so lucky to have him for a guide.

It was a great trip – due to the nature, land and birds and animals and due to Anthony.

Thanks for all of your work on your end,
Happy New Year 2013

Maureen O’Neill - Canada:
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Hi Tina —

The lodges, for the most part, were far better than I had expected — comfortable beds, good food and attentive service, not to mention spectacular views in a number of them. The food, in some cases, was wonderful and in others, certainly adequate but paled a bit in comparison to the great meals. Some of the box lunches weren’t so good, but similar to what we have had on previous trips to parts of Africa, so I wasn’t expecting much. Best box lunch was provided by the Boma Lodge Entebbe.

Since part of my focus on these trips is photography, I found Anthony very accommodating in waiting for me to finish getting “just that perfect shot”, and this was complicated by my often using both still photography & video. Certainly, there was lots of opportunity for photography — the scenery everywhere was breathtaking.

One particular part of the trip which I enjoyed was the canoe ride to see the Shoebill. We not only got close views of the bird but were able to see it in the soft silence of the marsh, without motor sounds. The work of our two local guides, Ishmael & Samuel, in jumping out of the boat in water up to their waist and higher to pull us over the reeds in order to get a closer look at the bird was exceptional and we made sure they got quite a bit extra in compensation.

The only negative comment I have about the trip is about tipping. Some of the recent tour companies we have dealt with have factored in the normal costs of tipping the hotel staff, porters, etc. into the price of the tour. This is much more convenient for the participant since you are not continually trying to find small change everytime someone does something for you. I’m not including in this the tips one might give to the main guide & driver, just the incidental tips. In some places we have been it can even be very difficult to get sufficient small currency to tip with, which makes it so much more awkward. I realize that this raises the total price you must charge for the tour in comparison with other companies that do not include tips, but I think that this would be a positive factor for clients in choosing a tour company.

One other thing: when we were booking & paying for the trip, the whole payment process became very awkward. If this could be simplified, it would be less frustrating.

Overall, it was a wonderful holiday, and I commend your company for doing all the groundwork and for providing us with such competent guides & drivers. Anthony & Gaitan ( Geitan in Tanzania ) were an exceptional pair and, although we didn’t spend as much time with William, I felt he was a very good and careful driver in Uganda.

Thanks again, and we will be telling all our birding friends about your company.

Brooke Clibbon:
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Hi Tina

We had an absolutely wonderful trip to Tanzania and Uganda.  The birds were fantastic as were the mammals and the scenery.  Anthony was a great guide who got us all sorts of birds and wildlife, and looked after us very well.  Gaetan was a bonus with a wonderful sense of humour.

For me(1) the bird highlight was the incredible Shoebill, (2) the most incredible wildlife and scenery was Ngorongoro, and (3) the other top highlight was the walk at the Royal Mile.  Many of the other days were not far behind.

Accommodation ranged from superlative at Seronera and Paraa through to  Masindi Hotel, which was okay – we have been in much worse.  Food was okay, and the various soups we were served were wonderful.

Sixteen days (two full weeks plus a weekend) worked very well for us, with our direct accessibility from Doha.  In retrospect we might have done with one less day at Serengeti and one less at Speke Bay, with two days added somewhere in Uganda.  But that is my opinion only.

I have a little trouble evaluating the itinerary for its suitability for others.  We came at the trip with several different agendas.  First Brooke and I wanted a bird tour and Uganda offered us the prospect of the most new birds plus the Shoebill.  But I also wanted to see the Serengeti and Ngorongoro which I have heard about since I was young.  When we decided to combine forces with Maureen, who wanted to experience Africa and see the fantastic mammals, it was natural for us to combine Serengeti/Ngorongoro with Uganda.  I am not sure how this would appeal to others.

It would also have been nice to have done more walking, but this was not possible in many of the a reas, and also with the distance we had to cover.  This was not a need we recognized while planning the trip, but the Royal Mile proved a very pleasant change with very productive birding and was a nice surprise to everyone.

Eric Tull – Doha:
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We recently completed a 14 day birding and wildlife viewing trip with Birding & Beyond. We were accompanied by Anthony as our Guide and Getain as our Driver. The tour took us from the Usambara Mountains in the East to the Serengeti in the West and included 5 National Parks. We were transported in a luxurious, 6 passenger 4X4 Land Cruiser that had a Pop up top for maximum viewing and photography.

It was truly an experience of a lifetime. In the office, Tina did a superb job of communicating and of creating our itinerary to meet our requests. She then booked superb accommodations at 7 overnight stops along the way. In the field, Anthony and Getain were truly amazing.

Not only were they the most knowledgeable and skilled birders we’ve ever encountered, but they were excellent at managing logistics and meeting our needs even before we knew we had needs. Getain is a superb driver. We were always safely transported. His ability to maximize viewing opportunities by his choice of where to stop and position the vehicle was remarkable. Both men displayed an uncanny ability to spot hidden birds and game along the way.

As our Guide, Anthony was very thorough in communicating with us about daily schedules, tips for our safety around lodges and in general taking excellent care of us. He would go the extra mile to give us as much of his vast knowledge about birds and ecology as possible. He is a superb teacher who patiently led us through field markings as he taught us the birds of his country.

These men are very kind, caring and patient people. Their passion for their job and the wildlife of their country was evidenced almost on a minute by minute basis.

The result of the combined efforts of all the Professionals at Birding and Beyond was that we had a truly stimulating, exciting and event free tour. We observed over 350 species of birds and 43 species of mammals. Insects, lizards, plants, and breath-taking vistas rounded out the sightings on a most remarkable trip to the vast regions of Tanzania.

Tim and Ann Henson - USA - April 2, 2012:
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We have just returned from a fabulous holiday in Kenya. When people book to go ‘on safari’ most of them would want to be looking for animals and although that was obviously one of our priorities, we also wanted to see birds. We booked with Birding and Beyond who are based in Tanzania & Kenya – we saw their advert in the African Bird Club magazine – and what an amazing time we had.

We had 17 days travelling from Nairobi to Amboselli, to Tsavo West, Lake Naivasha, Lake Baringo (via Lake Borogia), Lake Nakuru and the piece de resistance, .Maasai Mara. All of these Parks had their own specialties – Lake Bogoria for instance had thousands upon thousands of flamingoes of both species. The Lodges we stayed in were excellent, although extremely busy. Good facilities, an excellent choice of meals to suit everyone and the accommodation was perfect. Most rooms had views over the grasslands and we could watch wildlife from our balconies.

At Lake Baringo we stayed at a much smaller Lodge, where they cooked food to order, escorted you back to your room (because hippo’s came out onto the grass at night) and we got to know the staff quite well. Our driver hired a local birder here, who came out with us two or three times and with his local knowledge we were able to see birds that we may well have missed.

Elephants, giraffe, buffalo and warthogs were in abundance in most of the National Parks and several lions and cheetahs were seen but the enormous herd of wildebeest on migration in Maasai Mara is the vision we will remember for ever.

Our driver was a Kenyan who had excellent eyesight – he didn’t miss a thing. Just the twitch of an ear in the grass was spotted and sure enough – there was a cheetah. A movement in the trees – and there was a lion.

Joseph was also an excellent birder and even though he was driving along dusty tracks avoiding huge potholes, he was able to spot birds before we were. We felt extremely safe with him and his driving skills around Nairobi during the rush-hour were second to none!

We didn’t want birdwatching to dominate our holiday, with so much more to see. Even so, we saw over 300 species of birds and lots of those at fairly close range. Birding and Beyond have our list of birds, animals etc.

We planned most of this holiday ourselves, indicating which National Parks we wanted to visit then left Birding and Beyond to organise an itinerary and accommodation – they did an excellent job.

This was a fantastic holiday, one we would thoroughly recommend to anyone who wants to combine a safari with birding.

Mike and Barbara Kelly

Russell and Margaret Leavett - UK:
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Hi Birding & Beyond

Back in the UK. Trip was absolutely fantastic. Went without any problems at all. Each day was a different adventure and we loved every minute of it. Favorite location was definitely the Serengeti. Favourite lodges were probably the tented camp at Ngome closely followed by Rhino Lodge. Excellent birding – got nearly all my target species – and some fantastic mammal sightings including a Cheetah kill. Night drive also excellent.

Abdul was very helpful. I expected him just to drive with me telling him where to go, but he knew all the spots in advance as well as a site for Karamoja Apalis that I was unaware of. He also sorted out all our lodging and food upon arrival and even lent me some money for a few days when I ran out (a couple of places wouldn’t accept my 2002 $100 bills so I was stuck). Excellent driver and a nice guy who we all got on very well with.

Family loved it. Great country. Hope to be back one day to do the rest of it.

Toby Austin - UK:
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Dear Birding & Beyond Safaris

We had a fabulous time with Anthony and Geitan, and we have appreciated all your efficient organization. We saw some very special birds (over 220 species, I think – I am still trying to find time to get my notes up to date!). We appreciated our short trip to the Eastern Arc Mountains of East Usambara,West Usambara and the South Pare mountains.
Anthony impressed us greatly with his all-encompassing knowledge and his consummate ability to identify the shortest fragments of bird song and the most distant of bird movements! Geitan was a very reassuring, and safe, driver who clearly has good ‘rallying’ skills!
For us,it was a unique experience, thank you both.
We hope that we have the opportunity of visiting your region again some time in the not-too-distant future.

Prof Ian Fraser - Australia:
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We would like to thank you for everything you did for us while we were in Africa.
We couldn’t have asked for a more knowledgeable, helpful or cheerful guide than Anthony. Even when you were under the weather with your cold, you still kept up the great work. We enjoyed traveling with you, and the drivers we had, we will always remember your kindness and expertise. You all made us feel welcome and our memories will only be good ones. Both Kenya and Tanzania were beautiful countries and our pictures are great.
You are an excellent ambassador for your country. We will continue to recommend your services.

Thanks again for making our trip a memorable one.

Otto and Diane Peter - Canada:
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Tina at the Birding & Beyond Safaris Office- thank you for your personal service, patience, and attention in putting the itinerary together. It was magical – and perfectly suited to our hopes and desires.

Anthony in the field guiding – I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate everything you did for us during the trip. Fantastic bird guiding, and sooo much more. A real, heartfelt care and commitment to our interests, happiness, comfort, and wellbeing. All this, and you were a total delight to be with – we loved the conversations, the information about Tanzania, the people, the environment (even fashion tips!). And even some fun playing soccer. We felt loved and cared for, and I really appreciate that.

Abdul (driving) as well. We appreciate his professionalism and attentiveness, for the driving, as well as for helping find the wildlife.
Pemba was beautiful. we saw most of our target birds while we were there, too!
Feel free to use any of this email or the trip report info in your references.

Jeff (and Noel and Will) - USA:
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Our 2010 Tanzania tour was absolutely a great experience despite the fact that some accommodations in the South are very basic . The organization was flawless and even in the basic accommodations we had the feeling that we got allocated
the best rooms available . Our driver-guide Geitan was beyond our expectations .He was a very safe driver; Geitan was very
attentive to any need we might have and thanks to him we learned a lot about Tanzania and his people .
The itinerary allowed excellent birding and Geitan knew all the birds and even better, he knew the places to look for some rarer species . Thanks to him we were able to see 282 species despite the fact that it was dry season.
Our encounter with the Sanje Mangabeys in the Udzungwa Mountains was also a great experience.
At all times we felt in good hands with your company and I can recommend ” Birding & Beyond Safaris ” to anyone wishing to do a birding and mammal trip in Tanzania .
We are willing to be your ambassadors in the tiny country of Luxembourg.
Marc, Christiane & Philippe - Luxembourg:
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I just returned from the trip of my lifetime to Northern Tanzania with Birding and Beyond Safaris. The success of the trip was due to my brilliant, super-friendly and professional guide and driver, Anthony and Abdul. Anthony’s knowledge of the birds can not be matched, he is the best birder I have ever met! He does not even need binoculars 90% of the time and knows exactly what the species is. The same thing goes for all the amazing mammals I saw. Anthony and Abdul truly have “eagle eyes” and can spot animals from a mile away, literally. I cannot say enough good things about them. They were also very courteous and professional and took care of any needs I had and always looked out for my safety. I felt very safe as a passenger, because of Abdul’s excellent and very careful driving skills.

I could not even imagine doing this trip with any other company but Birding and Beyond Safaris. It was flawless. I saw about 360 birds and 46 mammal species in 13 days. If and when I return to East Africa I will be going with Birding and Beyond Safaris, without a doubt.

Thanks for a wonderful time.

Skyler Streich - New Jersey, USA:
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Meanwhile we are back in Germany. Here is our feedback to our tour:

We enjoyed our 12 day tour to Southern Tanzania very much. Anthony is an outstanding bird guide and leader and Abdul an excellent driver. They both made our trip a wonderful experience. Thank you very much.
So we are going to plan our next trip to East Africa next year with Birding and Beyond Safaris. Uganda is our next destination with you.

Manfred and Anne - Germany:
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My wife and I arranged a 3 week customized birding tour to track down Tanzanian endemics and other East African species we had missed in Kenya and Uganda. Birding & Beyond skillfully designed an itinerary around our target list and time constraints.  Our tour started at Pemba and ended at the Serengeti. This venture was successful beyond our expectations, as Anthony and Geiten were excellent and knowledgeable guides.  In fact, during our drive from Dar Es Salaam the first day, Anthony re-evaluated our difficult and specialized want list and told us which birds were possible and where we could see them.

Because of our seasonal time restraints, we had to plan our trip to Tanzania for late September and early October.  Unfortunately, this is well before the breeding season and vocalizations are minimal.  Additionally, this year Tanzania was suffering from a long drought and many birds had abandoned the area for better feeding grounds. Fortunately, our guides and
the company were flexible, so when birds weren’t found in the planned location, we moved on to another. Even with the drought and the lack of “water” species, we managed to see over 450 species of birds!
Some of our special memories are:
Peter’s Twinspot in the open from 2 meters.
A Spot-throat so close binoculars weren’t needed.
Surrounded by five Pemba Owls.
Striking close up views of Amani, Tsavo, Shelley’s and
Red-tufted Sunbirds.
Beesley Larks dashing through the dry plains grassland.
Sandgrouse and Coursers underfoot while looking larks.
A torrent of Grey-crested Helmetshrikes flowing through the trees.
A birdbath full of Fischer’s Lovebirds at dawn.
Great looks at four species of Turacos.
A “flock” of ten Secretary Birds strutting on the Serengeti.
Birding and Beyond B took fine care of us, with clean, safe accommodations and good food both local and western fare. The tour was well paced so that there was no rushing or “long” days. Anthony and Geiten were great company, with a good sense of humor and knowledge of local customs. They also were just as skillful in finding the “Beyond”.  While the safaris were not our
real goal, the guides proudly showed us 50 different mammals. Thanks to Geiten’s persistence, we saw not only one but five of our most wanted mammal, Cheetahs!

The cost of our “private” tour was equivalent to that of a group tour from the states or Europe.
We definitely recommend Birding and Beyond, especially with Anthony and Geiten as guides, to anyone wishing to experience Tanzanian birds, mammals and scenery.

Bob and Ann Walton - USA:
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I had the pleasure of traveling for two weeks in the wilds of Kenya and Tanzania with a talented team from Birding & Beyond Safaris. Not only was every detail planned carefully and economically, but the expertise of the BBS employees was remarkable. Anthony and Geitan gave accurate and thorough information as they demonstrated a mastery of facts regarding wildlife, cultural nuances, history, geography, geology, etc.

In talking to tourists with other safari expeditions, it became clear that many organizations claim to have deep knowledge of wildlife, especially birds. It didn’t take long (one day) for others to learn that it’s easy to claim to be an expert but rarely is that delivered. With BBS, though, I knew on the first day that my team had a breadth of intensive birding experience combined with sharp abilities and tireless effort.

Finally, the good fellowship of these two professionals made the long drives and other non-exploration time very enjoyable and productive. I highly recommend BBS and, especially, Anthony & Geitan, to any and all serious wildlife seeking adventurers.”

Mark Mushkat
 - San Francisco, CA USA
 - August, 2009:
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Our trip was a true success.
Anthony and Geitan were friendly, professional and extremely competent.
They made excellent travelling companions. Also, we were very happy with the itinerary you chose for us on our Tanzanian visit even with the limited time we had. Arusha National Park was a lovely and surprisingly cool location. Finally, the Usambara Mountains are a beautiful and unique part of Tanzania.
We felt privileged to have Anthony with us to explain and show to us the fauna and flora of the region, he is an excellent bird guide. The accommodations were good even at the remote  Amani Rest house, you managed to put us in en suite rooms.
Please feel free to add our comments to those of your other satisfied customers.

Thank you very much

Brian & Lois - Cananda:
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I am completely satisfied with our trip in Kenya and regard as one of the greatest travel experiences I have ever had.

The destinations chosen were very rich in birdlife and varied in habitat.
The recent rains made the whole countryside verdant and full of birds, as well as other interesting creatures.  The accommodation varied from basic (at Wajee) to luxurious (at Samburu, particularly) and the food was consistently enjoyable.  Our guide, Cliff, was full of energy and infectious enthusiasm, as well as a wealth of bird knowledge and familiarity with calls and likely locations. His ability to locate owls was inspiring.  Our driver, Geitan, cared for us superbly, with his admirably cautious driving, his patience and his attention to ensuring our comfort and safety.

Both Cliff and Geitan are excellent company – we shared many laughs.  I will be writing a report of the trip for our local bird club newsletter and hope this may inspire other Australians to visit. As for ourselves, we would like to think we’ll be back!

Best wishes and huge thanks,

Philippa Hodgins - Australia:
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Many thanks for a great trip!!  My favorite trip of all we have taken was our family trip to Tanzania/Kenya/Uganda in 1972 when my daughter was 10 years old, and  going to Tanzania in 2008  with my grand son  being 10 years old, will probably be my favorite trip anywhere.  It was a perfect Team, Anthony is just a superb guide, while Steve is just too good a driver.
Thanks for taking care of us so well, we are happy anyone contacting us to give you a good recommendation.
Bob and Dee Bates, and Elizabeth and Jeremy Wiseman - USA:
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Our second time in Kenya with Birding & Beyond Safaris ( though non birders ) was yet another one of the successful organization, having visited a couple of years back with Birding & beyond, we returned in August 2008 for the migration on the Mara and great big game in Samburu reserve.
We had a wonderful time, and everything worked very smoothly.
Our guide,was excellent.  We clearly saw the benefits of his 10 years of experience as he said, as he always seemed to know where to stop to get the best photos, without breaching the wild life /Park  rules or getting closer than allowed to the wildlife.  Whilst other guides often rushed on mass towards a rumoured sighting of a big cat, Josephat  would often stop, look around, and spot
something everyone else had missed. At one stage this meant we reached two cheetah cubs at least three minutes before the other buses arrived.  On another, we got a perfect spot to watch the wildebeest crossing the Mara river.  He was also generous with his time, giving us very long game drives on several days even though he must have been tired.

If you ever need a reference for a potential client, I would be happy for you to give them my name and email address.  I’d have no hesitation in recommending that they use your services.

Once again, many thanks.

Jenine Langrish - UK:
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We arrived safe and well in Belgium.

We did our Tanzania Budget Birding Tour ( Nov 2008 )  and was just excellent, Thanks to Anthony our Guide and Steve our very good driver.
Pemba was ok, I saw the four endemics.  After Tanzania, our next Tour is Uganda with Birding & Beyond.

We will be your Ambassadors in Belgium. Best regards

Erik Callebaut - Belgium:
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We arrived safe and well in Belgium.

We did our Tanzania Budget Birding Tour ( Nov 2008 )  and was just excellent, Thanks to Anthony our Guide and Steve our very good driver.
Pemba was ok, I saw the four endemics.  After Tanzania, our next Tour is Uganda with Birding & Beyond.

We will be your Ambassadors in Belgium. Best regards

Erik Callebaut - Belgium:
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