Testimonial

Hi Gina,

Thank you for your email, and sorry for the delayed response, we are just trying to get back into the swing of things! However, thank you very much for arranging such an incredible honeymoon for us. It really was an amazing experience that we will treasure forever. Already we have realised how difficult it is to portray to people, even with some of our great photos, how amazing it is to see these animals running wild in the stunning scenery of Africa, but we are trying ?. Thanks to your organisation and our amazing guide Yunus, we were able to see all we could wish for and more on safari, and then were able to relax and enjoy the stunning beauty and hospitality of Pongwe Beach.

Lake Manyara was a nice little ice breaker into our safari with incredible views of the rift escarpment, as well as a wide variety of animals. We saw baboon, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, hippo and vulture. We also got a glimpse of the rare tree climbing lion asleep in a tree, which was very exciting. We also had a wonderful little experience with two youngish bull elephants cooling down in a stream next to the road. Beautiful animals that proceeded to cross the road right in front of us, stopping to block our route for a short period of time.

As you say the Ngorongoro Crater really is an extraordinary experience. The scenery is extraordinary, as well as the array of animals. We managed to see a number of Black Rhino here, two of which were only about 100m away, and seemed to eyeing up a road crossing at some point. Unfortunately, they didn’t move any closer, but we got a great view through our camera and binoculars of these incredibly rare animals. We managed to briefly see a hippo baby (I don’t know the proper name) out of the water . We also saw a few lions in the crater, a group of which seemed to be having a bit of a stand-off against a couple of Buffalo. Although they did not try to take down the Buffalo, it was an incredible sight to see the lions in stalking position (although possibly more defensive than offensive).

Last, but certainly not least, experiencing a safari drive in the Serengeti was another incredible experience. On the route from Ngorongoro to our lodge, inside the Serengeti boundary, we first past vast herds of Wildebeest on migration, which was a stunning sight to see. We next came across a large pride of lions, including cubs. This was an amazing sight and we got some beautiful photos of the family. We saw two females return (possibly from a hunt) and be welcomed by the group, which was lovely to see. Whilst they were relaxing in the sun, we saw two wildebeest heading directly towards the pride. It was very exciting to see the lions perk up, and a couple go into stalking, awaiting the wildebeest. Unfortunately the Wildebeest were already on their toes and spooked by something so the lions did not get close to a kill, but it was amazing to see the behaviour of the lions as they stalked and briefly chased the Wildebeest. Once into the Serengeti properly, the vast plains are difficult to comprehend, but provide a spectacular back drop to the view of all the animals. On our final safari day in the Serengeti we went out with the aim of finding leopard and cheetah, but saw more than we could have ever imagined. We saw two cheetah brothers, stuffed from a recent meal, relaxing under a tree, before moving for us to get some great photos of them looking out across the plains. We saw two separate leopards, one male relaxing in a tree before taking a wander down and into the bush. The second, a female, had just descended from a tree and wandered very close and between safari vehicles, which was another amazing sight to see. Over the day we saw various Lion, Giraffe, Elephant, Wildebeest, Buffalo, Birds, Warthog and Zebra (I’ve probably forgotten some), so we had an incredible final day on safari.

We obviously only had a short and tight safari programme, but we were incredibly lucky with what we saw, as well as with the weather, with three days of beautiful sunshine and only a few clouds. Confirming how lucky we were, it only started raining at the end of our final day, and it rained heavily overnight and whilst on our journey to the airport. A huge part of our incredible safari was down to our fantastic guide, from Maasai Wanderings, Yunus. We did discuss the tight programme with him briefly, but he promised he would do everything he could to make sure we would see everything we possibly could. He worked incredibly hard, driving for very long days both on safari and between locations to make sure we could see all we could possible see, and he always did it with enthusiasm and a smile, never showing an ounce of disdain for the amount of driving he had to do. We were truly in awe, not expecting to be on safari for as long as we were. Yunus was incredibly professional at all times, explaining everything to us as we went. His knowledge of the animals, the local cultures, the landscape, and much more was incredible. There was not one question he was not able to answer…. and there was a lot of questions. He took a lot of time to share his vast knowledge as we watched the animals, whilst also having a laugh with us. We found him to be a very friendly, kind and caring person, as we also got to know about his passions and his life, and we would recommend him and Maasai Wanderings to anybody. It was also great to find out from Yunus that Maasai Wanderings give a lot of training to their staff, and do a lot of work within the local community and schools. It makes it even more special to hear that the money we spend is really benefitting the local communities, as well as the wildlife conservation. Thank you very much for planning our honeymoon to fit in these days perfectly, it all felt well timed and extremely well planned. We had no doubts about where we were staying or any concerns at all thanks to your expert knowledge, experience and skills. We felt really well looked after and able to relax and enjoy.

In terms of the accommodation on safari, Endoro Lodge was a beautiful place with very friendly and helpful staff. Chrissy made use of the lovely pool and the room and food were excellent. We were welcomed on arrival and the fantastic hospitality continued throughout. Naona Moru was also an amazing place to stay. The staff were very friendly and chatty, they really looked after us. The room and food was amazing, far and above what we expected, and a little mention must go to Frank, who was a very chatty and entertaining waiter at dinner on our first night. On our second night the whole team surprised is with some singing and dancing as a celebration of our honeymoon and our final night. It felt very special, and a little emotional.

Following an amazing safari, which exceeded all our expectations, we weren’t sure it could be matched, but Pongwe Beach hotel certainly did that. Everything about it was exceptional, from the room, to the beach, the pool, the food and especially the staff who were always so friendly and helpful. It was an amazing place to be able to relax. We enjoyed some kayaking in the sea, and a snorkelling boat trip to see some stunning fish, coral, starfish, lobster, and even an octopus, but mostly we just relaxed and enjoyed the views and great weather. We did get up early one morning to watch the sunrise, which was stunning, and we recommend everybody do.

I think it is fair to say this holiday will struggle to ever be beaten, and we do hope to return one day. Tanzania is an incredible country with stunning scenery and amazing wildlife; however what made our holiday so special was the people. The Tanzanian people we were in contact with were all such beautiful, friendly, kind, caring and funny people. The hospitality was like nothing we have ever experienced before, and maybe never will again, it was amazing.

All of this of course wouldn’t have been possible without the brilliant help and organisation of you and the Safari & Beach team, so thank you for arranging such and amazing honeymoon for us. All of your recommendations were exceptional and beyond our expectations.

Thanks again, we will definitely be recommending Safari & Beach to anybody we know looking to go on safari, and hopefully one day we will be looking to go back on safari with you guys.

Dave & Chrissy