I was looking to climb Kilimanjaro and do a safari, however I was slightly concerned which travel companies I could trust. A good friend recommended Daniella at Sikeleli Safaris and duly put us in touch. My goodness, does Daniella know how put a personalised package together. In all, I received quotes and itineraries from 3 different agencies. The quality of the itinerary that Daniella put together and the professional and courteous manner it was delivered, even though it was slightly more expensive, far exceeded any of the other contenders, so without hesitation I booked the holiday, which payments were very simple via international balance transfer.
On the lead up to the trip Daniella was available via emails to help with any questions or concerns I had, and with her expertise always delivered the information required. Phase 1 of my trip was to climb Kilimanjaro, and was booked with Zara tours, the most reputable firm in Moshi. Everything ran incredibly smoothly and the team that took me up and down the mountain were highly professional, my guide had 12yrs of experience and was a friendly chap who spoke very good English. I only have 1 point to note that should be passed on to others, and that is including tips for the team. The amount of effort that is put in by the entire team is absolutely phenomenal, and $260 standard tip doesn’t really come even close to what those guys deserve. I tipped almost double. However, to ensure everyone on the team does get their rightful share, it’s absolutely paramount tips are given at the end only once the whole team are present and logged on the Tip sheet. Otherwise I’m afraid the guide will try and take a large amount, if not all of the tip for himself. I could almost feel the tension amongst the team as we were coming close to the gate, clearly this goes on a lot.
RANGER SAFARIS WILL TAKE ANY EXTRA LUGGAGE YOU HAVE OVER 15KG, THEY EVEN ARRANGED FOR MY BAG TO BE DELIVERED FROM SPRINGLANDS IN MOSHI AND MEET ME AT THE HOTEL AFTER MY SAFARI.
So, upon successfully climbing Kilimanjaro and 1 nights rest, it was time to move to phase 2 and transfer to the Serengeti via Arusha airport. I was met by an agent from Ranger Safaris who checked me in and gave me my itinerary for the next few days at the luxurious Elewana Migration Camp. My flight was roughly an hour or so to Lobo airstrip where I was met by guide and driver Elias/Alias. As this was a shared vehicle safari package, we had a short wait for a Dutch family to arrive, then we proceeded with a morning’s safari, prior to moving to the lodge to check in and have lunch.
The lodge itself is probably the finest place I’ve had the pleasure of staying at, and combined with being right amongst the Serengeti wildlife with breath taking landscape, it really is worth paying a little extra. All the staff are highly polite and professional, and the head chef certainly has a wealth of experience. Winding down from Kilimanjaro here (personally selected by Daniella) made the holiday thousand times better and I’m so glad I chose Sikeleli for this adventure. The Safari was my first and certainly lived up to expectation, with Elias being extremely helpful and knowledgable with a straight answer on all questions. We viewed almost everything the Serengeti has to offer, with only Rhino and Leopard missing, though Leopards are rather illusive and as I understand it, there’re only 10 Rhinos within the whole of the Serengeti’s 15,000 SQM. Overalll a great experience.
Sikeleli Safaris delivered quite possibly the finest 10 day trip I’ve ever experienced. Daniella really is in a league of her own when putting together a package based upon her clients personal requirements. I whole heartedly recommend her to anyone seeking an African adventure. You’ll certainly receive quite possibly the best service that’s available from this family run business. In the future I think I’d like to book something in Zimbabwe and get the opportunity to meet and thank her in person.
