About us

Testimonials

What our clients are saying about us and our trips...

With web review sites being all the rage these days, it can be a little difficult to sift through the debris to actually find out what a place or hotel is like. From our point of view, having stayed in 99% of the hotels and safari lodges we sell (and quite a few we don't), we think that these reviews can be very misleading as it is impossible to know what the reviewer likes, was looking for, paid etc. etc. In our opinion our job is to find out what you like and match the correct product to you...see how we have done. (please note that ALL of the reviews we feature are 100% real and unedited. If you would like to speak to any of our past clients please let us know)

Furthermore, we have started to gather customer reviews through Trustpilot so please take a look at our page on there to see how we are doing! Trustpilot Reviews >>

Hi Gemma

We are back in Chicago and cannot thank you enough for the amazing trip. It was everything we wanted and more. It will probably be a couple years until our next Africa trip - but we will certainly make sure to send our friends and family your way.

It can be a very intimidating experience googling "African Safari" for the first time. With this being our first safari, my wife and I were overwhelmed with the amount of options for an African Safari but you and Nick made planning this trip easy and fun. The trip definitely exceeded our expectations.

We have nothing but great things to say about you guys at The Africa Specialists. Whatever you are looking for on your trip to Africa - we will highly recommend using you.

Thanks again,

Zach and Ryanne

Zach and Ryanne

Nick,

We are back from our trip and I wanted to thank you for getting us set up. We had a wonderful time at Rufiji! The staff there is amazing and the owner’s son was actually working at the resort while we were there. We so enjoyed our conversations with him. The flights on Safari Link were great as well and I’d fly them again anytime I’m in Tanzania.

Again, thanks for taking care of us last minute!

Amy

Hi Nick

It was very pleasant and we had some good sightings.

The Nairobi National park was not as good as the places we previously stayed in Tanzania but the location is great and I will definitely stop over again en-route to Kigali.

Lucky was as great as ever. I love Rwanda

Thanks Alison

Alison and Geoff

Hi Gemma

Holiday was fabulous! Thank you so much for everything! I’ve been busy since the return but will try to leave more detailed feedback on the website as requested soon!

Thanks so much again... might need you again for Namibia/Botswana!

Kind Regards,

Rosie

Rosie and family

Hi Gemma,

We had a great time on our first African holiday! We were very pleased with our overall experience with your service and itinerary. You were professional and prompt in responding to my questions and changes and the documents you provided helped us prepare for and enjoy our holiday to the fullest. We appreciate all your help and will definitely recommend you to anyone looking for an African holiday travel planner.

The Azura safari was amazing and we would highly recommend it to anyone. We were a bit spoiled, being the only family in the camp, but the service and food were exceptional throughout our stay. Our game driver was very friendly and engaging with our entire family. He seemed to have the eyesight of an eagle and we saw quite a few animals even though we were there at the end of the safari season. There were plenty of zebra, impala, and giraffe but we also had a few sightings of leopards, elephants, monkeys, baboons, and the wild dogs. The staff also made an extra effort to track the lions that had eluded us the first couple of days so that we were able to see them. It rained during the early evening of our night safari and the camp manager was honest about the potential lack of game but we managed to find a few hippos (out of water), a hyena, and a huge porcupine which even the drivers were excited to see. There was a lot of driving around to find the more rare animals though; I actually liked that it was a bit of a hunt but some people may prefer more guaranteed sightings.

As for the lodging, it was quite comfortable. The location on the river's edge was beautiful and peaceful, although at times also quite noisy due to the hippos. But again, I enjoyed the noise as it made me feel like I really was in the bush! I truly cannot think of any complaints regarding this part of our trip. The flies out on game drives were a major nuisance and the few large spiders that were ever-present in our cabin were a source of concern for my daughter (who is scared of them) but that was somewhat expected and nothing I would fault against the camp. Overall, I'd say we definitely had a 5-star experience at Azura.

As for us, we are ready to start planning our next holiday! We are interested in going to South Africa in December but I don't see that listed as one of the travel destinations on your website. Do you plan South Africa itineraries and if not, is there another travel planning company that you might recommend?

Thanks again!

Angie

Angie and Kevin

Hi Gemma,

Sorry it has taken so long to respond - we had a fantastic time!.

The beginning of the trip to Ngorognoro Crater, as you already mentioned this is a must visit. The landscape is stunning. We managed to see pretty much everything including a black rhino. Both places where we stayed were excellent. As we were the only ones there at Plantation Lodge we were upgraded to a larger apartment/house. The food here was very well prepared, the staff extremely friendly.

I thought the first two days would be difficult to top, but our stay at Legendary Serengeti Camp was truly exceptional. Again we were the only ones there, so we had free reign of the entire camp. The fact that you can go off-road takes the safari trip to another level.

Here we saw no other vehicles (albeit it is a quiet part of the season) and we managed to get very close to loins, cheetahs, wild dogs and a plethora of other animals. Our driver Godson was first class - very friendly and knowledgeable of the animals and plants in the area. The food here was first class, with an extreme attention to detail.

Arriving at Zanzibar, even though we had a nice time, it was probably the low point of the trip. Even though the hotel was nice and clean, the food was not very good (IMHO) and (as you mentioned) the beach was not up to scratch and was littered with plastic and other debris.

Luckily though we did spend the last few days at Fanjove. Again we were the only guests! We had the whole island to ourselves. It was a small slice of paradise. Waking up in the morning, going for a quick dip in the ocean before heading down for breakfast was pure bliss. We spent our days snorkeling and lazing around in the sun. We helped move a turtle nest and also took a dolphin trip - where we were lucky enough to see over 400 of them in one (or more pods) around the boat.

Overall we had a fantastic time during the Safari and beach. Thank again for all your help!

Kind Regards,
James

James and Sarah

Dear Nick,

Just short note to thank you and your team.

We have just returned from our 32 day holiday to Tanzania & India. We all enjoyed every minute of our stays at Rufiji & Ruaha.

The organisation was superb, the camps were great, especially Rufiji and the guides Matele & Whitman deserve special mention - they were both very knowledgeable and great fun to be with.

We would all have no hesitation in recommending your company.

Thank you from,
Jef & Chris, Steve & Mo

Jef & Chris, Steve & Mo

Hi Gemma,

Arrived back today, a brilliant 3 weeks, ending in style at Ras Kutani. Thank you very much for organizing the beach trip for us. It was really fantastic. .

We had a 4 seater Cessna take us there and, incredibly, a 14 seater plane picked just us up! Simon and Julia are very lovely and run the place so well. We were upgraded to a suite with our own plunge pool and outdoor seating. The food and staff are amazing, a real 5 star relaxing luxury experience.

Many thanks Gemma!

Sue and Michael

Gemma,

I wanted to thank you for all your help in planning this incredible trip. All the connections and air arrangements were on schedule and always there was someone to meet us and transport us to the next location. The food and ambiance at both camps were wonderful. The "tents" were large and the bed soft. Solar showers were fine and we enjoyed the wildlife sounds and views from our "windows". I had been concerned that we would be "safaried out" but the extra days enabled us to see ALL the wildlife and take thousands of photos. It also allowed us the luxury of just riding in the jeep and enjoying the scenery.

Lake Manze was wonderful and Sean and Millie were great hosts. On arrival at the airport we were treated to a sighting of the wild dogs! We were extremely fortunate that we were the only guests on the night of my birthday! We ordered a bottle of Champagne and toasted with Sean and Millie. They were surprised and told us they would have had a cake for me had they know about my birthday. However, the fried coconut and the fact that they had already scheduled a private dinner on our veranda were better than any cake! Zack and Zahoro were fabulous and witty guides and treated us to great displays of wildlife including amazing views of the wild dogs! We took the morning and afternoon boat rides with Abraham and Jackson on Lake Manze and experienced our own birding National Geographic Tour! On the drive and the boat tour we were the only couple and all the guides were knowledgeable and quick to assist with any of our needs.

Ruaha Old River Camp was also special and again we were lucky to be the only visitors for that stay. We had Henri and Edmund as our guide and driver and they shared their knowledge of the area with us. We even hiked to a wonderful waterfall which was a nice break from riding in the jeep. Henri was so disappointed that we didn't see any big cats but the hippos and elephants, zebras and giraffes plus the snake more than compensated. They even helped us battle the tsetse flies! Andreas and Rebecca were great hosts.

The Z hotel was a perfect way to end the trip. Staff were so friendly and accommodating and the facilities spotless. We had one issue at the beginning with drains in the bathroom being clogged but the staff immediately handled the situation. The beach was clean and as you had stated did not disappear at high tide. Food was very good and we ate at the hotel restaurants on numerous occasions. Happy hour on the rooftop overlooking the Indian Ocean was beautiful. We scheduled several tours with the hotel and everything was promptly arranged with wonderful guides.

Again, thank you so much for making this an incredible experience.

Kathleen

Kathleen and Bogdan

Hi Gemma

We had a fantastic honeymoon, thank you so much. Everything went really smoothly and it was an unforgettable experience.

Plantation Lodge, Kusini camp and the Boutique Hotel Matlai were all outstanding. Fantastic food and wonderful staff.

Our 5 day safari was incredible and Abdalla was an excellent guide. We would definitely recommend him - very passionate, patient, knowledgeable, friendly and funny.

The food at all of the hotels was excellent. Kusini camp exceeded our expectations. Lots of personal touches and kind staff.

Our 9 days in Zanzibar was very relaxing. 1 night in Stone Town was about right. Hotel Matlai was perfect. Really attentive staff and idyllic setting. The cooking class was great and one of the butlers even went out and bought us a special vitumbua pan so that we could make them at home! As there were only 6 rooms, we got a great level of service. They organised a private island trip and a visit to the local school for us, which was great. All transfers went smoothly.

We've attached a few pics.

Many thanks for your help!

SEE THEIR GALLERY

Alice and David

Pages