Hello,
on the 23.02. to 24.02. we made a trip with Emmanuel to Lake Manyara NP and Ngorongoro Crater. I want to tell you that Emmanuel was a very good driver and guide. His knowledge about the land, the people, the special things in the area, about the National Parks and the animals was very good. He explained all the things in an interesting way. He drives very carefuly and our feeling in the car was safe. He also is a very nice guy and we had a lot of fun with him in this two days.
Much greetings to all of you and Emmanuel,
Ludger G. and Simone P., Germany
(comment received March, 3rd, 2010)
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Came to Arusha for some safari expedition and wondered where else in the world can I get such an experience. Zara was dedicated up the last day... This is it people, if you want to explore Tanzania to the fullest, ZARA tours is it.
Thank you ZARA for the memory of a lifetime.
Stive, Finland
(comment received March, 1st, 2010)
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On the behalf of "The Erling Baera Group" who climbed the Marangu route with Zaratours 25th jan - 1 st feb 2010, I just like to thank you for making this a really great trip for us. The organization of the trip from your side was very professional, and everything from ordering, payment, pick-up at arrival, accommodation and equipment provided was just great.
Your staff at the hotel and the drivers were all really fine people and they all provided good service. It was very practical that we charged our room at the restaurant and bar, so we did not have to bring cash at all time. The price level at the hotel was highly acceptable and made no need for running the streets at night in search for a meal at a decent price. THANK YOU!!!
Most of all we like to thank the most amazing guide. We walked with John, who really made this to be an event for life. John took good care of the group and his porters. He has a personality that just everybody has to come along with, and it`s impossible to not be in a good mood together with him.
He came down from the mountain the day before we started, and was sent up again the day after we came back. Even so, he was positive at all times. He made us feel safe at all times and was very well skilled due to the routs and the flora and fauna at the mountain. Our porters were good, and it seems that they had great respect for Johns integrity. We already miss him a lot and we wish him the best, both at work and in his private life. We will kindly ask Zaratours to forward this message to John, and give him my mail address.
Best regards, on behalf of Erling Baera Group, Lars P., Norway
(comment received February 25th, 2010)
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Hello Mrs. Ansell!
I just wanted to thank Zara Tours for an amazing experience climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro! I would not have done it without my incredible guide Milton Mtui - you are the best ever Milton! He was professional, knowledgeable and so supportive when I was struggling with altitude sickness.
I would absolutely book a Zara Tour in the future and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Milton Mtui as a guide!
Thank you Milton and your amazing team! I never could have done it without your patience, friendship and wisdom.
Amy (a.k.a Twiga)
(comment received February 18th, 2010)
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Four anxious guys arrived Springlands late in the evening friday 11. december, our goal was Kilimanjaro/Uhuru Peak.
Saturday we used for relaxing and also visiting a orphanage close to Springlands. We brought with us a lot of clothing, and also some footballs as a gift from the Norwegian Soccer Society.
Football suits we also had, and everthing was highly appreciated. The kids were polite and very charming, and despite their destiny as orphans, they seemed to have a good life there.
Sunday morning we were ready for the mountain and we met our fantastic crew, with chief guide Pius Emani, assistant guide Hamis, our excellent cook Lisungu and all the other guys - Evanca, Marunda, Josephy, Sele +++.
We went the Lemosho route, and had a fantastic hike all the way. Following Pius and Hamis excellent guiding, we had no problems at all, neither physical nor with equipment. We were all in great shape. The food was good - tasty and well-prepared, and large portions.
Every day we hade amazing nature experiences, from the green rainforest, to the wide shira plains, the odd nature of Barranco valley, the breakfast wall, to the sterile landscape between Barranco and Karanga, the sunrises and the sunsets, glimps of the mountain every day, the deserted Barafu Camp - and of course the overwhelming moments when the sun rised when we walked from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak.
Standing on Uhuru Peak at 06.15 friday 18th december - on my 50th birthday - that was a moment me and my friends never will forget. Standing on the roof of Africa, viewing the sunrise over Mawenzi - words hard to find, but it was an extreme moment.
Thanks to Pius Emani for exellent guiding and advices, thanks to Hamis for singing for us during the walk up to Uhuru, thanks to Lisungo for his cooking, thanks to Evance for morning tea and a great tanks to all the other porters who made our journey possible. Your efforts, your high spirits, your mountain skills and knowlegde are priceless and invaluable.
We would also like to give thanks to Penny for her service and advices. Thanks to Mohammed - our driver and Safariguide who carried us safely through Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara. He is hawk-eyed and spotted a lot af animals we didn't see! Thanks to the staff at Springlands and Highview.
Best regards
Morten, Vidar, Bjørn, Eirik - the four kili-guys
Torill, Vidar, Madelein, Terje - the safari-travellers.
(comment received February 15th, 2010)
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Hi,
On behaf on our group (Anders, Lis and Tora) I have some more comments to add to our trip on Lemosho route, 7 days with Nteze and Joseph as guides.
Nteze and the group were exellent. And even though Joseph got sick and could not make it with us to the summit, Haji our waiter was an EXCELLENT substitute. He was very professionel and we couldn't have made it without both Haji and Nteze. Haji and Nteze knew exactly what to do and what we needed, and they were always in a good spirit and were always smiling. And not to forget the porters they were very hardworking, friendly and smiling too. Thanks for an amazing experience. Best regards Tora
Tora, Denmark
(comment received February 6th, 2010)
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Zara, I would like to thank you for what was an unbelievable, life-changing experience on Mt. Kilimanjaro, and your company, along with Dreamworld Adventures South Africa were fantastic in making it the most enjoyable and well-organised adventure of our lives!
Tom and Simon were real heros and I would really recommend them for their professional approach, amazing knowlegde of the mountain and top drawer organisational skills!
Kind regards,
Shane B., South Africa
(comment received January 15th, 2010)
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Good morning!
We have just finished a fantastic safari tour on 6-12 january, 6 scandinavian persons Ulf*2 and Anne*4.
We had a fantastic driver and guide named Godfrey. We give him top score in our ranking and will highly recommend him as guide/driver. Please give him as many tours as you are able to and he wants. Godfrey is a gentle person, reliable and safe driver. He knows a lot about parks, animals and nature.
Furthermore his english is excellent, he is well informed about Tanzania in all respects as well as global challenges, politics, economy and african development. We got a feeling he has a great potential.
Our best wishes from a snowy Sweden.
Ulf Richard L.
(comment received January 15th, 2010)
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Dear Zainab
My wife and I had a very pleasant stay at Hotel Springland at christmas. We enjoyed the Kilimanjaro trek. It was tough and exiting. The safari afterward was fantastick. We saw the big five. But we had never thought that the animals would come so close to us with only a few meters distance.
We left Hotel Springland on december the 24th for the safari. Our driver was Emanuel. He was very handsome and polite. He drove very well. He was also a very good guide. He told us about the landscape, the people, who lived there and the vegetation. He told us about the animals and he was very good to discover the animals laying in the grass or climbing in the trees. He could tell us if the animals were sleeping or hiding for hunting.
Emanuel was even a good singer and entertainer which made our safari extraordinary. Emanuel made the safari so fantastic. We hope you will use Emanuel as a driver and guide. He and future guests deserve it.
Best regards from Denmark,
Ove H., Køge
(comment received January 14th, 2010)
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Dear Zara Tours
We are 3 people from Denmark, who just have been on a trip to Tanzania for 2 weeks. We were going on a safari in Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti.
We had the pleasure to be picked up on the 20th of December in Kilimanjaro Airport by Mr. Mohammed (sorry I do not now the last name). And we had Mr. Mohammed as a guide.
I am writing to you, to tell you how much we appreciated being together with Mr. Mohammed. He was driving the car very nicely and safely, and he had a very good eye to see the animals. He knows a lot about the animals, and it was a pleasure to hear about it.
We hope you will send our greetings to Mr. Mohammed and say thank you to him, from us. And we will sent our best recommendation to Mohammed, and hope that you appreciate such a good guide.
Best regards
Jesper K. Denmark
(comment received January 5th, 2010)
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Hi Zainab and all at Zara Tours,
I am writing to give a very very big thank you to the team who arranged our wonderful honeymoon, Dave & I had a fabulous trip and so many memories.
Penny was brilliant, for over a year she has been responding to all my queries and personal requests, nothing was too much bother and her quick replies (never more than 24 hours) and attention to detail was amazing - everything she planned happened like clockwork.
The staff at Springlands and Highview were hardworking, friendly and caring, the accommodation was clean and organisation spot on. I can't remember the man's name at reception in Springlands ? Yasim?? but he was great and always had a smile.
We have to give a special mention to Ikoma Wildcamp, Joseph and his team are offering a unique experience. For such a young man he has an mature manner with guests and excellent managerial skills - all the people we spoke to loved their time at Wildcamp and despite the 'basicness' of the accommodation we really felt part of the savannah. I know Dave is keen to keep in touch with Joseph and his progress in tourism.
All the men (guides, porters, cook etc) on our tours were lovely. Wilson was a brilliant guide, so experienced and clearly respected by all on the mountain. When you see other groups you realise how well looked after you are with Zara, and that care is priceless on Kili. Bonny was such a nice man, knew a great deal of information, he clearly loves his work and gained so much pleasure from making our safari the best.
The trip across the border to Kenya went with no problems and we did enjoy the time at Karen Blixen - I asked you for a small, luxury tented camp in the Mara, and you organised the perfect place. The camp is exquisite and the staff very attentive, of course you have to pay for that and I think we both agreed that although wonderful, the time at Wildcamp was just as special.
So now we are back in Brisbane, Australia and showing all our friends the photos of our trip, many would love to travel to Africa in the future and we will recommend Zara to them all.
Many thanks again
Sarah & Dave W., Brisbane, Australia
(comment received October, 30th, 2009)
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In September, 2009, my daughter, granddaughter and myself climbed Kili and we had a wonderful trip thanks to our guide, Faustine, assistant guide, Justine. Also, thanks to David and Jacob and the rest of the porters who took very good care of us.
They were all excellent and we appreciated their efforts. They did everything for us.
We had such a good time. Thanks, everyone. Asante sana.
Barbara D.
(comment received October, 29th, 2009)
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Hi,
I have just got back from my trip to kili and would like to make some comments!
I was in a group of 5 and we had Heavenlight and Cagio as our guides. How wonderful they were (are). Cagio and Heavenlight were always so considerate and always checking out to see that everything was good and that we felt ok.
I can highly recommend them for another group and always felt so safe and looked after. The rest of the porters and chefs were unbelievable!! Bernard, the waiter always made us laugh... we loved him! The wonderful chef, Heavenlight made us such delicious food we always ate too much.
Temba and Awish came up w us to the summit and was so helpful we couldn't have asked for more. Emanuel, walter ..the list goes on. Always a smile and helpful!!
The way they work and carry... I am in awe!!
Thank you!
Kristina A., South Africa
(comment received October, 22nd, 2009)
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Dear friends,
thank you for the nice trip to the Kilimanjaro with your organisation. We were from 6/9/09 -12/9/09 on tour with our guides Zakaria and Augustino on the Lemosho route. Congratulations! These guides were very, very good. We hope that many other tourist will go in the future with these guides.
Thank you for all.
Your "marafiki" Andreas and Anette W. from Germany,
we were in Tanzania through our german travel agency Diamir-Reisen
(comment received October, 16th, 2009)
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The tour was well organised, I had a great time. The guide (Adbi Kasim) helped a lot along with his assistents. Overall a great experience and look forward to another adventure with Zara soon!
Andrew B., South Africa
(comment received October, 14th, 2009)
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Hi,
Just want to thank Zara for a wonderful trip!! Enjoyed it very much! Our guide Abdi (rate him very high!) made the trip!
Thanks for everything.
Johan van R. (South Africa)
(comment received October, 14th, 2009)
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An absolutely amazing experience. The Zara Tours Guides and porters are very professional. They give you all the right advise and just know how to motivate you! Ask for Abdi!
Thank you Zara, I made it to the top!
Gerhard van A. (South Africa)
(comment received October, 14th, 2009)
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Penny,
I just wanted to let you know I enjoyed the trip very much. I made it to the summits of both Mt. Meru and Mt. Kili. The guides, porters and everyone at Springlands made my trip wonderful. Thank you very much.
My guide, Joseph helped me made it to the top of both mountains. I'm certain I could'nt have done it without him. Both Joseph and Nicholas (porter and waiter) were especially good to me and made the trip very special. I am grateful to them and I wish Zainab Ansell and all those at Zara Tours recognize what a wonderful job they did.
Please give my thanks to Joseph and Nicholas again.
Asante sana,
Melinda K.
(comment received October, 10th, 2009)
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I wanted to thank Zara Tours for a successful Climb on Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Lydia was very helpful in booking the trip, Yassin was forgiving and didn't charge me for losing my safe box key on the mountain - (it was during a rain storm!). And Charles, my guide, allowed me to change course and to attempt the western approach - which made the trip very special! You all made it a successful trip
Gregory H.
(comment received October, 10th, 2009)
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Dear Sirs,
from 14th to 23th of September my Dad and I spend our holidays in Tanzania making a Mount Kilimanjaro climbing tour operated by your company ZARA Adventure tours.
Almost two weeks passed by and I'Tm still fascinated and full of unforgettable memories of these days. For this reason I want to express my elation which is among other things dued to the good performance by the members of staff and manpower ZARA supplies.
Initially I would like to point out that this journey was one of my greatest experiences in my life. Both, the mountain itself and the organization through your company, in particular the guys who accompany us on the mountain during the whole time side by side - are responsible for the success of this wonderful week we spent on the Marangu Route.
Not only that we made it to the top, but also the whole ascent was an enjoyable, exciting adventure. At this point I want to underline that I'm aware of having this wonderful successful days for the most part due to the amazing guidance we
had. I want to recommend our guide Jospeh Kitundu, an exceptionally gifted and competent man. All the days through we were in safekeeping due to his reasonable care he took, also he took into account our individual wishes and
interests.
To learn the Kilimanjaro with Joseph was such a big pleasure, so if I will do this ascent once more, I would only ask for him to be my guide, as well I will recommend him to my friends and relatives here at home. I don't believe we would have made the summit without Joseph and his pleasant, warmhearted way.
We laughed together when there was fun, together we cherished precious moments the nature offered to us, and in the difficult hours on the way to the top he believed in me and gave me the strength to go on. We'll never forget the friendly support he and our assistant guide provided to us and want to express our real gratitude for the concession and efforts Joseph and the team made for us. I'm sure you appreciate having such brilliant guides like him among in your team.
I look forward to the day I come back to Tanzania having a revival of this adventure. Last but not least I want to mention my appreciation for your involvement in sustainable tourism and the Mount Kilimanjaro Porter Society! I send you my best wishes for continued success in your commitments.
Kind regards and Asante Sana,
Claudia from Schwerte/ GERMANY
(comment received October, 4th, 2009)
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Hello,
Firstly, I want to thank your company for the amazing experience of climbing Kilimanjaro (summited September 24th, 2009). Am back home in Australia now and wishing I was back in Tanzania. Your country and your people are truly beautiful!
I would especially like to commend Eli (guide) and Simon (assistant guide) for their unfailing support, knowledge and friendship throughout the tour. Both are exceptional people and go out of their way to ensure everyone in the group not only makes the summit but learns and has fun along the way. Love ya guys!!!
Sandy H. (or as Simon calls me Mrs Monkey).
(comment received September 30th, 2009)
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Dear Sirs,
We participated in the Kilimanjaro tour organized by your agency between 19/09 -23/09 following Marangu route. With this e-mail we would like to express our gratitude and appreciation for the organization of the trip. Above all we were delighted with the service we received from our guide Godlisten. He was very helpful in all issues we addressed to him, took care of all of us with a speciall attention to the older participants of the trip. Without him our memories from this lifetime experience would not be the same.
That's why we would like to thank him very much for everything he did for us whising him many equaly satisfied tourists in the future.
Congratulations to you for having such a team among your employees and for the professional organisation of the adventure.
With best regards,
Anna P. and Maria T.
(comment received September 24th, 2009)
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What more can I add to all of the great testimonials on your website? I guess that Zara is consistent in providing a great service for a very reasonable cost! I had cancer last year, and wanted to do something extraordinary to celebrate the successful treatment. Kilimanjaro seemed to be perfect.
Milton, our guide, kept a watchful eye on us during the entire climb and descent, assessing our individual skills (ranging from an experienced mountain hiker, to a guy who goes to the gym regularly, to me, a 44 year-old soft office worker). Milton would brief us at night and each morning, checking up on how we slept, how were our meals and appetites, and generally how we were feeling. He was the epitome of “poa” (cool).
I don’t think that I would have made Uhuru Peak without Milton, the excellent assistant guides (Dev and Peter), the porters, and our cook. We had one-on-one guides for the summit attempt, and Peter set the pace for the final "assault" specifically for me (I was having difficulty breathing at that altitude). I thank him for getting me to the peak.
Lastly, all of the guidance and preparatory information from Zara made all of the difference between success and failure.
Asante sana!
Jeff
Sunderland, Ontario, Canada
Reached the summit September 5, 2009
(comment received September 21st, 2009)
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Dear Sirs,
I have just returned from a 6 day trek on Kilimanjaro's Machame route and would just like to express how impressed we were with the professionalism displayed by Zara on the mountain, from the experienced guides to the constant support of the other staff.
Particularly, we would like to inform you that our guide Joseph Marandu, 'Photo,' was of the highest quality. His knowledge of the mountain and his constamt care of his clients should be noted.
As students, we could not really give the team the tip they deserved so I would appreciate if these men could be recognised for showing Zara in its finest light. It is thanks to them that I will be recommending your company to friends and family in future.
Thanks again,
Daniel S.
(comment received September 21st, 2009)
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A big thank you to Shabaz, our guide, for this wonderful week spent on the Machame route! And to the rest of the team: Bashiri, who took us all the way to Uhuru Peak `pole pole' and even made the detour to the top of Lava Tower, Michael, Mohammed, whose appearances in the mess tent always brought a smile to our faces, Ramadhan, Franco and all the others who took great care of us all along! We summitted on 22 Aug. 2009 and it was an experience we're unlikely to ever forget. We'll definitely be recommending Shabaz and Zara to our friends. Again, ahsante sana to you all!
Corinne & Masumi, UK
(comment received September 10th, 2009)
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Hello Lydiah!
Be sure I'll recomend Zara to everyone, it has been a nice experience and I want to share it.
Congratulations to all the team working for Zara in the offices, in the hotel, in the mountain... thanks for all.
Kind regards,
Francesca
(comment received September 9th, 2009)
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I want to thank you for a wonderful tour to Zanzibar that you arranged for Stacey W. and the rest of her group. It was well organized, had great accommodations, the transportation and the guides were excellent and on time, and were very knowledgeable and helpful. We had a wonderful time over there. Thank you so much.
Dorane K.
Arizona, USA
(comment received September 5th, 2009)
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Jambo Zara Tours,
I just want to thank you for a very well organized trip to the Kilimanjaro, everything was fantastic. Thanks also to my excellent guide Joseph Mark Meela and his team. I did the 5 day Marangu Route and summited on July 17th. (Uhuru Point)
Kind regards from Holland,
Edwin W.
(comment received August 30th, 2009)
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Dear Zainab and Rashid,
My wife and I wish to thank Zara Tours from the bottom of our hearts. Our 24 day excursion in Tanzania was more than we could ever have imagined. I climbed Kilimanjario from June 4 to 10, 2009. I reached Uhuru Peak with Bruce and Fortunatus. The Zara crew and my fellow climbers were responsible for my success, along with that strenght that you don't know you have till you need it... Bruce's talk on summit night was a big factor behind my ability to overcome exhaustion like I had never felt in my life. I climbed for my 50th birthday and Zara wrapped up this intense gift, with their great Moshi hotel, great staff all around...
My wife and I then did safari for 8 days and zanzibar for 3, before heading to Dar for the rest. Thank you Zainab. Thank you Rashid (I work Canadian Travel Shows with Rashid). Thank you Bruce and the whole crew, Robert on safari and all staff at the Springlands and the Highview. All of you are guilty of one thing - we are coming back in 2 years. I am going to get in better shape and I want to spend more time at Kili's summit, we want to see more southern parks, and I need to spend more time in Zanzibar town.. I also found a mountain in Lake Natron I want to climb...
God bless,
Raymond C. and Hélène C. (Tanzania High Commission of Ottawa)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
(comment received August 30th, 2009)
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Thanks for all guys which helped us during our trip to UHURU PEAK and especially to chief guide Freddy, guide Serafimo, cook Victor. Everything was perfect. Hope to return to Tanzania
Vladimir, Vladimir-junior and Sofiya S. from Russia
(comment received August 29th, 2009)
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To Zara tours,
We are a group (The W. family), that was on a safari in northern Tanzania with your company. I am writing to give my highest recommendation for your chauffer, Madil. Most importantly he was a good and safe driver. We were a family with an age range of 60 years, which can place special demands on the driver. Madil handled it perfectly. He was also very pleasant, friendly, and open. In general, it was very relaxing being around Madil, which is a big plus when you are spending several days together. Madil found all the animals and plants we dreamed about seeing. Additionally, he could answer all our questions regarding the animals, plants and culture. Overall, we were very pleased with our driver.
We give our highest compliments to Madil and Zara Tours,
The W. and G. families from Denmark
(comment received August 29th, 2009)
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In July 2009 (July 21 - July 26) I climbed the Kilimanjaro with my family and made it to the very top. I only made it to the Uhuru-Peak because of the great team we had. I want to thank you for our guide Festo who helped us through all the difficult parts, took care of us, showed us a lot of plants and was absolutely amazing in such a kind and loving way. We had a fantastic time, it was extremely funny and lively and we all had the feeling, that Festo and his team belonged to our family. We felt safe and very well in his company and everything was just perfect.
Thank you again for all this amazing experience, for Festo, his team and the delicious food. I will never forget these 6 days.
Lots and lots of kind greetings from Germany, especially to Festo,
Inga K.
(comment received August 28th, 2009)
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We want to thank our guide Zungu for his excellent trekking with us through the Marongu Route to the summit from 19.07.-23.07.09 (Springland-Hotel).
We are medical doctors from Germany, 56/57 years. Zungu helped us a lot to make our dreams come true. We never had such a wonderful, helpful, experienced und friendly guide as Zungu - and his crew. We will recommend him to all our friends and relatives in Germany - and also your company.
This will be unforgettable for us !!
We would be glad to get the e-mail-adress of Zungu to send him some pictures from all of us and to stay in contact with him.
Sincerely yours,
F. and G. from Bremen
(comment received August 25th, 2009)
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I would just like to say a huge big thank you to Zara Tours for my Kilimanjaro experience. It was booked through Maynardo Tours - and Zara was our contact and tour operator in tanzania. We were there from 2 August - 8 August 2009.
The professional and efficient service that we recieved was fantastic. The people were all very friendly and helpful in making the trip a huge success. From the guides - right through to the Springlands Hotel staff.
Our head guide - Mudi - went above and beyond and ensured we had a good time and that we were safe on our whole trip on Kilimanjaro. 5 out of the 9 summitted and those that did not unfortunately got sick. PLease express my thanks to Mudi for his wonderful attitude and help on the mountain.
I love the Tanzanian people and will promote your country and your company at any oppurtunity I get.
Thank you again
Regards
Cherylen
East London - South Africa
(comment received August 25th, 2009)
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Hello Zainab,
We are back at home, back at work and busy with our normal lives, but our trip to Kilimanjaro changed our lives, and we want to thank you, your company and Mudi and his amazing team. Together with Thomas and Gosia, you guys make a great team. Please read our climbing report below!
We've shown our pictures to everyone, and will definitely recommend your company for the personal service, professional teams and of course, the TOILET!!
Thank you again,
Kind regards
Annelie, Coretha and Eugene
(comment received August 24th, 2009)
6 June 2009. Exhaustion! As it consumes every inch of my being I try to stay awake while putting one foot in front of the other. Pole, pole. It was full moon but our path was hardly noticeable, as we were only the second group to the summit on this day. I tried to convince myself that the last few steps to Stella point will not be so bad, that the hurting will stop when I get there, but it did not help and tears ran down my cheeks…
… but it all started only days before that, 2 June around 10am we arrived from Moshi at the Machame gate and while our tour operators sorted out our permit and our porters and guides were weighed in, we tried to stay as calm as possible and had to be told more than once to sit down for a while by Mudi, our guide. We were ready and strong and rearing to go!
Day 1 was a little tougher than expected, but we all made it in good spirits to Machame Camp and even had a Kilimanjaro beer when we reached the camp, while popcorn, biscuits and coffee were prepared for us, but not before we got our little blue “skotteltjie” with hot water for cleaning up. This was also the first time we saw her from so close, Kilimanjaro, above the clouds. But I think our greatest surprise was the fact that we had our OWN toilet, and did not have to share the very smelly “long drops” with the rest of the groups! Only at Barafu Camp did we have to use the public toilets, as there is no water and therefore our luxury had to stay packed away until we got to the next camp. We also had our first meal, and at first tried to calculate the amount calories we consume by all the starch and pasta, but Rama, our cook, did an amazing job and kept all meals interesting and very tasty and we normally emptied the plates. Dustin, our waiter, always presented the meals with a little shyness and announced very proudly in this case, CUCUMBER SOUP.
3 June - Day 2 started with great expectations and we decided to take lunch at Shira Camp and not along the way, as this was one of our shorter days. The camp was covered with mist when we got there, as it happened in most cases and we could feel the chill moving in! After our routine clean-up and popcorn and coffee, Mudi took us for a long walk to the highest point to help with altitude. Back at camp we had supper and got to bed at about 7pm, not thinking that we could sleep this early, but we were wrong… we were out for the count!!
4 June - Day 3 got up around six, the first group to be awake as every morning. We started walking early and our porters caught up with us in no time, just to rush past and set up camp at Barranco Camp. We had lunch at Lava tower and wanted to climb it, but it was so misty and cold that it was really impossible. We were at an altitude of about 4630 and could not believe that we had to go all the way down again to 3860 all that walking up hill just to go down again… all in the name of altitude! Arrived at Barranco Camp in thick mist and could not see anything, only later that afternoon did we see the Great Barranco wall, and the ever so gracious Kilimanjaro. The wall scared us and looked monstrous and very very difficult; again we took off our hats to the porters who had to carry all our gear up this route! We had an early supper and got to bed straight after.
5 June – Day 4 we were the first group to climb the wall, and it went much easier than anticipated. Don’t get me wrong, at times we had to go on all fours or do half a split to reach the next rock, even some scary times, but Mudi is an awesome guide and talked us through it, showing us where to put each hand and foot to get to the top safely. Luckily we were there in off season and it took us just over an hour, Mudi said that it can take up to four hours in peak season, as you have to wait for the group in front of you and obviously cannot pass them. We stopped at Karanga valley to fill up our water supply and climbed yet another steep hill just to be welcomed by a set table with an awesome lunch above the clouds, it was amazing! We arrived at Barafu Hut after a long day and walked the last two hours in rain and hale like ice snow, it was freezing when we got to camp. We had supper at 5pm and then got dressed and ready for our summit. Got woken up at 11pm and left just before 12am.
6 June – Day 5 – 12am …all you do is walk and think and walk and pray and walk. Pole, pole, one foot before the other. Pole, pole. I spoke to the angels all the time, never heard anything back, but when you stand on the top of Africa, and experience the most amazing sunrise, you know they’ve heard you! We reached Uhuru Peak at about 6.20am and spent very little time here, took a few pics and wanted to stay longer, but Mudi got us round up and told us it is time to go, that altitude sickness is not over yet and we have another few hours to go before we get back to Barafu camp. We reached it at about 9.20ish, we were exhausted and went straight to our tents for a 2 hour rest, got woken up with lunch and off we went again to Mweka Hut. We walked for about 14 hours on this day and were totally exhausted!!!
7 June – Day 6 we decided to get up an hour earlier than planned to get on the road – we were craving for a hot shower and did not want to waste any time. We had breakfast and afterwards rounded up all the porters and guides and personally gave each one his tip, without them our trip would have been impossible. They then got together and sang the song Kilimanjaro, we all cried!! We got to Mweka gate late morning, did all the paperwork and got in the bus back to our hotel!
We’re at the airport, on our way to Zanzibar and it’s been 3 hours, our plane still not in sight. Each sit with our own memories and thoughts while surrounded by curio shops with cheep replicas of Kili and a sense of emptiness and sadness overwhelms me. After months of preparation, six days on the slopes and 15 minutes at the summit, it is all over now ... and yet, the mountain consumes you, because now, Kilimanjaro is in your blood! Your sweat and tears have paved your way to the top and you are now part of it.
Yes, I have climbed and conquered, but I’ve been conquered and have a new found respect for the mountain above the clouds.
Viva Mt Kilimanjaro. Viva!
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Hi guys.
We are back in Madrid from our stay in Tanzania with you. Just to say it has been an unforgetable trip for me and my family. The organization (thanks Penny for all your interest and planification) has been excellent and our driver and guide, Roy, has been simply the best.
We lived during seven days many experiences than we never will forget. We will recommend Zara and specially Roy and Penny to all our friends and for sure, we will come back in some years.
Thanks again.
Kind regards, Carmen, Spain
(comment received August 10th, 2009)
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Dear Zara Tours -
I was recently on a trip with you, organized by my daughter May. I have some positive comments about the safari.
I think the safari was well planned, was well done and that we all enjoyed it. The Springlands Hotel, the Highview Hotel and the Ikoma Wild Camp were all very good. I especially want to compliment our drivers Henry (Henry Barrike?) and Henry (I don't know his last name). They are skilled drivers on difficult roads, always safe, always responsive to our requests to stop for photos, always informative about the animals and vegetation and always fun to be with. They are also excellent spotters of wildlife, able to see a leopard resting in a tree, 100 meters away. We compliment the Henrys and wish them well.
I may return to Tanzania with my wife to go on safari. If so, we will ask for one of the Henrys to be our driver.
Thank you for your excellent organization. I will recommend it to others.
Please pass along a copy of this email to each of the Henrys. Thanks.
Alastair R., Denver
(comment received July 31st, 2009)
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The trip was fantastic! Crispine and the whole crew that helped us get to the top were fantastic!
Mike and Marea, New Zealand
(comment received July 22nd, 2009)
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To everyone at Zaratours:
Thank you for a fantastic trip this June! We booked our 5 day safari, 7 day Kilimanjaro Machame climb, and 5 day Zanzibar trip with Zaratours, and were pleased that everything turned out so well. Our accomodations were great (Springlands, Ikoma Wildcamp & we especially loved the Highview hotel), and service was excellent at each location.
We had an amazing time on the safari, enjoying the beauty of the Ngorongoro crater, Lake Manyara & the vast Serengeti. Our guide on the Kili climb - Yusuf - was wonderful. He had years of experience and was super enthusiastic to pass along his knowledge about wildlife & ecology. We loved it. The food on the climb was also suprisingly excellent! We were impressed & let the chef know it.
Overall a wonderful experience & unforgettable vacation. Thanks :)
Marta & Frank, Canada
(comment received July 12th, 2009)
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Hello, my husband and I just wanted to let you know that we just finished a 7 day trek to Uhuru point with Elibariki. He was absolutely fantastic - the best of the best. The porters were also amazing and we feel so lucky to have used your services. We also walked with Festo and he was also a fantastic guide. Your men work very hard and provide the best services.
Thank you Martina & Patrick H.
(comment received July 10th, 2009)
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Hello -
I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for the amazing climb up Kili... I was part of the Machame trip that got back on May 11, and both Frankie and Fausti were excellent. Fausti in particular timed our climb up Kili perfectly, allowing us to reach the summit just as dawn broke - which was absolutely amazing.
Plus, I also wanted to say thanks to Pemba (I might have misspelled his name), but he's the guide with a broken foot who gives rides around town. He picked me up on the 12th, took me to the bus station, and arranged for me to get a ticket on the right bus... all with a big smile. As the bus station at Moshi is a little crazy - I really appreciated it!
Anyways - just wanted to say thanks again; I'll definitely be spreading the word about Zara!
Mike
(comment received June 3rd, 2009)
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Dear Zainab A. Ansell
I would like to take a moment to thank your company for a great vacation to Mt. Kilimanjaro. The beauty of Africa was overwhelming, leaving us with many terrific memories. Our cook, waiter and porters did a wonderful job, what a good crew. We wanted to especially thank Willy Peters for his leadership skills, human resource and knowledge of the trail. We hope Willy’s administrative skills are admired and appreciated by ZARA Tours.
I want to personally thank Addison our assistant guide, he is kind, steadfast and always there when you need him. Without Addison’s help and encouragement my climb to Uhuru would not have been successful.
Thank you for the Wonderful Experience of Africa.
Sincerely,
Gary T., Hellings
(comment received April, 1st 2009)
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Sorry for the delay in getting round to sending this note. However, I would like to thank you for your splendid work in getting the four of us to the top of Kilimanjaro for the dawn of 11th Feb this year. With 3 heavy smokers and a rather stout elderly gentleman this was quite feat. We all found it a breath taking experience. I think we all feel that it was such a remarkable thing - so far outside of any experience we had had before - that we are only now beginning to take it all in. (With the help of 3000 photos). Having said we 'would never do that again', we are now wondering if we might in 2-3 years - especially as we have several friends that would have liked to have done it and are now very envious of us and want to do it some time soon. When will your last trip be? Maybe we could time it with that? Please do convey to all your men that helped us how greatful we are for their eforts, patience and good humour.
We have had the extra benefit of a party of UK 'celebrities' doing the exact same trip 2-3 weeks after we did and having the whole thing shown on TV last week. Really helped us to re-live it all. They raised quite a bit of money!
You can check out their exploits at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/rednoseday/2009/ or watch it again on a PC on www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer. Did you see them on the mountain?
Anyway - thanks again. Sorry we did not get to hear you sing - perhaps next time.
Photo attached for the record.
Regards
Tony
(comment received March, 31st, 2009)
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Dear Zainab,
I hope this e-mail finds you well. I don't know if you will remember me. My wife and I climbed Kilimanjaro last June with Jaquetta M.. Bruce was our Zara guide. Our book -- an 8 inches x 8 inches, 160-page affordable gift book -- is about to go to press. It includes over 100 spectacular photos (my wife is a travel photographer) and a text that weaves personal observations with the history of the mountain, its people, its flora and fauna, etc... It is beautifully designed. In the text I mention our hospitable stay at Springlands and I recommend Zara Tours and give your website. Here is the link to the book:
http://www.interlinkbooks.com/product_info.php?products_id=2005&osCsid=5ea1e7b315f33c15ad9dd88e4e240c20
(comment received March, 27nd, 2009)
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Dear Members of Zara,
I just want to say a big big THANKS from the bottom of my heart and I hope you pass my sincere thanks down to the Team that guided our way. I had the big luck to enjoy a trip to the Kilimanjaro with your Guides Daniel Mombo and Joseph Meela from the 4th to the 10th of March 2009 and I must say, that these guys were absolutely fantastic and they did really everything to support, to entertain, to help, to delight us and to make this wonderful trip an amazing highlight for every part of our group.They cared for us more than anybody here in Germany would do and they were always friendly and calm and taught us a lot of interesting things about Africa, the Mountain, the nature and the people. Also the porters, the waiters, the cook and especially the assistant Guide of Joseph, his name is Crispen (he supported me extremely on my way to the top and did a really good job!!!!) and our waiter were SO nice and very obliging and
hearty that it really touched me in my heart. I will never forget this unbelievable trip. I promise, I will recommend your company to everybody who wants to travel to your wonderful country. I am planning to come back at the end of this year to enjoy the Rongai Route or the Mount Meru and of course I will book the trip at ZARA. But be sure, I want to
have the same team we had this March !!: - ) I hope you can make that possible for me. It would be great if you say Hello and my sincere thanks to the guys.
Thank you for the great work.
Kind regards from Germany
Maria M.
(The other members of the group were Kai M., Susi W. and Norbert K.)
(comment received March, 27nd, 2009)
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Jambo Zara Tours!
We would like to use this letter as an opportunity to express our thanks to our quide THEOPHIL KARIA and his assistent quides: ATTLEY WALLECE BENSON and THADDEUS KIMB for helping to make our Kilimanjaro trip one of the best experiences of our lives.
Thanks to the whole team and Zara Tours!
With very best wishes,
the Hungarian Team
(Papa Ernesto, Ernestina, Zsu, László, Papa Csaba, Mama Rodi, Zoli, Kati and Brigitta)
(comment received March, 22nd, 2009)
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Hello to all of you in Zara,
We will thank you for a beautiful and wonderful trip to the top of Kilimanjaro, on friday the 20th at 05.45 o clock in the morning. A special thank to our guide Pius and his assistent Rafael, and a special thank to Pius, he made it possible for us to come on the top, he showed us to go "sakta - sakta". And we are very thankful to him. Thanks to the whole team, with Domenoqe, our famous cocking man, who brought us warm tea to the bed every day and gave us so much very good food every day. And the assistent guide Rafael who helped us to the top, together with Pius, and at last Julias, and to the 5 other sherpaes for bringing the food, tents, bagages, and all the other things. That was, maybe, one of the best trips we ever had in our lives, thanks to all of you.
The safari trip was also very fine and all these days together have given us a fantastic experiences and we are still thinking about this beatiful trip every day.
Haltdalen 09.03.2009
The best greatings to you all from Anbjørg and Øyvind from the snowland Norway
(comment received March, 9th, 2009)
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Hallo! Thank you for all. On 29.01.2009 I was on top of Kilimanjaro. At 6.30 am i was on Uhuru Peak. My Guid was Frank Njema. I arrived with him the top of Afrika on Marangu Route. It was the best advanture of my life. I hope, that you integrate this picture into the homepage of Zaratours. I think, that Zaratours is the best team to organise the climbing to Uhuru Peak. In some years i will come back to Tansania. And then i will have the next climb to Uhuru Peak. With Frank Njema and Zaratours.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.
Mr. Andreas B. from Jena, Germany.
(comment received March, 7th, 2009)
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Hello, I just want to send you the best regards from Lithuania and some links to photo galleries.
Here you can find the best 850 photos I made during the trip to Kilimanjaro and Safari with Zara Tours:
http://picasaweb.google.com/d.babilas/Kilimandzaras1
http://picasaweb.google.com/d.babilas/Kilimandzaras2
Good luck,
Dainius
Kaunas, Lithuania
(comment received March, 5th 2009)
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Hello Adam:
We did go on safari with Zaratours from January 19 - 29. We had the 9 days/8 nights package covering the Usambara mountains, Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara. There were six of us (Canadians) travelling together. I am originally from Zanzibar and planned the trip for the group. I was hoping it would be a memorable experience for my friends and I, and it was. Zaratours really came through.
Our experience with Zara was exemplary. Muna was very helpful in arranging the details. We had a superb guide in the person of Godfrey Hodari. Besides being a very capable driver, he was also a very knowledgeable guide and always went the extra mile to meet our needs. In fact, we found all of Zaratour's staff to be very courteous and helpful. We also had the privilege of meeting Zainab --- what a delightful person!
Your facilities were clean and comfortable -- from Springlands to Highview (what a great location!) to the wildcamps. Your prices are extremely competetive. We all felt that we received great value for our money.
We were well taken care of by your staff from the moment we landed at Kilimanjaro airport to the time Godfrey dropped us off in Arusha. We shall remember our experience with Zaratours with fondness for some time to come.
We will be recommending Zaratours to our friends and relatives in Canada and elsewhere.
Please convey our best wishes to Zainab, Godfrey and Muna.
Asante! Tunakushukuru!
Kass S.
(comment received February, 18th 2009)
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Dear Madam,
RE: OUTSTANDING BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
Reference is made to the above captioned subject.
Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) wish to register her appreciation to the entire Management and staff of your company for the outstanding tourism business you have been doing with us the past few years.
The Management is impressed by the way you have been marketing the national parks and therefore bringing a significant number of tourists to the parks. Indeed, you are a tourism marketing model to be emulated by others in the tourism industry. You are strongly encouraged to keep up that spirit. Meanwhile, TANAPA wishes to assure you full support in your business endeavor, and promise to continue improving our services for maximum visitors satisfaction.
Any feedback on solidifying our partnership in business is welcome.
Thank you once again.
Yours sincerely,
TANZANIA NATIONAL PARKS
A.J.H. Kijazi
FOR DIRECTOR GENERAL
Download this letter as a PDF.
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Dear Sir,
The past 12, 13 february I did a safari with daniel to manyara lake and ngorongoro crater. I only want to tell you that the safari was perfect . Daniel was an excellent guy and guide (he spoke spanish too), and I am very happy with the organization of zaratours and the guide you choose for me.
It was a perfect day at the crater and i enjoyed with daniel.
Thank you very much.
Javier, Spain
(comment received February 16th, 2009)
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Dear Adam,
I am writing to let you know that my daughter and I successfully climbed Kilimanjaro in January this year. It was our second attempt and I am writing to let you know that we had a wonderful time. The guide and assistant guide were just wonderful and they gave us such a lot of support and encouragement. They assessed our capabilities and arranged every day to suit our needs. The timing of reaching the summit at Stella point was absolutely perfect, as we reached Stella point just as the sun was rising. The porters and the rest of the support team were also incredibly supportive and hard working. Please see photos of us at the summit and of our support team. We can't thank you enough for this wonderful experience and please let our guides know that we think they are the best. Our guide was Frederick Thaby and our assistant guide was Adam Mattem.
Kind regards
Christine and Sally W.
(comment received February 16th, 2009)
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Hey Adam,
Jamin and I had a great trip with Zara. The facilities (Springlands and Highview) were fantastic as well as the staff especially Basil. Our safari guide Hamza was very courteous and an excellent guide. I will recommend Zara to my friends.
Thanks,
Brian M., USA
(comment received February 16th, 2009)
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Hello,
We really want to thank all the team of Zara. It was unforgettable time, we had during the climbing to Uhuru peak and visiting national parks during Safari. Penny from Zara Office was very attentive and organized everything without any reproaches. Our guide Yusuf, asst guides (Mohamed and Yahaya) and all their team did excellent job. The cook and his food was amazing - the best we had during all our visit! Yusuf is very interesting person. We liked his sense of humour, sarcasm, openness and courage. It was interesting to listen him. We felt, that the team of Yusuf was the best in Machame route. We had not only best food, but best places for tents in the camps, big attention to our luggage and etc. It was really "no punishment" as Yusuf said before our hiking. He was right. After Kilimanjaro we met very interesting person Lazaro in Highview Hotel. He accompanied us to Elephant Cave. He can be very interesting guide, because he have experience of living in Masai community. It was very important time for us. We signified the Millenium of our native country Lithuania (1009-2009). We raised the flag of Millenium at the top of Kilimanjaro (19.01.2009). It was great fiesta of our birthdays - we did it a few days before being 30 years old. So you helped us to do that and we have the best recommendations about Zara. Please rise the salary for the best people, who work in Zara. They are deserving that :) Thank you.
Best regards,
Dainius and Ingrida
Kaunas, Lithuania
(comment received February 11th, 2009)
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Dear Zainab and Roger,
this is Allen, the medical student who came with the group of 6 in mid-December and did Kilimanjaro and the safari with your company. We had the chance to speak briefly and unfortunately our early departure to DAR meant that I didn't have a chance to say a proper thank you and goodbye.
I wanted to say thank you to both of you for all of your help and working with us to plan our trip. Roger, thank you for helping me with the internet so I could figure out arrangements for our next leg of our trip. Thank you also for treating our guides and our group to some beers when we came back from the mountain; it was an incredibly nice reward! Zainab, thank you very much for working with us on the finances; I know that it was a lot of effort and probably some headache, but I really appreciate the extra attention and flexibility you gave us. It's very hard putting together these trips, and all of your help really made the process smoother. Thank you both also for the gracious gift of wine that you sent us... it was fantastic and we definitely had fun drinking it! Overall my experience with Zara has been extraordinary. I write a travel log online and have many friends and acquaintances who are constantly asking me for travel advice. There are two sets of friends who are definitely planning on coming to Tanzania soon and are looking to follow my footsteps - I will definitely forward them along to you, knowing that you guys will provide some of the best service available!
I also wanted to write commendations to some of your staff who were incredibly vital in helping me plan this trip as well.
Muna worked with me from the beginning of our email-exchange, and she was both incredibly friendly (over email and in person!), and a pleasure to work with. She was very knowledgable about all of the details of our trip, had great attention to detail, and was very flexible and receptive whenever I had questions or requests. When I had some problems with my credit cards, she was extremely patient and made extra time available so we could try and work the details out. I think she is an incredibly valuable asset to your Sales team, and I found her service to be exemplary. For my friends who will be coming to Zara in the future, I will be sending them directly to Muna as she made the entire planning process that much better.
Yasin was a huge help to us near the end of our trip. I met him and spoke with him several times during our two weeks in Moshi/Kilimanjaro/safari/Springlands, and he was particularly helpful near the end of our trip. Due to chaotic planning, I was unable to arrange for the details of our Zanzibar portion of our trip. Yasin made a bunch of calls on my behalf, arranging for ground transportation, accomodation, and even gave me the phone numbers of some of his contacts so I would have someone to call if I got lost. He was both generous with his time explaining things to me and he was also very detail-oriented; something that every trip planner loves to see! Yasin was instrumental in planning our trip, and I am grateful for his help. He also has fantastic customer service skills and is incredibly easy to talk to. His natural friendly personality and relaxed attitude makes him an excellent person for your customers to greet when they come in the door!
Stewart & Eliah were our guides for the Kilimanjaro portion of our trip. They took us up the 6 day Machame route, and all 5 of our group made the Uhuru Peak summit. I wanted to write a commendation on their behalf thanking them for their attention to detail on the trip and their constant vigilence to both our safety and our comfort. They checked up on our health constantly, kept us well fed, well hydrated, and provided small creature-comforts that made the trip quite enjoyable (hot tea, warm-washing water, laying out our sleeping pads at night). They made a point to ask if there was anything else we needed, and they always attended to our needs in a rapid and efficient manner. Their porter team was incredibly friendly and easy to work with, and their entire group was filled with warm, smiling people. It was a pleasure to have traveled with them, and I am grateful they were our guides. We always felt physically safe and well taken care of in their ward, and we are thankful for them.
If any of these staff is up for promotion or their permanent records can reflect customer evaluations, I would love for these to have a positive effect on their careers!
Thank all of your for your help and support once again. I am sure that I will be sending friends to see you all soon, and hopefully I'll see everyone again some time in the future. =)
Warmest regards,
Allen
(comment received January 24th, 2009)
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Hi zaratours,
in the time from 20.Dec.2008 until 30.Dec.2008 we (me, my husband and our 17-year-old son) spent our holidays in Tanzania. The first four days we climbed Mt.Meru and then we started for six days Safari. Climbing as well as Safari was really fantastic. Our mountain guide Daniel M.Mombo and his crew took trustfully care of us. They were friendly, pleasant and very helpful.
Also our safari-driver and guide Abdallah Matumbo was friendly, pleasant and helpful. He is a very safe driver and he showed us many animals. Our cook Rashid was always funny and he cooked fantastic meals. I will always remember the excellent soups.
We really enjoyed the days with our guides and we were sad, when we had to say good bye.
Yours sincerely,
Monika, Rainer and Philipp, Germany
(comment received January 22nd, 2009)
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I am writing to let you know that our Kilimanjaro guide Mikao was excellent. We trekked the Machame route with him a few weeks ago, and our trip was fantastic. He was professional and showed excellent leadership with his assistants and porters. He always paid close attention to our safety and comfort. We very highly recommend him. Thank you so much for an amazing adventure!
(comment received January 21st, 2009)
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Hello,
I just want to thank you for an absolutely wonderful trekking experience. My cousin and I did a 4-day Mt. Meru trek (Jan 2-5) and a 6-day Kilimanjaro trek (Jan 6-11) via the Machame route with Zara and it was just amazing. Our guides -- Steven (Faustine Bura), Julius, and Anthony -- were really really great! They were attentive and experienced and super nice, and I would definitely recommmend them to anyone as guides on their Tanzania trek. Our cook made absolutely delicious food, and the overall service on the trek and at Springlands Hotel was perfect. Thank you again for giving us an amazing experience. :-)
Sincerely,
Neha
(comment received January 17th, 2009)
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Hi Zainab,
my wife and I climbed Kilimanjaro recently with Zara tours and the treck was a fantastic experience for us. Our guide was a man called Emmanuel and I want to pay the highest compliment possible to Emmanuel and his team. Emmanuel was an outstanding guide and was a major factor in getting us to the top. He was friendly to us, helpful at all times, patient and very knowledgeable on the flora and fauna of the area. We were also guided on the last day by his brother Daniel and another chap called Pascal, who also did a fine job for us. I can honestly say that without the endeavours of Emmanuel, Daniel and the team that we would not have made it to the top. The team did a great job cooking fine food for us etc. I don't know how they do it! I will be passing on the details of Zara and will be recommending Emmanuel and Daniel as guides to my friends who are planning to do the Kilimanjaro trip. I think that Daniel would also make a great guide as he has very good English and is also very helpful and knowledgeable.
Best wishes and well done to all.
Regards,
Kieran
(comment received January 14th, 2009)
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Dear Zainab,
I just got home from the trip with Mike Davies in support of Mango Parish. You guys provided all the driving for our parish activities (Kaseem & Abdul) and safari (Mohammed) and coordinated all of our accomodations on safari to the three parks. Everything Zara did was top notch, much appreciated and made our first trip to your lovely country a tremendous
experience. I am coming back in December to climb the mountain and rest assured, I will be booking my climb with you guys! Look forward to meeting you on one of my next visits.
Sincerely;
Jim D.
(comment received January 12th, 2009)
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We wanted to write to you express our overwhelming satisfaction and appreciation to Zara Tours, and most specifically, to our guide (Yusuf), asst guides (Mohammad and Yahaya), the amazing cook and porters that made this a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Making the summit to Uhuru Peak as the sun was rising, that was a bonus in what was an amazing experience on so many levels.
Yusuf and the climbing team exuded professionalism and we always felt that there was a genuine concern for our well-being. Throughout the climb, we were constantly learning - about the environment, ecology, safety, culture, language, and about each other. We loved the up-beat personalities within the group, the laughter was contagious, and we would like to think that we have made new friends (rafiki).
The experience has made an impact on our lives in ways we had not expected and we will cherish the memories.
Asante sana,
Tammy & Mark - Canada
(comment received January 8th, 2009)
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Now we are again back in Germany. Our stay in Tanzania was wonderful. From 23-31 Dezember we were on the move, starting from the Meru View Lodge with our driver Zuberi and our cook Msafiri. Both have tried very hard to make our safari pleasantly and they were open for all our wishes and looked after us very well.
Msafiri accompanied us also as a guide on our trekking through the Maasai land. He was very reliable, planned the time well, knew the overnight stay places, organised the luggage transportation with the donkeys and cooked still well. We would like to thank once more to your company and to the both warmly.
Lots of love from Germany, Maria and Jürgen
(comment received January 7th, 2009)
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I hereby wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEWYEAR, especially for my dear guide named Stewart (see photograph) and his crew, who brought me to the top of Uhuru Peak on june 22th 2008 at 07:00 a.m. It was a great experience! Thanks to all of you!!!
Since I do not have the e-mail adress of Stewart I kindly request please forward this message to him or pass my direction to him in order to sent him a letter and some more fotographs. I hope to be back in Tanzania in 2009 or 2010 to do Kili Circuit or Mount Meru.
Yours gratefully,
Paul, The Netherlands
(comment received December, 30th, 2008)
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Now at Xmas I find the time to write you and say on this way: thank you! Why ?
In october 2008 I climbed Kilimanjaro and my guide was Yohana and his crew. I was totally satisfied and very happy, it was a great experience for me and Yohana and all the others made this trip to a unforgetable adventure for me. Yohana did everything for me, he was always there for me and he taught me Suaheli. I was very glad to get HIM for the six days. "My" cook and porters did also everything for me and the always smile when they saw me. This is one of the reasons why I like to remember climbing Kilimanjaro.
In Germany I tell everybody who asks me about the Tanzania trip from Yohana and his crew and if I should come
again to Tanzania I only want to go with Yohana. Yohana is the best :-)!!
Now I want to wish you merry christmas and a happy new year. Best wishes to you and also greetings to Yohana.
Sincerly,
Thomas, Germany
(comment received December, 27th, 2008)
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Everything about the climb up Kilimanjaro was fantastic. Very impressive the way everything just worked. David Charles is an excellent guide, along with his assistant David Samuel. They made sure everyone was taken care of at all times. I would absolutely recommend this climb to all of my friends. Really appreciated the private toilet facilities on the mountain. The safari was also enjoyable. The Highview Hotel is beautiful and the food is amazing. The servers were always very attentive.
Kezia, Canada
(comment received October 10th, 2008)
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Dear Zainab Ansell!
we`ve have been on top of kilimanjaro two weeks ago through the machame route with your organisation and we would like to say thank you especially to our guide Jacobson juma senge and his team for perfect and professional guiding and perfect service. it was really a great experience.
I send you a photo from the summit with Jacobson please to put it on your homepage, because I saw that there is no good picture of him to be seen.
with best regards from Austria,
Stefan & Sigrun
(comment received October 4th, 2008)
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Dear Ms. Ansell,
my wife and I want to thank you for the wonderfull 8 night/9 day safari we did with your company in Sept. 2008 [Usambara Mountains, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara, Tarangire]. In the beginning, we were unsure to do your tour because the price of $1800 per person was 40-60% cheaper than similar quotes that we received. We were unsure of the quality because of the low price. But we have to say that the accommodation, food, vehicles and itinerary were all very good to excellent!! MOST OF ALL, ALI WAS A FIRST CLASS GUIDE, DRIVER AND FRIEND.
Thank you,
Tammi and Avi, Israel
(comment received October 3rd, 2008)
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Dear Sir or Madam,
from August 27th - August 31st my brother and me climbed up Kilimanjaro and continued our journey with safaris through Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangre national parks, one day each park. It has been a stunning trip.
The entrire crew around our guide Hassan and his assistent guide Rajid cared about us so accurately. Although it was an outdoor trip they effected a luxury atmosphere with great meals, warm water, tents, nothing was missed - an "all around carefree package". We only had to walk. Hassan and Rajid choosed the most effective tracks and speed, always as discussed and accordant to our fitness. Their assistance at last enabbled us to achieve our ambitious aim: three days up and two days down the mountain.
During the exceedingly relaxed safaris Sam familiarized us with the natures`s beauty. He showed animals and plants we had only known from the zoo and botanic garden. Without his tracking of wild animals and his hints we would not have seen so many interesting and breathtaking things. The lodges were also an event for itself.
In summary, we didn't miss anything (even the flights to our next destination were automatically confirmed!) and we had a great journey in Africa. Thanks a lot for all your efforts.
Kind regards,
Alexander & Stefan, Germany
(comment received October 3rd, 2008)
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Hello,
we have climbed Kilimanjaro 20th July this year and we have enjoyed this trip via Machame route very much (16. - 21. 07). Thanks to the team accompanying us we were able to reach Uhuru Peak. These people did all to make our trip as comfortable as possible. We didn´t expect so much comfort. Thank you very much to all of the team.
Special thanks to our guide Ferdinandi S. Shirima and the assistent guides Oresty S. Shirima, Anselm and Andrew. All of them are experienced and attentive guides and they were good companions for our climb. We have the addresses of Ferdinandi and Oresty and we will send them some pictures later.
Kind regards
Ulrike and Manfred, Germany
(comment received September 15th, 2008)
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Hi Melinda (Africa Encounters - Zara agent)
Firstly I would like to thank you for a very well organized trip to Kilimanjaro. The info supplied by you and your company was spot on and nobody in the group if they stuck to the info on your e-mails was surprised by anything. I have to say we were surprised when we got to Moshi but in a very good way, we were met by very friendly staff and made to feel very welcome and right at home.
Further more the staff from Zara were great the guide Bruce and his team did everything possible to make us comfortable and the food and cleanliness of the tour is very commendable. We all reached the Uhuru summit which was a great achievement in itself.
I had pneumonia that they thought to have been mountain sickness and was taken off the mountain with Bruce not leaving my side, I was taken to the Hotel were the lady from Zara made arrangements for me to be taken to hospital and she gave me a room for the night after I came back from the hospital.
Bruce stayed with and made sure I was taken care of till after 12am before I was taken back to the hotel and given a meal and a good nights rest.
The point I am trying to make is that all the staff we encountered were very friendly and helpful and stopped at nothing to make our trip as safe and successful as possible.
Your company is working with great partners in Tanzania and I will definitely refer future climbers to make sure they use you and the people from Zara.
Once again thank you.
Regards,
Bosseau, South Africa
(comment received September 9th, 2008)
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Hi to all at Zara,
I just wanted to say thank you all so much for the really great experience of climbing Kilimanjaro. It was a life changing experience. I was delighted with all your staff, particularly Muna, Theophil and Zungu.
Can you send me the email addresses of Theophil and Zungu. I would like to write to thank them personally.
You have a truly great company and I will be recommending you to all my friends.
Kind Regards, John (Start Date 12.08.08 7-day Machame Route)
(comment received September 5th, 2008)
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Hello,
I am writing to express how much I enjoyed this trip. I had never done anything like this before and was very happy with how helpful, cheerful, and knowledgeable the guides and crew were.
I did not reach Uhuru Peak, but I did enjoy the trip a great deal and don't think I would have enjoyed it more if I had. For this reason, I think the current rating system of counting how many climbers reach the peak in a group should be changed for one based more heavily on feedback.
In future I will definitely be recommending your company and Eliawony as a guide.
Regards,
Ralph
(comment received September 3rd, 2008)
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Dear Muna, Zainab, and Adam,
We just wanted to send an email to let you know how much we enjoyed our safari. You did a truely great job, and our driver Isa was wonderful as well. The hotels were even better than we expected and everything was truely better than we could have ever imagined. At Ikoma tented camp the cook even made me a birthday cake on my birthday!! Thank you again for all the work you put into this, and please feel free to provide our contact information as a reference to prospective clients. We will spread the word about Zara to anyone we know going to Tanzania!!
Much thanks again -
Stephanie, Angel, Robert and Beverly
(comment received September 2nd, 2008)
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Dear Kili-team, dear Mrs. Zainab Ansell,
I want to say you a big thank you that you have supported me. My dream became true and I see the Kilimanjaro and nearly I had done the summit (my highest point was Kosovo camp 4.892 m) but in case of safety and my breathing problems I had to stop and turn back. Thank you Bryson and team that you gave me all our assistance!! At last I want to send you pictures for your memories. Many extra thank you’s to: Bryson, Robert, Brema, John, Asak + Malia! Mrs. Zainab Ansell you can be proud of your team!!!
Warm Regards, Markus, Vienna, Austria
(comment received August 27rd, 2008)
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My wife Ragna and I really enjoyed our holiday in Moshi, Kili and Ngorongori-Serengeti a couple of months ago. On arrival members of your staff remembered me from last year which made me feel almost like coming home.
Our guides Dickson and Boonaw (?) made a very good job. All the time working in a serious way and showing a responsible attitude. In addition easy to deal and nice to talk with.
Since I failed to climb Kilimanjaro, and I am sometimes a persistent person, there is a change I come back a third time. In that case I will send you a mail well in advance to inform you. Maybe Dickson is available if I make a third attempt.
Regards
Stig-Arne
(comment received August 23rd, 2008)
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Dear Jackson and team,
We just wanted to say a very big thank you for getting us up Kilimanjaro (last week of June). Our success was certainly due to you and your team’s hard work and professionalism. It was a fabulous trip of a lifetime, and we will always remember you and be grateful for the help you gave us.
Best wishes, Emma & Rod
(comment received August 18th, 2008)
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Muna, Zainab et al at Zara Tours,
What a spectacular hike and tour you put together for us! The guides, porters and entire staff were professional, engaging and overflowing with Tanzanian spirit.
Next summer 2009 a Kilimanjaro Marathon in planned in Moshi, on June 21, I believe. A couple friends of mine, perhaps more, are interested in running the marathon, and after a day or two of rest participating in a Kilimajaro hike (6 or 7 day). Are you able to put a package (airport, accommodations, shuttling to & from the marathon course, a kili hike, and perhaps a Serengeti tour, and return to airport) together for them?
Again, thank you for the awesome adventure.
Zara rules!!
P.S. Please send 5-10 Zara Tours brochures. I will distribute them with my personal recommendation.
Mike, Coon Valley, WI
(comment received August 6th, 2008)
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We had an amazing, unforgettable time on Kilimanjaro. Our guide Felix was absolutely wonderful and without him I don't think I would have made it to the summit. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Muna, at Springlands was especially great and seemed to go out of her way to make sure we were doing well and had clear itineraries.
Teeb, New Haven, CT
(comment received August 6th, 2008)
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We came home from safari a couple of weeks ago. We had a perfect tour maybe because of our driver Madil. We would like to travel with you another time.
Yours
Gert, Denmark
(comment received August 5th, 2008)
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Everything was better than expected. We enjoyed ourselves very much.
The guides and hotel staff were truly interested in providing good sevice. We especially want to compliment Nelson and Yasiff at the hotel... they went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable.
Lawrence, Florida, 26.7.
(comment received July 26th, 2008)
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Hello Zara!
In June we were in Tanzania in your hotels and tended camp. We climbed Kilimanjaro and we were in Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
It was a great experience, and your help was very good. Congratulations to all your staff, specially Daniel Douglas (Kilimanjaro Mountain Guide), Robinson (Safari driver), people who works in Serengeti wild camp and the hotels staff with our favourite waiter, Yovin, on the top. I send you some photos for them.
Thank you for everything and we hope to come back in the future.
Patricia, Jesus and Angeles, Spain
(comment received July 26th, 2008)
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Hello friends:
My name is José Antonio and I will go to Tanzania in August with my wife and three friends. In Spain we have contracted the trip with NATURTREK and in Tanzania with ZARA.
We were in Tanzania two years ago and we climb the KILIMANJARO with ZARA and we have very good memories, we would very much like our guides: Richard Meela and Denis Meela. They did a good job and the rest of the team also (cooks and carriers). We want them (Richard and Denis) to be our guides in the ascent of Mount Meru and Kili (in 2008).
We attach in this post some photos of our trip in 2006. Thank you for everything and see you soon,
José Antonio, Spain
(comment received July 13th, 2008)
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Hi team!
I am writing this e-mail to thank all of you who made our GGM-Kilimanjaro Climbing possible for this year 2008. I admit that it was a physically and mentally stressing exercise, but with our great determinations and cause for HIV/AIDS epidemic in Tanzania/Africa/Global, our feet and our hearts were alltogether strengthened and hardened to make the Uhuru peak a possibility!! Most of us made it to Uhuru peak!
I have never faced such a mentally and physically challenging exercise as Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, NEVER EVER BEFORE! I therefore pour out my sincere gratitudes to all the Companies, Friends, Climbers, Kili team Captains (Pj & Sean) & any one who in one way or another made our "trekking" to Uhuru peak possible.
I extend my gratitudes to Porters and Guides who were performing "Miracles" up there on the Mountain, to make our "trekking" a comfort, without their "alien" capabilities our trekking would be a day dream! "Pole pole....slowly slowly" we trekked to Uhuru Peak (5895 m) above sea level!
Again I say thank you and I appreciate!
Cheers,
Sadick Muhanga,
Tulawaka Gold Mine
(comment received June 28th, 2008)
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Hello, my name is Josh Forrester and I was there at the Springlands hotel to climb Kilimanjaro at the beginning of April 2008.
I wanted to thank you for a great experience on Kilimanjaro. My stay at the Springlands Hotel was wonderful and a great way to start off my African adventure. The entire staff was very friendly and accomodating. Nice clean rooms and really good food.
Sabi was an outstandind guide. He was super friendly and very knowledgable about the mountain. David cooked more food than I could eat, and I was pleasantly suprised at the good quality of food as well. My porters were Mr George, Chafi, Gidieon, George and Gabriel. They all did an amazing job for which I am very thankful. I chose the Machame route for 7 days.
I have some friends who are interested in doing the climb in the future as well. Sabi was such a great guide and had a top quality crew that I will make sure that my friends contact you and request Sabi for their guide.
Thanks again for a great adventure!
Josh
(comment received, June 10th).
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To Robert L. Minja (ZARA Safari guide)
Dear Robert,
Thank you for a wonderful safari together with you in February. We are now home in Denmark, and now the weather is like in Tanzania when we were there. We came home with 2.500 pictures, so I have been busy.
You can see some of the pictures by following this link: http://www.bredeole.dk
As soon as we will have enough money, we will visit you again! We often think back at the time with you.
Hakuna Matata
Birthe and Ole, Denmark
(comment received May 13th, 2008) |
We had a very, very good trip for almost 2 weeks (beginning of January) through the National Parks in the North. We had a lot of time in the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro and the Tarangire. And it was so amazing to stay there.
Thanks our two guys: Ramazan the cook and Hassan the guide and driver. We always had delicious food and a lot of fun during game-drive.
We will recommand Zara-Tours in any case! Next time we want to see the Selous-Park and will surely book at Zara.
Many greetings from Germany.
Sigrid and Karl
(comment received May 8th, 2008) |
I recently did the Kilimanjaro trek with ZaraTours. I have to say, that this trip was one of the hilights of my life. I admit, I wasn't sure what to expect - but I was challenged and inspired beyond anything I could have imagined. We had a great traveling group, and it was organized extremely well, start to finish. I can't say enough amazing things about the guides and the crew. They were absolutely great. I can honestly say, if it weren't for their help and encouragement, I'm not sure my trip to the summit would have been what it was! I was unbelievably determined, but it was very challenging indeed. They were patient and knowledgeable - and they didn't let us give up. One thing stuck out in my mind from a conversation I had with our guide Frankie. These guys have climbed over a 100 times - I said "Don't you ever get tired of doing this? Going up and down, taking care of all these people?!" and he said something to the effect of "This is YOUR dream to climb Kiliminjaro - you are here once. I am just doing my job, and my job is to make sure you make it to the top" For guys 'just doing their jobs' -- I think that they all went above and beyond - they treated us like we were the most important group they'd had. I know that everyone that was there would agree with me in saying that they were just great. If you travel with ZaraTours, all you have to do is get fit, show up with the right gear, have a positive attitude and a darn good dose of determination..... and they will take care of the rest!
Kitty
Toronto, ON
(comment received April 21st, 2008)
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We've had an outstanding trip to kilimanjaro and a great time in Tanzania!
Unfortunately we are back at work. But deep in our minds we are still on the top of africa at Uhuru Peak. Yes, we all did it to the top. And even without any problems. Not even headache or nausea. In my opinion this ist the credit of our guide who always goes "pole pole" :-) and the additional acclimatisation day has been a wise decision.
In the name of my wife Tanja, Carmen and Stefan I would like to thank you very much for organizing this trip so well, Debbie. Everything has been perfect. I would also like to thank you for giving us such high priority by choosing Joseph "Photo" as Guide. He told us about your communication to him in advance. :-) He did an outstanding job and managed the camp in a very professional manner.
But also Joel and Andrew, our two assistant guides, have done a great job. A special thanks goes to Hamit our cook and Karim our waiter. We have eaten like kings on the mountain. Every meal was a festival and Karim take care of everything, water in the morning, tea, crackers and biscuits and he built every day our tents. We didn't expected such a fantastic service and we appreciated it very very much.
And last but not least the porters. They have done an extremly hard and good job. The Umbwe-Route is very spectacular, but for the porters this route is really a big challenge. We were so sorry for them, that the have to carry all the weight on this steep route. They worked very hard for us and for that immense performance, they have our highest respect. Everyone have been so kind and considerated. We found some good friends on this seven days.
We will recommend your company and especially you, Debbie, and your Staff to all our friends and colleagues and will come back as soon as possible for the next trip. :-)
Many thanks and take care
René, Tanja, Carmen, Stefan
(comment received April 18th, 2008)
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Hi Zara!
At http://www.ihr-einkauf.at/index.php?page=artikel&id=228 you can find a detailled travel report about the Kili-Climb we did beginning of February with guide Kabila. The text is in German.
Regards from Vienna
Sana Brauner (Chief editor)
(comment received March 26th, 2008)
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Good Morning,
Just a short note of 'thanks' to the entire Zara team for helping to make my Kili trip one of the best experiences of my life!! I would especially like to thank John and Robert for truly taking the time to ensure that everyone within our group had a similar experience. We heard many horror stories from other travelers about their guides and porters, and how their lack of professionalism impacted their entire trip....John and Robert truly made the difference on our trip!! Please pass along my sincere appreciation to both of them.........
Sincerely,
Mike
(comment received March 26th, 2008)
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Jambo!
Today I saw a documentary on TV about a group who climbed the Kilimanjaro. It was nice to see! I realized again that I am still fascinated by the Kilimanjaro Climb! Myself I am very lucky that I had the possibility nearly half a year ago to experience an unforgettable Kili Climb with a beautiful sunrise at Uhuru Peak! With the great support of Yohana and his team I really enjoyed every day on the mountain and I had not expected to feel so good/healthy on my way up to the summit and down again! :-)
So I want to say again THANK YOU to all you friendly people at ZARA/Springlands Hotel for this unique experience! I don't hesitate to recommend you!
All the best!
Kwaheri
Kerstin, Germany
(comment received March 25th, 2008)
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Dear Sir or Madam,
we have had a wonderful safari with your company. Our driver Mister Abdulla was an excellent driver and guide on the safari. We have got on very well with him and can recommend him warmly. We say thanks for the wonderful days, Abdulla!
All together we have liked the trip very well and we would like to thank you.
The best greetings from Germany
Uwe und Katherina
(comment received March 20th, 2008)
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To the owner of Zara:
I wanted to let you know how extremely pleased we all were with our two guides on our trip up Kilimanjaro. We took the Rhongai Route and summited on February first. Our Guides were Saidi Ngaina and Mohamed Ngaina.
They were extremely well organized and looked after our every need. I am sure looking after such a large crew is very demanding.
I was extremely impressed on how they both kept an eye on our physical capabilities given that we were an older group. I told Mohammed many times I would not have made it to the top were it not for his help. Their friendly coaxing manner was particularly appreciated even when we faltered.
I would highly recommend them to any other group looking to climb Kilimanjaro and want to thank all of you for a great trip.
Regards
Ross, Canada
(comment received March 11th, 2008)
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Thank you all at Zara Tours, for a wonderful arranged climb to Kilimanjaro and safaris in Ngorogoro Crater National Park and Lake Manyara National Park in late January 2008.
We have taken some very nice pictures and would like to send some of them to our guides. Can I ask your help with the phone number and e-mail address of our Kilimanjaro guide Johnny and our safari guide Zamo?
Michael, Denmark
(comment received March 10th, 2008)
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We came back form our trip around Tanzania one week ago and would like to thank EWP and ZARA for organising it. Everything succeded and was according to the schedule. The country is beautiful and worth of visiting.
We are very satisified with ZARA service. All the crew in Springland was very kind and took special care upon us. Especially we would like to praise our guide from Kilimanjaro trekking Daniel D. Mlingi. Daniel and his team did their best to enable us to reach the peak and make our trip higly comfortable. We have to emphasize that the food we were served was amazing as for such height. Daniel is very kind, friendly and social man. He gave us lots of information about customs, culture and nature of Tanzania. We were very lucky to have him as our guide.
We have only one request. We were surprised that the local banks did not accept small heads US dollars issued before 2001. It would be higly recommened if such an information is passed to your future customers.
With best regards,
Magdalena and Mateusz, Poland
(comment received Feb. 22th, 2008)
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Just a quick note as I have now arrived back from Kilimanjaro with my son, we both got up to Uhuru Peak.
I wanted to say how very satisfied I was with all aspects of the trip, everything was carried out most efficiently, we had an excellent team with our guide Photo and his crew, they all worked very hard on our behalf. I would have no hesitation in recommending booking through EWP/Zara for this trip, we were very happy with everything and getting to the summit was a great plus!
If you have any potential Irish customers looking for a reference I would be delighted to talk to them.
Best regards,
David
David Ensor, Ireland
(comment received Feb. 10th, 2008)
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Good morning Zainab & Zara Tours,
We arrive last week to Barcelona (Spain) from Zanzibar and all our holidays has been wonderful. Both safari & diving in Pemba&Zanzibar.
We only want to congratulate your organization and all your personal team in our first part of trip (Safari Arusha-Moshi)
Also, nice to meet David (our guide-driver) for his responsability and great company in our 5 days. We have been very hapiness with him and spent so funny moments especially when we meet a very near Leopard (regards to him) !!!
Thank you for all and see you soon!
Pedro & Marta from Barcelona
(comment received Jan. 22nd, 2008)
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Our small group stayed at the Highview Hotel earlier in the week and had a wonderful time. After 2 days camping in the Serengeti and all the dust we all enjoyed being greeted with warm, moist towels to clean up with prior to check in. We loved the hike to the elephant caves with Joseph and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to have a more intimate experience of the countryside and the local people.
We also wanted to thank the hotel staff for letting my wife and I practice some of our ballroom dancing routine in the lounge area - we enjoyed the audience and the applause. You have a wonderful property and we will do all we can to promote it to our friends who might be headed to Tanzania.
Thank you again for the outstanding hospitality.
Kind regards,
Kip
Kip Koelsch
Wellness Adventure Coordinator
(comment received Dec. 4th, 2007)
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Of course, I can tell you how a life time memory we were able to get because of all Zara tours staff did for us!
Everyone we met made our experience a lot better than it could ever be!
Thank you very much and you can be assured that we (I and my sister) will have no hesitation in recommending Zara for a true Tanzania experience.
Ebba
(comment received Nov. 20th, 2007)
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I will never forget the hospitality I enjoyed with your company on my maiden trip to Tanzania last week.
I note the following:
* Yassin is an excellent staff and deserves all the support and promotion available from the management.
* Prosper is a very skillful giude and deserves support from the team in training him to supervisor-guide status so that he can start training other guides for Zara, also pay his tuition to improve his English that he so keen to learn. I respect him a lot and he is a fine gentleman!
* Kabari took me to Ngorongoro and I was amazed about his knowlege, skills and hospitality.
* Porters Frank and Makubuli where awesome
* Waiter Sylvian was fabulous
* Cook Alidi made sure I had good meals
I need u to know that because of you support, i managed to break a record as the first Nigerian-south african to summit kili!!!! Thanks again... I am definitely coming back!!!!
Chris Musah
(comment received Oct. 29th, 2007)
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Zara Tours,
We had a great trip with Zara Tours and are very pleased with our guides and the team for both the Kilimanjaro and safari excursion. Our guides where Wilson (Kilimanjaro) and Mombasa (safari), both very knowledgable and positive!
Best regards,
Jarle and Gry
(comment received Oct., 17, 2007)
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I had the pleasure of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro last September. Thanks to Zara tours, I had a wonderful time. I can't remember the name of my guide, but he did a GREAT job! If you can find out who he was, I would like to know and tell him again how wonderful my experience was. I recommend Zara to anyone interested in the trips you offer. I took the Rongai route and made it to Uhuru Peak. My climbing partner was Errill Avecilla. Thanks again!
Anthony
(comment received Oct., 14, 2007)
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Dear zara team, we have to say THANK YOU so much for the perfect safari. it was the best we ever did till now , we had so much fun and enjoyed it very much. special thanks to EMMANUEL our driver, please say also to him many thanks and all the best and we hope to hear from him, because we have a little present for the beautiful time we had with him.
Thank you once more,
Bernhard + Claudia Roither, AUSTRIA
(comment received Oct., 10, 2007)
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Just want to let you know we are back home from our Holiday in Tanzania. We had a great time and everything worked out perfectly...not one glitch!! Met the owner of Zara at Springlands and had a nice talk with her. Everyone at EWP and Zara made our adventure come true and we have a lifetime of memories...thanks to you and your good planning,
The personnel at Springlands and the teck guides and safari guide were outstanding and we felt every minute welcome and safe.
With best wishes,
Ingrid Knight,
Adele Grasee
Carolyn Horn
(comment received Oct., 10, 2007)
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Zara was wonderful and very professional. I would highly recommend this agency as well as the great guides. Thanks for a great trip!!!! Thanks also to Dickson, my trusty guide. I could have not made it without you.
David Davenport, Douglasville, Georgia
(comment received Oct., 5, 2007)
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The climb was amazing, the experience was awesome, Photo is by far the best guide on the entire mountain!!! Khamisi his Assistant guide was sensational also and we would have never made it if it were’nt for them. His whole crew that he chose on this trip was amazing from the cook, to the weighters to the porters - all brilliant and no problems whatsoever… Again, I cannot emphasise enough how great the service was from start to finish. We’re very happy and I will gladly recommend Zara in future for anyone wanting to do Kili :
Hani Al-Omari, Salim Al-Halabi, Mouhammed Choukeir, Kheiry Sammakieh, and Seif Sammakieh.
(comment received Oct., 3, 2007)
Comment: The 5 gentlemen are Lebanese bankers on a charitiy climb for the London based “Lebanon United” group, an organisation that raises money and promotes awareness on humanitarian and sustainable development initiatives in Lebanon. You can read the full story of their climb here. |
My friends and I just did the Marangu route with Zara. Emmanuel and his team were truly amazing. Daniel, the assistant guide made sure we all summited. Sabas, the waiter was a true example of someone who is excellent at his job. Emmanuel and his team made our trip so much more memorable than it would have been if they were not there. Their spirit, moral fortitude, strength of character and constant positive attitudes and encouragement was truly uplifting. I
commend them all highly.
Jelly , Mark and Dessie from Ireland.
(comment received Sept., 23, 2007)
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Jambo to all @ Zara,
We've just got back to the UK after spending time with Zara on 'Kili' and on safari. Our thanks to everyone at Zara (and that is everyone - Jamal and the rest of the team @ Springlands, the people @ Highview and the guides and porters, the lady in the office {whose name I can't remember} @ Springlands who sorted out our flights to Zanzibar for us) for making it such a wonderful holiday and a truly memorable experience. The attention to detail that is given, ensures little is left to chance.
I did the 7 day Machame route and whilst Chombo was in the main, busy with a larger party, Mzui looked after me fantastically well. And to stand at the top was just such a thrill for which much credit must go to Chombo and the rest of his team.
At the very start, my bag failed to make the flight and didn't catch up with me until 6 days later when someone very kindly brought it all the way up from Springlands to our camp. What an effort – but representative of the way I felt that Zara treated its clients.
And if that was good, then Massawe on the Safari excelled. He was knowledgeable on where to look for the animals and considerate as to our needs and he was a joy to be with and provided us with a fantastic five days. A superb time with many happy memories.
Asante sana ( I hope I've spealt that correctly) to everyone @ Zara
Martyn & Jan
WALES!
Martyn Thomas
Wales
(comment received Sept. 22, 2007)
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Zara is a really excellent choice for a Kilimanjaro climb or Safari. Everything was very well organized, from pickup at the airport to the stay at the hotel to the climb and safari. The Springlands Hotel is definitely an excellent place to stay before the climb and between the climb and the safari. Milton my guide was the secret of my success in summitting. Although I did the physical part, his trail instruction and strategy allowed an older (62) but fit person such as myself to succeed. We started early the final night and he fit his pace to my needs. We summited at the same time as the others. There were no older hikers at Uhuru point that morning. I am from Ohio USA, so I had little experience at high altitude. Milton knew exactly what to tell me to do during the first few days to make up for my lack of trail experience. He was very very good.
E. Quinn
Ohio USA
(Machame Route - Safari Package #1 - August 19, 2007)
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The Kili climb portion of my trip far exceeded my expectations, with excellent service provided by my guide, Eliawoni Mtui, assistant guide, Stephen Ruwaichi Mtui, cook, Fretien, and the rest of our group. I would highly recommend Elia, Stephen, Fretien and the rest of the group put together by Elia to anyone considering a climb with Zara tours. Simply put, Elia and Stephen were superb guides and Fretien was an excellent cook. Because of their efforts, my climb was a wonderful experience. Please pass along my sincere thank you to Elia, Stephen, Fretien and the rest of the group.
I would also like to note that the staff at the Springlands hotel provided excellent service, in particular the reception staff and Neema from the dining staff. The hotel accommodations and service also exceeded my expectations.
Thank you.
Regards,
Kirsten, from Vancouver Canada
(Rongai Route - Feb. 18 to 24, 2007) and Safari (Feb. 25 to Mar 1, 2007).
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I am very appreciative of everyone at Zara Tours and especially yourself for all the arrangements that made my trip to Kilimanjaro and Serengati Safari a memorable one. You guys had to do a lot in order to made my trip to Tanzania and Kenya a memorable one. If I come across anyone who wishes to explore those countries, I will highly recommend you and Zara Tours to them.
My very best regards to all of you at Zara Tours!
Jan.16/2007
My best Regards!
Mostafa A.
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My girlfriend and I recently climbed the Machame Route. We felt that it was important to give some of our feedback to you on the trip, our guide, porters, and experience as a whole.
Client name: David Hill and Lynette Bell
Guides name: Milton Mtui
Agent: Destination Africa
Dates: 1 June 2006 to 6 June 2006
General comments: I would like to highly commend Milton (guide), Lamec (assistant guide) and the rest of the porters for a job well done. Everything that was done by their team was nothing short of exceptional and my girlfriend and high only have praise for them. In particular:
- The food was tasty, diverse, always hot, always on time, and always served with the biggest smile. My girlfriend, being vegetarian, was particularly impressed with the special catering that was done for her. The food and service was far superior to that provided by Springlands.
- Technical knowledge of the mountain: Milton and Lamec planned everything to perfection. The pace of the walk, rest breaks, ascent and descent time were all perfect. Milton’s methodical approach to the route seemed far superior to that of other guides we saw. This showed, especially on the final ascent. At no time did we feel that our safety and security were being jeopardised. In addition, the interesting facts and figures provided about the mountain, fauna, and flora were appreciated.
- Porters: All the porters carried packs quickly and without any fuss. There was always a friendly smile waiting when we got to camp.
- Sleeping and eating facilities were excellent and always ready prior to our arrival at camp.
We can truly say that Milton and his team made the experience even more special than what it is. We have recommended the use of Zara again, and if at all possible, specifically recommend the use of Milton and his team (depending on their availability) to our friends when they climb in 2007 and 2008. We would appreciate it if you could pass our comments and praise on to Milton and the respective porters. They truly are an asset to your company.
Kind regards
David Hill
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I just wanted to send a note of thanks to Bruce and the team for leading the trip up Kilimanjaro last week. It was a truly fantastic experience - particularly want to thank Bruce, Jeremiah, and Farajah - we felt very safe and very much supported by them and team. A great week.
Bridget A Bentley
Summitted February 20, 2006
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I would like to thank you and Zara for the very good organisation of the Kilimanjaro climb and the safari. Everything was perfect and we had a very good time! The guides, the porters, the people at Springlands hotel - everybody was really nice to us!! You can count on us to make a lot of good publicity for Zara among our friends who intend to go to Tanzania. Once again thank you very much for everything.
Nicole and Pascal S.
Switzerland
Marangu Route
Summitted October 9, 2004
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We’re just back from the [Machame] trek and all 7 of us made it to the top which was great. Our guides Masoud, Ali & Adam were exceptional, along with all the porter staff. We were all really glad we choose to do the route over 7 days. I think this was one of the main reasons why we all made it to the summit. It relly helps with the acclimatization. Also if the trek is done over 6 days it makes for a very long 5th day, which we were able to divide over two days. We finished up the 3-day [Mt. Meru] trek here which was also fantastic. We got to experience 3 different national parks all with their own character which was great. The wildlife was abundant and the guide James was excellent. Very informative and helpful. I’d highly recommend your service. Thanks again.
Fergal C.
Seattle, Washington
Machame Route
Summitted October 11, 2004
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I just wanted to let you know that we had an absolutely brilliant trip. Zara and the staff at Springlands were fantastic. It was really well-organised and professional and our guides and porters on the Kili trek were amazing (and all three of us made it to Uhuru!). I’ve already recommended Zara to a friend, Katherine, who has also now booked her safari and trek. Thank you very much for all your help. I would definitely recommend the Rongai Route to others, particularly with the extra day because it allows you to see the mountain from so many angles, including Mawenzi. I don’t think you get to see Mawenzi so close on any other routes, which I think is a shame. It’s also nice to walk along a barely used track, rather than the proper paths that you get on the marangu route (although I was surprised at how pretty the Marangu Route was when we came down it). Four days was about right for the safari. I suppose there was quite a lot of driving, particularly on the last day, but it was definitely worth it. I would highly recommend going to Ngorongoro Crater in particular. We were very impressed with the standard of the accommodation and the food at all three [standard] lodges - and the views were amazing.
Laura C.
London, England
Rongai Route
Summitted September 6, 2004
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Thought I would give you a brief report. The arrangements you made were all perfect and worked spendidly. Our group of 6 all made it to Uhuru. Zara operates very efficiently. I would be glad to serve as a reference for you in the future.
All the best,
Jay C.
Washington D.C.
Machame Route
Summitted August 10, 2004
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JAMBO! ASANTE SANA! Thank you for the good organisation of your travel agency and for your nice ,welcoming, smiling and competent people in Springlands Hotel and during the climb on the Rongai trail. My trip on the Roof of Africa was a success. That was a dream for me, and you helped me to realize it. That will be an unforgettable day and a wonderful first travel for me.
Fabienne
Club Alpin Francais
Rongai Route
Summitted July 29, 2004
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Back from Tanzania! The trip was great, I really had a good time enjoying it all. I surely recommend the Machmae route, for those who are looking for something more challenging, and of course the reward is also there in the end: you feel like you really deserve the beatifull sun rise. The guides, the friendly personnel, Kibo (that was tough, but I did it, the Machame route), Zanzibar (great diving!!), I will keep the best memories of it, and of course, will recomend!!
Miguel G.
Portugal
Machame Route
Summitted July 19, 2004
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I just wanted to express my appreciation for the trip of a lifetime. My husband, brother, and myself summitted Uhuru Peak on July 17th, 2004, at about 8:15 a.m. Our guides Frankie and Rumesha (Rumy) were the absolute best. They are wonderful young men - funny, strong and patient. I would urge anybody to ask for them by name. Richard was an excellent cook, Costa helped us a lot with everything, and the porters were fantastic. I appreciate the recommendation for the Rongai route - it was very interesting and the pace was just fine. I would absolutely recommend the Rongai route to others. Here’s why: the van ride there was fascinating - long and bumpy but an opportunity to see a part of Africa near the Kenyan border (the banana markets!) than we wouldn’t see any other way. The actual hike - the days leading up to Kibo Hut, was pretty easy. All three of us felt the extra day was critical to our success; we had the chance to acclimate comfortably. I had trouble with altitude on day 3 but had time to recover and still summitted Uhuru Peak. The ascent from Kibo Hut is probably hard no matter what route you took to get there, so it’s better if you aren’t as fatigued because you need every ounce of energy for the final push. I’m also quite certain Rongai was less crowded, which was a real plus, and we still got to walk down the main route and see all the plants and climate changes on the Marangu side. Once I saw the huts, by the way, I was very happy with my tent camping. After a day of rest we did a four day safari. Our driver/guide was Hamzaa, and he was great. knows all of the animals everywhere - I was amazed at the depth of his knowledge. He also has incredible eyesight and an uncanny sense of what’s going on with the animals. He knows the Serengeti thoroughly and we were able to see everything we wanted to see. The safari in 4 days was fine for me - my husband would have been happy with three days but I loved all four. Hamzaa was such a great guide, I never got bored with it. I liked the permanent tented camps, but I also thought the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge was one of the neatest places I’ve ever stayed. The view was breathtaking and the lodge itself very nice. I think I was so tired after the mountain camping that I liked the lodge setting as contrast. We felt well cared-for at the Springlands Hotel. Zainab, Remmy, Patience, Immanuel, and especially Laurence made all our time there wonderful. I really was incredibly impressed with Zara Travel and consider my stay in Africa the trip of a lifetime. I would wholeheartedly recommend Zara to anybody who wants to see Tanzania.
Katherine F.
California
Rongai Route
Summitted July 17, 2004
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Had a wonderful time!!! Just wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful experience with all the accomodations, trip, and people at the Springlands Hotel!! All whom we met were gracious, patient and very welcoming!! Patience and Remmy and Lawrence were exceptional! We were delighted with the care we received on both trips! Kareem took exceptional care of us on the trek and we didn’t expect the bowl of warm water for cleaning up after our trek and every am. Just the little touches were lovely. We never expected that we would be soooo dirty during the trek and safari....that is something to let people know....our little washups we took just took off the first layer of dirt....we got used to it...We also took alot of baggies to take out all the tissues etc. that we used...I don’t remember that that was mentioned at our orientation for the trek...but would encourage Zara to ask everyone to trek out their toilet paper etc. Of course, Kareem and the guys carried all our recycleables out for us. I made it almost up to Stella Point then decided I didn’t have the energy to go all the way...could have probably if I had eaten more and warmed up a dash..next time! Geri and Photo made it all the way and I am delighted for them!! Geri took Diamox all the way and I just took 120 mg. of Ginko daily and had no problems with the altitude other than a slight headache twice...could have been from sleeping crooked too? Geri had some side effects of tingleing fingers and little naseau feeling. For those who haven’t had any problems with altitude in the past I would rec. the Ginko. The research I read didn’t know why it worked but it must have helped me... The safari was also a trip of a lifetime! It was actually very nice to just have the two of us as we had lots of space on the rover...touring the parks and viewing animal unencombered by many others. The lodges were great...especially the Seronera on the Serengeti!! and we did like the Lake Manyara lodge too. The Ngorongoro Lodge was cool and didn’t have the ambiance of the Seronera but it was fine. Our guide Mzava was knowledgeable about the animals, where to look etc. and he was an excellent driver! The drive up out of the crater was scary and we didn’t have any warning...might me helpful to let people know what they are in for... Thanks for answering all our emails with our questions!
Barbara M.
Wisconsin
Rongai Route
Summitted July 7, 2004
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Just a quick note to thank you and your people for making my Mt. Kilimanjaro climb such a rewarding adventure. The hospitality of all the people at Springlands really made our before and after days a relaxing experience. Special thanks to Remy, Patience, and the magic hands of Janice [the massage therapist]. I will be sure to recommend Zara to friends who plan on climbing, and I might even see you again someday. With kindest regards,
Karen
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Just to say that everything was okay. Finally, we climbed 5 of us to the summit. We had Bryson and Regynald as guides, and they made an excellent job taking us to the summit, explaining flora, animals, all about the route, and answering any questions that we had. They were just great. In the safari all was really good, and we had very nice moments and saw all the possible animals there.
J. Gomez
Spain
Rongai Route
Summitted March 15, 2004
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I wanted to say thanks for all of your help on our recent trip to Kilimanjaro and Ngorongoro Crater. It was a good trip and we got 6 of the 8 to the top. I appreciated all of your help, and I was happy with the Springlands Hotel, Zara Travel, and the guides.
Darsie Culbeck
Alaska Mountain Guides International Inc.
Machame Route - Summitted March 1, 2004
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First the Springlands Hotel was a very good choice for the day before and after the trip. It was exactly where I wanted to stay. Your information at your homepage gaves me a good forecast. That’s why my expectations where full achieved. Second our guide was Mr. Dickson Elirehema from Marangu. I wonder that I couldn’t found any information at your homepage about him. I think he is worth it. Dickson was sometimes a quiet man but he has choosen a very good and professional team to support the five guests in our group. It seems he has a high level of knowledge of human nature. Because of the different characters of the guests Dickson tried always to find a balance between the different interests in the group. While the members of our group had a rest in their tents after our walks Dickson did his work in the backround. He did his responsible decisions in connection with the healthy situation of the guests, the variable weather conditions and the given time frame. I personally was very impressed about the professional solution he made in a very short time to save the health of one Danish member of our group. Dickson as the first guide, Milton and Simon as the second guide worked really as a professional team. Of course they did their job, but they did it very well. You can be glad to have such men under contract. Thank you for organizing the Kilimanjaro trip just in the way I expected. If anyone of my friends will go to Kilimanjaro I will advise them to go with Zara.
Ralf
Berlin
Germany
Machame Route
Summitted February 29, 2004
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I wanted to thank Zara for an increadible trip that was far more than my father and I expected. Our guide Felix and his crew on Kilimanjaro payed extreme attention to detail resulting in a great trip that was far from roughing it. They left nothing to be desired. Godfrey and his crew on the safari did an equally great job. The hotel was very comfortable with an exceptional staff. Thanks again for a great trip and I look forward to returning soon.
Chris F.
Estes Park, CO
Machame Route
Summited February 2, 2004
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Returned Saturday, February 7, 2004 from the 6-day Marangu Trip and a 2-day Safari. I just wanted to say thank you for your help, and to let you know we (my son and I) had a great time! Unfortunately my son came down with altitude sickness at the Kibo Hut, but I was able to reach Uhuru Peak. I’d also like to give special praise to our guide, Richard and the assistant guide, his brother Dennis. Because of them and the porters, the trip went as smoothly as possible -- and I was able to summit. Our expectations were exceeded at every instance. I wish I could remember the driver’s name who took us on Safari, he also went beyond the expected level of helpfulness. Again, thanks for everything. I will recommend Zara to anyone who is looking for guide/travel service in Kilimanjaro.
Asanate Sana,
Bruce B.
New Jersey
Marangu Route
Summitted February 5, 2004
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We just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that three out of our four party team made it to Uhuru Peak on Mt. Kilimanjaro. We couldn’t have done it without the encouragement of ?ole pole?from our guide, Makupa, and his assistant guides, Yohana and Ngowi. They, and the porters, also watched over our one party member who had to remain at Kibo Hut. Accommodations along the route were fine. The Springlands Hotel was an excellent base for us. We also really enjoyed the two days on safari to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. Thanks to all at Zara Tanzanian Adventures!
Best regards,
Doug & Shannon F.
Kuwait
Marangu Route
Summitted February 4, 2004
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First of all my appreciations to the organisation, the hotel and the guides: all are a proof that the outfitter I had choosen out of the many on the web was indeed a reliable company and the price paid for it more than justified. The first comments on Zara were heard in Arusha; off the Davanu shuttle the usual pack of local outfitters, who hearing that we were climbing with Zara all confirmed: "good, very good". Our guides were Bonny (Bonaventura) and Gabriel, very good guys. We had an extra day on the mountain which we used to climb Mawenzi following the North Western Ridge all the way to the top. We slept 2 nights next to the Mawenzi hut, nobody but us on site. Success rate to Mawenzi and Uhuru Peak was 4 out of 5, one of my friends had to go down earlier following the nights at Mawenzi hut because of mountain sickness. The ascent to Uhuru peak was quick, we left Kibo hut at 1.00am and at 6.20 we where at the top, luckily no wind though cloudy, but the sunrise between the two layers of clouds over Mawenzi was superb! To end, Rongai route is a very good choice, recommendable for the great views of Kibo and Mawenzi.
Dario D.
Italy
Rongai Route
Summitted January 30, 2004
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We had a wonderful experience highlighted by our successful attempt to reach the summit. Our Kili trip started out a bit rough, as our bags did not arrive with us from Mombassa; however, Zara was extremely helpful and instrumental in locating our baggage. We were very happy with our guide, August, and the selected porters for our trip. In fact, I completely credit August with keeping our spirits high and assisting us to the summit.
Bill D.
Chicago, Illinois
Machame Route
January 2004
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I just wanted you to know that I had a fantastic trip to Kilimanjaro as was lucky enough to summit Kibo via the Machame route Jan 5, 2004. It was sunrise on Kibo...the sun came up when we were about 500M from the sign. We had the summit mostly to ourselves and what a wonderful view we had! It was a magnificent trip...everyone I met was helpful and the spirit of the crew was outstanding. You might remember that I asked you before the trip how many people might be on my route with Zara and you thought quite a few as it was a popular time. As it turned out it was just me! I had a team of 5 plus me but you know it was great having all the attention! I met quite a few others from other outfits on the trail and at the camps...a few real adventurous groups that were fun to be with. All in all an excellent trip and a very unique exciting part of the world. I am anxious to do it again! The Springlands hotel was terrific and my guide, Godlisten, did a superb job on the trail. I am even thinking about a return trip...perhaps up the Western Breach. I want to thank you for your help as well.I would highly recommend you and ZARA for anyone wishing to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro! Thanks again!
Bruce N.
Ontario
Canada
7-day Machame Route
Summitted January 5, 2004
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