IntoAfrica - Ecotourism and Ecotravel in Africa, Trekking and Wildlife Safaris

To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2008 1:07 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Donna & Chris
We’re home now and back at work (booo!) – and as predicted, the weather is dreadful. I do miss Tanzania!

I just wanted to write a quick note to pass on my thanks for a truly wonderful holiday – we have so many fond memories of our wonderful experiences that will stay with us forever. It was such a privilege to visit Ilkurot and your home and be welcomed in so warmly. Thanks so much for all your help and advice and for making this the trip of our lifetimes (...well, certainly until our year out honeymoon!!)

Please also pass on our thanks to everyone who we met – they were all fab.

We’ll send over the pics from Ilkurot when we’ve developed them, and I’d love to see if I can set up a link between my primary school in Hackney with your primary school if you’re still up for that?

All the best

Angi,
London, UK

From: Marie Lenstrup
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 1:27 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Yes, we are just back from safari and Zanzibar, and had a wonderful time. Despite our worries, Jon's health held up well to the various physical challenges, and your team were really helpful and thoughtful (providing a comfy chair, thicker mattress, extra pillows - and being endlessly patient).

We saw absolutely all the animals that we could hope for - the big five, and the small and medium-sized multitude. Your guides were quick to pick up on any special interests, and Henry in particular was very knowledgeable and a great spotter. One of the reasons we chose to go with IntoAfrica was the cultural element, and we really enjoyed getting a good idea of how ordinary people live, work and learn.

We also really appreciate your help in arranging our week in Zanzibar. Everything went smoothly there, with flights and transfers and hotel. I think the kitchen at Palm Beach may have deteriorated a bit sine you were there, but the location was just amazing, the atmosphere was great, and there was interesting food to be had elsewhere in the village.

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----- Original Message -----
From: Carol Thomas
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 5:36 AM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,
Sorry it has taken me awhile to respond to this message.

My daughters and I had a wonderful time in Tanzania. Your staff was truly outstanding. We would especially like to credit the leadership of Dennis, and the special knowledge and understanding he brought to the cultural part of the program, and that Will brought to the safari.

When I had asked in an e-mail if there was something we could bring, you had told us about the need for desks in the school your company helps to sponsor. So we were prepared and willing to give some money for desks. Then when we arrived at the school, and there were students to greet us - and then the desks came for us to see, it was so very evident that the money we had given was being put to good use.

Our sightings of animals was unforgetable, and sleeping in a tent to the sounds of zebras, wildebeasts and lions was an incredible experience. The the cultural part of the program was equally memorable and we thought it was well planned and executed.

We will certainly recommend IntoAfrica to anyone who is interested in going to Tanzania.

Thank you,

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----- Original Message -----
From: Machelle Burroughs
To: contact@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2007 7:33 AM
Subject: Wow!

I have traveled all around the world; alone. I was apprehensive going on a "tour", but I want to share something with you....

I have been home for 3 weeks and I feel so far away from who I met, what I experienced, and what I learned. It is almost a homesick feeling.

I tell my friends and clients that I don't think I will ever go on another safari because EVERYTHING, on every level, from the traveling companions, the incredibly professional staff, the safari itself with "our" guides knowledge and their keen eyesight for spotting animals, the cultural part with the children that we taught to sing "Row,, row your boat" walking with the Maasai women to market, and yes even the mouse in the backpack and the wild pigs at our tents, with the wildebeests braying "yes..no" all night . EVERYTHING! was far above and beyond my wildest expectations!

At the end of all of those days I sit at my computer and laugh at myself at how "CHEESY KAMAN DEEZIE" this sounds but the best thing I discovered in Tanzania....was me.

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----- Original Message -----
From: Roy Hohn
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 11:38 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,
Life has been hectic since we returned. It's nice to have a few boring days in a row. Africa seems so far away. Our trip with Into Africa was wonderful. I believe that we were fortunate to find you. Not only did we have amazing and close encounters with wildlife in unique and beautiful settings, but we experienced the culture and the people (particularly the Maasai) in a caring and non-threatening way that would have been impossible for us to duplicate on our own or even with other safari companies that we considered. From the moment Rose and Athman picked us up at the airport until they returned us 10 days later, Into Africa took good care of us and Rose made sure that everything went smoothly. She took Arlene to a doctor (for an infection in her finger). She spoke to our cook when I mentioned that I did not care for a lot of fried food. She tried to solve problems before they occurred. I don't know what to tell you to improve. We received such individual attention (a guide, a driver and a cook for the three of us!) that we felt spoiled. Ludger is an excellent cook. We couldn't believe that he figured out a way to make pizza. Athman was an amazing driver. He maneuvered the vehicle skillfully and safely over even the most challenging terrain. Henry's fluency and facility with people made it obvious why you had chosen him as a guide. We laughed a lot, especially Henry. It was so much fun. The cultural tours in Mto wa Mbu and Longido were priceless. Henry, and the local guides Raja and Rogati, walked us into people's lives and we were able to see and learn how people lived. We know that aspects were altered by our presence, but we experienced little begging and all of your staff made us feel so comfortable. The Maasai market and bomas were fascinating. Arlene and I are retired teachers. We enjoyed visiting the schools and meeting the students and their teachers. Soon I hope to send copies of some of the 1300 photos I took on our trip.

Thank you for this unforgettable experience. We felt sad to say goodbye to your staff, whom we'd known for only a week or so. Thank you also for your recommendation of the Palm Beach Inn on Zanzibar. We had a wonderful time there too. It seems possible that our daughter's marriage (to a Kenyan) will bring us back to Africa. We would not hesitate to arrange another safari with you. We would be happy to serve as a referee and recommend Into Africa to any prospective travelers. Please feel free to use these comments however you wish.

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----- Original Message -----
From: Lee Astheimer
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Thursday, November, 01, 2006 10:02 PM
Subject: Re: Tanzania feedback

Dear Chris,
We actually only returned from Africa 2 days ago as we stayed for a conference after our IntoAfrica trip.

Our IntoAfrica experiences (Kilimanjaro & Tanzania safari) were truly exceptional, in large part due to the amazing personnel on your team. This included everyone -- guides, drivers, porters, cooks, waiters etc.--who all did their respective jobs very well, but more importantly added good humour, and their own experiences, personalitites and commitment to the group. All, in their own ways, gave us a wonderful impression of Tanzanians and made us feel welcomed in their beautiful country. Oddly enough, it will be these interactions with Dennis, Julius, Oforo, Godbless, Mr Wilson, Gabrielli, and many others, that will stick in our memories even more than Uhuru at dawn, the leopard kill, the 160 bird species, mating lions and ostriches etc.... Without waxing on for pages, the other part of the trip that we enjoyed much more than expected were the cultural visits at MtoWa Mbu and with the Masai at Longido; we learned and felt so much more about these communities after these interactions.

Although Marina, our 14 y old daughter, didn't make Kilimanjaro's summit due to altitude sickness (got to 4600m though), she fell in love with Africa. She was constantly surrounded by children whereever we went; we were seriously offered 20 cattle for her by a Masai man at the Masai market (maybe too much banana beer); she learned a bit of kiswahili; she befriended Mr Wilson in Arusha; she took superb photos everywhere she went; haggled over the price of masai blankets and ate more fruit than she ever has in her life. And now that she is home, and I hear her describe the trip to her friends, I can see that this was a life-changing experence for her.

For myself, the defining image of the trip was about 2 AM on a clear, very cold, windy night, the full moon setting, familiar constellations on the horizon, the sound of Julius' voice drifting past singing in swahili, Godfrey in front of me setting the slow pace; Godbless behind me, grabbing my shoulders periodically when my feet slip on the gravel; walking, in a trance, ever upward, pole pole, time has stopped.

We would be delighted to recommend IntoAfrica to anyone, to serve as contacts for potential travelers etc. We wish you and your team all the best in the future--especially on the US promotion trip-- and thank you for a fabulous and very memorable experience.

Finally, a personal thanks to you, Chris, for your attention, prompt responses and practical good advice in our correspondences!
All the best,
Lee

Lee Astheimer, New South Wales, Australia

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----- Original Message -----
From: Carol Thomas
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 5:36 AM
Subject: Re: feedback

My daughters and I had a wonderful time in Tanzania. Your staff was truly outstanding. We would especially like to credit the leadership of Dennis, and the special knowledge and understanding that Henri brought to the cultural part of the program, and that Will brought to the safari.

Our sightings of animals was unforgetable, and sleeping in a tent to the sounds of zebras, wildebeasts and lions was an incredible experience. The the cultural part of the program was equally memorable and we thought it was well planned and executed. We will certainly recommend IntoAfrica to anyone who is interested in going to Tanzania.

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----- Original Message -----
From: Charlie Longhurst
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: Tanzania feedback

Hi Chris
I would be delighted to give my feedback. I am actually still in Tanzania and will be sad to leave in 10 days when I fly home to the UK.

The Safari was more than I imagined it was going to be. The combination of wildlife and the cultural programme really worked for me. I was very lucky in the group that I joined - we were 3 very different dynamics from 3 different countries and it just clicked between us. From the start the IntoAfrica team were so welcoming and helpful. The guesthouse was really special and the food was amazing.

The team of 4 who took us on Safari were excellent - they worked really well together and made sure we had the best time possible. The rains finally arrived as we were in the Serengeti and despite 1 damp night in the tents the team managed the situation well and it did not spoil a thing.

No-one can prepare you for the magic of seeing the animals we read about in books as children as they walk across the open plains. Our guide, David, is a real asset to IntoAfrica. His knowledge of animals large and small is extensive and he managed the each day to meet our needs as well as guide us onto things we didn't expect without hurry and without over-promising. It was perfectly managed and I know I chose the right company as soon as we set off.

I will be happy to recommend IntoAfrica to friends and have already given the name to some NGO's based in Tanzania. You can also use any quotes you like and I would be a referee for future clients. I am rushing this as power is about to go so maybe I can mail you a concise quote for you to use in a few days.

On a different note, has Ame spoken to you about receiving a package of donated clothes? I think the plan is to send them to you in the UK. I will call Ame and check the plan and get back to you. I will also find out approximately how big the package will be.

All the best. Thanks for your advice leading up to the trip - it was great.

Charlie.
UK

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----- Original Message -----
From: Ros Stow
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 12:51 AM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris
Here's some feedback you requested on the Tanzania explorer trip I came on in January 2006. Please feel free to post it on your website and I'm more than happy to be contacted by prospective travellers.
I've been thinking hard but haven't managed to fault the trip at all - the team (David as Guide, Athman as driver and John as cook) were fantastic. David was a mine of information on all the wildlife - there wasn't a bird or animal that he didn't know or a question we had that he couldn't answer - and he was very attentive to all our needs. We liked it that he sat with us at meal times which didn't seem to happen with many of the other companies we encountered at the campsites. Athman had eyes like a hawk and could spot the slightest hint of a big cat and even a grey python slithering over a grey rock some distance away - also he was happy to stop the vehicle wherever we wanted to and for as long as we liked.

Still don't know how John managed to produce the meals he did - especially those amazing soups and, just as I was craving something crunchy, a lunch of chicken, chips and freshly made coleslaw. There were times after the long hot drives when we felt a bit jaded but within minutes of arriving at a camp, John would come round with bowls of warm water to wash in and we were soon restored>

My favourite campsite was the 'IntoAfrica' only bush camp outside Longido. We had a magical night there with just us and our local Maasai guides around the camp fire. I was vaguely disappointed not to hear any big cats roaring near any of our campgrounds at night - the nearest we got to nocturnal activity was a couple of zebras munching grass around our tent at the Ngorongoro campsite - however, I really hadn't expected to see so many big cats around during the day. We were lucky enough to sight leopards in trees on 3 occasions, and a cheetah mum and 3 cubs who sat and posed for us on a termite mound, and many, many lions. This is of course in addition to the zebra, wildebeest, antelope, hippo, rhino, elephant, giraffe, hyena .... the list could go on, nor forgetting the fabulous birds. I'm a bit sorry that I didn't have a bigger lens on my camera - 300ml would have been fantastic, but I was really glad to have some binoculars (and would recommend at least 10x).

This leaves me with the 'cultural' side of the trip. It wouldn't have felt right to me to come to Tanzania and not get a real insight into how local people really live. Prior to the safari I had spent a week climbing Kilimanjaro - a great experience but it's a bit of a tourist bubble there as are the national parks. Our tours around the back alleys of Mto wa Mbu and Longido really redressed the balance. Especially visiting the schools - and seeing that Into Africa really is putting its ethics into practice by building some new classrooms, and the Maasai market where we feasted on roast goat and sipped gingerly at meat stew and banana beer.

I was a bit ashamed of myself that I'd not taken the time to learn more Swahili before coming - of course our team and the local guides all spoke good English but it would have been good to have been able to speak directly to more of the local people. I'll try to make amends next time - I've got my eye on the 5 day walking safari in the Maasai Mara that you mentioned ....
Until then, thanks again for a fantastic trip.
Regards
Ros Stow,
Brighton,
UK
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----- Original Message -----
From: Jeff & Erin Fitzpatrick-Bjorn
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 7:02 AM
Subject: Re: feedback

Chris,
We are definitely back home now. Africa seems pretty far away, all right. We apologize for the delay in responding to your e-mail. Rest assured that it bears no reflection on our satisfaction with the IntoAfrica trip, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Aside from the amazing animals we saw, the best part of our tour was the friendliness, helpfulness, and professionalism of all the IntoAfrica staff: guides, drivers, cooks, and guest house staff. Dennis "The Menace" Lyamuya (aka the Retired Maasai Warrior), our lead guide, was fabulous, and "Just" John was a capable assistant. Dennis was personable, knowledgeable, friendly, organized (a real plus for our rag-tag group), fun, and funny. He shared many stories about Tanzanian culture and about Chagga traditions. His English (despite his assertions to the contrary) was fantastic. We thoroughly enjoyed his nightly proclamation: "And now I would like to tell you the program of tomorrow." ;)

Ibrahim, our driver, was hilarious and perfect for us as he was also an avid birdwatcher. He spotted many species that we would've missed, and his bird book got nearly as much use as ours did. Be sure to ask him about the mating rhinos we "saw" in the Serengeti.

Also, the "camping" was much easier than traditional tent camping. Since staff set up & took down tents, cooked meals, etc. it was very easy "camping." The meals were plentiful and amazingly good, but snacks were a great way to make new friends on the game drives. Mornings were quite cool, and Ngorongoro was cold, so we'd recommend bringing a warm hat and fleece jacket.

Also it was clear that local people were benefiting from our trip. All of our drivers, cooks, guides, and guest house staff were locals. This benefited us as well, as we were able to interact with Africans rather than European or American staff. One night of our tour was spent at a Maasai village, interacting with warriors and villagers. The crafts we purchased directly from the Maasai women enabled them to have money to use in their households. Other than the fuel used by the vehicles, our environmental footprint seemed to be fairly small.

Our suggestions would be minor improvements, but would add to the experience, at least for some travellers:

-Provide a map of Tanzania showing the tour route and other landmarks. We brought our own Michelin map, but weren't always sure of our location (especially in Serengeti National Park).

-ATM cards are better than travellers cheques. We found the latter to be almost useless.

-Improve your website. (I'd be happy to let you use some of my photos if you want as long as you give me credit.

We really loved this trip: the animals, the people, the places, everything. It was awesome and we were so lucky to have had such a great experience with your company. We will definitely recommend you to our friends or anyone we hear about who's traveling to Africa. And hopefully someday we can come back and do the Kenya trip because I really want to do that (and one more little suggestion would be to get rid of those malaria carrying mosquitos...).

Thanks again for a great trip!

Erin and Jeff Fitzpatrick-Bjorn
Portland, Oregon, USA

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----- Original Message -----
From: Catherine.Thornley
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 9:36 AM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris

Unfortunately we arrived home yesterday, cold weather, dark nights and of course that four letter word - work! We had a fantastic time in Tanzania and would thoroughly recommend the trip to anyone.

As far as we were concerned it was an especially good time of year to make the trip, warm weather with very little rain, not too many tourists and no mosquitoes. The safari was exceptionally well organised, staff were informative and very helpful. We saw an abundance and variety of wildlife that we could only imagine. The cultural aspects were fascinating especially the tour around the village. Our stay at the guesthouse before and after the safari made for an easy hassle free start to our trip in Tanzania, accommodation was very comfortable and food exceptional.

We would be happy for you to use our comments on the website or indeed act as a referee.

Thanks for everything
Regards
Catherine and Dave

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----- Original Message -----
From: Sarah Pownall
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2005 10:40 AM
Subject: RE: feedback

Dear Chris
We would be delighted to give you some feedback for your website, especially as the holiday was such a success.
The safari exceeded all our expectations - it was well thought out with the itinerary very well put together. For us it was a perfect balance between time spent in the parks to view the animals with a welcome change part way through the trip to immerse ourselves in the culture of Tanzania. The itinerary was packed full but never exhausitng but what made the trip so special and differentiated it possibly from other tours we could have done was the welcome, genuine enthusiasm and hard work of the IntoAfrica team. They were a delight to share our holiday with - always with a smile they worked so hard to make our trip special, accommodate everybody's needs, the team worked like clockwork and the food was excellent - we have never dined so well on a camping trip!
A special mention must be given for our guide Dennis - we wouldn't have seen half of the animals that we did without his expertise, he managed and supervised the whole group with such a professionnal and gentle manner and demonstrated real dedication to the job.
Besides having an excellent safari, we had chosen your company for its ethical and sensitive approach to tourism and we were not disappointed. Wherever we went, we felt there was a genuine welcome to introduce and educate our group in the culture of Tanzania and that the communities were able to benefit from the tourism.
You asked for comments for improvement and to be quite honest we can think of nothing that we would have changed. Please pass on our thanks again to the IntoAfrica team (Dennis, Athuman, Elias, Ibrahim & John) and we will not hesitate to recommend your company or travel with you again if we ever have the opportunity to be in Tanzania again.
Thanks
Sarah & Martin

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----- Original Message -----
From: SHERWIN, SARAH
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005 9:49 AM
Subject: RE: feedback

I am really sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your e-mail, when we came back I was ill so had some time off, then got really busy here as I'd obviously been off for so long! But not to worry, the illness was nothing to do with your part of our holiday! We had an absolutely fantastic time. Tanzania was amazing and our trip was faultless.

Everything about the Tanzania Explorer trip was memorable, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti were fantastic, both the scenery and the wildlife were stunning, but just as enjoyable was the walking safari around the villages and farms. The day with the Maasai was probably the most memorable of the whole trip - shaking hands with the trainee warriors and tasting their soup is certainly something I will never forget! Meeting the children on the cultural days was a real delight - Dean, my husband, took inflatable globes to the school (he does teach geography) and balloons to the Maasai village and the looks of amazement/bewilderment on the children's faces will stay with me forever. It was these highlights that made the trip with IntoAfrica unique amongst so many safari companies operating from Arusha, and a real bonus was knowing that the local people we met were benefiting from our trip with your support for their projects.

The staff were brilliant, they were friendly, welcoming and hospitable, yet professional and extremely competent, sharing with pride their knowledge of their country whilst making us feel secure and well looked after. Dennis was a fantastic guide and our driver, Norton, was amazing - we were all impressed with the way he could drive and spot animals! The quality of the food on the trip was amazing too, the cooks certainly knew how to keep us all happy!

Between us there was only one slight criticism that Dean and I could think of, but that was nothing to do with your part of the trip. It was about the local guides, they were great and certainly knew their stuff, but they didn't always make sure everyone had caught up and was listening before they started talking.

All-in-all an incredible trip made truly memorable by efficient, friendly staff and an all encompassing itinerary. Nothing more to say other than thank you!

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The safari was excellent and I enjoyed the entire trip immensely. The guides, food and accommodation all exceeded expectations, and I would not hesitate to recommend Into Africa to anyone contemplating a safari in Tanzania. While the scenery and game viewing at Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Manyara were amazing, the highlight for me was definitely the cultural aspect of the tour. The local guides were as much fun as they were well informed, and the Tanzanian Cultural Tourism Programs are making a real difference to local communities. Overall - 10/10.

I would also suggest that you emphasise the importance of bringing good binoculars (or a camera with a monster lens). I had 7x20’s but these were inadequate.

Richard Gilmore
Business Development Manager – NSW
Amcor Recycling Australasia
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----- Original Message -----
From: Kristen Rupp
To: contact@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2005 1:27 PM
Subject: Compliment for Dennis

Dear Chris,
My husband and I recently enjoyed the 7 day Tanzania safari with Into Africa. Our guide, Dennis, was simply amazing. He was patient, kind and caring. He carefully met the needs of everyone in the group. He was enthusiastic with a great sense of humor. Every day was a new adventure with Dennis and the entire group thrived on his contagious energy. His knowledge of the animals, people, natural history, geography, environment and culture was unbelievable. He is a great educator - constantly surprising us with new information, answering all of our questions, and including personal insight on local culture to make the experience even more real and rewarding. I have worked as an adventure travel guide in the US and Costa Rica and have never met a more professional, courteous, friendly, energetic, passionate and educated guide. The animals in the safari were amazing but it was Dennis that made the trip truly unforgettable. If I meet anyone considering a safari I will convince them to travel with Dennis in order to have the experience of a lifetime.
Thank you,
Kristen Rupp and David Peterka

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----- Original Message -----
From: "mwalford"
To: <feedback@responsibletravel.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 7:55 AM
Subject: Re: Welcome back from responsibletravel.com

The most memorable part of our holiday - well there are many memorable moments - firstly the efficiency of your company, IntoAfrica and the staff who made us feel very safe and organised our trip to include a variety of experiences which gave us a true flavour of the culture of the country. Secondly, we were overwhelmed by the hospitality of the local people and their lovely natures. Very friendly smiley folk who welcomed us into their villages and homes and we were particularly struck by the aura of contentment and happiness - the children were a delight. The animals were in abundance and we were very lucky to see the big 5 within the first two days. The beauty of the country and its inhabitants can only truly be appreciated "live" and we would thoroughly recommend the trip to anyone to see for themselves as photographs just don't do it justice - you need to be there to "feel" it, "smell" it, "taste"it - to drink it all in.

Your company does not present itself with a false image - the accommodation is not luxurious but you are clear about this. The information you provide on your website is comprehensive and mostly accurate and they are keen for feedback from their clients. Our guide was excellent, he had an abundance of knowledge and his supporting staff, drivers and cooks were great.

Our message to anyone thinking of a safari holiday is to do it and we are sure you will enjoy the experience of the stunning scenery, rich game areas and friendly people. We would recommend travelling with a fair trade company because this benefits the locals and offers travellers a true insight into their culture - don't miss it.

Jenny Sharp & fellow travelling companion Wendy Middleditch

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----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Bresnihan
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 6:00 PM
Subject: Thank You

Dear Chris,

I have been meaning to write to you for weeks but somehow didn't get around to it.

Never before have I written to a company responsible for organizing a holiday to thank them for their services. I have no hesitation in making an exception with IntoAfrica. My recent week in Tanzanzia on safari was memorable, as I believe it was for all those who shared that time with me. And this was not due just to the African landscape and the incredible range of wild animals, which we were privilged to see. All of that could have been delivered by any of the tens of safari companies operating out of Arusha. No, it was because of the IntoAfrica itinerary - the mixture of the cultural and national park visits - and the staff including all those in the guesthouse. All were so kind and went out of their way to make our time with them so special. And it was all done in an African way, which all members of the safari group appreciated very much. I suspect too that your website attracts a particular type of person, which explains perhaps why our group blended together so well. It could so easily have been otherwise. IntoAfrica have the right balance and I hope there are no plans to change it. In any case, I wish you, your partners and IntoAfrica every success for the future.

Fondest Regards,

Brian

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----- Original Message -----
From: Samantha Mcbride
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 7:11 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris, Yes we are back home, with many wonderful memories of our trip to Africa. We trust you had a productive time in Moshi, and are now safely home with your family.

We have spread the word about your company, and the many good acts that you are doing for your clients and the people of Tanzania and Kenya. When I tell our friends about our experience, I tell them that we were on an Animal/Cultural Photographic Safari . Seeing all of the animals of Tanzania, so healthy and plentiful and close up, was definitely an experience of a life time, on the other hand, meeting many of the different people of Tanzania, gaining a deeper knowledge of how they live, how hard they work and how friendly they are, was certainly a "highlight". We were most impressed at how your staff went out of their way to welcome us, take good care of us, and go the extra mile to allow us to accomplish all of our goals. (providing the extra car to take us from Moshi after Dan's 1/2 marathon, was most appreciated). Furthermore, we enjoyed spending a week with people from different parts of the world, Japan, Thailand and Ireland, it just added to the experience of better understanding the people of our world. We felt like we really connected with these folks, as we all seemed to have a common concern for the welfare of our fellow human beings, a concern for the people of Africa, all because of the type of trip you offer people.

Dennis and our other support staff, were fantastic. I hope Dennis has a very successful life, he is intelligent, good natured, concerned for the well being of others (clients as well as the folks working under him) and just fun to be with. You should feel proud that you have been instrumental in giving this young man an opportunity to be a success in life.

Please feel free to use any of our comments, and/or send people our way for questions, etc. If you would like me to send you any photos of the trip, I would be glad to.

Again, thank you so much for providing this "Life Experience" for us, we so appreciate all of your hard work.

As always, Smiles, Samantha McBride

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----- Original Message -----
From: Gus M. Garmel, MD
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Friday, October 15, 2004 3:48 PM
Subject: Comments/feedback from Gus Garmel

Dear IntoAfrica - What an amazing trip!

The safari was incredible - camping was great. Food was fantastic! Everyone as part of the IntoAfrica team was truly wonderful, helpful, pleasant, etc.   Also, Emmy arranged for us to visit AICC hospital, where we donated some medical supplies and met the staff (I am a physician in the US). That was very nice too.

The trip was wonderful. I had such an incredible time. The camping equipment was great, tents and pads especially. There was plenty of bottled water (thanks for that). The mix of showers and non-showers was fine, and the events planned (dance show one night and guitar at the campfire on the Masai bush campgrounds) were wonderful. The cultural tours were superb, one of the reasons (in addition to IntoAfrica being a fair-traded company) we selected IntoAfrica. I have already recommended your company to 2 groups of our friends. Laura had heard of your company from the Lonely Planet guidebook.

Things were wonderful - a trip of a lifetime. Thanks to the staff (esp. Dennis, but also Daniel - who was a wonderful driver and animal guide, the cooks, esp. John and Amos, and Rose and Athman (who accompanied us to the hospital that last day). All were wonderful, nice, honest, pleasant, interesting, and good people.   Definitely a well-run company, withseemingly loyal staff.

Only thoughts about things to change - accepting credit cards for payment would have made things a bit easier.   But everyone treated us extremely well and we felt very fortunate to be with your group.

Again, thanks for a memorable trip.   The activities were great, the safari and climb were really beautiful. The animals and what we learned was really terrific. Oh, one more thought. Daniel was amazing with spotting animals, but didn't offer as much information as Dennis did. That was a great way to split things up, since each vehicle had an advantage in this way. But, just something to think about, having identical vehicles might be helpful for others in the future.

It was truly amazing as a trip, and we hope to come back to Africa in the future. When we do, we will certainly use your company again!
Thanks for a wonderful experience.

Gus Garmel and Laura Kerr
California, USA

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----- Original Message -----
From: Irene Toxopeus
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Sunday, October 31, 2004 2:50 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris,
We would like to thank you and everyone at IntoAfrica for making our trip to Tanzania so wonderful!!! Our trip was a dream come true. Everything was so well arranged, the food was wonderful, Dennis and Daniel's passion for wildlife and knowledge of the animals, culture and environment was exemplary. We are trying to convince all our friends to go on this trip and would be very happy to act as references.

Many many thanks,
Justin and Irene

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----- Original Message -----
From: HIPPOHYENA
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2004 1:06 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,
First of all we apologize for the delay of our feed-back but we have a lot of problems with our job. What we can say about our travel?

The tour was interesting and satisfying our expectations: all the places we have seen were good ones and we didn’t suggest any change for your tour.

The wildlife and the sightseeing have been very nice in all the parks; it’s difficult to choice the best, also if Ngorongoro has a plus: coming down in the early morning with the fog and see the cloud going gradually out of the crater is really suggestive. Also the visit in Mto Wa Mbu and in Longido to see Masai was really interesting.

About your team……. it was really great!!!! Starting from the guide Dennis, continuing with the drivers and also the cook and the assistants: professional, always smiling (we have notice that this is typical of a lot of people in Tanzania) and in harmony between them and with us.

Finally we can say that we will suggest you company by e-mail to our friends because our travel has been a great one: I don’t know how many new customer we will able to take to your team because a lot of people as fear of African disease (especially malaria), on the other hand I hope that this promotion will flows to other contacts and may be……...

Jambo Buana Habari Nzuri Sana………… and we didn’t remember how to write the other words.

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----- Original Message -----
From: Warren Tofts
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Sunday, September 12, 2004 4:04 PM
Subject: RE: feedback

Dear Chris,
I'm sorry that my response was delayed in providing feedback to your email. However I have been very busy in Africa. I'm back in England now.

The trip was truly amazing! Words don't express how good it was. I have seen not just the "big five" but many different animals also. I went to 3 other countries, Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia. I'm glad I went with your company first as it was a great way to be introduced to Africa.

I think that of the two countries, Kenya was easier to manage with my wheelchair. I felt that in Tanzania things were more basic. I’m aware that its a less developed country that would explain why! Certain members of the group felt the roads were worse that they imagined. I think that in the
itinerary there could be reminders that the roads are not like in the western world. As obvious as it sounds, people need reminding. I was o.k because I had been to places like Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Besides this is Africa. Travelling on the road is part of the adventure. That's something about this trip that I liked. You see more by road travel.

On the hygiene issue, I think one of important items that people maybe could be aware of is dry soap. Its a liquid that is rubbed on the hands and cleans like soap. That is very useful I got mine in Millets.

I think that something that I liked about the trips was that there were different guides and drivers, therefore you meet more people from the countries visited. I really liked going to the Maaasi and going into the school in Tanzania. I look back at this trip and can't believe how many different experiences we had! Truly breath-taking!

I also went to Ethiopia, which has so many different cultures such as the Mursi. Do you think your company will expand into other countries? Ethiopia also has animals in the Simien Mountains and Hyena men in Harar.
cheers
Warren

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----- Original Message -----
From: Pascal Desimpelaere
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2004 12:17 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,
Finally, we're back from Tanzania, so here's a little feedback from me and my girlfriend. Both of us were really fascinated by our one-week-safari. We think the whole organisation and especially the team we went with was really top: the knowledge of the guides was impressive, the cooking was delicious and the whole team was always very helpful and kind. The variation of the program, which included the cultural tourism program, was great and made us happy to have chosen for IntoAfrica.

So, we wish you all the best with intoafrica and no doubt that we'll recommend your companie to other people going to Tanzania or Kenia. When we compare our safari with stories we've heard from other people, we're sure that intoafrica is really a good choice!!

a lot of geetings,

Pascal & Els

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----- Original Message -----
From: Ian Chisholm
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2004 10:57 AM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris
Actually we only got back from Africa at the weekend, having stayed on for another 10 days, including a week in Zanzibar. Hence the delay in responding.
We had the most fantastic safari trip. Our guide, Dennis, said we were very fortunate to see so many animals and birds. Among the highlights were the wildebeest and zebra migration in Serengeti; numerous close encounters with lions and elephants ; and the trip to Lake Natron which included seeing a cheetah at close quarters.
We also enjoyed the cultural aspects of the safari which split up well the game drives. The Oldovai Gorge and Engaruka visits were very interesting from the archaeological perspective, while the insights into local tribal culture at Mto Wa Mbu and Longido were hugely worthwhile. Not perhaps surprisingly we were particularly interested in the Maasai.
While we were no doubt fortunate in our encounters with the animals, much of our success was due to the excellent IntoAfrica team. We were most impressed with the hard work, skill and good humour of the whole team. Athman was a superb driver, particularly on the amazing route to Lake Natron, and spotter of wildlife; Lugda was an excellent cook; and Dennis was a magnificent guide - very well informed, with encyclopedic knowledge given in a well-balanced manner, and good natured. We were looked after royally by all three.

Everything worked so well that it is difficult to think of anything that might improve the experience for future travellers. We did note during our walking safari at Mto Wu Mba that some of the local women provided traditional meals for tourists and you might wish to consider including this as an option. On the basis of your kit list we brought sandwich boxes and water platypluses, neither of which were required because you provided water bottles and lunch. I appreciate this may not be the case with all your safaris and generally the kit list and other briefing you provided was very helpful. There was some slight embarrassment when we were tipping the local guide at Engaruka as to whether there was a local tourist tax but I appreciate that you do not always have up-to-date local information.

Please pass on our appreciation to everyone involved. We have no objection to you posting our comments on your website.

Thanks and best wishes for the company in the future.
Ian Chisholm

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----- Original Message -----
From: Simon Butler
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2004 1:08 PM
Subject: RE: feedback

Dear Chris

We really enjoyed the trip, I even coped with the camping which is not my forte. The best thing about IntoAfrica was the staff.

Emmy was a complete star, we had plane delays on the way out and missed the Amsterdam-Nairobi flight, I called her and she immediately offered to sort us out with accommodation overnight in Nairobi and a guy to pick us up from the airport, which was a weight off our minds. She was also really helpful with the onward arrangements to Dar booking the bus tickets and the hotel for us.

The safari was great, our guide was Denis who took a real joy in his job, spotted loads of great animals- the best was the dot in the distance in Ngorongoro which did turn out to be a Rhino that ambled about 100 yards past us. Enjoyed having Denis join us for meals as well so we could chat about Tanzania and its culture. The meals were great, very tasty and Elias kept up a good standard to the end.

Enjoyed the cultural bits as well, the day at Lake Manyara village was a nice break from bumpy roads and the visit to a Maasai Boma at the end was very interesting.

All in all we had a fabulous trip, very much appreciated that everything that was supposed to happen did happen and on time and that the team of Denis, Athman and Elias were great to be around. the structure of the camping with 3 nights bush, 2 nights more comfortable is good to give us a break.

Feel free to quote anything if it's of value - not sure how coherent this is as I haven't quite landed and still have the trots and feel a bit grotty. Pass on our thanks to your staff.

Regards, Simon

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----- Original Message -----
From: Kirsten Cannon
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 4:44 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Chris,
We had a wonderful time.

The staff was excellent and took care of every need and want we could have ever imagined. The food was great. Our guides were great. Basically everything was super. An added benefit were the neat people we meet on both the trek and the safari. With an eco-tour focus, it seems that IntoAfrica attracts may like-minded folks. The cultural tours were one of the highlights of the trip.

A couple of things I would recommend:

Hope this info helps. You are welcome to post on your Web site. Is you have USA customers who are unsure due to the money orders, I would be happy to e-mail with them.

If you have any questions or concerns about my feedback, please let me know.
Thanks again for a great trip!

Kirsten
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----- Original Message -----
From: Yngve Sem
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd ; Elisabeth Valvik ; Frode Velde
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 9:26 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Hi Chris! - How are you?

We know that feedback from our safari comes much too late, but we hope that our experiences is still useful information for you.

No one of us had ever been to Africa before, and we did really not know what to expect when arriving in Arusha, but the next day Dennis and the rest of the safari crew came and picked us up, and we went for the safari. We could not have been more lucky. We got perfectly along with the whole crew.

Dennis (guide) was a great person. He had answer to all the questions that we had, and he learned us a lot during the safari. He told us about the vegetation in general, about all the animals and the history of the area. That was great because we did not only want to observe but also learn as much as possible. Then it is important to have a guide that is well-informed, and Dennis knew everything.

Ludigo (cook) is a very fine cook. It is amazing what he can cook with so simple tools. There was no meal that we did not enjoy. Every day there was a new type of soup and a good hot meal. I think it was especially interesting when he cooked for us at the Masai camp. He put the coal directly on the ground and had several dishes cooking at one time. It was also totally dark he had used a torch so see what he was doing. It was great.

Atman (driver) was also a great person and drove us safely around in the National parks, and got very enthusiastic sometimes.

All the equipments like tents, car, food and all accessories were fine and we do not have any complaints. Personally I think only one thing was missing and that was a “go away elephant” device. I woke up approx one o’clock in the morning and had a desperate need for peeing. Outside there was an large noisy elephant wondering around the tent, and that did certainly not help. It was frightening even if Dennis had told us several time that the animals did never attack the tents. But he strongly advised us to not bring food in the tent.

One of the reasons we did choose Into Africa was because of the cultural program. We found it very interesting. We learned very much about the African/Masai peoples everyday life. We have many moving memories from that, and also from the children school that we are supporting when using Into Africa as tour-operator.

Thank you for offering a great safari and the fantastic hospitality!

We wish you and all of Into Africa a happy new year, and give our best greetings to Dennis and everybody else next time you visit them.

With very best regards

Yngve Michael (Mike) / Anne
Frode / Elisabeth

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-----Original Message-----
From: Kim Savo
Sent: Dec 31, 2003 4:42 AM
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Subject: Feedback

Dear Chris,

We arrived home yesterday, and I am still reeling from the landscape shock--there is just so much tarmac and concrete here in L.A. and such an absence of that red earth.

You are welcome to post the following on IntoAfrica's web site.

We had an excellent experience all around.

The food was the best we ate in the month we were in Tanzania. Kudos to John, who even conjured up pizza in the Serengeti. We are happy carnivores, so we were especially glad of the goat stew. If anything, there was a superabundance of food. Our only suggestion is to potentially decrease the size of the day time meals and instead provide some snack foods for the game drives. By the time we got back for lunch we were often ravenous.

Dennis is a superior guide and a lovely person. Not only did he know about the various big animals and enormous variety of birds, but he had lots of information about plant life. We would be remiss if we did not also praise Wilfred for his services as a guide despite his title of "driver." He has the best eyesight imaginable and an incredible instinct for spotting animals even while driving. We saw a rhinoceros through our binoculars only after he spotted it with his naked eye at an extreme distance. I should mention his animal noise impressions and general good humor. We often felt luckier than people in other groups because we were seeing so many animals and having a lot of fun at the same time. The only suggestion we have for any of the guides is that sometimes they would respond to our questions directly rather than asking translating them for the local people participating in the cultural tourism programs. Even if the guides technically know the facts, it is more important for the local people to respond so that there is an engagement between the tourists and the local people (and, of course, sometimes even the guides are surprised by the answers....) The whole crew worked like a well oiled machine setting up and breaking camp.

Just when we felt that the pace of things was wearing us out, there was a well-timed break from the game drives by going to the Serengeti Museam, Oldupai gorge, and spending a day in Mto wa Mbu on a cultural tour. We very much appreciated this breather from the game drives and, of course, were pleased to have the cultural tour as well. The Makonde carvers were the most interesting for us because we were able to watch them at work. It would be ideal if people could see the women's group doing their basket weaving as well rather than just going to the house of one woman to look at the finished products. I think everybody enjoyed going to the bananna beer "pub." Although the Maasai market wasn't very busy because we happened to be there on Christmas day, we had a very good experience because we stood in a group more or less surrounded by mostly Maasai women, and we were able to ask some questions of them through one of the Mto wa Mbu guides (Abraham, who for the record is also excellent), and there was lots of mutual observation.

We were perfectly comfortable with our camping accommodation. The provision of the mattresses was great for us. At the Serengeti camp site, we recommend that some water buckets be provided for use in the bathrooms in the absence of running water. We recognize that Into Africa has no control over the conditions at the National Park camp sites when there has not been rain for a long time. However, knowing that there is no running water there, for the sake of cleanliness, it is important for all of the companies to encourage their clients to keep the facilities clean. Perhaps this is something that can be worked out through a collective of the companies??

Bottom line--excellent. I was sufficiently pleased that I am planning to arrange a trip for my parents through Into Africa.

Thank you for giving us a wonderful experience.

Kim Savo
Los Angeles, California

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----- Original Message -----
From: Broo, Marie
To: 'IntoAfrica UK Ltd'
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 7:01 PM
Subject: RE: feedback

Hi Chris,
I'm now back in business since one week.

I must say that our safari was absolutely fabulous. Your staff, Dennis, Elias and Athman treated us like queens and best friends at the same time. Of course we saw the big five plus much more and learned a lot about the wild animals in Tanzania. The cultural activity made a huge impression to us. Even if it's not fun to se the injustices and suffering it's an important reminder we wouldn't like to be without. With a good sense of humour, not even a flat tire could change that; we spent seven terrific days with IntoAfrica. Dennis was the perfect guide, Elias the perfect chef and Atman the perfect driver. When the time has come for us to climb Kilimanjaro we will definitely contact IntoAfrica again.

Of course you can post our comments on your web site, (even if the English is quite bad)

Best regards
Marie (from Norway)

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----- Original Message -----
From: Julie Ekedahl
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 2:06 PM
Subject: feedback

Chris,
Leif and I just wanted to say a few things to you about our trip to Tanzania with your company. First of all, all of the people were wonderful. Our guide, Dennis, was also great. He was very friendly and fun to be with. He is also incredibly knowledgeable; the few times he did not know the common name of a plant or bird, he knew the scientific name. We learned a lot from him about the animals and about Tanzania,and he even taught us some Kiswahili and Chagga. Our trip would not have been the same without him. Athumani, the driver, was a very good driver and he made us feel safe on the road. He also spotted a lot of animals that we would have missed otherwise. Our cook was John, and he was great too. All of the meals were good and everyone was always helpful.

We also really appreciated the cultural tourism opportunities IntoAfrica provides. We saw plenty of animals and learning about Tanzania and its people added a lot to the trip. Fortunately, our local guides spoke English, and Dennis also added some of his own information and experiences. The equipment was in great shape, including the sleeping bags we rented.

Thanks for a really spectacular trip. We will highly recommend your company to any of our friends that want to go on safari and to anyone who asks about our trip.

Sincerely,
Julie and Leif Ekedahl

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----- Original Message -----
From: Meredith Fox
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 2:16 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris -

Tanzania is an amazing place! We definitely feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to take such a grand trip. Your staff at IntoAfrica was absolutely fabulous in nearly every respect.

Our first week was spent with Dennis as our guide, Elias as our cook, and Athmani as our driver. The three of them did a wonderful job leading us on the Tanzania Explorer trip. Dennis did everything we could have asked, including explaining the culture, translating, pointing out animals, and even picking ants out of our bags one morning. In addition, he was great at keeping us company when we ate our meals. Most importantly, he continually asked us how things were going and was very up front about this being our trip. While he made suggestions, he always let us dictate the schedule. Dennis is an A+ guy!

Our days in Ngorongoro, the Serengeti, and Lake Manyara were absolutely fabulous. There is not many thrills greater than being face to face with a lion. Our only complaint was that the game drives tended to get long given the heat and tough road conditions. Shorter, more frequent, drives might have been preferred at times.

The food was excellent throughout. Elias came up with much better food than we normally have when we're camping here in the US. Athmani traversed the rough roads as well as could be expected. In addition, all our gear was treated with the utmost care throughout.

The most enjoyable part of the trip for us was the time spent in Longido with the Maasai. Sitting in a traditional hut with the women, hiking up to the warriors training center, and meeting many of the friendly Maasai people were exceptional experiences. Meredith tells everyone how cool it was to spend a night in a camp guarded by Maasai warriors. The local guide in Longido, Rogate, was great. His insights into the Maasai culture were extremely interesting and added a great deal of flavor to our time in Longido.

Our additional time was primarily spent in Arusha or Marangu. We weren't as thrilled with the cultural experience in Marangu. It might have been that we were extremely tired by that point, but there was a great deal of hiking without a clear explanation of where we were going. Our local guide in Marangu, Walter, could have provided us a bit more background on what we were going to do and what clothing/footwear we would need. Despite this, learning of the Chagga culture was extremely interesting and once again we encountered many friendly people.

Our accommodations were great throughout and your staff made certain that we were comfortable.

We have absolutely no regrets about traveling to Tanzania with IntoAfrica. It might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us, though we both hope to return to East Africa again someday. We will certainly recommend your company to anyone thinking about this type of adventure. Thank you once again and continued success.

Sincerely,
Meredith Fox & Jon Steadland
Minneapolis, MN

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----- Original Message -----
From: Christina von Borcke
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 11:49 AM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,
I have been meaning to write to you and thank you for the fantastic time we had on our safari. As we are still travelling, I had not gotten around to it yet.
We had a fantastic time and were so impressed with the whole package of the trip. It was brilliant, Dennis was so knowledgeable and fun to be with, Elias a fantastic cook and Astmo (spelling most likely wrong) such a conscientious driver! We felt very spoilt and so well taken care of. We also enjoyed that Dennis ate with us and were amazed to see in other groups that that was not the norm. We learned a lot more about life in Tanzania than we would have otherwise.

In retrospect, while experiencing other set-ups did we fully appreciate why, even for two people having a driver as well as guide (and cook) was favourable. One person cannot manoeuvre these rough roads, spot wildlife and tell us about their habits and histories... The experience is so much more enriched. The funniest bit was when a Maasai warrior (intoxicated by their local brew...) liked the looks of me at the Maasai market in Mto Wa Mbu and Dennis and Abraham (from Cultural Programme) had a fun and hard time convincing him that we could not go to his boma (not knowing how far it was - "behind the third tree to the east"). Only when I pronounced a firm no (on Dennis' wise recommendations) did he let us go.

We also loved the cultural aspect and were eager to learn about village life. It enriches the trip to actually understanding life in rural Tanzania. I suppose we can only give minor advise to maybe improve the experience, but that might be a personal thing: After having been to the Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater, Lake Manyara is no match-we could have easily skipped that. We also visited this after we had been to Mto Wa Mbu village and we had become so interested in understanding life in the village better. These might only be personal preferences, but maybe a thought for options? Nevertheless, we loved the trip and have been recommending you constantly to fellow travellers. We now have been travelling for five weeks and that week was a true highlight!

So thank you so much and give our warmest regards to Dennis and the crew. We might be back to climb Kili next year???? You never know!!!!

Christina & Peter von Borcke

ps: a small thought: Dennis always referred to us and others as clients. This is true but maybe "guests" is a warmer and friendlier expression.

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----- Original Message -----
From: GSynergy(iCable)
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Friday, September 26, 2003 7:33 AM
Subject: Re: feedback

Dear Chris,
I was just back home yesterday. It was a long journey from Nairobi to Hong Kong (13 hours flight).
The trip was very good and enjoyable.

What worked well:
- All the people working with IntoAfrica were nice and friendly.

- The tour was well structured with both Safari and Cultural program. I enjoyed the this good combination and that's also one of the reasons I choose IntoAfrica.

- The food prepared by the cook was excellent and delicious.

- Dennis and the drivers were excellent in spotting animals and that allowed us to see more (e.g. tree climbing lions, cheetah, leopard...)!

What might be improved:

- We enjoyed a lot walking instead of inside a car. When some of us see a giraffe when we were walking, everyone of us was very excited. Maybe more of this.
- The people from cultural program could provide lunch and I would suggest one of our lunch be prepared by them so that we could have a taste of real local beer and food.
- As I am not a native English speaker, it would be good if there is one book about the animals in every vehicle so that we have a look on the name and details of the animals spotted.

You are welcomed to put my comments on your website. Please feel free to resturtured my senetence if necessary.

Cheers,

Alan Chua from Hong Kong

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----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Henderson Smith
To: contact@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2003 11:05 AM
Subject: Thanks

Hi Chris,

I hope you are recovered from your back problems. We were very concerned about you.

Sorry this has taken so long, Richard will email you soon no doubt with all sorts of comments, but I just wanted to say 'thankyou' for a marvellous holiday. Everyone was so friendly, and I think that is the most important part. The way we were transported in and out of Arusha, and generally helped was a major part of the holiday. The guides on the trips were fantastic, particularly Julius and William, but everyone played their part. The only negative as far as I was concerned was the state of one of the toilets at one of the Serengeti camps. I think the National Park authorities have a responsibility there, as we did pay park fees. Just a daily clean with disinfectant would be all that's required. Other than that is was all marvellous, and the details were well thought out. The visit to the Maasai was the really high piont, but it was all great. Thank you for looking after us so well. We ought to have paid more attention to the weather details, we packed all the wrong clothes, but that was our fault!

Best wishes,it was a pleasure to do business with you,

Judy (Henderson Smith)

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----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Edelstein, MD
To: IntoAfrica UK Ltd
Sent: Monday, June 16, 2003 6:57 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

Chris--hi there! US of A is boring, as usual (well, I guess if you have to work all the time like I do and sit all day on your kiester).

Here's the feedback: wonderful experience, tailored just as we wanted it; our time with the Hadzabe was incredible. You and your staff were very attentive and sensitive to our needs. Can't see much to improve (well, maybe some smoother roads ...) Denis is great! If you want some quotable quotes for any promotional material, we will be happy to oblige with more.

I have not written any articles; maybe I'm all blather about this, or maybe I will write something soon, but I will be sure to let you know.

I gave info about IntoAfrica to a guy we met at the Philadelphia Airport on the way back home. He said he planned a safari for the late summer or fall. Indian guy, born in Bombay, now lives in the States, would be bringing his girlfriend. No clue about his name. Hope he gets in touch with you. And I hope this travel ban nonsense ends soon; I imagine these bans have far-reaching economic consequences and I'm not sure they help us stay "safe."

Rick

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----- Original Message -----
From: J C
To: 'chris@intoafrica.co.uk'
Sent: Monday, December 23, 2002 12:10 PM
Subject: Comments & Thanks

Dear Chris,

Eleanor Davies, Nick Davies, Theresa Canning and I (Joe Corless) have just returned from our safari and Mt. Kilimanjaro climb (1-15th December 2002). Without doubt, northern Tanzania is a fantastically beautiful region. All of the areas we visited had something special to recommend them - whether the teaming wildlife in the 'lost world' 'esque beauty of the Ngorongoro Crater; the magnificence of the wildebeest migrations on the Serengeti, or the massive array of bird life that flocks around Lake Manyara. Lake Manyara is also worthy of a double mention given the time spent at the cultural projects supported by IntoAfrica - particularly the school where our meeting with the children there can only be considered as precious.

The climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro was an experience that all of us are very proud to have successfully achieved, all the way to Uhuru Peak! Whilst obviously quite demanding, not to mention very cold at the top, the climb itself covered some beautiful forest and scenery with awesome views in the early morning/evenings when the lack of cloud permitted. The sunsets on the peak were majestic along with the euphoria of achieving the summit.

Throughout all of our journeys, the staff of IntoAfrica were nothing short of brilliant. Whilst everyone deserves a special mention, this e-mail would end up being too long. However, for the safari, Denis and his crew were superb - always smiling, happy, attentive and full of good stories/humour. Their knowledge of wildlife was excellent, not to mention their remarkable ability to spot things where others see nothing. Wilfred, our driver, was one of the friendliest people I have met and helped make the trip a real pleasure. Ludiger (I hope that is the correct spelling) along with m'Safiri were great cooks - especially considering everything down to baked breads were produced from an open fire! For Kilimanjaro, Oforo really knew his stuff. He set an excellent pace that ensured we all continued with the minimum of discomfort - something quite hard to do given the extremes of a 19,000 ft mountain. Elias produced great food and some of the best soups I have tasted. All in all, the entire team ensured that we were well cared for which cannot be over-rated for such an expedition.

IntoAfrica and all its staff have set a new gold-standard of care and concern that I am certain no other operators in East Africa can hope to match. All have been a great credit to themselves and your company to which all of us can only say a heart-felt thank you.

I for one will have no hesitation in booking another trip in East Africa with IntoAfrica. I am looking forward to the possibility of your company running trips to the national parks in the south of Tanzania to look for gorillas. I understand that such a trip is not yet in your itinerary, but will hopefully be for some point in the future. When you do, please be sure to let me know as both Theresa and I would love to come.

I wish you and all your staff a merry Christmas and the best of luck for the future with all the good work you do.       Yours sincerely,

Joe Corless, Associate Director,   MRCI

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From:
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 9:50 AM
Subject: RE: feedback

Hi Chris,
Finally tackling my personal e-mails now the work stuff is (almost) back under control !
I honestly can't think of anything that I felt didn't "work" on the safari. I really enjoyed it and the guys took great care of us. William I thought was fantastic as a tour guide, knew so much about the wildlife we were seeing and was also happy to talk lots about Tanzania in general when we were quizzing him non-stop.   And I think we all enjoyed his story/quiz nights under the stars!!
We were in Wilfrid's jeep most of the time and the only thing I would suggest there is that you make more use of him other than just as driver (may be that you do already of course on other trips) - he acted as guide one of the days in the Ngorongoro when William was in the other jeep and he took on the guide role really well - again, huge amount of knowledge about the animals and local culture that he was happy to give to us (we met various other people during the rest of the holiday who had been on safaris and one of the common complaints seemed to be drivers/guides that didn't say much unless specifically asked questions - so made us realise even more how lucky we'd been with the IntoAfrica staff).   He was also amazing at spotting animals miles in the distance when we still couldn't see them with our binocs ! And he was very patient with my attempts to learn some Swahili from him when I was getting to the animalled out stage !
On the food side, Ludgar and Mohammed produced minor miracles each night under not great conditions. I've become addicted to soup since I came back because of them ! Also, one of the girls - Rebecca - had her birthday while we were at Serengeti and they made a bit of a fuss for her, making her an amazing birthday cake which was really sweet.   The only thing I would say - and its in no way a criticism of what we had - was that it would have been nice to have a couple of more "local specialities" nights with purely Tanzanian recipes - the menus seemed to be catering for westerners - but I can appreciate that that might not go down well with other guests hence the reason for more of a western slant. As I say, not a criticism at all, just a thought.
So, as well as being very hard working and capable they were all really nice guys and we had a lot of fun with them (hopefully we were nice guests for them too !).
I don't think there was anything that I can pinpoint that really went "wrong" - even on the day that we arrived at the Serengeti looking forward to having a shower only to discover that there was no water, the next day for lunchtime, when there was still no water in the camp, they found us an alternative one nearby that they drove us off to - much appreciated by all of us.
I particularly enjoyed the non-animal "cultural" days at Mbu Wa Mtu and Longido so I would definitely recommend keeping those on - that was one of the reasons that we chose IntoAfrica - other than the main fair trade / eco-tourism element - that I knew I'd get animalled out after a few days whereas Alison could watch them 24 hours a day - so your itinerary was a good compromise for us for what we each were interested in. You could maybe sell that aspect of it a bit more in your internet blurb re the Tanzanian Explorer (although may be of course that you're aiming more at the safari customers anyway) ?
So there we go, overall a great service from IntoAfrica and I'd definitely recommend you to other people. I'm getting my photos back (finally) tomorrow and really looking forward to them - I'd said to William too that I'd send him out copies for him to pass on to the school, maasai village etc when next he sees them, and I'll also say thanks to all the guys at the same time.
Regards
Joanna

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From: Hilary C
To: enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 5:12 PM
Subject: Re: feedback

The 'Explorer Trip' was fantastic. You have chosen a wonderful group of fellas. They could not have been any more helpful and interacted with us, which made it less of a 'them and us' situation. It also enabled us to learn more about the country and its people in a short space of time. Amel my daughter, will email you too, and she was enthused by the trip as much as me.

We were fortunate to have a good group of fellow travellers too! The safaris were dream- like and the memories will live on for a very long time. We all found the visits to the village and meeting the Maasai so interesting. It gave us an insight into Tanzania as it really is. This was certainly a big plus point.

I would also be grateful if you or your wife could thank Seria (I hope that is the correct spelling) for being so inspirational. I hope to have a photograph of Seria and myself, perhaps we could send it to her at some stage, if that is appropriate? Both Amel and I were captured by the Maasai dignity and charm. It was a great privilege to be able to be part of their lives, albeit for a short time. The group I know found the local visits very inspiring, fulfilling yet thought-provoking.

I came away wishing I could understand more of the language and culture. Thank you for creating such a trip. You have achieved a tremendous balance which deserves commendation. Please give a big hug to 'Dennis and his Crew' they are smashing folk!

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From: "pablo yee"
To: <enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 5:32 PM
Subject: feedback

Hi Chris,
Thank you for asking for feedback, and for NOT sending a survey to fill out.
Fremon and I thoroughly enjoyed our East Africa Explorer trip. We liked all the locations we went to, we liked all the people we travelled with, we were happily surprised at how close the animals get to the Land Rovers, and we especially valued the personal time we got with the Maasai and Macunde and Kikuyu tribespeople.

I am an employer, and so I know how good it feels to get compliments about your employees. All of your people who worked with us were very good and are to be commended. In Kenya, that was Kimeli, Samwell, and Patrick. In Tanzania, that was Dennis, Willfred, Elias, Safiri, and Aswan. In particular, Dennis made sure everyone was always taken care of.

We think you all have made a good selection of what places to include in this trip. The one thing that we would suggest to do differently would be to shift the balance to a little less game driving and a little more personal people culture time. Everybody really appreciated our morning walk through Mto Wa Mbu with the local guide, our mountain hike to the Maasai boys-to-men training area with the Maasai guides, and the time in each country when we were inside the Maasai homes in their manyettas.

That all felt great, and sets IntoAfrica's trip apart from other more expensive trips whose travellers don't get to be that personal.

We do a lot of sitting in the Land Rovers on this journey, so the walking is also a nice break from that. And of course, when we buy something from the person who made it, there is always that memory of experience that makes it more special.

Lastly, we appreciated the pricing of this trip, which made it comfortable to do.
We liked the sorts of people that the IntoAfrica trip attracts. No one was demanding or complaining, everyone was completely receptive to what we were experiencing.
And the personal contact with you via e-mail is very unusual for a business, and really kept us always feeling included and feeling like we chose the best tour for us to go with!

We have already recommended your website to many people.
Thanks for a great vacation!
Pablo Yee & Fremon Best

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Dear IntoAfrica,
My feedback is 100% positive. This was the first time I had done any camping and I must admit I was a little concerned but in fact, I found it a wonderful experience. I felt it offered an opportunity to get to know our staff much better as individuals and reduced the feeling of tourist and staff-- a real plus. I must admit I liked camping the last night in an "unsupported" campsite better than the conventional sites and I do not know if that would be possible in the parks as well. It was quieter and much cleaner.

All your staff were great but Franklin is your biggest asset. Lovely, knowledgable, enthusiastic and charming. Willie, the driver is amazing--spotted a leopard when we could barely make out the tree.

The walks to the farm and the visit in the Masai village were the high points for me. The cultural aspects were great--I had been concerned that it would be a very touristy experience but again--it was not. I brought a polaroid camera so I was able to give people pictures right then and there which was a wonderful way to open communications.

I look forward to traveling with IntoAfrica again and someday meeting you.

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Dear Chris
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you - we actually got back at the end of last week but things have been pretty hectic since then! We had a really wonderful trip - made all the better by getting engaged whilst on Safari !

Anyway, to our comments about the trip itself. The staff were great! Both the guides – Dennis and Dickson were also great. We both really enjoyed the cultural days both with the Maasai and at Mto Wa Mbu - a really good addition to the safari.

In terms of what might be improved - we were disappointed that Olduvai Gorge didn't include a trip to the gorge itself (although we decided to pay the additional $10 and walk to the site) and that after Ngorongoro and Serengeti, Lake Manyara wasn’t as spectacular.....rather than 2 drives at lake Manyara, we would have rather had an extra day in Serengeti which was fantastic.

Thats it ! We had a really wonderful time so thank you!

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Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 11:30 AM
Subject: feedback
From: Legget, Susan (CA - Toronto)

Hi Chris,
yes we are back (although under protest!). Africa was amazing - truly a once in a lifetime experience I think. Dennis and his crew did just a fabulous job and it was a pleasure to spend the week with them. Food was amazing, the animals were far beyond any expectations I had and the cultural visits were fascinating - in fact, the visit to the villages were probably the highlight of the trip. We left feeling that we had learned much more traveling with IntoAfrica than we would have with another company - this is a huge credit to you and your staff.

I would be happy to speak (or email) with anyone who is thinking of traveling with you in the future and would be happy to share the excellent time we had with your company.

Thanks again for an unforgettable vacation and we'll definitely travel with you again once we get our next visit to Africa sorted out!!

Take care, Susan ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "Davis, Cynthia Mire"
Subject: RE: Tanzania feedback Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2001 18:27:10 -0800

Dear Chris,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Indeed, we are very much back at work now and the fond memories of our African safari (and the beers shared with you at 7up!) do indeed seem like the distant past. We have shared many stories regarding our trip to Africa since our return, but of the 3 weeks we spent in Tanzania, the safari certainly was the highlight for me. I think I can attribute that not only to the fact that it was a unique and new experience for me, but also to the care and professionalism of our guides. Joseph, Willy and Elias were not only knowledgable about the parks and their wildlife, but also provided great company for the week. They seem determined to make certain we were enjoying ourselves, comfortable and spotting plenty of wildlife. We had a great time with them and I would recommend your tour and them specifically to anyone I knew planning a safari in Tanzania. Although we did not have the luxury accommodations of other tours, I think in the end we had a much more unique experience, especially the time we spent with the Massai. (Ken may have additional feedback for you, but I know he echoes my comments)

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From: "Davis, Cynthia Mire"
To: "'IntoAfrica UK Ltd'" <enquiry@intoafrica.co.uk>
cc: "Kenneth A. Davis (E-mail)" <kdavis@...............>,
Subject: RE: Tanzania feedback

Dear IntoAfrica,
Indeed, we are very much back at work now and the fond memories of our African safari (and the beers shared with you at 7up!) do indeed seem like the distant past. We have shared many stories regarding our trip to Africa since our return, but of the 3 weeks we spent in Tanzania, the safari certainly was the highlight for me. I think I can attribute that not only to the fact that it was a unique and new experience for me, but also to the care and professionalism of our guides. Joseph, Willy and Elias were not only knowledgable about the parks and their wildlife, but also provided great company for the week. They seem determined to make certain we were enjoying ourselves, comfortable and spotting plenty of wildlife. We had a great time with them and I would recommend your tour and them specifically to anyone I knew planning a safari in Tanzania. Although we did not have the luxury accommodations of other tours, I think in the end we had a much more unique experience, especially the time we spent with the Massai. (Ken may have additional feedback for you, but I know he echoes my comments)

FYI -- If you're interested, we can send you an internet link to our photos from the safari and the Massai boma.
Hope all is well. Give our best to Joseph, Willy & Elias

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Tanzania safari feedback