Reviews of Blends of Africa Adventures

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We had a phenomenal experience working with Blends of Africa to arrange our honeymoon safari. From the very first inquiry, they stood out for their clear, detailed, and transparent pricing—something that’s rare among safari operators. There were no hidden costs, no vague estimates, just an honest and straightforward breakdown of every element of the trip. That immediately gave us confidence that we were working with the right company. Everything ran smoothly before and once we arrived. We had done a lot of our own research and knew exactly where we wanted to go and stay, and even though our itinerary did not fall into one of the preset tours the company already had, they still handled all the arrangements flawlessly—coordinating transfers, domestic flights, and logistics between camps. Every detail was thought through, and we never once had to worry about schedules or connections. They communicated with the camps before and during our stay, and the camps commented on how attentive our outfitter was, and they were impressed with their concern for us. Throughout the planning process, communication was excellent. They were always responsive, patient with our many questions, and willing to make adjustments so the itinerary was tailored to exactly to what we wanted. They had no issues handling some last-minute changes we made during the trip when we decided to return to Nairobi early. They had someone ready to drive us around for the day for some sightseeing and watch our luggage, with very little notice and at a reasonable cost. Another huge advantage is that Blends of Africa is a local company rather than a foreign outfitter, allowing us to support people on the ground directly. The value for money was outstanding and the same price (or better!) as booking ourselves and less expensive than other outfitters for the same itinerary. Everything exceeded our expectations, and we had a seamless, unforgettable safari experience. I cannot recommend Robert, Mary, Ben, and team highly enough—if you’re looking for a reliable, professional, and genuinely excellent safari operator, they’re the one to choose. P.S. we stayed at Loldia House in Naivasha and Kicheche Valley in Naboisho for 6 nights - a perfect combo! If we were do do anything differently, we would have spent more time on safari and done Laikipia or Amboseli or another day at Kicheche. We did do 3 days at Diani Beach which was pleasant but we preferred the safari experience more! Whatever you choose, ask Robert for recommendations, he knows his stuff!

Amazing 8-day Great Migration safari

We have been living in Africa on a work assignment for a couple of years, and this is our second safari arranged by Blends of Africa. The previous one, in Uganda/Rwanda was arranged by Blends, but delivered by a different local company, as Blends did not typically have a presence in those countries. The trip reviewed here was both arranged and delivered by Blends, and we are extremely happy with the service provided. We came to Blends of Africa Adventures via a recommendation from a friend, who had traveled to Tanzania with them. Our contact at Blends was Mary, the amazing Mary! She has been truly a joy to work with. Mary is always prompt to respond, proactive to let us know about potential issues in advance, and extremely knowledgeable about local issues and conditions. Even during the trip, we exchanged messages in real time and got resolution for issues -- and it was Mary checking in on us that prompted the exchange. One unique feature of Blends is their detailed pricing structure, showing itemized costs for each aspect of the tour, including accommodations, transportation, activities, and fees (including park and concession fees). While other operators allow a certain degree of customization, the transparent pricing with Blends allows clients to make more informed tradeoffs in the planning of the tour. We did a lot of research on potential activities and accommodation options in preparation for this trip. We were very pleased with the lodges and destinations we experienced. Because safaris tend to be rather expensive, it is sometimes difficult to evaluate the value for money, but we felt that we understood the solid value we were receiving, having considered other options. Now for the tour itself, the best part. We arrived in Arusha late in the day, and spent the night near the airport. We then spent one night in Tarangire, visiting Tarangire the day before, then Lake Manyara the next day, on the way to Ngorongoro. Lake Manyara did not offer many different wildlife viewing opportunities, but we had the amazing luck to get stuck under a fruit tree, where baboons were feeding above and elephants around us were picking up fruit falling from the trees. We spent an hour surrounded by a herd of elephants, some at times within touching distance to our vehicle, unable to move because of other elephants in front or behind our vehicle. A bit scary at times, the experience was exhilarating. We spent two nights in Ngorongoro at a lodge on the edge of the crater, with amazing views from our balcony. We were lucky to have clear skies at times, when we had a view of the entire crater, but also moments when we could barely see the grass in front. The trip into the crater was nice, but not as amazing as the rest of the trip. In retrospect, we did not see much more wildlife than later in the safari, and we felt it rather limiting that vehicles had to be out of the crater in the mid-afternoon. Some areas were also quite crowded with safari vehicles. But Ngorongoro is definitely an experience worth having. The next three nights we spent at two camps, in Central Serengeti, Western, then Central again. We chose to go west, rather than north, and we were lucky that most of the migration was happening between the west and central areas. As such, we saw incredible numbers of wildebeest, zebras, antelopes and gazelles. We would often stop to see a large number of animals gathered in one spot, only to then follow the unending trail of others that were streaming into the gathering, as far as the eye could see. On our very first day, we were lucky to see three lion brothers resting just by the side of the main road, in a bush just a few miles after entering the park. We saw lots of other lions along the main roads, some mating, some resting, and others on the prowl. We also saw a couple of leopards, one in a tree with a Thompson gazelle, and one walking through the tall grass. We also saw a mother cheetah with a fuzz-covered baby, trying to hunt while also staying close to her baby. As we were stopped, watching, the cheetah crossed the road right in front of us, looking for a gazelle on the other side. We also saw lots of hippos, innumerable birds and beautiful flowers. In terms of seeing wildlife, Serengeti was by far the most rewarding part of our trip. While it was nice to see other parks and environments, we could easily have spent a whole week in Serengeti enjoying the wildlife viewing options there. A few practical points of advice: prepare for lots of flies when close to the migrating animals. Wear colors other than dark blue and black (which both attract tsetse flies). There will be lots of dust, so mind your eyes and nose (bring glasses, and maybe a face mask). Most importantly, enjoy! On this trip, we have made memories we will treasure for the rest of our lives. For our next trip, we will surely contact Blends of Africa Adventures first.

Dan

Reviews of Blends of Africa Adventures — SafariFind | SafariFind

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