We recently returned home from our safari, having planned for over a year with Casey as our consultant & advisor. He made recommendations, but was always open to our input and requests about possible changes. As icing on the cake, Willy Philemon was our assigned guide and we can’t imagine having this trip of a lifetime with anybody else in the driver’s seat!
We began the adventure in Arusha. The initial plan was to go to Mt Kilimanjaro & view the Materuni Waterfalls. Willy took the initiative to touch base with Casey about altering the itinerary because the weather was unfavorable in that area & instead we went to Arusha National Park for our first game drive!
Willy made this trip of a lifetime even more phenomenal than we could have imagined. His extensive knowledge of nature helped us to better appreciate the environment & wildlife we encountered. From animals to birds to plants and even insects we learned so much! I won’t list the many animals that we saw, but one day we were lucky enough to see a leopard in a tree. With Willy’s patience, we waited quite a while, because as he predicted at sunset the leopard would move (& it did) so we were able to get the ‘money shot’! One day, he pulled over after spotting a dung beetle rolling a ball of dung!
We can’t go on without mentioning his amazing (& safe) driving ability, in the crazy traffic in Arusha to the rutted muddy roads in the Serengeti. Willy’s ability to locate the animals & then position us in the best locations for viewing & photos was more than appreciated. His consideration for our safety, as well as that of the wildlife was commendable.
With four of us traveling together, Willy always made sure that we took everyone’s needs & desires into account!
Thank you to Access2Tanzania, Casey & Willy!
“My overall experience with Access 2 Tanzania was excellent. Karen was great from the start until the end of the safari trip. She was prompt in responding to all emails and phone calls. She was able to answer every question we had and was very knowledgeable of all aspects of the trip. The itinerary of the safari was planned perfectly around everything that we wanted to see and do. In addition, I cannot say enough good things about our guide, Noel. Noel was also very knowledgeable of all of the wildlife and navigating the areas of the safari that we went on. He was also a pleasure to be around for the entire week and made us feel very comfortable with everything, including checking in with the lodges, the hot air balloon, and our flight out of the Serengeti. Noel made it a point to make us happy and satisfied with all aspects of the safari. I would absolutely recommend anyone taking a trip to Tanzania to use Access 2 Tanzania and to also specifically request Noel as their guide!”