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!
“A2T brings a level of professionalism to every aspect of the safari trip preparation process. We asked for a number of specifics (bean bags for the cameras, an extra battery to power a CPAP) and all was in order in the safari vehicle when we got there. David was asking why we went with A2T and I mentioned using some of these questions to sort through almost 2 dozen tour operators that I contacted on the way to choosing A2T. Having so much information available from A2T at every step of the process, including how to fill out the visa forms (and a link to the form), how much cash to bring for various things, how to pack, etc. makes what is otherwise a complicated and somewhat atypical trip to prepare for very straightforward. Karen spoke with us about why one would wish to choose one versus a different lodge and we found that each one brought a unique, wonderful experience on our trip.”