It would be difficult to imagine a better guide for our trip than Barney, who met us at the airport upon our arrival and was with us throughout the trip. Barney was absolutely extraordinary in finding and spotting all of the animals that we were excited to see and experience up close, very often before any other guides were aware or present. He also has a true enthusiasm for and deep knowledge of all of the wildlife, as well as about local culture and history, and he is an excellent teacher in this regard. He is wise, patient (stopping while we took endless photos along the way), has a warm sense of humor (including with our fledgling attempts at speaking Swahili), and shares of himself and his own experiences very generously. Barney was simply the best guide one could imagine for a journey such as this.
“Every detail was meticulously planned and perfectly suited to our needs. It was obvious that Karen paid careful attention to how we prefer to experience travel and matched us with a guide who perfectly suited our style. Barney was incredibly professional and let us set the tone and pace. He is an outstanding guide in so many ways; he quickly read us and we bonded immediately. Throughout the journey it was obvious that Barney is well respected by the other guides and they often follow his lead because he knows where to go and how to find the animals. He is also an incredible photographer–I got to a point where I just handed him my phone and he meticulously captured our trip. With no exaggeration, our 8 days with Barney were life changing and we think of him each and every day.
While we requested clean and comfortable accommodations with private baths, every place we stayed far exceeded our expectations. Nyikani and Mara Mara were the standout favorites. I have spoken with folks who were unsure and had reservations about the food that would be provided. We ate incredibly well–food was more than plentiful, very good to extremely delicious, and the soups were the best I have ever eaten. Service was consistently exceptional.
Honestly, we can’t say enough positive things about our experience and have been recommending Access 2 Tanzania and Barney to all we can.”