Joachim was a fantastic guide. This was my third safari (first was in Uganda in 2013, second in Kenya 2015, with other companies). My prior two safaris had fine guides, we saw all the animals we wanted to see, but it was more a punch the clock attitude, not much chatting, and no “extra” info. Joachim, in contrast, was very friendly, always present with us — answering questions, adding information about animals we were seeing or the parks and their history, and also giving us quiet time when we were tired. He never took personal calls in front of us or otherwise seemed distracted.
Joachim was also very knowledgeable about the parks, animals, and Tanzanian history. We enjoyed learning from him. He was attentive to when we wanted to spend more time observing animals and when we were ready to move on. He was also a very safe and good driver!
Most of all, Joachim was friendly, genuine, and really looked out for us. For instance, when we flew out of Manyara, Joachim waited at the airport until our flight departed.
“It was excellent! The pre-trip planning with Karen was great and she and/or Allison promptly answered my many questions at various points prior to our actual trip. Also, Karen was extremely helpful in making our final day in Tanzania as comfortable as possible – she arranged for us to spend the afternoon in the Arusha Access 2 Tanzania day room. Our transport guide for the day, Haji, brought us a wonderful selection of Tanzanian food for lunch! He as well as Stella and the A2T staff were very nice and welcoming! Our safari guide Noel was such a good man and an excellent guide. He was thrilled to learn that we had requested him at the recommendation of my friend, and he didn’t disappoint. I don’t know how anyone can navigate the unmarked Serengeti roads like he did. He made sure that we were comfortable, safe, and had everything that we needed. During the trip, another A2T guide, David, and his 2 passengers (whom we previously met during the village tour) invited us into their land cruiser to watch the wildebeest crossing because they had a better position. We really appreciated that!”