Great Gratitude for Elly and Access 2 Tanzania
Elly was fantastic. He’s simply a marvelous human. He helped us with our Swahili, helped us negotiate language and social situations in the town where we had spent our early childhood (Shirati, Rorya District, Mara). He noticed that I was interested in trees and plants, so he made it a point to show us plants and name the trees. He stopped for every bird we wanted to see. He was tireless in helping us find lions and leopards and elephants, etc. He entered our banter and became our friend. Also, he’s an incredible driver.
I should also mention Noel, who drove us around Arusha on our first day. He, too, was a marvelous guide and a great driver.
“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.”