It is hard to describe Noel’s performance. He is personable and patient. Noel is an excellent guide who makes every attempt to give you accurate information. He seems as excited as we were about our wildlife viewing. He listened to our requests and made helpful suggestions in planning our game drive each day. He networks with the other guides as well as anyone else who has wildlife information–even a utility truck driver. I think Noel knows everyone. He was extremely successful in locating wildlife. He made our safari incredible. We kept a record of animal species we identified each day. I am sure we missed recording some of them, but we identified a total of 167 animals, including birds and reptiles.
A careful driver, he makes you feel safe in the busy city of Arusha as well as comfortable on the nearly-impassable roads in the Serengeti. I respect his habit of following the park’s guidelines about staying on the roads and not driving across the grass in pursuit of the animals. We saw many other drivers from other companies pursuing animals through the grass. When we drove to a site where lions are often resting under a particular tree, no lions were there. But a ring of beaten-down grass where other vehicles left the road to drive around the lions could be easily seen. Noel had that rare ability to lead other people into compromise without offending anyone.
An example of his sensitivity to our wishes is demonstrated by what happened one evening. In planning our schedule for the next day, we discussed moving the bush walk at Nanyuki from the morning to the evening. We preferred using the morning, when generally there is more animal activity, for a game drive instead. Unfortunately, the Ranger had already arrived at Nanyuki so the schedule for the bush walk could not be changed. Noel assisted us in making everyone feel comfortable splitting up. Those who wanted to go on the game drive did that and the others stayed around camp for the bush walk. Each group had a remarkable day.
Noel was constantly checking with the members of the family to make sure our plans were acceptable to everyone. He was very sensitive to anyone who felt perhaps their voice was not being heard by the rest of the group. (This was a very strong-minded group!) This is a talent I wish I had!
Noel also was very open to answering questions about the culture of Tanzania and daily living experiences. He seemed appreciative of our stories and experiences in the US and never took offense when we asked him if he understood something we said.
“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.”