Excellent. In terms of skill as a guide (knowledge of wildlife, the parks, how to find what we wanted to see, etc.), Wilfred was great. Just as importantly, though, Wilfred was excellent on a personal level. He was friendly, funny and personable and we enjoyed spending our days with him. At the same time, he was excellent at reading the situation and knowing what kind of clients we were. As an example, since it was our honeymoon and a time for us to relax, sometimes we wanted to just sit and stare out the window without chatting much as we drove or call it a day a little early so we could relax by the pool or on the porch of our tent / lodge. He clearly understood that without us even having to say anything. Of course, we knew we knew we could dictate our schedule but it was so much easier when your guide anticipates what you’ll want to do even before you say anything. Overall, he was great.
“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.”