Trip of a Lifetime!
Raymond was our guide and we can’t say enough good things about him! He immediately put us at ease when he picked us up at the Kilimanjaro Airport late at night. We were exhausted from the long flights but he made us feel welcomed and let us know that he was going to take good care of us. Ray is an excellent guide but aside from his extensive knowledge of the animals and of the areas we toured, he is friendly and has a great sense of humor! His skills in spotting animals and in driving the safari truck in very difficult terrain were remarkable. Ray constantly worked to provide us with the best safari experience possible and to show us the most extraordinary animals and terrain. He cares deeply about the wildlife and has a profound respect for all creatures. He would maneuver the truck to the best and safest position for us to view the animals all the while being careful not to disturb them in any way. Ray would also evaluate the lighting and help to put us in a spot where the sunlight would be most favorable for our photography. During the trip we saw guides who were not considerate of the animals which made us appreciate Ray all the more. We also noticed how Ray would speak to Park Rangers, exchanging greetings and asking questions about animal movements. We then saw several vehicles of other companies whooshing by us not even considering a stop to gain some insight from the Ranger. Ray taught us a great deal about the animals, the environment in the parks, the people and the country of Tanzania. He was very patient and thoughtfully answered all of our questions on a variety of topics. I will always remember the way Ray would point out an impala or giraffe and the affection evident in his voice for the animal. My husband and I wanted to keep on the go all day, every day, to see as much as we possibly could in the time we had, Ray made this happen. We were never in a rush and had plenty of time to absorb the fabulous natural world, take in the spectacular scenery and to take all the photos possible. I don’t think anyone covered more territory or saw more animals each day than we did! I don’t know how Ray was able to get any rest at night, but after each long and tiring day, filled with difficult driving, Ray would meet us early the next morning in a spotless truck, cleaned inside and out from the previous day’s activities. Ray introduced us to the animals, the parks and Tanzania in a personal way which made our safari experience very meaningful. We feel very fortunate to have had Ray as our guide and to call him our friend.
“We absolutely loved our experiences with Access 2 Tanzania. We booked our trip to Tanzania only a month before departure and were very happy to find out that November was the low season and that the lodging was still available. Karen was very responsive in getting the dates and bookings to us for review and took the time to talk to us over the phone a couple of times to ensure that we understood the details of our trip. The other highlight of our trip was the guides at Access 2 Tanzania. All of the guides that we had were great. However, our primary guide, Raymond, was the best guide that we have ever had on a trip anywhere and we have traveled a lot around the world. We felt incredibly safe while we were with Raymond. He was also very knowledgeable about Tanzania and the wildlife. He knew exactly where to take us to see the most wildlife and had an incredible eye for spotting the wildlife. He was able to spot wildlife that we could not see with binoculars using his own eyes.”