Joachim was phenomenal!!! As stated previously, we connected with Joachim from our first brief meeting the day before we began our safari. He was a very effective communicator and was sensitive on picking up on our needs. He could tell when we wanted to stay and observe animals, and knew when to ask if we were ready to move on. We felt comfortable sharing our thoughts and asking him questions.

When we set out on our safari we didn’t have a particular “check-list” of animals we wanted to see. Joachim was great about making terrific suggestions to us. My daughters boyfriend, Dylan, mentioned wanting to see a cheetah. We knew it would be difficult and on day 5 we had still not spotted one. By the end of the day we had seen 9, including a mother and cubs feeding on an antelope. Joachim always quietly delivered.

What I most loved about having Joachim as our guide was his deep knowledge of the animals. One day we watched a group of elephants for hours as he explained their social dynamic and interpreted the sounds they were making. It deepened our safari experience and I came away feeling like I got a wonderful education. He taught us every day and we loved it.

Finally, Joachim is a truly caring person. I saw it in the way he treated the staff at the lodges, they way he spoke to the coffee shop barista in Karatu and the way he treated us. Always professional, always kind, always patient.