Rating Foreign Tour Companies that Customize Tours (this month: Africa)
Back in the August through November 2014 issues, we printed letters from subscribers who responded to the information request of Yvonne Richter, who wrote, “My husband and I like to take customized private tours, and we prefer to use tour companies and guides that are local to the destinations. I would like travelers to write in about foreign tour companies and guides they’ve used for private tours, including as many of the following details as possible:
“The name and contact information of the foreign tour company or private guide (location, phone, email and/or URL).
“Rating, from 1 (poor) to 10 (great). (Poor ratings are as important to know as great ones.) Plus an explanation of the rating.
“The itinerary used. Length of the tour (number of days/nights or what fraction of a day). When the tour took place (month/year). Approximate cost of the tour, and what was included.
“Plus any special or noteworthy experiences of the trip, both positive and negative.”
Subscribers continued to write in, and we printed more of their letters in last month’s issue. The ones printed below are all on places in AFRICA. Each includes a rating from [1] (poor) to [10] (great).
If you are an ITN subscriber with info to share about a tour operator or guide based in the destination country (outside of the US) who provides customized local tours or arrangements, email editor@intltravelnews.com or write to Rating Foreign Tour Companies that Customize Tours, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818. Include the address at which you receive ITN. Photos are welcome.
The city of Essaouira (“essa-wee-ra”) is located on the Atlantic coast of Northern Africa, well south of Casablanca, and is not always included on tours of MOROCCO. As a result, it doesn’t have the crowds that are often present in the country’s Imperial Cities, such as Fes and Marrakech. It retains its medina (old town) and fishing front as working areas, and these have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
The city has a long history, dating back at least to Phoenician explorers (sixth century BC) and the Romans. The Portuguese landed there briefly, but the French left a lasting imprint, as a French architect designed the modern city in the 18th century. The Sultan was so pleased with the results that he gave it the name Essaouira, which means “beautifully designed” in Arabic.
During the French Protectorate (1912-1956) it was renamed Mogador, but the original name was restored with independence.
My wife and I wanted to extend our May 2015 Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) tour of Morocco to include Essaouira. Although OAT offered a post-tour, no one had signed up for it.
I contacted several tour operators found on the Web and finally settled on The Travel Source (8, Rue de la Post, Batha, Fes, Morocco; phone +212 0535 637611, email contact@thetravelsource.net or visit www.the travelsource.net), primarily because their agent Michelle Mellinger answered all my messages instantly and provided a perfect plan.
An English-speaking driver picked us up in Marrakech on May 12, 2015, where the OAT tour ended, and returned us to the Marrakech airport two days later for our flight home.
The price of MAD5,050 (near $522) included two nights, with breakfast, at the wonderful Riad Mimouna (62, rue d’Oujda [Sandillon], Essaouira; www.riad-mimouna.com [in French]), which Michelle had recommended. (The Mimouna is a 4-star accommodation in the medina, but we could have chosen a 5-star.)
Everything worked according to plan. Our driver/guide, Kamal Oujaa, dropped us off at the edge of the medina, where cars are prohibited. An employee of the riad was waiting to transfer our luggage to a cart.
The riad upgraded us to an ocean-view room, and the views of the rocky shore and islands were unfailingly impressive. We explored the medina, the beach and the working port for an interesting and restful two days. As we dropped down to sea level on our drive from Marrakech, the sea breezes wonderfully ameliorated the heat we had experienced in the inland cities.
Anyone wanting an independent tour of Morocco would be well served to contact Michelle. I cannot think of a single drawback to the arrangements. [10]
Joseph B. Lambert
San Antonio, TX
I had the opportunity for a short visit to Cairo, EGYPT, in December 2014, and the guide Tamer Farouk (azotty@hotmail.com or azottyof
egypt@yahoo.com) was recommended to me by his cousin, an Egyptian student I had housed.
An Egyptologist, Mr. Farouk was, without question, one of the best guides I’ve ever had in my travels. His knowledge of Egyptian history, culture, archaeology and cuisine was vast, and he had a good command of English.
I suspect I got a special rate because of the family connection, but for two full days of his services I paid him $200. He arranged everything, including transportation, a felucca cruise on the Nile, meals (such as a quail dinner in the bazaar) and even an after-dinner hookah at a popular teahouse.
Mr. Farouk customized the tour specifically for me. I used to work in museums and could easily have spent days in each one I visited. He was personally acquainted with many of the archaeologists so had firsthand knowledge of discoveries.
I found Tamer Farouk to be courteous as well as considerate of my needs and interests. I have traveled solo and on group tours to more than 130 countries (and in a past life led group tours), and Tamer was really exceptional. [10]
Judith L. Chovan
Friday Harbor, WA
The couple who led our group of 12 to UGANDA in 2014 booked the tour with Pearl of Africa Tours & Travel, Ltd. (88-94 Yusuf Lule Road, B1 Lower Ground Floor, Oasis [Nakumatt] Mall, P.O. Box 24254, Kampala, Uganda; phone +256 0 31 226 0559, www.pearlofafricatours.com). They had used this company before and asked specifically for our two drivers, Robert and Abas.
We each paid $1,800 for the 15-day tour, July 1-14, which included one night in Entebbe at the Boma Guesthouse (quiet, with extensive gardens) on arrival, two nights in Kampala at the Apricot Guesthouse (good, quiet), one night at Lake Mburo National Park at Rwakobo Rock (wonderful place, with views) and one night at Twin Lakes Lodge at Queen Elizabeth National Park (also with fantastic views and great food). (Since this was a volunteer trip, we also stayed at other locations not included in the price.)
The price also included meals at all the lodges and rafting on the Nile near Jinja. Tent accommodations in Jinja cost an extra $30 each.
We had four drives and a boat trip to see game. Although we stayed right outside the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, we did not go gorilla trekking. However, we did get to take a hike in the Bwindi forest to see how the Batwa people (pygmies) live. The hike was called the “Batwa Experience” (www.batwaexperience.com) and was included in the price.
Robert and Abas were wonderful. During our four game drives, they were knowledgeable and inevitably cheerful and helpful. While staying in locations not included in the above list, they were always available to drive us around. They had excellent suggestions for restaurants, shops and other stops. I give them a [10]!
Brita Bishop, Dallas, TX
A few friends and I experienced a very fine 2-week KENYAN safari, Sept. 15-Oct. 1, 2014, with Prestige Holidays Kenya (P.O. Box 714-00515, Buru Buru, Nairobi, Kenya; phone +254 [0] 729 962 532, www.prestigeholidayskenya.com). The owner, Anthony Mwaura, came through with a wonderful experience for all of us.
Arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, we were met by Anthony and transferred to the Nairobi Serena Hotel for our first two nights. After such long flights from Vancouver, we were grateful for this level of comfort.
Anthony had planned a gentle first day, aware that we needed to acclimatize to the elevation (Nairobi is at nearly 6,000 feet) and recover from our journey. One of the sites we visited that day was the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage (www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org).
We then had an extensive safari that included Tsavo West and Amboseli national parks, Samburu and Maasai Mara national reserves and Lake Nakuru plus stays at the Mountain Lodge in Mount Kenya National Park and Sweetwaters Tented Camp in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
In the game parks, we stayed at either Serena or Sopa lodges. All were 5-star and were interesting in their African architecture. They offered all amenities and provided excellent service and splendid buffet meals.
Our 4x4 Land Cruiser had a pop-up top that allowed for wonderful opportunities to view the animals and take photos. Also very noticeable was Anthony’s amazing ability to see animals from afar and to get us really close to them.
Anthony was very patient with our constant photography (“Are you done now?” “No, no, not yet!”) and with our other wishes that arose. His sense of humor added to our enjoyment, and his driving was impeccable, sometimes in challenging situations.
The cost for each of us depended upon the number of people in a room. For this single person, with the single supplement and during high season, it was $7,500 and worth every cent.
Included were airport transfers, accommodation with breakfast in Nairobi, full board in all game park lodges, bottled water, all entry fees and insurance with AMREF Flying Doctors for medical emergency transport and care. Not included were international flights, other meals in Nairobi and beverages.
Anthony was mindful of everyone’s well being, from the youngest at 14 to the oldest. I highly recommend Anthony Mwaura and Prestige Holidays Kenya. I would be happy to respond to any questions by email (sarnia@sophiaservices.ca). [10]
Sarnia Guiton
Sechelt, BC, Canada
Whenever my husband and I are asked which of the 50 countries we’ve traveled to are our favorites, the ones that leap to mind are SOUTH AFRICA, BOTSWANA and ZAMBIA, which we visited in 2008 with Africa 2000 Tours (P.O. Box 1025, Knysna 6570, South Africa; phone +27 44 382 5845, www.africa2000tours.co.za).
I had placed an ad in ITN’s “Person to Person” section requesting suggestions for tour guides and companies for South Africa, and we were flooded with recommendations for Africa 2000. We, along with two other couples, spent a number of months planning for this trip of a lifetime.
Graham Maskell, Africa 2000’s owner, was the best guide and human being ever. He is a quiet, gentle man who loves his country and is knowledgeable about every aspect of it. Before you know it, you’ll be hanging on his every word.
He and his wife, Gill, love all things Africa and are thrilled to give others the best experience possible. With Graham’s expertise and Gill’s help in planning, the lodging, wine, food and — above all (to me) — wildlife viewing cannot be outdone.
I couldn’t have been more thrilled than to be on a game drive watching a leopard dozing in the top of a tree, with another heading for that tree, and then have Graham lean over and very quietly suggest I not move suddenly or yell because an adolescent leopard was at my elbow in the tall grass! Or to have a mother elephant and her baby outside our window, munching.
Our trip, two full weeks from landing to departure, cost approximately $17,000 for the two of us and included internal flights, lovely accommodations, many meals, a designated guide for the entire trip, a lovely van, wine tastings and a helicopter flight over Victoria. It did not include international airfare.
If I can provide any other information, please contact me (2linsueb@gmail.com). [10]
Linda Besnette, Sedona, AZ
Looking for travel services in Southwestern Africa? Here are two I used for private tours in mid/late June 2014. I can’t give prices, as they were parts of a 2-week trip.
• In ANGOLA, EcoTur (Tchinguari Ranch, Rua 2 s/n, Benfica, Samba, Luanda, 2, NA, Angola; phone +244 912 501 387, www.eco-tur.com) was absolutely tops. I went on a half-day tour and two all-day tours with this company. (I was in Angola four nights, but the first was really a middle-of-the-night arrival from a London flight.)
CEO Paul Wesson (paul@eco-tur.com) made travel easy in a country notoriously difficult to get around in. He efficiently arranged airport transfers, hotel accommodations and sightseeing in Luanda and beyond. He was flexible about adjusting planned itineraries, giving full attention to us from our arrival to our departure. [10]
• In NAMIBIA, Camelthorn Transfers & Tours (36 Bismarck St. [City Centre], Windhoek, Namibia; phone +264 061 255 490, www.camelthorntours.com) offers shuttle services in and around Windhoek as well as tours of the city and to Etosha and Sossusvlei.
Camelthorn is operated by Joseph and Dina Uaangata, who epitomize personal care. They expertly handled my transfers to the hotel and between international and local airports and provided a delightful full-day tour of Windhoek and its surroundings. [10]
Jean Palmegiano
Newark, NJ