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- MARANGU 7 DAYS GROUP DEPARTURE$1,518
- RONGAI 8 DAYS GROUP DEPARTURE$1,786
- MACHAME 9 DAYS GROUP DEPARTURE$2,029
- LEMOSHO 10 DAYS GROUP DEPARTURE$2,335
- KILIMANJARO CLIMB NORTHERN CIRCUIT$2,190- $2,498
- KILIMANJARO CLIMB LONDOROSSI ROUTE$2,597
SAFARI PACKAGE
- TEMBO 5 DAYS SAFARI $1,518
- KIFARU 7 DAYS SAFARI $2,139
- SIMBA 3 DAYS SAFARI $899
- SERENGETI MIGRATION $1,363 -$2,792
- WILDEBEEST MIGRATION PACKAGE 6 DAYS
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- MAASAI LODGE
- THE BEST OF AFRICA SAFARI
- WILDEBEEST CALVING NDUTU
COMBO PACKAGE
- CLIMB KILIMANJARO & SAFARI ADVENTURE #1 (13 DAYS)$4,233
- KILIMANJARO MACHAME ROUTE & SAFARI 4 DAY #2 (11 DAYS)$3,517
- KILIMANJARO MARANGU ROUTE & CLASSIC SAFARI #3 (11 DAYS)$3,715
- 6 DAYS RONGAI ROUTE COMBINED WITH 3 DAYS LODGE SAFAR. $3,063
- 5 DAYS MARANGU ROUTE COMBINED WITH 3 DAYS LODGE SAFARI $3,715
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- SUSTAINABLE TOURISM WITH ZARA CHARITY PACKAGE #1 (CODE:- STP14#1)
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- THE FAMOUS EAST AFRICAN MIGRATION PACKAGE (SERENGETI & MARA)
- COME TO AFRICA AND SUPPORT THE FIGHT AGAINST POACHING
- CLEAN KILIMANJARO SPECIAL
OTHER DESTINATION
- UGANDA RWANDA 14 DAYS SAFARI
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- ETHIOPIA NORTH & SOUTH COMBINED PACKAGE
- 9 DAYS KENYA SAFARI
ZARA TOURS DAY TRIPS
Zara News
- Nyerere Golden Award Best Women Achievers in 2015
- "Talk of the Town" published in The Arusha Times on Dec 12 to 18, 2015
- Zara Tours recognized as the best tour company of the year
- Zara Tanzania Adventures recognized as the best tour company of the year 2013/2014
- ICA, SNOW AND SAVANNA book
- HATS Certificate of Membership
- GEITA GOLD MINE EXPEDITION AGAINST HIV/AIDS 2014
- 54 years old North Carolina Native
- Receives 2014 Gloval Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor
- ZARA TOURS INC receives 2013 Canadian Excellence Award
- Clean-up Kilimanjaro Machame Route - October 1, 2015
- Zainab Ansell: Exemplary woman entrepreneur
- Wins of 2012 Humanitarian Award in London
- Ngorongoro Marathon
Mount Kilimanjaro Porters Society (MKPS)
The Kilimanjaro Porters Society was created in 2004 by Zara Tours to improve the working conditions of all porters on Mount Kilimanjaro and other hiking areas in Tanzania.
Please note:
A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate will have to be shown at the points of entry to Tanzania and Zanzibar.
This is a measure for your safety and to help prevent outbreaks.
Did you know?
Due to its outstanding charitable community support, ZARA has been awarded winner of the 2010 Tanzania Tourism Tour Operator Humanitarian Award!
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Tanzania Safari & Kilimanjaro Testimonials For more information on the comments please contact :- Macon Dunnagan
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Kathy Dalsaso This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Videos Review on Youtube:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQd0Z3qef4U&feature=em-upload_owner It was one of the best trip I ever had. One week before arriving Yesse Lema made contact with me and wanted to get to know our group. After arriving three day before Yesse came to my room and introduced himself in person and advised us he would attend the hotel at 4:00 the day before and explain the trip and make sure we had the right equipment and what food we liked, On day one Yesse introduced assistant guide Hiliery Kombe and Maisha Francis and our adventure started, We could not have had better Guides, they worked very hard to meet our every need. We would not have summit if it wasn't for the superb effort by these three guides. I can not say enough about their effort to get us to the summit. I will always remember their extraordinary effort to get all four of us to the summit. Always will be in our hearts The safari was a 5 day and was also very good Paul tried his best to get the best positions for picture taking and cleaned the vehicle every night . Thanks to Zara tours It was and absolutely fabulous trip. You exceeded our every expectation. Thank you again Pat Ann Janet Nikki (comment received Feb 28, 2017)
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. We believe the guides, cooks and porters were committed to our comfort and, more importantly, our safety. We were with the Mndeme team. Super group. Diane (comment received Dec 3, 2016) Everything went better than expected. Our guide, Living, assistant guide, Frankie, and all the porters were great! The transportation and hotel were wonderful as well. The staff at the hotel was really friendly, helpful, and patient. It was really one of the best experiences of our lives. Thank you! Paul (comment received Oct 2, 2016) Jambo ………….our family all arrived back safely from Tanzania on Thursday completing an amazing and emotional experience. The task was to climb the mountain, which three out of seven accomplished but that was only part of the story. Your beautiful people, their friendliness, the scenery the colours…amazing. The safari was great too and we packed much into a relatively short time !!! Between KLM, African Safari and yourselves, thanks for looking after our delayed contingent – but they arrived in time for the trek. Everyone we met from Zara Tours was a credit to your organisation and to your country and we are now on the e-mailing list for several guides, “Senior” Porters, one Chef and his assistant! The quality and variation of the meal products that Evance produced from his tent left us dumfounded. I suspect we were gives special treatment travelling as a family group and my wife and myself soon became known as Mama and Papa ! For the Kilimanjaro trek, very, very special thanks to Jaffari Kimolo and his core team Joshua, the Kabila brothers, Evance, Juma and Muzee (you brought tears to my eyes) ………….and thanks to all the other unmentioned heroes too. For the Safari – thanks to Hansa (apologies if this is spelt incorrectly). Knowledgeable, trustworthy, a safe pair of hands at the wheel who didn’t take risks or flout any rules. I wasn’t worried one. So asante san Zara Tours and all of your team for giving us this life changing opportunity. On the negative side…..it is likely that at least two of us will be knocking at your door in the future for a return match with the mountain once we have sorted out how best to tackle altitude sickness !!!!!! Kwaheri (for now) From the heart, Papa Geoff (comment received Aug 28, 2016)
Just arrived back in the UK following our trip to Tanzania. Our Kilimanjaro experience was perfect, we both thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing. Our guides Kabila and Raymond were both excellent and we couldn't have wished for better guides. The food cooked by Armani, our chef, was incredible- I'm amazed at how he can cook such delicious meals on a mountain! And all our porters were so lovely and hard working. The staff in the hotel were also so welcoming and friendly, special regards to Juma who taught us some swahili before we headed up the mountain. Thanks so much for such an incredible trip! Will definitely recommend Zara to friends. Helena. (comment received JUNE 12, 2016) Thanks for following up. My trip was phenomenal. Tanzania is an an amazing place and Kiliminjaro was a spectacular trip. Zara tours has a great staff at the Springlands hotel and assisted me in any personal excursion, outside of Kiliminjaro, that I made. Loved the team that i was paired up with in Amani, and Wilfred. The guides always gave us info about the different areas in the hike and assisted in getting us to the top. Couldn't of asked for a better group to go with. The camps were set up nice and the daily agendas were all doable. Thank you for everything and helping me have one of the best experiences of my life.
Regards, (comment received May 24, 2016) I had a great experience with Zara Tours while I was in Tanzania. The staff at the Springlands Hotel took very good care of me and the overall experience of completing the 6-day Machame Route climb was one I'll never forget. There were a few concerns I had during this trip though. (Pre-hike) I did not like having to pay $4 USD for a plastic bag to carry my sleeping bag/gear. I think it would be a reasonable expectation that if a sleeping bag is being rented, then it should come with a waterproofed bag to be carried in. If I'd known a bag like this was needed, I would've packed a couple of strong plastic bags for the trip. I don't feel this was well communicated in the pre-departure checklist. (Meals 1) It felt that there was far too much food prepared for each meal. From the start of the hike, I would leave a full third of each meal untouched. This was especially true of the pastas and potatoes. Even the lunches were too much to be finished. (Meals 2) I did not like the breakfast porridge at all. This is totally a matter of personal taste, but it just didn't agree with me and I don't think I had more than a single bowl of it during the trip. The crew kept making more every day, even though I was leaving it untouched. There was often enough toast or other food, so filling up wasn't an issue. (Post-hike) The tipping process was very awkward. I was expecting to be part of a group and did not know I would be the only hiker in my "group". I wasn't prepared for being solely responsible for tipping the entire team. Perhaps Zara can provide more details on the make-up of each group, maybe a week prior, so the hiker has a better understanding of how much cash they need to have on their person. The hike itself was amazing and my guide, Wilibard was fantastic. He took very good care of me and expressed a great deal of concern for my health and safety. Wilibard has great knowledge of the mountain and the region. He was able to answer all of my questions and provided excellent advice throughout my trip. Overall, I would definitely recommend Zara Tours to anyone who is interested in hiking Kilimanjaro. -mathew (comment received May 24, 2016) Hi Adam We had an exciting visit to Tanzania. this was my second time with Zara. 10 yrs ago I also did a safari and climbed Kilimanjaro. Was successful this time also. One on my group needed to be removed from mountain second day and you guides were excellent and making all arrangements. We were all very happy with the set up and will recommend ZARA to our friends Thanks, Bryan (comment received May 22, 2016) Hi, We loved the Tanzania trip... hats off to your team and we super love all our porters and guides too.... Babu/mango/richard and our waiter goliza(?) ... Will leave feedbacks soon in tripadvisor or your social media... we've gotten to your group through out mountaineering group who have been using zara since 2006 so there's no problem with spreading the word about you! Thanks for making our trip memorable Joy (comment received Mar 19, 2016) I'm hoping to see Macon tomorrow in Calgary! We were very impressed with the planning, the route and acclimatization seemed better than other groups, and everything went as described. All the equipment was good quality and in good condition. Everyone at Zara was friendly and fun. We never lost any weight because the food on the mountain was fabulous. As Canadians the total price for us was a bit high, paying 1.4 to 1.5 times U.S.$ Overall we were very satisfied and would recommend Zara Tours. John (comment received Mar 18, 2016) Hi George I just wanted to pass this on to you….good work Hassan and Zara Tours!
Hello John, well I have had the time of my life and the safari has fulfilled every expectation. Thank you for arranging it for me. My driver/guide Hassan was excellent, a good driver and a fount of knowledge, I highly recommend him. The walk to the waterfall was quite tough as I had to do a bit of climbing and ford the river four times. But Imade it and had a brilliant Maasai guide called Equil. The morning walk to Lake Natron was a pleasant two and a half hour ramble. Hunting with the Hadzabe tribe was just amazing and most unexpected, I wasn't sure what the visit would be about. The balloon trip was great and I would suggest it to everyone. At the moment the main migration is in South Serengenti so we didn't see the vast herds and numerous predators but we did see lots of mixed herds and amazinglandscapes. The lodge at Lake Natron was wonderfully quirky and a great location with excellent service and food. Ikoma tented camp was just like Out of Africa with hyenas banging against the side of the tent. Again brilliant service and food. Roika wild camp was fabulous, great accommodation, service and food and the sounds of elephants rumbling and lions roaring. What a place. A really memorable holiday , probably my last great adventure. Thank you again John. Kind regards, Margaret Sent from my iPad Many Thanks
John (comment received Feb 21, 2016) Hi Zara tours staff, ~Lauren~ (comment received Jan 23, 2016) Hello Yosia, I had a wonderful time at Kilimanjaro last week and it was mainly thanks to the Zara crew that accompanied me.
Thank you! (comment received Jan 11, 2016) George: We were never given any evaluation forms to give feedback on our trek and safari guides. Please make sure this email evaluation gets to the right people, so that Filbert, Muhsin and Samuel get the credit they deserve. Our 6-day trek at the end of December was everything we could have hoped for. Chief Guide Filbert and Assistant Guide Muhsin took care of our every need. Not only did they set the perfect pace for each part of the trek, they were also very knowledgeable about the plants we saw along the way, and were understanding and encouraging when we got tired. We would give them both an A++ grade. The porters, cook and waiter were also fantastic. Our 5-day safari was similarly well-done. Our guide/driver Samuel was extremely knowledgeable about the animals and landscapes we encountered, and often did additional research in his books to answer our more detailed questions. He is a very safe driver, and an easy person to spend many hours with in a car. He gets an A++ grade as well. We would highly recommend each of these three guides to any future guests. They are wonderful individuals, with excellent leadership and language skills. Many thanks, also, for your part in arranging this most amazing birthday celebration (21st birthday for Sierra and 60th birthday for Bob) in Tanzania. It was truly a “bucket list” trip. Michele and Bob. (comment received Jan 09, 2016) I recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with Zara Tours, and I wanted to thank the team for their great work. Frankie was the best guide I could have hoped for, and I had a wonderful experience because of his expertise and incredibly hard work. I wouldn't have reached the summit if not for Frankie! The rest of the team on our climb was also very attentive and made sure that I had everything that I needed, and I appreciated everything that they did for me. I look forward to returning to Tanzania and Mount Kilimanjaro soon with Zara. Thank you, ~Teresa~ (comment received Sep 16, 2015)
My family and I have just recently finished a 7-day safari with your agency. We were accompanied the entire time by your staff member, Mr. Baraka Sospeter. And Mr. Kessy was our driver. From the moment of our arrival to the time of our departure both of these men were constantly concerned for our comfort and well-being as well as committed to fulfilling all our wishes. Using his exceptional command of the German language and his extensive knowledge, Mr. Sospeter presented us much information about the land and its people. He was always courteous, polite and punctual, was always in a cheerful mood, and above all was always professional and thorough concerning our safety. Mr. Kessy with his perfect knowledge of the area, was an ideal match and complement. At no time did we ever have the feeling he was not in total control of the situation or that he had put us in danger. Lastly, although the Christmas celebrations fell in this period, both men never seemed tired or distracted. I would like to sincerely thank you for an unforgettable week and ask you to please pass along this gratitude and thank-you to our two guides, Mr. Sospeter and Mr. Kessy Harry Forst (comment received Dec 29, 2014) Dear all, I have just returned from the most amazing holiday. (comment received Nov 5 , 2014) Dear Zainab I like very much to express my gratitude for the very good treatment from your company. To be 64 year and not in the best shape it would not be possible for me to achieve this with out a person as Gilbert and his team. Big thanks to him and his team. I ask you to give him the letter in attachment. Beste hilsener / Best regards Jan O Hjetland
(comment received Nov 03 , 2014) Dear Zara-Team, In August of this year we had a very beautiful safari trip in Tanzania with your company. Our driver and guide was Goodluck. We would like to thank again this amazing guy who was always very friendly, kind and attentive. With his great knowledge about the African nature and culture he always had an answer to our questions. He always was very well organized and informed us about the daily route. Thanks to him, we were able to see “The big 5”. Also we were very pleased with the accommodation and service in the Highview Hotel and Serengeti Wild Camp. Our trip was an unforgettable experience and we will be back to Africa for sure, hopefully with your company and our good friend “Goodluck”. Please send our warmest greetings to him. Kind regards Manuela Börner (comment received Oct 25 , 2014) Dear Zainab, I’m writing you to thank you for the wonderful experience we had climbing Kilimanjaro with Zara Tours in July this year. We are very pleased with how everything was organised from your side (thank you for getting us to Uhuru peak!). We had a very good experience with our guide Salim who took us up to the top with great skills and motivation. Also, we much appreciate the flexibility that was shown from Salim’s side in adjusting our schedule to our loss of baggage at the airport. For your record, we will without hesitation recommend Zara tours as well as Salim to any of our friends planning a Kilimanjaro hike. Once again, many thanks for an unforgettable experience! Best regards Eric Carlson (comment received Aug 29 , 2014) It is time to say Thank You! The 21 of July 2014 we reached Uhuru Peak at 06.30 AM just in time for sunrise. I, Filip, Hakan and Leo would just like to send a big thank you to head guide Michael and his brilliant team. Michael, Justin and the rest of the team gave us such an awesome, once in a lifetime adventure with memories to cherish for the rest of our lives. Thank You! We are so impressed by, with such an ease, Michael guided his team, all the logistics with heavy equipment, excellent service and food, and 'pole, pole' walking pace adjusted to fit our group perfect. Even though we had to experience a sad death among another group, we always felt safe and in the best of hands of Michael and his team, never compromising with our safety. A big thank you also to Zara Tanzania Adventures. You must be so proud of your company and the people working for you. You are running an excellent operation! Best regards, Helene, Filip, Hakan and Leo
Helene Lundkvist Owner/Partner (comment received Aug 24 , 2014)
(comment received Aug 26 , 2014) Dear Zainab, It was a pleasure to meet and talk to you yesterday in your hotel. Summarizing our conversation as you requested in writing I (and my 2 friends traveling with me) believe that everything worked perfectly well. From the first day to the last second when you drives us to the airport. Hotel excellent, service and facilities and special remark to include In the pack to use the hotel facilities plus room the last days before going to the airport. Good relief to take a shower after seven days in the mountain. Being more specific on the journey to Kilimanjaro, let me say that we were amazingly surprised for all the logistics you have put in place moving stuff up and up and up and up and up and finally down, preparing the tents, food and other facilities in every single camp in a very precise and organized way. Regarding all the team that travelled with us ...all were 5 stars, from the guide Fernando to the last porter without forgetting the cooker and waiter. But we would like to make an special remark to our guide and leader of the entire team. FERNANDO was great, supportive, always explaining all the things with the required details, being patient with us and the most important thing guiding us to the summit that was our goal. You are lucky having someone representing Zara tours like he is doing. Once again thanks and congratulations and do not have any doubt that I will pass my comment to Tuareg that was the company we used in Spain and to our friends in case they want to repeat our experience. Ignasi Ricou (comment received Aug 08 , 2014) Dear mrs. Zainab A. Ansell We had an amazing safari trip in Tanzania and my boyfriend and i both agere that we have your driver Nelson, Maglan to thank for it. We could not have had a better driver. He knew so many tings about the animals, he was really helpful and always in a good mood. We would recommend him to others. No dout that we had the best guide in Tanzania :) Regards Tina (comment received Aug 07 , 2014) Dear Zainab, I gave a very high rating for Springland Hotel and Zara Tours. It is amazing what you have been able to accomplish and the high level of service to meet western expectations in Tanzania. I will do all I can to promote your organizations because I can see they not only provide real value to visitors like myself, but also help the local economy and more specifically provide good stable jobs to people. I am also very thankful that you are a believer in Jesus Christ and have such a powerful testimony. There were a few things I did observe that could have been improved and two in particular were worth mentioning in my opinion. Rather then publicize the incidents I feel it is much better to let you know privately so you can address them without hurting your reputation or public image. The first is I made a decision to go to Kilimanjaro Airport to see if I could fly out on standby the day before my flight. I knew there was a high probability that the flight I was trying to get on would be full but I thought it was worth a try. I not only reserved a room, but I paid for it in advance as there were a few items I wanted to have available in case it didn't work out, but I didn't want to travel with them with me so I left them in the room. When I got to the airport the drivers made sure I was taken care of. I was enjoying the company of one driver and decided to hang out at the airport even though I could have got a ride back with another driver after finding out I would not be able to fly out on standby. As it turned out the flight he was waiting for a passenger on was delayed for much longer than the flight screen indicated and I was very late getting back to the hotel. However, I wasn't concerned because he told me he was in communication with the staff at the hotel and they were fully aware that I was returning. This was not just one communication, but several. The driver reassured me after each call. However, upon returning to the hotel to pick up the key to my room I discovered someone had given my room away and all the items I left behind to use were gone. Needless to say I was not happy about that. I had paid for the room and wanted the convenience of using the items I had left in the room. The person there on staff was not able to confirm that I had reserved a room, but gave me a different room anyway on my word that I had prepaid for a room. In the future hotel staff should be instructed not to give a paid room away unless they confirm with the driver that the person actually caught a flight. In this situation it was inexcusable because I was standing right by the driver when he was talking to hotel staff letting them know that I would be returning to my room that night. The second incident involved our luggage. The check in luggage did not arrive with us and so we had to wait until the next evening. However, for some reason even though the luggage did arrive on the next KLM flight for some reason it was not delivered to us that night, but we had to wait until the next morning. This meant we had to rush to prepare our Porter duffel and day hiking packs for the climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro. In our rush all five of us ommitted important items to help us make a safe and successful climb. In addition, three of my five hiking companions had extremely vital pieces of gear missing!! One was missing his expedition mittons, his down parka and all three were missing their headlamps. I suggested to our group leader that one of us needed to go to the airport with the driver to pick up our luggage, but trusting soul that he was he said that was not necessary. I trusted his judgement because he had traveled internationally to and from India, but obviously he made the wrong decision. Because we were not physcially there to retrieve our luggage it caused the baggage to be exposed to being pilfered and the theft of these important items for our climb. It put their personal safety at risk because they could not replace the quality of those items with rental gear. One of the three in our party came in on the same KLM flight that Sanjay, Roger and my luggage were coming in on. Because his luggage didn't arrive either his duffel had to be brought to him at Shira Camp 2. He was missing his headlamp, down parka, and expedition gloves. There are several observations and lessons to be learned from this and there are things that Springlands can do to mitigate the problems created by late arriving check in luggage. First, please insist one or more of the party go to the airport with the driver to be there physically to pick up late luggage when the plane arrives to reduce the amount of time that check in luggage is unsecured. I noticed at the airport when I arrived that when the baggage arrived from other lost luggage was left unattended and any number of unauthorized people had access to it. Second please advise people that there is a "high probability" that check in luggage may not arrive and they may want to take other precautions such as shipping gear directly to Springlands via DHL or at least keeping critical gear in carry on (which is what I did). Arriving a day early is a good plan, but it doesn't do any good if the person doesn't go back to the airport the next day to physcially retrieve their luggage. Getting through security is exasperating, but it is necessary in order to keep control of essential items for the climb. I hope these suggestions are welcome and used to help other travelers have a more pleasant experience and successful summit. One more suggestion is that you advise people going on the safari to bring warm weather gear. It was very cold in the Ngorongoro crater area and I almost got ill because I didn't have enough warm clothing with me. The driver would not turn on the heater because he didn't want to blow dust into the vehicle. I finally convinced him to rollup his window and to turn the heat on without the fan so warm air would be generated to take the chill off. Otherwise I had a phenomenal experience and even the adversity was part of the adventure. However we were all seasoned hikers. It may not have turned out as well for those with less experience. Cordially, Jim Cribari (comment received Aug 04 , 2014) Ms. Ansell, My nephew, Bradley Ranson and I were recently on one of your hikes to Kili (Marangu route) July 14- July 19 2014 I wanted to be sure to let you know how wonderful your two guides were – lead guide, Ema (Emmanuel) and assistant guide, Salim I personally don’t think I would have accomplished the hike without the help of Ema – the encouragement he gave me especially during the climb to the summit was outstanding My nephew feels the same about Salim – a great pair guides Lastly, the porters were great. I do want to make mention of Bob our waiter – he went above and beyond always with a great smile on his face (even when it was really cold outside). I look forward to knowing that Bob will rise the ranks and hopefully become a guide someday – he has the personality and the charm. Regards, Elizabeth (comment received July 25 , 2014) Our three nights at Serengeti Wildcamp was above all expectations! I was stunned by the food, the tents and the fact that you sleep in the middle of the savannah! During the night we heard buffalows and zebras grassing just next to our tent. And every night af 7 PM a hyena showed up. It was a bit scary at first, but the staff told us, that for them the hyena was just like a dog walking around among the tents. The safari trip was one of the most exciting things i have ever experienced! And I can only recommend this camp. Delicious breakfast and dinner! Sophie B Hjoerring, Denmark (comment received July 26 , 2014) We had a great stay at Serengeti Wild camp. We laid in our beds at night listening to lions and hyenas. Zebras and gnus passing our tent... This was awsome!!! The people who worked there were amazing. They made our stay super. Kristin A Fetsund, Norway (comment received July 25 , 2014) “Close to the nature - superb place - nice people around you!” Be "in the wild" and in many ways feel secure, then go to Serengeti Wildcamp in Serengeti National Park. Nice place to stay, superb room for me and my 2 children (18 year girl and 15 year old boy). Employees perfect! I'm looking back with nice feelings and both of my children would like to come back "in the wild" and listening to the animals when the night comes "towards" you :-) Thanks for this experience Guys!! Jacomo13 Roskilde, Denmark (comment received July 25 , 2014) Our three nights at Serengeti Wildcamp was above all expectations! I was stunned by the food, the tents and the fact that you sleep in the middle of the savannah! During the night we heard buffalows and zebras grassing just next to our tent. And every night af 7 PM a hyena showed up. It was a bit scary at first, but the staff told us, that for them the hyena was just like a dog walking around among the tents. The safari trip was one of the most exciting things i have ever experienced! And I can only recommend this camp. Delicious breakfast and dinner! Sophie B Hjoerring, Denmark (comment received July 18 , 2014) Dear Zainab I write to congratulate you on the successful running of ZARA tours. I was most delighted to see that Zara is owned and operated by a black woman (forgive the cliché), but it is worthy of note, particularly as I now live in the UK for school and this is not a common occurrence. You are dedicated to offering quality service at all levels to clients which is welcome, particularly as we are overtaken by profit-making organizations who only pay lip-service to client satisfaction in many cases. I was most impressed by the attention to details, even the wearing of gloves by the persons at the buffet, the level of hygiene at the hotel, the pristine grounds and attentiveness of staff rivals any luxury hotel in any “developed” country, and even surpass some, it was a small place with a big heart, that’s the feeling I got. Thank you. My main purpose for writing however is to express my awe and total respect for the guides and porters. Kitenja and Thomas, my angels on the mountain, without whom I would not have made it. “Uncle” Bruce or Brucie as he was affectionately called, was a competent and effective leader. Living, Saba, Ambrose, Peter and Jerry, and the others whose names I forgot, or I did not meet, Spice, who carried my bag. The effort that they made to make sure all went smoothly was beyond expectations. We were well fed, on time in what is considered luxury, that could be expected in extreme camping. This they did without complaints, always smiling; without proper gears for protection of their own person. There was a genuine desire to please, and most of all to ensure we all made it. They went beyond the call of duty, I recall Thomas wiping my nose and mouth after throwing up from mountain sickness, when I had no strength or desire to do those simple things J. Everyone in the group were impressed and appreciative, to the point of even feeling a little guilty when they came to assist in packing sleeping bags or taking extra packs when we could not manage. There were no complaints from the group, just amazement at the amount of work and their strength and capacity to provide such service in such conditions. Please convey our highest respect and appreciation. I am now back and proudly say to family and friends I climbed Kilimanjaro, knowing very well that I could not have done it without my angels. They are awesome people. My love, appreciation and utter respect I give and humbly submit that I will always carry them in my heart. I hope to be back in short order to do some work at the orphanage and to see them again. I would love to stay at Springlands once more so I will keep in touch and do my booking directly. I wish you all the blessings for continued success in your business as you enrich the lives of others and create amazing experiences for people to discover Africa and themselves in the process. As we say in Jamaica, One Love. Sincerely, Carolyn (comment received July 16 , 2014) Kitondo We enjoyed the trip a lot, and I will certainly recommend Zara to anyone wanting to visit Tanzania. Thanks Roger (comment received July 15 , 2014) Abdi and Kitenja. I want to tell you how much Davis and I enjoyed the trek and appreciate your help and the help of your team. Your focus on our success summiting was noticeable from the start. Everything you did from carrying our day packs on summit day to helping Davis down when he bonked was immensely helpful. Your advice along the way was right on target. Your experience getting low-landers like us up to the roof of Africa was so obviously. While it was easy for you physically given your training, your understanding of what our bodies and minds were enduring was obvious. You likely can't understand how much this means to us given that you climb the mountain so often, but you should know that Davis and I will remember and cherish this adventure for the rest of our lives. Thanks also for the incites into Tanzanian culture. I find it interesting to compare and contrast cultures. There is a lot that we Americans can learn from the Tanzanian way of life. (comment received June 30 , 2014) There is no doubt that we have a wonderful and unforgettable trip in Tanzania with ZARA Tours. Thank you very much! Moreover, we will recommend our friends consider ZARA Tours if they want to travel to Tanzania. Kind Regards, Yufei chen (comment received April 10, 2014)
My whole crew was great, they all did their best, to make my trip as good as possible. Great food, awesome waiter, and the porters were nice and helpful.
gunnpaaferiealene.wordpress.com Gunn Tjessem (comment received Mar 19, 2014) The Zara team we had were brilliant and honestly we had not a single complaint as those guys made it memorable for both Selogen and myself. From their comforting words to their guidance throughout the trail and to their motivation on summit night .. They were brilliant !!! We successfully summited !!! Stanley , Hamisi and their crew just blew us away. And if it weren't for them we would not have had such a fabulous experience on such a majestic mountain Kind regards, Rose (comment received Mar 18, 2014) Dear Stephen Waithaka – Zara Properties We have had the best vacation of our lives. So we thank you so much for this splendid experience! We stayed at Hotel Springlands Moshi, Hotel Highview Karatu, Serengeti Wild camp, and Ngorongoro Wild camp. All those places were top-nice and with a friendly, obliging and helpful personnel. We especially enjoyed Hotel Springlands, where the staff took the time to learn us some Swahili phrases, and the Serengeti Wild camp, where we felt like family J It was so great fun. The safari – game drive was fantastic. We had Abubakar Atik excellently driving us, and sharing his great knowledge of the country, the animals, the people and nature. We saw so many magnificent views, and got so close to the wild animals, that we will never be the same again. Tanzania got under our skins! So indeed this was an experience of our life time. The only problem is, that we are now dreaming, all the time, of going back to Tanzania, have to come back as soon as we can! And when we do, we will certainly use Zara Properties again. Asante sana! Kindest regards Kirsten (comment received Jan 23, 2014) Dear Zara Team, we were climbing mount Kilimanjaro with you end of last year (voucher-number 2013/12/255), but we were coming back a day earlier and therefore did not get the chance to stay at Springlands after the climb but we’ve got rebooked to a place in Moshi (Leopard hotel) instead. However, we’ve given the staff at Leopard hotel the feedback-sheet which we’ve received at the end of the climb, but we’re not sure as to whether this sheet has actually found its way into your offices. Therefore and due to the fact that we were absolutely hooked with your services, we wanted to provide additional feedback using this channel. First and foremost, we’d like to thank for the perfect organization of everything. In fact, each and every step of the whole endeavor was just perfectly planned and we could enjoy every minute knowing that we’re in good hands. That started with the accommodation at Springlands and ended with the fact that we’ve asked for an earlier completion of the descent which subsequently got quickly organized to our full satisfaction. That brings us to the most important person: Freddy, our guide and friend. This guy is simply amazing and truly we can just recommend him and his services to each and everybody who feels like climbing mount Kilimanjaro as Freddy seems to be the key to getting there. Not only did he show professionalism, dedication and expertise but also did he care about us and his team whilst he did not forget to smile and be happy all the time. He seriously made our trip a great enjoyment and congratulate you at Zara for having such a great guy as your employee. However, we also would like to mention the rest of the team which we were also extremely amazed. Everything just worked out perfectly well (e.g. the stuff was always there and dry; the food was extremely delicious and we could not stop eating …) and we felt that the whole team knows what to do and is worth every cent. So again, thank you very much for making our trip not just a great success but also a great enjoyment and please send our best regards to Freddy and the team. Again, Zara must be extremely proud of having such people working for them. All the best from Austria, Tanja and Markus (comment received Jan 20, 2014) Four friend and I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in December 2013, during christmas. We had Africa Safari who cooperate with Zara Adventures and were well cared for. I especially loved the guides (Edwin and Florian) and porters. Everybody were so friendly and had a smile in there faces despite the hard work. Our guides Edwin and Florian were kind, patient, helpful, strong men. Thanks! I was grateful for our own toilet tent I realy appreciated that service! The food was good, the chief did a good work! ...and the popcorn, that were something to look forward to! And the porters, my good, they walk with our bags and it looks like no problems! Dear Sir or Madam,
We had some very interesting and funny days made true not only by your staff in High View Hotel and Icoma Wild Camp, but also by our german speaking guide Goodluck and our driver Robert. They both made this journey unforgetable with their knowlegde. We very much appreciated the stay in Tanzania and hope to come back sometime in the future. Is it maybe possible to hand over the attached picture to Goodluck and Robert with a very big "asante sana"? Thank you very much Florian (comment received Dec 1, 2013) Hello, (comment received Nov 1, 2013) Hallo together, SPRINGLANDS HOTEL was a surprise for me an wonderful. I was traveling with WIKINGER and ZARA TOURS an was thrilled. Many thanks to everyone for everything. I'm so happy about my trip to Tanzania in Africa. I was on the Kilimjaro and have experienced a wonderful safari - just great. Here are some photos from my trip for you. For me, a life-long dream came true and I thank all of !!!!!!!! JAMBO JAMBO KILIMANJAORO. . . - in the German rhymes :- )) - I hereby send the best rating for SPRINGLANDS HOTEL with best regards from Erfurt - Germany Ursula Grobe (comment received Oct 27, 2013)
Hi. We have been on a safari-week starting at 19 February. We got a safari guide with the name of Anthony Alex. It was a fantastic week and we got to see many animals very close. Anthony educate us in many things like the life of the animals, circle of life and eco systems. Now we understands a lot more when we are looking on TV programs with wild animals. The success of the week was must due to Anthony. Thank you for a fantastic week. Best Regards Björn and Anna Lindstedt (comment received Mar 22, 2013) Dear staff at Springlands Hotel Ashleigh and myself want to thank you for our time we had staying with you, before and after the climb. All the staff were wonderful, helpful, caring, and happy. We arrived at Moshi on the 13th of January then we climbed Kilimanjaro on the 15th of Jan , I found Spring lands to be like a hidden treasure and a safe place to rest. We met a young man called Nur who did so much for us, in fact I called him my son, I tried to send him an email but it was sent back to us something was wrong with the address.
They need a medal or an award for outstanding service. I look forward to returning to Springlands hotel as I would like to climb Kilimanjaro one more time. I have been telling everyone in Australia about my time in Moshi and our climb and Africa. Thank you Thank you Regards Jenny and Ashleigh Mc Innes (comment received Mar 19, 2013) Hello,
(comment received Mar 3, 2013) Hello and Gruess from Salzburg,Austria, We want to thank Zara Tours and specially Faustino and his Co-Guide Justin and all of his fantastic hard working team. (Very good food !!! thank you to the cook) They made us an unforgetable and incredible time in November 2012. 7 days Machame Route - in the snowstorm Fasutino and Justin made us going up so easily we could not believe being up and watching the sun rise after the snowstorm We highly recommend Faustino and his team to anyone who is interested in reaching the Uhuru Peak. Carolin and Karl Schnoell PS: No photo from Karl and Justin - he was up short after 5am - to dark and to cold to wait (comment received Jan 18, 2013) Dear Sir or Madam, We are writing this email to commend Hamsa for the fantastic wildlife safari tour he guided us on from Dec. 31, 2012, through Jan. 6, 2013. Hamsa was extremely knowledgeable about the different parks & conservation areas we visited and the wildlife living there. He had an incredible talent for finding rare animals such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, rhinos, and many others! Hamsa was an excellent driver and got us safely to all of our destinations. Hamsa is very personable, answered all of our many questions and was very patient while we took photographs. We had a great time traveling with Hamsa! If we came back for another safari, we definitely would want him to be our guide. Please convey our sincere thanks to Hamsa for his efforts to give us a terrific experience on our wildlife safari. Very truly yours, Charles. Janet (comment received Jan 18, 2013) We got home yesterday. Thanks so much for leading an unforgettable trip to Uhuru! Your and your team’s great service, continuous upbeat attitude and good humor made the trip a winner, despite the rain and snow every day. I will never forget the way you and Victor helped Stephan down the mountain when he got the altitude sickness – he is now completely recovered, and the way you, Husseini and Ashmani kept us going to the top. It is this dedication that will make us recommend you and Zara Tours. Thanks again, Dan (comment received Jan 07, 2013) Best wishes for the new year 2013 from yor german guests Jutta und Harald. We had in September 2012 unforgetable holidays in Tanzanias national parks. Your guide nicknamed Josh and driver Mohamad showed us country, people and best of all the wildness of animals. It was fantastic! Please forward them our special greetings. Jutta (comment received Jan 1, 2013) Hello, (comment received November 29, 2012) The journey to the summit of Uhuru Peak was undoubtedly an once in a life time experience for us. Our gratitude to all the kindness and care we received from our guide Nechi, his guide assistant Shaio and their team of porters in each and every step of the way cannot be expressed in words. We will never forget our 7-day climb up Kilimanjaro and the incredible group of dedicated young men that made possible for us to accomplish it. Through all our stay in Tanzania we felt blessed to count with the first class service offered by all Zara’s staff members, including hotel receptionists’, waiters, cookers, drivers, gardeners … We’ll highly recommend Zara Tours and Nechi’s team to anyone interested in reaching the roof of Africa. Thank you Zara Tours, Nechi and team! We wish you well. Sincerely, Daniel & Claudia Martinelli, Brazil (comment received November 11, 2012)
Lacey Guest (comment received October 11, 2012) Dear Zara Tours, I just wanted to compliment you on the outstanding service we had on our recent Kili climb on the Lemosho route (June 4th-10th). Our guides were outstanding. Yahoo! was an incredible leader who managed the day to day operation of the camp and climbing in a calm and thoughtful manner. I also want to compliment Jacob, Hamesi, and Soloman as well as all the others for their thoughtful and patient assistance on the climb. I couldn't have done it without their help and expert guidance. Thanks for making the TDS climb such a successful experience.
Pamela Brouillard
(comment received June 27, 2012) Hi, I'm just back from a wonderful trip up Kilimanjaro, and would like to tell you what a wonderful job Gilbert and Jimmy did. Gilbert was my guide, and Jimmy was my assistant guide, as well as pitching my tent and serving me my food every night. I believe there were originally going to be two people in my group, but the other person must have canceled, so that meant that I had an incredible amount of one-on-one attention lavished on me. Gilbert was a very enjoyable hiking partner, and he did many extra things for me that he didn't have to do, such as taking me on a side trip one evening when I expressed an interest in exploring. His English is excellent, and he is a fountain of information, not just about the natural history of the mountain but also about politics, history, and culture. He was conservative at first about keeping me safe, but once he got to know me and was able to appraise my physical abilities and level of experience, he allowed me more latitude, which made the trip a lot more fun. Jimmy, however, was the one who really rose to the occasion on this trip. On summit day, Gilbert asked him to accompany us for safety, so that we would be a group of three rather than just two. Jimmy went in front and I went in the middle. We passed the other groups, and by the time we were nearing Stella Point we were about an hour and a half ahead of the next group back. At this point it was becoming more and more clear that Gilbert was seriously sick. He hadn't been on the mountain since before the rainy season, so he probably wasn't quite as acclimatized as he could have been -- and of course altitude sickness is notoriously fickle. Although I kept trying to convince him to head back down, he insisted on coming up as far as Stella Point, where he waited in the wind while Jimmy guided me to Uhuru. Jimmy was very confident, and obviously knew the mountain extremely well. In my opinion, Jimmy's performance in this difficult situation is the best possible indicator of his readiness to step up to being a guide. I was a little hesitant about whether to tell you the details of this summit day, since I didn't want to create any negative impression about Gilbert. But after all, we're all only human beings, and we work within our physical limitations. I think the way Gilbert persevered up to Stella Point showed an iron will. Furthermore, his decision to have Jimmy come up with us turned out to have been exactly the right decision for both everyone's safety and my own success in reaching the summit. His level of experience, maturity, and good judgment set up the situation so that everything turned out OK, even when something went wrong. Regards,
Ben
(comment received June 25, 2012)
Dear Zara tours, I Just returned from a great trip to Kilimanjaro and two days safari. I just want to let you know that I am very happy about the way things went. I found that everything was very well organized. The guides were great. On kilimanjaro I went with Isack Samson who did a great job and made the trip a great succes. On the safari I went with Peter Minja who had great knowledge about all that we saw. He was very nice and polite and willing to make an ekstra effort to ensure a trip of of the ordinary. I will definitely recommend zara tours and the two guides, that I went with. All my best Zara and thanks again Thanks for an outstanding trip. Best Regards
Lasse Frederiksen
(comment received May 29, 2012)
“To the Zara Team, We would just like to thank you all for making our Kilimanjaro Adventure so memorable. We did the 6-day Marangu route in aid of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation in Australia and to celebrate the life of our beloved mother who passed away. We managed to raise over $17,000 between 4 of us. Thanks to your team of amazing and experienced guides and porters, each member of our team successfully summited. We would like to thank them personally – Bouga, Samwell, Daniel and Thomas!! Thank you all so much, you’re stars!! We miss you already! We also encourage anyone looking for a lifetime adventure, to contact Zara Tours, and get involved! You will be amazed! Jem, Melo, Papa Simba, Liza, Mick, Julie” All my best Zara and thanks again Kind regards,
Jemma norton
(comment received April 22, 2012)
Hi Joram and Zara, Further to my sisters email below, I also wanted to say a HUGE thank you for organising such a wonderful trek and accommodating me with our request for Bugga and Samwell as our guides. Our experience in Tanzania was unforgettable, and I will make sure we always recommended Zara tours to anyone wishing to travel to Tanzania. Our biggest thank you must go to our guides and porters. Without them we would NEVER have made it up that mountain, and in particular on summit night when Bugga, Samwell, Thomas and Daniel went out of their way to ensure we all pulled together as a group and encouraged each other to keep going. The four of them together were the most inspiring men and never once let us give up, or think we were not capable of making it to the summit. Bugga went as far as to continually warm my hands which were frozen and felt like they were going to fall off! I have written a testimonial below which you can use on your website if you wish: "Thank you Zara Tours for organising the most incredible experience of our lives whilst trekking Mt Kilimanjaro to raise money for cancer in memory of our wonderful mother. The highlight of the trip, including the summit, was enjoying the company of our incredible guides Bugga, Samwell, Daniel and Thomas (now friends for life) who made the journey so rewarding. They never once let us believe you would not make it to the summit, and continually motivated us to keep going, and sung and danced to entertain us when we most needed it. Their support and guidance was invaluable. So thank you to Zara and your team for such a rewarding journey." Thanks again. Mel Norton
(comment received April 20, 2012)
Hi, Zara. I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful experience we had with you. My friends and I hiked the seven day Machame trail with our guide Innocent and assistant guide Mohammed. They helped our whole group successfully summit Uhuru Peak. And the staff at Springlands bent over backwards to make us comfortable, especially the owner, Zainab Ansell. Thank you, Mama! We had a great time! Katie, USA
(comment received April 14, 2012)
(comment received April 6, 2012)
(comment received March 1, 2012)
To (comment received February 15, 2012)
We are now back in Austria (we had a trip to Sanzibar after the Safaris).
We really enjoyed our journey through Tanzania.
Everything was organized perfectly by Zara, the staff was friendly and helpful in all accomodations.
Our driver Samo was great, he explained everything, has a great knowledge of animals and is a really nice guy, so that we also had a lot of fun with him!
We will recommend ZARA to all our friends!
Kind regards
Bettina (comment received February 13, 2012) Thank you to everyone at Zara. We had a wonderful time on our hike to the top of Kilimanjaro. Our guide Winford and his team did an exceptional job of getting us to the top safely and helped to insure we had a great time. The food and the service were great! We were very happy with the food and service at the Springlands hotel too. Thanks so much, (comment received Jaunary 20, 2012)
Hi Joram,
How are you? Thank you very much for helping to facilitate our trip to Kilimanjaro last month. It was an amazing trip and Zara treated us very well. We will definitely recommend you to other friends.
Thanks again and hope you are well,
Adam
(comment received Jaunary 8, 2012) I am very satisfied with what I can during the trip, from beginning to eat, rest, and travel Zara always be patient waiting for us to walk slowly because it is the first trip for me, thank you to accompany us up to Uhuru peak, we are proud of the process trips with experienced people like you, and in Indonesia Gorky's first red-white flag at the top of Uhuru,,, congratulations to Ganterand kevin is the first Indonesian students who reach the top of Kilimanjaro .. Gilbert, Salim, Anton, jimmy my guide. (comment received Jaunary 2, 2012) Dear Manager, Please forward enclosed pictures to Yours excellent guide Henry as an additional thanks for the fantastic safari we had 18-23 Dec! Bertil, Christina, JohnFelix and Alice (comment received Jaunary 2, 2012) 2001 I had the chance to do a technical climb on the great Baranco Wall with a friend. 2011 I had the chance to stand with my 62 years old mother and my girlfriend on top of Mt. Meru. After that we went perfectly acclimatized to Kilimanjaro. Although it was raining every single day of our 7 days Machame trip our ZARA porters and guides made this a perfect, safe and unforgettable experience - again! If you want a smooth perfect and safe trip - Mt. Meru or Kili - go with ZARA. Ask for the guide Gilbert Kasaba and assistant guide Jimmy Cartermushi who I recommend. This great guides came good friends and absolutely impressed me with their skill of guiding, sense of risk and trustful work. Kind regards to Zainab Ansell and all your cheerful staff! Markus, Swiss Mountain Guide and Paramedic, Switzerland (comment received November 25, 2011) Our journey to the summit of Uhuru Peak was the ultimate experience of our lives. Words cannot express the care and kindness we received from Godlisten and his team each moment of the way. We will cherish our eight-day climb up Kilimanjaro for the rest of our lives and will never forget the beautiful group of people that made it all possible. We highly recommend Godlisten's team and Zara Tours to anyone interested in reaching the rooftop of Africa. Through all of our research, we discovered tour companies that charge twice as much as Zara to climb Kilimanjaro, but we guarantee you won't find better service or guides out there. Thank you Zara Tours, Godlisten and team! Sincerely, Desiree & Billy Hessel (comment received November 4, 2011) Hi Zara I would just like to thank you for your wonderful guide Stanley. When we climbed the Machame Route a few weeks ago, he really went out of his way to make it the most unforgettable experience of my life. Between him, Bonda and the many unbelievable porters we were looked after every minute of our ascent and even though I did not make it to Uhuru I will definitely be back to attempt the summit again next year, hopefully with Stan. Thank you once again.
(comment received November 1, 2011) ![]() ![]() Dear Adam, Penny, Elias, Martha, Colman, Erasto & Zara Team: THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXCELLENT CARE AND SERVICE FOR OUR KILIMANJARO CLIMB! In every way our "High 5 Missionary Team" was blessed and taken care of at Springlands as well as on the mountain. We shall recommend your services to others, and by the grace and mercies of the Lord, we shall return in the Lord's good time. Here are the wonderful things the Lord accomplished on our "Faith Mission" to Tanzania and Kenya during this benefit Mt. Kilimanjaro Safari! Our missionary team is now home in America, and we are singing the songs of Zion for at least 10 reasons: #1 The Dandora widows and orphans were not only fed, but provisioned for the next 3 months! #2 We ascended to "Higher Ground" ~ The crown of Africa ~ Mt. Kilimanjaro (20,000') by the mercies of the Lord! #3 At Barufu "Ice Camp" (16,000'), 7 of our 34 guides and porters trusted Christ as their Savior & Lord! They are now ascending to "Higher Ground" in Christ! #4 In the Rift Valley, the new Kenya Africa Hope Bible Institute was officially launched on Oct.19, 2011 with 23 Maasai Bible Students! #5 Later in the week, two new Maasai Churches were dedicated along with two new water wells. There are now "Streams in the desert" flowing with life~giving water in Jesus Name~ Isaiah 43:18~19. #6 The Gil Harder Academy Primary School in Kitengela was overjoyed to now have water and showers for the children who before had nothing like this ... but that is not all. #7 The Lord brought amazing "Divine Appointments" and a vision for a new primary and secondary Christian School at the Kimana~Amboseli, Kenya Church! #8 The "Pearl Wordless Bracelets" proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ to hundreds of hungry hearts longing for freedom, hope & healing. Many trusted Christ! #9 There is a new "Highway of Holiness" running through the Rift Valley in Maasai Land. #10 You have made a world of difference and we are so very thankful to be your Ambassadors for Christ in East Africa! More pictures and videos will be posted soon of this "Salvation Safari" on our Facebook Page called: "Africa Hope Ministries." Just type in this name on Facebook to see the pictures and videos from this most recent "Faith Adventure" in Tanzania & Kenya. Coleman & Erasto were great guides! They even provided "Birthday Cake & Sparkling Cider" at the Barufu Camp for our teammates birthday! They are great guides who took good care of us along with the porters. We are thankful and happy! SO, THANK YOU AGAIN IN JESUS NAME! Your Partners In Adventure,
Gil Harder, Sarah & Our Missionary Team ~ II Corinthians 2:14 / Romans 15:13 (comment received October 29, 2011) Dear Penny and Zainab, Arlene and I are finally settled back into a normal routine after our trip to Tanzania. We just wanted to thank you and your staff for making this vacation very special. The trip to Zanzibar at Ras Michamvi Beach Resort was very relaxing. All of the staff were very friendly and helpful. They made us feel right at home. The Safari was also excellent. Even with the misunderstanding about the hotel and camping out it was a great outing. Your people went out of their way to correct things once the misunderstanding was understood. So, thank you again for that. Good Luck and Ramadan were great. Good Luck did an excellent job in explaining the different things we saw on the Safari. He even had books as references and he would show us pictures with descriptions of a particular animal or bird or vegetation. This gave us a better understanding. Ramadan did an excellent job of cooking for us. Please pass on our thanks to them again. The 8 days on the mountain with Festo and Robin and the rest of the staff couldn't have went any better. Per our conversation regarding the equipment, I'm pleased that you have new equipment on order. It shows that your company strives to serve its clients as best as possible. I might add that Festo and Robin went beyond the call of duty a few times on our trip. The first example is that I packed a water bottle in my dry bag and it broke. The sleeping bag and some other things got wet. Festo took the bag into the kitchen tent and got it dried out for me. In the meantime Robin offered me his sleeping bag for the night. Luckily Festo got my bag dried out by bed time. Another example is Festo taking care of two people in our party that were struggling during the climb. Festo and Robin carried their packs for them off and on during the trek. One of the party would not have made it to the top if Festo hadn't nursed him along. Plus there were other little things that they and the staff did that made the trip much more enjoyable. My thanks to them again. My only suggestion is that the cook has a bigger tent. ( the food was excellent and of good variety. ) Once again, thank you all for your great hospitality. Regards, Larry and Arlene Marvin (comment received October 15, 2011) Dear Zara, I spent many months preparing for it and yet I still felt completely unprepared when I first set my eyes upon Mt Kilimanjaro’s peak that reached above the clouds and that was far too close to my airplane window! I felt that feeling of sheer panic again when I saw the vast mountain from our truck window as we approached the park gates on the first day of our climb. My luggage had also been lost and so this added to my anxiety. My first night sitting around the table with almost 7 other strangers my feelings of anxiety soon began to subside: laughing and joking around a delicious meal that surpassed all my expectations of what we were going to eat on the mountain, we became an instant team. As our climb went on, our entire team, including our most excellent guide Godlisten, our assistant guides, and our porters grew very close. Our guide made sure I had everything I needed to be safe and comfortable on the mountain despite my lost luggage and the Zara tours crew ensured that our spirits remained high throughout the entire climb. 7 of our team of 8 reached the summit and it is a moment in my life that I will never forget. I have travelled around the world quite a bit but I must admit that I have never walked away from a trip with such an amazing sense of accomplishment and I want to thank Zara tours for the special memories I will hold dear forever. Thanks you. Kathleen Vissers (comment received September 7,2011) Dear Zara! Thank you for the wonderful holiday you offerd us. Climbing Kilimanjaro was an unforgettable experiance. Please say thank you again to Allen and Barick. The organisation by Zara was perfect,including all details. And also the safari with driver Omari was absolutly perfect. Springland, Highview an Ikoma Wild camp are very comfortable places. All in one: if friends want to go to Tansania,we will recomend Zara as perfect outfitter. Thank you again. Alfred Fegerl (comment received August 29, 2011)
Dear Mama Zara, (comment received August 11, 2011)
Dear Penny and Zara Staff, (comment received May 13, 2011)
Zara tours, I'm a little late in sending this in, but I just wanted to let you know that we had a FANTASTIC time with our trip to Tanzania. We went on the 7 day Machame hike with John Kaswende as our guide (fantastic guide I would definitely (and have already) recommended Zara Tours and John Kaswende to friends as the group to go with to hike Kilimanjaro! (comment received April 11, 2011)
(comment received Mar 6,2011) Hello,
(comment received Feb 26,2011) Dear Sir/Madam, (comment received Feb 26,2011) I took a 6-day safari tour last week with a group of 8 people. We had Abdullah and Dawson as our guides. It was the best vacation I have ever had! Abdullah and Dawson were so knowledgeable and kind and attentive. I was amazed by their talent to drive, avoid rocks and holes in the road and other vehicles, all while pointing off to the left and saying, "About 200 yards over there under a tree there are 3 lions." (comment received Feb 16,2011) Hi Steve, (comment received Feb 9,2011) Hello, I just arrived home in Sweden yesterday after my African trip which went via Zanzibar. I am mostly pleased with my climbing trip and the way you organized it. I had the best guide ever in Daniel, a superb cook and nice porters. Nothing more to wish of. You are doing a great work and I will recommend your company to any person. Kind regards Lena Larsson (comment reveiced Feb 2,2011) We have now returned to the United States from our wonderful visit to Moshi, Tanzania. I just wanted to let you know that our experience with Zara exceeded our expectations. You guides, porters and staff in general were an absolute joy to work with and we had an adventure of a lifetime. Keep up the great service and who knows...we may just see you again sometime! Thanks again, Bob Marcantel (comment reveiced Feb 2,2011) I would like to thank everybody who made my trip such a wonderful experience. First the organization of all the details, including Lemosho Kili climb, 2 day safari and 4 days in Zanzibar. Thanks to Lydiah for arranging and suggesting places, all worked out fine. Then a VERY SPECIAL thank you to my guide Wilbard Mrima, without him and his team of Salim, Martin, Jackson,Honest and Amos, I would have never made it up to Uhuru. Wilbard is a special young man, a very talented guide!! (comment reveiced Jan 26,2011) It's been over a month since we come from the wonderful Safari at Tanzania and we still remember it like it was yesterday ... We want to congratulate the outstanding team of Zara, especially the fabulous Sam (our guide in Safari), an amazing person, always concerned about our well being and comfort. It was a memorable trip, made possible only because of the professionalism of Zara staff. (comment reveiced Jan 24,2011) Well I am not happy to be home to -13 C weather in canada but I am extremely happy with my whole adventure in Tanzania. I hope ou receive my comments that I filled out on my departure day from the Springlands Hotel. The 6 day Rongaii was perfect. The guide, Prosper will be highly recommended by me to whomever is interested in climbing Kili. I am a pilot with Air Canada and hear a number of fellow pilots and cabin crew members expressing interest in this type of adventure. I will be sure to recommend Zara. Sincerely, Graham G. Ross (comment reveiced Jan 21,2011) Hi It's been over a month since we come from the wonderful Safari at Tanzania and we still remember it like it was yesterday ... We want to congratulate the outstanding team of Zara, especially the fabulous Sam (our guide in Safari), an amazing person, always concerned about our well being and comfort. It was a memorable trip, made possible only because of the professionalism of Zara staff. We take this opportunity to also send you a photo of one of you wonderful safari accommodation. Hopefully we'll see you guys again. Regards Luísa and Pedro (Portugal) (comment received Jan 11,2011) When we departed for Ros Michamvi we had no idea what to expect. The magnificent place we encountered at the end of the bumpy dirt road was a delight and a complete surprise. The beautiful, elegant beach resort was what we had dreamed of for our honeymoon. It was as though you had seen our vision board. We wanted to contact you immediately and thank you, yet could not connect by internet. All day, yesterday, resting in luxury, walking on the beach, playing in the ocean we kept repeating out loud, Thank you Zeineb. What a gift you gave us! Everyone, I just wanted to write a thank you to Zainab Ansell and everyone there for a memorable trip. It changed my life and was the most amazing thing I have experienced. You all were so kind and I will not forget any of you. I had traveled there alone and came away with so many friends. I even was lucky enough to meet a beautiful young single woman from Australia who I will never forget. Her name was Megan and is still there on Safari as we speak. She will probably be returning to your hotel in the coming days. If there is any way you could somehow relay to her that she forever changed my life it would greatly be appreciated. Also a specal thanks to one of your employees. Yovin was quite the entertaing guy. Again I thank you all and take care.
Hi Zara tours, G'day We want to thank you for a wonderful trip this summer - 2. July - 10. July - where we went on safari to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Tarangiere. We stayed at Springlands, Hotel Highview and also had two nights in the Ikoma Lodge - very exciting. I would like to say that our tour with Zara was unbelievable, and we will recommend Zara to anyone we know going to Tanzania. The safari was great, and our guide Edwin was able to take us to some hidden spots with no other jeeps that got us up close with cheetahs and an entire pride of lions! After talking with other people, we found out exactly how unique that was and how lucky we really were. He was also able to spot 4 of the Big 5 for us by our second day of safari, and he was one of the first two jeeps to find the rhinos in Ngorongoro, so we knew we had a great guide. Excellent service from Zara Tours, especially from Penny, whose prompt replies and reassurances eased my mind about going to Kilimanjaro on my own. Dear Joram, Good morning and thank you for your e-mail. Good morning and thank you for your e-mail. Hi friends We are Jose Delgado and Lina Rojo. We had a wonderful vacation in Tanzania. We were very pleased with the service at Highview. Especialy the pleasent people that worked there - always smiling and helpful.
(comment received March, 30th, 2010) Hello, Came to Arusha for some safari expedition and wondered where else in the world can I get such an experience. Zara was dedicated up the last day... This is it people, if you want to explore Tanzania to the fullest, ZARA tours is it. On the behalf of "The Erling Baera Group" who climbed the Marangu route with Zaratours 25th jan - 1 st feb 2010, I just like to thank you for making this a really great trip for us. The organization of the trip from your side was very professional, and everything from ordering, payment, pick-up at arrival, accommodation and equipment provided was just great. Hello Mrs. Ansell! I just wanted to thank Zara Tours for an amazing experience climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro! I would not have done it without my incredible guide Milton Mtui - you are the best ever Milton! He was professional, knowledgeable and so supportive when I was struggling with altitude sickness.
Hi, Zara, I would like to thank you for what was an unbelievable, life-changing experience on Mt. Kilimanjaro, and your company, along with Dreamworld Adventures South Africa were fantastic in making it the most enjoyable and well-organised adventure of our lives! Good morning! We have just finished a fantastic safari tour on 6-12 january, 6 scandinavian persons Ulf*2 and Anne*4. Dear Zainab Dear Zara Tours Hi Zainab and all at Zara Tours, I am writing to give a very very big thank you to the team who arranged our wonderful honeymoon, Dave & I had a fabulous trip and so many memories. In September, 2009, my daughter, granddaughter and myself climbed Kili and we had a wonderful trip thanks to our guide, Faustine, assistant guide, Justine. Also, thanks to David and Jacob and the rest of the porters who took very good care of us. They were all excellent and we appreciated their efforts. They did everything for us. Hi, I have just got back from my trip to kili and would like to make some comments! Dear friends, thank you for the nice trip to the Kilimanjaro with your organisation. We were from 6/9/09 -12/9/09 on tour with our guides Zakaria and Augustino on the Lemosho route. Congratulations! These guides were very, very good. We hope that many other tourist will go in the future with these guides. The tour was well organised, I had a great time. The guide (Adbi Kasim) helped a lot along with his assistents. Overall a great experience and look forward to another adventure with Zara soon! Andrew B., South Africa Hi, Just want to thank Zara for a wonderful trip!! Enjoyed it very much! Our guide Abdi (rate him very high!) made the trip! An absolutely amazing experience. The Zara Tours Guides and porters are very professional. They give you all the right advise and just know how to motivate you! Ask for Abdi! Thank you Zara, I made it to the top! Penny, I just wanted to let you know I enjoyed the trip very much. I made it to the summits of both Mt. Meru and Mt. Kili. The guides, porters and everyone at Springlands made my trip wonderful. Thank you very much. I wanted to thank Zara Tours for a successful Climb on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Lydia was very helpful in booking the trip, Yassin was forgiving and didn't charge me for losing my safe box key on the mountain - (it was during a rain storm!). And Charles, my guide, allowed me to change course and to attempt the western approach - which made the trip very special! You all made it a successful trip Dear Sirs, from 14th to 23th of September my Dad and I spend our holidays in Tanzania making a Mount Kilimanjaro climbing tour operated by your company ZARA Adventure tours. Hello, Firstly, I want to thank your company for the amazing experience of climbing Kilimanjaro (summited September 24th, 2009). Am back home in Australia now and wishing I was back in Tanzania. Your country and your people are truly beautiful! Dear Sirs, We participated in the Kilimanjaro tour organized by your agency between 19/09 -23/09 following Marangu route. With this e-mail we would like to express our gratitude and appreciation for the organization of the trip. Above all we were delighted with the service we received from our guide Godlisten. He was very helpful in all issues we addressed to him, took care of all of us with a speciall attention to the older participants of the trip. Without him our memories from this lifetime experience would not be the same. What more can I add to all of the great testimonials on your website? I guess that Zara is consistent in providing a great service for a very reasonable cost! I had cancer last year, and wanted to do something extraordinary to celebrate the successful treatment. Kilimanjaro seemed to be perfect. Milton, our guide, kept a watchful eye on us during the entire climb and descent, assessing our individual skills (ranging from an experienced mountain hiker, to a guy who goes to the gym regularly, to me, a 44 year-old soft office worker). Milton would brief us at night and each morning, checking up on how we slept, how were our meals and appetites, and generally how we were feeling. He was the epitome of “poa” (cool). Dear Sirs, I have just returned from a 6 day trek on Kilimanjaro's Machame route and would just like to express how impressed we were with the professionalism displayed by Zara on the mountain, from the experienced guides to the constant support of the other staff. A big thank you to Shabaz, our guide, for this wonderful week spent on the Machame route! And to the rest of the team: Bashiri, who took us all the way to Uhuru Peak `pole pole' and even made the detour to the top of Lava Tower, Michael, Mohammed, whose appearances in the mess tent always brought a smile to our faces, Ramadhan, Franco and all the others who took great care of us all along! We summitted on 22 Aug. 2009 and it was an experience we're unlikely to ever forget. We'll definitely be recommending Shabaz and Zara to our friends. Again, ahsante sana to you all! Corinne & Masumi, UK Hello Lydiah! Be sure I'll recomend Zara to everyone, it has been a nice experience and I want to share it. I want to thank you for a wonderful tour to Zanzibar that you arranged for Stacey W. and the rest of her group. It was well organized, had great accommodations, the transportation and the guides were excellent and on time, and were very knowledgeable and helpful. We had a wonderful time over there. Thank you so much. Jambo Zara Tours, I just want to thank you for a very well organized trip to the Kilimanjaro, everything was fantastic. Thanks also to my excellent guide Joseph Mark Meela and his team. I did the 5 day Marangu Route and summited on July 17th. (Uhuru Point) Dear Zainab and Rashid, My wife and I wish to thank Zara Tours from the bottom of our hearts. Our 24 day excursion in Tanzania was more than we could ever have imagined. I climbed Kilimanjario from June 4 to 10, 2009. I reached Uhuru Peak with Bruce and Fortunatus. The Zara crew and my fellow climbers were responsible for my success, along with that strenght that you don't know you have till you need it... Bruce's talk on summit night was a big factor behind my ability to overcome exhaustion like I had never felt in my life. I climbed for my 50th birthday and Zara wrapped up this intense gift, with their great Moshi hotel, great staff all around... Thanks for all guys which helped us during our trip to UHURU PEAK and especially to chief guide Freddy, guide Serafimo, cook Victor. Everything was perfect. Hope to return to Tanzania Vladimir, Vladimir-junior and Sofiya S. from Russia To Zara tours, We are a group (The W. family), that was on a safari in northern Tanzania with your company. I am writing to give my highest recommendation for your chauffer, Madil. Most importantly he was a good and safe driver. We were a family with an age range of 60 years, which can place special demands on the driver. Madil handled it perfectly. He was also very pleasant, friendly, and open. In general, it was very relaxing being around Madil, which is a big plus when you are spending several days together. Madil found all the animals and plants we dreamed about seeing. Additionally, he could answer all our questions regarding the animals, plants and culture. Overall, we were very pleased with our driver. In July 2009 (July 21 - July 26) I climbed the Kilimanjaro with my family and made it to the very top. I only made it to the Uhuru-Peak because of the great team we had. I want to thank you for our guide Festo who helped us through all the difficult parts, took care of us, showed us a lot of plants and was absolutely amazing in such a kind and loving way. We had a fantastic time, it was extremely funny and lively and we all had the feeling, that Festo and his team belonged to our family. We felt safe and very well in his company and everything was just perfect. Thank you again for all this amazing experience, for Festo, his team and the delicious food. I will never forget these 6 days. We want to thank our guide Zungu for his excellent trekking with us through the Marongu Route to the summit from 19.07.-23.07.09 (Springland-Hotel). We are medical doctors from Germany, 56/57 years. Zungu helped us a lot to make our dreams come true. We never had such a wonderful, helpful, experienced und friendly guide as Zungu - and his crew. We will recommend him to all our friends and relatives in Germany - and also your company.
Hello Zainab,
6 June 2009. Exhaustion! As it consumes every inch of my being I try to stay awake while putting one foot in front of the other. Pole, pole. It was full moon but our path was hardly noticeable, as we were only the second group to the summit on this day. I tried to convince myself that the last few steps to Stella point will not be so bad, that the hurting will stop when I get there, but it did not help and tears ran down my cheeks… … but it all started only days before that, 2 June around 10am we arrived from Moshi at the Machame gate and while our tour operators sorted out our permit and our porters and guides were weighed in, we tried to stay as calm as possible and had to be told more than once to sit down for a while by Mudi, our guide. We were ready and strong and rearing to go! Hi guys. We are back in Madrid from our stay in Tanzania with you. Just to say it has been an unforgetable trip for me and my family. The organization (thanks Penny for all your interest and planification) has been excellent and our driver and guide, Roy, has been simply the best. Dear Zara Tours - I was recently on a trip with you, organized by my daughter May. I have some positive comments about the safari.
To everyone at Zaratours: Thank you for a fantastic trip this June! We booked our 5 day safari, 7 day Kilimanjaro Machame climb, and 5 day Zanzibar trip with Zaratours, and were pleased that everything turned out so well. Our accomodations were great (Springlands, Ikoma Wildcamp & we especially loved the Highview hotel), and service was excellent at each location. Hello, my husband and I just wanted to let you know that we just finished a 7 day trek to Uhuru point with Elibariki. He was absolutely fantastic - the best of the best. The porters were also amazing and we feel so lucky to have used your services. We also walked with Festo and he was also a fantastic guide. Your men work very hard and provide the best services. Thank you Martina & Patrick H. Hello - I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for the amazing climb up Kili... I was part of the Machame trip that got back on May 11, and both Frankie and Fausti were excellent. Fausti in particular timed our climb up Kili perfectly, allowing us to reach the summit just as dawn broke - which was absolutely amazing. Dear Zainab A. Ansell I would like to take a moment to thank your company for a great vacation to Mt. Kilimanjaro. The beauty of Africa was overwhelming, leaving us with many terrific memories. Our cook, waiter and porters did a wonderful job, what a good crew. We wanted to especially thank Willy Peters for his leadership skills, human resource and knowledge of the trail. We hope Willy’s administrative skills are admired and appreciated by ZARA Tours.
Dear Zainab, I hope this e-mail finds you well. I don't know if you will remember me. My wife and I climbed Kilimanjaro last June with Jaquetta M.. Bruce was our Zara guide. Our book -- an 8 inches x 8 inches, 160-page affordable gift book -- is about to go to press. It includes over 100 spectacular photos (my wife is a travel photographer) and a text that weaves personal observations with the history of the mountain, its people, its flora and fauna, etc... It is beautifully designed. In the text I mention our hospitable stay at Springlands and I recommend Zara Tours and give your website. Here is the link to the book: Dear Members of Zara, I just want to say a big big THANKS from the bottom of my heart and I hope you pass my sincere thanks down to the Team that guided our way. I had the big luck to enjoy a trip to the Kilimanjaro with your Guides Daniel Mombo and Joseph Meela from the 4th to the 10th of March 2009 and I must say, that these guys were absolutely fantastic and they did really everything to support, to entertain, to help, to delight us and to make this wonderful trip an amazing highlight for every part of our group.They cared for us more than anybody here in Germany would do and they were always friendly and calm and taught us a lot of interesting things about Africa, the Mountain, the nature and the people. Also the porters, the waiters, the cook and especially the assistant Guide of Joseph, his name is Crispen (he supported me extremely on my way to the top and did a really good job!!!!) and our waiter were SO nice and very obliging and
Hello to all of you in Zara, We will thank you for a beautiful and wonderful trip to the top of Kilimanjaro, on friday the 20th at 05.45 o clock in the morning. A special thank to our guide Pius and his assistent Rafael, and a special thank to Pius, he made it possible for us to come on the top, he showed us to go "sakta - sakta". And we are very thankful to him. Thanks to the whole team, with Domenoqe, our famous cocking man, who brought us warm tea to the bed every day and gave us so much very good food every day. And the assistent guide Rafael who helped us to the top, together with Pius, and at last Julias, and to the 5 other sherpaes for bringing the food, tents, bagages, and all the other things. That was, maybe, one of the best trips we ever had in our lives, thanks to all of you.
Hello, I just want to send you the best regards from Lithuania and some links to photo galleries. Here you can find the best 850 photos I made during the trip to Kilimanjaro and Safari with Zara Tours: Hello Adam: We did go on safari with Zaratours from January 19 - 29. We had the 9 days/8 nights package covering the Usambara mountains, Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara. There were six of us (Canadians) travelling together. I am originally from Zanzibar and planned the trip for the group. I was hoping it would be a memorable experience for my friends and I, and it was. Zaratours really came through. Dear Madam, Dear Sir, The past 12, 13 february I did a safari with daniel to manyara lake and ngorongoro crater. I only want to tell you that the safari was perfect . Daniel was an excellent guy and guide (he spoke spanish too), and I am very happy with the organization of zaratours and the guide you choose for me.
Hey Adam, Jamin and I had a great trip with Zara. The facilities (Springlands and Highview) were fantastic as well as the staff especially Basil. Our safari guide Hamza was very courteous and an excellent guide. I will recommend Zara to my friends.
Dear Zainab and Roger, this is Allen, the medical student who came with the group of 6 in mid-December and did Kilimanjaro and the safari with your company. We had the chance to speak briefly and unfortunately our early departure to DAR meant that I didn't have a chance to say a proper thank you and goodbye. Hi zaratours, in the time from 20.Dec.2008 until 30.Dec.2008 we (me, my husband and our 17-year-old son) spent our holidays in Tanzania. The first four days we climbed Mt.Meru and then we started for six days Safari. Climbing as well as Safari was really fantastic. Our mountain guide Daniel M.Mombo and his crew took trustfully care of us. They were friendly, pleasant and very helpful. Also our safari-driver and guide Abdallah Matumbo was friendly, pleasant and helpful. He is a very safe driver and he showed us many animals. Our cook Rashid was always funny and he cooked fantastic meals. I will always remember the excellent soups. We really enjoyed the days with our guides and we were sad, when we had to say good bye. Yours sincerely, Monika, Rainer and Philipp, Germany (comment received January 22nd, 2009) I am writing to let you know that our Kilimanjaro guide Mikao was excellent. We trekked the Machame route with him a few weeks ago, and our trip was fantastic. He was professional and showed excellent leadership with his assistants and porters. He always paid close attention to our safety and comfort. We very highly recommend him. Thank you so much for an amazing adventure! (comment received January 21st, 2009) Hello, I just want to thank you for an absolutely wonderful trekking experience. My cousin and I did a 4-day Mt. Meru trek (Jan 2-5) and a 6-day Kilimanjaro trek (Jan 6-11) via the Machame route with Zara and it was just amazing. Our guides -- Steven (Faustine Bura), Julius, and Anthony -- were really really great! They were attentive and experienced and super nice, and I would definitely recommmend them to anyone as guides on their Tanzania trek. Our cook made absolutely delicious food, and the overall service on the trek and at Springlands Hotel was perfect. Thank you again for giving us an amazing experience. :-) Hi Zainab, my wife and I climbed Kilimanjaro recently with Zara tours and the treck was a fantastic experience for us. Our guide was a man called Emmanuel and I want to pay the highest compliment possible to Emmanuel and his team. Emmanuel was an outstanding guide and was a major factor in getting us to the top. He was friendly to us, helpful at all times, patient and very knowledgeable on the flora and fauna of the area. We were also guided on the last day by his brother Daniel and another chap called Pascal, who also did a fine job for us. I can honestly say that without the endeavours of Emmanuel, Daniel and the team that we would not have made it to the top. The team did a great job cooking fine food for us etc. I don't know how they do it! I will be passing on the details of Zara and will be recommending Emmanuel and Daniel as guides to my friends who are planning to do the Kilimanjaro trip. I think that Daniel would also make a great guide as he has very good English and is also very helpful and knowledgeable. Dear Zainab, I just got home from the trip with Mike Davies in support of Mango Parish. You guys provided all the driving for our parish activities (Kaseem & Abdul) and safari (Mohammed) and coordinated all of our accomodations on safari to the three parks. Everything Zara did was top notch, much appreciated and made our first trip to your lovely country a tremendous We wanted to write to you express our overwhelming satisfaction and appreciation to Zara Tours, and most specifically, to our guide (Yusuf), asst guides (Mohammad and Yahaya), the amazing cook and porters that made this a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Making the summit to Uhuru Peak as the sun was rising, that was a bonus in what was an amazing experience on so many levels.
Now we are again back in Germany. Our stay in Tanzania was wonderful. From 23-31 Dezember we were on the move, starting from the Meru View Lodge with our driver Zuberi and our cook Msafiri. Both have tried very hard to make our safari pleasantly and they were open for all our wishes and looked after us very well. (comment received January 7th, 2009)
(comment received December, 30th, 2008) Now at Xmas I find the time to write you and say on this way: thank you! Why ? (comment received December, 27th, 2008) Everything about the climb up Kilimanjaro was fantastic. Very impressive the way everything just worked. David Charles is an excellent guide, along with his assistant David Samuel. They made sure everyone was taken care of at all times. I would absolutely recommend this climb to all of my friends. Really appreciated the private toilet facilities on the mountain. The safari was also enjoyable. The Highview Hotel is beautiful and the food is amazing. The servers were always very attentive. (comment received October 10th, 2008) Dear Zainab Ansell! (comment received October 4th, 2008) Dear Ms. Ansell, Dear Sir or Madam, (comment received October 3rd, 2008) Hello, (comment received September 15th, 2008) Hi Melinda (Africa Encounters - Zara agent) Firstly I would like to thank you for a very well organized trip to Kilimanjaro. The info supplied by you and your company was spot on and nobody in the group if they stuck to the info on your e-mails was surprised by anything. I have to say we were surprised when we got to Moshi but in a very good way, we were met by very friendly staff and made to feel very welcome and right at home. Further more the staff from Zara were great the guide Bruce and his team did everything possible to make us comfortable and the food and cleanliness of the tour is very commendable. We all reached the Uhuru summit which was a great achievement in itself. I had pneumonia that they thought to have been mountain sickness and was taken off the mountain with Bruce not leaving my side, I was taken to the Hotel were the lady from Zara made arrangements for me to be taken to hospital and she gave me a room for the night after I came back from the hospital. Bruce stayed with and made sure I was taken care of till after 12am before I was taken back to the hotel and given a meal and a good nights rest. The point I am trying to make is that all the staff we encountered were very friendly and helpful and stopped at nothing to make our trip as safe and successful as possible. Your company is working with great partners in Tanzania and I will definitely refer future climbers to make sure they use you and the people from Zara. Once again thank you. Regards, Bosseau, South Africa Hi to all at Zara, I just wanted to say thank you all so much for the really great experience of climbing Kilimanjaro. It was a life changing experience. I was delighted with all your staff, particularly Muna, Theophil and Zungu. Can you send me the email addresses of Theophil and Zungu. I would like to write to thank them personally. You have a truly great company and I will be recommending you to all my friends. Kind Regards, John (Start Date 12.08.08 7-day Machame Route) Hello, I am writing to express how much I enjoyed this trip. I had never done anything like this before and was very happy with how helpful, cheerful, and knowledgeable the guides and crew were. I did not reach Uhuru Peak, but I did enjoy the trip a great deal and don't think I would have enjoyed it more if I had. For this reason, I think the current rating system of counting how many climbers reach the peak in a group should be changed for one based more heavily on feedback. In future I will definitely be recommending your company and Eliawony as a guide. Regards, Ralph Dear Muna, Zainab, and Adam, We just wanted to send an email to let you know how much we enjoyed our safari. You did a truely great job, and our driver Isa was wonderful as well. The hotels were even better than we expected and everything was truely better than we could have ever imagined. At Ikoma tented camp the cook even made me a birthday cake on my birthday!! Thank you again for all the work you put into this, and please feel free to provide our contact information as a reference to prospective clients. We will spread the word about Zara to anyone we know going to Tanzania!! Much thanks again - Stephanie, Angel, Robert and Beverly Dear Kili-team, dear Mrs. Zainab Ansell, I want to say you a big thank you that you have supported me. My dream became true and I see the Kilimanjaro and nearly I had done the summit (my highest point was Kosovo camp 4.892 m) but in case of safety and my breathing problems I had to stop and turn back. Thank you Bryson and team that you gave me all our assistance!! At last I want to send you pictures for your memories. Many extra thank you’s to: Bryson, Robert, Brema, John, Asak + Malia! Mrs. Zainab Ansell you can be proud of your team!!! My wife Ragna and I really enjoyed our holiday in Moshi, Kili and Ngorongori-Serengeti a couple of months ago. On arrival members of your staff remembered me from last year which made me feel almost like coming home. Dear Jackson and team, We just wanted to say a very big thank you for getting us up Kilimanjaro (last week of June). Our success was certainly due to you and your team’s hard work and professionalism. It was a fabulous trip of a lifetime, and we will always remember you and be grateful for the help you gave us. Best wishes, Emma & Rod Muna, Zainab et al at Zara Tours, We had an amazing, unforgettable time on Kilimanjaro. Our guide Felix was absolutely wonderful and without him I don't think I would have made it to the summit. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Muna, at Springlands was especially great and seemed to go out of her way to make sure we were doing well and had clear itineraries. We came home from safari a couple of weeks ago. We had a perfect tour maybe because of our driver Madil. We would like to travel with you another time. Everything was better than expected. We enjoyed ourselves very much. Hello Zara!
Hello, my name is Josh Forrester and I was there at the Springlands hotel to climb Kilimanjaro at the beginning of April 2008. To Robert L. Minja (ZARA Safari guide) We had a very, very good trip for almost 2 weeks (beginning of January) through the National Parks in the North. We had a lot of time in the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro and the Tarangire. And it was so amazing to stay there. I recently did the Kilimanjaro trek with ZaraTours. I have to say, that this trip was one of the hilights of my life. I admit, I wasn't sure what to expect - but I was challenged and inspired beyond anything I could have imagined. We had a great traveling group, and it was organized extremely well, start to finish. I can't say enough amazing things about the guides and the crew. They were absolutely great. I can honestly say, if it weren't for their help and encouragement, I'm not sure my trip to the summit would have been what it was! I was unbelievably determined, but it was very challenging indeed. They were patient and knowledgeable - and they didn't let us give up. One thing stuck out in my mind from a conversation I had with our guide Frankie. These guys have climbed over a 100 times - I said "Don't you ever get tired of doing this? Going up and down, taking care of all these people?!" and he said something to the effect of "This is YOUR dream to climb Kiliminjaro - you are here once. I am just doing my job, and my job is to make sure you make it to the top" For guys 'just doing their jobs' -- I think that they all went above and beyond - they treated us like we were the most important group they'd had. I know that everyone that was there would agree with me in saying that they were just great. If you travel with ZaraTours, all you have to do is get fit, show up with the right gear, have a positive attitude and a darn good dose of determination..... and they will take care of the rest! Kitty
Toronto, ON
We've had an outstanding trip to kilimanjaro and a great time in Tanzania! Hi Zara! Good Morning, Jambo! Dear Sir or Madam, To the owner of Zara: Thank you all at Zara Tours, for a wonderful arranged climb to Kilimanjaro and safaris in Ngorogoro Crater National Park and Lake Manyara National Park in late January 2008. We came back form our trip around Tanzania one week ago and would like to thank EWP and ZARA for organising it. Everything succeded and was according to the schedule. The country is beautiful and worth of visiting. Just a quick note as I have now arrived back from Kilimanjaro with my son, we both got up to Uhuru Peak. Good morning Zainab & Zara Tours, Our small group stayed at the Highview Hotel earlier in the week and had a wonderful time. After 2 days camping in the Serengeti and all the dust we all enjoyed being greeted with warm, moist towels to clean up with prior to check in. We loved the hike to the elephant caves with Joseph and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to have a more intimate experience of the countryside and the local people. Of course, I can tell you how a life time memory we were able to get because of all Zara tours staff did for us! Everyone we met made our experience a lot better than it could ever be! I will never forget the hospitality I enjoyed with your company on my maiden trip to Tanzania last week. I note the following: Zara Tours, We had a great trip with Zara Tours and are very pleased with our guides and the team for both the Kilimanjaro and safari excursion. Our guides where Wilson (Kilimanjaro) and Mombasa (safari), both very knowledgable and positive! I had the pleasure of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro last September. Thanks to Zara tours, I had a wonderful time. I can't remember the name of my guide, but he did a GREAT job! If you can find out who he was, I would like to know and tell him again how wonderful my experience was. I recommend Zara to anyone interested in the trips you offer. I took the Rongai route and made it to Uhuru Peak. My climbing partner was Errill Avecilla. Thanks again!
Dear zara team, we have to say THANK YOU so much for the perfect safari. it was the best we ever did till now , we had so much fun and enjoyed it very much. special thanks to EMMANUEL our driver, please say also to him many thanks and all the best and we hope to hear from him, because we have a little present for the beautiful time we had with him. Thank you once more, Just want to let you know we are back home from our Holiday in Tanzania. We had a great time and everything worked out perfectly...not one glitch!! Met the owner of Zara at Springlands and had a nice talk with her. Everyone at EWP and Zara made our adventure come true and we have a lifetime of memories...thanks to you and your good planning, Zara was wonderful and very professional. I would highly recommend this agency as well as the great guides. Thanks for a great trip!!!! Thanks also to Dickson, my trusty guide. I could have not made it without you. David Davenport, Douglasville, Georgia The climb was amazing, the experience was awesome, Photo is by far the best guide on the entire mountain!!! Khamisi his Assistant guide was sensational also and we would have never made it if it were’nt for them. His whole crew that he chose on this trip was amazing from the cook, to the weighters to the porters - all brilliant and no problems whatsoever… Again, I cannot emphasise enough how great the service was from start to finish. We’re very happy and I will gladly recommend Zara in future for anyone wanting to do Kili : Hani Al-Omari, Salim Al-Halabi, Mouhammed Choukeir, Kheiry Sammakieh, and Seif Sammakieh. Comment: The 5 gentlemen are Lebanese bankers on a charitiy climb for the London based “Lebanon United” group, an organisation that raises money and promotes awareness on humanitarian and sustainable development initiatives in Lebanon. You can read the full story of their climb here. My friends and I just did the Marangu route with Zara. Emmanuel and his team were truly amazing. Daniel, the assistant guide made sure we all summited. Sabas, the waiter was a true example of someone who is excellent at his job. Emmanuel and his team made our trip so much more memorable than it would have been if they were not there. Their spirit, moral fortitude, strength of character and constant positive attitudes and encouragement was truly uplifting. I Jambo to all @ Zara, We've just got back to the UK after spending time with Zara on 'Kili' and on safari. Our thanks to everyone at Zara (and that is everyone - Jamal and the rest of the team @ Springlands, the people @ Highview and the guides and porters, the lady in the office {whose name I can't remember} @ Springlands who sorted out our flights to Zanzibar for us) for making it such a wonderful holiday and a truly memorable experience. The attention to detail that is given, ensures little is left to chance. Zara is a really excellent choice for a Kilimanjaro climb or Safari. Everything was very well organized, from pickup at the airport to the stay at the hotel to the climb and safari. The Springlands Hotel is definitely an excellent place to stay before the climb and between the climb and the safari. Milton my guide was the secret of my success in summitting. Although I did the physical part, his trail instruction and strategy allowed an older (62) but fit person such as myself to succeed. We started early the final night and he fit his pace to my needs. We summited at the same time as the others. There were no older hikers at Uhuru point that morning. I am from Ohio USA, so I had little experience at high altitude. Milton knew exactly what to tell me to do during the first few days to make up for my lack of trail experience. He was very very good. E. Quinn The Kili climb portion of my trip far exceeded my expectations, with excellent service provided by my guide, Eliawoni Mtui, assistant guide, Stephen Ruwaichi Mtui, cook, Fretien, and the rest of our group. I would highly recommend Elia, Stephen, Fretien and the rest of the group put together by Elia to anyone considering a climb with Zara tours. Simply put, Elia and Stephen were superb guides and Fretien was an excellent cook. Because of their efforts, my climb was a wonderful experience. Please pass along my sincere thank you to Elia, Stephen, Fretien and the rest of the group.
I am very appreciative of everyone at Zara Tours and especially yourself for all the arrangements that made my trip to Kilimanjaro and Serengati Safari a memorable one. You guys had to do a lot in order to made my trip to Tanzania and Kenya a memorable one. If I come across anyone who wishes to explore those countries, I will highly recommend you and Zara Tours to them.
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