03 Jul 2022
Everything I hoped an African Safari would be. Weather was perfect for safari driving and hiking up to Sanje Falls. Very few flies or mosquitos. The length of this trip worked really well for us as we got to see all of the animals in the open plains and water holes of Mikumi NP as well as the rainforest in the Udzungwa Mountain NP. During our first half day in Mikumi we saw all the animals we were hoping for, but saw many more of them on our full day in the park. Even though Mikumi is one of the smaller NPs in Tanzania, the density of animals that you go to Africa to go see in the wild was very high (no Rhinos there and didn't see any leopards, but saw lots of everything else). We also really enjoyed our visit to a traditional Maasai clan on our last morning before returning to Dar Es Salaam. Accommodations and staff at Bastian Camp were great as well. Besides the friendliness of all of the locals we interacted with, I can't say enough good things about Mansoor Mohamed, our guide from African Pangolin Safaris. He was pleasant, flexible, knowledgeable, and has built good relationships with the other guides and agents in the industry. He facilitated and translated for us when we decided to go walk around and shop in the back streets of Mikumi (non-tourist area), and facilitated a visit for us to the Cultural Museum in Dar Es Salaam after our scheduled package was over. The trip was full, but we never felt rushed, and still had some time in the pool and around the fire at night. Highly recommend for a first time trip to Africa.