Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Most Inspirational Moment

The most memorable moment on this trip of a lifetime was hearing the lions roar as we sat around our campfire as night fell on the Serengti, hearing them as we went to sleep in our tents and having them be our wake up call in the morning. We saw many lions including cubs, hunting pride and a pair mating.

Thoughts on Group Leader

I have been on three Exodus adventures….. walking Italy’s Amalfi coast, cycling across Vietnam and now, the Kenya & Tanzania safari. The guides and support team have always been exceptional. But Raymond aka “Dolly” and his entire team: Edu, “C.V.” and Gordon took it to a whole new level! The team worked tirelessly to keep us safe and well looked after. Dolly’s passion for his work shone through. His knowledge of the land, people, places and wildlife was outstanding. Ditto for his people and group management skills. Oh….. and his sense of humour! Our cook, Edu, worked magic every day! Which was outstanding, given we were on the road without the benefits of a fully equipped and modern kitchen. I am a fussy eater but I enjoyed all our meals which were created in short order after camp was established. I asked him the meaning behind his “healthy chef”t-shirt and was surprised to learn he was also a registered nurse, with a skill set that he never had to use on our trip. It explained his never-ending reminders to “wash your hands.” He was also kept busy with grocery shopping, ordering fresh fish here, fresh fruits and veggies there. Our driver and mechanic who we affectionately nicknamed C.V., negotiated crazy busy city streets and the dusty, washboard, bumpy, narrow bush tracks with exceptional skill. Keep in mind he was driving a 15 ton overlander truck! He was constantly performing maintenance on the go to keep the truck working efficiently. Quiet but friendly and super-attentive-to-our-needs Gordon completed the team, always right there to lend us a helping hand, working tirelessly behind the scenes. Despite their primary roles, the entire team pitched in to set up tents, prepare food, wash and dry dishes, getting up in the wee small hours of the morning and working on as we were fast asleep in our tents. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this the trip of a lifetime!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for very long, very bumpy, very dusty days. But it is so worth it!

Most Inspirational Moment

Too many to pick just one.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Darlene was a very knowledgeable and personable leader. Excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Just go with the flow and bring toilet paper .

Most Inspirational Moment

We were extremely lucky to see the Big 5 and the Ugly 5 animals on safari. Seeing lions mating, chasing wildlife and devouring their food was the standout highlight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Tim was a wonderful leader who went out of his way to ensure that we had the best trip ever. He was extremely knowledgeable about all the areas visited and the animals. Every day, Tim gave us clear briefings of what we were doing and what to expect. Tim had a wonderful sense of humour and he had a great rapport with the whole group. Everyone had tremendous respect for Tim and what he had achieved for us during the 14 day experience.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring face masks for the dust Consider hotel upgrades when available Try some of the optional activities including snorkelling, balloon flight and Maasai tour Arrive a night earlier to start your trip

Most Inspirational Moment

So many - a pride of lions round a recently killed buffalo, a cheetah and later a lion walking beside us (all a few feet away), a leopard with kill in a tree, lions mating

Thoughts on Group Leader

Gathoni was a great guide, working incredibly hard, developing relationships with each of us individually, working really well with the rest of the wonderful crew (Ben, Dan and Godfrey), and always cheerful and funny

Advice for Potential Travellers

Note that yellow fever certificates may be required for entry into Kenya and Tanzania as well as Zanzibar, and as of January 2024 it’s easier to get the Tanzanian visa at the border than online as Exodus don’t provide sufficient information to do so online. Also note that optional activities in Zanzibar can vary in price depending on how many of the group want to participate and where you’re staying. It’s worth also noting that this trip is very full on with very little downtime or opportunity to get any exercise. It’s probably unavoidable given the distances involved, but good to come prepared.

Most Inspirational Moment

Several listed above but also the dawn hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara with champagne breakfast in the bush.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Caroline was great throughout and seemed always to provide us with an exciting end to our game drives.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I took a self inflating sleeping mat which really wasn’t necessary as those provided were fine. A good pair of binoculars and a camera with a telephoto lens really were very useful.

Most Inspirational Moment

Lots of special moments on the trip but the one thing that made it for me was seeing loads of Wildebeest and Zebra going down the steel river banks and crossing the Mara river in huge numbers, this was a very 'Planet Earth' moment.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Asaph was a good leader, always wanting to keep us guests happy and wanting us to experience different cultural experiences.

Advice for Potential Travellers

It's fairly hard work so just be prepared and don't go if you are a princess, there are other trips for you. Camping in inevitably a bit harder than lodges although it's still fairly comfortable. Being bumped around in the cruiser is a little uncomfortable too but just go with the flow and see this as part of the adventure. Showers are not guaranteed to be hot and toilets are not always guaranteed to flush (ours all did) so be prepared to wing it a bit. Remember, TIA, This is Africa!

Most Inspirational Moment

Wild camping in the Serengeti and hearing the lions roaring nearby during the night - unforgettable.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Darlene was great - so knowledgeable and enthusiastic, very fun group!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring a good torch/headtorch Bring small denominations of 'crispy' currency (USD post 2017) for tipping Pack layers for the colder nights Take a good camera with decent zoom lens Print out all your travel documents, like e-visas. Pack toilet paper and hand sanitizer - be prepared for basic facilities during the journey.

Most Inspirational Moment

We saw the big five : -) but seen the migration in Tanzania was the highlight for me.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was excellent he went above and beyond his duties to ensure we had a smooth and fantastic experience. The groups chats every evening was informative and very useful we were kept informed at every stage. Any obstacles were dealt with efficiently and calmly this added to a great adventure.

Advice for Potential Travellers

As the advert says go there with a sense of adventure and you will have the experience of your life. Follow the advice on vaccinations, and paper work this will make your experience superb. A bring along a good camera to record your experiences.

Most Inspirational Moment

Coming into the Serengeti - a sense of wilderness over and above the Masai Mara.

Thoughts on Group Leader

All four of the team were outstanding - and were a real team.

Most Inspirational Moment

1) waking up to find water buck and zebra staring at me 2) hot air balloon trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ten out of 10. 11 out of 10. Caring enthusiastic professional knowledgable and more. Superb communicator thank you Jacob I you can lead our next trip

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a warm hat and warm clothing as well as safari gear. Ngorongoro gets cold. Buy the longest and best zoom lens for your camera