Out of five stars Authentic Africa Adventures gets six. I can’t say enough about how amazing Daniel is - and how amazing our trip was. He took care of every detail from start to finish with the biggest smile and the best laugh. He catered the trip to fit our timeline and style of traveling - glamping was wonderful and the staff at each place we stayed was warm, friendly and offered top notch service. The safari vehicle was comfortable and modern, and his eye for spotting animals allowed us to see all the big five plus many smaller more rare creatures. Our highlight was spending an hour watching two lions with their four cubs, who were lounging in the shade of a tree directly next to our vehicle. I’ve travelled the world and this by far has been my favorite experience. It’s all about the guide!

My husband and I just returned from a 10 day safari in Tanzania. Our guide for the majority of the trip was Masha, aka Daniel, one of the owners of Authentic Africa Adventure. I wasn’t sure what to expect on this trip having never been on a safari adventure but Masha made sure we had the best safari ever. My focus was on birds, wildlife and a cultural experience. My husband was also focused on wildlife. Masha made it happen. My total number of birds seen and identified by Masha was over 80. He knew every single bird I pointed out and also pointed them out before I even saw them. On the cultural side, Masha encouraged us to visit a Maasai village and it was the experience of a lifetime. My husband got to wear a red Maasai cloth and was invited to participate in their jumping ceremony. I found out white men can’t jump. Ha Ha, I got to participate with the ladies in their dance with the beautiful necklaces on the bounced as we all danced in line to meet the men. We also got to experience seeing the Maasai children’s tiny school and they sung a song for us. Learning about their culture was fascinating. We also explored the Hadaze and Dagota cultures and spent half a day with each. We went hunting with 4 young Hadaze men throughout the bush and then returned to their camp and learned how they make fire (it’s definitely an art) and how to shoot a bow and arrow. Hubby did fairly well shooting it about 20 feet but no comparison to what they could do. We then went to the Datoga blacksmith who makes the arrow points and trades with the Hadaze. He showed us how he uses a cow skin bellows, charcoal and various crude instruments to forge metal into various shapes. Wildlife-We saw more wildlife than I imagined. We saw more lions than I could ever imagine. Even the lions that climb trees. The trip down into Ngorongoro crater was spellbinding there were so many animals-hippos, wildebeest, zebras, Cape buffalo, black rhinos, jackals, birds and more. We also explored the Tarangire National park and Lake Manyara National Park. Masha, owner of Authentic Africa Adventures, made the trip special for our 50th wedding year. His knowledge of all things Tanzania, his sense of humor and his curiosity for knowing more about American culture and his sharing of the politics of his country sparked many deep and interesting discussions. This is a long winded review but I can’t say enough good things about this trip and Masha. Memories to last a lifetime.