Getting the pre-trip information was a little difficult. It required multiple inquiries. However, the tour itself was exactly what we wanted. We did a custom tour of 4 different areas from Tarangire to Central Serengeti for just me and my husband. Our tour guide was Justin, who was fabulous! He was a great driver, which isn't easy in the large Tanzanian parks with very rough roads. Justin knew every bird and animal at a glance and I was never able to stump him with all of my questions about the animals. He knew all their social behaviors and exactly where to look to find them. What was really great about Justin was that he was just as interested in the animals as we were, even after 8 years of guiding. He took videos and pictures because he wanted to. This was very helpful because he shared them with us when we were so enthralled that we failed to shoot video ourselves. Justin was also very good at working with the main office whenever we had a question. We stayed in 3 different tented camps. Nyumbani in Central Serengeti had the best food and hot water 24-hours/day. Some camps only provide hot water at certain times of day. I travel with a CPAP machine and all of the camps were able to provide overnight power for it. We worked with Duma to arrange this ahead of time, so if you are a CPAP user, don't assume that it will work unless you arrange it before you go. Some camps have limited power at night. We also have a dairy allergy and all of the accommodations were very good about providing us with dairy-free food. Again, express your allergy needs when you arrange your trip to make sure it can be accommodated. Overall, there was more food than we could eat!

Wow!!!! What an amazing experience! My husband and I went on a 8 day safari with one other couple. We visited Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater & Serengeti National Park. The experience was absolutely life changing. We talked with 4 other companies prior to deciding to book with Duma. We picked Duma because Stacy took the time to hear us out and really work with us to make the best itinerary possible for our group. Stacy was vey responsive and very practical throughout the whole process. Once we arrived in Tanzania we had the pleasure of meeting our game driver/guide, Sufuni. I cannot say enough great things about Sufuni. He is truly an amazing person and guide. He was such a pleasure to spend 8 days with. He has a great personality and amazing guide skills. His ability to spot the animals in the bush is second to none. He made sure we saw everything we wanted to see and more! I completely believe we would not have seen all “Big 5” animals without his incredible spotting ability. Not only is he a wonderful guide in regard to bush sitting and driving, but he made our group feel safe and cared for us the whole trip. I had some anxiety going into the trip due to never previously visiting Africa. I never once felt unsafe or anxious while with Sufuni. One example - we had a flight back from Serengeti to Arusha at the end of the trip. This is where we separated from the guide. Sufuni walked us into the airport in Serengeti & made sure we were linked up to the flight personnel, made sure the flight company had all our information correct, helped us get the bags checked, and made sure we felt good about everything before he departed. This is just one example of how Sufuni went above and beyond for our service. If you have any desire to travel to Tanzania for a safari I 100% recommend booking through Duma explorer (Alika Africa). Also, if you want to have an amazing guide I would request Sufuni.

They say an African safari is the trip of a lifetime and this did not disappoint. We did the 8 night/9 Day safari in Tanzania and the gorilla trek in Rwanda. Justin picked us up at the airport and took care of our every need the entire week. If we asked to see something ie: a giraffe drinking, Justin made it happen. Justin could spot animals from an amazing distance, he was an encyclopedia of knowledge. I can't say enough about how incredible he made our experience. It is hard to describe in words what it is like to be 5 feet from a male lion, to see wildebeest and zebras migrate, to see rhinos, hippos and so many more that I would run out of space if I listed them. We took the balloon ride, not only were the views breathtaking but we were treated like royalty. The accommodations, from the migration camps to the fancier lodges were filled with amazing people who greeted us with such warmth and took such good care of us. We didn't think it could get better, then we went to Rwanda. Juvenal picked us up at the airport and we began our journey to the jungle to see gorillas. Juvenal made sure we had what we needed and got us where we needed to be, giving us a personal history of Rwanda along the way. Again I am at a loss for words about what it is like to be 5 feet away from a silverback, to see a one year old swing above you or to be in the presence of a gorilla family. If you are thinking about a safari make sure it is a safari/gorilla trek and do it now! As far as Stacy the owner, you don't necessarily feel like your hand is held through the process and you overthink all of it. Then you arrive and every single detail of your trip is perfect, her guides love working for her and it shows in their dedication. She plans your trip of a lifetime, so hand it over sit back and listen to the sounds of the wild.

We took a ten day custom tour of northern Tanzania, stopping in Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, and southern and central Serengeti. The tour was impeccably planned, from pickup at the airport to the first rate accommodations both in Arusha and out in the bush. In fact, Duma switched one camp we had booked because they had heard from clients that the camp was subpar. Our guide, Justin, was perfection. Besides his knowledge of the area and how to navigate the rough roads, he could identify any animal, bird, reptile, tree or bush we asked about. But most important, he enjoyed being there and seeing the animals with us. We travel a lot and have never had a guide that was also interested in taking photos of what we were seeing. Tanzania is a wonderful place and I cannot recommend Duma enough for an agency to help plan a trip.

We spent 7 days travelling Northern Tanzania with our guide Isack of Duma Explorers/Alika Africa. We visited Arusha NP, Manyara NP, Serenget 1 & 2 and Mara 1 & 2. We couldn't have asked for a better guide! Isack is an incredibly skilled safari guide and bird spotter. He has an extraordinary ability to spot and accurately identify the tiniest birds and most elusive mammals and reptiles at far distances. We saw over 160 different species including the big five. He has an intimate knowledge of the land and an instinct for the best sites. This was particularly apparent when we arrived at the Mara river on the very last day of the Great Migration season. Isack picked a location much further away from other safari groups that turned out to be the exact spot a huge herd of hundreds of wildebeest and zebra chose to cross. Isack is an excellent driver and we felt very safe in his hands. We very much enjoyed dining with him in the evenings as he has a wealth of interesting Tanzanian history and funny personal stories to tell from his 27 years' experience as a safari guide. If we return to Tanzania in future years we will definitely enquire to have him as our guide again. Thank you Isack!

We had read all the fantastic reviews of Duma Explorer after our safari was booked by Wayfarer in the UK. The reviews didn't do justice to the amazing experience we had. From meeting Msangi, our guide, on day one, through to when he dropped us at the airstrip in Northern Serengeti, every day got better and better. He was so patient and knowledgable, explaining all of the birdlife, plants and animals to us. It was a pleasure to talk to him about his experiences and to learn all we could from him. We went to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and into the Serengeti. He was good spirited, despite the very long drives over the days, on sometimes fairly challenging roads. He offered us the chance to see whatever we could, rather than just chasing the other jeeps around the parks (which some guides seemed to do). We laughed and chatted across the trip. it felt like we were leaving a friend by the time we said goodbye. I cannot recommend Alika Africa/Duma Explorer enough and if you get Msangi as your guide then you are incredibly lucky! I hope it won't be our last time having the benefit of such a brilliant company and guide (He's told us all about Gorilla trekking in Rwanda and now that' firmly stuck in my mind, along with Nairobi and Botswana - you guys may need to branch out into some other countries!!). Please pass on our greatest thanks to Msangi :)

We had been to Tanzania once before with Duma Explorer. This time our 10 day trip included Tarangiri, Ndutu, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara and was expertly planned by Stacy Readal. We intentionally chose the wet season (although it was particularly wet this year) in order to better see the birdlife. Birdlife is a particular interest of ours but is also an enjoyable way to fill in the spaces between mammal sightings. Our guide, Isack Msuya, has a gift for finding animals and birds that are not readily visible to the normal human being. And he always gave time to thoroughly appreciate what we were seeing. He was also very knowledgeable about animal behaviour. Our favoured routes were often blocked by the heavy rainfall but Isack always found a safe way round. We felt very safe throughout. Isack played a huge part in making our trip a success. Particular highlights were our two walking safaris at Ndutu and the Rift valley escarpment. We also observed lions mating and a large elephant troupe on a mission to reach the river. We were lucky to see the beginnings of wildebeest and zebra migration at Ndutu. And we were fascinated by the intricate building process of the weaver bird nests. Our accommodation was a mixture of safari lodges and tented camps with the latter having the frisson of excitement of the unexpected animal passing by. The staff were unfailingly friendly and courteous and many showed impressive commitment to nature conservation. Graham and Maxine

We highly recommend Duma/Alika Africa as everything was thoughtfully planned and flawlessly executed. Our family of 6 enjoyed an amazing safari experience with our guide Isack this month. This is a trip we have been thinking about for years, so expectations were high. Stacy was very good at understanding what we wanted (even when we were not quite sure) and developed a travel plan that was the right pace, staying in a variety of comfortable tented camps and lodgings. We enjoyed warm hospitality and truly delicious meals. Once we were in Tanzania, the Duma/Alika Africa staff was prompt and efficient at airport pickups, bag drops, etc. I had full confidence in the entire operation at all times. When my son had a last-minute change of travel plans at the end of our trip, Stacy was helpful in finding an extra night of accommodation for him. From our first sighting of a baboon in Arusha National Park to sitting amongst the wildebeest as they waited to cross the Mara in the northern Serengeti, we were enthralled by all the wildlife in Tanzania. Isack has telescopic vision and encyclopedic knowledge. He was able to find and identify animals while deftly navigating the roads and paths around and through the parks. All day long we peppered him with questions about the animals, habitats, parks, and places we were seeing. Isack answered all of our questions and shared fascinating stories and information throughout the trip. He had infinite patience when we just wanted to spend time and watch an animal for a longer period of time and a knack for intuiting where the animals would be and what they would be doing. Isack made this a truly magical experience. If you are interested in a Tanzanian safari, you cannot go wrong with Duma Explorer/Alika Africa. Stacy has a deep understanding of Tanzania and a thoughtful and honest conversation with her will yield a rewarding and memorable experience in this beautiful country.

We had a very limited amount of time (2 half days and 2 full days, and inflexible dates). Stacy, the owner, talked to us about our specific priorities and crafted the perfect trip for us. She arranged our flights, our stay at a luxury safari camp, where we had a great experience and an incredible guide. She changed our flights as our plans changed, and made flight suggestions that, in effect, gave us another half-day in the Serengeti. We really had no idea of what we were getting into and she helped us understand our options and make the best possible choices. Not sure I will be in Tanzania again but if I ever go again I will calling DUMA. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

This was a dream trip for my mother and me. The team at Duma Explorer put together the perfect itinerary for a recently retired wildlife biologist from the US National Park Service and her 87-year-old mother - quite a feat! We spent 12 days exploring and experiencing Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, the Ndutu region, Serengeti, and Zanzibar. We both thoroughly enjoyed the trip. All the places we stayed were fantastic – I have a new appreciation for what a “tent camp” can be! Adding in a night drive in Tarangire, a walk in Ndutu, and snorkeling at Chumbe Island were great additions to the experience. Thanks so much to Stacy for working with us to put the trip together. I can’t say enough about how fantastic our guide Isack Msuya was – I will always be grateful for his sharing with us his deep knowledge the natural and cultural heritage of Tanzania. Extra thanks for all his help with the birds, and I hope to be back in 2026!