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★★★★★Google
Zan Isaac accompanied me as my guide from Zanzibar island to a short safari at Mikumi Park on the mainland of Tanzania. I was scheduled to arrive the night before and meet him at my hotel in the morning. However, because of a 10 hour delay caused by the airline, he met at the airport where we commenced on our overland trip to Mikumi. We took a ferry to Dar es Salaam, transferring to the new high speed train to Morogoro and meeting with a local driver who drove us to the park. Isaac was an expert in everything local and beyond. He had all of the transportation worked out in advance, tickets for the ferry, the train and private car. All of the transfers were planned for smooth transitions. He was there to help me with immigration control, carrying my bag, assisting with translation to English, currency exchange, schooling me on local tipping culture and pointing out interesting facts and features along the way. His local contacts created a safe and enjoyable trip to the park and my privately guided safari. I would never have had the courage to embark on such a journey without him as my guide. He made me feel like a family friend and my experience was definitely one that was highlighted by my feeling like a guest rather than a tourist. I am a 65 year old woman who was travelling alone, meeting up with a yoga retreat group after the safari.
We began the safari by eating a locally cooked buffet served by local chefs.. We saw elephants and giraffes, herds of zebras and wildebeest. The grazers were abundant and beautiful. At one point Louis, our hand picked guide drove us to a pair of “honeymooning lions” who tolerated our presence with lazy yawns. After an animal filled first day, Isaac and Louis delivered me to my lodging where I enjoyed a hot shower and another delicious meal.
The next day started with a lion encounter that took my breath away… we added hippos, crocodiles, warthogs and lots more of the grazers, but the highlight was spotting a small pack of the elusive African Dog, a first in Mikumi Park in over 5 years. After another animal filled second day, Isaac and Louis delivered me to my compound. I said goodbye to Louis who never failed to have an answer to my many questions. Isaac and I retraced the trip back to Zanzibar Island, where he delivered me to my hotel, a changed human … blown away by the hospitality of strangers. Thank you Zan Isaac for your beautiful energy and the trip you helped unfold.
