animal.

Of all the trips we’ve taken all over the world, these 15 days on Journey Into Africa’s Tanzanian safari have topped them all.  

Nancy and Alicia Clum, California USA

In August 2021, my daughter and I traveled from California to Tanzania for a 10-day safari arranged by Andrew through Journey into Africa.  Andrew carefully assessed our desire for level of adventure and luxury vs roughing it and put together the prefect customized itinerary.

Wow what a great trip.  Flawless logistics; a knowledgeable, personable, confident guide we trusted; a variety of perfect accommodations from a bit-of-paradise small lodge to luxurious permanent camp to rustic camp in the crater; abundant animal and bird sightings; cultural enhancements visiting a small village and Maasai community as well as Olduvai Gorge.  A 3-day visit to Zanzibar topped off the trip.

A few words about COVID safety:  We generally felt safer in Tanzania than at home.  Our guide and camp staff were all vaccinated.  Our daily safari drives were in a vehicle with only our group.  We dined at open air tables with our own party.  Staff were masked and use of hand-washing stations was encouraged as you entered each camp.  In country testing options were easy to access and timely in providing results.

It truly was a trip of a lifetime (well hopefully not just one trip but rather the first of many).

Tanzania August/September 2021

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Andy Vincent, Delaware USA.   

Thanks to Andrew Beckett of Journey Into Africa, our Tanzanian Safari was an awesome family experience and celebration of Ann’s 93rd birthday! Andrew took care of all arrangements (camps, in-country air transport, special walks and side trips) and accompanied us throughout.

The camps and lodges he selected were outstanding with delicious food and drink and caring staff. Sipping champagne while watching a Serengeti sunset on an evening game drive in the field was a highlight. He and his driver/guides were outstanding; they located, identified, and described a bounty of wildlife. They were all very personable and felt like family by the end of our journey.

I was initially very concerned about Covid-era travel, but the testing, masking, and hygiene protocols followed by staff were reassuring. I felt safer on Safari than I do back home. Tests necessary for our return flight to the USA were arranged by bringing health staff to our camp in Tarangire to test us and ensure we had the documentation necessary to board our flight back to the USA.

I can’t imagine a better introduction to Africa.

Tanzania, September 2021.

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Jimmy (Iain) Gunn, Scotland, UK.

I just wanted to thank you for organizing such a wonderful safari to Botswana and Zambia.  The organization was absolutely perfect and seemingly seamless! It was a truly memorable holiday that Gibby and I thoroughly enjoyed and will live long in the memory.  There were so many wildlife highlights it’s hard to pick out one but personally, the diversity of birdlife was really exceptional.  I was also thoroughly impressed by the friendliness, natural history knowledge, tracking skills and culinary expertise shown by all the camp staff.  Thank you!

Botswana and Zambia, January/February 2020

——————————————————————————————————————————————-Grant and Bernadette McLoughlin, USA        

We just returned from our two week safari with Andrew and everything about our experience exceeded our expectations. Andrew along with our drivers/guides, Henry and Victor, went to all extremes to make sure we saw every animal possible and had a true African experience. Our accommodations were very comfortable, safe and most importantly authentic. The food, and drinks were terrific… along with 1st class service by the camps staff. Andrew also added to our experience with additional side trips including a hunting expedition with the Hadza tribe, visit to the Datoga village and a moving experience to a local school… my only complaint is we saw and experienced so much I am having trouble condensing down my 3000 photos to a manageable number…it was a once in a lifetime experience that we are planning to do again… can’t imagine a better trip is possible.

Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda, February 2019

  Jennifer and Tom Seigner, California, U.S.A.

Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana & Zambia, 1990 to 2020

 Mandy and Mark Thorn,  Shropshire UK

From our trip to Kilimanjaro which mixed the experience of walking up Africa’s highest mountain together with a fabulous group of friends with a wonderfully luxurious safari to reward ourselves afterwards to our incredible trip to the Okavango Delta and Zambia, the attention to detail that Andrew Beckett provides to ensure our holidays are relaxing, informative, fascinating and fun is second to none. Unlike other holidays we have undertaken, Journey Into Africa have enabled us to venture behind the tourist trail and enjoy more of the real Africa, in the knowledge that our trip has been organised by someone who knows and loves the African land and peoples. We have so many wonderful memories of our two safaris with Journey Into Africa, and we look forward to more.

Tanzania, September 2010 & Botswana and Zambia  September 2012 and 2020

 Charlie and Susan Ballou,  USA

What I liked. First – the Tanzanian people were wonderful. I didn’t feel like someone was “serving” me – but rather a people that were proud of their country and anxious to show visitors how things work and how they live their lives connected to Nature. Second – I was basically outside most every day even if you call standing up in the back of a Land Cruiser and looking for game being outside. Third – I enjoyed staying in tents even if they were semi-permanent. The tents gave me a feeling of camping. And of course the game watching was great – especially the Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, and Rhinos. I’d go back if Andrew were running the trip.

Tanzania March 2015

 Bob and Hilary Berry  Shropshire UK

We realised from the itinerary that our safari to Uganda and Tanzania in February 2014 was going to be special, but nothing had prepared us for the wildlife experiences we encountered.  Looking back it is difficult to say which was the highlight of the trip – seeing the massive silver back gorillas close up, the cheetah with five cubs, the family groups of chimpanzees in the wild, the enormity of the wildebeest herds in the Serengeti, the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater with its diversity of species or any of the other amazing sights we encountered. Andrew’s organisation of the trip was faultless.  His knowledge of the countries and their wildlife and his ability to impart it absolutely made the holiday. In fact it was that good we have booked again with Journey into Africa to visit Botswana and Zambia.

Uganda and Tanzania, February 2014

  Fran and Toots Fee, USA

This was my first trip to Africa.  While my wife had been to Africa and had been on Safari many years ago, we both can say that, without a doubt, this was the vacation of a lifetime.  I had wanted to do a safari for years.  When friends invited us to join them, we immediately agreed to go.  For the next year, we planned for and read about African Safari.  The safari with Journey into Africa exceeded all of our heightened expectations.  The trip was extremely well organized.  Every detail had been anticipated and taken care of well in advance.  Andrew Beckett did an amazing job.  The camps were beautiful and well appointed.  The staff at each camp were welcoming and friendly.  They made us feel we were special.  And, then there were the animals.  It is hard to say which experience was more exciting – watching lions stalk their prey; fighting hippos; the leopard in a tree; elephants next to the land cruiser; wild dogs chasing their prey, or beautiful and graceful sable prancing in a meadow.  We could not be more complimentary of Andrew and Journey into Africa.  We will recommend them to friends every time we talk about our experience.  And, we are talking about it a lot.

Botswana and Zambia, September 2013

 Diane Meyers & Jim Resneck, California

We believe that if you want to visit Africa, you should do it well!   In our case, the realization of this dream began when we were referred to Andrew Beckett with Journey Into Africa, who helped our party of four travelers plan a personalized adventure through Eastern Africa that reflected all our travel interests and requests.  As our guide, Andrew put his years of experience to work as a well-honed educator, sharing his passion and knowledge of the animals and the people of this region.   He and our driver, Firoz, were able to spot remarkable animals: a hidden leopard’s tail flicking in a distant tree; lions circling the fresh kill of a cape buffalo; a cheetah family perched on a termite hill posing for pictures; and Africa’s flying jewels, the birds.

Since we were also interested in making connections with local people, Andrew arranged for us to have the opportunity to share a candid conversation with a Maasai chief in his hut, to follow a group of Hadza hunters with whom we shared a meal of dik dik and wild honey, and to sit with a small group of Datoga women laughing together about the differences in our respective cultural practices.

From the beginning to the end of our experience, every detail was attended to thoroughly.  We felt well prepared before embarking and totally secure that our needs would be met at every step along the way.   With his in-depth knowledge, seamless planning, and welcoming personality, Andrew exceeded our expectations as our guide and was the ideal host to an amazing adventure.

Tanzania and Rwanda, June 2014 and Botswana and Zambia 2017

 Barrie & Sheena Hawkin, Shropshire UK

With our extended family of six (son and daughter plus partners) we all agreed that this was the best holiday we had ever been on. The camps (especially Lagoon) were five star with the food, the accommodation and the very obliging staff, including some impromptu entertainment, were exemplary. But as for the guides and trackers we were treated to their amazing knowledge and ability to find for us everything we wanted to see (bar the honey badger!). We saw three packs of wild dog, cheetah, lion, leopard, one hundred and ten different birds species and even a tortoise. The organisation ran like clockwork and we especially loved the small plane rides from camp to camp.

Botswana February 2015

  Mike and Judith Henke  USA

Having been on safari before (Kenya), I was totally unprepared to see so many animals up so close.  It was absolutely amazing to sit twenty feet away, watching lions mating, a hyena crunching on the skull of a baboon he had just killed, a leopard hiding in a tree from a lion.  Perhaps the most memorable sight, though, was two male sables encountering each other in an open field, sniffing, circling, evaluating, and then clashing horns—an absolutely magnificent sight.  On top of everything else, the lodges were all memorable, each in a very different setting, but all comfortable, beautiful, welcoming.  It was literally, for my wife and me, the trip of a lifetime.  Thankyou!

Botswana and Zambia, September 2013

Cas and Anne Hobbs  USA

Andrew Beckett guided my wife and me and a group of friends on the Serengeti, in Botswana, and took my daughter and me to the top of Kilimanjaro — he was a knowledgeable and meticulous planner and an outstanding guide on all three occasions!      His personalized small group safaris are, in my experience, much preferable to the high-end lodge option.   He is wonderfully skilled in getting you to the right place, at the right time, to experience the unique – mating lions, brawling hippos, swimming elephants, the elaborate confrontation ritual of male sable antelopes.   If you’re interested in birds, he is also a first class birder.   And perhaps most importantly, Andrew is a delightful traveling companion — they don’t come any better!   In short, I recommend Andrew with enthusiasm and without qualification.

Tanzania, 1998, 2003 & Botswana & Zambia 2012

Margaretta Stabler, USA

I can’t thank you enough for planning such a wonderful trip.  It far exceeded my expectations and I was so lucky to be able to share it with my children. It’s not often that I have them to myself without the everyday distractions that rule their lives!  Having raved about my previous safaris, I hoped they wouldn’t be disappointed—and I must tell you that this trip was far and away the best. The numbers of animals and birds , the wonderful accommodations, the variation in each and every day, the great company of Victor and Urasa and the other staff people we met, and of course having you there to guide us and teach us every step of the way cannot ever be duplicated. I probably will not return to Africa, but it is always in my heart.

Tanzania March 2012

 Richard and Lois Rawson, Virginia USA

Amazing Journey into Africa We had been contemplating a photographic safari to sub-Saharan Africa for years and had looked into what the large luxury tour groups had to offer.  But it wasn’t until friends, including people who have traveled with Andrew Beckett four separate times in Africa, raved about his Journey into Africa that we decided to make Andrew our planner and guide.  Best travel decision we’ve ever made!   Every element of the trip was well planned and well executed, from pre-trip advice and travel arrangements, to selection of incredibly knowledgable, friendly driver/guides and marvelous accommodations, to highly successful game drives and very interesting cultural visits.  And when the weather left the plains so dry that the migration moved farther and faster than customary, Andrew had the flexibility to adjust our plans to provide the best viewing opportunities. And what views!  Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater conservation area abounded in an extraordinary variety of animals and colorful birds.  Olduvai Gorge fascinated us.  And the highlights in the Serengeti included getting up close to leopards lounging in trees, watching a mother cheetah teach her cubs to hunt at full speed, and visiting a river bend filled with elephants, cape buffalo and several hundred zebra and wildebeest (as well as two huge crocodiles).  Sundowners, campfires, great company and the stars of the southern hemisphere topped it all off. It’s also worth mentioning that the food was very good, that we always felt completely safe and secure, and that the value was great when compared to the big name luxury safari groups.  Our memories (and incredible wildlife photos) will last a lifetime.  Thanks, Andrew, we hope to come back!

Tanzania, March 2015

      Suzanne Hamilton, USA

Having traveled all over the world, I never expected my safaris with Journey Into Africa to be as magical as they have been.  Each trip begins with the jubilant “Jambo” greeting from the local people, some of the friendliest and happy I’ve met.  The magnificence of all the wild animals and birds leaves me in awe.   The ever changing landscape is vast, spectacular and beautiful.  Arrival at each tent camp starts with the camp staff waiting with a welcome damp wash cloth and a cool glass of fresh squeezed juice.

Andrew’s extensive knowledge, experience and stories along with the skilled and expertly trained drivers/guides adds a depth and personality to each journey. Even with all of Andrew’s attention to detail, there is always a delightful unexpected event:  two elephants grazing their way through camp one afternoon; a Wildebeest giving birth; or a lioness swatting a lion as she’d had quite enough of his ardent attention!!  I have gone on four safaris with Andrew and Journey Into Africa and each one a unique adventure.

I have my safari bag all packed and am always ready for another Journey Into Africa.

Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana & Zambia, 2005 to 2020

 Holly and Ramsay Stabler USA

“So, when we think of Andrew, first and foremost, he is just great company! It is as if you have brought along another good friend on the trip, and yet he balances this by being absolutely professional. He loves all the adventurous parts of a safari, yet safety is top on his list. His knowledge of the beasts and the birds is really quite extraordinary; we were in awe of his ability to spot and identify a bird 100 yds off going 50 mph on a very regular basis. He is also great at designing a trip which has great variety- small lodges, permanent tent camps, even mobile camping opportunities. When we came as a group of 12, with 8 boys ranging in age from 16 to 8, he found ways to keep them active and engaged- not an easy task- with hiking, kayaking, and more. The best part is when you arrive, your worries are over; Andrew has things planned well and the decisions have all been made, which makes for a real vacation! We have been on two trips with Andrew since 2000, and we are heading back to Tanzania with him again in 2012. I have recommended Andrew to anyone who is thinking about a safari, and I will continue to do so, without any reservation.”

Botswana & Zimbabwe 2000, Tanzania & Uganda 2007 & Tanzania 2012

All monies paid to Journey Into Africa is protected under the Travel Trust Association, membership no Q4764.