Destinations

Maape will give you a rich, species-filled and respectful safari experience I and 3 friends (3/4 of us are biologists) joined Maape Tanzania safaris in August 2021 (a trip postponed for over a year due to Covid). Allan is an excellent communicator.  Ever since a friend and i first booked our summer 2020 trip with Allan in 2019 (which, of course, was postponed to 2021 due to Covid), he stayed in regular contact with us via email and several online video chats.  When my friend withdrew and my 3 other friends committed to the Tanzania trip, Allan arranged video chats and stayed in close touch with us, helping with various planning challenges which were inconceivably difficult during Covid. 2) Allan was always a powerful advocate for all of us, both before and during our trip.  When our flight from JRO to EBB was canceled by the airline, Allan committed to getting three of us to Kenya by land, and he followed through on that commitment in a way that resolved what would otherwise have been an impossible challenge.  On our safari, Allan always had everyone's interest in mind and he stood up for each person in the way they needed-- he worked hard to convey individual food preferences and allergies to each place we stayed; he immediately communicated with lodging staff about any problems we encountered.  He went beyond the call of duty, helping two in our group with contacts that were invaluable in designing their ongoing travel to Zimbabwe and Botswana.  Allan was flexible with our schedule when i was unable to make it to Tanzania on the scheduled date due to my being scammed into buying a ticket for a non-existent flight from EBB to JRO (avoid travelgenio!).  I was so grateful that we got to visit the African Wildlife Foundation program, Canines for Conservation, even though it was originally scheduled for the day i lost in Tanzania.  My three friends were pleasantly surprised and impressed with that project which uses dogs to detect any illegal animal smuggling from Africa. 3) Allan is one of the best animal spotters i've ever known.  His sightings enriched our experience tremendously and gave us an astounding number of species encounters and some wonderful animal behavior observations. 4) Allan is patient and flexible.  He coped with so many different demands and responsibilities while remaining calm and of good humor. He drove countless hours without complaint, giving us a thorough experience of large parts of Tanzania.  He set a challenging early morning schedule, but he was always capable of patiently waiting or even changing course, when anything interrupted the plans. I appreciated learning the shocking fact that Mbali Mbali on Lake Tangankiya cost 60% of our entire trip!  It was a wonderful, unique place with an outstanding staff, and seeing wild, habituated chimps was a treat, but knowing that it was that costly means i would not go again.    I loved Sametu and Mara Under Canvas, as they were the kind of "in the bush" tent experiences i most cherish.  My experience of the Serena Lodge confirmed my dislike of lodges.  I liked our tent at Maramboi and the wonderful sighting of a reed buck in the evening, but i was put off by the fancy swimming pool and big crowds there.  I disliked Kahawa House but my friends who stayed at Rivertrees near Arusha on the day I missed raved about it: lovely, peaceful spot with vervets to entertain them.

An amazingly magical experience I just returned from a fabulous trip to East Africa with Allan Mollel guiding it. I met Allan three years ago when he was the guide on a group tour. When a friend and I decided to make a trip together I contacted Allan to discuss it. He mapped out an itinerary for us to see Tanzania. When I asked him about gorilla trekking he added that into plan. This was all supposed to happen last summer but then COVID-19 interrupted all our lives. He worked it all out and made the change to this summer. Allan is a fabulous person, a very knowledgeable guide and knows how to make his guests feel comfortable and well cared for. Birds are my passion and he made sure to point out birds all along the way, in addition to all the other wildlife and plants. Allan is very special. Anyone planning to visit Africa would experience a magical adventure with him as the guide.

Incredible Tailored Experience! My family and I worked for several years to put all the pieces together so we could visit Kenya and Tanzania (where I travel quite often for work) together. A colleague in the industry recommended Allan. Even though we ended up not being able to make it to Tanzania, he helped us plan our 7 day safari in Kenya with an equally outstanding guide, Mike Letaloi. Then COVID hit. Allan stayed in touch with us throughout and as soon as we were ready to travel adjusted the itinerary to the new reality and we were on our way. Given we are a mix of new comers to East Africa and one who spends a lot of time here, we were not easy to plan for. We also have Celiac which adds food complication...none of us got sick which is a feat in itself. Everyone in the family were pleased beyond expectations. We saw so much, including many rare and restricted range species. We saw the big five in action. And for much of the time there was not another vehicle in sight. It was the trip of a lifetime, professionally organized and executed. We'll definitely be looking for ways to return and do the Tanzanian half!

THE guide and Safari operation for Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire for sure Review (TripAdvisor? Other) of Maape/Allan Warning – this is going to be LONG because of all the ways it was excellent. Short version: I can’t imagine any way in which any guide or operation could exceed what we experienced with Allan Mollel and Maape Tanzania Safaris. Longer version (with the most important stuff at the end!): Allan Mollel gave us the most personalized, professional experience I can imagine. Prior to the trip, we exchanged a couple dozen emails/messages, and we had about 4-5 video conference calls. He listened to us and presented appropriate options for what we were looking for and made great recommendations on timing, altering our itinerary to optimize our experience. All of the upfront stuff was both fun and easy, and we were reliant on him for all that we didn’t know – the end result of which is to say – put yourself in his hands and let him drive the experience – it’ll be great. My wife is a veterinary specialist, and I’m a biodiversity geneticist and we’ve both lived in exotic tropical locales and have much experience in and with nature, so we’re not rookies by any means, and we can be a bit difficult to impress (and we’re probably not easy “clients” due to all of that!). From the time we got picked up at the airport by Allan– they took care of our needs and seemed to be able to anticipate many things we weren’t – how easy we should go on the first night and day, given our travels – keeping the itinerary reasonable. Not overwhelming or pushing limits on day 1 in the park, knowing we were coming back early in the morning to do it again. In the middle of the trip, on a day we started extra early (which resulted in us having the Ngorongoro Crater to ourselves for several hours!) he knew to wrap up a bit early – and after the drive back – we were definitely exhausted, so it was the right call for sure! There were several other aspects of logistics and operation that were flawless – his care and feeding of the vehicle, cooler, camps, camp staff, were amazing. And us – letting us know what to anticipate the day prior, checking in on how we were doing – food, energy level, plans – and at every stop – when we’ve had enough, and checking in with us when there were options, etc. I found it amusing towards the end to think back to day one and how patient he’d been at letting us linger on the most common of animals that we were seeing for the first time – him knowing that we would see scores, but that we were still experiencing it with fresh eyes and thinking how cool it was… By far, from my perspective, one of the reasons I would most recommend Allan (and already have to my friends at my home institution – not an easy crowd to impress) was Allan’s knowledge. It started with animals that we were seeing that were juveniles – and his knowledge about the life histories of each species – so then of course as we saw more, we asked about those – life history, ecology, breeding systems, habits and habitats, - you name it – Allan was a fount of knowledge. Forget about his ability to spot things (and anticipate behaviors!) – which was SICK – when he stopped and backed up and we all grab binocs and stare where he is looking – and off in a tree – he spots an owl – and we still need instructions on where to find it – and it still took some of us minutes to spot it – and he saw it from 125 meters doing 50kph!) (or when he saw a blurry photo I’d taken and recognized that it MIGHT be a very rare spotting – so we backed up a kilometer and found it – and it was!) or the distance at which he spotted the cheetah – unbelievable! The other reason to most strongly recommend Allan is that he is genuinely a GREAT PERSON. He had time to interact with us; he patiently answered so many questions, but also took the time to get to know us as a family and to let us get to know him – and it turns out he’d come to the US way back when for a couple years of intensive training in conservation – hence his phenomenal knowledge and ability to communicate it, as well as his appreciation of ecosystems and the need to preserve them. Combined with his anthropological perspective of humans living in and with the environment – it was refreshing to say the least. I usually don’t take the time to write reviews – because typically my experience is not outside the normal distribution of experiences in either direction – but this one was – it was incredible – made all the more so because of Allan, his efforts and professionalism and his genuine nature. We discussed a premature nugget of an idea for a future trip and he’s already investigating potential itineraries and schedules so that we might begin to establish expectations. Trust me – if we go, it WILL be with him, no doubt – if he’s busy – we’ll postpone until he’s available – factor 1 – timing so that we can put ourselves in his hands once again. You can comfortably do the same, you won’t be disappointed.

Trip of a lifetime This was my second trip with Allan Mollel and Maape Safaris and this one exceeded all expectations of a what was already expected to be, a wonderful trip. Allan’s encyclopedic knowledge of wildlife and plants was amazing. He has unending patience for questions and photographs and goes out of his way to ensure the best view and best shot. Our trip was very organized and diverse. We saw a wide variety of mammals and birds and reptiles. I plan on traveling all over Africa with Allan as our guide!

Amazing experience!!! My wife and I traveled to Tanzania for a two week trip to climb Kilimanjaro and go on safari. Allan and Maape Tanzania Safaris came highly recommended from a friend, and we could not have asked for a better experience!!! Allan was excellent to work with- from planning the vacation to answering questions and of course the actual trip was fantastic. Allan was able to coordinate our kili trek with a company that Mappe works with and it worked out perfectly. The trek guide (Kili dreamers) was outstanding as well and it made the booking process very simple. Our 4 day trip with Maape covered cultural village tours as well as two full day game drives. We saw a ton of amazing animals and had a great experience. The accommodations were also amazing along the way. Our guide was Babenga, whom I would highly recommend! Babenga was so knowledgeable on all aspects of the trip including the local culture and of course the animals. We could not have asked for a better guide. Overall, Maape, Allan and Babenga were all very professional, knowledgeable and of course very friendly. They all come with my highest recommendation and we thank them for everything.

Everyday a amazing experience We just returned from a trip to Africa where we took a four-day safari with Maape Tanzania Safaris, Ltd. I am so grateful that we had the opportunity to meet Allan A. Mollel, who was the most amazing person and the best guide we could have ever hoped for. I feel as if I have made a new friend in this world. He patiently and respectfully shared his country, culture and his knowledge every single moment we were in his presence. There was not one question that went unanswered. I learned so many incredible things and also have a new perspective on things that I thought I knew. He made us feel comfortable and I felt as if he not only cared about our experience as his clients but also personal guests in his homeland. He was very thoughtful and arranged for a birthday celebration for my daughter during our stay with a cake and a special song and dance from the wonderful staff at our lodging. All of our accommodations were amazing and the staff were nothing short of wonderful people. This was an incredible experience and one that I would repeat.

Beyond Excellent! Our trip with Maape Tanzania Safaris was better then we could have ever expected! During our trip we had the pleasure of meeting Allen and having him as our tour guide. This review will never do justice to how above and beyond Allen went to make this trip memorable for my family and I. He was knowledge about anything and everything we asked him, was amazing at spotting animals and other attractions that he thought we may be interested in, and was personable and easy to talk to. Allen knows exactly what he is doing when he books lodging for safaris as we stayed in two beautiful places staffed with individuals who, like him, were attentive and welcoming. We had a very limited amount of time during this trip and Allen did all that he could to make sure our time was used appropriately and we could see everything we wanted to see during our short time here. Words cannot express how grateful we are to have gotten such an amazing guide and we would recommend Maape Tanzania Safaris to anyone without hesitation!

Safari of lifetime; far beyond expectations Extremely professional, knowledgeable, extraordinary planning with customizable options and flawless execution! Lions and their cubs every day, along with many other animals. Eagle eyes and intution and knowledge of animal behavior were clearly evident daily. Conservation and behavior focus so had time to watch and observe vs. just driving place to place. Truly impressive and would highly recommend this firm.

Lions every day! I can't say enough good things about Maape Tanzania Safaris. Alan and Saleem were fantastic at spotting animals and birds. The accommodations were outstanding!