Just a note to say we all returned safely after a very long flight. Shirley has
recovered. She's a little tired but is otherwise in good shape. She has a doctor's
appointment today to make sure everything is in order. I'd like to thank you for your
sincere concern and assistance. Mike, it was very thoughtful of you to come to the
hospital. And Mercy, thanks so much for rearranging our transportation in such a caring
and professional manner. Believe me, it was good to know we could rely upon you when we
needed you.

I'd like to say again how impressed we were with your company. I did a lot of
research before selecting Tropical Trails. I think it was the fact that Claire in
particular was prepared to go the extra mile and answer my numerous (!) questions and
offer sensible alternatives that swung the decision in your favour. Just so you know, I
sent the same list of questions to 3 or 4 other companies and the response and interest
just wasn't there. In the end, it was a pretty straight forward decision to select TT and
we firmly believe it was the correct decision. We would all strongly recommend you to our
friends and other like minded
people.

Thanks to all of you for a superb safari and a great climb!!!

Regards,
Michael Phillips

**********************************
We were a group of 5 who did the Kili, 7 days safari and 7 days at Zanzibar. Claire did
a great job at organizing the whole trip. There was NOT one tiny problem during the
whole 3 weeks, it was simply amazing. Tropical Trails are not just great organizer, they
also seem to treat their employees very well ! I personaly suggest for the Safari to visit
the Lobo region in the serengetti, its less crowded by tourists. My ultimate suggestion
if you go to Nungui, you must eat at Jambo Brothers restaurant, its the best fish and sea
food resto ! Cheers.

Werner Muehlemann
Montreal, Canada - Thursday, October 24, 2002 at 15:47:04 (EDT)

***********************************

To Everyone at Tropical Trails:

You are welcome! Our trip to Zanzibar was great, making it the perfect ending to an
absolutely wonderful time in Tanzania!!! Many thanks again to all of you for making our
trip to Africa so enjoyable.....and so memorable. I hope our paths cross again!

EVE
Eve M. Nagler, MPH, CHES
Director, Special Populations
American Cancer Society
1599 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
TEL: 404-329-5788 FAX: 404-325-2548
EMAIL: enagler@cancer.org

**********************************************
We had the pleasure of using Tropical Trails for our 7 day trek up Kili and our 5 day
safari in the Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater. We were extremely pleased with every
aspect of the Tropical Trails operation and would highly recommend it to everyone! The
great thing we found about TT was that they were able to accommodate our every wish and
need, even when they were unexpected. To list one example: our original itinerary was to
arrive in arusha, leave the next day to hiki kili, spend one day in arusha, and leave the
next for safari. However, one of us fell very sick the night before our journey to
arusha. When we called Mercy to explain our situation, she assured us that she would
make everything work, and immediately made a doctors appointment at a western clinic.
When the illness impacted our ability to hike Kili, Mercy swapped our safari and Kili
trip, which allowed us both to participate, and made the entire ordeal stress-free. The
guides and cooks are knowledgeab
le, helpful, and generally great people to spend time with. We really enjoyed our time
with Tropical Trails (including the lovely and rustic Karama Lodge), and look forward to
returning so that we can see the full wildabeest migration!
debbie goldstein and jed weiss boston, usa

******************************
We had an amazing honeymoon, organised really well by Claire and Tropical Trails. The
safari was fantastic, a truly unique experience, with Francis an excellent guide and
great company for the week. Thanks to you all.
Matt and Louise Morgan, Manchester, England

***********************************

Dear Tropical Trails,
I have been back in New York for almost 2 weeks now and reminiscing about our Kilimanjaro
climb via the Machame route. What a wonderful, albeit difficult, trip. Our head guide,
Jacob and his assistant, Philbert were simply fine and wise human beings. Without them I
am not sure if we four urban 60 year olds would have made it all the way. They encouraged
us and were always there to help when needed. Faustin, the cook, also was very supportive
and added to the success of the trip.
Three of us then spent two days at the Ngorongogoro Crater with Wilson, our guide, who
did an outstanding job. The last evening he took us to a Massai Village some 30
kilometers away and on the way back we bumped into a herd of about 40 giraffe feeding. It
was like the original paradise.
Again many many thanks for a memorable visit.
Sincerely, Armand Bartos, Jr. New York,

I was in Africa last month on a business trip and knew that I wanted to go on a four-day
safari in northern Tanzania, but at first I was intimidated by the sheer number of safari
companies based in Arusha. Though Lonely Planet had some nice things to say about
Tropical Trails, it really was Elia Mwabukusi's outstanding customer service that sold me
on the company. He was extremely thorough, accommodating, flexible, and efficient, and we
exchanged more than a few e-mails before I even left the U.S. After I arrived in
Tanzania, he and Wilson, our driver, even came to the place where I was staying to go
over the itinerary and finalize the details.

On the safari, Wilson was very knowledgeable, friendly, and professional. He not only
knew all of the animals and birds but also their habits, and his ability to spot wildlife
from afar was astounding. At the campsites in both Ngorongoro and Serengeti, he was the
ONLY driver who ate with his clients in the dining huts. This alone gave me the
impression that he was unique among the safari guides. On the drive back to Arusha,
Wilson negotiated a photo opportunity with a group of Maasai boys who were going through
the initiation rite to become warriors. Having a guide who was a native Maasai speaker
could not have been more helpful in this situation.

Also, Tropical Trails had the BEST camping equipment out of all the safari companies we
saw. Our tent was so big that I was able to stand up inside it and still have some space
above my head. The mattress pad and sleeping bag also were of very high quality and in
very good condition. Finally, the meals that Enid (I don't know if I spelled his name
correctly) made were great. I really hadn't expected the food to be so good, so it was a
nice surprise to be able to eat well. After the safari ended, he even took my friend and
me to a couple of local bars in Usa River, the town near Arusha where we were staying.

Asanteni sana, Elia, Wilson, and Enid, for everything. I was extremely impressed with
this company and would recommend it to anyone looking to go on a safari.
Al Liu
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA - Sunday, January 12, 2003 at 20:21:55 (EST)

**********************************

Jambo everyone,

we (three Germans, one Irish and one South African) have just come back from our three
weeks trip to Tanzania. We all had a fantastic time. Actually it is hard to describe in
words what an adventure this holiday has been, for me it was the best time of my life so
far!
We started off with a four day trek up Mt Meru, followed by a six day trek on Kilimanjaro
via Machame route and finished with a six day safari to Lake Manyara, Serengeti and
Ngorongoro. In-between these treks we stayed at the lovely Karama lodge situated in the
forest on the hillside just out of Arusha. The entire holiday was organised by Tropical
Trails and was perfect- there was nothing more we could have asked for.
>From the booking over the Internet, the support before, during and after the holiday,
everything was brilliant. I would recommend TT to anybody who wants to go on safari or
mountain trekking. They are all just perfect. So thank you very much Mercy, Elia, Hilu
etc. You are fantastic. Asante Sana!!
We all made it to the top of Meru which I found at least as hard work as climbing Kili.
The mountain is steeper and the terrain a bit more demanding compared to the "big one".
It was a good way to acclimatise, but it is an excellent mountain on its own and well
worth it. If you have the time and budget is not to tight, you should consider climbing
this wonderful vulcano as the views on Kili at sunrise from Meru are mind-blowing and
unforgettable. I would like to say thank you to Fredi our ranger who took good care that
none of the numerous buffaloes came too close. Further I would like to thank Enu our cook
for the fantastic food he prepared and for his company. Everything was first class. I also
would like to thank all the porters especially Jumar, Manuel and Jacob.
After a day rest at Karama we started our trek up Kili via Machame route and the "upper
south circuit". We had a pre trip briefing with our mountain guide Saimon, the head guide
at TT. He has 23 years of experience and our climb was his 480th time to summit
Kilimanjaro, which boosted our confidence no end! He definitely knows how to get you to
the top of the mountain as we all made it! Four of us right to Uhuru Peak. One stopped at
Stella Point at 5740m. I would like to thank Saimon and August for getting us up there as
well as our cook Faustin, surely the best in the business. The food he was preparing on
the mountain was outstanding. Asante sana!!
I would also like to thank Anton (called Colorado). He was serving us so well and I'm
sure one day he will become a cook as good as Faustin is.
Finally thanks to all the porters who surely had a big share in our success on the
mountain. Thanks a lot everybody!
After another well deserved rest day we started our Safari and Herman, our safari guide
and driver, took us to Lake Manyara where we didn't had to wait long to see lots and lots
of animals. Herman is truly a first class safari guide. He knows how to find the animals
and his knowledge of the birdlife is outstanding. Since I'm very interested in birds, he
was the best guide I could have asked for. We managed to see all of the big five and lots
of other animals as well. It is unbelievable how close you get to these animals,
especially in the Ngorogoro Crater. Thanks a lot Herman for the great time we spent
together, definitely an adventure of a lifetime. I should not forget to thank Arnod our
cook who took good care of us during our Safari. Asante Sana!!! Asante Sana to everybody!

If you are looking for the right tour operator for your trip to Tanzania and are reading
this there is no need to look any further!!! TT is one of the best choices in Arusha (our
entire group agrees). If you have any questions about our experience please don't hesitate
to contact me at: alexanderzilles@aol.com
Alexander Zilles, Siegen

**********************************
Many thanks to Francis, Herman and Amos for making our week in Lake
Manyara/Serengeti/Ngorongoro so successful. We had an unforgettable time and were very
impressed by our guides' knowledge and the excellent food. Despite boiling at Ikoma,
drowning at Dik-dik camp (very impressive thunder storms!) and freezing on the rim of the
Ngorongoro, we managed to see all of the "Big Five". If I ever decide to do Kilimanjaro,
it will be with Tropical Trails!
Jon Burgess Oxford, UK

****************************************
Safari 2003 (26 Aug - 2 Sep)
Planned our safari trip for months, though have to admit that this mainly consisted of
sending100s of emails to Mercy at Tropical trails asking about details, options, how it
really looks, is this the best place, etc. Finally (26 Aug 2003), landed at Arusha
airport (my wife Tanya, 13 years old daughter Tihana and myself) and our guide/driver was
there waiting for us. This was a good start. First day & night spent at Moivaro lodge.
Great place. Next day, drive to Manyara. Seen lots, including close look at 3 giraffes
preparing to drink water (amazing) and a family of elephants crossing the road rather
(too) close to us. Got on very well with our guide Mollel (his Masai name) aka Wilson
(his Christian name) and had a very nice and exciting day. Mollel is friendly, polite,
unassuming, knowledgeable, interesting person... what else would you want from your
guide? Overnight at Kirurumu lodge. Good location, interesting place, comfy large tents,
good morning walk with a local Masai
guide. Drive towards Ngorongoro, arriving pm to Gibbs farm. Friendly place, inspiring
views, excelent food, nice rooms. Walk to waterfall with Moses (local guide) - highly
recommended. Drive to crater. Ngorongoro is fantastic. Beautiful day, lots of exciting
stuff, would take couple of pages, e. g. Mollel spoted a couple of lions sleeping in the
grass close to the road, stopped and reversed within 2m from lions, huge male wakes up
and raises his head, adrenalin shoots up. Should we look for cover or take photos? Molles
says it's safe and we manage to quickly snap some unbelievable pictures (digital camera).
Evening/overnight at Sopa lodge. Great views. Morning driving through crater, amazing and
completely different from yesterday. Drive to Serengeti. Long day in the car, feel a bit
tired. Evening at Ikoma Camp. A bit basic but compensates by friendly atmosphere. Night
drive with Ikoma staff and 2 British guys we met over the log-fire. Good finish to a long
day. Morning wal
k at Ikoma with Jasper (camp manager, guide etc). Very pleasant walk. While chatting, a
dozen of ostriches zoomed by, running full speed, yards from us. Too fast to get cameras
out. Never mind. Something to remember. A day in Serengeti. Impressive scenery and
animals (lots of them). Mollel spotted a leopard sleeping on a tree not far away.
Overnight Serena lodge. Splash in a swimming pool. Good views. Early morning (5 am) drive
to a place for balloon ride. Exciting ride and memorable landing. Flying back to Arusha.
Martin waits at the airport and takes us to Arusha national park. Mommela lakes are
beautiful. Flamingos close up, lots of pink. Mommela lodge, nice and friendly place, view
of Kili (actually, a glimpse of it through the clouds). Watching "Hatari" with some
friendly Americans. Morning, catch up with Mollel who drove from Serengeti to join us.
Walk in Arusha NP with armed ranger (Gibson). Giraffes are really big when you are on
foot. Mollel drives us to Arusha airp
ort. Catch up with Mercy on the rest of our trip (also organised by Tropical), flight to
Zanzibar, etc. Sadly, this is good by. Will stay in touch though. Zanzibar was very good
too. Tembo Hotel in Stone Town is nice and different, try to get room 100, huge and
special. Matemwe Bungalows, unique place, fits so well with the beach and the village.
That's all for now.
Best regards and many thanks to Mercy, Mollel, Martin and co.Stipo
stipo.jurcevic@kcl.ac.ukLondon, United Kingdom

*********************************

We recently went on a 6 day camping safari with Tropical Trails visiting all of the
'northern circuit' parks including a walk up Mount Lemagarut which gave us an excellent
view over the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Our trip was excellently organised by
Mercy a few weeks before we left the UK and we had a really fantastic time enhanced by
our knowledgeable and amusing driver/guide Herman and our cook Emanuel No.2, who cooked
superb meals each day even with the basic campsite facilities (the best soup we've ever
tasted). We'd recommend Tropical Trails to anyone and thought that the 6 day trip for
just the two of us was good value and much better than having to accommodate the
requirements of other people! We'd also recommend the camping option rather than the
lodges to anyone who can stand cold showers for a few days - it's not really roughing it
that much and you get alot closer to the animals............
Patricia Carr
London, UK - Friday, January 31, 2003 at 08:23:15 (EST)

*********************************
Hi Stipo,

Thanks for taking the time to write to us about East Africa  we really value all
the feedback we receive. An itchy-footed team at Lonely Planet reads every email and
ensures every morsel of information finds its way to the relevant authors, editors and
cartographers.
Travellers write to us everyday, giving us a unique perspective on the spirit of travel
and on our guide books. In 2004, LP will be launching even better guide books; guides
with more passion, more style, more information and brand-spanking new maps. Stay tuned
to the Lonely Planet web site or subscribe to Comet, LP's monthly email magazine, where
all will be revealed.
In the meantime, we'll be thanking you personally in the next edition of the appropriate
LP book (be patient though - the current edition may be out for a while yet!). If we use
extracts from your email in one of our products we'll be sure to send you the free LP
book of your choice to show our appreciation. See the privacy section below for more
details about how we use travellers' information.

We would love to hear from you again next time you go travelling  or any time you
use an LP product, really  so please keep in touch. If you'd like to hear from us
regularly, our free newsletters can provide plenty of information and inspiration to fuel
your next trip. For a monthly dose of travel news, views and ideas from a huge range of LP
authors and fellow travellers, subscribe to our email newsletter, Comet, via our web site:
www.lonelyplanet.com/comet/.
All the best and thanks again for writing.
Diana Ojajune
The talk2us team
Lonely Planet Publications

**********************************
We highly recommend Tropical Trails to anyone planning a safari to Tanzania. We had a
woderful time. Our trip was perfect. If you are thinking of going to Tanzania - GO!It's
a beautiful country. Thank you to Mercy (for arranging), John and Ole(for guiding), Manu
(for cooking)and our 3 donkeys - Jose, Eyeore and the Shy One (for transporting).
Paul and Marianne NY

*********************************
When we decided to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and do a safari, we began by cross-referencing
recommendations in three guidebooks and then sending out a preliminary email inquiry to
16 different companies. We chose Tropical Trails based on Mercy's response and we were
consistently happy that we had done so. Mercy responded to question after question (via
email) before we ever got to Tanzania. Because of the 10-hour time difference, I always
knew if I sent an email one day that I would have a response the following morning. The
information she supplied before we ever got there was invaluable. It's a bit concerning
to wire deposit funds into the "great unknown." However, any uneasiness that we had was
totally unfounded. The entire trip could not have gone more smoothly and that is all
attributable to the professionalism and helpfulness of the Tropical Trails staff. Karama
Lodge was beautiful and most comfortable, and the entire group there was friendly and
totally accommodating.

The meals were outstanding! Jacob, Philibert and Erasto made climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro
one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It was everything I had imagined it
would be and more. I consistently felt that we had the best group on the mountain. The
feelings I had while standing on the summit and watching the sunrise will remain with me
forever. Jacob, Philibert and Erasto - asante sana. You are the best.
Martin made the safari an equally amazing experience. He always knew where to find the
animal we were looking for - whether a leopard or hippopotamus. He is very knowledgeable
and always professional. As on the climb, the safari meals totally surprised me. I never
expected the meals - on the climb or safari - to be anything close to what they were.
Thank you, Rashid, for the great safari food.
Mercy, Jacob, Philibert, Erasto, Martin, Rashid and everyone at Karama Lodge, a heartfelt
thank you.
I recommend Tropical Trails without reservation. If you are thinking of visiting
Tanzania - by all means DO IT. If you want your trip to come together without a hitch,
use Tropical Trails as your outfitter. I would be happy to respond to specific
questions. Please feel free to email me.

Nancy Glazier Spokane, WA, USA

****************************************

Jambo Mike, Mercy and Staff of Tropical Trails!
Just a note to say we all returned safely after a very long flight. Shirley has
recovered. She's a little tired but is otherwise in good shape. She has a doctor's
appointment today to make sure everything is in order. I'd like to thank you for your
sincere concern and assistance. Mike, it was very thoughtful of you to come to the
hospital. And Mercy, thanks so much for rearranging our transportation in such a caring
and professional manner. Believe me, it was good to know we could rely upon
you when we needed you.

I'd like to say again how impressed we were with your company. I did a lot of research
before selecting Tropical Trails. I think it was the fact that Claire in particular was
prepared to go the extra mile and answer my numerous (!) questions and offer sensible
alternatives that swung the decision in your favour. Just so you know, I sent the same
list of questions to 3 or 4 other companies and the response and interest just wasn't
there. In the end, it was a pretty straight forward decision to select TT and we firmly
believe it was the correct decision. We would all strongly recommend you to our friends
and other like minded
people.
Thanks to all of you for a superb safari and a great climb!!!

Regards, Michael Phillips

***********************************
We had an amazing honeymoon, organised really well by Claire and Tropical Trails. The
safari was fantastic, a truly unique experience, with Francis an excellent guide and
great company for the week. Thanks to you all.
Matt and Louise Morgan
Manchester, England
We recently returned from a two week trip to Tanzania. Tropical Trails organised the
entire itinerary for us and were very proffesional and helpful. We spent the first week
climbing Kili with Jacob and Philbert as our guides. Both ensured the experience would be
a memorable one..we enjoyed seeing Jacob in the Imax film on Kilimanjaro on our return!
We spent the second week on the island of Mnemba off the coast of Zanzibar.Absolute
paradise and worth it after a tough Kili climb. All the arrangements were done by TT and
there were no major hitches at all. I would not hesitate to recommend them to friends who
want to arrange a Tanzanian trip. Asante sana to all involved!
Mark Milwicki
Verona, NJ, USA - Thursday, February 06, 2003 at 17:05:27 (EST)

*********************************
Complimenti alla Tropical Trails per l'ottima organizzazione del nostro Safari in
Tanzania di 9 giorni e del nostro soggiorno a Zanzibar. Grazie mille alla nostra Guida
John e al nostro cuoco Manu. Bellissima terra e soprattutto gente meravigliosa. Un'
esperienza incredibile.
Lorena,Stefano,Alex,Alessia Verona, Italia

************************************

Well here it is March, and I have been back from another fabulous trip to Tanazania for
almost two months without writing in the guest log. Shame on me, but too much other
business travel.
Once again, Tropical Trails did an outstanding job arranging and executing my ten day
safari to Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, the Serengeti, the Ndutu area and finally
Ngorongoro Crater. Things started off with Mercy making numerous inquiries and answering
gazillion questions. As usual, she was thorough, responsive, prompt, and paid attention
to all the details. As a professional photographer, I have to make every minute of a
safari count, and the folks at TT made that happen. I was fortunate to again have
Frances as my guide. He knows me well now and is able to position the vehicle exactly as
I need it without a word from me. But when adjustments are necessary, he is quick to
respond. Frances is also outstanding in his ability to find birds and animals. One
might think that a guy with glasses couldn't see very well. Frances must have 20/05
vision with his glasses on and can find a speck on the horizon that turns out to be
something I want to photograph! I had not
met Faustian before, but what a cook! When I look at the primitive conditions under
which he had to work, I am simply amazed at his creations. One could hardly find better
food in the finest restaurants anywhere in the country. Both were also very pleasant
company during the many hours that we spent together. We talked about everything
including politics and was pleased to discover that they both share my world views (that
are opposed to war, among other things).
In summary, it is hard to imagine that anyone could have done a better job than Tropical
Trails in arranging my time and then making sure my goals were reached.
If you want to see some of the work resulting from this safari, go to my website at:
www.NatImgs.com It will be updated very soon for 2003.
Bob Mumford Darnestown, MD, USA

*******************************

Safari. Nov -03. Greeetings for lovely people, beautiful country, incredible nature. All
together make you the best travel that you never have dreamed. Thank you to Tropical
Trails. Thank you Mercy and Wilson. We think that a part from aur heart has leaven in
Tanzania.
Gracias Mercy, Wilson y Maulid, por habernos hecho pasar una seman inolvidable. ha sido
increible. Gracias por ayudarnos a pesar de los problemas del equipaje. Realmente sois
geniales. Besos y abrazos desde España. Asante sana. kwaheri.
Maite Misis Barcelona, España

*************************************

Dear Mercy,
Paul and I are forwarding the following letter to Lonely Planet. Thank-you again for
your help and making our trip to Tanzania a success and something we will always
treasure.
Lynne McMullen

************************************
Good day
My husband and I are writing to endorse the Tropical Trails/Wilderness Trails Travel
Company in Arusha Tanzania. Paul and I used this company in January/February of 2004.
We found the staff at Tropical Trails to be reliable and honest and their services of
very good value. Our accommodations were rustic and comfortable, food was great, and the
guides were very professional. Our travel agent at Tropical Trails was Mercy Laizer who
provided us with honest, reliable and flexible service. At no time were we
disappointed.
Mercy arranged for us to spend our first two nights in Arusha at the Karama Lodge. The
scenery at the lodge was beautiful and we had a view of the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro
from our front porch. The cabins were sparse as we were hoping, very clean, private, and
secure. Their restaurant was also lovely with fabulous gardening, scenery, good food, and
excellent service.
We also camped at the Masai Campground where the main office of Tropical Trails is
located and enjoyed this immensely. The camp site was clean and provided tent rental,
shower and laundry facilities. There was also a fun restaurant with good food, cold
beer, music, pool tables, theme nights and the BBC on the television if you wanted it.
Paul and I wished we could have stayed longer.
Mercy Laizer organized our trek up Kilimanjaro and into the Ngorongoro crater with
outstanding results. Both treks were a tremendous success. We can’t say enough about
our guides and cooks on both treks. They were very professional, accommodating, and
knowledgeable.
Our guide up Kilimanjaro was Ramson Swai and his assistant was Godbless. We would not
have completed the climb to the top without their emotional support. They went above and
beyond just guiding. It was obvious to us that they took great pride in their
responsibilities as well as a safe and successful climb. My husband and I both wanted to
quit on the summit night but Ramson convinced us to carry on. To not have made it would
have been a tremendous disappointment. We have Ramson to thank. Our chef was a magician
in the cooking tent. We still don’t understand how Fausten pulled it off, always with a
smile and a good laugh. He even went to the top with us, just for fun.
We would also hope that one of our porters, Umbenny will become a guide. He is shy, but
we discovered he has very good English and has the potential. We hope that Umbenny
pursues this opportunity if he so desires.
We want to acknowledge and thank our guide to the Ngorongoro crater and Serengetti.
Herman, or as I began to refer to him, “Hawkeye” was a very effective and efficient guide
with an incredible sense of where to find the more elusive animals. He spotted a leopard
in the tall grass, I could barely see with binoculars. Hawkeye was determined for us to
get our own private showing, so he dragged us out of our tent 2 hours before daylight,
before all the other tourists, and got us into the crater at day break. We were the only
ones in the crater for the first hour and half. It was beautiful.
The general manager at Tropical Trails was also a wealth of knowledge, a pleasure to
speak with and helped to accommodate our tight schedule.
We wish the staff of Tropical Trails all the success they deserve.
Lynne McMullen & Paul Beveridge beveripa@yahoo.ca Toronto, Canada

********************************

Dear Mercy and Tropical Trails Gang---Jambo:
We have been back in the States for just a week and are still savoring our
Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari. Tanzania is so "Poa"(cool). Tropical Trails was
outstanding in providing competent, well trained trek guides, gracious hospitality, warm
and accomodating staff, great knowledgable safari guides and excellent cooking on all
fronts.

In particular:
-Herman's warm greeting and sense of humor at Kili Airport--"WilsonX2"
-Finally meeting Mercy-our big sister-who helped put the entire trip together. Your
flexibility and encouragement were outstanding--you were great!
-The Karama Lodge and TT staff: Francis, Walter,Elia,Jacob,Dunstan,Karavel?Cecile,(one
name missing), Lee and Rogethe-Thank you all-Rogethe thanks for the Swahili lessons, you
are a great teacher.
-Special thanks to Ramson(our head trek guide) for getting us to the summit of Mt.
Kilimangaro. Your wisdom, professionalism, and caring and patience really facilitated
the trek--making it a true adventure. We felt lucky to have you.
-Ramson's team of Godbless(assistant guide) and Obeyde(cook) provided support and
encouragement throughout the trek particularly for Carol(MaMa). Great cooking,Obeyde and
great job Godbless.
-John, our safari guide, was truely a real professional and ggentleman. Locating the
wildebeast migration was a sight we will never forget-you knew what we wanted. Also to
Cathbert-your sense of humor and laughter helped to round out the safari.
-High marks goes to Tropical Trails for responding so quickly in getting John back to
Arusha(from Serengeti)and flying in Cathbert on such short notice(John's mother passed
away). Truely a mark of a caring, professional organization.
-Rasheed("G2")-another great cook-those wonderful meals on the Serengeti!
We highly recommend Tropical Trails and welcome any kind of inquiry!
Kwaheri,Asante sana----Geoffrey and Carol Wilson

Mercy: Special thanks from Carol for your thoughtful momento

Geoffrey and Carol Wilson SGlastonbury, USA

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I would like to thank Tropical Trails from the bottom of my heart. I reached the top of
Kilimanjaro, thanks to my guide Jacob, our cook Amos and the team of three porters. It
was a great experience which would be impossible without those people.
Another very interesting experience were the safaris through the northern parks of
Tanzania and the visit of a maasai village. This has been possible thanks to my friend
Herman and Saaba, our cook. Thanks to these two wonderfully caring men I sometimes
thought I was in a five star hotel. Delicious meals, perfect service and... we saw The
Big Five!
In short, I can only say that the whole thing was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Let's
drink some real french champagne to that (do you remember, my Tropical Trails
friends?)!!
Geert Vandendriessche Brussels, Belgium

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My heartfelt thanks and appreciation to everyone at Tropical Trails for making our trek
an incredible success. It was the realization of a long-anticipated dream to be able to
finally walk on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. How wonderful to witness God's glory
staring down from the "roof of Africa"! I still can't believe that my two sisters and I
made it. Extra special thanks to Adronis, our head guide: without your encouragement and
support, I simply wouldn't have made it. Thanks also to Kayane, Philbert, Erastu (our
great cook), Steven and all the porters and drivers. Thank you so much Elia for helping
us plan the trip and getting us to our flight afterwards. As I was coming down the
mountain I heard some terrible stories about things others had to endure in dealing with
unreliable trekking companies. I am so glad we were with the team of experts and
professionals at Topical Trails. Thanks also to our new Belgian friends for taking a
chance with us and allowing us
to join their group; we really enjoyed your company! We will never forget our Kili
trek. We miss the experience and everyone already. Best wishes and God bless you all!
Asante Sana, until we meet again!
Jennifer Rahman Winnipeg, Canada

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we were in tanzania for 3 weeks in october. had a fantastic trip, combining safari, trek
to kili and week in zanzibar. thank you again mercy for all your help - you made
everything so easy for us. would recommend TT to anyone travelling to east africa. give
us an email if you are looking for any advice. we always felt that we had the very best
team and organisation - whether on safari or on kili. special thanks to martin (great
guide and good fun) and saba (top class cook) for making the safari so memorable. very
big thank you and best wishes to ramson and godbless (guides), erasto (cook) and team of
porters for making the trek up kili the most memorable experience of our lives. we were
fully convinced we had the best organised team on the mountain and the planning of our
trek was vital in ensuring it was successful. the most enjoyable aspect of our holiday
was the friendships made with our guides/cooks/porters who were most helpful and
friendly.

Once again THANK YOU to all at TT and we hope to visit tanzania again in the future and
meet up for a couple of kilis.
daniel murphy cork, ireland

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