CHIEF'S TOURS

I don't know where to start with this tour company. They were first class all the way and really emphasized customer satisfaction. If you are looking for a company to climb Kilimanjaro with definitely pick Chiefs Tours. We originally had planned to do the Lemosho Route but missed our flight connection. I reached out to the director Adidas and he was extremely flexible with us. He knew we did not have much time to acclimate because our trip turned into a 7 day tour to a 6 day tour. He highly recommend that we did the Machme Route and so we followed his advice. For those who do not know the Machame Route is a more successful route because you have more time to acclimate to the mountain. You “hike high and sleep low” several days which helps you reach the summit with no mountain sickness. From the day we started our trek to the day we finished it our guides, chef and porters were nothing short of stellar. They fed us a lot of food while on the trail and we never once had to worry about food or water. They really emphasize drinking a lot of water to help with the acclimation. If you are able to acquire it I would highly recommend taking Diamox as well to prevent altitude sickness. My wife and I trained for 2 months religiously after tearing my meniscus back in December. It is very important that if are not use to hiking or have any concerns about your trek that you listen your team. I would listen to them regardless, always drink enough water and follow the pace they set for you. On summit night my wife and I both thought we would not make it because of our energy level. The guides will do everything they can to ensure you summit if they detect you do not have mountain sickness. We were not sick so our guides went as far as giving us their own water and food when our supply ran out reaching to the top. We successfully summited the mountain and none of this would have been made possible without the wonderful Chiefs Tours. If you are concerned about anything the director is very responsive and will answer any of your questions.

SAFARI:

The safari was just as impressive as the hiking trek. We had a very responsible and well knowledgeable guide. He made it clear that he was showing us whatever we wanted to see and told us to have us stop him at any point of the trip if we wanted to see a particular animal. Hands down our favorite part was visiting the Serengeti National Park. The roads are a little rough but that has nothing to do with the tour company. We felt like we had the safest most well experienced driver on the road (Nick). We only had 4 days for this tour and the drive out to the park takes about 6-7 hours. Considering our time frame Nick showed us a ton of animals when out in the park. His eyes were like binoculars and he was spotting Lions left and right. This experience makes you feel like you are apart of nature or on the National Geographic channel but in real life. The room accommodations were the best at the Serengeti. If you have never stayed in a luxury tent it is basically a really nice hotel room in the wilderness that has tent material for walls. We wish we would have had one more night at this park. If you are considering this definitely try doing 5 days.

Overall, I cannot say enough good things about Chiefs Tours. Their staff and service was nothing short of exceptional. If you plan on doing on or both tours the price may appear like a lot of money for two people but when you break it all down it is worth it. Your are fed every meal and lodged in some way your entire time. They also pick you up from the airport which alone is a 45 minute drive. Considering how every cost adds up it and the quality of service you receive, it makes choosing Chiefs Tours company a no brainer