Following are some comments from folks who went on a Kibo safari in 1999:

³Our guide Karashi made our trip. He taught us a lot about birding and the habit of wildlife. As we were traveling with a small child he was very attentive and made many suggestions that were age-appropriate, 8 yrs old and she was never bored!²

³Patrick has an exceptional knowledge of wildlife, birds, culture, history and government. Also a great ability to spot the animals and find them patiently. He answered our questions so both adult and child could understand the answers. He¹s a great host and made our trip enjoyable and a great experience.²

³I was extremely impressed with our guide¹s knowledge. He is a great birder. I had never seen so much game during my previous trips to Africa. We had approx. 6 leopard sightings, tons of cheetah and lion etc. At all of the sightings he let us stay as long or short as we wanted. He did a very good job of keeping us away from the crowds even in the Crater which can be a difficult task! I would recommend Kibo, especially if the guests are interested in learning detailed information about the wildlife.²

³We just wanted to send you a note to repeat what we said in Arusha - we had a wonderful time during our safari in Tanzania! ...the week in Tanzania was clearly the high point. We felt very fortunate to have Hagai as our guide -- he is not only incredibly knowledgeable and a very nice guy, but he also has an uncanny ability to get away from all the other safari vehicles. He really made it a perfect trip. Once again, our thanks to all of you for a wonderful safari.²

³Our guide was fantastic. I would refer others to Kibo Safaris and this particular guide... Dieter has a tremendous personality. He took the time with us to explain what we saw and he has a keen eye for spotting animals invisible to the naked eye. He is a great storyteller and has extensive knowledge of the African animal kingdom. Kibo is very lucky to have him as a guide.²

³Our guide was truly wonderful. He ensured that our trip went smoothly and whenever a small problem came up he fixed it right away. He even found me a doctor out of the middle of nowhere. Not only was he an excellent, knowledgeable guide but he was also very personable and friendly. We genuinely liked spending time with him and learned a great deal about the animals and the ecosystem of Africa from him.²

³We wanted to write you right away and say THANK YOU for all of your warm hospitality and kindness while we were in Tanzania. We both feel we made some new and very good friends! We have taken lots of great vacations, but our time in Tanzania was the BEST! Your new offices and home are great! By the way, on our way to Kenya via Kilimanjaro - we flew over Arusha and were instantly able to spot the Kibo offices from the air. They really stand out and are beautiful from above!

Now we'd like to tell you about our guide, Julius. He was absolutely TERRIFIC! Julius really made our trip a wonderful experience and was the most memorable and important aspect of our whole vacation. From the very beginning, Julius was good-natured, warm, professional, funny, kind, and a true gentleman. We learned very quickly that we could totally trust him to look out for our best interests and comfort in Tanzania. On a daily basis, we were astounded by his knowledge of each animal, his superb ability to spot the animals, and his grasp of information about the parks, geography, country, vegetation, and people.

We saw a leopard that others had passed, several cheetahs - including two with a new kill, and the ³Big 5² in 3 days. However, Julius did not just focus on the big, well known animals, we were able to see and learn about lots of small animals, insects, birds, flowers, and vegetation that really made our safari fascinating. These are all things other tourists were not seeing. ...we did not meet any other guide who could even compare with the knowledge, expertise, and interpersonal skills that Julius had. This was confirmed daily when we visited with other tourists at night, who were invariably envious of our fun times and great wildlife experiences with Julius.

Many of our friends are curious about out African trip and are wondering if they should take a similar trip. We will definitely tell them to ŒGo and have fun. Use Kibo...

¹ Once again, thank you for everything. We are looking forward to a long and lasting friendship with you!²

By far the majority of comments we get from clients after a Kibo safari regard our guides. We believe that we¹ve got the best guides in all of east Africa. They are committed, knowledgeable naturalists with a passion for the wilderness. They love their work and get great satisfaction from showing Tanzania to our visitors. The difference between a great safari and a mediocre one will always be the guide.

Dieter Burian
Dieter lived in England for three years, receiving his ³O² and ³A² levels at Brighton in East Sussex. He began working for Kibo as a shop mechanic, constantly asking questions of the guides and reading wildlife books. He later became a camp staff member. While working in the camps, he¹d always volunteer to do the water runs so that he could game view on the way! He subsequently attended a guide¹s training course, where he placed at the top, thereafter joining Kibo Safaris as an apprentice guide. Dieter¹s been on his own since September 1998 and has a great knowledge and feel for both the northern and southern National Parks of Tanzania as well as its wildlife and people. Dieter is of mixed Maasai/European blood and speaks Ki-Swahili, English and German as well as his native Maasai. He is a keen photographer whose favourite subjects are the Œbig five¹. Birding is also one of his choice pastimes. He¹s always willing to share his knowledge with those around him.

Arnold Makinda
Arnold grew up in Tanzania as the son of farmer. He has an advanced diploma in wildlife ecology specialising in zoology and marine biology. For the last six years he¹s been involved in leading tourists around Tanzania¹s northern and southern circuits. Arnold enjoys working as a safaris guide with Kibo and his phenomenal general knowledge of Tanzanian parks and dry sense of humor add greatly to any safari. He¹s also an excellent birder.

Lazaro K. Karashi
Karashi is one of Kibo¹s most experienced guides and photographers, and is driven by his enthusiasm for the bush and his love for wild African areas. He was born in Tanzania in the shadow of Mount Meru, very close to Arusha National Park and began his career in wildlife at Serengeti National Park, one of largest parks in the world. His quest to be a more professional guide led him to join several different institutions and colleges. He now combines his education and wildlife talent to the delight of safari-goers. He joined Kibo Safaris¹ specialist guide operations in 1998.