February 16, 2007

Mr. Kambona Ole Tirra
Guide/Operator
Africa VIP Travel
P.O. Box 10756
Arusha, Tanzania

Dear Kambona:

We wish to thank you for the wonderful trip to Tanzania which you arranged. All the animals we encountered on the safari were just what we had hoped to see. But it was the Kilimanjaro climb which really completed the trip. The guides set exactly the right pace for us, and their knowledge of the mountain, along with the quality of the support we received, enabled us to make the summit as anticipated.

We were also favorably impressed with your ability to use your local contacts to help the other clients on the trip who needed to modify their return on KLM. I am certain they could not have kept on schedule without your assistance.

We hope to see you in the USA in the coming year and would be willing at any time to describe our experience in Tanzania to prospective clients of yours.

Regards,

Roger and Rick

2. Date: 2006-07-27 12:04:47
Tad Pinkerton ( tbpinker@wisc.edu / no homepage) wrote:

My wife and I and another couple went to Tanzania in January/February
2006 for a trip with Africa VIP Travel. Three of us climbed Mount
Kilimanjaro and then the four of us went on safari to Lake Manyara,
the Serengeti, Olduvai Gorge and Ngorongoro Crater. While we were
climbing, my wife went to Tarangire and Arusha National Parks and
visited a rural school.

This was an excellent trip in every respect. We had met our guide,
Kambona, when he visited Madison on two occasions prior to our trip,
and he was very responsive to our email questions prior to our
departure for Africa. For the climb, Kambona selected his assistant
guide, cook and our 16 porters from among people he knew in his home
town of Arusha (they were mostly from his own Maasai tribe). Our
cook was also a licensed guide. Our pace up the mountain was steady
but slow, giving us plenty of time to adjust to the altitude. As we
watched Kambona interact with other guides on the mountain, it was
clear that he was a respected senior member of that group. We had
excellent weather and took lots of good pictures, and all three of us
made it to the top without any problems. However, we also knew that
Kambona had all the necessary equipment should any of us have
experienced a problem.

We stayed two nights in a nice resort hotel prior to the climb and
another night after the climb, before starting on the safari.
Kambona and our driver were wizards at spotting wildlife, and I
believe we saw every kind of animal that we could have expected to
see, including lions, leopards, a cheetah and rhinos. We found
ourselves in the middle of the huge wildebeest and zebra migration in
the Serengeti. A highlight of the Serengeti was a three-night stay
in a tent camp where we had giraffe browsing the trees nearby and
heard lions during the night.

Kambona, the other guides and our driver all knew the Latin and
common names of the flora and fauna and had may stories to tell us
about their behavior.

I give each of these activities five stars and my unqualified
recommendation--you won't find a better guide!

Caution: you can find companies that offer these trips for less
money, but this is not a place to pinch pennies. The climb can be
dangerous if the guides and safety equipment are not top quality and
the experience can be quite uncomfortable with poor tents and food.

Tad Pinkerton
Madison, Wisconsin
tbpinker@wisc.edu

4. Date: 2006-02-20 16:05:44
John/ellen stephenson ( jnstephe@wisc.edu / no homepage) wrote:

Kambona is one of those special individuals one runs into once in a great while. He organized a wonderful African experience for us. Our trip included a trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro and a jam packed safari. He has a deep fund of knowledge and is a very fine naturalist. Each day was well thought out. He demonstrated the flexibility necessary to take full advantaage of changing situations. His selection of porters for our Kili trek was excellent. He is very serious concerning his responsibilities (excellent first responder training) and yet has a marvelous sense of fun. We have considerable trekking but have never come away from a trip feeling better about our guide and the experience he shared with us. Kambona is a man of considerable experience and integrity. We are highly recommending him to our family and friends.

5. Date: 2005-11-23 16:39:49
Jill Karol Kusba ( jkusba@yahoo.com / no homepage) wrote:

In 2003 I went on a nine-day Kilimanjaro hike with a large self-proclaimed reputable American safari company. They promised English speaking guides and emergency safety equipment for the hike, which they did not provide for the entire trip. They did not even own the emergency equipment at the time of my hike that they promised was available prior to the hike.

I ended up being the only one in our group of six people to reach Glacier Camp by way of the West Breach route. During the trip I had no symptoms of altitude sickness.

The evening of the seventh day at the Glacier Camp, I had an acute attack of cerebral edema. None of the porters in my group spoke English or knew what to do to help me. Serendipitously, another small group of hikes lead by Kambona was also in Glacier Camp.

Kambona had prior training in emergency high altitude treatments. With his knowledge and appropriate use of oxygen and a Gamow Bag I regained consciousness. Without his rapid response to my advanced symptoms I would not have regained consciousness. There was no time to be carried down to a lower altitude to reduce my cerebral edema.

I have known Kambona now for two years. He is a noble and honest person. He guides his hikers with great care and is totally conscientious. I call him a “mother hen” the way he watches over and pampers his hikes. He has an incredible track record with successfully guiding people to the summit of Kilimanjaro and down again safely.

I strongly recommend hiking with Kambona and his associates. He treats his crew with dignity and makes certain they do not injure themselves while working as porters for the hikers. His porters have appropriate clothing, food and shelter while on the mountain.

I still recommend Kilimanjaro as a tremendous outdoor experience, but Kilimanjaro is more than a long walk up a big hill. It requires a great guide with extensive training and appropriate safety equipment to make it a safe and enjoyable trip.

Thanks to Kambona I am able to write this letter of high recommendation.

Jill Karol Kusba, DVM

14350 W Capitol Dr.
Brookfield, WI 53005
Office: 262 781 5993
careanimal@aol.com

6. Date: 2005-11-01 15:42:20
Beatriz H. Miniaci ( Beawell5pillars@aol.com / no homepage) wrote:

Hi. Kambona,

Our trip was outstanding……..Ben & Beatus where fantastic guides. We saw all & more then we could have dreamed of & learned a lot along the lengthy drives. The laundry facilities were very handy too. …….We absolutely thought that the place we stopped at Gibbs Farm is the type of Lodge we’d like to stay at. We always felt safe, healthy & the kids (19 and 18 years old) thought it was the best trip they’ve ever been on, even though they had to get up so early sometimes. We understand better the need for more advance notice. Also, for us personally we’d like to see more Private Reserves, …... Thank you for everything, we have made excellent memories of this trip & it’s all thanks to you.

LOVE, PEACE, HAPPINESS
Beatriz H. Miniaci, Int’l Wellness Consultant
“Match you HEALTH SPAN with your LIFE SPAN”
Bea-Well & Assoc., Inc.
1-877-348-0880
954-764-1151
AMPARACO@aol.com
www.5pillars.com/beawell