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Unforgettable Adventure
When I first told my now-husband that I wanted to go on a safari for our honeymoon, I knew we would need the assistance of a travel agent, given our unfamiliarity with this level of detail and what all is required. John located Shiri Adventure, who provided a general daily itinerary for our review and final approval. The schedule was busy but allowed us to see everything we wanted to. I will say that the days were very full, but that’s also how we operate as a couple—we don’t do well sitting still.Hamisi was our assigned driver for the safari, and he was truly such a pleasure. He answered what were probably some annoying questions, but he did so happily. He was flexible with our requests and let us sit and stare at whatever animals we wanted. He was always on time, and we never had to wait for him. He was a joy to be around, and I had been nervous beforehand, thinking, “Oh, I hope we get someone good,” and we definitely did. I couldn’t have imagined the safari without him.One thing leading up to the trip is that I am very Type A (my husband not so much, so he probably should have asked more questions), and very specific details weren’t always provided until we asked. I like exact timelines, and a lot was left up to us to decide. For example, on the day we were heading out, we had to ask the day before what time we would be picked up. We also had a portion of the trip in Zanzibar, and I asked my husband if we were sure the flights had been booked. The flight details and times weren’t provided until the day before, when I told my husband we needed to ask. I’ve never had someone else book a flight for me, so it gave me some hesitation—thinking, “Well… is it even booked?”Also, being our first safari—and maybe my husband should have asked—but while we provided a range of dates and what we wanted to do, I would have appreciated some guidance or suggestions from Shiri. For example: Should we spend more time in certain areas? Were we staying too briefly in others? Now that the trip is over, when people ask if I would have done anything differently, my answer is yes. It’s ultimately on us because we approved the schedule, but I do think some safari days felt rushed, and maybe with a bigger budget or more guidance we could have extended certain parts.One thing that was off was the hot air balloon experience. We had chosen to do it on our second day in the Serengeti, but when we asked Hamisi about it, he seemed confused, as though it hadn’t been communicated to him. It appeared to have been scheduled for the wrong day, which would have interfered with our Ngorongoro day. Thankfully, they worked with Nyssa and were able to rearrange it for us so we could go on the correct day. It all worked out, but we didn’t find out until 7 p.m. the night before that we would need to be up before 4 a.m. Had we known that earlier, we might have adjusted when we arrived at the hotel and the length of that day’s game drive.All of that said, our hotels were booked correctly, and all pickups and transfers were executed perfectly—which was great, because I typically don’t use travel agents due to my Type A personality. So I was very happy that everything went smoothly. One hotel we did not care for was Melia Zanzibar. Having just stayed in Arusha and on safari, those accommodations were much better. Melia Zanzibar specifically gave very mass-produced, all-inclusive vibes. The food and drinks were subpar and just “meh.” This critique is about the hotel itself, and I’ll be reviewing them separately, but I would recommend Shiri consider not using that property going forward. Melia Arusha was much different—and much better in quality.Back to Hamisi: he was such an amazing addition to our trip. I loved our time with him, and I would love to have him again in the future. He was such a sweetheart—always had water for us, always had our lunches ready, and was just lovely to have around. He always asked when we wanted to leave and return and was always on time. Very attentive.I would absolutely recommend Shiri to friends and would use them again! I think just a few improvements in communication would make the experience even better, but overall, the trip was great. I only wish it had been longer!
