Duma Explorer

Duma helped us safari/Africa virgins to plan the most amazing trip. We did a 10 day private safari in Tanzania. Communication and planning with Duma was easy and prompt. Their recommendations for our safari were spot on. The accommodations they recommended were incredible, and the itinerary was perfect. Our guide Ebeneezer Kilepo was a total pro. I can't say enough about Duma. If you are thinking about a safari reach out to Duma. You are in safe hands with them.

Stacy Readal of Alika Africa/Duma Explorer is an absolute treasure! She planned a bucket list of 3 weeks of vacation for our family to Tanzania's National Parks in the North Circuit and a beach vacation at Zanzibar that exceeded all of our expectations.

Stacy is an American, residing in San Francisco. She has over 15 years of living and working in Africa, including extensive travel throughout the continent and fluency in Swahili. She knows exactly what families like ours are looking for in a safe, luxurious, and fun vacation in Africa. She used her unique understanding of both America and Africa to design a custom bucket list vacation for our family.

As a professional and an expert in her field, she demonstrated high availability, and her communication was top-notch. Despite the time zone difference (while we were in Tanzania and Stacy was in CA), she was always available to answer our questions and connect with us.

Her attention to detail and high-touch experience made us feel truly special. She went above and beyond to ensure that all of our needs were met, and she even helped us with special requests such as Indian vegetarian food and Masala Chai. Her ability to negotiate great deals with luxury tent operators was impressive, and she made sure that all of our local flights and transportation were seamless and hassle-free.

The National Parks that Stacy organized for us to visit in Tanzania were nothing short of breathtaking. From the lush and diverse landscapes of Arusha, to the vast and wild expanse of Tarangire and the Serengeti, to the otherworldly beauty of the Ngorongoro Crater, every park offered a unique and unforgettable experience. And the true highlight of our trip was the time we spent at the beaches of Zanzibar. The crystal-clear waters and powdery white sand were like something out of a dream.

Her team on the ground in Tanzania was friendly, and professional, and provided top-notch service. Omary, Milcah, Robert, Isack, and especially our Tour guide Ben were always available to answer our questions and provide assistance, and they made sure that our trip was an unforgettable experience. Stacy's leadership and her team's dedication to their clients is truly remarkable. We felt well taken care of throughout our entire trip, and we couldn't be more grateful for the wonderful memories we made.

I highly recommend Stacy, her team, and Alika Africa/Duma Explorer to anyone looking to plan a dream vacation to Africa. She is an expert in her field and will go above and beyond to make sure that you have an amazing experience. Five stars all around!

We loved our Duma Explorer trip! I traveled with my 28-year old daughter and her fiancé. I heard about Stacy and Duma Explorer from a friend in Rwanda, and I was really impressed with Stacy's 20-year experience in Tanzania and with her commitment to support her Tanzanian team. I like supporting in-country businesses vs. large international ones. Stacy was super responsive to our requests to pack in a lot in five days and to spend less on accommodations (which were all very good with great food and outstanding staff). We hit the jackpot with our driver/guide, Isack, who was absolutely phenomenal. He is a master guide, an encyclopedia of wildlife, and was able to identify every bird and animal we saw. Plus, he is a great spotter! He spotted a rhino on the horizon, and we couldn't believe it, but we take a blurry photo through the binoculars, and it confirmed it was a rhino. I also saw how all the other drivers/guides respected his leadership/expertise. He met our appetite for long days but without causing stress or over-doing it. He is a great driver and a fabulous storyteller. His passion and enthusiasm were contagious. I can't say enough good things about him and our experience. Bottom line: I highly recommend Duma Explorer!

We are a family of 4 (kids ages 3 and 11) and barely knew where to start planning a safari trip to Tanzania. Stacy, the owner of Duma Explorer responded the next morning with a great itinerary. I instantly connected with her since she lives in the Bay Area and is also a parent. She tailored our safari trip as we continued to communicate. Most safaris require a large down payment, so it’s critical you trust the company arranging your trip. Duma Explorer delivered an incredible itinerary, great vehicles, and most importantly, an AMAZING guide, Ebenezer. He was extremely knowledgeable, very patient, and had great interaction with our kids. We were very fortunate to have Ebenezer as our guide on this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

We saw so many animals in every location - words can't describe it. Just in the Ngorongoro Crater, Ebenezer guided us straight to a pride of 9 lions pursuing herds of wildebeests and buffalo. We were very lucky to see a Black Rhino and there were hundreds of animals including spotted hyaenas, golden jackals, impala, wildebeests, buffalo, gazelles, hippos, elephants, zebra, flamingos, and many more. In the Serengeti, the wildebeest migration filled the horizon with animals. We were fortunate enough to see a leopard, and on the last day, we watched a cheetah chase a Thompson gazelle.

Our itinerary was in/out of Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (JRO), had 12 days in Tanzania from mid-March to late March 2022. We only have great things to say about each of the locations we visited and stayed at. We spent 1 day in Tarangire National Park | stayed at the Elewana Tarangire Treetops (great staff, wonderful experience), 2 days at Ngorongoro Crater | stayed at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge (amazing property, staff, and views!), 3 days at Lemala Ewanjan Camp in Central Serengeti (great location, awesome staff, and accommodations), 4 days in Zanzibar (2 nights at Zanzibar Serena, 2 nights Melia Zanzibar, which was pure luxury).

Best experience ever! We had a great time during our honeymoon in January 2022. Stacey was super responsive and she really accommodate all our request for places we wanted to go and stay. Also, I did a lot of research and Duma had one the most competitive rates.

Isack was our guide and he is absolute gold! Like, I would only come back if he's available to be our guide again. Very knowledgeable and in tune with nature. Unlike other guides, Isack doesn't use his radio to go to the next big attraction, instead he drives slowly and has falcon eyes that spotted pitons, jackals and leopards hundreds of meters away (without binocular!!). Asante sana Isack! In our 5 day safari we saw everything! Many lions, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, zebras, serbal (lucky cat), and many more! Really incredible experience!

The people in Tanzania are so warm and welcoming! Can't wait to plan our next adventure with Duma!