Jambo! We have just returned from a week-long trip in the Northern Safari Circuit of Tanzania with Calabash Adventures in November 2005. We had a wonderful time and recommend Calabash to the super adventure traveler to the more relaxed traveler. No doubt the most central ingredient to a successful safari is the experience in your vehicle. In this regard, we really hit the jackpot with Calabash. We loved our driver, Dickson. He was incredible at spotting the hard-to-find animals and always went the extra mile (literally) to find us what we had not yet seen. More than that, he has an endearing and special personality. We miss him! Our friend who had recommended Calabash Adventures to us likewise spoke highly of his driver, Emmanuel. More generally, Calabash gave us lots of personal attention and last minute adjusting and fine-tuning of our trip. For example, when we met with Tillya on our first day in Arusha, Tillya sensed that we had a strong interest in Masai culture and recommended that, since we were also visiting Tarangire National Park, we skip Lake Manyara and instead spent a day in the Crater Highlands and hike down the Empakai Crater. As it turned out, the day we visited the Crater Highlands was one of the most special of the safari, and we never would have even considered had it not been for Tillya. We also visited the Northern Lobo region of the Serengeti on Tillya's recommendation since he knew that I wanted to see masses of wildebeest. Speaking of Tillya, nothing beats his amazing stories involving wild animals and wild tourists! Dickson's too! Ask him how he saved a young black rhino from being devoured by a hungry lion. November is not a popular time to visit Tanzania due to the "short rainy season", which we did not understand since the weather was absolutely fine (certainly warm, but tolerable; occasional, but always short, rains; no impediments to traveling, all roads passable, etc.). While the environs were much greener than photographs I've seen from the peak of the dry season, animals were easy to spot. Most importantly, the best part of going in November is that there are significantly less tourists than during the peak months. One final observation for those who might read this letter in preparation for their own safari: Foreign travel agents typically act as middlemen--dealing with money matters and booking hotels, but leaving the tour to local Arushan operators. Calabash is an Arusha-based tour operator, and dealing with them means dealing with the very people that will organize and conduct your safari. We went to Arusha with a feeling of comfort and certainty that was truly priceless. Thank you for everything, Calabash!! Asante Sana! Best wishes, Stefan and Sheedeh New York - USA Nov 2005 | 