
Photo: Elton John Aids Day climb with David Furnish, Johnny Bergius, and Janet Street Porter, led by Jeremy Gane.
Below you will find feedback from clients of Gane & Marshall Ltd who have travelled with us recently. Enjoy the reading....
Annie
Hi Clare,
Just to let you know that Julie and I had a fanastic time down in the Mara.
Saw 172 big cats, 20 cheetah, 3 leopard, 2 serval and 147 lions. Took l,300 photos, they will take some sorting out.
Had a fabulous time at the camp with Clea & Conway, she is emailing me to keep me updated on the cats. Have told them that I will more than likely being going back, probadly in March of next year. We were so very lucky to see what we did, and we also saw the very elusive black rhino, which was a first for me. When we went to Nairobi Nat Pk, we saw another 14 more of them, they were coming out of the woodwork.
Thank you very much for arranging everything, it all went according to plan, except on the tuesday when the rivers were so swollen with water that we could not get across to get back to the camp, so Risa, Julie and myself had to cross on a wire bridge, whilst pius our maasi driver tried to get the jeep across and got stuck halfway, with the water up pass the windows and he was sitting on the roof. People came to help, and we ended up spending the night at the Mara Plains Camp, they made us very welcome.The next day, Clea & Conway had to arrange for a plane to come and pick us up and get us back across the river so we could get back to the camp. It was all good fun. Had a great time.
Many thanks
Annie
Bron Kerr, Family and Friends
Hi,
Safely back,and don't know quite how to thank you for the whole experience. Absolutely wonderful, your ears should have been burning, how often did we say "Jeremy said" and it was always right. We all made both summits, without any major ill effects, Ian struggled off Meru with nasty acute tummy upset, otherwise all fine We were delighted with Tosha, Atilio, John and rest of crew, and Umbwe route was beautiful. Both parcels collected for delivery, and I hope got there safely. We are now hoping for another trip already. Thanks again, for such a carefully constructed itinerary, truly a trip of a lifetime again in Tanzania. BW, Bron
Hi from Steve
100% success with reaching both summits - no sickness to speak of. However some of us (me, Ian, others) only made it thanks to a lot of help from Tosh &, in particular, Atilio while big John's chanting drove us on
Sent from my iPad
Bronwyn
Steve and Ryan Worthington
Jeremy
Just thought I'd drop you a line to let you know how we got on, and to thank you for the superb arrangements.
Everything went according to plan, in fact there wasn't a single hitch, so well done for that! It was a memorable expedition and we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Although the final assault was quite arduous, it made it all the more exhilerating and satisfying when we reached the summit.
The African Walking Company were brilliant, in particular the guides, cooks and porters. The care and attention shown was exemplary.
If you ever need me to speak to prospective clients please don't hesitate to pass on my details, I would be delighted to pass on my recommendation and experience of a successful trip.
Once again, many thanks.
Steve Worthington.
PLEASE CONTACT THE CYSTIC FIBROSIS TRUS IF YOU WISH TO DONATE. RYAN'S WIFE IS AFFECTED BY THE ILLNESS.
Sacha and John
Hi Jeremy,
I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for all your efforts in arranging our trip. We both had a fantastic time. Summit night was the toughest thing we have ever done and we still can’t quite believe we made it. We would never have got there had it not been for our Guide (Elly Minja) and assistant Guide (Godfrey) who quietly encouraged us to keep on going.
Elly remembered you from the Comic Relief trip and only had good things to say - you are clearly highly thought of by the guides at AWS.
Arriving at Breezes we felt as if we were on someone else’s holiday. The hotel was stunning and the staff so nice. We’re ashamed to admit that, despite our initial intention to visit Stonetown and tour the island, in the end we didn’t actually see anything of Zanzibar as we were so tired following the climb and the hotel was so nice we simply kicked back and spent all our time on the beach.
Thank you for all you assistance in organising the trip - it certainly was a memorable way to celebrate my 40th. We would have no hesitation in recommending G&M and hope to be back in touch in the future (a safari perhaps?!)
Kind regards
Sacha
Dr Lucy Black
Dear Jeremy,
We have had a marvellous time in Tanzania, a truly wonderful holiday and it all worked like a dream thanks to you and all the team. Your advice and arrangements in advance were so helpful. We all felt that the 2 weeks 'ticked all the boxes' we wanted from such a special holiday. A sincere thank you to you for arranging it for us.
The hotels were all wonderful, the safari-ing was amazing (seeing all the big 5 and miriads of others), Ngorongoro was out of this world and the Indian Ocean warm and beautifully colourful.
In particular we feel that it has been a time of great contrasts - from seeing the hard subsistence lives many tanzanians live to the luxury of tourists in Serena/Zanzibar lodges, from cities to savannah and from heat to freezing temperatures. Our safari guide, Emanuel and our cook, Anton, were absolutely fabulous. Anton's culinary skills bettered most restaurants I know and the luxury of having someone cook for us ( 3 courses even at breakfast!) was an utter treat. Emanuel sorted all paperwork and kept us informed about wildlife. Both were very knowledgeable. Please pass on our sincere thanks to all!
To conclude , we have had the holiday and experiences of a lifetime. We are hugely grateful and would recommend Gane and Marshall and the Tanzanian travel company to anyone and everyone.
Lucy, Graeme, James and Susie
Laura Cowley
Laura is an intrepid traveller and in July 2010 she travelled alone to Tanzania in order to join a Gane and Marshall Shira8 climb. She made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Here is what she wrote: "I had a fantastic holiday climbing Kilimanjaro and it was made even more enjoyable because of the great organisation by Gane and Marshall. They provided me with all the information and support I would possibly need before my holiday, which meant that I could embark on my trip with everything in place and confident in the knowledge that I could attempt the climb without anything else to worry about.
My telephone conversations with Jeremy filled me with confidence as he showed a tremendous amount of knowledge and passion about trekking and mountaineering. My aspiration now is to want to travel the globe as much as Jeremy has, and I know that it won’t be too long before I think about booking my next Gane and Marshall trip.
Laura Cowley"
Laura demonstrates that it is perfectly possible for a single traveller to organise a really good holiday with Gane and Marshall, meeting lots of people and having a great adventure.
Carrie Ross
We can’t thank you enough for your organization here and in Africa. We valued your expertise and being able to speak to you whenever we had a question, helping us choose the what turned out to be the very best of everything. The team who took us up Kilimanjaro were quite simply outstanding: the two guides, Joseph and Dixon, were friendly, informative and very supportive; the porters respectful, efficient and helpful, and the food surprisingly good, varied and plentiful. We got to know them all well and missed their company when we left. We also thoroughly enjoyed our safari and are full of praise for our driver/spotter Julius. Rounding the holiday off at Pongwe Beach in Zanzibar was the perfect end to an adventure-filled and unforgettable holiday. Thank you again for everything you did to make it go so smoothly.
Best Wishes
Carrie
Feb 10
Beverley
Clare,
Feel free to put any of my comments on your website. If I was at all eloquent I may have been better able to put into words how fantastic the service from Gane and Marshall really is. I have nothing but positive feedback for your company. To me, our Botswana trip looked like a logistical nightmare; four camps, ten nights and eight flights How you managed to put all that together without one single thing going wrong I don’t know. Credit must also be given to the companies you work with on the ground in Botswana and the communication that must go on between you to provide such a flawless service. We will definitely be in touch when we are planning our next safari, having travelled with you twice now I don’t think I would entrust my hard earned holiday arrangements to any other company.
Kind regards
Beverley.
Croft Group
Jeremy the climb and the safari were absolutely amazing, words can't describe how much i enjoyed the whole experience, i loved every second of the trip (well maybe note ever second of summit night) and just wish i was back there!!! Seriously, i could have stayed on that mountain for weeks! Was even beginning to like not washing and smelling a bit!
I honestly haven't got one complaint other than the whole tipping thing... That is no fault of the company though, i am sure everyone feels the same. I just couldn't get over how great the porters and guides were, they really were the most happy and helpful people i have ever met and just wish i could have given them more!
Other than that, everything was great from the bus journey from Nairobi to Arushai, the food, the equipment, the accommodation, i seriously couldn't have wished for better. The trip was so well organised and went without a hitch, never in a million years did i think it would be as good as it was!
Thanks so much for organising the whole thing Jeremy, i will definitely put some reviews online and on trip advisor etc to recommend you as a company.
You will maybe hear from me again as desperate to do some more summits and expeditions in the near future.....
All the best, Louise
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Thankyou! Would just like to thankyou for the organisation and planning that went into the trip. It was a complete success and everyone had a truly unforgetable time on the mountain. The group worked very well and all of the support staff we had with us were brilliant and a great help in getting us all to the top!
We also really enjoyed Safari and the final part of our trip in Zanzibar despite a couple of minor hiccups the whole trip was very well organised and a very special holiday for us both. So thankyou once again and we will recommend your service to our family and friends in the future....
Best wishes
James and Jo
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Jambo!
.........Thank you so much, we had an absolutely wonderful holiday, our best ever yet! Kilimanjaro was just amazing. I had some difficult days but it was such an achievement reaching the top, I'm so glad we all got there. We didn't realise how many porters and guides would accompany us on our climb. They were all great, really nice blokes. I became very good friends with a guide called Noel and I hope to keep in contact with him.
The rest of the holiday was perfect. Our safari guide called Source was very profesional and fun to be around. Nothing was too much trouble and I think he enjoyed the safari as much as we did. He had over 20 years experience and was able to spot animals that looked like tiny blobs to us. We really enjoyed our stay at Rhotia Valley and would really recommend it to other people. We were made to feel very welcome there and the views and accomodation were just stunning. We took the opportunity to visit the children's home aswell and were pleasantly surprised to meet such well mannered, happy and friendly children. We bought some exercise books, colouring pens and pencils, stickers, and gave them lots of medical supplies. We also fitted in a game of football and were left feeling exhausted! I think Jo fell in love with this place and even exchanged details so that she could come back and teach there in the near future.
Zanzibar was just exquisite. The pictures of Matamwe Beach Village and Pongwe Beach Hotel on the internet just don't do the places any justice at all. The colours of the sand and sea were amazing, and not a patch on the Maldives where we have holidayed previously. We enjoyed the atmosphere at Matamwe more, there were more guests and they were closer to our age range. However, the scene at Pongwe was just idylic and we are so glad we were able to spend time at both resorts. At Matamwe of course we also had the dive centre which we took advantage of. We did a few dives with Ocean One but we actually saw more on the snorkel trip they arranged. We even got to snorkel with wild dolphins and tortoises. Absolutely thrilling!
We were also very surprised at the quality of the food at both these resorts. It was much greater than we had expected and we certainly never went hungry. There was something different every night and Emma's plate was always finished, despite her being a fussy eater. The staff were very friendly, again offering very warm welcomes and willing to go to any length to make our stay a comfortable one. We liked the fact that they encourage you to leave a big tip at the end which is shared between all staff, rather than individually tipping at meal times. We also enjoyed the bed time stories that were left in our room every night at Matamwe. That was a very nice touch! ..............
Stephen and Emma
Ian and Susan Gutsell
Hello Clare
We have returned from our holiday to Namibia - we do not have enough superlatives that we can use to express how wonderful the last three weeks have been. The country, the people, the landscapes, the animals and the accommodation were way beyond our expectations. We have come back with so many happy memories. Please can we thank you for all your help in pulling the holiday together.
If you would like more specific feedback then we would be more than happy to do so.
Many thanks again
Ian and Susan Gutsell
September 2009
Janine and Debs
Jeremy,
Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say Thank you for organising our trip to Mt Meru and Kilimanjaro. The trekking was fantastic; our group of 9 got on amazingly well; and all the people involved (in Tanzania) were amazingly supportive and made the trip very memorable.
One memory that will stick with me (and one I could not capture on camera) is the start of our Kilimanjaro Summit walk on the 25th December. If you can imagine groups infront of us and groups behind, everyone zig zagging up the mountain with only head torches alight. The side of the mountain looked like a Christmas tree all lite up and our group had the added bonus of the guides singing carols . . truly magical & a memory I will have for a life time.
Your suggestion of a one day safari to Tarangire was fantastic and we had a day to remember . . at one point we were surrounded by 50+ Elephants of all ages and sizes and it was 'a pinch yourself' moment.
Thank you
Janine
Christmas 2009
John Foster
Dear Jeremy
THE FOSTERS’ TRIP TO KILIMANJARO – AUGUST 2009
I was extremely glad that I chose Gane and Marshall for my long awaited Kilimanjaro attempt. Route selection was excellent giving plenty and much needed time to acclimatise. You dealt extremely promptly and knowledgably with all my questions during the booking and preparation process and your information on training and gear was well informed and invaluable.
Our entire team of porters were friendly and helpful and all the facilities (camping, cooking and hygiene) were as good as could possibly be expected in mountain conditions.
Our guide was well informed and extremely competent; he was as determined as us that we would get to the top and was an enormous help and support.
The arrangements for the whole of our holiday ran smoothly and without worry and at all times we felt that we were in very good hands which made for a truly memorable and enjoyable holiday. Since returning home I have had no hesitation in recommending you to my friends.
Yours sincerely
John M Foster
August 2009
Sandy Campbell
Sandy Campbell and his son visited Tortilis Camp in Amboseli, with its great views of Kilimanjaro, then Lewa Camp in Lewa Downs, and finally Kicheche Camp in the Masai Mara. They also spent a night at Macushla House in Nairobi.
Best time to visit Kenya is July through to December. Let Gane and Marshall organise your safari to Kenya.
Oct 2009
Mrs. Pauline Bennett
Just want to say thank you so much for organising our stay at Kia Lodge, your advice, help etc were invaluable to the smooth running of our stay and all the transfers worked perfectly. Our overnight on 27th and the two and half days just before we returned to UK were most satisfactory. The lodge is perfect and the staff were really kind and helpful. We did actually have enough energy left to make a visit to Arusha NP! Wonderful.
Various
August 2008 from Keely Lawrence who climbed Shira Eight Days route to the Roof of Africa
Hi Jeremy, Just a quick note to say thank you for all your help with organising the Kilimanjaro trek. Everything went like clockwork and of the group of 8 of us all except one made it to the top. They were a super group and the guides, porters etc. were all lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am looking forward to planning next years' adventure! With that in mind can you please email me with the address of your other company so that I can have a look to see what else you have available.
Hope you are keeping well. With best wishes. Keely
ps. Caroline asked me to pass on her favourable feedback too!
July 08 from Megan and Jill Bishop who joined a Shira Fixed Departure Climb & Safari
Dear Jeremy
Apologies for the delay in sending this, it has a busy week catching up with people and fare-welling mum.
I just wanted to reiterate how wonderful our trip to Tanzania was that you organised. It was an absolute travel highlight - this is coming from an experienced backpacker who has spent years living and travelling in different countries. The ultimate highlight was reaching the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, which could not have been achieved without the strength and skills of our team of porters and guides. We shared many laughs whilst during the trek, including mum's skills at warding off the german tourists who 'illegally' tied to use our portable toilet! The food was amazing...3 courses for every meal including fresh tropical fruit. The guides were intuitive to our needs up the mountain and incredibly supportive throughout. Yes, you really do need 8 layers of clothing for the final summit climb!
The safari was fantastic as well - great to cover 3 different game reserves in a small geographical area, which widens the access to different animals and scenery. The accommodation and our safari driver were first rate - his knowledge of local fauna and flora and enthusiasm was wonderful.
Most of all, it was great to have a company such as yours, so skilled at arranging local services, people and resources to facilitate a wonderful, smooth holiday...we packed so much into a short space of time!
Thank you immensely
Regards
Megan Bishop
Above email from Megan who joined her mother to summit Kili - both reaching Uhuru Point, once again showing that the "the girls have got what it takes!" Warm congratulations to Megan and Jill from the Gane and Marshall team.
July 08 from JOanna Sarnecka who made a solo climb of Kilimanjaro via Lemosho Route
Dear Jeremy,
A huge Thank You for organizing a great climb to the top of the Kilimanjaro. This was an amazing experience and from the beginning to the end everything went absolutely perfectly.
I would like to thank you for advising me on choosing the Lemosho Route which was exactly what I was hoping for as far as the difficulty and the length of the climb were concerned. The 8-day trek not only was beneficial to high altitude acclimatisation but also allowed us to stop and admire the scenery. I was blown away by the variety of the landscape and the beauty of it. The view from the peak was spectacular, well worth all the effort and suffering from swelling of my body!
The whole supporting team deserves the highest praise. Our driver Zodiak even managed to avoid the road blocks set on account of president Bush arriving suddenly in Arusha! George the Guide was a most caring person, making sure that Andy and I were eating, drinking, sleeping and feeling comfortable all the way through the trek. George was a great organizer, full of common sense, always thinking ahead and ready to give good advice. His assistant Pablo gave him huge support, and both of them were great company and fun to walk with. I am particularly grateful to both of them for carrying my camera for me (a good instrument but proved to be a little too bulky and too heavy for this sort of adventure) and stopping, without any objections, every time I wanted to take a picture.
I am full of admiration for the Cook, who made culinary wonders out of the simplest ingredients, and whose dishes were, on many occasions, the objects of envy of members of other groups. I never expected such a variety of menus; in fact, I wish I had made a note of a few recipes!
A big Thank You to Ben, our Butler/Waiter, who seemed to be one of the busiest members of the team and yet was always ready to provide us with a bowl of warm washing water or a cup of hot tea and all of this with a beautiful smile on his face. This smile made a real difference to the morning wake up call!
Great thanks to Eriki, our Toilet Attendant, who looked after the sanitary aspect of the camping and who was always very prompt and efficient with setting it up and maintaining it clean.
All the porters deserve the highest commendations for being punctual, organised and always willing to help.
The whole team made the climb not only possible, but turned it into a memorable and very pleasant adventure.
I shall be recommending Gane&Marshall to anybody who would like to visit any part of the world to which you organise the holiday and I sincerely hope that my Kilimanjaro trek and time spent on the beach in Kenya afterwards wasn't my last contact with your Company.
Jo Sarnecka
Sharon Hunt
My name is Sharon Hunt and we went to Tanzania on a holiday we had booked through you. Once we had returned home you very kindly rang us to check all was well with our trip. I promised to send you some feedback but it completely slipped my mind. It was only when we were telling some friends over dinner last night about what an excellent trip it has been I suddenly remembered!
So here goes
Neal Hunt - We had a wonderful holiday Gane and Marshall gave us very good advice and all their recommendations proved to be first class. From the moment of our arrival at Dar Es Salaam everything was like clockwork. There was always someone to meet us and all the many connections happened without fuss. I could not recommend them more highly and would certainly use them again.
Sharon Hunt - We went to Tanzania as a family celebration since Neal and I both have significant birthdays in 2008. We all loved every minute of our holiday which was organised by Gane and Marshall. The travel and transfer arrangements all went smoothly and the accommodation was excellent. Everybody we met whether on Safari or in Zanzibar went out of their way to ensure we had a really good time - and we did - it was great, so thanks !
Rosie Hunt - I am fifteen years old and this was my first trip to Africa, the only word that fully describes my trip is magic. It was the experience of a lifetime and I will definitely be returning.
Charlie Hunt - Aged 12. Africa was a brilliant experience. I would like to say a big thanks to you for organising such a fabulous holiday. I saw lots of different animals in the wild and learnt loads of interesting facts about them from our guides, it sometimes felt like I had entered a different world!
Aug 08
Mrs Stevens
Clare
Belated but nevertheless heartfelt thanks for your part in organising a truly outstanding holiday. It has been an uplifting experience for all the family. Choosing somewhere that proves captivating for both teenagers and their parents is no simple task!
The Skeleton Coast is one the planets last regions of true wilderness - a rare and unappreciated commodity. The pilots/guides were a class act, their enthusiasm stimulating and infectious. Spending a few days in the inspirational Damaraland made us all acutely aware of our senses - of necessity! It is an area of unrivalled pristine beauty. The colours were rich and the lighting dramatic. We successfully tracked the rare desert-adapted black rhino - a mother and daughter. Watching the pair cross the plain was a humbling moment.
We will return to Namibia and to the incomparable Skeleton Coast. We will book our trip with Gane and Marshall!
With our grateful thanks.
Janie and Alex Stevens
Mrs. Bembridge
My husband and I have just returned from a two week trip to Tanzania which we booked through Gane and Marshall.
I just had to write and compliment your company on arranging the perfect 'holiday of a lifetime' for us. Everything ran like clockwork and according to plan.
When I initially received an itinerary and quote from Gane and Marshall, I was concerned that as your quote was the lowest, the service would be lacking. However, I could not have been more wrong. If I had chosen to travel with any of the other companies who had quoted me more, they wouldn't have been able to do anything better than you did. The service we received from Gane and Marshall and all the agents you supplied in Tanzania was first class. Not once were we 'left stranded' or left feeling unsure about any of the arrangements you had put in place. I would have no hesitation in using your company again or recommending you to anyone who is considering going on safari.
A very big 'Thank You' to everyone involved in arranging our holiday and I hope it won't be too long before I can use the services of your company again.
Many Thanks
Beverley Bembridge
Spring 2008
Tanya & Kieran
Hello Jeremy My sincere apologies for taking so long to contact you since our return from honeymoon, to write and say a great big thank you for our wonderful honeymoon. What can I say, it exceeded all of our expectations, the itinerary was fantastic, the programme for our 10 day Safari was certainly action packed, looking back I don't know how we managed to do it all, but I am so grateful that we did and that you made it possible. The Serengeti was out of this world, not only the animals that kept us mesmerized for hours upon hours, even after spotting our 200th Zebra, but for the landscape, some times it was hard to take it all in, the vast land that stretches for miles and miles, absolutely wonderful! The Ngorongoro Crater was another of our favorites, on reaching the top of the Crater on our arrival, our first glimpse at the Crater floor below us, was jaw dropping, it felt as if we had been swept back into pre-historic times like a scene out of Jurassic Park as we could see the alkaline lakes and watering holes below twinkling in the sunlight and the hundreds of animals, that appeared as little brown spots scattered across the Crater floor, it is easy to see why it is one of the Seven natural wonders of the world. Every place we visited, from the National Parks, to the Conservation Areas and the wilderness, were amazing and each held there own little adventure for us, there isn't one place I regret visiting each and every place was unique and spectacular and with our guides knowledge of the areas had us captivated until our journey to the next stop. Im so glad that we followed your guidance in taking the opportunity to see the wilderness of Tanzania and although at times it was bumpy, dusty and long, by god we enjoyed every minute of it, especially the drive from the base of Kilimanjaro across the Rift Valley floor to Lake Natron. Memories of that day will stay very close to Kieran and my heart having met in the complete wilderness a little Maasai girl who was out tending to the cattle all on her own, in the fierce heat of the afternoon sunshine. She came to greet us and we gave her a small bottle of water to quench her thirst, how happy and content with life she was so untouched by the outside Western world, a bottle of water and a friendly smile, meant everything to her, all alone out there such a responsibility for one so young, she placed in my hand three little rocks, that look like granite and beckoned me to kiss them, I did and the smile on her face could have melted your heart. They are wonderful people the Massai, those that reside in the far untouched wilderness of Africa away from the National Parks, that live there nomadic life happy and content as they are, self sufficient and completely independent and such warm friendly people, it is to your credit that you have built such a good relationship with those from the Maasai lands that they allow and welcome those with Gane and Marshall to see their Boma's and way of life. Our guide Jason was great fun and a pleasure to be around, his enthusiasm was infectious, he always had an added adventure up his sleeve, one of which led us to the Shifting Sand. All the staff at a Gane and Marshall, both in your London Office and Tanzania were wonderful, we couldn't have asked for nicer people, you made the whole experience run like clock work allowing us to fully enjoy our honeymoon with no worries and full confidence that everything would go to plan. Thank you to you all a job extremely well done, we will definitely be back for round two in another few years. Take care Love and Best Wishes Tanya & Kieran MacKrell