End of an amazing trip! Initially we were a bit reluctant to plan this. We wanted to go but we had…read morelots of questions and hesitations. So we looked up the reviews and pictures from African Mecca Safaris and decided to contact Ali. Ali first told me to tell him what your preferences and hesitations are and I will address each one. I literally had a whole list. Lol. I am scared of animals coming too close to us. I am worried that we will get sick. I am worried about safety. I am worried about staying in cabins overnight all the way in Africa. I wanted a mix of safari and beach. My husband wanted to take his dad on this trip as his retirement gift. This was the initial reason we started planning it a year ago. He literally answered all our questions even on what to pack for the trip. Ali had to accommodate 3 generations. My father in law, me and Saad, and of course our kids. We had a meeting with him and he went over all our concerns and he came up with an itinerary that was just right for all of us. He gave me different options and didn't rush us to finalize things right away. We did a mix of safari, beach and some historical sights. We were welcomed by two people right when we got out of the plane and we literally had someone with us for the whole trip. He arranged all of the local flights. Again someone stayed with us until we boarded and someone was always there when we got off the plane. We didn't have to worry about one thing. His staff in Africa was very nice and went above and beyond to make sure that we are comfortable. Ali was always in touch with us too. During the trip we always had excellent views, beautiful and clean cabins with attached bathrooms. We had wifi, electricity and very comfortable beds. I literally didn't see any bugs in our cabins. We had booked 3 cabins and rooms in every place. Each one with its own special view. We had a nice family villa with private pool for us in Zanzibaar. I noticed that a lot of people were doing group safaris and tours but we always had a car, a chauffer and a dedicated guide just for our family. Ali is a parkland dad and he knows these kids really well. He made sure that we all stayed comfortable through out the trip. He honestly provided us with way more than we asked for including two surprise cakes for my father in law for his retirement. Me and my husband can't thank him enough for all that he did to make this such a memorable trip for all of us. Also no one, literally no one got sick during our trip. I took so many medicines but the whole pack came back untouched. I am so glad we pushed ourselves out of our comfort zone because it was all worth it. The guides were very understanding and cooperative. We saw the big 5 and a lot more. Lions in action. Cheetah's taking a stroll. birds chirping. rhinos, giraffes, elephants. Zebras playing around. I am already missing our bonfire dinners, wake up call coffees, African hospitality, breakfast in the valley and not to mention the yummy fresh juices and delicious lattes. Witnessing how all these animals can live in so much harmony was mind blowing. I realized animals are content with what they get for that day and are very happy to chill and enjoy the sun for the rest of the day. If you really want to see and understand the meaning of Hakuna Matata, please go and learn it from those animals :)

Raza and his team help me plan a wedding (elopement) safari in Kenya in March of 2020. Of course,…read morenone of us planned for COVID to happen. Raza helped us prepare the paperwork and officiant to have a truly valid marriage happen. Unfortunately, COVID derailed the official wedding plans as the Kenyan marriage office shut down the day we were there to file the paperwork. Raza was in constant communication with us every step of the way to ensure we were able to maximize the rest of our booking and safari plans, including a photographer for engagement/wedding photos. We had a great trip with the itinerary that Raza setup for us with Governors and would highly recommend Raza to plan your Safari and any unique requests that you may have. Looking forward to another safari under normal conditions!

My wife just used Andrew's car service because it was recommended highly by one of our family…read moremembers. The ride to the airport was great, the driver was polite, on time, and got her there in plenty of time for her flight. However, the ride home was disasterous. She never received a confirmation call despite her flight being delayed due to weather conditions. She called the owner to confirm the reservation back, which he was disgruntled by the fact she was calling to confirm. Then the driver finally reached out with his information. When she arrived she was notified that driver had arrived and she should go to baggage claim. The driver claimed there was too much traffic to pick up at the designated rideshare pickup and he would have to go to another location. The driver should have been in the correct location knowing that traffic is part of the daily commuter problem coming in and out of Philadelphia. When she called to discuss with him, he was annoyed and dismissive of her request. She then again attempted to contact the owner with no response. She texted the owner what had happened and magically the driver got a phone call from the owner. The following ride home was concerning as the driver was on his phone and not abiding by the rules of the road. The owner called the following day not to apologize about the situation, but to act surprised that all of this had taken place. Despite the debacle, she tipped well because she felt like it was the right thing to do. This will be the last time we use such an unprofessional service. This was supposed to be a relaxing and calming experience due to the professionalism that is customary.

Driver was on time, personable and friendly. The price was…read morereasonable and I will absolutely recommend this company and use them myself in the future.

We got back from the July 11-19, 2023 Israel tour recently. Very pleased. I can't stop thinking…read moreabout it still and want to do it again. Pilgrim Tours was very good about thinking about, and informing us of all the details so we were well prepared. We were able to book through them on an El Al nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv at a good price. We saw so much. There was a heat wave but the air conditioned bus made it ok. Very nice people on the tour. I really liked our tour guide. She was very good at keeping everyone organized. Extremely knowledgeable and a good person. I liked the food. Mostly Mediterranean/Kosher I think, but many choices in the buffet. My wife and I were very satisfied. I recommend reading all they material they send. It will enhance your experience. I slept very good in the hotels provided. They make sure there are frequent restroom stops so don't worry about that. I hope to take another tour with them next year I was so happy with it.

Just led a Pilgrim Tour of 49 folks to Jordan and Israel. Everything went perfectly. People loved…read morethe trip. So happy with Pilgrim and Dan who was great to work with. We'll be using Pilgrim again in the future.

I rode the train 8/23/25 from Nesquehoning to Pittston....and enjoyed the trip very much. The car I…read morewas in had A/C problems but the staff moved everyone to a different car. Other than that, everyone was super nice and it was a fun trip.

I love this rail line and the many scenic trips they offer out of the Reading terminal…read more To date over the years I've enjoyed scenic rides to Jim Thorpe to leisurely spend a few hours, as well as the holiday train, complete with a visit by Santa and his helpers. For the Christmas event the old world train is decorated, has Christmas tunes playing in the background while Santa and his helpers greet each child on board. They got a small treat and their ticket stamped like the Polar Express. While you don't get off the train - (it goes to Port Clinton and turns around) the scenery is lovely at that time of year, riding past the river and open fields. We even saw "Santa's reindeer" (as they announced it), as a huge herd of deer was on route. Pricing was fair and you could ride coach or on the double decker glass ceiling scenic train. The Reading terminal is easy to find on a main route, has ample on site free parking, a clean restroom area, as well as a little holiday photo prop. You wait for the train in your car or stand outside as there isn't an inside waiting area but a small covered canopy. You do need to walk up steep steps to actually board the train and they do lend a hand to assist. Probably not handicap friendly and definately not for strollers. Pack light as the seats are small (they're antique and people were smaller back than), but they do have a wire rack over for your baggage. The best part is that if you can't make it you can exchange your ticket for another ride as unused tickets never expire.

Great service. Always on time when needed. Very friendly…read morepeople. I would recommend Lifestyle Limousine to anyone for any transportation need.

Very pleasant, professional and on time. Definitely recommend.read more

This review is for the Fall Foliage round-trip tour taken 11/3/19 from the Greater Reading station,…read morestopping at Port Clinton, then arriving at Jim Thorpe. The trip is open seating (no assigned seats), and not knowing any different, we arrived at 7:15 for a 8am boarding and 9am departure, which was more than early enough, as people were boarding right up until the 9am departure and everyone got seats, with maybe a few to spare on each car. We had a group of 8 and had no issues sitting together. We sat in the middle of one of the middle passenger cars, but if we had to do it over again, we'd sit closer to one end or the other for quicker departure at Jim Thorpe and again once arriving back at Reading at the end of the trip. Seating is bench seats on the standard coach, and the seat backs can be moved so instead of seating with your back towards other members of your group, you can seat facing them. This feature is nice, but makes for tight legroom, especially when trying to seat 2 people on each bench, see pic. There is a bathroom on each coach, plus windows can be opened for fresh air, better pictures, or to let things cool off (the coach gets pretty toasty warm as you get going, so wear layers). The seating can be pretty cramped, especially on the trip home. It was tough to get comfortable, even the kids had to stretch out to find some additional legroom. No food/drink available on the train, but you can bring your own soft coolers for drinks and snacks. Everyone was pretty hungry for lunch by the time we arrived in Jim Thorpe around noon. You'll ride the same coach and have the same seats on the way back, so you can leave items (coolers, extra clothes, etc) on the train while you visit Jim Thorpe. Trip was very scenic, especially with the Fall leaves changing colors. The ~3hr trip to Jim Thorpe winds you through rivers, streams, farms, small communities, over bridges and through tunnels. Expect to see plenty of wildlife, including deer and turkey. we saw at least 12 deer on the way up and double that plus a heard of turkeys on the way back. Throughout the trip, the conductor and coach attendant told stories and pointed out anything interesting along the way. we were also showed some old pictures of how things looked in Jim Thorpe 100+ years ago. Upon arriving at JT, everyone had lunch on their minds and with several hundred people all going for lunch in a little town, eateries can get overwhelmed pretty quick. Molly MacGuires is right by the train station, so most people try to go there. Good luck if you're in the middle of the coach like we were and some of the last to board, the place was packed with a line by the time we got there. There are other places to eat within a short 5-10min walk, with just about something for everyone. Train departs at 3:30, so you dont have much time to do anything else after lunch but some quick window-shopping. If we were to do it again, we might pack lunches or get something quicker for lunch, like pizza or sandwiches. Aside from the restaurants, there are historic buildings, great view from on top of the town, and lots of small shops selling various items from oils, handmade goods, ice cream, witchcraft, leather goods, and antiques. Despite only having approx 1.5 hrs to look around after lunch, the only things we didnt get to do were the tours of the couple historical houses. After a quick stop at Wood Ice Cream right by the train station, we boarded and headed back. Everyone tried to take some naps on the way back, with some success, arriving back at Reading Station round 6pm. So plan for a long, full day. This would be a good trip to do once a year, or with people coming from out of town. Average age of passengers was around 60+, with a few families with younger kids. Parking at Great Reading Station is 100+ cars, so enough for all passengers plus a few extra.

The yearly fall foliage steam train ride from Reading to Jim Thorpe is THE BEST train excursion on…read morethe east coast. The train is clean, the restrooms at the station and on the train are clean. The staff is knowledgeable and so friendly. The scenery is top notch and the destination is a great bonus. We make this a tradition each year and this is well worth the price! The Reading & Northern is an A+ act. We are so grateful for the experience and memories it provides!

This is such a well kept campground. Everything is always clean, the people are super friendly and…read morethe area is really nice! It is kid and pet friendly, never had any issues with anyone and there is plenty of space. The laundry room has a quarter machine, and is very clean. I like that the lots are not right on top of each other, there's decent spacing. Overall a peaceful and clean stay!

Very nice place. We we're there 2 nights. Very quite. Very well maintained. I see some reviews…read morewhere the complaints were there is nothing for kids to do. I saw kids doing exactly what they do. They were staring at their phones. Sometimes grown ups don't want a bunch of kids around. This is the place for that. I definitely recommend this place to go for some peace and quite.