Hilary and Martin - owners of Suricata Safaris
Suricata Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $190 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Frank | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing staff, great experience! Highly recommended over other companies
With so many safari companies to choose from, Suricata sets itself apart at every turn. The staff goes out of their way to make your trip as smooth as possible.
I had lost my charging cable for my Kindle, and the Suricata staff went out of their way to help me. The airport pickup driver let us stop and search for a shop that had it, and when that didn't work, after the Safari Briefing that evening Mr T. went out at 9pm and managed to track a cable down. He even made a trip back to our hotel just to drop it off!
As for the safari, the staff is very communicative with itinerary, pick ups, drop offs, driving times, and meal times. Each day of the safari was it's own unique experience, on our first day alone we saw: zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions, cheetahs, ostriches, warthogs, hyenas, and more. By the end of our trip we had seen the big five - lions, leopards, elephants, Buffalo and rhinos. Our guide Damien was extremely knowledgeable, able to identify any bird or animal species that we looked at and tell us all about them.
Damien was an expert at spotting wildlife, and giving us ample time to take photos, and trying to get us the best angle and accommodate any extra photo requests we had.
I was worried about bathroom breaks but I never once had to ask for a stop, the tour has plenty of stops built in for bathrooms and coffee.
I could write an entire review just about the food, but every single meal from our Chef Saleem was mind-blowing. "Picnic lunch" doesn't come close to doing the meals justice, they would pack giant feasts each day with a huge variety of dishes to eat on picnic while looking out over beautiful scenery.
Chef Saleem was very attentive to dietary needs, we had a gluten-free member in our party and he would prepare separate dishes for her and carefully set them aside. Some of the standout dishes served were beef stew, mushroom pizza, ugali, sautéed greens with peanut sauce, curried chicken, cucumber salads, thin pancakes, and bagia. The food is served buffet style with massive quantities, with coffee and tea at breakfast, Mango juice and coke at lunch, and red and white wine at dinner.
In addition to their suggested packing list, flashlights or headlamps are a must for setting up /breaking down camp in the dark. While there are outlets in the jeeps, we found that they could get overloaded and stop functioning if too many devices were plugged in, so a power bank helps if you need to take turns charging up.
All around a fantastic experience and a very attentive company that prides itself on its happy customers.
Email Josh | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent for first time safari goers
We had an excellent time and couldn’t have asked for me.
The communication prior to the trip was very clear, we then met Daniel before we left which was helpful.
The safari itself was excellent, our guide Felix was exceptional - great knowledge and demeanour. We also saw the big 5 in off season.
Strongly recommend for a first time safari goer!
BG
Email Tihomir | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very enjoyable experience
We went at the beginning of March and it was excellent - we managed to see all of the big 5 in addition to a variety of other animals. The guide, Lewis, was very helpful and provided interesting information about all the animals we saw. All of the accomodations were comfortable and went beyond our expectations for a mid range safari.
Additionaly during the booking process Davis was always very quick to respond and answered all of our questions.
Would recommend 100%.
The safari itself was amazing, but there were issues with other administrative matters.
Good Points:
• The safari experience
Bad Points:
• The most shocking issue was that no one came to pick me up at the airport. A person named Ali was responsible, but instead of apologizing, he kept making excuses about the traffic.
• Jackson, the person I had been communicating with via email beforehand, is completely unreliable. Whatever you tell him, assume that no one on the ground will be informed.
• In fact, I had clearly discussed via email the remaining balance to be paid, the change of accommodation, and the need to prepare change. However, none of this information was conveyed to the staff on-site. As a result, I had to spend my nights in the hotel lobby in Tanzania explaining everything all over again.
NL
Email Liane | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best safari experience ever!
We had a very cool Safari at Suricata! Our guide Amiri clearly had a good eye for spotting animals: we were able to spot all the big 5, plus many more! The lodges in the Serengeti park and the Ngorongoro crater were both very beautiful, super cool to sleep in such a luxurious tent. Would definitely recommend the experience!
(automatic translation from Dutch)
NL
Email Imke | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience!
We had a very cool Safari at Suricata! Our guide Amiri clearly had a good eye for spotting animals: we were able to spot all the big 5, plus many more! The lodges in the Serengeti park and the Ngorongoro crater were both very beautiful, super cool to sleep in such a luxurious tent. Would definitely recommend the experience!
(automatic translation from Dutch)
LT
Email Kristijonas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience!
The trip was organised very well! The whole staff is so friendly and professional. I genuinely believe we've had the best guide (Amiri) who did his absolute best to show us all the animals there are to see, and also to bring us up close! We could have litteraly have cheetahs, lions, elephants within a few small steps. The photos we took were amazing! Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater are absolute must-do's. The jeep was comfortable and did not have issues despite rocky, bumpy roads. The food was brilliant and exceeded our expectations! We had a chef travelling around, getting to the places we'd stay at night before us and preparing a large variety of foods. We've had feasts! To those doubting the camping or shared jeep option - it might just be the detail that will make your trip even more unforgettable. We have met people from all around the world, we broke bread together, shared a drink or two, had nice talks around the table in the evenings. Sleeping in a camping tent is not bad as they are spacious, mattresses and sleeping bags are provided. Not the best comfort in the world but nothing to cry about. Kelvini was an angel in helping us getting back our luggage lost in airport. Jackson has been answering all the questions prior the departure with joy. An absolute banger, strong recommendations!
Email NatalieZ | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very well organised
We were so delighted with this tour. The amount of animals we saw was breathtaking and we were lucky enough to see the big 5. Our guide, Filex,was knowledgeable, patient and a genuinely lovely guy. The standard of the lodges was extremely high and the food was great (thanks to our tour chef James for the lunches).
US
Email Elijah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Elegant & Seamless
I was blown away by the experience. I booked a group tour and we had a great time. When booking through whataspp there was a little misunderstanding but when I met with Daniel in person for the briefing he made things right and apologized for the inconvenience.
When the tour started, I was absolutely blown away. The driver and the chef were absolutely AMAZING I can not say enough good things about the food.
We also got to see so many animals and we got to get so close, shoutout to our driver he was great. Also, the planned itinerary was amazing and I'm happy with the amount of time we had in each park. Also the tents were nice and always set up and waiting for us.
I would. HIGHLY recommend this tour company!
BR
Email Mônica | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excelent!!! Don't miss the Suricata Boma Lodge for the pool facing Lake Manyara sunset.
Excelent!!! Outstanding accommodations, high expertise on spotting the animals, lovely meals, clear communication, efficient logistic and great drivers. Especial thanks to my booking agent Jackson, with apologies for my indecisons, and to my guide Rocky. From 1 to 10, I would rate him 11+ 🔝