Zanzi Trekking and Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Member Of:
- TATO, KGA, TTGA, TGS & KPAP (In Monitoring Phase)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $235 to $5,323 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
SG
Email Julie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reactive and efficient team, but unfortunately the shared tour is outsourced
I have booked a 10-day mid-range & high-comfort shared safari and zanzibar trip with Zanzi. All the communications and booking went smoothly ahead of the trip. The team at Zanzi is reliable and responsive. On my arrival, I got picked up at the airport and a representative from the company came to meet me at the hotel, collect outstanding payment and would be my contact point in case of issue during the trip.
To my surprise, the lodges I was told I would stay at (and given in my quote 5 months prior) were changed last minute. I didn't think much about it when I was told as I didn't realise the locations were actually different! Part of my tour was to stay 1 night in north Serengeti to catch the great migration, this night was changed to be back in central Serengeti, which means that I didn't get to stay a night in the north of the park which is what I had booked and paid extra for! So we only had half day in the north part of the park and had to leave by 3pm to drive all the way back to central Serengeti, which really was a pity as I thought I would get to enjoy at least 1 full day to 1.5 day there. This is the part where it is full responsibility of Zanzi and hence the 4 stars rating.
On another night, my accommodation was changed last minute on the day itself! I was looking forward to a lodge with a view and I ended up in an ecolodge tent with no running water and only shared electricity and no reception (nothing against ecolodge, they are great if I had chosen to stay in them, but for this trip I had chosen comfort and needed connection and this was in the coldest part of the trip in Ngorongoro - knowing my aversion for cold, i would have never picked to stay in a tent there, but I wasn't given the choice!). Zanzi team reimbursed me 100USD for this (I gave it back to them in the end).
The other point that is important to note and which I was not aware of when I booked is that shared tours are not shared amongst Zanzi guests with the same itinerary! This is outsourced to another company that pools together different guests from different agencies with different itineraries and different accommodations (being it level of comfort but also localizations!). So on the first day, I was in the car with 6 other people and from day 2 to day 5 with 6 other people, which was ok. The part that was not ok with me was that every morning and every evening, we would be spending 1.5 to 2 hours picking up and dropping off everyone in their respective lodges!! It was such a waste of time to be up at 6am and by the time everyone else was picked up it would be 8am, which is very late to start game driving (needless to say we missed all the actions! and it is very frustrating when going back to your lodge in the evening and hearing everyone else has seen animals that you haven't at all!). On the first day, the driver didn't know where my lodge was, it was already dark at night and brought me to the wrong lodge! I had to take my google map out, use roaming and indicate the route to take. On 2 occasions, I arrived past 9pm to my lodge, which is past dinner time! I was still served dinner, but I had no choice as to what to eat and had to eat what they served me. Most of time, I would arrive at night in my lodge (last to be dropped off), and depart before sunrise in the morning (first to be picked up) and so didn't get to enjoy at all balcony views, sunsets or sunrises or even relaxing time post safari day. I think the frustration culminated on the last day of safari when out of the 7 people in the car, 1 person was doing a balloon ride and all of the rest had to wait for her in a parking lot until 10.30am instead of game driving!! I felt I have wasted so much time in this trip on all these logistics instead of being in the park looking for animals. This is my 3rd safari in Africa and this is the first time I am encountering this, which seems to be the way in Tanzania, so beware when booking shared tours to ask how the sharing tour works.
I think I wasn't lucky with the driver and guide we got as well: he was very young and unexperienced (doing this for 1 year only), so there were still part of the parks he didn't know well (he had issue finding another lodge I was staying at inside Serengeti too) and it was frustrating to always follow other vehicles / guides he knew instead of going our way. He clearly wasn't passionate about the wildlife and would not be driving the right way to spot animals (way too fast to be able to spot anything on certain part) or getting way too close to animals to the point of disturbing them (I was surprised these guides don't get trained on what to do / not to do with wildlife).
It was the same in Zanzibar, the guide I got on the blue safari, took starfish out of water. Even some of us told him not to do so as it was killing them, he continued!
The guide I got in Stonetown was ok only, again not passionate and not listening to her guest preference. I am a photographer and I always like spending time in markets, because there is always good opportunities for photos. I did tell her I wanted to see the fish auction, I even insisted asking whether there were specific timings not to miss it! She let the market to the end of the tour and went around in 5min and saying this was the end of the tour and she needed to go and run her errands before shops close and it was too bad that at the time we arrived there was no auction ongoing! Lunch was included in this walking tour, but instead of asking me what I wanted she ordered what she wanted to eat. She ordered fish and octopus without asking (I eat seafood so it was ok but imagine someone who is not!) and I understood later that she actually wanted to pack the fish back home for dinner for her family!
All in all, it was a nice trip (Tanzania is a beautiful country and there is so much to do and see!), but obviously there were misses and disappointing parts!
Reply from Zanzi Trekking and Safaris
Posted on Sep 19, 2025Dear Julie,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed review of your trip and for choosing Zanzi for your Tanzania adventure.
We’re glad to hear that our team was reliable and responsive, and that you enjoyed many parts of your journey.
We also appreciate your constructive feedback and would like to clarify a few points:
- Shared Safaris: Shared safaris are generally organized in East Africa by pooling guests from different agencies in one vehicle (in our own vehicles or our partners’ vehicles, depending on availability).
This helps keep the trips more affordable and fun since you will share the costs and have some company, but it can mean extra pick-ups and drop-offs.
We understand this may not be obvious at first, which is why we published an article explaining how shared safaris work (https://zanzisafaris.com/2025/08/25/shared-or-group-safari-trips-how-do-they-operate/). We also include this information in our quote documents and review it with every client during pre-trip briefings.
To improve the experience, we now try to group guests whose lodges are close together whenever possible.
- Lodge Changes: Last-minute lodge changes are very rare but can sometimes happen if a property cancels unexpectedly. In your case, the lodge canceled on the same day of your check-in due to an unexpected internal problem and refunded us, leaving very little time to find another mid-range option (really frustrating even for us!). That’s why we booked the best alternative available and offered you a refund. We are very sorry this affected your trip.
- Guide Experience: We acknowledge that the guide assigned to your safari was not up to the standard we aim for.
We’ve strengthened our internal checks to ensure that only experienced and passionate guides are assigned, and we continue to provide training to our team to improve every aspect of the guest experience.
Your feedback is very valuable and helps us make Zanzi Safaris better for everyone.
We’re happy that overall you enjoyed your trip and we hope to welcome you back for an even smoother and more memorable experience in the future.
Warm regards,
The Zanzi Trekking and Safaris Team
GR
Email Erato Aidini | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent experience
Me and my husband chose the five days tour to Materuni waterfalls, Tarangire national park, Ngorongoro and Manyara lake. It was more than amazing. We saw lions, elephants, zebras and so many other wild animals passed near to our safari car.
We are so satisfied with the drivers- guides, the organisation, the interest for our experience, we were in contact every day with the manager, Honest, and he was very helpful on every request. Special thanks to 'George of the jungle' our guide to Materuni waterfalls that he was a perfect guide. In general these people made our experience so unique. We definitely will choose again Zanzi trekking the next time we would visit Tanzania. Guys keep up the good job!
BR
Email Ricardo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good
Good company. The guide Nestor and his team are very good. I hiked the Lemosho trail. Beautiful scenery along the way. I recommend the Zanzi team. Great atmosphere and partnership. It's important to know that in Tanzania, it's common to ask for tips on tours like this. This is how it works for all companies. I was very happy with the experience. I recommend it.
(automatic translation from Portuguese)
IT
Email Arianna | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience!
We just completed the 6-day Machame Route trek to Uhuru Peak and we're so happy. The experience was exceptional, and the two guides, truly expert and knowledgeable, helped us reach the summit of Kilimanjaro. The entire crew was amazing! The cook always prepared excellent meals, and the boys and porters did a fantastic job! The experience with Zanzi Trekkings&Safaris is highly recommended! Enjoy!!
Email Eva | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Zanzi Trekking made climbing Kilimanjaro a happy and safe experience!
My two friends and I had a WONDERFUL experience with Zanzi Trekking. We did the 7 day budget Lemosho route with Isack and Jumane as our guide and assistant guide. The crew was friendly and professional throughout, we especially loved our camp manager Shedraki (Sheddy) and the cook Menas (Shay Shay), who put together three delicious courses for every meal.
Isack and Jay pushed us the right amount and were always there to support us when we needed it, leading to a successful summit! It would not have happened without this wonderful combination. They were both incredibly knowledgeable on the environment and the history of mountaineering at Kilimanjaro, making for interesting chats throughout the hike. There was laughing, singing, and learning everyday - could not have asked for a better trip 😊
Email Ryan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Professional experience they looked after me very well and I had a great experience
Very good value for money experience climbing Kilimanjaro. The staff were friendly and helpful and helped me complete a challenging summit through professional organising.
CA
Email Amélie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kilimanjaro 7 day Lemosho
Our experience with Zanzi was very smooth. The sales team responded quickly and answered our questions. On the hike, our guides Charles and Mathew were knowledgeable, helpful and positive. Our cook Bazili was wonderful and cooked us delicious meals. Our waiter and summit porter Calvini was lovely and helpful. Overall the entire crew was positive and very hardworking, would recommend.
Warm and engaging but had the seriousness to ensure we achieved our Kilimanjaro goal.
Zanzibar Trekking and Safaris is a great company that absolutely delivers an amazing experience to the top. Make sure you ask for George by name as having the right guide is extremely important and he will show you warmth and provide many laughs but will most importantly get you to the roof of Africa.
CN
Email Ivy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best hiking experience ever!
Best hiking experience ever! I did the 7-day lemosho hiking route at Kilimanjaro, our guide Charles has been amazing, giving all kinds of useful information, making sure I have everything I need and well prepared for all kinds of situations. He’s pretty encouraging as well, constantly giving me momentum and keeping a really good pace. We also have a nice team with our chef Nicolas, and porters Peter, Julius, Dominic and Riziki, super grateful for all the efforts they’ve put in. Anyway, this has been the most amazing experience ever, I’ll definitely consider taking my family and friends with me next time. Thank u guys.
Email Sian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great one day safari!
My husband and I booked with Zanzi Trekking and Safaris for Ngorongoro Crater for a one day safari in Tanzania for our honeymoon. We had limited time in Tanzania so we opted for the day trip and it went above and beyond our expectations. Communication was great and we would always recieve a fast response to our questions. The actual day of the safari was also great, our guide had great knowledge of the local area, the history and the animals, and of course the animals were spectacular as expected. I would recommend anyone to book with Zanzi Trekking and Safaris if they are thinking of doing any kind of tour in the area.