Lion King Safari Guides
Lion King Adventures
- Offices In:
-
Canada
United States
Switzerland
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $1,115 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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Email Saeed & Miad | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Better than I could have imagined
As a person who reads a million reviews before book anything, I can promise you this company is a great choice. My wife and I went Tanzania a few weeks ago (March 2023) and Lion King Adventures gave us an amazing tour and safari! We did a 7 Day Mid-Range safari which took us to Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Central Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Throughout these parks and the crater we got to see hundreds of elephants, baboons and hippos. Literally thousands of Zebras, Buffalo, Impalas and wildebeests. Several dozen lions, giraffe and hyenas which we got very close to. Two leopards runnings and at least four in trees. Two cheetah eating a zeebra. We also saw three rhinos in the Ngorongoro crater from about 40 meteres away. There are probably more animals that I am forgetting at the moment.
Our guide Macha was great. He was extremely knowledgable about so much regarding animals, vegetation, biodiversity, geographical history and all aspects of Tanzania and East Africa. He was a skillful game guide and never gave up on our search to spot animals.
All of our accommodations were amazing. I would speak on each camp we stayed at but I would just have to repeat myself because all of them had an amazing staff that were extremely friendly and helpful with anything needed. Each place had great food. I am a vegetarian and I had more than enough options to each everywhere. When we were out on the game tours most other companies would provide lunch boxes with a sandwich and snack for the guests, but Lion King provided us with a picnic style lunch with hot food and plates with plenty to eat.
I am really happy I picked Lion King over the other companies I looked into when planning this trip.
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Email Jon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unmatched
With so many safari companies to choose from, deciding who to spend a week with can be a daunting task, especially when you're doing it from 8000 miles away. Most operators have good reviews which makes the selection process even more challenging. The very first email that I received from Caroline spelled everything out. Information such as total cost, payment options, and ability to customize essentially every aspect of the trip, was provided. She presented me with a detailed itinerary for our private 6-day safari (Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara) which included the parks we would be visiting, travel time to each location, what to expect at each park, and lodging information. I ultimately selected my own lodges to stay at but Caroline answered all my question, provided feedback on my choices, and made recommendations to maximize park and animal viewing time. I can't explain it but from my initial correspondence with her, I knew that I was going to book with Lion King Adventures.
To secure your trip, you have to make a deposit and then have until 6 weeks prior to your trip to pay in full. You can pay via credit card if you value security though that incurs a fee. The other option is bank transfer and there are a couple ways of doing that. I have never paid for a trip that way because of the absence of financial protection. However, I got over my anxiety and ultimately paid via bank transfer and it went without a hitch (Caroline provided very detailed instructions so it turned out to be easy). Once you pay the deposit, the reservation team (aka Rose) takes over. Rose made sure everything was set prior to us leaving. Due to one lodge closing its booking window, I had to book it on my own, which resulted in a reduction in my payment to Lion King Adventures. I miscalculated and ended up overpaying. However, Rose brought this to my attention and when we were picked up at the airport, the driver returned my overpayment in cash. I tell this story because it is a testament to the honesty and integrity of Lion King Adventures.
When we arrived, we were met by one of their drivers who drove us to our lodge in Arusha. The following morning, we were picked up by Gilbert. Gilbert has been doing this for some time and this was evident by the end of the safari. Not only did he turn out to be great at spotting animals but he understood their behavior and passed this knowledge on to us. He got us up close to cheetah (which are not exactly easy to find during rainy season) so that made both of our kids very happy. He was super nice (he is easily someone that you would become friends with), prompt, accommodating, and clearly enjoys what he does. He also takes his time. In the parks, we were frequently passed by other safari vehicles. The reason is that he was constantly on the lookout for animals and there's no way to do that well if you're in a rush. The only time he did drive "fast" in a park was when he knew he had to get somewhere fast in order for us to see something special, like a leopard eating an impala. How does he know this? He is frequently communicating with other guides to find out if anyone else has come across something interesting.
Lion King Adventures is a local family owned tour operator and it felt like it. Every person I communicated with prior to the safari (Caroline, Rose, Edward) and during the safari (Gilbert) went the extra step to take care of us. They said in their introductory email "The nature of safaris can be quite adventurous and Lion King’s number one priority at all times is your safety" and this was very obvious. I said that we were often passed by other safari vehicles in the park. We were also frequently passed by other vehicles when traveling on regular roads. While they were clearly trying to get to their next destination as quickly as possible, Gilbert as well as the driver who picked us up at the airport cared only about us getting there comfortably and safely. We appreciated this.
Thank you to everyone at Lion King Adventures for making this an epic trip that we will cherish forever.
IL
Email Aaron Zitrin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
exerts
Excellent servive. Very reliable. experts. They do everything you need with alot of care.There guides are very good: expert and will take care of you with smile. We came back home with seet memories/
IE
Email Louise | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Halifa was knowledgeable, friendly and so good at his job
Our guide Halifa arrived on time and brought us on an amazing 2 day safari. We stayed in the stunning Kilimamoja Lodge it was truly amazing with the most brilliant staff. Lion King Adventures were efficient and professional to deal with. Our questions were answered very quickly and making payment was fast safe and reliable. Thank you to Rose and Nickson for organising the trip.
Our guide Halifa was so friendly and knowledgeable we learned so much about the animal and bird life. He had to navigate some terrible roads due to rain. We were amazed at his skills as a driver. Would 100 percent recommend this company
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Email Jean Persaud | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best guide with knowledge of the national parks. Always happy and respectful. Five stars!
My husband and I book with Lion King Safari Tour. We were assign with driver and guide Gilbert. Gilbert was amazing from the start to finish on our tour. He was literally our life line through out of our safari trip and beyond . He was professional and courteous on everything, from setting up our lunch table and serving us lunch each day. A remarkable guide who become our family forever. We had such a wonderful time and seeing the big five. Captivating us with his knowledge of the National parks and insuring of our safety. We have made the correct decision in choosing Lion King as safari tour.
Thank you Gilbert!! and Lion King !
Sincerely
Jean Persaud
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Email Roy Persaud | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Calm ,experienced ,accommodating ,knowledgeable and make safety our first priority
We recently went on 7 days Lion King Safari in Arusha. We were randomly appointed a driver/guide by the name of Gilbert to do the tour. We were very nervous coming to Africa with no friends or family. It was our longest desired to visit Tanzania .
When we first met Gilbert he was calm and very welcoming . He immediately calm our nerves and assure us we would have a grand time on the safari tour.
Gilbert was outstanding and accommodating and well respected guide among his peers. We notice that first hand. In Serengeti NATIONAL PARK where we saw his magic where no other guide wants to go ,because of the wet conditions. He convinces another guide to go and look for the lion who defeated Bob as the king of the lions . Even though we did not see the newly crowned KING OF THE SERENGETI his communication and determination skills over the radio were incredible . We were able to see the BIG FIVE. Thanks to him.
We feel honored to have a guide with so much knowledge and experience to achieve our dream.
We are so grateful to him as well the team at Lion King Safari .
Roy
Email Carolyn | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Lion King were punctual, provide clear and timely communication and safe.
What s as great trip! We visited Ngorongoro crater, Tananarive, Lake Manyara and the Ndutu area. So many cats! Lions and leopards in trees. Some baby wildebeests. Lion King set us up with great accommodations. Gilbert was our guide and driver. He definitely made our trip the best it could be. We really appreciated his knowledge of birds. He was polite, knowledgeable and a friendly guy. We’d recommend him for your next trip!
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Email Maree | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Simply wonderful
Before we arrived Lion King communicated clearly, answered all our questions, and honored all our preferences! One of us had dietary restrictions and hot prepared lunches took that into consideration with more food then we could possibly eat.
Lion King set up an excellent tour for us. Airport transfers and Zanzibar rides were smooth with friendly drivers who pointed out sights and told us about the area. Lodgings were comfortable and as described. Staff members at the lodges were so friendly, returning a second day was truly like being welcomed home. The best part was the safari portion of the trip. We saw so many breathtaking sights and beautiful animals. We specifically asked for a female guide and Lion King delivered with our wonderful guide, Subira! Fluent in English and French, Subira is a professional! She’s been guiding trips for years and her experience reading the animals and navigating the winding roads showed why she is top-notch. We felt like celebrities as all the other guides know Subira (as one of the few female guides) and many stop to say hi! She made our trip fun and we learned a lot about the wildlife and Tanzania. We also got to meet owner, Anna on safari as she traveling also. I got the impression the Lion King truly cares about their clients! We’re fully satisfied with our trip and wish we could have stayed longer. Absolutely would recommend Subira, Lion King, and Tanzania to anyone!
DE
Email Jens | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect in every regard
Having booked our Safari with Lion King Adventures was the best decision we could've made! We wanted to book with a local company and found it very hard to choose between the overwhelming amount of them.
The communication with Lion King Adventures in advance was very clear and helpful and everything worked out without any problem.
On our 5 day Safari from Arusha to Mwanza we visited Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park. Our guide Oswald ("Ozzie") has eyes like an Eagle and spots every animal around and knows everthing about them. In addition it was just so much fun to be with him on the game drives and also in the evening for dinner.
Concerning food our cook Karim prepared the most delicious meals and we were always looking forward to the lunch break and dinner to enjoy them. When he was with us in the car on the way to the campsite it just added additional fun and he also told us lots about the animals.
The vehicle "Cape Buffalo" was in perfect condition and Ozzie is a great and calm driver.
We did a camping Safari and the gear was great and we really enjoyed it.
When we come back one day we won't hesitate to go for Lion King Adventures again and to ask for Ozzie and Karim as our team again.
Also: Thanks for the extensive Kiswahili lessons to the both of you!
Tutaonana tena!
Email Joshua & Kimberley | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent experience from start to finish. Worth every penny (and probably more)
We went into the experience not really knowing what to expect. This was our first time in Tanzania and our first safari. The apprehension of spending want we considered a fair some of money was quickly diminished through our interaction with the booking team and the ease of the different payment methods available. They gave us a number of options for our booking that fit our needs (for a fairly last minute booking), and the experience just got better and better.
From the airport collection to being dropped back to the airport we enjoyed every moment of our trip. The tour guide was knowledgeable, interesting and easy to get on with. He made the tour really compelling and had answers to all of our many question. He let us dictate how the game drives went and with his keen eye made sure we didn’t miss a things. Thanks Edward, you gave us a trip we won’t forget.
Asante Sana.
