Reviews

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Petr   –  
Czech Republic CZ
Visited: November 2019 Reviewed: Dec 28, 2019

Email Petr  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Safari in Tanzania with the SoT and its guide Pius exceeded our expectations.
5/5

SoT travel agency recommended us a friend. Safari exceeded our expectations. We chose the parks Tarangire-1 day, Lake Manyara 1 day, Serengeti 2 days, crater Ngoro Ngoro -1 day. We chose the cheapest loggias from the offered accommodation, but we didn't regret it. Accommodation and food was perfect. Our guide Pius was great. Despite our poor knowledge of English, we have always managed to communicate. Safari itself was excellent. We have been to Kenya twice but Tanzania has captivated us more. Thanks also Sandy, with whom I communicated when ordering our safari. She always answered my questions quickly and patiently. If you fly from Tanzania to Zanzibar, try to avoid Precision Air. What happened to us with this company was that although it carried passengers but not luggage, it arrived with a 24-hour delay. As we found out at the hotel, this happens often with this airline. We chose the airline Precision Air ourselves. She didn't pick her SoT. The overall service provided by SoT and the access of our driver and guide Pius was excellent. At least when eating one class higher than other agencies.

Nico   –  
United States US
Visited: November 2019 Reviewed: Dec 13, 2019

Email Nico  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Unforgettable Adventure with Soul of Tanzania
5/5

Our group's experience with Soul of Tanzania far exceeded expectations, from beginning to end. The flexibility and promptness provided by their customer service team was exceptional, allowing us to plan and customize our trip that met all of our requests within our budget. Steve, our guide was extremely knowledgeable about Tanzania, the culture, the animals, and the history. He provided excellent guidance and service to our group, had a great sense of humor, and navigated the tough terrain in the Tarangire, Ngorogoro Crater, and Serengeti like a true pro! We saw so many incredible animals, ate delicious (hot!) food during our game drives, and enjoyed the beautiful Tanzania landscape. The transportation pickups and transfers to and within Zanzibar towards the latter half of our trip went perfectly as well. Steve and Soul of Tanzania made our trip truly unforgettable. Highly highly recommend Soul of Tanzania as the premier safari tour operator!

Martha   –  
United States US
Visited: November 2019 Reviewed: Dec 5, 2019

Email Martha  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Amazing Honeymoon!
5/5

Thank you Soul of Tanzania, Luis and Edward for such an amazing trip!

Luis helped us plan the perfect itinerary and helped us pick our accommodations in the most efficient, friendly and professional way possible. We exchanged a lot of e-mails and he was always very responsive answering to all our questions.

Definitely, one of our highlights of our trip was our guide Edward, who made our trip more than perfect. He has so much experience, knows SO much not only about the animals but also about the country & culture. Easy going, extremely professional, always in a good mood and very punctual. I always felt we were in the best hands and I really think we had the best guide in the whole country:) Thank you sooo much, Edward, for answering multiple times a day, 6 days in a row the question "Can you please tell me a fun fact about this animal?" :)

Look no further- Soul of Tanzania and their team is simply the best!

Afonso Branco   –  
Portugal PT
Visited: November 2019 Reviewed: Dec 5, 2019

Email Afonso Branco  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The best experience ever!!
5/5

3 day safari

I traveled to Tanzania to make my first safari, with so much offer I was a little confused which operator to choose, however I chose the soul of Tanzania due to all the advantages presented by Luis, such as meeting the needs in choosing the itinerary, accommodation, hot meals and vehicle conditions. After the safari I can conclude that it was the right option. Our guide, Michael, has always been very empathetic and helpful in all our doubts. I strongly advise to include Serengeti in the script, we did not and later we regret it. No doubt I will repeat the experience with this operator.

Jose, Porto   –  
Portugal PT
Visited: October 2019 Reviewed: Nov 20, 2019

Email Jose, Porto  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Fantastic!
5/5

Our trip was from October 27 to November 3, 2019. We left Nairobi (Kenya) for Masai Mara Park, where we stayed 2 days before heading to Tanzania. The Kenya portion of the trip was handled by Soul's Kenya partner Spirit of Kenya. It went quite well with a very knowledgeable and friendly guide called Shuma. It left us on the border with Tanzania, where Ali was waiting for us, and we are now exclusively with Soul of Tanzania. Excellent organization. Good advice on the journey by Luis (Soul's journey designer) before leaving. Excellent basket of suggestions that we were offered for the lodges, very varied, but all very high quality, which provided us with unforgettable experiences. Fantastic, for those who wanted to escape the packaged safaris and tried to make an "a la carte".
Guide Ali proved to be a great connoisseur of the Seringeti (where we were 2 days) and Ngorongoro crater (1 day) and a very safe and responsible driver who, besides speaking several languages, showed a deep knowledge of the animal world and the its most specific characteristics. Highly recommended for those who want to enjoy a safari to enhance their knowledge of animals.
We ended with 2 relaxing days in Zanzibar.
Highly recommendable, could hardly be better!

Krzysztof and Dana   –  
Poland PL
Visited: November 2019 Reviewed: Nov 12, 2019

Email Krzysztof and Dana  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Exciting, unforgettable 5 days safari with the "King of the Jungle"
5/5

This safari was a dream come true that we had since childhood.
And what we experienced and saw greatly exceeded what we planned and expected.
It is thanks to the perfect organization of the whole trip by "Soul of Tanzania" - "SoT" and above all thanks to the wonderful man - Solomon who is really "King of the Jungle"
We were in 4 parks - Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara.
Each of them was different and gave us specific impressions.
But back to the safari organization - everything was perfectly planned and made in accordance with this.
During lunches at picnics, we distinguished ourselves among other groups by the quality of serving and organization of these small parties - applause for SoT.
All accommodations were perfectly selected and the service in them met all the requirements - despite logistics problems - e.g. with water.
Sleeping in comfortable tents around which animals roared - a great adventure.
But security was vigilant all the time ;-)
Each of these 5 nights was in a different style, which gave us an additional, new experience
But back to the safari. Solomon promised us that we would definitely see the whole "big five" but also all mammals larger than mice - and so it happened and not only mammals. I think that few people have seen eg. over a meter lizard.
But all this probably would not have happened had it not been for Solomon with his experience, knowledge and willingness to share all this.
Knowledge of animal habits and his sharpened senses allowed us to experience all this.
Salomon saw with his eagle eyes e.g. rhinos which I barely found thanks to good binoculars.
Thank you SoT for everything and especially Solomon who is an unforgettable companion of this wonderful adventure.
DZIĘKUJEMY ;-)

Jakub   –  
Tanzania TZ
Visited: November 2019 Reviewed: Nov 11, 2019

Email Jakub  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Dont hesitate - book Safari with them!
5/5

ly the communication before the safari was excellent. Jose from the Soul of Tanzania Office was great. He helped us to arrange everything.
We visited Tarangire, Manyara and Ngorongoro. Everything from the airport pick up was great. Our guide Eddy was perfect. Safari with him it was an adventure. We felt safe, he took Care about us in every detail. He helped us to see big 5. Lunches were tasty, with a tableware, wine. Car was in a good condiotion. Lodges where we slept were comfortable.
So if you plan to do a Safari do it with SoT. They will arrange everything with you just like you wish. Big thanks guys, for a wonderful memories we have!

Diogo   –  
Portugal PT
Visited: September 2019 Reviewed: Nov 9, 2019

Email Diogo  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Memorable Honeymoon - 4 day safari
5/5

I want to start by stating that Soul of Tanzania delivers a service with a very high standard which you don't usually see anywhere in the world.

Before reviewing my experience in itself, I would like to give information about a matter that you don't usually see in the reviews and I believe can help other people when planning a safari.
I was somewhat hesitant to transfer the down-payment as all the contacts I had established at the beginning of my planning were only by email and it was a significant amount of money. My advice - don't worry! Soul of Tanzania is extremely professional and your money is safe!

Also, during the planning phase, I have to give a special word to Sandy, the person we always had contact with. She was amazing, always replying fast and very patient to all our requests, which were changing constantly. I just hope we didn't give her too many complications!

Regarding the experience, it was AMAZING! I was so happy we decided to book a tour with Soul of Tanzania, it was the perfect choice for our honeymoon. We liked it so much that we already want to go on another safari! We visited Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.

Talking about the tour in itself: our guide, Nickson, was very good! We felt very lucky to go on the tour with him. He was very experienced, he was always spotting animals where we couldn't see anything and he had a lot of knowledge, he answered all our questions very easily, besides being a very nice person.
During the tour, the lodges we stayed in were incredible. All of them had a very good service and each of them had different highlights, which we found really nice.
The vehicle was also excellent! It was very comfortable, it did not have any issue on the road and had a lot of space. It was so good that I even fell asleep in the car in one of the days when we had a larger trip from one place to another.
Another thing that I feel it must be pointed out was the food. It was unbelievably good! We ate so well during the whole tour, we loved the food! And it was really a great advantage to have full meals during the tour instead of the lunch boxes the majority of people had.
But above all, what we think was the best in our tour was the organisation as a whole. We never had any issue with the check ins during the safari, Nickson was always ready on time, the vehicle was perfectly equipped, etc. SoT provides a very good service, it is a very high standard which I feel most companies cannot reach.
The best example of this was when Sandy sent me an email (when the safari was already over and we were spending the night in Arusha) telling me that the flight to Zanzibar was moved to an earlier schedule and when we asked at the reception of the hotel we were staying in to have an earlier breakfast, they told SoT had already contacted them saying precisely that the flight was earlier in case we didn't see our email.

The only thing that didn't go so well was the airport pick up. And why do I feel it must be stated? Because it was so perfectly taken care of that it just shows again how well SoT works.
In fact, our flight had a delay and we also took much time to pass through immigration. When we finally exited the airport, our driver wasn't there, which was a bit overwhelming because it was the middle of the night and we were very tired. Nonetheless, I had the phone number (provided on the planning phase by Sandy in case anything went wrong) of the operations manager, Mr. Beatus, who solved the issue in 5 minutes. It is in fact a great organization.

To conclude, I want to ask Soul of Tanzania to keep up the good work. We will never forget our honeymoon and an important part of it is because of the amazing service you guys provide! Asante sana!

Shirley   –  
United States US
Visited: November 2019 Reviewed: Nov 6, 2019

Email Shirley  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Most unforgettable experience! Worth every penny!
5/5

This is a company that will make your safari trip an extraordinary experience. I would like to give every one in this team a huge shoutout because they made my first African Safari trip a truly pleasant and unforgettable one.
I started to plan this trip 7 months prior to the travel dates. Luis was my point of contact and working with him was a delightful and easy experience. He always replies to my email within 24 hours and gave me all the support I needed. He handled all our booking issues professionally and fast. At one point in the planning process we need to change our travel dates due to our work schedule and he made it possible. I can’t be more satisfied to work with Luis.
We had a five-night safari. We stayed at Sanctuary Swala, the Four Season Serengeti, and Lemala camp Ngorogoro, all of them recommended by SoT. Thanks to their amazing recommendations we enjoyed our stays in all of them.
I know everyone who chose this company said they had the best guide, but I still want to say that our guide/driver, Denis, is the best guide we can ever asked for! This trip cannot be as memorable if we did not have him. He is a guide who has 20 years of industry experience. Not only does he have great personality, but also knows every single road in ALL national parks by heart and can spot animals from far away. I almost thought he had a super power when he noticed a lion hiding in tall grass from 1mile away. He always waited us at the front door of the lodges with his car ready 20 mins earlier than the time we told him to meet, no exception. During the trip I was curious not only about wild animals but also the culture of Tanzania so I bothered him with a gazillion questions every single day. He answered all of them with patience, and told me so many fascinating wild animal stories from his previous safari experience. While we were doing a game drive in Serengeti we had a flat tire. Denis handled it so professionally all by himself. To be honest I was a little worried when it happened but he made us feel we were in safe hands. He is just like a big brother and a good friend that you can rely on. He is truly an amazing guide in so many ways and my word doesn’t do justice. Asante Sana Denis you are the man!
We ran into some other SoT cars during our stays and I talked with another guide called Philip. He is a super nice and knowledgeable guide and speaks perfect English. Beatus, the manager in the Arusha office answered my call at 7:30am and solved an urgent problem we encountered. It is fair to say this is a team with the best professionals in the industry and they know what they are doing. The only thing I was not “happy” about was they made me feel I did not get enough of Tanzania in just five days and I have to come back again! If you are looking for a team to handle your safari in Tanzania, no need to search further because Soul of Tanzania can meet all your expectations if not exceeding them.
You will see me back very soon:)

Kristina   –  
Australia AU
Visited: October 2019 Reviewed: Nov 3, 2019

Email Kristina  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

An EPIC safari adventure!
5/5

My mother and I recently returned from a 2 week safari tour organised through Soul of Tanzania, beginning in Kenya and then continuing on through Tanzania, and ending with a 3 day trip to Zanzibar.

I contacted numerous safari operators while planning this trip and chose Soul of Tanzania as they were the most prompt and detailed in their replies and also as they were more than happy to assist with personalising a private safari experience for 2, as I already had a rough itinerary worked out of places I wished to visit.

I dealt with Sandy over the 4-5 months prior to the trip, and through over 60+ emails, she was absolutely wonderful - replies were very prompt, no question went unanswered and the level of detail and flexibility in the planning process was second to none.
Planning a safari experience, particularly if it is a first-time one, can be daunting, especially if you have never visited Africa and are not entirely sure of what to expect, but the level of assistance I received from Sandy ensured the trip was the most memorable I have ever had.
Additionally, even though it was a private safari, costs were relatively similar if not lower than numerous other companies I contacted who were not able to cater for my specific itinerary.
Our only hiccup was that the bank transfer for the balance of our trip bounced back while we were already in Africa, and it was a bit of a hassle and also more expensive to have to pay via credit card, particularly as a lot of the more remote accomodation has very limited internet access.
The only advice I have here is that Soul of Tanzania need to make clear in their contract that the balance of the payment MUST be made one month prior to commencing the trip if making via bank transfer. This was not made clear in the contract and therefore we were charged a fee.

We visited the Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Parks.
In the Maasai Mara in Kenya we were looked after by our wonderful guide Solomon, from Spirit of Kenya. From the first game drive, where Solomon took us to a lone male lion, who stood right next to my window and looked me straight in the eyes before walking slowly away, to the last drive in Tarangire where we were the only car to witness a leopard feeding in a tree next to us, we not only saw the Big 5, but such a variety of wildlife and birds that I never even knew existed!

In Tanzania, we were looked after by Dominick “Schumacher”, our modern Maasai! Dominick is incredible - a wealth of knowledge about every animal and bird around, as well as the national parks and Tanzania in general. He is very passionate about conservation and about his work and it really shows. Not only did we learn so much about the wildlife, but about Tanzania and its rich history and culture, especially the Maasai.
Dominick’s driving skills were pretty awesome, and even the daily Tanzanian massage wasn’t an issue for either my mother or I, especially me, who normally suffers from motion sickness!
I am a very keen photographer, and every day Dominick ensured that I had the best vantage points for excellent photo opportunities, he was accomodating for all manner of requests and questions, emergency toilet breaks, he seemed to have Spiderman senses to see and know where every animal would be, or where they would end up if they disappeared and he ensured that our safety and comfort was top priority at all times.

We chose mid-range accomodation during our safari, which was all excellent and which I would actually rate as on the high end when compared to many other accomodations I have stayed at around the world over the years.
Our accomodation in the Maasai Mara was in Ilkeliani Lodge, a beautiful tented camp looked after by the Maasai, where on our first night we had an exciting visit not only by an elephant but by a lion nearby! Our Maasai guards made sure all was safe and I can’t recommend Erik, our Maasai guide at the camp highly enough. Erik took us to a nearby Maasai village, where we were welcomed and shown around and he also took us on a walking tour to teach us about the land and plant life in the Maasai Mara.

The Serengeti Sopa Lodge was a large and very accomodating lodge, made all the more special by the beautiful staff, especially in the restaurant, who on finding out that it was my mother’s birthday during our trip, planned a surprise cake and had all the staff in the restaurant perform a traditional African song and dance for her on our last night there!

At Ngorongoro, we stayed at the wonderful Serena Lodge, which has the most incredibly breathtaking views I have ever seen.
The Ngorongoro Crater is a wonder that nobody travelling to Tanzania should ever miss - a feast for the eyes and the soul.

The Escarpment Luxury Lodge at Lake Manyara was not only the cheapest of the accomodation we had, but it was definitely the most luxurious - it was quite incredible, with stunning sunset views over the lake. It’s only very minor drawback was that it was the only place where I actually needed to use insect repellant!

In Zanzibar, we stayed at Dream of Zanzibar, on the North East coast. Zanzibar was the perfect way to end this trip of a lifetime, with beaches and water to die for!
While the beach is supremely beautiful, you will encounter numerous Maasai trying to sell you their wares and offering trips, and though I became friendly with many of them and had quite a laugh with them, it was quite a full on experience for some of the other hotel guests!
Zanzibar was definitely the most commercial and most ‘’Western’’ part of our trip, with the accomodation, amenities and experiences on the island catered to tourists, but nevertheless we were extremely well looked after and had a wonderful and relaxing time.

Asante sana to Sandy at Soul of Tanzania, Solomon in Kenya and Dominick in Tanzania for making this trip of a lifetime an absolute 5-star experience!

Average User Rating
4.9/5
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