Selous Ngalawa Camp
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Member Of:
- TATO, TTB & TANAPA
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $80 to $190 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
FR
Email Margaux et Léa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
absolutely perfect I recommend without hesitation
I recommend without hesitation! We were two young women just landed in Dar Es Salaam, the reservation was made from France without advance money, and Zacharria (our guide during the entire stay) directly picked us up at our hotel. We were only two for this trip which was a great comfort! After a few hours we arrived in the Mikumi reserve for a first afternoon safari! We have seen many wild animals (elephants, lions, gazelles, giraffes, zebras ...) unforgettable experience. We stayed in an absolutely superb camp with pool and bar, quality all-you-can-eat buffet for all meals. The next day great day with Zacharia that I highly recommend, lunch we had lunch in a small discreet restaurant in the middle of wild animals who came to bathe and drink at the edge of the water nearby, change of scenery guaranteed! We did not speak English very well, but our guide did everything to explain us about animals so we could understand everything! The last day was also very good although we asked to return earlier to Dar Es Salam so we could take our boat directly to Zanzibar. Zacharia took care of booking the boat tickets and deposited us in front of the controls so that we are protected from the fake agents present on the spot. Fortunately Zach was there for us, he helped us a lot! I hope I can come back one day to do Selou Park with this agency! Thank you for everything sincerely.
US
Email Raj | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience
The tour was an amazing experience. The tour guide, Bakari, went above and beyond to ensure our safety and happiness on the trip. He was very professional and knowledgeable but also very carefree and adventurous. He cared very deeply about ensuring we had the most amazing experience on the safari. We saw many animals and the accommodation was a true experience.
NO
Email Isabelle | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well exeeded expectations
We were very pleased with our Safari in Mikumi National Park. Our guide was very helpful and generous the entire trip, and guided us to a lot of different animals. Definitely recommend the 3-day safari, as we felt like we got a lot of value for the price we paid.
IL
Email TheSignTravel | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience, well arranged, sometimes exceeded our expectations.
We have traveled as a group of 12 people for 17 days including Tanzania and Zanzibar. The planning stage was long and we had a good communication with Mr. Donatus by emails. Excluding some minor incidents, the whole trip was great and came along with our expectations and sometimes even exceeded them. The suggested travel plan and the suggested lodges were good. We decided to make a few upgrades for the original plan which apparently was a good idea. The biggest advantage of these guys is their flexibility and their willingness to help you to customize the trip according to your needs and requests (this is something which other companies do not like to do). Special thanks to our drivers and guides for their patience and the great job they did to show us the nature and the culture of Tanzania.
Some tips:
1. At the planning stage check exactly all the details, what is included and what is not up to lowest resolution (a lunch on a specific date, airport transfer times etc.) in order to avoid any misunderstandings and any inconvenience.
2. In Zanzibar choose a hotel with a pool, that will be a great advantage.
3. Be prepared that some drives will take longer than expected due to the weather and the road conditions.
4. Enjoy
IL
Email Amir Eshel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing, gorgeous and unique.
This company is beyond amazing !!
We traveled for 17 days in Tanzania .
We were 6 people- 4 adults and 2 young adults (19,17)
We built our trip plan with the help of the company’s manager Donates, and he helped us building the perfect plan according to our requests.
The trip went exactly as planned!
Got to see the most incredible things with the help of Julius our amazing guide driver who was so nice so professional and willing to answer any type of questions any time. He made sure our trip is extraordinarily and everything is going the way we wish.
The accommodations that the company placed us at were a perfect fit, and we were really satisfied by that.
Moreover the food at the lodges restaurants was good.
I enjoyed our safari trip so much and we were just happy to got to do it via this GREAT company.
I recommend this company for all of you guys because we were so pleased
IL
Email Amir eshel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great
This company is beyond amazing !!
We traveled for 17 days in Tanzania .
We were 6 people- 4 adults and 2 young adults (19,17)
We built our trip plan with the help of the company’s manager Donates, and he helped us building the perfect plan according to our requests.
The trip went exactly as planned!
Got to see the most incredible things with the help of Julius our amazing guide driver who was so nice so professional and willing to answer any type of questions any time. He made sure our trip is extraordinarily and everything is going the way we wish.
The accommodations that the company placed us at were a perfect fit, and we were really satisfied by that.
Moreover the food at the lodges restaurants was good.
I enjoyed our safari trip so much and we were just happy to got to do it via this GREAT company.
I recommend this company for all of you guys because we were so pleased
I’m sharing some chosen pictures from our trip
DE
Email Karin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Bush feeling in Sadaani park
We did a 3- Day Safari to Saadani Park with Selous Ngalawa Camp starting from Daressalaam.
The booking was really easy, Donatus was quick to respond to our questions, but the organization of the tour was a little bit chaotic. In the end we didn't mind because everything was very good.
In Saadani Park there are not as many animals as in other parks. For antilopes it was very good though, we even saw a duicker. And we enjoyed the beautiful nature. The beach is really wonderful!
Our driver Msese was very nice, he is a good and experienced driver and knows the Saadani Park and its animals very well.
On the last day we asked to make a stop over in Bagamoyo. This was no problem for him, so we had the chance to visit the very interesting historic german fort.
The highlight of our tour was the camp where we stayed. It was newly opened, just outside the park and the owner Alan and his friend Richard made everything to make us feel welcome there. The food was delicious and we especially appreciated the toilet in the tent. Alan took us on a boat trip on a river with los of hippos and he even made a spontaneous walking safari with us. The Camp is situated nicely in bushland, so we felt close to nature there.
All in all, we recommend the safari to anyone who wants to enjoy some real
bush feeling not too far from Dar es salaam (around 3 hours drive).
DE
Email Nadine | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice tour with a need of improvement
We booked a five day tour in Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park with this operator.
Before departure, communication was easy and quick with the office in Dar Es Salaam.
Upon request I was told that we have a private room and bathroom in a cabin/large tent, power and WiFi in all the camps. Also I was told that we could store our suitcases in the operator’s office while being on the safari and that we would be able to catch the last ferry to Zanzibar (4pm) on the return day.
However, none of these expectations were fulfilled.
Luckily, we could store our luggage at the hotel and I decided to book a flight to Zanzibar in the evening of return day instead of taking the ferry, which we never would have made in time.
As to the other promises: when we finally got to the first camp in Selous the first day after driving for 6 hours, our expectations were not fulfilled at all. Our cabin was rundown, there was no water in the sink and very little (and only cold) water in the shower. Power kept failing and of course there was no WiFi, which is fine but could have been told us in advance instead of lying to us. Provided food was eatable but not great (both nights for dinner we had rice with a little bit of vegetables and sauce).
In the afternoon of the first day we had a boat safari (as stated in the itinerary) which was quite disappointing because we merely saw a few hippos from great distance somewhere in the water.
The full day Game Drive the next day, however, was great!
Our driver Michael did a great job showing us lots of animals like giraffes, zebras, elephants, hippos, wildebeest, impalas and lions. This day as well as the full day tour in Mikumi Nationalpark two days later were a really great adventure for all of us.
What‘s really disappointing is the fact that three out of five days are spent in the car driving from one spot to another. So besides the 6 hours on day 1 we had to drive 10 hours from Selous to Mikumi on day 3 and then again 7 hours on the last day to get back to Dar Es Salaam. Surely, the operator cannot be blamed for bad road conditions, but it would be nice to know in advance how much time is really spent in the car.
Last but not least: the Bastian Camp in Mikumi is a great place, I would definitely stay there again! Even though we only got a tent with a shared bathroom on the camp site (instead of the promised private bathroom) this place was much nicer and cleaner than the camp before. For dinner there was a small buffet with soup, various main dishes and desert and for breakfast you could choose among various options.
It was mostly for this place and our great driver Michael that I decided to rate three stars for the tour.
DK
Email Dennis Børsting | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic 3 days safari in Selous
Me and my family had an excellent communication with this company before deciding to go on safari. This clear communication was key for us to secure the expectation alignment on forehand. We had a detailed description of all 3 days: First day, river boat safari, second full day of private game drive and third day walking safari with a bushman.
The trip fullfilled all our expectations.
We saw a lot of animals, and our driver, William, made sure our safari trip already started from Dar Es Salaam and ended here, spiced up with all his knowledge about Tanzania. The villages and the landscape driving to the nationalpark was spectacular.
Ngalawa camp is basic, but beautiful, as we had hoped. Clean tents with toilet and shower. The camp will soon be equipped with a swimmingpool, but this was not ready yet.
Food was local and delicious, “far better than what what we expected” - qoute by our kids, 17 and 8 years old.
We will recommend this tour to everyone.
Email Jennifer | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Gombe is well worth a visit
Gombe far exceeded our expectations. The guesthouse was lovely, the chimps were amazing & we had astonishingly good viewings. The guide, Iddi & tracker, Fidel were superb. The cook, Amos, was wonderful & his delicious meals were much better than expected. The boat journey was good, as was the visit to Ujiji. The night at Kigoma Hilltop resort was first class, as was their food.
Everything worked like clockwork. Our communication with the company was good, although we did have to do a lot of contacting ourselves.
The price was very reasonable too.
Just be awRe that you do not have a guide with you all the time & you are passed from driver to boat man etc. This is NOT a problem, but it could make some people nervous.
All in all, highly recommended.