Best Leading Adventures in Tanzania
Focus in Africa
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2004)
- Member Of:
- IATA & TATO
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $130 to $350 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Eper | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very well organised, prompt communication and good service.
We took the four day safari to Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. It was a great experience, very well organised, the pickup and drop-off from the airport and the accommodation and meals the day before and after make it all a very convenient experience. Nelson was very prompt at answering questions on WhatsApp and before booking, he sent us a clear plan and price and it all went ahead as planned.
We saw lots of animals, our guide had unbelievable eyesight and he was very experienced and spotted animals in the craziest places, which was amazing!! We missed him saying a few sentences about the parks to introduce them but when asked questions he was very knowledgeable. The food was amazing, really tasty, fresh and varied. The vehicle was comfortable and there were plugs to charge phones in both the vehicle and the dining halls of camps.
The reasons this review is 4 starts:
The camps were better than expected, clean tents, clean toilet facilities, most had free wifi and it was well organised with the chef and camp staff setting everything up for our comfort. However it would have cost little extra effort to make sure that there was toilet paper and hand soap provided and that the sleeping bags and pillows are washed. They were very smelly. Luckily we had a roll of toilet paper in our bag but I can't imagine what we would have done in the middle of nowhere without any. The washing I think is simple and part of basic hygiene, especially when travelling with a limited amount of clothes, you don't want them to be smelly like the sleeping bags.
There was no wifi or hot water in the hostel for the night before and after. Again, we had a sim card so wifi wasn't a massive issue, but I think most travellers would either expect wifi or expect to be warned to buy a sim card. Same with the cold water. On the safari I understand that it's difficult to provide and we kind of expected that and coped. But it would have been nice to know there is none in the hostel either.
Overall it was a great experience and we would book again without hesitation, but these few things are simple to improve and would have a very positive effect.
AT
Email Elena | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly, hospitable, well connected, answers fast and organizes good safari guides and equipment
We travelled as a group of 6 together in one car. The drive from the airport and the stay in the hostel one day before and after the 3-day-safari were included in the price. It was all well organized and the tour operator, with whom we were in contact before via whatsapp, gave us all relevant information. The safari guide was well informed and very friendly. We could ask any questions about the wildlife and nature and he would always try to give us answers. We could always say if we wanted to stay longer watching certain animals, or see anything of personal preference and all wishes were taken into consideration. The cook was excellent and the food was delicious. There were 1,5l of water per person per day, even though we were told to recieve 3l. Nevertheless, it was doable since you could drink tea, coffee or hot water at each prepared meal. One night we slept in a lodge, the other night in a tent (2 people) and there were sanitary facilities (only cold water). Payment should be done in the morning before starting the safari. It is good to have the right amount of money prepared, ideally in cash, otherwise the fees are higher. Overall, it is worthwhile waking up early in the morning in order to see the animals and nature of the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area! The safari is recommendable!
DK
Email Juanita and Diana | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very nice experience
We took a 4 days safari and it was great!! The first night at Panorama camp was very comfortable and the food was nice. From there, we pack our own tents and sleeping bags and mattresses to the camps Seronera and Simba located in Serengueti and Ngorongoro parks. The 3 parks we visited are very different: in Seronera we saw lots of elephants and monkeys and other animals are hard to spot becasue of the interrumpted geography that is hills. Serengueti is hugeee and it takes long distances to see the different animals, in there we saw a lot of lions, cheetas and even the Leopard. Ngorongoro is beyond espectacular, we saw even rhynos and the landscape is so magical and different to the Sabana.
Our driver was Chambuzo and cooker Peter, they are both amazing!!! Chambuzo has a lot of experience and can spot the animals sooo easily, and Peter cooks amazing local food. Both respectufl and very nice.
There were only 2 thing that has place to improvement, one is the condition of the matresses and the sleeping bags, they were dirty. So if you have the chance to take your own sleeping bag I think it is woth it. Te second is that they prefer the payment in cash and the ATM only gives you 600K TZ shilling at the time with 10.000 bills, so we had to witdraw 7 times and one person that was on the safari got his card stucked in the machine. The payment with credit card charges 5% fees in all Tanzania and the international transfer is also expensive. So the payment method could also be improved.
DK
Email Tine | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari trip!
Went on a safari trip (5 days) with this company. I enjoyed the trip a lot! The guides were nice and friendly and the chef was good. We saw the big five!
I got what I expected from a low-price company. Very familiar atmosphere. I can recommend the company.
TR
Email Ahmet Babal | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect
I had a very enjoyable 4 days. I will never forget. Thank you ✌
Email Marta Garcia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unique journey
I did Tarangire National Park in one day. We got to see elephants, giraffes, boars, monkeys and even lions which is not common in Tarangire. The guide, Mike, was very communicative and kind.
IE
Email Glen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall, a very good value safari
We did a five-day safari with Focus in Africa in March 2020. We visited Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara.
Overall, the safari was great value. We saw a lot of animals, including the Big Five. Nelson, the organiser, was easily reachable and communicative.
Our driver, Loi Solo, was superb. He was very kind, was able to navigate the tough roads, and importantly was very good at spotting the animals. The safari jeeps were excellent, with pop-up rooves, electricity sockets for charging devices, a fridge, and everyone had a window seat.
Most of the camping was of good standard, the facilities for the campsite near Tarangire and Lake Manyara were excellent.
The food was also good.
There were a couple of drawbacks. The campsite in the Serengeti was poor, a lot of the tents were old & broken, and could not keep out the rain (we were there in the wet season). Our particular safari appeared to be overbooked, which led to a cramped jeep and a number of changes to the itinerary over the five days.
As this was a budget camping safari, these are not issues that would prevent me recommending Focus in Africa to those interested in a safari experience.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Hiked Kilimanjaro with Focus In Africa
Focus in Africa provided a great vacation and well planned climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The team of guides, porters, cooks and assistants were friendly and accommodating, and throughout the trip were genuinely interested in getting to know us and making sure we felt at ease and comfortable as we ascended kilimanjaro's slopes. Focus in Africa could have been stronger on the communication and administrative side of things: there was some confusion around how much to tip and what was included in the pre-paid arrangements. The management also stumbled a bit with one of the hotel arrangements. Overall, the on-the-ground staff was nothing short of superb, the management left a little bit to be desired in a few areas but was competent for the most part. Would recommend to a friend.
DE
Email Massimo Cacioppo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Lazy, looking for money and poor in service.
I'm very sorry for the people who work for this company, but I can't recommend the company that was responsible for my climbing at all, but I can't recommend the people who work closely with you or accompany you. But you can also find them everywhere else and you can also hire Angelo privately, for example. I can only warmly recommend him and his team, but you've already read that. So if you are interested, I would be happy to put you in touch.😊 But Nelson, who I have corresponded with and who owns this company, was a horror. Zero information and quite long response times. Some answers didn't even arrive after several reminders. The information that followed was also inadequate. For example, I asked him what utensils I needed, since I'm a complete layman. He wrote to me that I didn't have to worry about anything or any utensils. Everything would be there. I don't have to worry. But he didn't say that I had to pay for the missing utensils. I ended up paying an additional $90 and in the end I feel let down. What about people who are on a tighter budget? He also didn't write down what the preparation should look like. The person who does this for the first time, like me, is left alone. Sure, you can read up on the internet, but every company does it differently. There is no sensible information on his website either. I'm very sorry, but I had to get this out of the way, also for the people who might be interested in climbing Mount Kili or doing something similar. I also booked the safari through Nelson and it was also designed to spend as little money as possible. Several groups who had booked different things were put in one car, which is fine in itself. You got to know more people and the stories behind them, but the implementation was horror and the performance didn't live up to the promise or the program. For example, we each had much shorter safari times. You left at just the wrong times. And meals were designed differently and even skipped. And since I have already completed two safaris, I can easily compare. And the comparison is very negative. He also failed to mention that bed and breakfast worth $20 each was included before the respective venture. So I didn't use this service, which is almost fine for me, but I just think paying $40 for the transfers is unfair and not right. I'm very sorry, but in the end it's more important to me that, should you ever do this, you are as informed as possible.
NL
Email Laila | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A woman was screamed at by the chef and wouldn't let her leave because he wanted money
We went on a 5 day safari with Focus on africa. The tour guide, Wilson, was amazing. He really went out of his way to make our trip unforgettable. I am very sad to give a one star because he is worth 5!
During the trip I noticed a couple of things which could have been done differently but I considered not to be worth writing a review but I will state them now anyway; we were leaving quite late a couple of times and when spotting animals you have to be there at first light! We were with 6 people in the car including luggage and camping equipment, making so that for a few drives the people in the back seats were uncomfortable. The one star I give for something that happend to a travel companion and makes me feel the need to write; the chef that was with us for 3 days(who cooked nicely but was only acting nice on the last night, all of the group immediately felt it was because he expected a tip) became angry because they gave too little tip. And with angry I mean yelling in their faces for over 15 minutes and not letting them leave the last campsite. They were so scared (2 woman alone) and not one of the 15 local men surrounding the vehicle said anything and let it happen (they work on the campsite and thus are also reprectatives of focus in africa). They felt attacked and it ruined their trip. This was a super scary situation and I would advise you to make sure who your guide will be as this will definitely make or brake it(their last day was spend with another "guide" who didn't know any English).
Moreover, the owner wanted to pay the woman to remove the reviews and out of his messages it appears that he actually agrees the tip is too little and so was accepting towards the behaviour of the chef. Look elsewhere for your safari trip!