Our family welcomes you to Tanzania! Karibu sana!
Tanzania Choice Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2007)
- Member Of:
- Tanzania Association of Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $400 to $1,700 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email RK & KP | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service and an unforgettable experience
It is not easy to plan a safari from half way around the world. There are a bewildering amount of safari outfitters offering their services online, but it is nearly impossible to distinguish the outstanding companies from the mediocre. Fortunately, we had a friend who was working in Dar es Salaam at the time who helped us navigate through the complexity. She said to check out Tanzania Choice Safaris. We did, and we could not be happier with the service we received. This is a family run business and they go out of their way to ensure you have an unforgettable trip.
After filling out the web-based request form, Brenda contacted us with some possible itineraries to consider. It was easy to deal with Brenda -- who is an expat from the USA -- and she was prompt and helpful throughout. After several email exchanges, we decided on a 12-day itinerary: 8 days traveling through Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and Seregenti, followed by four days in Zanzibar at Matemwe Beach and Stone Town.
Brenda's husband Kakasii was our guide and he met us at the airfield in Arusha to begin our safari. Kakasii was wonderful -- he was knowledgeable, personable, and fun. The safari vehicle was comfortable and we always had a bottomless supply of cold water available. The private vehicle is the way to go. We sometimes would see parties of six jammed inside other Land Rovers and the passengers did not look very happy. Tanzania Choice Safaris only does private trips, so this aspect should be considered favorably.
Kakasii did his best to show us the most amazing animals -- rhino, leopard, elephant, lion, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest -- we saw them all. But he also knows all of the birds and other rare animals that are less identifiable to the untrained eye (Klipsringer or Lesser Kudu, anyone?) Kakasii knew all of the animals on sight and he freely shared his knowledge with us, along with teaching us a few Swahili phrases and words.
The lodging choices Brenda recommended were outstanding. We were the only guests for three nights at the Kichiguu Camp in Tarangire. My wife was a little apprehensive about staying in a wilderness camp (with lions roaming about), but this place was amazing. The food was great and plentiful. The boys running the camp were super attentive and the service was great -- from the welcome drink to the nightly bonfire -- this was a memorable experience. The Serena Lodge in Ngorongoro was solid, although after being the only guests in camp at Tarangire, it felt a little more crowded and traditional. The evening entertainment in the lodge was fun. The views from the lodge into Ngorongoro Crater are spectacular, particularly at sunrise. The Kubu Kubu Camp in Serengeti was the best of the bunch. The food was outstanding and the staff was super friendly and helpful. Swimming in the infinity edge pool while overlooking the plains with wild animals all around was pretty neat, particularly after some long dusty days in Kakasii's Land Rover. The all-inclusive drinks were a nice touch as well.
When Kakasii dropped us at the airfield in Serengeti for our flight to Zanzibar, it felt like we were saying goodbye to an old friend.
Upon arriving in Zanzibar, the Tanzania Choice Safari representative met us at the airport like clockwork. Our new guide Hamisi was a hoot and he showed us all kinds of sights and cultural points of interest on our ride to Matemwe Beach. Matemwe is a little off the beaten path, but the Jafferji Resort where we stayed was a perfect beachfront hideaway. We were able to scuba dive off of Mnemba Island without any difficulty. Our last night in Zanzibar we stayed in the Maru Maru hotel in the middle of Stone Town. Hamisi is a licensed tour guide and he walked us through all of the best sights in Stone Town. Maru Maru was quite nice, particularly the roof top bar/restaurant/pool area, which provided a peaceful oasis in the middle of a busy town at street level.
All said and done, we had a wonderful experience with Tanzania Choice Safaris. They made it easy for us to relax and enjoy our time in Tanzania. They pay attention and get the small details right, and as a result their product is demonstrably better than nearly all of the other outfitters we saw (for instance, we never had a picnic lunch without a table cloth!) Because of the excellent experience, we have already referred other friends to Brenda and Kakasii and more will likely follow behind them. You should too!
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Email Lisa Reilly | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thoughtfully planned trip, great places and itinerary, and wonderfully executed!
Brenda and the team at TCS planned a trip of a lifetime. The accommodation were great, and Leslie our guide was the best. Ending up in Zanzibar was ideal, and Brenda picked the best spot possible. We did not want large resorts, but instead experienced a great range of smaller accomodations - all very nice, comfortable and unique. We never felt like we were part of a huge tourist pack, and our guide was fantastic. This makes all the difference, as you spend a great deal of time with them. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire trip, and I recommend TCS without hesitation.
Email Paige | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
No detail goes untouched with TCS--they think of everything to ensure your trip is amazing.
Tanzania Choice Safaris provided a wonderful experience for our family that includes two small children. Tailoring the accommodations and itinerary to suit our family's needs, they went out of their way to ensure our trip was memorable. Thank you Brenda and Kakasii!
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Email Martin Rathjen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A 5 star operation with excellent hospitality
Tanzania Choice Safaris provided a truly fantastic and amazing climb of Kilimanjaro via the 8-day Lemosho Route! As a group leader of a larger group (22 people) it was very easy to work with Brenda, Kakasii and Festo (mountain guide) leading up to the trip. The pre-trip communication was professional, timely and very helpful. The in-country and on-mountain experience of TCS was awesome: abundant Tanzanian hospitality, with an amazing crew of assistant guides, porters and chefs. We were welcomed, encouraged, supported and enabled to the top of the mountain, and back down. Of our 22 climbers, 21 made it to Uhuru and one to Stella Point. Given the size of our group this was an overwhelming success, but even if we hadn't summited our group experience with Tanzania Choice was excellent! I highly recommend Tanzania Choice Safaris for your Kili climb (with a big or small group).
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Email Kelly Kautz | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Caring, professional, and exceeded expectations!
Tanzania Choice Safaris organized and provided an exceptional Mount Kilimanjaro climbing experience for our group of 22, as well as organizing a tour of area hospitals, schools and health related services and a delightful safari tour for our group of 9. All staff hired by Tanzania Choice Safaris were gracious and thoughtful regarding our needs - we were provided with everything we needed and more! After spending almost three weeks with Kakasii and his staff, we felt as if we had made many new friends! I highly recommend Tanzania Choice Safaris!
Email Brad | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellently organised
No safari experience could have been better.
Highly highly recommended.
Cannot praise these guys enough.
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Email Matt | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best way up the Mountain
TCS did such a great job equipping, feeding and staffing our 22 person trek up Kilimanjaro. Fresh pineapple at 15,000 feet!? Unheard of. All of our trek was under the watchful eye and and good nature of trail boss Festo Mtui. If you are so lucky to get Festo to lead your expedition, then you are REALLY lucky.
Well done Tanzania Choice Safaris!
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Email Pat | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptionally well organized, responsive send customer focused.
Exceptionally well organized, responsive send customer focused.
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Email Jeff | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely everything promised exceeded my expectations and my guide, Leslie, was extraordinary.
Tanzania Choice Tours provided excellent service. I was updated frequently, received clear instructions and every communication was helpful resulting in no surprises upon arrival. I was able to witness firsthand every animal including the elusive Spotted Leopard on two occasions for an extended period of time. I highly recommend Tanzanian Choice Tours and , if available, as for guide Leslie who was very skilled and knowledgeable.
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Email Bob | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding attention to detail and truely caring!
We used them for a Kilimanjaro climb and a safari. They were very accessable for questions before our trip and our guides we're very knowledgeable about what to expect and any questions we had while on safari. I highly recommend them!