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 Jen and Jeff | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A family business with excellent service!
We visited Zanzibar, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Oludvai Gorge, and Serengeti National Park on an 11-day itinerary arranged by Tanzania Choice Safaris. From the very beginning of the planning all the way through to the end of the trip, the customer service was top-notch and everything went off without a hitch. At every step, we were met on time at the correct location by the team and had a seamless experience.
We chose Tanzania Choice Safaris on a recommendation from a friend who traveled with them a few years ago. We started out by consulting on the itinerary with Brenda, the American owner, who lives in Tanzania with her family. Brenda was extremely responsive and asked lots of questions to ensure that she was customizing an itinerary that worked for our interests. Brenda has good connections with third-party operators and suggested incorporating a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti into the itinerary, which hadn’t occurred to us, but was one of the highlights of the trip. She was communicative leading up to the trip, ensuring we applied for our visas in plenty of time and even alerting us that sometimes payments on the government visa site were unsuccessful. When we encountered that very problem, Brenda paid our visa fees directly and we reimbursed her.
The trip itself was magical! We started in Zanzibar, recovering from the jet lag. We only had a couple of days there, which was plenty, and enjoyed visiting the Jozani Forrest to see the red colobuses monkeys. However, the best part of the trip was on the mainland visiting the parks. Our guide was Brenda’s nephew Noel and I can honestly say that I think we got one of the best guides in Tanzania. He was so knowledgeable about the parks and the wildlife, constantly going above and beyond to make sure that we got to see everything we wanted to (and even things we didn’t know we wanted to see!) and answering every question we had about the animals and the environment. Other guides were asking for his advice and commenting on his skillful driving in some pretty rough terrain. Noel was amazing at spotting wildlife before other guides, meaning in a couple of cases we were the first or only ones on the scene to see some pretty cool things like a family of lions lounging in the tall grass, and he even somehow spotted a serval in the grass just off the road, which are apparently really rare to see.
Noel was not only good at finding the sights we wanted to see, but also good at positioning the jeep for the best views and photos once we were there. For example, one thing we really wanted to see was the wildebeest herds crossing the Mara river, which is something that just happens on the animals’ timetable and really can’t be planned. Noel understood the animals’ behavior and terrain well enough and had the patience to wait in the correct location long enough to give us the best shot at seeing it - and we did!
Overall, wonderful experience. We highly recommend Tanzania Choice Safaris, especially if you want to work with a smaller tour operator that will give you customized service.
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Email Tina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience!
Tanzania Choice Safaris came highly recommended by a good friend who lived in Tanzania for over 10 years. From the planning stages of our trip, Brenda gave us good insights and options into activities well suited to our multigenerational group. Our guides were fun and incredibly knowledgeable about the flora and fauna, and the history of this amazing place. We are so grateful for Tanzania Choice Safaris for help in organizing our trip, choosing very comfortable and beautiful accommodations with delicious meals, and making this trip go smoothly. It was unlike any other vacation we have ever taken. Tanzania Choice Safaris was topnotch, thank you Brenda, Kakasii, Leslie, Noel and Oscar!
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Email Kate and Cody | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An absolutely incredible adventure!
My husband and I spent 8 days climbing Mt Kilimanjaro and 9 days on safari. We heard of Tanzania Choice Safaris through family and learned that Brenda grew up in the same hometown! The whole process was seamless. Brenda is very organized, and we appreciated the detail she put into planning our itinerary. When we arrived, we were thankful for the welcome gift and smooth process to get to our hotel. Throughout our trip, everything was well planned, our lodging was beautiful, the food was delicious, and we were happy with the amount of wildlife we saw!
We also wanted to highlight the wonderful people we met on this trip. Our Kilimanjaro climb crew and our safari guide were knowledgeable, kind, supportive, and professional. We absolutely loved learning about the culture and animals. These are relationships we'll remember for a long time!
The value of this trip was excellent. We were so happy that our itinerary was planned for us, and we could trust that the guides would take care of us and get us to where we needed to be. This was truly an adventure of a lifetime, and we hope to come back one day.
We highly recommend Tanzania Choice Safaris if you're looking to visit Tanzania!
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Email Stephanie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
10/10 recommend Tanzania Choice Safaris
We had an amazing trip. This is our second safari and first time with Tanzania Choice Safaris. 100% would return to do a safari with them again.
Victor, our driver, was the best. He is super friendly and most importantly, friends with what seemed like every other driver. This is important because drivers share tips with each other, enabling us to have amazing once in a lifetime views. In one day we saw 31 lions (of which 17 were cubs!!) a leopard and cheetahs (also with two cubs).
We went in September for a 7 day safari: 2 days Tarangire, 1 day Ngorongoro, 1 day Ndutu (offseason by our request) and 2 days Seronera which is part of Serengeti. Victor picked us up from the Arusha airport and cheerfully crammed all of our luggage into the car and we set off. In every step he checked in, to ask what we liked, what we wanted to see and did his best to accommodate. On example is the first day we received the typical box lunch (sandwhich, cookie, fruit, etc) which was quite good, but the second day we had "hot lunch" - where the kitchen made up fragrant rice, curried meats and veggies, a pasta and fresh fruit. We raved so much that from then on, Victor ensured we had hot lunch versus the boxed lunch.
September was an amazing time to go. Previously we had gone in February, and while in September we didn't see the Great Migration, we were able to see so many cats! Also my personal favorite was the elephants in Tarangire. We were traveling with children and so we played counting games every day, and in one day in Tarangire we counted over 350 elephants, including babies! Other highlights were seeing a leopard eating a giraffe, a leopard waiting to pounce on a zebra herd (we didn't stick around for the actual hunt), 11 lion cubs nursing with their 5 mother lions, 6 lion cubs eating an elephant while the two large males sat in a post food coma nearby, a cheetah and two cheetah pups eating a gazelle and so many more, to the point where a "cat sleeping on the ground" which in past safaris was the highlight, was the norm. Admittedly Victor shared we had an exceptional trip and were very lucky. We also saw a Black Mamba snake on our last day!
From a value for money - the price was very reasonable and we very much enjoyed our accommodations. We chose to stay within the parks, which meant we were in mostly tent-style beds, and meant that we saw and heard animals all night! I would recommend that when possible, you stay within the park!
Lastly, communication with Brenda was top notch. She was very accommodating to our many requests - in fact we first requested 3 different types of safaris to get pricing and style, and she heard our desires, and made recommendations. We even had to press pause on our booking for a bit due to a personal circumstance, and when we reached back out, she immediately booked us.
Travel was seamless - TCS took care of all accommodations, were in high communication and I loved the little safari journal and water bottles we received. I wrote down every animal as Victor called them out, which will make a great record for future recollection.
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Email Haley | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Mother Daughter Safari
Tanzania Choice Safaris is a wonderful, family-owned company that created a mother-daughter trip of a lifetime. Guided by the expertise and warmth of Leslie and Oscar, the experience felt personal, authentic, and exceeded all expectations.
The perfect itinerary designed with care:
From the moment we began planning, the family-owned nature of Tanzania Choice Safaris shone through. Brenda clearly takes great pride in her work. Communication was prompt, detailed, and we felt that our specific wishes for a mother-daughter journey were truly heard. The care put into crafting our custom itinerary—with a focus on wildlife viewing, beautiful lodges, and cultural experiences—was outstanding.
Leslie and Oscar: Incredible guides
The true magic of the trip came from our exceptional guides, Leslie and Oscar. Their passion for Tanzania and its wildlife was infectious, and their local knowledge was impressive.
* Leslie's expertise: Leslie possesses an incredible gift for spotting wildlife and a deep understanding of animal behavior. Oscar's personal touch: His warm demeanor and humor made every long game drive a joy and helped us feel completely immersed in the advent.ure! Both guides were patient, kind, and made sure our mother-daughter duo was comfortable and having fun every step of the way.
Unforgettable moments and impeccable service
Throughout our journey, the attention to detail from the entire team was exceptional.
* Expert animal sightings: Thanks to Leslie and Oscar's sharp eyes and experience, we had phenomenal animal sightings, including the Big Five and even witnessing the Great Migration.
* A seamless experience: Every aspect of the trip, from accommodations to meals and logistics, was handled flawlessly. We never had to worry about a thing, allowing us to simply relax and enjoy each other's company in the beautiful Tanzanian wilderness.
* Going above and beyond: It's the small, thoughtful gestures that set Tanzania Choice Safaris apart. The guides always made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed.
For a mother-daughter trip that prioritizes connection, authenticity, and impeccable service, we can't recommend Tanzania Choice Safaris highly enough. Leslie and Oscar didn't just give us a tour—they gave us a collection of unforgettable memories that we will cherish forever
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Email Ellie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most kind, knowledgeable, funny, and strategic tour guide ever!
I was fortunate enough to have been included on a Safari with TCS. Our guides were top notch. They have endless knowledge on every animal (and bird and lizard). They were incredibly outgoing and kind. They truly catered the best trip experience I have ever been on. Their sense of humor, care for guests, and professionalism were apparent in every interaction. They truly delivered in every possible aspect (especially with animal spottings). We were fortunate enough (due to Oscar and Leslie's good eyes) to spot a momma cheetah and cub that ended up jumping on our vehicles! Noelle was the best guide and was able to get us 5ft away from a pride of momma lions and cubs IN ADDITION to a napping leopard with a fresh wildebeest kill up in a tree! Kakasii, Brenda, and their team truly exceeded expectations in every way imaginable in terms of coordinating travel, troubleshooting visas, and giving a true national geographic-type experience.
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Email Cassie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing, Unforgettable Experience!
I traveled to Tanzania with a group of students from a university for two weeks. Tanzania Choice Safaris made our trip an unforgettable experience. Brenda is an amazing organizer - we did a day trip to hike a portion of Kilimanjaro, visited several schools, a hospital, and so much more before we set off on a safari. Everything from our meals, food accommodations, transportation, and lodging was wonderful. Our safari experience was also incredible! I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Brenda and Kakasii. I would recommend them for any travel experience in Tanzania (and hope to have the opportunity to use their services again in the future)!
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Email John and Lori | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime!
Wow! We had a fantastic time in Africa thanks to Brenda and Noel. TCS came recommended to us by a friend who had gone with them himself and had recommended them many times to others who had wonderful experiences also. We strongly agree! Everything from the planning and booking to the in-country logistics was very well-organized. We felt very well cared for and safe. They clearly have a lot of experience and local knowledge and contacts that make for a very nice trip for their guests. We would definitely go with them again and highly recommend them!
Brenda did a fantastic job transforming our "wish list" into a real life adventure. We wanted to do both a classic animal safari and some cultural tourism experiences. She worked with us over several months to fine tune our itinerary. She provided invaluable help when we failed to get our Tanzania visas in time. She responded promptly to emails and was always pleasant to deal with. She ultimately crafted an itinerary that really fit what we were hoping for quite well.
We especially enjoyed our day in Mto wa Mbu where we went with a local guide who shared a variety of local cultural experiences with us (banana plantation, rice plantation, primary school, art/painting studio, traditional wood carving, mbege (local banana beer), and local cuisine for lunch). We also really liked our 2 day stay at Africa Amini Maasai Lodge where we stayed in a modernized Maasai hut and learned about Maasai culture through hands-on experiences, such as spear-throwing and enjoying barbequed meat around the campfire. We even got to take a mountain bike ride with a Maasai warrior!
Noel was our primary guide throughout our stay and we can't say enough good things about him! Not only was he a top-notch professional safari guide, but he was also incredibly warm, friendly, caring and funny. When it comes to a trip like this the safari guide makes all the difference and Noel made this really special for us. He found so many animals and birds and was so knowledgeable about animal behavior, mating, gestation, etc. And he got us incredibly close to so many animals! We saw much more than we ever imagined. We watched a baby zebra being born and taking its first steps, a mother cheetah and her 2 juveniles stalking gazelles, a lioness hunting zebra, and countless mothers and babies! He planned every day's game drive to maximize our animal sightings. He clearly enjoys his job and it was so enjoyable to see him get excited along with us. His experience and judgement seemed to be highly respected by the other guides. Additionally, we saw a huge variety of birds and somehow Noel knew every species!
Overall Tanzania Choice Safaris gave us the trip of a lifetime that we were hoping for and that exceeded even our greatest expectations!