Caracal Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $120 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Kristen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Considering Caracal Tours? Stop considering and start booking!
If you are reading this, it's because you are thinking of booking a safari with Caracal Tours & Safaris. You should stop reading and start booking - you will not regret it!
To start, the great thing about Caracal is that it is operated by a husband and wife team, so there is great communication and collaboration to build your dream safari. We really wanted to go to the Northern Serengeti to try and see the wildebeest migration in August and Marion helped us build a customized itinerary that allowed us to do so. She was incredibly honest and easy to consult with during the booking process and answered all sorts of questions. Marion is Dutch and has her PhD as a medical researcher in Tanzania- this means she understands the questions and concerns that westerners have coming to Tanzania and can answer them all.
Ben, her husband, primarily runs the safaris. Ben grew up in the Arusha area, so you are taking a safari in his back yard. He's a very professional driver and incredibly friendly and nice. Once you get to know him, he's also very funny and constantly making jokes. For instance, we always joked with Ben that we wanted to see animals (specifically cats) in trees, but the joke became a bit absurd when we started telling Ben to find us elephants climbing trees. Ben played along and was quick to respond to these jokes, which really helps when you remember you are spending a long time together! It wasn't always about joking around; we often wanted to get Ben's honest opinion on Tanzanian life, politics, tribes, etc and he was always willing to answer the questions honestly.
The small size of the company meant that Ben and Marion were always willing to accommodate special requests for the agenda and I suggest chatting extensively with them to book the safari of your dreams. For instance, I would strongly suggest making space in your budget to travel to the northern Serengeti as it was spectacular and very different from the central Serengeti that most people visit.
Finally, when you book with Caracal, you are getting far more than just a safari and animal experience. I did not expect to get such an amazing cultural immersion and experience and it was life changing to spend time with the local Tanzanians. Caracal Tours did a fantastic job balancing the animal viewing with the cultural experience!
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Email A. L. Hedrick | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Observed More Wildlife Behavior with Caracal Tours and Safaris.
I have been on 5 wildlife safaris in East Africa. Bernard Sumari of Caracal Tours was the best wildlife guide of all. We observed mating, birth, hunting, sparing, joy, family, and death in many animal species. It was because Bernard placed us in the midst of animals, turned off the engine, and let nature unfold. While other vehicles came and went in a hurry, we watched a pack of lions go after wildebeests and zebras across the river causing a wave of movement in hundreds of animals at once. We sat and watched every African cat. We watched families of elephants play together at mud holes or rip down large trees with their trunks. We watched baby gazelles being born and the flamboyant dance of ostriches as they courted and mated. Males giraffes circled around each other for hours slapping their long necks against each other as they sparred. It is wondeful to see these magnificent animals but it is a gift to spend unhurried hours watching them interact with each other. Bernard's knowledge of wildlife behavior gave us this opportunity. No other safari compared well to Caracal for us.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
we hoped for a journey of a lifetime and Caracal Tours made it even better!
My husband and I had an idea about our journey through Tanzania. We already made a trip of our dreams. We emailed a couple of touroperators (around 20 different operators) and at the end was Caracal Tours the only operator who could make our wishes come true for a good price. We had a lot of personal emailcontact and nothing was too much. After a couple of emails we had our trip of our dreams.
We climbed the Mount Meru, we went to Manyara NP, visited the Masaai, the Hadzabe and the Datoga Tribe, we saw lake Eyasi, the Olmoti and the Embakaai Crater. We also went to the Ngorongoro crater and to the Serengeti NP. After this we climbed the Oldoinyo Lengai, where my husband asked me to marry me. Then we went to Moshi for a coffeefarmtrip. After all of this, we had to relax on Zanzibar for a couple of days.
Bernard was a very good guide. He was friendly and we laughed a lot. He's born and raised in Tanzania and because of this he can let you experience Tanzania as it is. With every adventure we had different guides and every guide was amazing. They were very good and that made it even more special. Bernard knows which guide is good. We met a lot of people and everyone is special to us.
Not only my husband asked me to marry me in Tanzania, also our daughters 2nd name is Maisha, which means "life" in Kiswahilli. She is born in october 2014.
Thanks Caracal Tours for the amazing time we had in Tanzania!