Galloping Safaris Staff with Director
Galloping Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, TATO, TTB & EAWLS
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range & luxury)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $225 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Genese and Joseph | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extraordinary 13 Day Luxury Safari
We have just returned home from our 13-day luxury Safari adventure that included Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, and Selous. We are both having a little trouble adjusting to all the loud noises, crowds of people, and that lost connection to the presence of wildlife about us. In short, we had a life changing experience that neither photos nor mere words can convey. However, we can tell you what made the experience and adventure possible was all the careful planning and attention to detail that Galloping Safaris provided. We cannot praise Walter Tenga enough for all that he did for us. As promised, Walter was waiting to personally pick us up when our 5am flight arrived and took us to enjoy a wonderful breakfast. Afterwards he reviewed our itinerary with us making sure that all our needs were met.
We booked this trip eight months in advance for my 50th birthday and our anniversary. As I was somewhat nervous, I sent many emails to Walter, with questions, to which he always promptly and patiently replied with explanations and assurances. Four weeks after booking our air travel with Turkish Air and placing a down payment with Galloping Safaris, we were notified that our outbound flight had been cancelled and that we would have to book a different flight. Through emails exchanged with Walter he offered us alternate solutions so that the rebooking could still be managed within the budget of our Safari. Then in March, after paying for the balance of our trip, we read that Azure Selous, one of the camps on our itinerary had closed because of forest clearing in preparation of construction of a dam. After I frantically sent off an email to Walter, we learned that he had already been finalizing a rebooking at another equally amazing camp. I think in the process of trading emails, Walter came to understand my preferences, and made one last upgrade substituting the &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater lodge for the previous Highlands Camp. That change thrilled me beyond words and our stay there was amazing but more so, Walter had apparently arranged a surprise celebration for our anniversary and my birthday as the staff from &Beyond not only set us a special dinner table but also performed a traditional dance and song for us complete with rose petals thrown over us.
And then, there was our amazing guide - Lawrence. We liked him from the moment we met him. His laugh is infectious, his knowledge of the flora and fauna in-depth, and only surpassed by his keen eyesight at spotting animals. We spent many a happy day on game drives with Lawrence and he somehow always managed to locate various animals and position us for not only wonderful photo shoots but also to enjoy intimate moments with the animals where we could observe their special behavior. Like Walter, we cannot praise Lawrence enough. He was the most gracious guide, and wonderful person, always making us feel very special, and sharing insights into the Tanzanian people. It was tough saying goodbye to him when we flew off to Selous.
We had told Walter that we were looking for memorable experience. With Walter’s planning, Lawrence as a guide, and all the wonderful, friendly, and accommodating staff at all the camps and lodges we stayed, we felt very special and genuinely welcome, and had a trip that was every bit as we had hoped for and even beyond.
There are literally hundreds of tour operators offering all types of packages, consider yourself fortunate if you have discovered Galloping Safaris; book with them if you are looking for your trip of a lifetime.
Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions.
Email LRTravels | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The VIP safari experience
We have just finished a week safari organized with Galloping and it was the best holiday ever.
I decided to book through this company based on the great reviews they have on trip advisor and I must say that the service we got was even above what you can expect reading the reviews.
Both the efficiency of Walter organizing the safari and the competence of our guide Ayubu were second to none.
The organization was very smooth, I started organizing the trip less than one month in advance, but this was absolutely no problem for Walter. We had many email exchanges and he came up with a tailor made safari perfect for us. We stayed in top end lodges and we were very satisfied with his choice.
Walter will answer your emails within a couple of hours and always very precisely.
Payment of the deposit was also no issue at all. As soon as they get the money they will issue a payment receipt for you. I must say everything was handled extremely professionally.
When we arrived there was Ayubu our guide waiting for us at the airport.
We spent one week on the safari with him and he is an amazing guide, he spotted plenty of animals we would never have seen ourselves and he always knew the answer to all our questions! GPS is his fingerprint and animals must be on the map as we'll ;)
We had constantly the impression of having a VIP safari and be much better served than others, many times we were the first ones to see animals and later there would be other vehicles joining.
And last but not least we truly enjoyed his company during the week.
Ayubu is a very good driver and the vehicle used is very comfortable for the safari. I have some back problem but didn't have any issues on the bumpy roads!
There is even a fridge in the vehicle to keep your drinks cold and if you run out of battery you can charge your device while on the road.
If one day I would be back for a safari I'll definitely organize it with Galloping again.
DK
Email Christina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Two great days with Galloping Safaris
We had a great time with Galloping Safaris in Tarangire and Ngorogoro national parks. Walter was very easy to communicate with and quick to reply. Ayubu was a great driver guide, very knowledgeable about the animals, landscapes and with a great sense of humor. We saw so much in two days! Especially enjoyed seeing lions hunt in Ngorogoro. Very nice stay at Simba Lodge with great food.
GR
Email Maria Apostolos | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A truly Honest Review about Galloping Safaris
Well, overall we had a very nice and memorable experience with Galloping Safaris.
We highly recommend this tour operator for any safari trip in Tanzania, especially to couples who are looking for a private luxury trip.
If you are seriously thinking of booking your trip with Galloping Safaris, we suggest you to read this long but very honest and detailed review.
It was our first time in Tanzania and our first safari trip.
Doing it as part of our Honeymoon trip, we wanted a private safari for the two of us with a private guide/driver and we wanted to stay at the most luxurious lodges of Ngorongoro Conservation area, Serengeti, Lake Ndutu, Lake Manyara, Arusha and Kilimanjaro.
We started doing some research on the available Tanzanian Safari tour operators back in October 2018. We discussed over whatsapp chatting and video calls and dozens of emails with at least 6 operators. We needed to be sure as it is a common secret that there are many unprofessional companies that would cheat you in every possible way.
We ended up to Galloping Safaris and to Walter personally as he sounded very certain about what he was promising us. He was very responsive and he did his best to secure for us everything we asked for within the budget we had available.
There are also other operators appearing as experts in luxury private safari tours. But guess what...They are far (even 3 times) more expensive that Galloping Safaris without any extra service of what you will get from Galloping Safaris.
With Galloping Safaris we secured the best deal we could as we manage to spend the amount we had initially in mind while we stayed at the most high-end lodges of the area like. To mention some of them:
&Beyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
The Highlands Asilia Ngorongoro
Lake Ndutu Luxury Lodge
Kubu Kubu Luxury Lodge
Walter is a very promising professional, he is a hard-selling guy that will earn your trust. He is very well connected to all the Hotels and Lodges Managers. He will try to satisfy all your requests and needs.
Most of the times, he will succeed to do so.
Walter kept for us the best Safari driver, Joshua, a 37-year old guy with a 17 year experience on game-drive in Tanzania. Very adventurous, excellent english speaker, very knowledgeable about everything regarding the area, seasonal trends, animals, plantation, people and tribes, safari secrets. We visited the Maasai village where we had an amazing experience there. We had a very good time with Joshua as we were discussing with him throughout our trip spending with him at least 6 hours per day. He was very fun but also very careful and cautious at the same time. He was an amazing driver with an outstanding instinct about where we should be driven in order to see lions, cheetahs, hippos, wildebeest, elephants, zebras, giraffes etc.
We spent with Joshua the first 4 days of our main safari trip in Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Lake Ndutu.
Over the last 2 days, visiting Lake Manyara, Arusha and Kilimanjaro for hiking, we had another guide/driver named Kennedy. He was very kind and helpful and fun but he didn't have the excitement and the instinct of Joshua nor he was such a good driver.
One negative comment is that although we have asked for 2 pairs of binoculars to find inside the Safari 4x4 truck and we received a written confirmation about it, there was only one pair and in a very bad condition. So, when we came across to animals that were far away we could not enjoy them not even with binoculars.
Apart from the Safari trip, we planned to spend 5 days to Zanzibar prior to safari. We asked Walter from Galloping safaris to make a research on 5-star beachfront resorts. The truth is that by the time (beginning of November 2018) we started looking for hotel in Zanzibar, the best resorts seemed to be already fully booked for the period of New Year's eve.
Our options were extremely limited. Walter managed to reserve a room at Neptune Pwani Beach Resort and spa which was a 5-star resort. We asked for a Sea front Ocean View Room and we received a written confirmation from Galloping Safaris about it.
However, when we arrived at the hotel, the front desk personnel had no idea about the room we had booked and pre-paid the 35% amount of it via deposit.
Unfortunately, the room was terrible and it did not correspond to a 5-star accommodation. We wouldn't rate it not even as a 3-star.
No adequate light blocking when the curtains were closed as the fabric was not blackout. We could not stay in bed and sleep after 7 am. We managed to stick some black plastic bags on the windows but again the problem was still there as there were other windows high enough that we could not close.
Another aspect of the poor accommodation and room amenities was the bathroom and toilet. In fact it was open space with the remaining room and the bedroom as there wasn't any wall or door to close only some wooden grilles with open gaps in between the wooden components. As a result, it was impossible to have any privacy inside the bathroom or the toilet. Not convenient at all for newly married couples...
The breakfast and the food in general in every single restaurant of the hotel was simply terrible, extremely salty and not what you would expect from a 5-star resort. We had paid for an all-inclusive package for alcoholic. However, they charged us for the wine we had over dinner.
The personnel was over all uneducated, not speaking english. Some of them were rude but there were also a couple of exceptions.
In general, our accommodation experience in Zanzibar was terrible and although this was not a Galloping Safaris' fault, we would expect that they would have protected us from experiencing such a terrible stay especially during our honeymoon and new year's eve period.
The positive aspect of Zanzibar was our butler/private guide there named Mussa Hassan from "Zanziplanet Tours & Travel". Mussa is a Galloping Safaris' external colleague who is taking care of the customers visiting Zanzibar. He is an amazing guy in every single aspect. He is very well respected in Zanzibar, very well connected to Hotel and high-end restaurant managers, very adaptable to customer's needs and last minute changes.
We believe that if Galloping Safaris had introduced us to Mussa Hassan and Zanziplanet Tours and Travel early enough, at the time we were searching for our accommodation in Zanzibar, we wouldn't have ended up to Neptune Pwani Resort and Spa as we are sure that Mussa, who lives and operates to Zanzibar, would have found a better solution for us.
KR
Email Eunjung | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
unforgettable experience!
I have done the game safari in Serengeti couple years ago with my friends. But this time I went with my mom and it was her first time. Our game drive was for 3 nights and was with a private guide Laurence, and the experience was completely different than the last time not only because of the luxurious hotels we stayed in (like four seasons) but also because of the amount of various animals I was able to spot. Laurence was extremely knowledgeable, very nice, and made sure we experienced the best of the best for those days. I saw more animals in one day than altogether last time, including cheetah and leopards. One time we saw more than 10 lions together in a group, once mating, once with their cubs, and altogether I think we saw lions almost 20 times during the trip. I took some videos almost like national geographic films too! We were also fortunate to do balloon safaris and catch the migration of wildebeests and zebras. It was endless scenery of them from the balloon, was able to see all their trails, also spotted a lion from the top. I think we had the best weather and timing to do the balloon safaris, it was certainly worth it.
Upon returning, my mom is already wanting to go back second time and recommending her experience to all of her other friends. Thank you all!
SE
Email Sara | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful family safari
Galloping Safaris and Walter helped me organize a fantastic 5-day safari for my family with four teenagers this Christmas. From the start Walter was very easy to work with, and helped me create an itinerary exactly how I wanted it. I very much appreciated how he helped me book just the lodges I had selected from my own research online.
Upon arrival to Kilimanjaro Airport we were met by our guide Maningo and driven to Four Point by Sheraton in Arusha. This hotel was perfect for the first night before starting the safari. Food was excellent and the rooms were very modern and clean.
The next day we did an all day game drive in Lake Manyara and drove to Ngorogoro Sopa Lodge for a two night stay. The hotel is conveniently located on the rim of the crater with easy access for the safari. The full day game drive the next day was a safari-on-steroids experience, and we saw a great number of animals.
On the third day we drove to Serengeti and the wonderful Dunia Camp. The fourth day was a full day game drive in Serengeti, which let us complete the Big Five, and experience the Great Migration.
On the fifth day we had a final morning game drive on the way to Serengeti Airstrip for our flight back to Arusha and on to Zanzibar.
A very warm and special thanks to our guide Maningo. He was truly knowledgable about the animals, and spotted animals that we could never have seen ourselves. His driving was very safe and comfortable. On top of that he was a great and fun guy to spend time with. I would recommend him to anyone going on safari in Ngorogoro/ Serengeti.
IT
Email Neil/Patrizia | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Communicating with Galloping safaris was easy and the holiday was customized to our needs.
The safari was well planned using the Lemala tented camps which i would strongly recommend to those that want a truely memorable experience. The service at all the camps that we visited was excellent and the staff were very friendly and jovial, the "bush TV" in the evenings is a wonderful part of the day, relaxing around a warm fire with cold beers. In the southern serengeti we were visited in the camp by a pride of lions which was an experience that we will never forget. For those that really want to be in close contact with the animals and to be able to see them without worrying about the roads, then a rented vehicle with a professional guide is the best way to visit the game parks. Our guide for the trip was Maxi and through him we were able to see all of the big 5, even the tree lions in Manyara and the Serengeti. Galloping Safaris is not a large outfit but they are locally run and managed and becuase of this i believe that they can provide a more personalised service, even going so far to provide me with a bottle of champagne on my birthday !! If i return for a Safari to Tanzania i would certainly use Galloping Safaris with Maxi as our guide.
CA
Email Priya | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our Trip was simply Amazing!!!
My husband and I went on a 10 day Safari with Galloping Safari in January 2016.
When we arrived at Kilimanjaro International Airport we were welcomed by Walter and our Guide James.
Where can you expect the head of the Safari company(Walter) personally coming to welcome you.
This company's motto is "we are here to serve you". They stood by this motto, right from day 1.
Our accommodation was excellent and the food amazing and I haven't even started talking about the Safari experience.
Accommodation: we experienced a bit of everything- tents, lodges and hotel. I can assure you that they really pay a lot of attention to details. Right from where we stay to how we are taken care of. There are no surprise additional costs in these accommodation other than tips, which we are already aware. Food was excellent and prepared according to our dietary needs. Don't forget you are in the middle of the forest and yet you are taken care very well by these friendly people. Always with a smile and the expression "Akuna mattata"
Our experience with the Safari: Our guide James was simply amazing and acted proactively, and carefully paying attention to our needs. We saw the Big Five within a few days of our Safari. Although the roads are unpaved and bumpy we didn't feel it much-thanks to our very skillful driver.
This is a company you can trust. They don't make any false promises and they mean what they say. There are no additional or extra costs and everything is dealt with upfront. They send you a program well in advance and you can work with them to meet your interests. There is not one negative comment I can share on this Company.
Their smiling faces and eagerness to make your trip as pleasant, enjoyable and adventurous as possible will be greatly appreciated by you. Guaranteed.
We have already started referring this company to our friends and family.
I wish this company a grand future.
FR
Email GHARIANI | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
it was wonderful!!! with an excellent guide
We did 2 days of Safari in Ngorongoro and Tarangiri Park with Galopping Safari.
Mr DISMASS is an excellent guide, very smiling, respectful, and he tries to answer all our questions.
It far exceeded our expectations.
After the end of our Safari, Mr WALTER booked us a taxi (included in the price) which took us to Kilimanjaro airport.
I highly recommend Galopping Safari because the schedule was consistent with the description with very good organization.
Thank you so much
(automatic translation from French)
CN
Email Mia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 8 Days Safari Trip
Walter has been a quick responder since day 1 not only through email but also iMessage helping editing the trip and answering questions. It was our first time visiting Tanzania and we went toTarangire, Ngorogoro and Serengeti. We loved the accommodations Galloping picked for us-especially Sanctuary Swala and &Beyond north Serengeti. Not many safari companies I checked offer stays at the Sanctuary but it was amazing.
We read some negative reviews on Galloping Safari and had some incidents during the trip. That being said we managed to work things out with Walter while still enjoyed trip. In addition we run into problems with the local banking system ourselves at Arusha last day, which made us realize that dealing with banks and doing business in Tanzania are not as easy as we thought. We appreciate Walter's efforts to ensure a wonderful trip for us as planned. Walter also came to show us an amazing souvenir shop and explained the cause of incidents to us before our flight when he didn't have to so we did feel the mutual trust, which was really important in picking a travel agency in a country we were visiting for the first time.
We appreciate everything Galloping Safaris did so we could really enjoy our first visit to Tanzania. Hope we can come back soon!