We bring you the real authentic safari action!
Tanzania Explorer
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- ATTA & TATO
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Tor Arne Jensen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tanzania Explorer is an operator who listen to customer wishes.
Our wish: A tailor-made safari in Tanzania and a few days relaxing at Zanzibar for three generations.
In January last year, we went to a tourism fair in Oslo. We met Sondre (Founder of Tanzania Explorer (TE)) and Stian (Safari Planner at TE) at their booth at the fair. We had a good chat and they convinced us that Tanzania Explorer was the company we were looking for, taking us to safari at the mainland Tanzania and the relaxing at Zanzibar. We would be three generations spanning from 73 years down to 10 years. For us, the most important was a safe experience and, at the same time, compressed into only 8 days at Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.
Stian came up with a proposal and together we made some adjustments until we had the final plan. Stian and Sondre also visited us a couple of moths before departure. We all had a couple of hours with discussions, sharing more information and clear ambiguities out of the way. TE took us seriously.
On Friday the 16th 2024 we arrived at Kilimanjaro Airport where we were met by our Safari Guide Joshua. We got along with Joshua and were impressed by his knowledge about Tanzania, the area and animals, his kindness and his caring for us. After a night at Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge, our first safari was in the Lake Manyara National Park, then Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti followed and gave us a lot of fascinating impressions. “Staying in a tent” gave us a new meaning. High quality “tents” with very good beds and plenty of space, with bathrooms just like home, fantastic nice staff and high quality meals.
Did we see any animals? YES, we did!!!
We did morning and afternoon safaris and also safaris moving from Lake Manyare National Park to Ngorongoro Crater and, the next day, to Serengeti. Lots of different animals next to the car and a bit away and also a lot of different birds. To see all these animals in their proper element, was an experience we will never forget.
What about the safety? Taken care of!!! We were not allowed to go outside when it started to get darker, but “Security”, that is Masai-people, took care of that. And they were outside the entire night, just for safety.
After the safari at Tanzania mainland we went by plane from Serengeti airstrip to Zanzibar and stayed at Uzuri Villa for the nest three days. Perfect. Banja, from TE, met us at the airport in Zanzibar and took us to Uzuri Villa. On the way he explained the story of Zanzibar and the role Zanzibar has in Tanzania and also how life at Zanzibar is. At Uzuri Villa we were met by Sondre and Elna, the owner of Uzuri Villa.
And Sondre, Stian and others from TE had contact with us all the time. They really took good care of us.
You all made this trip a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. This is a journey we will never forget.
Best regards from Jorunn and Tor Arne from Norway.
Remember: Do not expect to carry your own baggage. It is taken care of by others.
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Email Sanjeev Chawla | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professsionalism mixed with personal engagement all the way
The first trip with Tanzania Explorer was to the Comoros. The lodge was simple but clean and tidy, but it felt like we had arrived at the end of the world. Recommended if you are looking to experience something unique and untouched.
We arrived in Dar, were picked up at the airport and driven to the villa. They knew who we were and the reception was warm and touching. Then the trip went to Ruaha for safari at Asanja Lodge. The lodge is located by the Ruaha river, some of our favorite wildlife encounters and sightings were right at the camp thanks to its location on the river.
The rooms are big and comfortable, sleeping with all the fresh air felt so good, with all the different animal sounds, the food was delicious and plentiful.
We were so happy we came to Ruaha instead of the Serengeti. We saw only a handful of other cars each day and most animal encounters were all to ourselves. Sam, our guide, is an encyclopedia. He knew everything about the animals from social and eating habits, gestation periods and lifespans. We went on a walking safari and that was amazing, wish we had more of this.
We loved getting to know everyone on the staff--they are all incredibly kind, dedicated and thoughtful people. It's not an easy job living in the bush, being away from families for weeks at a time, but it really felt like they've created their own family at Asanja, and we were so happy to be part of it for a short while.
It is not often that Linda cries on holiday, but meeting the staff at the villa and the lodge was touching and real.
After the safari we spent 10 days at Mafia Islands.
We highly recommend Tanzania Explorer. They made our vacation a trip to remember forever. Thank you.
Linda and Sanjeev:)
The best customized experience you can get
We have been around Africa quite a few times and this was by far the best customized and breathtaking experience we had.
After a night in the comfortable Explorer Villa in Arusha, we moved to Harare where we experienced the amazing Conservation Center visit to then relax at the Amanzi lodge, a charming hotel that would deserve a much longer stay. New flight to Victoria Falls, where Garth from The Victorian Safari Company organised a superbe colonial style lunch by the Zambezi, just before driving us to the boat for our sunset dinner over the river. Early wake up call to walk through the forest and admire the breathtaking dawn overlooking the falls: not surprisingly this is one of the 8 wonders! Again this would deserve more days but we were able to go for the zip-line and some of us even jumped...
The following day we moved to the Hwange national park and the Hide lodge: they reserved for our extended family the Tom's hide, an amazing separated villa just in front of the animals' pool where we could experience a level of service I have rarely enjoyed before.
The gaming experience is unique: one drive early in the morning, then relax in our super-tent watching a Giraffe drinking while you have your amarula, then out for a sunset drive. And then again after the fantastic food served by our own cook and waitress, one more drive in the darkness, perfectly hosted by our guide Theo.
Last but not least, we enjoyed a REAL walking safari: two hours walking in the bush, looking for an elephant and then hiding and approaching it is an experience worth the trip.
After 3 nights there, we had a chance to drive through the country and enjoy another night at the Amanzi lodge.
Simply perfect, thanks to Tim and Tanzania Explorer: be ready for our next tour!
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Email Kjetil, Solène, Félix og Iris | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We will come back.
We wanted a holiday a little out of the ordinary, we wanted to experience the nature and wildlife. We had a dream to see Africa. Little did we know that the expertise and help to make this happen was right next to us. Aleksander made a great package for our family.
Tanzania Explorer gave us memories to last a lifetime. On bumpy roads through Tanzania's wilderness, they showed us all the animals and the beautiful nature. Thank you very much. We will come back.
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Email Jørgen Aarøe | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tailor-made dream vacation to Tanzania
We finally got to travel to Tanzania after COVID stopped our first attempts in 2020 and 2021. Amidst the pandemic's challenges, Tanzania Explorer (TE) demonstrated remarkable commitment to safeguarding our investment in the initial trip. The operator tailored a perfect trip to our wishes and budget, and made adjustments along the way.
In the weeks leading up to our departure, a representative from the company paid a visit to our home. This personalized touch allowed us to thoroughly understand the trip's intricacies and address any inquiries, leaving us feeling assured and well-prepared for the exciting adventure ahead. Establishing a WhatsApp group connecting us with TE staff further underscored their exceptional customer support, enabling us to seek assistance whenever required from the moment we set out until our return from Dar Es Salaam. Navigating through unfamiliar terrains became a breeze as the TE staff offered constant assistance, facilitating our travel between destinations. This was particularly comforting in the midst of bustling environments that could otherwise be overwhelming.
The operator has a wonderful house in the outskirts of Dar where customers can stay free of charge and acclimatize when arriving and repack and to get some rest before departing back home. This is very welcome in conjunction with exhausting long haul flights. The villa had a friendly and helpful staff that did everything to accommodate our needs, from serving delicious breakfast on the terrace, to recommending places to eat, ordering pizza and tuktuk’s and doing laundry.
Our safari experience unfolded flawlessly under the guidance of a knowledgeable and friendly safari guide. Nestled by the Rufiji river on the outskirts of Selous National Park, our stay at the Mpingo lodge provided the perfect base for exploring local village life, embarking on river safaris, and venturing out for thrilling game drives. The staff at Mpingo orchestrated an unforgettable dinner on a sandbank in the Rufiji river, creating an evening etched in our memory. Amidst the darkness, we were ferried to a bonfire-adorned table where an intimate feast awaited us. The local village community contributed to the magic of the night with lively dancing and singing, turning this into an experience of a lifetime.
Following our immersive encounter with Tanzania's untamed wilderness, a week of sheer bliss awaited us on Unguja ("Zanzibar"). TE's meticulous planning secured us an exquisite villa along the pristine southeastern coast of Unguja. Nestled within a boutique hotel, this villa afforded us direct access to the beach, a tranquil haven for relaxation and exploration of the island's treasures.
Reflecting upon our Tanzanian journey, we are grateful for the operator's exceptional efforts that elevated our experience to extraordinary heights. We have no hesitance in recommending Tanzania Explorer to anyone contemplating a tailor-made adventure to Tanzania.
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Email Hilde & Tor | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An unforgettable Tanzania exploring!
Hight expectations were met and exceeded. The trip was planned around our safari experience, which was everything we had hoped for, rich animal life, a variation of activities and scenery, beautiful lodges and accompanied of an extremely knowledgeable and friendly guide; Joshua.
We also enjoyed beach life, snorkeling, history and culture at Zanzibar.
The staff at Tanzania Explorer held a service level throughout the planning phase and during the actual trip that was excellent!
We would highly recommend booking your Safari with Tanzania Explorer, Hakuna Mattata!
Tanzania Explorer exceeded already high expectations
We recently returned from a fantastic trip to Tanzania. We loved our safari experience! Tanzania Explorer set up the perfect trip for us. Our safari planner, Sondre was extremely knowledgeable and responsive to all communication, providing a positive experience already in the planning phase. We enjoyed our brief stay at the Explorer Village and were well taken care of by the staff there. We met our safari guide at the airstrip in Ruaha and started an exciting safari immediately- seeing lions, elephants, zebras, giraffes and more with in the first hour of driving! Sam was an outstanding guide. He was great at spotting animals, full of interesting information about them and always seemed to know how long to stop for and when to get going again. While on safari we stayed at a beautiful camp called Asanja Ruaha. The rooms had amazing views, food was delicious and the staff and service provided were excellent. Really everything was perfect from start to finish of our trip. Thank you Tanzania Explorer!
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Email Ingrid & Lars | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professsionalism from the beginning trough the end of the journey mixed with personal engagement.
An unforgettable holiday to Comores and Malawi. Ingrid was inviting her family to celebrite her 60th birtday with husband and two grown up children. We got in contact with Tanzania Explorer on a tourisme fair in Oslo. We felt exited from the first meeting how they presented to visit Africa.
Keywords: engaged, knowledgeable, available, taking good care of.
Safari in Malawi was amaizing. We visited two lodges- Mwuu and in Majete. Both increadble in their own ways.
Having the operator present through the week with safari, was really exclusive. We could just relax and enjoy the week knowing everything was taking good care of.
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Email Heidi og Tåle | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing adventure with Tanzania Explorer!
We were recommended to use Tanzania Explorer for our 30 years of marriage-celebration trip. The service and professionality was excellent
in every part of the planning and during our travel.
A big thank you to Tanzania Explorer for making this safari an experience we will never forget. There are many nationalparks in Tanzania, and we hope to go back for a new safari in a few years.
Our safari guide, Joshua was the best guide we could ask for. He was professional, an excellent spotter, patient and knowledgeable.
We strongly recommend Tanzania Explorer to anyone that are choosing Tanzania as their safari destination!
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Email Silje and Rudi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional service level
We went to a Travel Fair in Oslo in 2019 looking for ideas for our honeymoon planned to be in September 2020. We didn't know exactly what we wanted, but Safari was very high on our wish list.
After speaking to so many travel agencies and Safari companies none has peaked our interest, and we were just about to give up on the idea of a Safari trip when we met Tanzania Explorer.
The idea of tailor made Safari tours without having to be put in a large group of random people really spoke to us.
From that first meeting we've received a service level from Tanzania Explorer you rarely experience.
Because of Covid both our wedding and honeymoon were postponed, so our trip was changed from September 2020 to Sept 2021, and then to Sept 2022. Tanzania Explorer were very flexible, helpful and understanding with the whole situation, and today we're so glad we postponed rather than cancelled our trip.
We got a lot of good information all the way from booking the trip, before departure, and through our whole stay in Tanzania.
We had a meeting with Sondre close to departure where we finalized much of the details, and his know-how of Tanzania and what it can offer, and also his down-to-earth approach really made us feel comfortable and excited about going.
Arriving in Tanzania we spent 2 nights at Tanzania Explorer's Villa in Dar to get acclimatised to temperature and culture. And their staff welcomed us in such a manner that we quickly felt at home.
From there we went to Mikumi National Park, and spent 2 days in the park and stayed at Vuma Hills lodge which has a great view of the park. Mikumi/Vuma Hills gave us a great introduction to Safari and we got to see so many animals in a short amount of time there.
Next stop was Udzungwa Mountains, and Hondo Hondo lodge where we got to live amongst the baboons visiting the camp site regularily. We also had a trek in the mountain witnessing and also taking a cold bath in the spectacular Sanje Falls.
Our final Safari destination was Ruaha National Park and Ruaha Hill Top lodge with one of the most amazing views of a scenery we've ever witnessed.
Our Safari guide Sam, was highly knowledgeable about animals, the parks and so much more. His great humour and calm demenour made him a great travel companion for the week we had of Safari experience.
We saw so many animals, got very close to them and spent a lot of alone time with animals. This much due to the vast experience of Sam and Tanzania Explorer which recommended where to go and to get up early to start the day before most others.
When staying at the lodges we also saw how fortunate we were to have chosen such a professional travel company and Safari guide such as Tanzania Explorer and Sam, as there were others not having the same experience we were having with less skilled guides.
After our Safari week we had 1 week at Zanzibar where we stayed 5 nights at Mwezi Resort, which is a small paradise on earth, and 2 nights at the fabulous Emerson Spice in Stone Town. Then we returned to the Explorer Villa in Dar for 2 days before going home.
Tanzania Explorer have surpassed our expectations in every area of our time with them when it comes to service level, knowledge of Tanzania and making us feel welcome and cared for.
We can highly recommend Tanzania Explorer if you're thinking about going on Safari and/or visiting Africa. You will not be disappointed!
Some recommendations to experience:
- Losing your breath over the amazing animal experiences by seeing them up close.
- Eating fresh lobster and chips on Mbudya Island.
- Having ice cold Kilimanjaro (local beer) after a long Safari day.
- Eating the best Avocado Toasts for breakfast at Mwezi Resort.
- Shopping at Neema Craft in Iringa.
- Relaxing on your patio in Hondo Hondo watching the Baboons in their natural habitat around the camp.
A big thank you to Sondre and his team for making our honeymoon even better than we had dreamed of. We hope we'll be able to return one day, and we'll definitely book our trip with Tanzania Explorer again!