Reviews

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Vicky and Gil   –  
United States US
Visited: November 2017 Reviewed: Dec 14, 2017

Email Vicky and Gil  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

They certainly live up to their name: their heart and soul is in the little details they provide.
5/5

An opportunity to do a safari arose for my husband and I when he had a business trip this October/November 2017 in Tanzania. Having explored the internet for all the possible options, and getting overwhelmed at that, finding Soul of Tanzania gave us the confidence we needed to move ahead and plan our safari adventure. As many have shared, they are very responsive, replying to emails within a day (quicker than how we can even process the information), giving us various options so we could pick and choose based on our comfort level and budget and just giving us an assurance that here was a company that understood the needs of their clients. Some of our choice lodges were not available as it turned out and SOT was quick to offer alternative lodges and negotiations were a breeze. On arrival at Arusha we were given a briefing on our itinerary and possible add-ons with time permitting. And on our return from the safari, we met for a quick chat concerning our experience and feedback about the overall service.

In a nutshell, you arrive in Arusha and meet your guide, a complete stranger with whom you spend the next 5 days of your life with, but end the safari adventure with a tinge of sadness knowing you leave behind a friend. Such was our experience in the 5 days we did Tarangire-Serenggeti- Ngorongoro circuit! Our man, Pius, was a personable, charming, knowledgeable guide who took pride in his work yet was understanding and sensitive to our needs. It was easy to warm up to him and trust his knowledge and advice. The vehicle was maintained clean each day, he set up lunch with pride as only SOT could do it – with warm food and wine and style! (Everyone had boxes and we had cloth covered picnic tables with real utensils!!) Pius was determined and patient in locating the animals and was creative in positioning our vehicle so we can take great pictures. Although it was just my husband and I, we had the big land cruiser, well equipped with a cooler, chargers , binocular and a guide book. SOT may be a young company, but they certainly live up to their name: their heart and soul is in the big things and the little details that they provide. Their passion for the wildlife and sharing this experience to their guests shines through in the interactions throughout the safari. They listen to feedback, and even anticipate the needs of their clients seeking ways to improve even more. The only regret is we didn’t have our boys with us but maybe that will be another reason to visit again. Soul of Tanzania’s got to be the only way to experience safari. Every detail was covered and you get even more!! Shout out and thanks to Miguel, Christina, Iris, Rachel, Francis, Ben and our man, Pius-y !!

Jenny   –  
Australia AU
Visited: October 2017 Reviewed: Oct 16, 2017

Email Jenny  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

We loved our safari with Soul of Tanzania - i would rate it 5 out of 5!
5/5

I traveled on a private safari with Soul of Tanzania - with my 2 daughters, aged 12 and 14. We had such a wonderful trip - the trip of a lifetime! Our guide Herman was knowledgeable and patient, and knew how to find animals, how to wait for animals and what to expect of their behavior. His command of English was fantastic, he was a great driver and he was good with the kids. The safari itself was wonderful - we saw so many animals, including lion, cheetah, leopard, black rhino, elephant, hippos and much much more - we couldn't have been happier with what we were lucky enough to see. Of the 4 parks we went to (Serengeti, Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara) the girls' favorite was Lake Manyara - I think because there was a magical forest element as well as the lake. Elephants materializing out of the forest in front of us will be something we will never forget. In Serengeti NP we saw a lion pride coordinate a hunt right in front of us - then bring 13 cubs back to eat their kill. In Taragire NP we saw a herd of more than 100 elephants in the dry riverbed digging in the sand to access water and then spray it around. We saw a huge pride of 16 lions and cubs in Ngorongoro Crater cross just meters from us, and a big male lion digging like a huge dog trying to flush a warthog out of it's den. We got some great photos even with just our phone cameras - and our guide Herman cleverly took some with our phone and ipod through the binoculars - which were amazing! The food and accommodation exceeded our expectations - with Burunge tented lodge, looking out over Lake Burunge conservation area from the beautiful restaurant deck and pool area was our favorite.

Roberta&family   –  
Italy IT
Visited: August 2017 Reviewed: Oct 3, 2017

Email Roberta&family  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Perfect Safari with Soul of Tanzania
5/5

We just came back from our safari through the parks in the North of Tanzania: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Lake Eyase, Ngoro Ngoro Crater, Central and Northern Serengeti.
I was travelling with my family, and it was the first safari experience for my 2 kids, aged 13 and 14.
It has been a stunning experience.
After some research we decided to go for the proposal of Soul of Tanzania, and we can only recommend this safari company.
Our guide, Dominique, was top-class: very knowledgeable, attentive to our needs, very experienced and an expert and careful driver, always willing to look for the best spot to view the cats or a river crossing.
The itinerary was very well designed, not too tiring and with a variety of landscapes.
The proposal to fly back from northern Serengeti instead of driving has proved to be a very good choice.
The accommodation resulted in a perfect mix of permanent camps, lodges and mobile camps, which was exactly what we were looking for. We particularly loved Chaka Mobile Camp in Northern Serengeti: unforgettable!
The hot lunches served every day during the game drives were much appreciated: we always were offered a wide choice of excellent food, and we were using steel dishes and cutlery, which were not only nice, but also are not producing tons of waste like the lunch boxes many other safari companies are providing.
At first I was a bit sceptical about the proposal to meet the tribes at Lake Eyase, we were in Tanzania for the wildlife and I was scared we would end up seeing something really just set up for tourists. After having met the Hadzabe, I must admit that it was just like entering in a time machine.
The wildlife we encountered in the parks just left us speechless: not only the big cats, but also the hundreds of flamingos and pelicans in Lake Manyara, the hyppos fighting for the territory, the thousands of wildebeests crossing the Mara River and the crocodiles hunting for them.
We enjoyed every second of our trip to Tanzania.

Neha And Harshal Vora   –  
United States US
Visited: July 2017 Reviewed: Aug 15, 2017

Email Neha And Harshal Vora  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Fantastic Experience with Soul of Tanzania
5/5

We, a group of six people are just back from the dream Safari Trip to Tanzania.This trip was on our mind for a long long time and finally realized.After an extensive research, we decided to take the safari company,”Soul of Tanzania”. And I must say, what a correct decision it was.Everything started falling in place with the selection of the right company.
Soul of Tanzania is a luxury line Safari and they have all the new vehicles.Right from the first email to the pick up from the airport till they drop you to the airport, everything is extremely perfect and no chance of complain arises. They give you the best recommendations of Lodges and Camps and The best of the Drivers cum Guides.Let me name a few of the wonderful people, we came in touch with.They are Iris, Bennedict ,Dominique and Rachel They are thourouly professional and pleasant people. Since we were on the luxury Line, we were served hot meals during the lunch time while in the Safaris.We were the center of envy and attraction by the other tourists when we were served Royally with wines,hot meals in proper settings with table clothes and plates and cutleries.And last but not the least, freshly brewed coffee. I have to write a separate para for the experiences we had and how amazing our guide cum driver was.
Our Safari started with one trilling experience.Our guide, Benedict spotted two cheetahs and took us there.As we were watching them,one cheetah decided to climb on our vehicle and sat on the open roof of the vehicle.We had our heart in our mouth but Ben was so calm and assured us that if we don’t trouble the animal, it will not harm us.The Cheetah had fallen in love with us I guess,so it refused to get down for almost 10 minutes.We got some amazing videos and pictures and Ben managed to pass our camera to the next vehicle to get some shots too. We still can not overcome the thrill of that once in lifetime experience.Due to Ben’s patience and experience of wildlife, we could witness many of such thrilling moments. To name a few, 3 river crossings of wilderbeasts on Mara river, a humongous crocodile gulping the baby wilderbeast while crossing, the gorgerous tuskers of Africa and their cute babies,the mating of Lions and hippos,the hunting of a gazzle and a Zeebra by Lions, A gazzel giving birth to the baby, the majestic girraffs… On the last day of our safari, one lioness brushed pass our safari vehicle early in the morning just outside our lodge.Also we spotted nearly 80 lions.Ben took us to the authentic Masai village to make us understand the traditions.Also he makes amazing coffee and he is a wonderful human being who truly loves his profession.Deeply attached to the wild animals and understands their behavior.
We are sharing some fantastic shots we got.And I really wish,I can go back to Tanzania once again. We would highly recommend to go with ‘Soul of Tanzania” and ofcourse try and request to get Benedict as your tour guide cum driver….

Mauricio   –  
Brazil BR
Visited: June 2024 Reviewed: Jun 18, 2024

Email Mauricio  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The review below is the personal opinion of Mauricio and not that of SafariBookings.
Do NOT recommend
3/5

I have been struggling with doing business with this company since my early talks with them. I have requested phone calls to understand better the offerings and choose better what would be the best options for me and my wife, and think that's not asking too much right?
The hotels we stayed that were recommend from them were expect melia and the cliff that were really our exceptions.
The cars were OLD, rusty, outlets wouldn't work, seats were super uncomfortable, and they were not branded soul of Tanzania or Spirit of Kenya, I think we were not important customers so they "outsourced us" to different companies.
The water offered in the game drives were room temperature.
The guides made a good effort to find some nice animals life, but I would look for a different company.

Reply from Unlimited Expeditions: The Soul of Tanzania
Reply from Unlimited Expeditions: The Soul of Tanzania
Posted on Jun 28, 2024

Dear Mauricio

Thank you for your detailed feedback. We're sorry to hear about the challenges you experienced with our services. Your concerns are very important to us, and we take them seriously.

We strive to provide personalized attention to all our clients, and we're sorry that you felt otherwise. Our consultants are always eager to discuss options and provide clarity, and we'll work on improving our communication protocols.

The issues with the vehicles are indeed concerning. Our vehicles should always be in top condition. If we had known about these issues sooner, we would have promptly replaced the vehicle. We assure you that these vehicles are now on "standby" for repairs to prevent similar experiences for future guests.

Regarding the accommodations, we'll make sure to review them to ensure they align with our standards.

We truly appreciate your acknowledgment of our guides' efforts to find wildlife, but understand that other aspects of your experience overshadowed this. We are committed to improving the overall safari experience for our clients.

Thank you for bringing these issues to our attention.

Nilanjan   –  
India IN
Visited: May 2024 Reviewed: Jun 16, 2024

Email Nilanjan  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

Soul of Tanzania comes very highly recommended!!!
5/5

Soul of Tanzania is an absolute gem when needing help to visit Tanzania for wildlife safaris. We travelled from India for a 6-night safari game drive tour to Tarangire and Serengeti parks and Soul of Tanzania did all the arrangements for us. We stayed with Asilia camps on their game packages and connected to the parks through flights.

The coordination and responsiveness of the SOT team is absolutely amazing. Every email would be responded to within a max of 24 hours and every doubt/question was addressed with care and patience. All arrangements for meet and greet were made flawlessly. All camp bookings and safari flights were handled by them and the payment terms and payment schedule was also very convenient.

If anyone is planning a game package with some of the top lodges in the Tanzania wildlife safari circuit, I can say that you can safely and blindly trust SOT to do all the arrangements for you. They are one of the very best in Tanzania and I hope to travel again with them to other parts of Africa very soon. We cannot be more grateful to SOT for making our trip a memorable one.

Maddy   –  
United States US
Visited: April 2024 Reviewed: May 8, 2024

Email Maddy  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Communicative, organized, and helpful
5/5

My partner and I spent 12 days in Tanzania and our trip was absolutely incredible, surpassing all our expectations! We decided to skip out on one of the National Parks to explore Arusha / go on the Mount Kilimanjaro tour. From the moment we arrived in Arusha, everything went smoothly – our transportation was ready and waiting. Arusha was stunning, and we loved exploring Mount Kilimanjaro, even though the mountain was shy that day. Hanging out with the Chagga tribe, making coffee, and trying their food was such a unique experience!

The safari was hands down one of the best things I've ever done. Our guide, James, was fantastic. He knew so much and made the trip even more enjoyable. Make sure to bring portable chargers as the plugs in our car did not work! The places we stayed (we chose the comfort levels) had the most breathtaking views and were luxurious. We could just relax and watch the sunset or a storm roll in. The hotel staff were incredibly friendly, and the food was top-notch!

We decided to book during the rainy season, which we were very hesitant on, but after the trip I do not regret it one bit. The scenery was beautiful with the greenery, and it did not rain as much as we expected - light drizzles here and there, but it would come and go like Florida weather. The best part was watching the rain storms out in the Serengeti from our hotel. We saw a wide range of animals, except the Rhino and Leopard which are usually harder to find anyway!

We added a few excursions to our trip. The nighttime safari I believe would have been better in the dry season as there was a lot of places for the animals to hide in Lake Manyara; however, we did see animals we would not have seen during the day. The best part was the sky - the stars at night were unbelievable and seeing the Milky Way was a moment I'll never forget. The Ngorongoro Crater walking tour was equally amazing with the views. The best excursion would be the hot balloon ride - seeing the vastness of the Serengeti and the animals below was an unreal experience. We went right above the Wildebeest migration, which was again, an unreal experience. Plus, we received a nice breakfast after!

Zanzibar was the perfect place to unwind after our adventures; however, this was something that would be better in the dry season. It did rain and was cloudy, but it was still nice lounging by the beach or pool. We asked for all-inclusive, and I believe since we got all-inclusive here, we also got it at the Melia Serengeti, so it was nice not having to pay for drinks. Additionally, they had nightly performances at the hotel were a fun touch!

Overall, this trip with Soul of Tanzania was unforgettable! Everything was so well-organized. If I had to suggest one change, it would have been to spend one less day in the Serengeti and one more day in Ngorongoro Crater or Zanzibar. But honestly, it was still a perfect trip. And catching a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro in the sky on our way home was the perfect ending.

Sehar   –  
United Kingdom UK
Visited: February 2024 Reviewed: Mar 4, 2024

Email Sehar  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

A memorable and fulfilling experience!
5/5

Me and my husband booked via SoT for 4 days safari - Lake Manyara, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.

From start to finish, SoT were extremely efficient and professional. We had a easy process throughout and cannot thank the team enough for this memorable experience. Firstly, we would like to say thank you to Sandy for being patient with us over email, making the booking process smooth and convenient and answering all of our questions. The information provided at time of booking was thorough and informative.

We had an amazing time on our Safari - Emmanuel, our guide, was accommodating, hospitable and charismatic which helped with our long drives through the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. The information he gave us about all the different animals, birds and plants were insightful and interesting. Emmanuel was very patient, being mindful by switching off the engine whilst we were taking photos and allowing us to have as much time we needed wherever we wanted. He was also very optimistic and made so much effort to ensure we could see as much as we could on our few days with him.

Our favourite part of the Safari was the Serengeti - we understand we came at a time where there were not as many animals as the peak season, but still managed to see everything (except the rare leopard!). We managed to see elephants in abundance, zebras, wildebeests, hippos, lions, giraffes, a cheetah and many others!

Thank you to all involved at SoT, you made our 1st wedding anniversary trip one to remember.

Henry, Hock, Eric & Kelwyn   –  
Singapore SG
Visited: November 2023 Reviewed: Dec 4, 2023

Email Henry, Hock, Eric & Kelwyn  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Excellent guide Azaria Mwanga who went the extra mile to ensure we get to experience in 3 day Safari
5/5

Everything was perfect from the moment we enter the Safari parks … We get to experience the different animals behaviour and Azaria ensure we capture the best moments of these animals, zebras, wildbeast, lion, leapoard … Most interesting is the lion

Angela   –  
Canada CA
Visited: October 2023 Reviewed: Oct 31, 2023

Email Angela  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Highly rated and reviewed by safari goers
5/5

We just successfully reach the summit of Africa yesterday with Soul of Tanzania and 15 members of an amazing team lead by Omary our main guide to reach the summit. Omary is an highly
skilled guide that reached the summit for the 363 times yesterday. We felt that he truely care for our safety, he was knowledgeable about everything related to the mountain and Tanzania, he is also a devoted father of 2 and pretty much the father of most porter and lot of guide with less experience on the mountain. He truely love his job. Sam,our assistant guide on the trip was also an important part of our success with his contagious energy and help at all time. Sam is in fact a licence guide so we felt lucky to have 2 amazing guides with us. Our cook Thom was also great listening to comment about the food and adapting to our sometime modified taste because of altitude gain. We add the chance to have Kassim with us that played a central role in our confort. He was listening to us and provided anything possible to make our summit possible. He event climbed to the summit with us as a third member of the team to reach the top with us. Kassim is 24, the world belong to this amazing men and we are happy he keeps studying at the guiding school. Gosheni was more high end then other agency. For exemple, in all our acclimatisation hike, Kassim for carrying a table with 2 chairs and food and beverage. We felt vip and customer from other agency eating a basic snack on a rock look at us with envy. We had the perfect time reaching the summit but more important then the summit we reached, we add the chance to get in contact with 15 individuals that made this adventure memorable. Big thanks to Omary (guide) Sam (guide) Thom (cook) Kassim (porter, waiter, Suisse knife of the trip) Issa (porter and toilet man) Ibrahim (porter) Mosses (porter) Baraka (porter) Salim (porter) Frank (porter) Nickson (porter) Samora (porter) Prosper (porter) Malkiadi (porter) Omary (porter) you guys are amazing and of course thanks to Soul of Tanzania

Average User Rating
4.9/5
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