Our Head Guide Nico and our Signature Hot Lunches
Unlimited Expeditions: The Soul of Tanzania
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $400 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Laura | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magnificent safari
We’ve just completed an 8 day safari and it has been the trip of a lifetime. Throughout the booking process we dealt with Sandy who was always quick to respond and put together a fantastic itinerary for us - thank you Sandy.
We arrived at Kilimanjaro Int’l airport and were met by our transfer driver who took us to Planet Lodge Arusha for a one night stay before starting our Safari. We were met the next morning at 8am by the wonderful Cleopa - our guide for then next 8 days, and started the drive to Tarangire NP.
Tarangire was brilliant and was teeming with wildlife. We saw 4 out of the big 5 within 4 hours of being inside the NP and we loved every minute of our 2 game drives. We stayed overnight inside the park at Acacia Tarangire Luxury Camp which was so comfortable and we were felt most welcome by all of the staff.
On to Lake Manyara the next day, which again was brilliant and we got to see one of the famous tree climbing lions on a hunt for baboons! We then had a short trip to Escarpment Luxury Lodge for a great evening of fantastic food and rest.
Next day Cleopa drove us to the Serengeti NP which took about 5 hours. The roads aren’t great but he’s a skilled 4x4 driver who made it as comfortable as possible and made sure we had the opportunity to stop along the way for comfort breaks. The Serengeti NP is truly incredible and Cleopa made sure we saw as much as possible. We had 3 nights at Melia Serengeti, which I believe is a 5 star hotel and it very much lived up to expectations.
Day 6 saw us head to Lemala Ngorongoro which is a tented camp. All hotels we stayed at had brilliant staff but the team at Lemala Ngorongoro really go above and beyond. The morning after we headed into the crater which was unbelievable.
Soul of Tanzania upgraded our accommodation on day 7 and we stayed at Ziwani Lodge at Lake Eyasi. Again, an extremely welcoming atmosphere and the staff go out of their way to make you feel comfortable.
Finally on to day 8 and an early start to visit the Hadzabe tribe and Datoga people. The Hadzabe tribe were very friendly and showed us their hunting techniques and we were given the opportunity to attempt to speak their language! Very informative. Similarly with the Datoga people we were given a demonstration on how they make jewellery and make arrowheads from scrap metal, before a lesson into their culture and how they prepare polenta. A farewell ceremony followed and we started the long trip back to the airport.
Cleopa made the trip for us. He knew exactly where to go in each of the parks and is a master at positioning the 4x4 in the best locations for photos. He gave us all the time we wanted to take photos, videos and enjoy all the special moments. He was flexible with the start time of each day - happily going with our preferences. His lessons in basic Swahili along with the wildlife we saw will never be forgotten too. Thank you brother, for making this a holiday to remember.
Tips for travellers - the roads are pretty bad in places, so this isn’t the trip for you if you suffer from travel sickness. Also they are incredibly dusty so you will end up dirty after each day. Nights can get a bit cold, as can the mornings. Take plenty of US dollars and keep plenty of smaller denominations for purchases along the way and for tips. If you can get the local currency then certain purchases may be cheaper with this.
US
Email Peter | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Safari with expert guide and outstanding accommodations
We just completed an incredible journey in Tanzania. From the very start, Jose helped us put our 7 day safari and 4 night stay in Zanzibar together, and then helped us change our dates when something came up on our end. All of our accommodations, from the Acacia Tarangire Luxury Camp to the Serena Lodge at Ngorongoro Crater were excellent, capped off by the beautiful and relaxing stay at the Pongwe Beach Hotel in Zanzibar. Our guide, Hope, was marvelous. Having not seen a single lion during our safari in South Africa 18 years ago, we told him that spotting them was at the top of our list. He did not disappoint. By our count, we had at least 45 separate sightings, including several recent kills and a lion treeing a leopard. Hope also leaned on his fifteen years of experience to help us meet our dream of witnessing the massive wildebeest crossing of the Mara River from the perfect spot. He also navigated the challenges of driving through the Serengeti like a pro. All transports from the airports took place without a glitch.
Thanks for making all the amazing things happen!
We booked a customized private Safari tour with the Soul of Tanzania in August 2023. The trip was amazing and we had a wonderful time that beats every expectation!
Jose was our trip planner. We liaised with him from itinerary design to trip booking and he has been super helpful throughout the whole process. He has been responsive and patient helping us with accommodation recommendation and cost breakdowns so that we can decide where to best use our budget. He also gave us useful information regarding travel guidelines and general advice.
Our Tanzanian guide Enock is super experienced and knowledgeable. He always goes extra a hundred miles to bring us the best - we've seen lots of amazing things and learned a lot! He has more than 15 years of experience in this area and he shared with us lots of interesting facts about the wildlife and the culture. We can feel that he has genuine passion in what he is doing. He also has good eyes for finding the best photography opportunities - he knows the best spots and finds the perfect background for wildlife shooting. He is aware of the importance of lights in photography and was happy to take us out during sunrise and sunset hours. During the trip we didn't have to worry about what to do because we can trust him 100%.
The company really takes care of customers' special requirements - in our case, we have sent the team a note that we have a focus on photography and they found the right guide for us, we cannot be more grateful and would definitely book our next African trip with the Soul of Tanzania again!
Email NOVY | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
KENYA TANZANIA TRIP
I have great memory of this trip.
I saw BIG 5 ,but can't see the migration.
BUT still lucky to see the Cheetal eating and Lion hunting .
Hot air Ballon , i can see the animals from the sky, that was unforgettable moment in the rest of my life.
In Kenya, my guide Steve, he is very eye sharp to find the animals and passion on animal.
In Tanzania , my guide Abu , he is also very patient and explain all characteristics of animals.
Boths is very profressional and friendly.
The vehicle is clean and powderful .
Hotel is warm and clean , very special experience to stay in tent.
Meals is deliouis .
Overall is fantastic trip.
US
Email Harry | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Amazing First Trip to Eastern Africa
My wife and I spent ~2 amazing weeks in Kenya & Tanzania and it was made all the better by Soul of Tanzania. We worked with Marta over e-mail and she was helpful in helping us craft an itinerary molded from their "6-day Kenya-Tanzania itinerary" which included Masai Mara, Serengeti NP and Ngorongoro crater, and we added on 4 nights in Zanzibar. Marta was incredibly patient and helpful in answering all of my questions (we exchanged 97 emails when all was said and done!), and she even helped make recommendations.
We flew into Nairobi and left early via land cruiser to Masai Mara, which ended up a being a 5-hour bumpy ride (a theme throughout the safari). The park was amazing and our guide in Kenya, Erastas, was very friendly, although the one con is that he often drove by tons of animals focused on finding lions and a leopard - this is probably common as not many people want to stop for zebras and birds. We were in awe of all the animals and had to ask him to stop a lot. We spent two nights at the Ilkelani Camp which we highly recommend. It's glamping in a canvas tent with great amenities, delicious food, and very friendly staff. We managed to see four of the big five, including catching a leopard hanging out mere feet from the camp entrance.
Following our two nights we made the 5-hour drive to the Tanzania border crossing into the Serengeti. Our guide in Tanzania, Habibu, was also nice though it took him a little longer to warm up. He often waited for us to let him know when to move onto the next animal, which was a change of pace from our first guide. Our next two nights were spent at Melia Serengeti which was beautiful, with sweeping views of the Serengeti. The food was plentiful, and the infinity pool was a nice amenity to take a dip in.
After our two nights there, we made the long drive to Ngorongoro Crater and stayed at the Ngorongroro lodge, and the view from our room was worth the 5-hour drive. Possibly the best view of our lives, and we were lucky enough to spot a rhino on the morning drive through the crater. The temperature dropped in the crater, so bring layers to stay warm.
We left for the 4-hour drive to Kilimanjaro Airport and experienced car trouble. First we stopped at a mechanic for about 30 minutes for an engine-related issue and then a tire blew out while driving down the highway. A fellow tour guide stopped to help our guide change the tire. These weren't our guide's fault but a sign that the company should upgrade the vehicles, which seemed to be from the 1990s or early 2000s.
We flew to Zanzibar where we spent a night in Stone Town, and did a walking tour of the city the next morning. Highly recommended to get the history of Stone Town. We had booked our own flights between mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, but Soul of Tanzania can do that for you. TIP: do not use Air Tanzania. They are consistently delayed, cancelled one of our flights, didn't communicate, and have a buggy website.
We ended our vacay with 3 nights at Kilindi Zanzibar which was simply magical. Individual private and secluded Mediterranean style villas with multiple pools, outdoor washrooms and lounge areas, and a bedroom opening up to a pool and a great view of the water. The staff was amazing, the amenities plentiful, and another great infinity pool in the main area. The food was great as well.
Soul of Tanzania was a wonderful organizer for everything and made this the trip of a lifetime. We highly recommend them.
PROS: communicative, willing to work with your needs, make good recommendations for inclusions, guides are knowledgeable and kind.
CONS: the land cruisers could use a little bit of love and updating. They were worn and it was noticeable.
TIPS: We didn't know about the options to fly into the parks and that would have saved us some aches and time spent driving between parks, although the drives our of the park were game drives. It would have been helpful if Soul of Tanzania had made us aware that we could fly from Nairobi to Masai Mara, and Masai Mara to Serengeti. Do not skip out on Ngorongoro Crater - it was my favorite of the three parks for the varied landscape and the views.
Email Mark and Ness | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional, highly responsive and very competent.
Our Six day safari with Soul of Tanzania to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Central and West Serengeti was superb. Marta did a great job with the planning . The thing that really made the safari excellent though was our guide, Wilson .
Any safari is only as good as the guiding, and in Wilson we had one of the best.
Highly knowledgeable about all the birds and the beasts, but also culturally astute. Wilson’s maturity and depth of experience was evident and contributed in a big way to the success of our safari and enjoyment of it.
US
Email Mike | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely perfect safari from start to finish! Don't hesitate to book with Soul of Tanzania!
It's hard to put into words how perfect our safari was. We had been to Africa once before but just rented a vehicle and did our own thing. This was our first professional safari and we chose a 9 day safari through Tanzania. I'm a huge planner so my first contact with Soul of Tanzania was well over a year before our safari and Marta was my first impression. She was so polite, friendly, and informative right away that I knew I had the right company (I was working with a few other companies for quotes at the time). Over the next year, I peppered her with dozens of questions and she answered every single question with a virtual smile in a very timely manner, even right up to the day before departure! She continued her amazing customer service even after the safari. Marta, I can't thank you enough for curating the perfect safari for us!
We read so many reviews and had requested either Wilson or George as our guide. Marta assigned Wilson as our guide and we will forever be grateful for this! We ended up seeing the family that George was assigned to multiple times throughout our safari and they were absolutely thrilled with him too! Wilson was the most kind, patient, knowledgeable, safe, and understanding guide that we could have hoped for. He was our chauffeur, chef, server, guide, history professor, botanist, zoological expert, tracker, climate expert, animal behaviorist, etc. etc. He literally does it all and with the most incredible demeanor possible. He was so genuine that we really wanted to get to know him better. We learned all about his background, his family, his dreams, etc. He even celebrated his birthday with us! We did our best to make him a card with limited supplies in our tent and provided him with a very small gift as is customary in our American culture.
Wilson greeted us every morning with his trademark smile and explained the day to us. He always asked if we were satisfied with his approach and was always willing to change any plans on the fly. He has decades of experience and it really shows. He was able to place us in the most amazing positions for absolutely unforgettable animal encounters throughout the day, many times before another truck came anywhere near us! In fact, on only our second day of the safari (in Tarangire), we looked at each other and said "we've seen absolutely every animal we've wanted to see, many times over, what are we going to do for the other 7 days?? LOL". I really can't say enough about Wilson. He genuinely cares about you and knows this could be the only safari you might take in your lifetime. He will do whatever it takes to make it the best it can be!
Soul of Tanzania thinks of absolutely everything. Things you might not even think about like a vehicle that is ready for the tough roads ahead, call-aheads to make sure every lodge is ready for your arrival, food prep that is second to none (hot lunch, hot coffee, chilled wine, etc. in the middle of nowhere??), etc. I can't say enough about this company and I strongly urge you to book your safari with them. It is absolutely impossible that you will be disappointed. You will be so happy that you chose them and they will help you create the most memorable trip of your life!
US
Email Grant | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
For an ultimate safari experience, choose Soul of Tanzania
Our experience with Soul of Tanzania was very good. They are responsive, flexible, and educated.
Our guide, Cleopa, was outstanding! He was very friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating in order to ensure we had the best experience possible. For whatever type of safari you are seeking, he knows where and when to take you. His guidance and presence made us feel very welcomed in Tanzania and helped us learn some Kiswahili along the way. We were blessed to see the beautiful landscapes, wildlife, and culture of Tanzania because of Cleopa’s phenomenal guidance. During our 8 day safari in Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorogoro Crater, and Lake Eyasi, he was able to get us safely close to all wildlife to be seen. The scheduling of our activities was flexible and Cleopa was reliable in taking care of the logistics. We strongly recommend Cleo as your next safari guide
But please note as you are planning your trip, we recommend educating yourself on customs around tipping. We did not understand this before our trip and it will result in some unforeseen costs.
MT
Email Keith Galea | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A dream come true
Our journey began in 2019, when we started shopping around for tour planners in Africa, as most of us do we read reviews to find the best operator according to travelers opinions. Soul of Tanzania was rated the best, so we sent an email to inquire further. From that moment on, it was a daily communication back n forth with proposals, questions and ideas, back then our tour planner was Helena, she was so professional and met all our requirements instantly, unfortunately due to covid she departed the agency and we were transferred to Luis, another very professional planner who continued where Helena left off as if he was in contact with us from the beginning. We had to postpone our 2020 experience due to covid, initially to 2021, but then to 2022. All was set to depart Malta on August 8th, a minor hick up evolved, August 5th, my partner got sick and was tested positive for covid, just our luck...when contacting Luis he did not hesitate, and told us not to worry, just to give him another date and he will try to make all the arrangements necessary. A week later, my partner was tested negative, so we asked if we could opt to start the safari 21st August, within 2 days Luis made all arrangements, now we had planned Kenya, Tanzania & Zanzibar, all was settled including the internal flight to Zanzibar, that was an amazing task Luis managed, so 21st August we began our experience. Kudos to Luis :)
The safari was amazing, guides were great both in Kenya (Joseph) quite, not much of a talker man but knows the Mara and animals like the back of his hand, he did all he could to get us close as possible to the animals not bothering them or putting us in any danger. In Tanzania our guide was Gabriel, such a nice humble person, he was a talker :) An encyclopedia of information on legs, my gosh how many things he knew and talked about, again another guide that knew Serengeti all to well, and also a great animal spotter...one time he spotted an owl in a tree from 50m away, and it took us a while to see it and he literally gave us co ordinates! The images we brought back and the great memories will last a life time, thanks to Soul of Tanzania and their team of experts. If you are going on a safari, just look up this agency...you will not be disappointed :) Thank you Soul of Tanzania :)
CA
Email Peter | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very organized and responsive
Our Safari exceeded our expectations. We have been on many safaris in Southern Africa and anticipated a much larger scale experience. And Tanzania did not disappoint. Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Eyasi, Ngorongoro crater (the most plentiful sightings), south and central Serengeti were all unbelievable. We were fortunate enough to witness the southern migration and experience a hot air balloon ride too.
This incredible Safari of a life time, was made all the better by our 2 amazing guides, Wilson and Hassani. Cannot say enough about these two gentleman - extremely knowledgeable, very reliable, kind & helpful, they looked after us impeccably. We did not want for anything. Seek them out if you are considering a Safari with Soul of Tanzania!!
Besides the incredible wildlife (highlight being the 9 cheetahs we saw that we have never seen on any of our numerous safaris), the people of Tanzania are wonderful.
Possibly only downside was that we tried to cram too much into 8 days. Maybe a couple of days at each camp, rather than moving on every day would be preferable.
Very very highly recommended. We will go back!