African Savannah Team
African Savannah Trekkers
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- TTB, TTGA & TLTO
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $450 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
ES
Email Bea | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great safari!
If you are looking for an agency to organize your safari in Tanzania, look no further.
They offer great options for a good price.
We chose a 4 day safari visiting Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Lake Manyara, Horace was our guide, he was very professional, very safe driver, friendly, punctual and knew all the answers to our questions!
We saw a bunch of animals including leopards, cheetah, lions...and many more!
The lodges where we stayed were wonderful, food was fantastic and we had an amazing time.
Maureen ,the owner, is also very friendly and made everything super easy. On our last day, she contacted us to check our impressions on the safari experience.
If you decide to book with them you will not be disappointed!
AT
Email Cornelia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 4 Day Safari Tour
We were a group of four, looking for a 4 day safari trip in Tanzania. We decided to book with African Savannah Trekkers because the price was very good for the tour offered and also the lodges looked very nice. Also the communication and the planning worked out very good. We were in contact with Maureen and she was very kind and answered all our questions in advance and adopted the trip to our wishes. We visited the Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti National Park and the Lake Manyara. We arrived in Arusha in the evening before our trip and had already booked an hotel there on our own. Maureen and our driver, Horace, came to visit us there to explain us everything and to make the final payment for the trip. Our tour started in the morning the next day but they did this so we didn't have to drive to the office in the morning because we would have lost some time then. At first we were a bit sceptical to pay everything in advance, but everything worked out very well and Horace came to pick us up in the morning the next day. Horace is a very good and nice driver. He knows a lot about the animals, is very patient and was always stopping when we wanted to to go the bathroom, buy souvenirs or needed to go to an ATM. The accommodations were wonderful as well. The tented camp in the Serengeti was just amazing! All in all it was a great trip with great people and we were lucky to see the big five. And one more thing: At the end of the trip I forgot my hat in the car and Horace personally came to our hotel in Arusha the next day to bring it back!!!! That´s how nice this company is!!!
Ahsahnte sana!!!!!
Cornelia, Patrick, Magdalena and Verena
Email Hugo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The perfect start for a perfect honeymoon.
Our honeymoon couldn't have a better start. We arrive really early (5am) and our guide was waiting for us in there since around 3:30 to make sure that he was there to welcome us when we arrive. James was our guide and he was the best. Very knowledgeable, experience, always on your side to make sure you don't have to worry about a thing and is english is really good, he is clearly a very smart guy. Gave us several tips of when or where to buy gifts/souvenirs, was very patient with all the stops and always keep asking how we want to do and explain the schedule all the time. I'm always worried about times and stuff, and if you are like me don't let that bother you. They have everything covered and know what and when to do everything on time. Our final destination was in a different airport and that wasn't a problem at all (first was kilimanjaro and second was Arusha to go to Zanzibar). He didn't let us miss anything or get anxious about times. And a big advice. Book the hot air balloon experience. Its a bit pricey but they will make schedules work without missing anything and they will meet on time on the right points. You will have the most amazing experience. We book everything with Maureen and she was the best, always answering our emails on time, every little thing I asked, gave us the option to pay everything by bank transfer which was very convenient to avoid credit card fees. All the accommodations were amazing, in the first lodge we bought coffee that was planted by them in their gardens. The views the professionalism and even with my wife that don't eat meat they were very nice and always had vegetarian or fish options. We strongly recommend #africansavannahtrekkers and if everything goes according to plan I will contact them again next year to visit kenya. Asante sana Rafiki.
You will be in our hearts forever
FI
Email Nga Dinh | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari tour
We went the first time safari ride so there was a lots of things to consider and taken care of at first. Maureen- the owner contacted us and gave us a detailed schedule as well as answered our questions patiently. Even the day we arrive Arusha, Maureen contacted the airline to ask if there would be any delays. The she met us before and after our safari rides to give us tips and bid goodbyt. Our driver Horace gave us the most memorable safari ride. He is very knowledgeable, responsible for the workwith best customer service, be on time always, focus on what he’s doing and explains things clearly. The seregeti np and ngorongoro crater exceeded our expectations, just wow. Our only regret was not able to see the migration and rhino, just because we chose to adventure 1 day in seregetti. The lodge was excellent with superb food, view, accommodation, friendly staff. We highly recommend to stay at hhando coffee lodge. To sum up, we will choose african savannah trekkers anytime coming back tanzania. Recommend unreserved to everyone.
ES
Email Aman | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Competitive prices, great communication but below average guide
We have mixed feelings about African Savannah Trekkers. Before booking our safari trip with them, we read all the previous reviews about the company and were very excited about the trip. The reviews were positive and we were sure that we had made the right choice. Maureen was super professional and the communication was professional and prompt. She answered the thousands of queries we had. No complaints there.Kudos to her.
Any safari trip in Africa is going to be memorable but what makes it extra special is the guide/driver who takes you on the adventure. This is what did not work for us. Horaz, our guide was punctual and drove well but that is where it ended. There was lack of energy and commitment from his end. We felt that he did not have adequate knowledge about the parks and animals or maybe he just did not show it. He did his job but the bare minimum. It felt a little rushed at times. We expect the guide to be more interactive and share stories/past experiences or anything that shows he has passion for his work. The whole experience felt very mechanical.
The worse part is that on our second day, Horaz directly told us that he wanted an 80 USD tip. This was very odd for us because tips are given when one is satisfied with the service. We were definitely going to leave a tip but it has to come from the heart. This way we felt that we were bullied into giving a hefty tip which our guide did not deserve. We were quite angry after this incident and it had left a very bad taste in the mouth. I definitely think that the management should address the issue and refund that amount. The entire safari experience does not come cheap. We are paying a lot of money and for most of us this is a once in a lifetime adventure.
A lot of the past reviews only mentioned Eli who also happens to be the owner of the company. Eli has got excellent reviews and I was quite disappointed when we found out that our guide was not Eli.
Again, the company is fantastic and has very competitive prices. But please make sure that you get a good guide.
JP
Email TOTO | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
You meet nice people in this company
I went on 4-day tour with African Savannah Trekkers, and I am very convinced I made a right decision. I would recommend them for the reasons below.
1. Swift and Timely Response to Inquiries
They were always swift and timely in responding to questions by email. I got response always within 24 hours, while other operators had been slow or did not even respond at all.
2. Honest and Creative Proposals
I sent them what I wanted to do there without knowing much about geographies and traffic conditions over there. They came back to me with a few proposals with honest downsides at each options. That helped me to make a realistic and no-rush scheduling, which eventually I found very satisfactory.
3. Good follow up
I was traveling in the middle of India before going over to Tanzania, and I got a phone call from them to double check my arrival schedule. One of the concern you would have in a country you have never been is if they would show up at the airport or hotel. My concern was completely gone because of this call. The driver was at the gate of the airport, for sure when I arrived at Kilimanjaro airport.
4. You meet nice and hardworking people there
The drive is very nice gentlemen always tried to show me the best of the Safari. Gets close to animals, turns off engine, takes time until I am fine. I managed to see all animals I wanted to see. Also he is really hardworking man, making sure I get on the car always clean and tidy every morning. Their Toyota Landcruiser becomes literally dirty after a whole day on natural Safari roads. I saw him working quietly showering the Toyota and cleaning up seat matts when I was eating dinner under the sunset. Took a rest after me, and got up earlier than I everyday.
5. Reasonable Cost
I got some proposals from some other operators, and I found them most reasonable. Very transparent.
US
Email Chloe | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing Safari Experience!
My husband and I had an amazing 4-day 3-night trip from Arusha, visiting four parks: Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Serengeti. Eli was an excellent guide; highly knowledgeable, friendly, very accommodating, and a very safe driver. We really appreciate that Maureen supports Tanzanian business, and were happy to join a Tanzanian-owned tour company. Everything was very well organized and on time. We really enjoyed our experience and would recommend this tour company to anyone wishing to go on safari in Tanzania. This 4-day itinerary is a great way to see lots of animals and experience the different landscapes that Tanzania has to offer (savannah, mountainous, rift valley, rain forest, etc.). The Serengeti landscape is absolutely unmatched and is a must-see!
US
Email Alyssa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip of a lifetime!
Our trip far exceeded any expectations! Our guide, Elisante Ayo, was extremely knowledgable, professional, humorous, and accommodating. Always cold beer in the fridge! Really went the extra mile. Because of him, we saw cheetahs devour a baby wart hog, lions matting, zebra birth, and literally too much more to fit in this review.
CA
Email Don Wright and Deborah Loren | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Our safari was everything we imagined and more
We reviewed dozens of safari tour operators, and all offer variations on the same multi-day itineraries. We settled on African Savannah Trekkers for a couple of reasons. They offer a four-park, six-day safari at a price comparable to the cost for a three-park, four- or five-day tour advertised by other companies. They are a small outfit based in Arusha; we didn’t want to deal with a big UK or US based company. And they were willing to organize the balloon safari for us and fit it within the itinerary. Once we confirmed our booking, they arranged it so that we could pay by credit card because we were travelling and did not have access to others means of payment. Maureen, who handles logistics and Elisante, our driver/guide, came over to see us at our Airbnb home in Arusha the day before our safari started and that was much appreciated.
Our safari was everything we imagined and more. Elisante got us deep into all the parks (Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, and Lake Manyara) finding us lots of families of elephants, herds of zebra, wildebeest, Cape buffalo, and gazelles, numerous hyena, jackals, leopards, cheetahs, lions, and many weird and wonderful birds. He was happy to let us watch animals for as long as we wanted — we noticed other safari tours paused only long enough for a photo or two and then took off.
Elisante was also very good at getting us a great view of animals, especially the big cats, even when other safari trucks were already on the scene. We expressed interest in seeing the flamingos in Lake Manyara National Park, and even though the lake was quite dry, he knew to go all the way to the viewing platform near the hot springs and sure enough, thousands and thousands of flamingos! Afterwards at our hostel in Arusha when we talked to others also returning from safaris, their drivers did not take the time to do this, a pity since this is the iconic attraction Lake Manyara has to offer as the rainy season approaches.
Lastly, we appreciated that one of the lodges Maureen booked us into is a social enterprise. Hhando Coffee Lodge is owned by the local Catholic diocese and hires local people in all capacities and purchases fruit, vegetables, milk and meat fresh from the village. The lodge also maintains a small coffee plantation and roasts it’s own coffee — and offers the best cup of coffee we’ve had in months on the road!
We felt in good hands with Maureen and Elisante, and highly recommend African Savannah Trekkers!
DK
Email Jesper Wittendorff | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Comfortable and very diverse tour with countless of unforgettable wild life encounters
With so many National Parks, and with so many tour operators to choose among, how do you make the right decision? Well, we sure feel like, we hit a home run. With African Savannah Trekkers we got all we had hoped for.
We took a 4-day tour in the Northern Circuit and it was breathtaking from the beginning to the end. We started in Tarangire and quickly got the impression that our guide had eyes like a falcon. He spotted so many animals that we never would have spotted ourselves. One time, we looked at some elephants, and while caught in awe and desperately looking for the perfect camera angle, he casually said "have you also seen the Lion"? And just in front of us, hidden in the tall grass, was a Male Lion taking a nap. This was our first encounter with the big cat, and there were many more to come.
We had all the time in the world, and we never felt rushed. We went to Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Maynara, and it was very interesting to see the animals in very different settings. The company was very flexible, and helped arrange a surprise Hot Air Balloon tour for my girlfriend in Serengeti. I can only recommend booking your tour with African Savannah Trekkers, they were so nice and the tour was awesome.