Hilary and Martin - owners of Suricata Safaris
Suricata Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 50-100 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $190 to $600 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
BR
Email Victor | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Guide, Mixed Experience with the Agency
Our safari experience was truly memorable, and the absolute highlight of the trip was our guide, Charles.
Charles deserves every one of his 5 stars. He went above and beyond to help us experience the very best of the Serengeti. Thanks to his dedication, we saw every one of the Big Five multiple times, including mothers with cubs, animals hunting and feeding, and many incredibly close wildlife encounters. He always drove safely, had outstanding knowledge about the animals, their behavior and habitats, explained the geography of the region, and shared fascinating facts about Tanzania throughout the journey. More than just a guide, he became a true friend during our safari. We are deeply grateful for everything he did for us.
Regarding Suricata Safaris, we would rate the company 3 stars.
First, we want to recognize what they did well. Everything was organized professionally: they were punctual with every transfer, booked excellent accommodations, and provided a new, comfortable, safe safari vehicle equipped with a refrigerator. We have absolutely no complaints about the logistics or the overall organization of the trip.
However, there are two important issues that we believe the company should address.
The first concerns the way guides are treated during the tour. We found it very disappointing that there were repeatedly not enough plates, cutlery, or meals for our guide, despite our safari being sold as a full-board experience. Throughout the trip, it often felt as though there was not enough food reserved for him. A guide is not simply a driver—he is the person responsible for our safety, our experience, and the success of the safari. He deserves to receive the same meals as the guests, not to wait until everyone else has eaten or rely on leftovers. We were genuinely happy to share our meals with Charles whenever necessary because he had become a great friend. However, this should never be the responsibility of the guests. Suricata should value and care for its guides with the respect and dignity they deserve.
The second point is about the planning and customer service for private safaris. We felt that Suricata is still not fully accustomed to managing customized private tours at the level expected by international travelers.
The Great Migration is what makes the Serengeti world-famous. We traveled in August, precisely when the herds are in the northern Serengeti preparing to cross into the Maasai Mara. For reasons we still do not understand, the company assumed that we were not interested in seeing the migration and planned our entire itinerary only in Central Serengeti.
When someone books a private safari, they expect more than transportation and accommodation. They expect guidance about the best seasonal experiences, explanations of the available options, and questions about how they would like to personalize their itinerary. We naturally assumed that visiting the Great Migration in August was an obvious part of the experience. The company assumed the opposite and never discussed it with us.
To make matters even more confusing, the offer we received included photographs of wildebeest crossing the river, which naturally led us to believe that this experience was part of our itinerary. At no point did the itinerary state that the Great Migration was not included, nor were we ever asked whether we wished to visit it. We believe it is only natural that someone traveling to the Serengeti in August would want to see the event that has made the park famous around the world.
Overall, we had a wonderful safari and created unforgettable memories. We sincerely appreciate the professionalism in organizing the trip and, above all, the exceptional work of Charles.
We share these comments because we believe they represent valuable opportunities for improvement. By taking better care of their guides and providing more proactive, personalized planning for private safaris, Suricata could become an even stronger competitor in the international luxury travel market.
FI
Email Emma | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good tour overall
Steve was a knowledgeable guide and very punctual! We saw many amazing sightings :)