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
CN
Email Sophie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent!
I can say Suricata Safari offered me an excellent and wonderful tour! We were so lucky that we had seen the big five in Serengeti. The guide Melita was a great guide and experienced driver. The Lodges and the tented camp were so great! I am very satisfied with the wonderful tour!
IT
Email Sara | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent!
An incredibly well-organized and complete tour! Booking was easy, and the team was always available and attentive to every need. Our guide, Melita, was absolutely fantastic, knowledgeable, experienced, and always attentive to us throughout the trip. He shared so many interesting details about the animals and made every safari even more engaging and memorable.
The hotels were also lovely and very comfortable. Overall, it was an amazing experience that we would highly recommend!
IT
Email Francesco | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Super !!
It was a truly unique experience. Melita guided us through the wonders of the savannah, exploring Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, including the crater. He was an attentive guide, always helpful, available, and incredibly friendly. He made the entire journey even more special.
Email Kirsty | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding
We had an outstanding experience with Suricata Safari, and our guide Melita truly made the trip unforgettable. From start to finish, Melita went the extra mile to ensure we had the best possible safari experience and made every effort to help us see the Big 5 — which we did!
Melita was engaging, informative, and incredibly knowledgeable. Every question we had was answered with detail and enthusiasm, making the whole experience both exciting and educational. You could tell Melita genuinely cared about making our safari special and went beyond all expectations to ensure we had an amazing time.
The accommodation was also excellent — comfortable, well-organized, and a perfect complement to an already fantastic experience.
We cannot recommend Suricata Safari enough, especially with Melita as your guide. An unforgettable safari that exceeded all expectations!
FR
Email Lou | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hakuna matata
An unforgettable experience. Two breathtaking days. A special mention for Gordon, our guide, who was attentive and shared his knowledge with us. Thanks to him, our safari was filled with wonderful moments, and we saw an impossible number of animals. If you're looking for a safari guide, look no further, he's the one you need.
I also want to thank Daniel, who took care of us from beginning to end, reassuring us and providing all the necessary practical and tactical information.
I leave here with stars in my eyes and unforgettable memories.
Simply thank you for everything.
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FR
Email Arnaud | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
HAKUNA MATATA!
Hi everyone,
My group of six friends and a nearly two-year-old baby and I went on a two-day safari in Tarangire and Ngorongoro National Parks. We saw incredible landscapes and animals.
Special thanks to Gordon, our driver, and Daniel for taking care of everything.
If you want to go on safari, Suricats Safari is the place to go!!!
(automatic translation from French)
FR
Email Lucy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hakuna matata
We had an absolutely incredible 2-day safari in Tanzania! A huge thank you to Gordon, who was an exceptional guide: passionate, funny, attentive, and always smiling. He truly made this experience even more special with his explanations and energy.
Thank you also to Daniel for the perfect organization of the trip and his kindness from beginning to end. Everything was very well prepared, and we felt in good hands throughout the entire journey.
The meals were excellent, plentiful, and always very welcome after the safaris. Tarangire National Park and Ngorongoro Crater are simply magnificent, with breathtaking landscapes and incredible animals to observe.
An unforgettable experience that we wholeheartedly recommend! 🦁🌍✨
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FR
Email Lylou | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect, the guide went out of his way to make sure we got the most out of it.
The organization was perfect, from the transfers to the food, etc.
Gordon and Daniel were very, very kind; they took the time to show and explain everything to us.
We saw a huge number of animals over two days.
(automatic translation from French)
CH
Email Fabian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great value for money
Just came back from an amazing 3 day safari through Serengeti and Ngorongoro national park. Our guide Felix was very knowledgeable about both flora and fauna within the parks. He answered all our questions and also told us many interesting stories throughout the day and during our meal breaks. He was accompanied by Jeremiah, our group's cook. The food was always delicious and plenty. I did not expect such a good quality given the simple infrastructure that they are working with. Highly recommend this safari.
Email Joe McCarthy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Logistical Issues
We booked a 4-day, 3-night safari through the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park through this company on TripAdvisor. We paid about $1,750 per person for the mid-range lodging package.
Before the safari, John scheduled a briefing the day before departure. He was polite, but the meeting felt mostly repetitive since the information had already been covered in the materials we received. Communication was also difficult at times because he spoke very quietly. The other uncomfortable part was the discussion around tipping, which felt more expected than optional. Tipping should reflect appreciation for excellent service, not feel mandatory before the trip even starts.
There were definitely positives to the safari itself. The mid-range lodges were very nice overall — clean, comfortable, and better than expected for the price point. The food was decent overall, especially on day two, although day three’s meals were mediocre. Lunches were usually only warm at best due to the catering setup, but we genuinely appreciated that hot sauce and salt were always available because they helped a lot. Dessert was bananas all three days, which became repetitive quickly.
We were fortunate enough to see all the major animals, and some sightings were truly memorable. Our drivers, Adam and Steve, were both friendly and knowledgeable. Adam was easier to understand and drove aggressively to maximize sightings, while Steve was more cautious but equally professional.
The biggest issue — and ultimately the reason for the low rating — was the logistics.
Right from the start, our itinerary was changed. We were originally scheduled to visit Tarangire first, then the Serengeti, and finish with Ngorongoro Crater. Instead, the order was rearranged, which appeared to happen because the company combined our tour with guests on shorter three-day itineraries.
From that point forward, the trip constantly felt like a compromise between different budgets, tour levels, and schedules. Mid-range guests were mixed with budget campers, creating constant delays for campsite drop-offs, gear pickups, loading supplies, chef coordination, and other camper-related logistics. It honestly felt like the camping guests’ schedules were prioritized over the mid-range guests who paid for a different experience.
The issue was never the early mornings or long safari days — we expected that. The frustration was paying for very nice lodges and arriving so late each evening that we barely had time to enjoy them. Guests should ideally arrive at the lodges at least an hour before sunset to actually experience the accommodations they paid for.
One suggestion that could improve the experience significantly would be replacing the catered hot lunches with well-prepared box lunches. It would simplify the logistics, reduce delays, and likely improve the overall flow of the safari.
Another major issue was the constant focus on reviews. Both during and after the trip, it felt like there was a strong effort to manage and secure five-star reviews rather than simply letting the experience speak for itself. We experienced similar behavior on another East African tour as well. Multiple debriefings and repeated reminders about leaving reviews started to feel disingenuous rather than genuine hospitality.
Honestly, the aggressive push for five-star reviews became a turnoff for us and directly impacted our final rating. Companies should focus on delivering a seamless experience instead of trying to influence guest feedback afterward. If anything, the review pressure lowered our rating from what likely would have been a three-star review down to a two-star review.
Overall, we had some incredible wildlife sightings and enjoyed the lodges, but the poor logistical planning, mixing of incompatible tour types, and heavy-handed review solicitation left a disappointing final impression.
