African Big Cats Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $1,100 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 Karen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!
If you're looking for a safari company that truly goes above and beyond, I can't recommend African Big Cats Safari enough. From the very beginning, they helped us create a custom itinerary that perfectly fit the needs of our group, and throughout the entire trip they made sure we were safe, comfortable, and well taken care of.
What really sets this company apart is their incredible attention to detail. Whether it was accommodating dietary restrictions, keeping our vehicle clean after long game drives, or making sure every part of our experience was seamless, they thought of everything. They even made my son's birthday unforgettable by surprising him with a cake while the staff came out singing and dancing. It was such a heartfelt moment that our family will always remember.
Our guide, Omega, was simply outstanding and deserves the biggest thanks of all. We spent eight amazing days with him, and his dedication never wavered. He was incredibly patient and worked tirelessly to make sure we saw every animal we hoped to see. His driving skills and ability to track wildlife were truly impressive—he was always searching, listening, and positioning us for the best possible sightings. Beyond that, he was a wealth of knowledge, answering every question with ease and sharing fascinating facts and trivia about the animals and their behaviors. His passion, expertise, and years of experience were evident every single day, and he played a huge role in making this the trip of a lifetime.
A special thank you as well to Naomi, who was always prompt, professional, and incredibly helpful with email communication before our trip, and to Emmanuel, who warmly welcomed us at the start and saw us off at the end.
We chose African Big Cats Safari based on a friend's recommendation after they traveled with them the year before, and they absolutely lived up to the praise. During our safari, we saw countless vehicles from many different companies, but after experiencing the level of service we received, we're confident we made the right choice. If you want a company that genuinely cares about your experience and ensures every need is met, look no further.
We will absolutely be recommending African Big Cats Safari to our friends and family for years to come.
Asante sana, Omega and the entire African Big Cats Safari team, for giving our family memories that will last a lifetime!
Email Kartik | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Seamless and unforgettable experience
Our experience in Tanzania and the safari was nothing short of mind blowing. We had a great experience with African Big Cats Safari. From the get go Joshua and Naomi were able to listen to our requests and carve out the itinerary that was custom to our needs. Before the start of the safari, Emmanuel had a detailed briefing with us about what to expect from the safari itself, lodging, food, roads, and safety. He made us feel very comfortable and we got the immediate sense that we were in very capable hands.
We flew into the Central Serengeti's Seranora airstrip where we were met by our guide, Festo. We covered 3 days in Serengeti and then a day each at Ngorongoro crater, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire National park. We were amazed by all the animals we saw from the herds of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, warthogs, different species of antelopes, hippos, and of course the cats (lions, leopard, cheetahs) all living in nature the way it was meant to be. We were blessed to catch the elusive black and white rhinos as well in close proximity and almost saw a cheetah going for a kill. We saw and learnt a lot about the smaller animals and the various species of birds native to Tanzania.
A special mention about our guide, Festo was always so cheerful and full of energy from sunrise to the end of the day. He went above and beyond to guide us through our humbling experience in nature's wonderland. Beyond the main animals, he was very knowledgeable about the trees, smaller animals, birds, insects, and the animal behaviors making it a wholesome experience for us. It's not an easy job to drive a safari vehicle, be a great spotter, and share knowledge and history with us while having really long days. He patiently allowed us to take pictures and videos at every opportunity. Best of all, his positive energy and smile was incredibly infectious and kept us in peppy spirits.
All the lodges we stayed at were clean, comfortable, and provided an immersive experience in nature. We loved our interactions with the local people. Being vegetarians we were amazed at the number of delicious options we had for each meal. Lastly the hospitality shown by Tanzanians in every place was truly remarkable. We felt we got great value and service for the price we paid.
Our only recommendation to fellow travelers would be to either do Lake Manyara early in the trip or to skip it all together as it is underwhelming compared to what you can see in the other parks. There is so much to also learn about the Masai culture, we wish we had allocated some additional time for that.
Overall this was an unforgettable lifetime experience with loads of memories thanks to African Big Cat Safaris and the people of Tanzania. Please do continue preserving the parks, the way they are, with as little human influence as possible.
Email Jam | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fun, Comfortable, Exceeded Expectations
TLDR: If you're on the fence about going on safari, just do it. Much cleaner than expected, and with African Big Cats, my group had a once-in-a-lifetime experience we'll never forget.
Our friend (family of 3) booked us (family of 4) a safari tour using African Big Cats. When we arrived in Arusha airport, we were greeted by our guide, Omega (coolest name ever). The seven of us crammed into a safari-modified Toyota Landcruiser (built for 8 people). The seats were comfortable enough, and just about every safari company has these vehicles. After stopping off at the office for a briefing with the manager Emanuel, we were off on an 8 day journey to see some animals in the wild. Our tour was from 7/12-7/19, which is good timing to see the wildebeest migration in Serengeti. Over 8 days, we toured 3 different wildlife refuges, Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro. Each one had a different flavor from the others. Tarangire and Ngorongoro had the denser animal populations (particularly herbivores like elephants and giraffe), but Serengeti had more diversity and rarer sights. Some of the highlights we saw were lion cubs, a cheetah hunting (and killing) a gazelle, and the wildebeest river crossings (featuring crocodiles trying to nab young wildebeest as snack). None of these experiences would've happened had we not been expertly lead by our safari guide Omega. He was super knowledgeable, answered any question we had, and was cool enough to be able to joke around with as well. I kind of regret not tipping him more, but we were too short on cash to add when we finished our trip.
At the end of every day, we would pull into various lodges, and each one was a unique experience unto themselves. The lodgings varied from resort hotels to mobile tented setups, complete with plumbing (shower, sink toilet), hot water, beds, and WIFI. It never occurred to me that these kinds of places could exist, but dang that African ingenuity man... One of the tent lodges even had a TV to watch world cup soccer on - and it was inside the Serengeti. Every one of these lodges had a restaurant section, and provided dinner plus breakfast. Each lodge also provided the guide with lunches for all of us to take on the road for the safari portion of our day. And EVERY staff member at these lodgings were super nice and attentive, like a Japanese level of hospitality. You will NEVER get this kind of service in America.
So in conclusion, what I can say is this - I don't know how amazing it would be if you booked another safari company. I cannot compare. However, everyone in my group had fun on this trip. And I personally felt like Omega was a better guide than many of the other guides around us, in the sense that he almost always seemed to drive to a great spot at just the right time. So if you book with African Big Cats, and get Omega as your guide, I can guarantee, with 95% certainty, that it will be a good time. You may not see EVERYTHING we did, as we did get pretty lucky, but the safari days were amazing (thanks again Omega), and the nights ended with fantastic stays at great lodges. I will be recommending this company to all my friends who are interested.
Email Tony Bell | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding service and value fully focused on customer satisfaction delivering at every level.
Our initial contact,some three months ago,was with William who helped plan our itinerary.He offered valuable input and patiently offered ideas and suggestion to come up with out final excellent draft tour.Fantastic communication at every stage.The admin was then passed to Naomi who was also very easy to deal with and responded promptly and helped us negotiate the funds transfer.
We were met at Arusha airport by our driver guide Thomas and had a brief tour overview with Emanuel who summarised the delights that lay ahead of us.
We consider ourselves so fortunate to have had Thomas lead us through the most amazing week in the Serengeti.His knowledge kindness and sense of humour has given us memories that left us in awe.
The accomodation at every stop excelled and was staffed by lovely people.
To cap the perfect trip we were fortunate enough to see the Big 5 and witness the migration of the Wilderbeest. Thank you Thomas!
We have no hesitation in recommending African Big Cats Safaris.
The very grateful Bell and Grant Group from Australia
Email Richard | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Terrific in every way -- friendly, knowledgeable, honest, safe, accomodating. Highly recommended.
We cannot say enough good things about Big Cats African Safari and our wonderful guide, Omega. From the initial planning stages, their communication was prompt, professional, and incredibly helpful. They expertly balanced our specific interests—such as adding a day hike on Mt. Kilimanjaro and witnessing the Great Migration—with their own deep expertise to design the perfect loop through Tanzania. Our ten-night itinerary included Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tarangire, multiple regions of the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Lake Manyara. Leading up to our trip, they provided excellent guidance on what to expect and how to prepare for the trip. Once we arrived, the whole trip was seamless. Omega met us at the airport and was an extraordinary guide throughout the duration of our journey. Manuel from Big Cats also met with us upon our arrival to help us know what to expect each day.
Omega worked tirelessly to ensure we had a world-class experience. His knowledge of the local wildlife and the region was remarkably impressive – a function of his inquisitive nature and many years of study. He was also very responsible about not disturbing animals in their habitat. Together with this expertise, Omega’s friendly nature and his focus on our safety and comfort made the trip into memories for a lifetime. We were particularly impressed that Omega often knew how to find animals based on his educated hunches – rather than following other safari vehicles to the obvious highlights. Because of his expertise and his sharp eyes, we saw every animal we could have hoped to see – e.g., lions, leopards, cheetahs, black rhinos, white rhinos, elephants, giraffes, warthogs, zebras, wildebeest, and many many others. And birds! Once Omega learned that we were also interested in birds, he was able to help us spot and learn about hundreds of different birds.
For our accommodations, Big Cats selected tented camps that were clean, comfortable, friendly, and perfectly located for spotting wildlife. In the end, the price was similar to three other quotes we received from various safari companies. But we learned that some companies were more reluctant to help us design a custom itinerary – Big Cats worked with us every step of the way. We’ve been lucky go on several African safaris and many games drives. Big Cats was far and away our best experience.
Email Kaye | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Elias was fantastic
Highlights of our trip was the Serengeti, we saw so many big cats, it was amazing. The crater was good too. All the accommodation we stayed at was unique, and an experience adding to our safaris. We did the hot air balloon and had breakfast on the open plains, it was great, highly recommend.
Email Spencer | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Honeymoon Trip
Great service from the landing to flying home. We booked a honeymoon trip that included 5 days of safari and 3 days in Zanzibar. Our guide Venance was incredible and showed us the Big 5 animals and all the rest we wanted to see. He was very knowledgeable. The head director Immanuel was very friendly. High attention to detail and great accommodations booked.
Email Dana Perlow | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
THE BEST!! I would 100% recommend this company to anyone who will listen. Trip of a life time.
We have traveled to many places. We always wanted to go on a safari. A friend recommended African Big Cats Safaris. We did some research and went with them.BEST DECISION! The trip was a trip of a life time for my family of 4 adults. First communicating with the company was easy. They being Joshua and Naiomi were very quick to get back to us and answer all of our questions. We set up 8 day safari. We went to Lake Manyara, Tarangerie NP, Olduvai Gorge,Ngorongor NP, the Serengeti and the Western Corridor to see the wildebeest migration. The last day we did a day hike on Kilimanjaro. They did everything they promised. A manager Emmanuel came out to our hotel in Arusha and walked us throught the tour just to make sure we were on the same page. They set us up in fabulous accomodations and we did the middle expense trip. I had to double check since the places we stayed were so nice. The food at the lodges they booked us was great. Breakfasts were a variety of foods. Lunch was either boxed or in a basket. We had some great lunches in the basket. Dinners were a buffet with plenty to choose from. They lodges would meet us at the drive way with a warm towel and a glass of juice. Perfect after a day of viewing. Our GUIDE WAS AMAZING! Our guide Klaus was fabulous. We were like family by the end of trip. He was so informative. He answered all our questions about nature, the Maasai and Tanzania in general. He had a great laugh and sense of humor. So many other guides knew him we called him the "mayor". He spotted things for us that we had no idea were even there. He saw this femal lion in the bushes waiting on a wildebeest that we had no idea was even there and we zoomed in up close in the Land Cruiser. He was not intrusive. He shared at times without being asked. Klaus quickly picked up our family vide and went at the pace we wanted and focused on things that we cared about. He was never in a rush and waited patiently for us to view what we wanted for however long. We stayed an hour and watched a gazelle be born and take its first steps. By the end we were all cheering on the little guy including Klaus. Even though we are not big birders he would point out different birtds and give us good information about them. He spotted the crocs for us which we would have missed. He pushed us to see the rhinos right away in Ngorongoro Crater because he knew we might not get another chance to see them. He was 100% correct. He was prompt and respectful and flexible. He took us to some out of the way spots that were great viewing. We felt like we left a family member behind when we left. We did a group hug at the end. The guide they gave us for Kilimanjar, Elias, was amazing. So knowledgeable, polite and easy to talk to. He had great information and some incredible stories about the mountain and some of his climbs. We can't say enough good things about our two guides. This story I feel like sums up the company itself. We had an early flight out of JRO and needed to leave the hotel at 6:30 am. The hotel shuttle was at 7. I talked to African Big Cat Safari and they quickly arranged at no extra cost a ride to the airport at 6:30. It took 2 minutes to arrange. The driver was there at 6:20 am waiting for us. Was just such an easy trip. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY 100% We had a triip of a life time thanks to African Big Cat Safari.
Email Jane | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Most Unforgettable Experience Thanks to Big Cats
We had an unforgettable safari with African Big Cats, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. I traveled with my two sons, and from start to finish the company was responsive, thoughtful, and deeply professional.
Our guide, Festo, was truly exceptional. His knowledge of the animals, the landscape, and the rhythms of the Serengeti made every game drive feel meaningful. We saw the Big Five in a real and unforgettable way, along with so many other incredible animals and moments that my boys and I will remember forever. Festo was patient, kind, funny, and wonderful with my children. He knew when to wait, where to look, and how to explain what we were seeing in a way that kept all of us engaged.
What stood out most was not only the wildlife, but the level of care. When we experienced an issue with smoke/fire near one of the camps, African Big Cats was responsive and helped move us so that we could continue the trip safely and comfortably. That responsiveness meant a great deal to me as a mother traveling with children.
The kindness we experienced throughout the trip was extraordinary. Festo made us feel cared for every day, and by the end, it was genuinely emotional to say goodbye. My youngest son even wept at the airport because he did not want the trip to end! That says everything.
This was more than a vacation for us. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, beautifully planned and guided by people who clearly care about their guests. I am deeply grateful to African Big Cats and especially to Festo for giving my family memories we will never forget.
Email Sadie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experienced, Organized, Thorough, Outstanding
Wow!!!! The greatest experience!!! Did not have any expectations/knew very little about Safari before our trip. ABC Safari planned the perfect trip, made thoughtful suggestions to enhance our visit, and answered each question with clarity and kindness. Truly some of the kindest people. Our guide Claus was awesome-25+ years of experience. He knew all of the spots to see the Big 5 and he tailored the safari to what animals we wanted to see. ABC Safari's were extremely organized and thorough. I could not recommend them enough!!!