African Big Cats Safaris
- Offices In:
-
United States
Australia
Canada
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Member Of:
- Tanzania Tourist Board
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $250 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
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Email Darcie Harris | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect from beginning to end!
My trip to Africa spanned nearly 30 days beginning in Cape Town, then to Johannesburg, Nairobi, Victoria Falls, and ending in Tanzania. I was so fortunate that the last 10 days were with our exceptional guide, Emmanuel.
Emanuel was more than an experienced guide, he is a wise naturalist. Not only did he know the names and habits of every single animal and bird we saw, he knew the botanical names for every piece of flora and fauna. And the man has bionic eyes! We came to know we were always in for a real treat when he would slowly pull our land cruiser to a stop and peer quietly out the window. And then he would point and say "look right there… it's a female lion… it's a black rhino… it's a herd of elephants…" Then he would drive us closer, often getting within five feet the amazing animals we had traveled so far to see. Emanuel was more than a guide, he became a friend.
Our accommodations and food exceeded our expectations every step of the way. On our next to last night in Tanzania, I discovered that a couple in our group was celebrating their 37th wedding anniversary. I passed the word to Emmanuel, who apparently radioed back to the chef at our camp. That night the chef had prepared a beautiful cake, inscribed with their names, complete with candles, which the entire staff presented with a fabulous dance throughout the tents singing a cheerful African song. I am sure that is a night they will never forget. I know I never will.
I am longing to return to Tanzania and my first contact will be Emmanuel. Thank you for memories that will last a lifetime!
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Email Steve | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Emanuel Made This Trip our Best Ever!
We are a retired couple in our early 60's who have traveled extensively. When booking a safari in Tanzania, the quality of your guide is critical to the experience. We could not have chosen better.
Emanuel has a passion for nature and the local culture that he shares with enthusiasm. His depth of knowledge about the wildlife is beyond impressive. We felt as if we were being guided on our 12 day adventure through this amazing habitat by one of the leading Tanzanian experts, and he happened to have a wonderful sense of humor as well.
Of all our trips in many parts of the world, this one was the most dependent on the quality of the guide. Fortunately for us, Emanuel made it our best trip ever.
Email Pat | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The big five and a lot more!
We been for our 1st time in Africa and after the incredible experience we have had, we clearly recommend it! Emmanuel has been a great guide, very patient and funny, who has share all his knoledge about the country and the wild life with us. Do not doubt to go with him!!
ES
Email OSCAR | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good experience
We have made a honeymoon trip in July and it has been the best experience of our life. Enmanuel has been our guide and we have loved how he has treated us and his knowledge of the country. So we recommend anyone who wants to go on a safari to do it with African Big Cats Safaris.
ES
Email Rafa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience
My family and I lived spectacular days in Tanzania. People treated us incredibly, caring for us and bothering to teach us all the animals of the savanna. 100% recommendable
Look no further than African Big Cats for your trip of a lifetime!
From the moment I contacted African Big Cats to the conclusion of my tour I knew this was an exceptional,professional, and passionate tour operator. My initial discussion with Emanuel was to devise an innovative tour since I have visited Tanzania multiple times.. He suggested a unique , exciting itinerary with his exceptional knowledge of his beloved country. As well as his brilliant knowledge of the flora and fauna his personal stories of his life in Tanzania made me appreciate the culture and customs of this magnificent country. The ability to go off road on this adventure allowed us to be just within reach of the incredible wildlife. He was as enthusiastic as I seeing the migration of wildebeest even through he had experienced it often in his ten years as a guide. I left my heart in Tanzania as many others have and hope to return. I will only consider using African Big Cats on my next adventure.
ES
Email Luis | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic, impossoble to forget.
Absolutely satisfactory. Very recomendable, if possible I would like to repeat the experience.
CA
Email Marinko | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thank you for the greatest guide
First and foremost. We had an amazing guide. experienced Moses is very very knowledgeable in his field. He has a history of many different adventures. He answers any and every question you might have. Guide on the scale 1 -10. Moses is 11. The vehicle left something to be desired. Windows require a power of an ox to open. Seats are what they are and tent camps however talked up are uncomfortable. Hot water bottles needed and was placed in bed to warm you a bit so you don’t freeze. All in all with exception of our glories guide, we payed too much for what we got. They sometimes think that American dollars are on even par with Tanzanian shillings. Don’t drink in safari camps. Each shot of vodka leaves you wanting to stop drinking for ever by its size. The art of a cheat. Single shot is no shot. The smallest in the world. And I’ve seen the world. Short and sweet !robbery.
Tanzanians are fast business companies.They will slow you down. Hard working People are honest tough,and truly very hard working for small money. Your tips are supposed to compensate there starving wage.the companies are not ashamed to tell you how much to tip, and that’s not jut a pitons,on daily bases mind you. You are pinned against hard,hard working man and women however you look at it.
Safari is a swim where only fitest can survive
And your wallet will be victimized in no time.
Thank you to the greatest guide ! “Moses”
Moses is the best
Forget the rest.
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Email Lynzie Rockett | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lack of communication
Complete lack of communication. Had us pay for a person that wasn’t even there! If a deposit means something different in Tanzania than America it would have been nice to know. African Big Cats advertises one lodge on their website but downgrades last minute to another. The downgraded lodge is on the complete opposite side (East/West-of Zanzibar) and rooms smell terribly of mold/mildew. Two safari days were not needed (the first and last). Those need to be removed from the itinerary completely. Note that most of these safari companies go to the same exact spots. As evidenced by the massive amount of jeeps at every stop and animal sighting. Skip African Big Cats and go with one of the MANY other companies. Our guides (Zab and Jumma) were good!!
Reply from African Big Cats Safaris
Posted on Sep 7, 2023Dear Lynzie, Thank you very much for your review, and i am very sorry to hear that the trip wasn't to your satisfaction.
I want to take a moment to address some concerns and provide clarity regarding your recent safari experience with us. It's essential for us to ensure your understanding and satisfaction.
First and foremost, regarding the issue of a participant who couldn't join the trip at the last moment, I understand how frustrating this can be, especially when plans and expenses are already in place. Originally, the safari was booked for seven people, but just two days before your arrival, we received notification that one person had to cancel. According to our policy, cancellations made within 15 days of travel would result in a 100% loss of the trip cost. However, recognising that this situation was beyond your control, we decided to deviate from our policy and charged only 50% of the cost. This decision still resulted in a loss for us, but we wanted to accommodate your circumstances as best as we could. We genuinely wish we could have offered a full refund, but unfortunately, we couldn't pursue this option due to the policies of the accommodations involved. Please know that we tried our best to assist you in this matter.
Concerning the accommodations themselves, we want to clarify that we never altered the options we initially quoted. When the trip was booked in January, it was based on a pre-made tour that Crystal, the person who booked on behalf of your group, selected from our website. While we do provide the flexibility to change accommodations, Crystal opted to stick with the original itinerary. Upon confirmation, we sent a comprehensive itinerary, which included the accommodations she had chosen. However, in the low season (April), our website underwent renovations, which involved changes to some itineraries and accommodations. One of the affected itineraries was the one Crystal had selected. The accommodation in Zanzibar was changed from Amaan Bungalows to Nungwi Dreams. We were unaware that Crystal was using the website itinerary as a reference for your entire group instead of the final itinerary sent to her via email. This miscommunication led to the belief that you were to overnight at Nungwi Dreams instead of Amaan Bungalows, as per your original quote.
Lastly, regarding the duration of the safari days, it's important to understand that the length of the safari significantly influences the quality of the game drive. Your arrival flight on the first day was scheduled to arrive in the afternoon, making it impossible to arrange any game drive on that day. Furthermore, your subsequent flight directly to Zanzibar meant that you could only accommodate a half-day game drive at Manyara on the last day. Given the limited number of days your group had, extending the safari was not feasible. Please note that the duration of the safari directly impacts the quality of the experience, as more extended periods allow for better exploration of the parks and more private game drives, as our guides have the opportunity to venture beyond the standard routes.
I sincerely hope that this clarifies the concerns you had about your recent safari experience. We greatly appreciate your feedback, and I apologise that the trip did not meet your expectations. Our commitment is to continually improve and ensure the best possible experience for our valued clients.