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:
- $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 Nicolas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience. A dream come true !
This was my first safari experience ! We spent 4 days in 3 different national parks and everything was wonderful and perfectly organised !
All agreements were fully implemented and more.
Our guide Lodi picked us up at our chosen location and took care of us the whole time. He made sure to meet all our expectations and much more. The trip was so exciting and smooth that it felt like a dream. Thanks to him, we had the chance to see all the animals (all the Big Five).
We could not have wished for a better guide and I can only recommend African Big Cats Safaris!
US
Email Joe M. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding Trip and Tour Operator
I took a six day trip with African Big Cat Safaris (ABCS) with my adult daughter and Sister in Law.
Our trip took a turn for the worse before we left Chicago because our first flight was delayed by three hours. This meant that we missed a connecting flight in Ethiopia that was scheduled to take us to Tanzania. We ended up spending the night in Ethiopia and arrived in Tanzania a day later than expected.
The original plan had been to meet our tour operator at the airport on arrival in Tanzania and then transit to a hotel to rest after our long flight.
I called African Big Cat Safaris and advised them of the delay. They agreed to meet us at the airport and immediately start our safari instead of going to a hotel. They saved us from losing a day of safari!
We met our guide, Endeni, at the airport and then went to the cultural center to meet Emmanuel and take care of payments.
I found Emmanuel to be very welcoming. He made it clear that he understood this was expected to be "a trip of a lifetime" and promised to do all he could to make sure it was a great trip. He did not disappoint! It was clear that the office was communicating with our guide during the trip and providing support.
We were in the middle of our trip when Endeni was contacted by the office and reminded that we needed to get a negative covid test to return home. I was enjoying the trip and had completely forgotten about the test, but ABCS was on top of things. They arranged for the test to be given at Serengeti National Park and took us there. We were on our way after about thirty minutes and were sent the result by email as we continued with our trip.
Endeni was a great guide. He educated us on the history of Tanzania, the flora and fauna, was a safe driver, friendly, always on time, and was very patient when we stopped for the hundredth time to take a picture of an elephant or zebra.
I was so impressed by Endeni that I asked him what training he had taken to be a tour guide. Prior to taking the trip, I thought that a guide was a local who was given a set of keys and a map with instructions to drive tourists around. I learned that he attended an 18 month college course to be a guide and was still taking classes to improve on his multi-lingual communication skills. It was very clear that he was a professional and was not hired simply because he was buddies with the right person.
The food and accommodations were very good. We stayed in tents on two nights and it was evident a lot of effort goes into keeping the lodging nice for visitors.
Our vehicle was the perfect size for our party of three, but could have easily fit one or two more. We never had to worry about charging our gadgets as there were plentiful USB ports. High voltage outlets were also available from the inverter, but were not needed. The mini fridge/cooler was also very nice and had plenty of soda and water.
The only thing that disappointed me about the trip was that I was not able to meet Justice. He was in contact with me prior to the trip and was very helpful with booking and answering questions. Unfortunately, he was assisting someone else when we arrived so we did not get to meet him in person.
There are probably over 100 tour operators in Arusha. Knowing which company to pick to keep you safe and provide a great trip can be very difficult. I highly recommend African Big Cat Safaris!
FR
Email Guillaume | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best Safari tour company in Tanzania !
I went to a private safari tour for 6 days / 5 nights with African Big Cats Safaris in August 2021 and all I can say is that everything was perfectly planned and done from the first email they sent me to the last minute of the last day.
Before choosing African Big Cats, I have sent emails to a dozen companies explaining my specific needs in terms of itinerary and accommodations for the trip and African Big Cats were not only one of the fastest to reply but more importantly the one whom really customized their response in order to fit my needs.
They provided us with an amazing, nice and very experienced guide who was able to spot all the animals on the blink of an eye while educating us with a perfect english about the savanna environment and the trip was perfectly timed and executed without any single mistake.
I would recommend this company to anyone looking for the best and more unique safari experience and I would also recommend you to ask for Ndeni as your guide as he is as charming and nice as efficient to spot the animals !!
Unforgettable wild memories!
We have done a 6 days safari at Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Manyara national Park. African Big Cats Safari has prepared us an outstansing experience with some greats places to sleep in the middle of wild big cats. Thanks to the significant experience of our guide, Loradgard, who was always concerned about our satisfaction, we have seen incredible thinks like the BIG 5 and even more (group of lions eating or hunting, 5 cheetahs eating, hyenas, babies lions ans babies cheetahs and even a leopard at less than 2 meters!). He will share with you his love of animal and knowledge with always a smile. Loradgard was always flexible in order to permit us seeing a lot of thinks from animals to landscapes. That's a big reason why this experience was far above our expectations. Thank you guys for making this travel as a dream! We definitely recommend that company at 100 %. ASANTE SANA.
Email Rick & Sam | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Big Migration North Serengeti and 3 other parks
We had amazing time on a private safari for two. I would strongly recommend to choose private tour in a case you' like to take some nice photos and videos. Furthermore comfort and luxury level accommodation gives you some further convenience.
ES
Email Jose R. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience!
During COVID times, starting to plan a trip like this it's complicated, but African Big Cats Safaris (ABCS) were very helpful, and even with short planning time they gave us a great deal. They were fast replying to all our concerns and they help us with every detail of the trip.
The experience was unique and outstanding. Our guide, his name is Endeni, did a GREAT effort to give us an amazing experience. Day after day he was respectful but also close to us, telling us interesting tips about wildlife and also about Tanzania. He has a great instinct, thanks to him we had great views of some animals. He was one member of our group and we will always remember this trip with him.
ABCS is a company that takes charge of everything, leaving to us the easy part, enjoy the trip! They took care of good accommodations and meals. They picked us up at the airport and the first day gave us all the important information for the following days, they are a close-to-customer company and they help us with a lot of things.
I want to also acknowledge Emmanuel (person in charge) and Justice (customer support).
FR
Email Audrey | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari
We had a wonderful time with our safari. Our guide and Justice were very attentive and patient to respond to all our questions.
We could only recomand this company
US
Email Lily lux | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extremely knowledgeable, professional, kind, great sense of humor & patient!
Guides from beginning to end were extraordinary- so personable! Trip of a life time with tremendous sights, good food, comfortable accommodations and educating.
ES
Email Miguel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari Tour operator in Tanzania!!
They are the best Safari tour operator in Tanzania!! Here are the reasons why:
Organisation: Thanks to Justice and Emmanuel you are able to organise your trip from anywhere in the world. Communication is smooth, as they will be in touch via email or WhatsApp to make sure everything is perfectly organised before, during and after your Safari.
Guides: They have the most experienced guides. Our was Endeni, a super friendly guy that accompanied us during the whole tour. He is knowledgeable, punctual, and communicative. At the end after spending 4 days with him, Endeni became almost like family. He can speak perfect english, italian and spanish.
Cars: They have top quality 4x4 Toyota Land Cruisers with beverages, charging stations and everything you need to be comfortable during the game drives.
Accommodations: The accommodations were comfortable, with natural scenery, friendly staff, and very good food.
Overall, make sure to book your Safari with African Big Cats and ask for Endeni as your guide - believe me you won’t regret it :)
ES
Email Daniel Chaves Huertas | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding service. Enhanced the whole safari experience. Highly recommended.
A safari is an experience that I recommend to anyone that wants to do something extraordinary during their holidays. It will put you in direct contact with wildlife in its most intact and natural way, and this makes it a life-changing experience. On top of this, we were lucky enough to have chosen African Big Cats to arrange our tour. There are several reasons why this company made our trip even better than we would have expected.
For starters, the communication is fluent, frequent, and transparent. If you have any doubts, any requests, any last-minute changes, or anything that might be important to clear out before, during, and after your tour, you can count on Justice to clear any of them or support you. They're responsive via email or Whatsapp, and if you are coming from a country far from Tanzania to do this trip, this is something you appreciate.
Although it is likely that each safari is different, ours started in Arusha, where our guide picked us at the airport and took us to a lodge where we met the rest of the team and spent the first night. This hotel, like any other hotel that hosted us during the safari, was particularly nice, with natural scenery, friendly staff, and very good food. As I said, it might be different from one tour to the other, but overall they offer anything you need to rest properly between days. Keep in mind that you won't be spending much time in the hotels, so you are aiming for good food and a good night's sleep. The Ilboru Safari Lodge, Eileen's Trees Inn, and the Heritage Tented Camp check positively on both topics.
The hotels' staff deserves extra credit. During our tour, one of our friends was having her birthday, and the staff at Eileen's Trees Inn arranged everything to make sure we could celebrate it. Each and every one of the lodges and hotels where we stayed was different, but overall they complement the safari quite well. This is because they are relatively close to the national parks we visited and offer exactly what we wanted. Actually, and in all fairness, the pictures that you might access online do not reflect what the hotels and inns are actually like. They're much nicer in real life. Be reassured that the hotels are excellent and in our case went above expectations.
I'll continue with the most important part of the tour. The guide. Ours was Endeni, a super friendly guy that accompanied us during the whole tour. He is knowledgeable, witty, punctual, and communicative. African Big Cats has other guides I'm sure, but if they are any like Endeni you're in great hands. My advice to anyone doing the safari is to become friends with your guide, ask them about their trajectory and the things they have done and seen. They will tell the story of a unique country, going from its recent story, its current status and of course, the wildlife. As mentioned before, ours was Endeni. The dude's a legend, you will be lucky if you get him.
During our safari, we visited three places. The Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the Serengeti. This review won't have any spoilers, that part I will leave it out. But do expect to learn a lot, amazing views, and close contact with wild animals. The tour can't guarantee it, by all means, but in general, you will see something unexpected frequently. The car is comfortable and you can enjoy cold drinks while at it. On top of it, our car had chargers so you can use your phone along the tour (for pictures, I hope).
In general, going on a safari is a life-changing experience. African Big Cats makes the experience significantly better.
