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
US
Email Alex F. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Experience - Above and Beyond!
My wife and I went to Tanzania for our honeymoon and chose to do our safari through African Big Cats Safaris. I have previously done a safari in Uganda so I had some idea of what to expect, but the trip honestly was better than I ever could have imagined.
We cannot stop talking about how impressed we were with Endeni, our guide for the trip. Endeni really went above and beyond every single day of the trip; we ended every day feeling like he had done everything that he possibly could have to make our safari that day as amazing as possible. In addition to his knowledge of wildlife (especially birds - wow!), he knew so much about photography and never failed to get us in a position for the best lighting possible.
Obviously a lot of what you will see is dependent on nature, but Endeni did everything he could to make sure we saw as much as possible. We saw all of the big five - we did not expect to see any rhinos, but ended up seeing six (three in Ngorongoro and three in Serengeti!). We also saw a leopard carrying a zebra in a tree in the Serengeti, which was a truly unforgettable experience.
While there were countless things that Endeni did to make our trip perfect, there are two examples that I want to share. The first was in the Ngorongoro Crater. We had been there all day, and the park was closing soon, but Endeni went out of his way to take us to a hippo pool. We were the only car there, and got to watch three hippos get out of the water and walk right in front of the car. It was such a special experience and made possible by Endeni choosing to stay as late in the park as was permitted. The second was in the Serengeti. I asked if there were cheetahs in the area that we were in, and Endeni deducted that I was hoping to see more cheetah. Somehow, he knew exactly where to go to find two cheetahs that had been hiding and let us spend an hour with them getting tons of great pictures.
For the entire trip, we never felt rushed or pressured. Endeni always made sure to give us enough time with the animals, but could sense when we were ready to move on.
Everything else was great as well. The company was great to work with during the planning phase and helped a lot with selecting our lodges. We stayed at Gran Melia Arusha, Maramboi Tented Lodge, Kitela Lodge, Ngorongoro Serena, Elewana Pioneer Camp Serengeti, and Z Hotel Zanzibar. I will write separate reviews for each of these, but they were all great. Pioneer Camp was by far our favorite (the coolest place we have ever stayed), but we also loved Gran Melia, Maramboi, and Kitela. Serena Ngorongoro was good, but it was definitely an older crowd (as honeymooners, we were in our late 20's and felt like we didn't see anyone at the hotel below the age of 40 while we were there). But the views were excellent from our room and we didn't really have any complaints. The transportation we received to our first hotel in Arusha and to and from our last hotel in Zanzibar was also excellent.
If I had to mention one bad part of the trip, it would probably be our flight from Seronera Airstrip in the Serengeti to Zanzibar (but this really wasn't African Big Cats Safaris' fault). The airport is just very chaotic and it wasn't even clear to us when our flight was leaving - we basically just got on a plane and hoped for the best. Our flight also had a longer layover in Arusha than we expected. However, I took a regional flight within Uganda when I was there and had a similar chaotic experience, so I think it is just something to be prepared for when taking flights from smaller airports in Africa. Again, nothing African Big Cats Safaris could have helped - Endeni got us to the airport in plenty of time and waited there until we were through security and situated.
Overall, it was the trip of a lifetime and we really couldn't have been happier. I would recommend using African Big Cats Safaris to everyone I know - the cost was fair and I can't imagine how we could have possibly had a better experience than we did with them. If you are on the fence, just book with them! You will not regret it!
CA
Email Rebecca | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolutely Perfect!
We spent 4 days in the Serengeti with African Big Cats Safari and they were absolutely perfect! I would recommend them without any hesitation. We inquired with many different companies initially (there are so many to choose from) but we are so happy we ended up booking with Big Cats.
Big Cats was responsive, flexible, knowledgeable and extremely professional. William and Naomi responded to our many emails and WhatsApp messages promptly, making the planning process easy.
Our guide, Khalid, was fantastic - he was so knowledgeable about the land, the animals, and the history. It added so much to our trip. He tailored the trip to what we wanted to prioritize. He found endless wildlife (lions, cheetahs, leopards, and even 2 Black rhinos). Khalid was always patient and accommodating for letting us take photos-He would even try and find the best light/angles for capturing the animals on film! He was a great driver (in often challenging conditions), and we always felt safe.
The accommodation that Big Cats booked for us was also great - comfortable and great food.
I would highly recommend African Big Cats to anyone!
Email Veronique | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Surreal experience
Overall: Amazing experience and African Big Cats Safaris is 100% recommended!
Service & communication: The whole African Big Cats team was amazing: Justice, Naomi, Emanuel, and our fabulous guide Endeni. All super responsive, helpful, flexible, and kind. We were able to tailor our safari to what we wanted to do, going beyond the default packages they have. We could also choose the hotels/lodges/camps where we wanted to stay out of the numerous options they offered. Overall great service!
Safari: Simply an incredible experience! We did a mid-range safari including 1 day in Tarangire, 3 days in Serengeti (total of 4 game drives due to travel time), and 1 day in Ngorongoro. We saw so many animals from day 1, some very close, crossing right in front of us. After day 2, we didn't even know what else we could expect considering how much we had already seen. But Endeni managed to blow us away every single day with new things to see. We loved having Endeni as our guide. He is super respectful with animals and people in the other cars (e.g. not blocking the view for other tourists), and he's always willing to help others. He knows everything about the animals, the parks, and the country's history. He knows different languages (spoke Spanish to us), and is keen to learn even more. He drives super safely. And he's funny, we laughed quite a bit with him!
Accommodation & food: The hotels/lodges we went to were perfect. Great service, great infrastructure, even when in a camping lodge (more like glamping!). The food was delicious as well every single day: buffet for breakfast and dinner, and actual cooked food for most lunches during the safari.
MX
Email Wayne | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
All round great experience
The tour company was very engaged, the manager picked us up, took us to the hotel then provided an excellent briefing on what to expect. Our tour guide was a master at spotting wildlife and very knowlegeable, providing us with both great viewing and a great education. The camps varied from quite fancy to glamping - big tents each with their own bathroom including shower.
Every park we visited offered something of its own, they were all worth visiting. And while we did not see the migration across the Mara river, the wildebeest lined up several times to cross but chickend out, it was still a great day. Getting the opportunity to watch a cheetah hunt successfully was one of the highlights of the trip.
Our last night was at a camp run by the Massai, what a great experience! They offered different activities, spear throwing, singing, hiking, all very fun and worth doing.
Email Niovi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best trip with the best guide!
We did a 5 day safari with Moses which was probably one of the best experience. We were extremely lucky to have the most experienced, knowledgeable and fun driver who managed to spot the animals that no other driver in the park could! We ended up seeing much more than the big-5 all thanks to this amazing guy. Highly recommended!
Email Unforgettable experience! | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Friendly, efficient and honest
We came to Tanzania for our honeymoon, and African Big Cats organised our safari. The safari was INCREDIBLE!! Our guide Lovoi went above and beyond, we saw things we never thought we would! Including the big 5 and the very endangered white rhino!
The hotels were all breathtaking and everyone was very nice. We had one tiny issue and one of our stays and African Big Cats solved it within minutes of letting them know.
Honestly it was an unforgettable experience and they were so nice and helpful all the way through!
DE
Email Gerti | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Much more than I could imagine before!! In any moment. Even after the trip the company organized all
The communication was always fast and clear.the costs are fair and the experience of our guide made an unique Trip.thank you so much for all Moses!!
Asante sana to All of you!
US
Email Fernando | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari your company that you won’t regret
I’m not one for your operators but from booking to send off, African big cats safaris displayed excellent communication and professionalism. Emmanuel the director was attentive and met us for a pre Safari briefing, explained all the necessary details needed for an enjoyable experience. The accommodations and food were top notch. Our guide Moses above being an excellent human being he is experienced and has a phd in Safari. He was adaptable to our situations and went out of our way to ensure we had a world class experience and that we stayed safe and out of peril. I must say that abcs is a world class operation with a Tanzanian flare.
NL
Email Manu | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
African Big Cats Safaris is our go to always for Safaris
I had an incredible safari experience! The people were friendly from the start and provided detailed information to all our questions, our guide Peter was amazing, and the owner went above and beyond by personally meeting us before and after the safari to inquire about our expectations and gather feedback. This level of personalised service truly made our adventure unforgettable. Highly recommended! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Email Ben | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
One of the most amazing experiences!
I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life in Tanzania with African Big Cats Safaris. Their website is comprehensive and Justice and Naomi customized the perfect itinerary for me. This included a variety of different types of parks, as well as organizing all pickups/drop-offs from airports. The company also went above and beyond by helping me with a flight issue in-country. The hotel choices were wonderful, including an on-the-beach spot in Zanzibar and comfortable tent lodges while on safari. One in Tarangire had a watering hole with elephants right next to the lodge! The best experiences were the Serengeti balloon safari and my driver/guide, Khalid. He was unbelievably knowledgable about every animal, including knowing their Latin names and habits. It was amazing to get to experience the big 5, cheetahs, giraffes, birds, and many more in their natural environment. It was also very nice to meet the Managing Director, Emanuel; I thought that was a nice touch that showed the company valued my experience. I HIGHLY recommend African Big Cats Safaris and Khalid to everyone looking for the perfect safari adventure!
