African Big Cats Safaris
- Offices In:
-
United States
Australia
Canada
- Size:
- 10-20 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
IT
Email Lorenzo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Organized and attention to our needs
We had an incredible safari experience with African Big Cats!
From the very beginning, Emanuel, the team leader, was extremely attentive and welcoming. On the day of our arrival, he took the time to meet us in person, go over the details of our trip, and patiently answer every single question we had. It immediately gave us great confidence and excitement for the journey ahead.
Our guide, Endeni, was simply outstanding. Friendly, knowledgeable, and always attentive, he made us feel comfortable right away and created a great connection with our group. He went above and beyond to meet our needs, always ready to answer any question and adapt to our wishes. Thanks to him, we were able to see all the incredible wildlife across Serengeti and Tarangire – unforgettable moments we’ll carry with us forever.
The organization was flawless from start to finish. We booked nine months in advance and throughout the whole time the company was very responsive and kind, answering all of our doubts quickly and clearly.
We honestly have nothing negative to say. African Big Cats exceeded our expectations in every way, and we wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone planning a safari in Tanzania.
Thank you so much – we can’t wait to come back!
DE
Email Jessica | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Safari with African Big Cats – Wildlife 🦁, Culture 🛖, and Heartfelt Moments 💖
Our safari with AFRICAN BIG CATS was an all-round excellent experience that exceeded our expectations in many ways. Communication in advance was professional and reliable. Shortly after we made our inquiry via SAFARIBOOKINGS.COM, Joshua from African Big Cats contacted us, followed by a friendly and informative exchange with Naomi – both via email and WhatsApp, which proved especially helpful for time-sensitive questions.
On the day of arrival, we were warmly welcomed by our guide Dominick Israel , and also received a personal briefing from Emanuel, the managing director of African Big Cats, directly at our hotel. This meeting allowed us to clarify any open questions and helped us mentally prepare for the journey ahead. On the second-to-last day, we were invited to share our feedback directly with Emanuel – yet another sign of the company’s remarkable customer care.
Throughout the trip, the support provided by our guide Dominick was outstanding. His deep knowledge of flora, fauna, and culture – paired with his ability to communicate it clearly and engagingly – greatly enriched our safari experience. It’s especially worth noting that Dominick previously worked as a ranger, and brought with him an impressive wealth of expertise from that time. He looked after all organizational matters, coordinated with lodges and the office, and ensured our vehicle was always in top condition. His dedication to showing us as many animal species as possible – even if it meant taking detours – along with his care for our safety and wellbeing, stood out throughout the trip. Thanks to his previous time spent in Germany, we shared a unique connection that made our journey even more special. Over the two weeks we spent together, we truly feel a friendship was formed.
The choice of accommodations fully matched the booked “comfort” category. We were welcomed warmly and professionally at every stop, and in many lodges were even addressed by our first names – a detail we deeply appreciated. The topic of tipping was communicated transparently and early on, which helped us feel prepared.
Overall, we consider the value for money to be fair – especially considering the comprehensive services included: lodging, meals, park fees, and a highly qualified GUIDE. Although it’s a HIGH-END trip, the quality and service absolutely justify the cost. We were happy to follow the recommendation of tipping our guide daily – particularly because DOMINICK’s service was truly exceptional.
PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION throughout the journey were highly reliable. Any spontaneous changes were discussed openly and sensibly – such as the opportunity to spend additional time in the NGORONGORO CRATER at Dominick’s suggestion.
🗺️ TRAVEL SUMMARY
Our safari took us through some of TANZANIA’S most stunning protected areas:
📍ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK, where we went on a GUIDED WALK with a RANGER and observed GIRAFFES up close — a truly unique start to our trip
📍TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK, with its majestic BAOBAB TREES and large ELEPHANT HERDS. Here we also joined a NIGHTTIME GAME DRIVE, offering fascinating glimpses into animal life after dark
📍LAKE MANYARA, famous for its DIVERSE BIRDLIFE and TREE-CLIMBING LIONS
📍SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK, the heart of the GREAT MIGRATION and setting for unforgettable WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS
📍NGORONGORO CRATER, a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE with astonishing wildlife density — where we were lucky enough to spot RHINOS
Our accommodations – especially the TENTED LODGES LOCATED INSIDE THE PARKS in TARANGIRE, SERENGETI, and at LAKE MASEK – brought us incredibly close to nature. On several nights, we fell asleep and woke to the SOUND OF LIONS ROARING — a spine-tingling experience we’ll never forget.
The itinerary was rounded out by MEANINGFUL CULTURAL EXPERIENCES:
🏹 Visiting the HADZABE and joining them on a MORNING HUNT gave us profound insight into their way of life
🔧 We then spent time with the DATOGA, learning about their CRAFTSMANSHIP and TRADITIONS
🛖 One particular highlight was our stay at the OSILIGILAI MAASAI LODGE: we slept in a TRADITIONAL BOMA HUT, went on a NATURE WALK with a MAASAI WARRIOR, joined a SPEAR-THROWING COMPETITION, danced with the MAASAI at SUNSET, and later gathered around the CAMPFIRE - powerful moments that touched us deeply!
Email Paul | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
excellent, well organized, attentive, caring, good to deal with.
wow what a trip it excelled all our expectations, from day one to the last day everything ran like clockwork. I take my hat off to all the crew at big cats safaris from the guide to management for making our holiday so special . Everyday was an exciting experience from wildlife to beautiful vistas and outstanding acommodation. we met some interesting and extremely friendly people along the way especially the staff at each lodge that we stayed in, we were made to feel so special. All the lodges were top notch , great locations, good food, great staff. Back in Australia now and already missing Tanzania, hope to get back there soon. Special thanks to Emanuel (manager) for the ride to the airport
African Big Cats truly cares about giving you the best experience
We had an incredible time celebrating our honeymoon with African Big Cats! They are well organized, have great communication and are very accommodating. Thank you Emmanuel and Olivia for helping us plan our itinerary and for the smooth booking process. You made our trip so seamless by planning out the optimal route and booking our accommodations.
From start to end, we were very happy with our experience. Kelvin greeted us cheerfully at the airport after a long journey and taught us some basic Swahili and shared some information about Arusha and Tanzania. Thank you Kelvin for the warm welcome and introduction to Tanzania! Your Swahili lesson was very helpful!
Last but not least, our guide Elias was so kind, patient and knowledgeable. My husband is a bird watcher and was thrilled to see over 100 species of new birds that Elias pointed out. You can tell that Elias is an expert guide - he has a hawk eye for spotting animals/birds and knows how to navigate the parks by memory and traverse the rugged roads safely. Thank you Elias for a wonderful and unforgettable experience!
US
Email Meghan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unequivocally happy with our decision to book through African Big Cats
We loved our safari experience and were so happy to have gone with African Big Cats! They were very responsive throughout the booking process and helped to customize our itinerary, recommending activities, like a crater rim hike in Ngorongoro, based on our interests. The lodgings they booked for us were excellent, except for one which we still found to be “fine” instead of “great”. The vehicle had everything we needed - lot of water, soft drinks, comfortable seats for long drives, and charging ports.
Our guide Festo made the trip extra special for us. He is not only super knowledgeable and respectful of the animals and parks, but is also exceptionally kind and friendly. He was very attentive to our comfort and offered alternative activities or schedules to customize our experience (like leaving our accommodation later than planned early in the trip when we were having trouble adjusting to the time change). For having spent a lot of time together over 9 busy days, we never felt like a burden to him; he just radiates positivity, curiosity, and good vibes!
I would not hesitate to book through African Big Cats again and would recommend them to any friends and family looking to visit Tanzania!
AE
Email Luca Parodi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very reliable safari operator, great communication and always available to accommodate our requests
We are a family living in Dubai and we really wanted to do a safari with our 2 daughters this summer. I picked this operator from Safari Bookings and trusted the many positive reviews. Initially I have asked 3 different operators programs and quotations and I especially appreciated the prompt communication with Naomi, the Operations Manager of African Big Cats Safaris who gave me several proposals to fit our interests and budget. Everything went as per plan. Our driver Festo was expecting us at the Kilimanjaro Airport where we started our journey. Festo has really been a professional guide over our 6 days of safari, a kind, polite and very knowledgeable person. We started with visiting the Tarangire National Park, where we saw many elephants, baboons, zebras, giraffes, moving then to Ngorongoro crater, with a very spectacular scenery. Many lions, buffalos, zebras, hyenas (in action taking the remains of an animal hunted by 2 male lions) and many birds. Unfortunately we spotted only from very far distance a rhino. Serengeti was an amazing experience as well, the park is huge and quite diverse. Central Serengeti was very nice especially for the lions and elephant, then we moved to North Serengeti to see the migrations, thousands of wildebeests and zebras all around, crossing the Mara river. We saw 2 crossings and then we spotted 3 cheetahs hunting. We also spotted 2 leopards on a tree. Overall it's difficult to find the words to tell about the beauty of the places and the wild life. The accommodations were according to standards, maybe only one in Ngorongoro was a bit basic, where we slept with 8 degrees. The low temperature at times was a surprise. After 1,100 Km of drive from Kilimanjaro to the border of Kenia, we left North Serengeti flying to Zanzibar. I have to say the roads are very bumpy but those Toyota SUV are indestructible! Overall a true fantastic experience!
US
Email Elizabeth | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime trip! Incredible experience!
We had a great experience with Big Cats Safari! Booking was easy and they were communicative but the absolute best part of working with Big Cats was our safari guide- Gabi. He was such a kind and intelligent young man who took genuine joy in sharing about the parks and wildlife- he was knowledgeable and really enjoyed sharing his passion and knowledge with us. Would definitely reccomend this company to anyone looking for a safari experience! We did Tanzania and hit Ngorogoro, Lake Manyara, Tarangire and Serengeti! Incredible and life changing trip.
HK
Email Wan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Unforgettable Safari with African Big Cats – Exceeded All Expectations!
Our group of four had an incredible 10-day safari with African Big Cats, and we’re so glad we chose them for this adventure. From start to finish, the trip was exceptionally well-organized, and every detail was thoughtfully arranged.
William and Naomi crafted a perfect itinerary tailored to our needs and budget. They were highly responsive and attentive, ensuring everything ran smoothly. Even when our flight was delayed by four hours (arriving at JRO at 3 am!), Naomi reassured us that our driver would wait—and true to her word, he did, getting us safely to our hotel by 4 am.
Our guide, Lovoi, was simply outstanding. His expertise, sharp eyes, and skillful driving made our safari unforgettable. Thanks to him, we spotted the Big Five, cheetahs, and countless other animals. Most remarkably, his perseverance allowed us to witness the wildebeest migration on all three days in the Northern Serengeti—including one breathtaking crossing that lasted over 30 minutes!
Beyond his professionalism, Lovoi was incredibly kind, caring, and humorous. He checked in with us nightly and greeted us warmly every morning, ensuring we were comfortable and well-rested. His presence filled each day with laughter and joy.
We wholeheartedly recommend African Big Cats to anyone planning a Tanzanian safari. Asante sana!
US
Email Len | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Africa Safari and Cultural Experience!
We took the “14 Day Comfort Safari & Authentic Cultural Experience” and we added 3 days in Zanzibar at the beach. It exceeded all our expectations. From the very beginning, they were great to work with. Communication was outstanding (Even with the 10-hour time difference). Having our own private guide, Khaled, made the trip amazing. His knowledge and respect for the animals got us to experience what most other Jeeps did not. The cultural experiences gave us a break from the Game Drives and connected us with local communities and traditions. We are so glad we went with African Big Cats Safari, you should too!
NL
Email Ibrahim Yilmaz | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good with little kids
Everything was well organized. Our guide Endeni, who was also our driver, was experienced, very friendly, and helpful. We had an amazing time—beyond our expectations! We saw all the animals we wanted to see up close. The lodges were well arranged and the staff were friendly.
