Go Different...
Brilliant Adventures and Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- Tanzania Association of Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $250 to $3,510 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
CA
Email Rob Anderson | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very professional and adaptable!
Amazing experience on our first Safari! Our son called it “A trip of a lifetime”. Our guide Eugene was amazing. Part of our family for 5 days! He was thoughtful and kind. He made great suggestions and led us to see really cool things. We saw a lion try to take down a hippo and cheetahs chase down a gazelle! Meals were great and everyone was very helpful. Jane did a great job coordinating the whole thing. The Brilliant team had excellent attention to detail and made our trip great! Thank you so much! Would highly recommend this crew!
CZ
Email Vincent & Kristyna | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant & highly reliant local tour operator that goes above and beyond
We chose Brilliant Safaris thanks to their excellent communications and flexibility in adjusting the program to our schedule and preferences. We enjoyed meeting the staff once we landed in Tanzania. Everyone is very friendly and helpful and the team are very focused on hearing feedback. Additionally, in our experience they regularly went above and beyond to make our stay as enjoyable and comfortable as possible.
Our driver Joshua was just as nice, professional and friendly as the rest of the staff we met. He was an excellent driver (it doesn't go without saying in local road and traffic conditions) and a fun companion on long safari days. He was an excellent guide through the parks (Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro) we visited, helped us spot so many animals that we would have never otherwise seen. He would always accompany the animal encounters with explanations and stories, which made our experience even more well rounded.
Another reason we'd recommend Brilliant Safaris is that their cars are adjusted to only have 4 seats in them, which allows for extra comfort during the long drives, which made all the difference to us. They are also equipped with a stocked up fridge with cold water and drinks, as well as a basket of local treats for in between meals. This is a very nice touch.
As for accommodation, we opted for the "Mid Range" and were pleasantly surprised by the level of comfort and hospitality in all the camps and hotels we stayed in. We almost cannot imagine what "Luxury" options look like if this was Mid Range, but we appreciate this is subjective. Nonetheless, the camps and lodges inside the parks were so lovely to stay in. All of the local staff go the extra mile for you to feel happy and comfortable, carrying our bags, always having a smile and not afraid to chat. Without a doubt, waking up and hearing the wildlife around us was one of our highlights.
When it comes to food, we never had any issues, the quality was agreeable and quantity was in true Tanzanian style plentiful.
It was amazing to see that Brilliant Safaris were available any time of the day - from a very early airport pick up to a very late departure. They were also extremely flexible in customising our experience and accommodating our needs.
Overall, we'd highly recommend travelling with Brilliant Safaris, they are trustworthy, knowledgeable, friendly and professional.
US
Email Eric | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant is organized, friendly and really cares about delivering an amazing safari experience
I used Brilliant for my first time visiting Africa and they did an amazing job of helping organize an unforgettable experience. Before arriving they provided a great amount of information on what to expect and how to properly prepare ahead of time. It was this type of attention to detail that really made everything run smoothly.
Our guide, Joshua, was incredibly knowledgeable answering all of the questions that we had and able to position us perfectly to have close-up encounters with the animals including the opportunity to see a pride of lions hunt a group of warthogs and a rare sighting of two rhinos in the Ngorongoro Crater.
Overall I have only great things to say about my experience and am grateful to Brilliant for executing on such a flawless Safari.
US
Email Courtney | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant Adventures is absolutely amazing and I would recommend them to anyone and everyone!
Brilliant Adventures and Safaris made our safari experience absolutely incredible from start to finish. Lightness was amazing to work with to coordinate and plan the entire trip. She made everything so easy and helped to customize our itinerary to exactly what we wanted to do, and she was always extremely responsive. Lightness is amazing at her job, is so professional and made booking this big trip so smooth and easy.
Joshua was our safari guide and he is amazing! He's so nice and extremely knowledgable on all of the animals, parks and knew the answer to every question we asked. You could tell that he really cares and is very passionate about the animals. He shared his knowledge of the animals, the history of the parks, the culture and more. You cannot possibly have a better safari guide than Joshua!
The level of attention to detail by Brilliant Adventures and Safaris is clear every step of the way. They care immensely about your safety and you can feel that from before you go and the entire time you're there. Beginning with the detailed itinerary and know before you go documentation, I felt very secure and prepared planning this trip. The safari vehicles that Brilliant Adventures uses is definitely the best. We saw a lot of other safari vehicles and did not see any that were quite like ours. We had 4 people and there were 4 seats with a ton of room to stretch out and walk/jump around when you got excited about all the animals. The roof came completely off and the windows folded all the way down so you really had full exposure and unblocked views from the landscape and the animals. All of the lodging accommodations that were organized for us were top notch, everything was clean, the staff were all insanely welcoming and nice, and the food and service were amazing! Our friends celebrated their birthdays and got engaged on this trip and Brilliant Adventures went above and beyond to make it special for them! We danced in the Serengeti and ate cake and then ate more cake the next day and more cake the day after that! Lightness got a bouquet of roses for my friend's birthday and you could tell they really cared about us and our experience.
The Serengeti is beyond your imagination. It was incredible to experience the vast and endless landscape and Joshua had an eagle eye for spotting all the cats! We saw all of the species of animals we hoped to see and up close! We even saw a pride of lions hunt right in front of us, it was so crazy and awesome to see. Joshua knew the area so well and knew exactly where to go for us to get up close experiences with the animals.
Bottom line, Brilliant Adventures is by far the best safari company in Tanzania, you will get the most value for your money, the best experience and the best people. I cannot say enough great things about them and if you are booking a safari to Tanzania I highly recommend Brilliant Adventures and Safaris!
US
Email Rachel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely wonderful! Perfectly organized and managed from beginning to end.
We had the best time on our safari. Josh was a wonderful and knowledgeable tour guide and we saw so many animals! We celebrated two birthdays and an engagement on our safari and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Brilliant Safaris organized for our lodges to celebrate our birthdays and we felt so welcomed with individualized cakes and flowers. Josh himself organized a private dinner underneath the stars at our tented lodge in the Serengeti the evening of our engagement and we can’t thank him or Brilliant Safaris enough for making our day even more special. The entire trip was planned perfectly with great communication from start to finish, and we absolutely recommend them!
US
Email Sabrina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect 20th anniversary celebration thanks to Brillant Adventures
We really appreciated Julieth’s hard work organizing our week long safari visiting Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. From the moment Joshua picked us from the airport, we were well taken care of especially when they made sure we got our delayed luggage. Thanks to Joshua’s expertise, we saw everything we wanted to and had a lot of fun doing so. The jeep was very comfortable and the lunches provided (especially the first meal by Brillant) were delicious. The An’gata tented camp at Tarangire was beautiful and the one at Ngorongoro gave us an early start at the crater. We splurged on 2 nights at the Melia Serengeti and it was worth it! Mixing the lodge and tent experience was the best of both. We’d highly recommend Brillant and loved our time in Tanzania.
NL
Email Clemens Mayer | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best! Holiday! Ever! - Thank you Brilliant :D
Communication: From the get-go, Brilliant stood out from other tour operators in their professional approach. Communication with our agent, Julieth, was smooth and she accommodated all our wishes and gave us expert advice when planning our Safari. Also, unlike other tour operators, Brilliant never spammed my inbox with daily emails, but only sent a small number of timely reminder emails.
Service: From the moment we touched down in Arusha, we felt like true VIPs. Our guide, Joshua, made all our wishes true, even those we never uttered out loud. In addition to the outstanding hospitality and service, Joshua proved incredibly knowledgeable with respect to animals, plants, and Tanzanian culture. We really felt that we learned a lot from him and, for us, this was particularly rewarding.
Accommodations: We selected the mid-range options, which for our standards could easily be considered luxury. All accommodations felt like ‘authentic Tanzanian’, with attentive and caring staff. The rooms, including the bathrooms, were incredibly spacious and the food was outstanding. Also, while other Safari guests had ‘lunchboxes’, we often found ourselves with a three-course picnic for lunch instead!
Value for money: After comparing a number of safari operators in preparation for our trip, we are convinced that Brilliant Adventures & Safaris offers a highly competitive package. Indeed, offers from other tour operators featured limited game drive mileage and did not include the flight to Zanzibar or unlimited (soft) drinks.
Experience: This was hands down the best holiday experience we ever had and Brilliant had a large part in making the trip unforgettable for us. If you care for professional communication, reliable arrangements, outstanding service, and great accommodations, all at a competitive price, you cannot go wrong when booking with Brilliant!
CA
Email Jackie and Brendan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A truly 'Brilliant' experience that exceeded all expectations
We did a lot of research before booking our safari. Like a couple of other reviewers, we were really intrigued by the reviews of Brilliant, but a little nervous because they don’t have as many reviews as the bigger companies. Ultimately, they were one of three companies we chose to request quotes from and Brilliant immediately set themselves apart in their response. Their email included not only an incredibly detailed itinerary but also a wealth of additional information about travelling to Tanzania, going on safari, the accommodations and their custom vehicles.
It was clear that Brilliant are extremely passionate about their work and think through every detail. After we decided to book with them, Lightness helped us through finalizing our itinerary and answered all our questions. We felt extremely excited and well-prepared boarding the plane and not at all nervous, even though this was our first trip to East Africa.
From the moment we touched down in Arusha, our experience was exceptional. Hassan was our amazing driver and guide and we truly cannot recommend him highly enough – we would have a completely different experience without him. He is passionate not just about safari and the Tanzanian landscape but about the country’s history, culture and people. Countless times, he went the extra mile to explain things for us, point out things we wouldn’t have noticed and put what we were seeing into context. Furthermore, as an enthusiast photographer himself, he was extremely accommodating about making sure we could get the perfect photograph.
The tour highlighted Brilliant’s thoughtfulness and attention to detail from start to finish. We were really sold on the custom vehicles and were wondering about how unique they really are – if anything, the difference is undersold on the website! Whereas most conventional safari vehicles fit 7 people, Brilliant’s only seat 4 and are designed for maximum manoeuvrability so you can move freely to see the animals and take photos. The difference is immediately obvious – we noticed many, many tourists with other safari companies checking out our vehicle during the trip.
We chose to do the four park Northern Circuit tour, and we felt it was an excellent choice - each park has its own unique, stunning landscape and we felt that each complemented the overall experience very well. We were a little apprehensive about spending so much time in a car, but we never felt bored or disengaged - even when we were on the road from one park or another, we found the landscape and Hussan’s explanations and personable anecdotes to be extremely interesting.
Although obviously we were there to see the animals and experience the parks, the food and accommodations were also hugely memorable and big highlights of our trip. We opted for the mid-range option which included a mix of lodges and luxury tented camps and enjoyed every place we stayed, with Acacia Farm Lodge and the camp at Nyumbani Collection in the Serengeti standing out in particular. (Nyumbani was such a gem, with a stunning setting and phenomenal food and service. We are so glad that the Brilliant team did the research and added it to their itinerary - we didn’t see it listed anywhere else!)
The food at all the accommodations was top-notch, but many of our best food memories are actually of the daily lunches we enjoyed on each game drive. Hassan always knew the best place to stop and once again, attention to detail was second to none, with a full spread, tablecloth and even a folding table and chairs so we could eat with the best view even if there were no picnic tables in the area. Each lunch was supplied by our accommodation and included a huge variety that went well beyond the boxed sandwiches we saw a lot of other visitors eating.
Truly, we cannot recommend Hassan, Lightness and Brilliant Safaris enough. This was a once in a lifetime trip and we truly don’t think we would have had the same experience with a different company - it was everything we dreamed of. We would strongly recommend reaching out to them and wouldn’t hesitate to book with Brilliant again for another East African safari. Asante sana!
Email Avi P | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A once in a lifetime experience delivered by Brilliant Adventures and Safari's
We celebrated our 5-year wedding anniversary by embarking on a once in a lifetime trip to experience the wonders of a Safari in Tanzania. While there were hundreds of company’s we could have chosen from to make our dream holiday come true, deciding on Brilliant Adventures and Safaris for our 10 day tour was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.
From the very first interaction with Brilliant, we were amazed by the level of service we encountered. We had the privilege of working with Lightness (Tanzania Safari Expert) to curate the perfect Safari experience that would fulfill all our desires and requirements. As first-time travelers to Tanzania, and with limited knowledge about the specific regions we wished to explore and the ideal duration for each location, Lightness was able to provide invaluable insights and guidance. Lightness expertly advised us on the most captivating sights to see in December and crafted an itinerary that encompassed the must-visit areas.
The level of service we experienced upon our arrival in Tanzania surpassed all expectations. Joshua Wilfred, our exceptional Driver/Guide, left such a positive impression on us with his kindness, care, professionalism, knowledge, and unwavering passion. Throughout our journey, Joshua consistently went above and beyond to ensure that every moment was extraordinary. On our first day, we shared with Joshua our extensive list of desired sightings, to which he humbly responded, "I can't make any promises, but I will do everything in my power to try and fulfill your list." This sentiment became the guiding principle of our trip, as Joshua meticulously crafted each day's itinerary based on our requests. He often went the extra mile to ensure that we witnessed sights that were beyond the reach of most others travelling with other companies.
With his extensive experience living in the Serengeti, Joshua possessed a wealth of knowledge and insights about the wildlife and the region that set him apart from other guides and makes him such a valuable asset to Brilliant. This invaluable expertise enhanced our journey and we are immensely grateful to Joshua for making all our aspirations come true. Thank you so much Joshua for making our trip so memorable!
If you are seeking a tour company that offers generic, budget-friendly safari packages, there are numerous options available in the market. However, if you want a tour company that is dedicated to collaborating with you to create a personalized trip that aligns with your preferences, provides unmatched services, and guarantees an unforgettable experience, then Brilliant Adventure and Safari is the choice for you. I can honestly say...you wont regret it!
Email Abdul | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service
What an unforgettable Experience, can’t think of anything negative to say. The Safari comes down to the experience of your driver, and I am glad we had bony as our driver. You can tell he had years of experience on him and really knew how to show us everything an African Safari has to offer. Brilliant safari were very easy to communicate with and made the whole booking process easy.