Safari 56

Look no further than Safari 56, an excellent Tanzania-based Safari Operator!

My family and I highly recommend Safari 56 for your Tanzanian safaris.

We booked two private safaris through Mega Wild Safaris in Uganda to take us to game parks in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The Tanzanian segments were operated by Safari 56 and timed to coincide with the Great Migration in the Serengeti.

The first safari with our two adult children began from the Namanga border crossing between Kenya and Tanzania, where we were presented with Safari 56 swag -- two Safari 56 t-shirts apiece with our names emblazoned on the back! -- much to our delight. Border formalities went smoothly thanks to the transfer agents from Safari 56 to assist us, then transfers from the border to our hotel in Arusha allowed us to relax and enjoy being cared for. From Arusha, we visited the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and Serengeti NP (staying in different sectors of the park over three nights). Our days on safari spent in the excellent, well-equipped and comfy Toyota Land Cruiser pop-up-roof safari vehicles began after the crack of dawn and ended 11 hours later before dusk, which was exactly how we wanted them: filled to the max. Sightings were abundant and lavish, informed by our trained, experienced guide-drivers who tended to our every need, made us feel at ease from the get-go and knew how and when to get things done so we never had to fret about doing anything. From the Serengeti, we were seamlessly deposited at the Seronera Airstrip for our flight to Zanzibar (for a few days of beachside relaxation at the excellent My Blue Hotel),

Our second safari for my wife and I, included Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Tarangire NP. It was as excellent as our first.

Needless to say, we saw an incredible amount and variety of wildlife, including not only the Big 5, but 5 crossings of the wildebeest over the Mara River over two days. The sheer richness of the Serengeti/Maasai Mara ecosystem has to be seen to be believed and seeing it with expert guide-drivers like those furnished by Safari 56 made for an unforgettable and richly-rewarding experience.

Our Safari 56 guide-drivers, Martin and Jackson, were simply delightful -- mature, friendly, reliable, respectful, knowledgeable, safety-conscious, always on time and both took impeccable care of us. Martin, always smiling, doted over us and the kids, and Jackson summed it up perfectly when we first crossed into Serengeti NP and he said: "Welcome to my office!" We entrusted ourselves fully into their most capable hands.

The accommodation, both tented and lodge-based, was always comfortable and, occasionally, luxurious. The food, though sometimes repetitious in its buffet offerings, was nonetheless hearty and nourishing. Everything ran smoothly and like clockwork. Communication with Akida and Elisia in the office was excellent.

One important distinction to note. Safari 56 driver-guides are ethically-minded and respect all wildlife-viewing protocols and park rules, whereas certain other safari companies bend the rules when it comes to popular sightings. For example, during Great Migration crossings of the Mara River in the Serengeti, some drivers parked their vehicles directly in the path of the migrating wildebeest, or allowed their passengers to exit the vehicle to see better or get a better photo angle. While this is both prohibited and dangerous, it is done for the purposes of extracting higher tips from self-absorbed passengers too careless to bother about how their behaviour stresses and endangers the animals. Our Safari 56 drivers, Martin and Jackson, always maintained a safe distance from the animals yet managed to strategically position the vehicles for optimal viewing. This is where a good, experienced driver, who keeps the safety and protection of wildlife and his passengers in mind, is such as asset.

In short, you need not look any further than Safari 56 for your next safari in Tanzania. Book them alone or through Mega Wild Safari in Kampala, Uganda, which contracts them out when in Tanzania.