Zanzi Trekking and Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Member Of:
- TATO, KGA, TTGA, TGS & KPAP (In Monitoring Phase)
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $235 to $5,323 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
SG
Email Julie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reactive and efficient team, but unfortunately the shared tour is outsourced
I have booked a 10-day mid-range & high-comfort shared safari and zanzibar trip with Zanzi. All the communications and booking went smoothly ahead of the trip. The team at Zanzi is reliable and responsive. On my arrival, I got picked up at the airport and a representative from the company came to meet me at the hotel, collect outstanding payment and would be my contact point in case of issue during the trip.
To my surprise, the lodges I was told I would stay at (and given in my quote 5 months prior) were changed last minute. I didn't think much about it when I was told as I didn't realise the locations were actually different! Part of my tour was to stay 1 night in north Serengeti to catch the great migration, this night was changed to be back in central Serengeti, which means that I didn't get to stay a night in the north of the park which is what I had booked and paid extra for! So we only had half day in the north part of the park and had to leave by 3pm to drive all the way back to central Serengeti, which really was a pity as I thought I would get to enjoy at least 1 full day to 1.5 day there. This is the part where it is full responsibility of Zanzi and hence the 4 stars rating.
On another night, my accommodation was changed last minute on the day itself! I was looking forward to a lodge with a view and I ended up in an ecolodge tent with no running water and only shared electricity and no reception (nothing against ecolodge, they are great if I had chosen to stay in them, but for this trip I had chosen comfort and needed connection and this was in the coldest part of the trip in Ngorongoro - knowing my aversion for cold, i would have never picked to stay in a tent there, but I wasn't given the choice!). Zanzi team reimbursed me 100USD for this (I gave it back to them in the end).
The other point that is important to note and which I was not aware of when I booked is that shared tours are not shared amongst Zanzi guests with the same itinerary! This is outsourced to another company that pools together different guests from different agencies with different itineraries and different accommodations (being it level of comfort but also localizations!). So on the first day, I was in the car with 6 other people and from day 2 to day 5 with 6 other people, which was ok. The part that was not ok with me was that every morning and every evening, we would be spending 1.5 to 2 hours picking up and dropping off everyone in their respective lodges!! It was such a waste of time to be up at 6am and by the time everyone else was picked up it would be 8am, which is very late to start game driving (needless to say we missed all the actions! and it is very frustrating when going back to your lodge in the evening and hearing everyone else has seen animals that you haven't at all!). On the first day, the driver didn't know where my lodge was, it was already dark at night and brought me to the wrong lodge! I had to take my google map out, use roaming and indicate the route to take. On 2 occasions, I arrived past 9pm to my lodge, which is past dinner time! I was still served dinner, but I had no choice as to what to eat and had to eat what they served me. Most of time, I would arrive at night in my lodge (last to be dropped off), and depart before sunrise in the morning (first to be picked up) and so didn't get to enjoy at all balcony views, sunsets or sunrises or even relaxing time post safari day. I think the frustration culminated on the last day of safari when out of the 7 people in the car, 1 person was doing a balloon ride and all of the rest had to wait for her in a parking lot until 10.30am instead of game driving!! I felt I have wasted so much time in this trip on all these logistics instead of being in the park looking for animals. This is my 3rd safari in Africa and this is the first time I am encountering this, which seems to be the way in Tanzania, so beware when booking shared tours to ask how the sharing tour works.
I think I wasn't lucky with the driver and guide we got as well: he was very young and unexperienced (doing this for 1 year only), so there were still part of the parks he didn't know well (he had issue finding another lodge I was staying at inside Serengeti too) and it was frustrating to always follow other vehicles / guides he knew instead of going our way. He clearly wasn't passionate about the wildlife and would not be driving the right way to spot animals (way too fast to be able to spot anything on certain part) or getting way too close to animals to the point of disturbing them (I was surprised these guides don't get trained on what to do / not to do with wildlife).
It was the same in Zanzibar, the guide I got on the blue safari, took starfish out of water. Even some of us told him not to do so as it was killing them, he continued!
The guide I got in Stonetown was ok only, again not passionate and not listening to her guest preference. I am a photographer and I always like spending time in markets, because there is always good opportunities for photos. I did tell her I wanted to see the fish auction, I even insisted asking whether there were specific timings not to miss it! She let the market to the end of the tour and went around in 5min and saying this was the end of the tour and she needed to go and run her errands before shops close and it was too bad that at the time we arrived there was no auction ongoing! Lunch was included in this walking tour, but instead of asking me what I wanted she ordered what she wanted to eat. She ordered fish and octopus without asking (I eat seafood so it was ok but imagine someone who is not!) and I understood later that she actually wanted to pack the fish back home for dinner for her family!
All in all, it was a nice trip (Tanzania is a beautiful country and there is so much to do and see!), but obviously there were misses and disappointing parts!
Reply from Zanzi Trekking and Safaris
Posted on Sep 19, 2025Dear Julie,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed review of your trip and for choosing Zanzi for your Tanzania adventure.
We’re glad to hear that our team was reliable and responsive, and that you enjoyed many parts of your journey.
We also appreciate your constructive feedback and would like to clarify a few points:
- Shared Safaris: Shared safaris are generally organized in East Africa by pooling guests from different agencies in one vehicle (in our own vehicles or our partners’ vehicles, depending on availability).
This helps keep the trips more affordable and fun since you will share the costs and have some company, but it can mean extra pick-ups and drop-offs.
We understand this may not be obvious at first, which is why we published an article explaining how shared safaris work (https://zanzisafaris.com/2025/08/25/shared-or-group-safari-trips-how-do-they-operate/). We also include this information in our quote documents and review it with every client during pre-trip briefings.
To improve the experience, we now try to group guests whose lodges are close together whenever possible.
- Lodge Changes: Last-minute lodge changes are very rare but can sometimes happen if a property cancels unexpectedly. In your case, the lodge canceled on the same day of your check-in due to an unexpected internal problem and refunded us, leaving very little time to find another mid-range option (really frustrating even for us!). That’s why we booked the best alternative available and offered you a refund. We are very sorry this affected your trip.
- Guide Experience: We acknowledge that the guide assigned to your safari was not up to the standard we aim for.
We’ve strengthened our internal checks to ensure that only experienced and passionate guides are assigned, and we continue to provide training to our team to improve every aspect of the guest experience.
Your feedback is very valuable and helps us make Zanzi Safaris better for everyone.
We’re happy that overall you enjoyed your trip and we hope to welcome you back for an even smoother and more memorable experience in the future.
Warm regards,
The Zanzi Trekking and Safaris Team
CA
Email Nathalie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience
I did have an amazing experience, I was a little concern because I was travelling alone but after talking to Zanzi Trekking over the phone they made me feel at ease. I wasn’t sure on what to expect, because I was alone. I was put into a mix group of people, my issue was that the group was camping on a budget and I was doing a mid range so the truck was heavily packed ( two flat tires and only one spare…) Also I felt like we were rushing a little to get from A to B. If I go back on a Safari I want less people so it is easier to please everyone. Zanzi Trekking was quick to answer my question and I was able to reach them at all time. I had an issue coming back from Zanzibar and I miss my flight but we stayed in communication and they compensated me for most of the extra cost. I would do it all over again plus I got a chance to meet some amazing people from around the world.
DE
Email João | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Passionate and dedicated team on budget gear and conditions
Zanzi Trekking offered the best price for the 7 day Lemosho hike that I could find. On top of that, they offered by far the best customer support pre-booking, responding always under a couple hours, with detailed info, a lot of care and empathy, and they were even kind enough to offer us sleeping bags free of charge. I went with just one more friend, and we had the privilege of having a lot of attention from 2 guides and a team of 6 porters and one cook. Everyone in the team was experienced abd committed to making our ascend a success, and they were always driven to find quick solutions to problems. Due to the nature of the mountain and it's climb, surprises are bound to happen (e.g. related to the weather). Being a budget hike, don't expect anything fancy - however, the amenities and services are sufficient, and will throw most hikers outside of the comfort zone at times, which truly contributes to the feeling of accomplishment when reaching the top. The guides were instrumental in helping us reach the summit, as well as descending from it - in our case, since there was a heavy snowfall the night before the final push, there was lots of slippery ice when coming down. Our guides helped me throughout 2 hours, literally giving me their hand/shoulders to support me.
I won't lie, there were some structural things that could be improved, and we made a couple of recommendations in the end - the main one being the quality of the tent, which sometimes had it's zipper jammed and was not completely water proof. However, our team was always quick to find solutions, so in reality we didn't have any problems, just a bit of anxiety at times. For that reason my rating is a 4. But for certain people, those moments actually make up the best stories. All in all, I wouldn't recommend it to people who aren't experienced in camping or haven't done other hikes - except that, this experience will for sure be unforgettable!
Email Brett | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Zanzi shows Great Personal Care and Attention to Detail and Personal Care
As part of my last minute plan to do a Kilimanjaro hike & African Safari I received 5 quotes. Zanzi was the most competive quote. The good news is I definitely got very good bang for my buck for the hike & safari, plus I was outfitted, at a very reasonable cost, for extra clothing at a hire shop. The 6 day Lemosho hike was great. Among the highlights were the scenary & experience of course. Plus the care and attention to detail by my guide George, to my fitness, safety and health, and ultimately I'm happy to say- my successful summit. (Not bad for a 56 year old that is an occasional exerciser back home...). The rest of the team were friendly, welcoming & finely tuned to their roles, along with showing a real sense of camaraderie & fun together. Honest is the boss behind the scenes. He was in regular contact before the hike & safari, & afterwards too... In summary book with these guys!! Once you successfully summit and complete the hike, and safari should you choose, you'll be very happy you did!!
NL
Email Sjors | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trustworthy, committed and reliable tour operator
We've climbed in October 2024 with Zanzi trekking and safari's in Arusha. The crew is very committed to get you to the top. Everything is in done in order so that you'll make it, that made us a bit emotional at the end of the trip as well (in a positive way). The guides George and Lazaro are experienced guides, who behave professionally. We would easily trust our lives to them again.
Don't forget to ask/request a packing list beforehand, if they haven't sent it to you yet when you booked a trekking.
DE
Email Yasenya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible adventure and very nice hospitality from Honest
I would like to give Honest a well-deserved 5 stars for his kindness and effort, but I can only rate the company 4 stars overall. Our trip wasn’t entirely smooth, especially during the Kenya part of our holiday, where we encountered several issues. We had to make many calls to solve the problems, which I wish could have been better managed, especially with the third-party company in Kenya.
Since the main company is based in Tanzania, our safari experience there was more smooth, but we still faced some challenges. For instance, the driver dropped us off at the wrong campsite instead of the one we had booked. Thankfully, Honest stepped in to solve the issue, transferred us to the correct campsite, and even ordered beers to apologize – a very thoughtful gesture.
Overall, we were happy with our trip and had an incredible time in both Kenya and Africa. I just wish the process had been a little more organized to avoid these stressful moments.
I highly recommend this adventure; it’s an experience you don’t want to miss.
AE
Email Jeannette M | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Supportive
I had a Solo hike at Mount Meru with Honest and his team and I would say they made the hike interesting and possible !!!
Honest helped me with few hiking clothes& items I had forgotten to carry with me , that was really kind of him
