Safari Multiways Staff at the office in Arusha
Safari Multiways
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Member Of:
- TATO, ATTO & TLTO
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $160 to $900 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
IL
Email Michael | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A beautiful experience, well organized, and priced well
Before the trip we contacted several safari companies, recommended online, by email, and although all seemed very professional I felt Romeo was the most frank and knowledgeable, plus the price was very good. After many emails and a Skype call we were set on a 7 day safari.
We were picked from the Kilimanjaro airport and brought to the Arusha office where we met Romeo in person and it was a pleasure, he was also very patient while we organized a few things in Arusha and explained to us again what will happen during our safari.
On the following day our driver Amos picked us up and we went the Manyara NP. Amos is a super good driver and animal spotter, he also has a good sense of humor and has a very good knowledge of animals, we enjoyed spending the week with him.
All the places we slept in surprised me by how much better they were than I had expected by choosing the medium comfort level.
I will give here very short reviews and tips of the hotels and parks we went to:
Manyara NP: Awesome as a first day, less impressive if you come after the other parks, no big cats, but lots of monkeys, birds and elephants.
Hunting with the Hadzabe bushman people near lake Eyasi: Great experience, beautiful baobab landscape, fun to go by foot.
Datoga blacksmith people: Somewhat interesting but not a highlight at all.
Central Serengeti: Amazing, even though we had occasional rain during our stay. This is the real safari, I wish we could have just gone 7 days to the Serengeti.
Ngorongoro NP: Amazing park as well, small, but has everything. Highly recommended.
Tarangire NP: Has plenty of elephants but not much more. Not recommended when the rain starts, the animals go missing. Should be much better during the proper dry season.
Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge: Beautiful place, good food, ok lunch box, really recommended.
Ngorongoro Farm House Lodge: Our favorite place, glad we stayed there more than one night, beautiful farm, great rooms, great food, good lunchbox.
Serengeti Heritage Tented Camp: Amazing location, very good luxury tents, good dinner, ok breakfast but the worst lunchbox. A few minor issues with electricity and hot water, and also a slight inconvenience when it rains to go from your tent to the dinner/wifi tent.
Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge: Least favorite place, great view of the crater, but not a very pleasant hotel with annoying staff and a basic room. Best lunchbox though.
Some small cons were:
Although the safari car was the same as all the other safari cars there were some issues with the window and door and two flat tires. Gladly Amos handled it extremely well.
Our time at the Ngorongoro NP was too short, from 7am till 1pm, I believe it could have been managed somewhat better, at least maybe eat the lunchbox later. So unfortunately we didn't see the Rhino.
The lunchbox on the first day we payed extra to the company and it was not good, and too expensive for what it was, better would have been to take it from the Arusha hotel.
All in all I highly recommend Safari Multiways and would not hesitate to go with them again.
CA
Email Maria | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A poor and frustrating experience!
My honest review of my experience with Safari Multiways.
I was a Canadian long-term volunteer in Moshi, Tanzania. My husband was coming to visit me from Canada so I started to research budget-friendly options for a 4D3N private safari in the northern circuit. I stumbled upon Safari (SM) Multiways as per a recommendation from a board discussion on Tripadvisor; of all the recommended companies it was SM that provided me with the most economical quote. SM does not have an account on Tripadvisor so I instead gathered information from Tripadvisor forums and safaribookings.com. The consensus was that SM is a excellent tour company that you can count on to be reliable, professional, and give you the most bang for your buck.
I was in contact with Victor during the planning stages. Victor immediately left a great impression as he was very professional, pleasant and responsive. The planning experience instilled my confidence and affirmed the great reviews left by hundreds of past clients. Unfortunately, our excitement and confidence was short-lived.
Our itinerary was as follows: 2 days in the Serengeti, 1 day in the Ngorogoro Crater, and 1 day in TP where we could journey home that very afternoon.
SM arranged to pick us up from Moshi at 7:00am to head to Serengeti central. It wasn’t until the day before our safari that Victor suggested we instead stay in Arusha overnight to head to the Serengeti as it is a 6 hour journey from Arusha; if we travel from Moshi another 2 hours would be added to the commute. I wish he suggested this to me earlier so that we could’ve made the necessary arrangements. We had an engagement the evening before the safari so there was no way for us to stay in Arusha the night before. This lack of communication/planning already left a bad taste in my mouth.
We were picked up the next morning by our driver and tour guide, Pius. We knew beforehand that we were not signing up for a luxury vehicle, however, the car was very much dilapidated. Throughout the safari, a few things from the car kept falling off at a time. For example, the window frame (not sure what the technical term for this is) fell off, as well as the bumper – which Pius needed to buy rope to secure back to the car. The seatbelt for one the front seats (which we preferred to sit in as we got a better view being closer to the dashboard) did not work; this is a safety hazard. There were no headrests so we woke up with headaches/neckaches every time we fell asleep during the commutes. Even worse, the car doors did not lock. So, whenever we had to leave the car to eat or use the washroom (with Pius included), I was relying on the good graces of the Lord to ensure no one tried to steal anything from the car. This is unacceptable.
On our way to the Serengeti, Pius asked if we had a lunch box. I don’t know what gave SM the impression that we’d have a lunch box with us as we were being picked up from home, not a hotel. Pius had to stop in Arusha to grab lunch boxes for us – adding 30min to an already long, 8-hour commute to the Serengeti. We arrived in the Serengeti around 4pm. What was supposed to be a 4-hour game drive in the Serengeti (according to the itinerary sent by Victor) turned into a 1-hour game drive as we were dropped to our camp by 5:30pm.
We enjoyed our second day in the Serengeti and Pius worked hard to ensure we saw all the animals we wanted to see. I can say that he was friendly and kind; however, the more time we spent with him, we started to realize that he felt more like a driver than a guide. He knew the names of the animals and birds but did not know anything else beyond that. I wasn’t expecting a national geographic commentary but he did not have any knowledge of basic things like their diet, or general information about their habitat. We were fortunate to see the critically endangered rhino through our binoculars, but when I asked Pius whether the black rhino can only be found in Tanzania or if it can be found in other countries as well, he did not know.
The worst part of our trip happened while we were in the Ngorogoro crater. First off, we didn’t reach the crater until 12pm. I was already worried about lack of time until I learned that the permits only allow 6-hour visits at a time. By 3pm, Pius explained that we saw all the animals we needed to see and there was not much else to see in the crater - and then suggested we head back to our lodge. I insisted that I would like to spend more time exploring the crater (considering we spent a lot of money on our permit) as we wanted to make the most of our time there. By 4pm he began to exit the crater. Therefore, we only explored the crater for 4 hours (1 hour lunch break included). After researching online, I learned that people usually use all 6 hours of their permit to explore the park. Halfway up the crater ascent the car engine seemed to stop working and we were stuck on an upwards slope. I was fearful that the car would break down completely and we would either fall off the ledge or slide backwards onto the vehicle parked behind us. While Pius was getting help from others around him, he did not explain what was happening but looked panicked. Some of the gentlemen helping had to put bricks behind the back tires so Pius didn’t have to keep shifting gears to keep the car in neutral/park. After everything was resolved I was honest with Pius and shared that we did not appreciate not being informed of what was happening at the time. He advised that these issues are common in Tanzania – but can be resolved easily – which is why he didn’t feel the need to explain, but profusely apologized – which we really appreciated.
For our last day, our lunch boxes were forgotten at the lodge. This was really frustrating as we not only had to cut our time in short in TP in order to have lunch in town, but the value and amount of food in a packed lunch box is worth far more than the local restaurant lunch we ended up having in Karatu.
Once the safari ended, I was relieved. It was singlehandedly the most stressful and frustrating vacation I've experienced, and if I were to do it all again, I would not go with SM. In fact, I wish I could do it all again and experience the stunning national parks Tanzania has to offer the RIGHT way! I understand that we went with the most affordable tour company, but when you spend well over two grand on an experience, you at least expect an acceptable level of standards.
Although, our experience does not seem to be consistent with reviews of many happy clients of SM, the cynic in me found that most (if not all) of the clients’ reviews had Amos or Omari as their guide. I tried to look for reviews of Pius and he is mentioned as the “driver only”. Based on pure speculation, I’m inclined to believe that SM may have been “testing the waters” with the knowledge that I’m a long-term volunteer and may not hold the same standards as the wealthy western tourists who often go on these safaris. I think we were given the bad end of the bargain (ie. a battered vehicle and a guide lacking in experience) perhaps as an experiment.
On a more positive note, the accommodation SM chose for our mid-range budget needs were superb (Tukaone in the Serengeti and Eileen’s Trees Inn in Karatu). Also, despite the lack of knowledge and experience, Pius was otherwise really sweet, and even bought red bananas and baobab fruit for us to try during the trip.
With hundreds of TOs in Tanzania, word of mouth is often the most powerful tool for raising the profile of your company. But as it stands, I cannot, in good conscience, recommend Safari Multiways to my large network of expat volunteers, friends, and family in Tanzania.
IL
Email Anna B | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly and professional!
All the communication with Romeo online before we arrived was very easy and comfortable, he answered in detail and it was very pleasant to communicate with :)
When we landed in Arusha a driver from Safari multiways was waiting for us, took us to town and helped us get sim cards and a change of money before dropping us off at the hotel
the next morning arrived our AWESOME GUIDE MOST AMAZING GUIDE OF ALL TIME named piuc (ASK FOR HIMMM), who became our friend in no time, and the whole trip was full of laughs and fun!
we saw all the animals, saw hunts and action, piuc is very attentive and notices animals in the background that we cant even see, and makes an effort to find cool happenings.
Romeo the manager is most accommodating and helped us A LOT, fun to talk to and very knowledgeable and helpful!
overall awesome experience guys! love you all! thanks for everything!!!!!
Email Ankur | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Romeo is the man
Get Romeo. The rest will sort itself out.
The parks vary much more than I thought, so tweak the itinerary if you prefer birds, jungle, savannah, etc.
US
Email Keriann | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best Ever! Family of 5! Safe! Affordable!
company!This was our family’s third Safari (first was in 2013, where we took our 2 teen daughters and 3 younger children) with these HONEST, SAFE, SAFE, SAFE, SAFE, KNOWLEDGEABLE folks! ROMEO the owner gives us great deals and handles/coordinates EVERYTHING for us! HE IS AN EXCELLENT COMMUNICATOR! Prompt, clear, and helpful!our driver for the last two times OMARI is now not only our close rafiki, he is OHANA(we live in Pahoa, Hawaii...yes, half way around the world from Tanzania.)
You really should ask for Omari...he has a great family, is so amazingly patient and friendly and easy going, but he works SO HARD TO GIVE US ANYTHING WE DESIRE ON SAFARI!!! He speaks EXCELLENT ENGLISH, IS A SUPER SAFE DRIVER, IS RESPONSIBLE (never was late or not where he said he’d be), IS RESPECTABLE AND RESPECTFUL, and has so MANY SAFARI DRIVER FRIENDS(who radio each other)we got to see tons of lions, rhinos, elephants, and cape buffalo! THANKS TO OMARI, WE EVEN GOT TO SEE A WILDABEAST TAKE ITS FIRST STEPS IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT WAS BORN AND A JACKAL COME AND EAT THE AFTERBIRTH!
Omari is Humble and NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT A TIP! (though we did read before we left that it’s like going on a cruise ship and should be budgeted for! We read ALL companies hope for 10-15$ Per person per day for their driver. With the good deal that Multiways gave us, that wasn’t a problem)
We visited Ngorogoro Crater and Tarangire National Park (we took a Shabibby bus from Dodoma and Omari met us at the Maku Yuni junction/gas station(the bus conductor was calling him throughout the entire trip keeping him posted on our progress)so we didn’t have to go all the way into Arusha and then turn around and waste 4 hours! We made it to Rhino Lodge (Fabulous people and food and beds!)that first day...after going to safe and wonderful and “good deal” souvenir shops and lunch per our request( our 13 year old said they were the best hamburgers he ever ate!) Tarangire the next day, and then to Arusha to spend the night before flying out of JRO the next day.
GET THIS...DONT MISS THIS...OMARI FOUND US OUR SAFE, PROFESSIONAL, CLEAN, 30$ per night JEVAS HOTEL FOR US WHEN OUR EXPEDIA RESERVATION DIDN’T WORK OUT!(Expedias was originally 50$ US per night, but when we arrived ...NO ONE ELSE WAS STAYING THERE AND THE ELECTRICITY WAS TURNED OFF) We asked Omari if he would feel comfortable having his family stay there and he was so sweet and said it would all be on him if anything happened to us, shook his head no, and found us Jevas Hotel (which included breakfast and had a fabulous restaurant attached!!)
We actually miss Omari and Romeo and LOOK FORWARD TO OUR 2022 Safari to the Serengeti with Multiways!
AT
Email Viktoria Miteva | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experiance! The safari trip for our honeymoon was unforgetable!
We arranged our individual Safari trip for 2 directly with Victor from Multiway Safari. The price to quality ratio was the best one that we recieved, so we decided to do our trip with them and we were more than satisfied! They organized our trip upon our wishes and gave us useful tips to be prepared for the safari itself. Our driver was Omari and it was our first Safari tour. I could say we were very lucky to be with him! He did everything possible so that we could always have the best viewspot to the animals regardless of how many other cars were in there as well. In other words - the other drivers did not put on so much effort as him. That trip was a part from our honeymoon holiday so Omari and Multiway did it unforgettable as in the movies - with so many surprises everywhere where we stayed - and a special gift from Omari himself. I can only recommend the Multiway Safari. They are a company that have a special attitude towards their customers and made their best to make them feel good and satisfied! Thank you for the great experience!
Amos was great!
We loved our safari... Very well organized in the backoffice and our driver was amazing :)
FR
Email Lauren | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari experience
Safari Multiways is a highly reliable company. They provide us a 9 days tour way beyond our expectations. We saw a lot of animals thanks to Omari (our guide) and his incredible skills on spotting them. We felt safe with him, he knows very well the roads and how to behave close to the animals. We learned a lot by his side. Him and Dogo, (the cook) worked hard on helping me organizing a birthday party for my husband. It was great, they were so friendly and they fully managed to make this trip one of the best of our lives.
The camping gear and the car are clean and comfortable.
Due to Covid situation, there are not many visitors at the moment in Tanzania, so this make a perfect opportunity to travel there in good and safe condition. The facilities are very clean and cautious. I really recommend this destination, and especially experiencing a tour with Safari Multiways
RU
Email Roman | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best vacation in Tanzania
There were 5 of us and we spent a lot of time looking for a reliable safari company before. In the end, we settled on Safari Multiways and were delighted. Best price, good accommodation, great driver and food. We also saw a lot of animals and birds. It was the brightest and most comfortable stay! Thanks to Romeo and Safari Multiways for these emotions!
US
Email Laura S | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highly recommend Safari Multiways for your Tanzanian safari adventure!!
We went on a 10-day safari with Safari Multiways and it was everything we hoped for and more! All of our questions were answered quickly and with plenty of details by email, we created the itinerary we wanted with no problems, pick-up was on time, money wire transfer was easy, tents kept us dry, and the jeep was comfortable with no mechanical issues. The actual safari was amazing! We saw allll the animals, including the Big 5, but were perhaps most astonished by the wildebeest migration; lions, buffalo, and zebras walking through our campsites; and the vast array of smaller animals and birds to be seen. Our driver was safe, energetic, and patiently answered all our questions and our chef made delicious meals every day. Can't recommend enough!