Regional Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2008)
- Member Of:
- TATO, ATA & ZATO
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $300 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
SG
Email Pooja and Malcolm | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We are a family of five and it was truly memorable and special holiday. Everyrhing was excellent!
Right from the time we asked for a itinerary our experience was great. Maturaf was helpful, listened to what we wanted and accommodating. Our guide on safari was superb very knowledgable and well spoken he ensured our safari experience was superb. The lodges were fabulous, the surprisingly good. We had 9 days in Tanzania followed by a beach holiday in Zanzibar including a day in stone town. We loved it and regional tours took all the hassle out of our trip. We would highly recommend them and if you can Arun to guide you even better.
US
Email Mary and Doug | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
We got what we expected and a great deal more with Regional Tours, Maturaf and Emanuel.
The planning of our safari was thorough and gave us, as first timers, a safari as complete as I can imagine. Our driver/guide, Emanuel, was knowledgeable and had a real awareness of the animals we were hoping to see. He seemed to understand quickly that we wanted to really watch the animals in their home setting and not to just tick the sightings off a list. Emanuel's gentle guidance made our experience positive in all ways. We very much appreciate the fact that the three of us who went together were not joined by strangers. Apparently, some operators fill the vehicle to maximize the use of the car rather than focus on the individuals involved. We are grateful to have had the luxury of fewer people sharing the car, the driver/guide and the experience. Our accommodations were comfortable in all cases and luxurious in some. We can highly recommend Regional Tours with the caution that initial communication may be slow. Once we were on the ground in Africa, the communication was efficient and very much up to our level of comfort. Thanks to Maturaf and Emanuel, we will safari again. I would note that we especially liked the lodges and tent camps that had accommodations for our guide on the premises. Please note, Emanuel washed the car thoroughly virtually every day. His attention was very much appreciated.
Everything was perfect!
Our safari tour was exactly as outlined by Maturaf - the drivers were always ready and waiting when we arrived. The accommodations were wonderful and the food was excellent. We saw many animals in our short 3 day safari, and even managed the 'Big Five' on the first day! The travel plans were busy, but allowed us to see a lot of things in a short time span. When we were in Zanzibar, we were left to book our own tours, which was ok, but an additional cost to me. It would be nice if a couple of tours were included in the tour price. Otherwise, the service, tour and experience was top rate! Thank you! Asanti!
DE
Email Stephan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent organised tour
We were looking for a short holiday in July that included a safari trip and a few days at the beach to relax, after checking for different options we found the offer by Regional Tours which covered all of our interests in one package (northern circuit and Zanzibar).
The correspondence with Maturaf (Managing Director) was good, he responded to our emails very fast and with the relevant information. As mentioned by other people before the frequency and the response time reduced after confirmation of the advance payment. However all arrangements and bookings were done immediately upon receipt of payment - so do not worry. The pickup drivers were always on time and the staff of Regional Tours very reliable. Everything was well organized from arrival until departure.
Our driver/guide for the safari Emmanuel was very helpful and informative. Every evening we would plan the next day schedule together with a lot of suggestions from Emmanuel which made the trip more exciting and we could enjoy to the max. Emmanuel is very experienced and knows the route, hangouts of the animals, fantastic places and viewpoints quiet well. There was not a time when we were bored, whenever we thought we had enough of the gazelles, zebras or the long rides we came across something interesting that made trip; that moment; special. In the end all we remember is the lovely experience and the treasured moments. Thank you, Emmanuel, for making our trip a memorable one.
The accommodations during the safari were on the upper end (Tanganyika wilderness camps) and the hotel in Zanzibar (the Z hotel) was great. Minor adjustments or additions to our tour on short notice (Trip to Kilimanjaro, safari adjustments and Stone Town tour) were organized easily and without any problems. I can and will highly recommend this company and our tour guide Emmanuel to anyone who wants a great organized trip/safari for a reasonable price.
MY
Email Jeff | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fast, straightforward and competitively priced
We found the company through other recommendations and it lived up to its review. The company was prompt in replies, helpful in some descriptions and efficient in assistance. The guide assigned to us was excellent, very experienced and trustworthy. Ask for Peter Pendaeli if you need a great guide!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful people, service and value.
Our experience with Regional tours and its staff was incredible; they were caring, attentive and quick to respond to our requests. I simply can't say enough good things about this company. Working with Maturaf to plan the trip was informative and easy; we were able to plan out exactly the trip that we wanted without any up-selling or complication. Maturaf seemed truly focused on providing what we wanted and offering up great suggestions when we weren't sure how to proceed. We met many people on holiday in Tanzania that were basically doing the same trip as we were but paying a significantly more money to an out-of-country company. Regional Tours is a completely local company so your money stays where it should; in country. The camps and resorts that they chose for us were better and cheaper than the ones we chose for ourselves (fortunately we only chose for ourselves on two nights). If you are going to Tanzania then you need to contact this company and give them a shot at your business; if your rich you'll probably choose someone else but if your like me and this trip was a big financial expenditure then you'll love the money that you save. Everything was top-notch.
I want to add some comments about our safari driver Emmanuel; it's hard to imagine a better companion. On safari you spend a great deal of time with your driver and he can make or break your entire adventure. We didn't understand this when we planned our trip but hit the lottery with Emmanuel. He was an ambassador for his country; a blessing to his company; and a role model of his industry. His patience, knowledge and kindness added greatly to the best vacation of our lives.
We'll probably never be back to Tanzania; but if we do go then I guarantee that we will call Regional Tours.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience
I went on a Safari recently in February with my best friend. The tour was arranged very well -- excellent activities, hotels, and our guide - Didas - was a true highlight. We saw "The Big 5" (lion, elephant, rhino, cheetah, and leopard) within the first two days! It was very nice to have a blend of safari/beach trip as well -- Tanzania/Zanzibar combo is recommended. Maturaf planned us an amazing trip, although at times he was slightly unresponsive over email. Still, highly encourage others to use this tour provider and request Didas as their guide!
SE
Email Siw Chui | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional and friendly, quick to reply to questions.
Maturaf at Regional Tours & Safaris is very professional and pleasant to deal with. He swiftly responded to any queries, was honest and suggested good solutions. Regional Tours & Safaris tailormade a very good programme for us (4 adults and 2 children) according to our requests. It included overnight in Arusha, a five day safari at Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, in Ndutu and Serengeti in lodges/tented camps followed by five days in Zanzibar. It was very clear what was included in the price and what was not. Everything went extremely smoothly, there was always a car with driver/guide waiting to pick us up. We made several internal flights with three different companies and they all worked perfectly, they were even often ahead of schedule!
A special thanks to William, our excellent guide, who made our safari a memory for life!
In Zanzibar we stayed at Villa Kiva, which is an ideal hotel for people who like a green, quiet and relaxing place, and cats!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari guide and wonderful lodging!
My best friend and I went on a 10 day trip- 5 days safari and 5 days in Zanzibar. Our safari guide , Didas, was amazing! He was able to spot animals from a distance without evening using binoculars and was extremely knowledgeable and kind. The lodging- hotels and tented camps were beautiful and the food was great. We liked our hotel in Zanzibar - the Z Hotel - a lot. The only issue is that its far away (at least an hour) from most of the main attractions in Zanzibar- Stone Town, the national forest, spice tour, ect. Fortunately we were mainly there to dive, so we weren't really affected by that. However, given that there are many other great places to dive on the island, I'd probably pick a location closer to everything else next time. The only small complaint we have is that the gentleman who arranged our tour, Maturaf, became very unresponsive to email as soon as we put down our deposit on the trip, including neglecting to correct errors, like the spelling of my friends name and the fact that I'm a woman and we were not a couple. This caused a couple small hiccups at the airport and hotels were we ended up having to share a bed because he'd listed the room as wanting one bed. All in all, great trip and would use them again!
Well planned fand accommodation is good our guide Emanuelle was courteous.
We enjoyed the tour very much although we could have easily done it in 7 nights rather than 9.
Accommodations were good except in Arusha. The driver was good but didn't supply much information unless we asked. The car was good but we are glad, we never needed it for a fast get away because it took a long time to start.