African Scenic Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 100-250 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, TATO, IMEC, KPAP, Travelife, CARBON TANZANIA & FAIR VOYAGE
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Tamsyn Roberts | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Trip of a lifetime
We just finished an amazing trip to Tanzania with African Scenic Safari. Our group of 11 went on a 10 day safari through Tarangire National Park, Nngorongoro Crator and the Serengeti National Park. The trip was planned perfectly and Amanda was amazing organising both our trips, replying quickly.
My friend and I went on to hike a 7 day Kilimanjaro trek. Amanda helped in settling all our nerves, our hire equipment worked well and our guides and crew were awesome throughout the trek. Amanda recommended the 7 day trek as it gave us a great chance of reaching summit. I would recommend this trek as the every day hiking was an amazing experience in itself.
Thank you to our wonderful team and Amanda, we had a trip of a lifetime.
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Email Jaclyn McCormick | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Trip- friendly and knowledgable service and a once in a lifetime experience!
We booked a 5 day Safari for our spring break and could not have been more pleased with the service and experience. From before we arrived we had all our questions answered and had incredible customer service while booking. David our guide for the Safari was absolutely amazing- friendly and incredibly knowledgeable about all the animals we saw. He answered every question we had (and we had a lot!) and we learned so much about the culture of Tanzania as well as the animals. Each stop we made only got better along our trip and we saw so many animals including over 30 lions, a leopard and rhinos! I would highly recommend African Scenic Safari to anyone- it was a once in a lifetime experience due in large part to our wonderful tour guide!
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Email Lindsay Marie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional Kilimanjaro Trek and Northern Circuit Safari Honeymoon
My husband and I started planning our honeymoon adventure in Tanzania well over a year in advance. We ended up spending 5 weeks in Tanzania of which about 3.5 weeks were planned by African Scenic Safaris. The first part of our trip was to be an attempt at summiting Mount Kilimanjaro - I started my search for a tour operator by initially looking through the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project website to ensure fair treatment for the staff who would be guiding us up the mountain. I further narrowed my search by Tanzanian owned/operated companies and sent a few emails out to see what kind of itineraries/budgets would potentially work. I hoping to use the same operator for a safari, but it all depended on how logistics/quality worked out.
From the very first reply I received from Amanda I knew we would be booking our trip through African Scenic Safaris. She made the process seamless and was amazing about giving me different ideas of what would work within our budget and time frame. We ended up booking a 9-day trek up the Northern Route of Kilimanjaro and a 10-day Northern Circuit safari with them. Amanda planned everything to near perfection and was so responsive through the whole process with all of my silly questions. It was an absolute pleasure to work with her and her staff. It is always a little scary to send over big deposits to a company you find on the internet, but I felt so comfortable with Amanda I never really questioned it. If you have any concerns please feel free to message me on here so I may personally vouch for what an incredible company you are booking with.
KILIMANJARO: We decided on the 9-day Northern Route as we were hoping for a less crowded climb and at the time we were living at sea level so were concerned about our ability to acclimatize. Our Kilimanjaro climb was led by head guide Antipas and his assistant guide Juma. To be honest, I do not know if I would have made it to the summit with any other group. The level of expertise and leadership these two showed was beyond exceptional. I will say we were by far the slowest group on the mountain, but while every other group was taking lengthy rest breaks every 30 minutes we were steadily moving past them without losing our breath once (until summit day!).
Antipas is not only a wonderful guide, but he treats his porters/staff with such respect while also expecting them to all do their jobs well. I’ve never heard a group of porters talk more highly of their leader or of their employer. Both Antipas and African Scenic Safaris as a whole are such supporters of their staff from the ground up through encouraging further schooling and setting them up personal savings accounts. They are truly interested in making the porter’s lives better and it shows through their enthusiasm to be the best at their jobs. It was a wonderful thing to see.
In regards to the climb itself, each day was new gorgeous scenery and varying terrain. Our trek started at Lemosho gate and the camps on that side of the mountain were much smaller than the ones we saw heading down the other side. Our hike started in the rainforest which was full of stunning flowers and colobus moneys. The moorlands, or low alpine region, was my favorite with the low vegetation, but beautiful scenery and unexpected colorful flowers. I will say for the ladies it got increasingly hard to find a good bathroom rest spot once you got into this zone though! The high alpine zone turns a little more desolate, but the views of Kibo are astonishing particularly first thing in the morning. It may be frigid outside when you get out of your tent, but the cloudless peak of Kilimanjaro is completely worth those freezing moments. The beauty of those mornings are something I’ll never forget.
Summit day is by far the hardest day and probably the most physically demanding thing I have ever done. We left early, around 11 pm, so we could go our slow steady pace up the mountain. The vertical switch backs are insane and your muscles are screaming from lack of oxygen, but that all goes away when you make it to Gilman’s point and you are staring down into the crater. It was still a good walk from there, but so much easier. At first I was actually a little disappointed as I thought we would end up summiting in the dark because we left early, but true to Antipas’ superb expertise we literally approached the summit as the first shimmers of the sun swept over the crater. It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
Summit day does not end with summiting though and quite unfortunately on my way down I succumbed to a stomach bug, though at the time we thought it was altitude related. Antipas if you’re reading this now we know why I had such a hard time! I in no way blame the group for my stomach bug – you try to be as sanitary as you can on the mountain, but you never know what germs you’re touching and it could have been something as simple as a high five to someone who didn’t wash hands properly. Regardless I cannot stress hand sanitizer enough. It was the painstaking descent that showed the true colors of this staff – they cared deeply that I make it down safely and although had to push me hard at times it was out of true concern for my well-being. It pains me to admit this, but two people at a time had to literally help me go down one under each arm pit. Nearly all of the porter staff took turns helping me down, but allowed me to walk into camp unaided to save my wounded pride. They are all absolutely amazing human beings. In all, you could not pick a better Kilimanjaro trekking company from planning/logistics to the actual execution. I cannot vouch for the other guides African Scenic Safaris employs, but if they are anything like Antipas and Juma you certainly know you are in the best hands possible. You will be so glad you booked with them.
SAFARI: After resting for 4 days in Moshi we headed off for my most anticipated portion of the trip: our Northern Circuit Safari. Our guide for the trip was Rasheed and our cook was Omari. With the length of our trip as a whole we opted for a budget camping safari which was such a great experience. I will note the travel times between parks can sometimes be very long and hot, but seeing the scenery between destinations is just as much a part of the journey and gives you a real sense of the realities of people’s lives in Tanzania. We visited Tarangire, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro, Ndutu, Serengeti, and Lake Natron. Tarangire and Serengeti were certainly my favorites, but each place was special in their own rights.
Rasheed, our guide, was the most amazing naturalist! He knows more about animals than anyone I’ve ever met which is saying quite a bit I can assure you. Anything we asked him he had a solid answer for and you can see how much he truly loves wildlife. In multiple situations he was able to anticipate the movements of animals and get us ahead of all the other vehicles. I am an amateur photographer and Rasheed was absolutely essential in my getting some amazing shots on this trip. He knows exactly how to position the vehicle for the optimal light and angle. If you are a professional or amateur photographer, Rasheed is your man hands down. Look no further than specifically asking for him! You will not regret it.
Omari, our cook, was extremely skilled at what he does and we always looked forward to our meals from him. You can tell he has a passion for cooking and takes a lot of pride in his work. We had been in Africa for 5 weeks prior to this safari and I can without a doubt say Omari made consistently the best meals of our entire trip. Considering he was cooking over an open flame at camp sites instead of in a fully stocked kitchen you have to see how talented he is. I mean the guy literally made a flan and pizza for us from scratch in the bush. That’s spectacular.
Over the course of the safari we saw nearly every animal we were hoping to see and some. The big cats of Ndutu were incredible and getting to be in the mix of elephants in both Tarangire and Serengeti was a once in a lifetime experience. We even got to see 2 rhinos in Ngorongoro -which was all thanks to Rasheed’s quick response to a radio call. Otherwise we would have missed them completely. The diversity of the wildlife in Tanzania will truly astound you and you will not find a better company to design and carry out your trip than African Scenic Safaris.
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Email John | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bucket List fulfilled
Wonderful experience. My tour guide, Grayson, was very kind, knowledgeable, excellent English, friendly, excellent driver. Would highly recommend.
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Email Cecilia&Enrico | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable first safari of our life ❤️
Enrico and I exerienced our first safari trip with Africanscenic..and we did more than what we expected. With Rashid (our guide) and Homari (our chef) we enjoyed the true wildlife in Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro crater. We lernt a lot about african birds (Rashid is an excellent birdwatcher), Tanzanian culture and food (now thanks to Homari I know how to cook chapati and ugali). We saw cheetahs hunting, a leopard sleeping on a tree, elephants, giraffes...incredibile was the great migration of millions of wilderbeasts throw grumeti river! Definetly thanks to Africanscenic we discovered our new passion: gamedrives and birdwathching!!! Can’t wait to come back to Tanzania!!
Email Stella Peter and Claire | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tanzania was Absolutely AWESOME
AMAZING AFRICA
Our Tanzania experience on safari with African Scenic Safaris was truly awesome – and we send a big THANK YOU to this great team of dedicated people. Our skilful driver and experienced guide, Rasheed proudly showed us amazing animals and reptiles. The extensive list included lions, giraffe, antelope, cheetahs, leopards, lizard, python, hyenas, hippos (to name but a few). We also enjoyed a feast of birds, from the pretty peach faces to hornbills, owls, eagles and the elegant secretary bird and crowned cranes. As well as informative information about animal behaviour, the an insight about customs and lifestyle of the people of this harsh land was shared. Seeing the wildebeest crossing the Mara River is a sight we shall never forget – Absolutely Amazing. This holiday was a special family time for us and everyone who looked after us was exceptional.
– Amanda – your efficient and dependable customer service was greatly appreciated, especially when travel details changed – This is Africa!!!
– Rasheed - thank you for looking after us so well and sharing your love of Africa.
– The staff in all of our stays were caring and responsive of our comfort – thank you very much.
Stella Peter and Claire
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Email Taffy | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Perfect Holiday Thanks to African Scenic Safaris
We worked with African Scenic Safaris to arrange our safari and related activities in Tanzania for a 12-day, January 2019 safari (including Tarangire National Park, Ndutu area within the Ngorogoro Conservation area, Ngorogoro Crater, and the Serengeti), a day in Managua on Kilimanjaro, “cultural” experiences with tribes (a bush walk, observing blacksmiths at work for making traditional weapons and jewelry, and a visit to a traditional Maasai village), as well as all lodging and guides. I have been fortunate to travel extensively around the world for holidays as well as work and would put this trip at the top of the list. African Scenic Safaris – owned and managed by husband and wife team, Amanda and Simbo, created a seamless itinerary and experience for my husband and me. They have extensive knowledge of the country and relationships between the time of year and what we would want and be able to see on safari. They customized our trip to fit our interests, based on email ‘interviews’ about preferences for experiences, types of lodging, any special needs/requests, and time available. They helped us problem solve when we had to postpone our trip for medical reasons, keeping any losses to a minimum and rescheduling our trip as soon as we were ready – and do so in such a gracious way.
There are hundreds of agencies available for organizing a safari. I cannot imagine any company organizing a more worthwhile experience than African Scenic Safaris did for us.
Below are additional details, for those who may wish specific examples about lodging, guides, and general comfort.
***** Additional Details *****
LODGING: We think of ourselves as the adventurous backpackers of our youth, but in our 70s know that this is not our reality. Amanda was able to create a series of lodging experiences that were authentic to a safari experience, while keeping our comfort in mind throughout. We wanted to experience tent camps in the middle of the parks for part of the trip but were okay with lodges in the parks for part of the trip. They set up our lodging in a perfect order. We started in two Angata tent camps over 5 nights in Tarengire National Park and in the Migration area of Ndutu. Service at each was exemplary and lodging was comfortable with ensuite bathrooms, hot water, but very tent-like in feel. We even had Internet and chargers in our room as our tent was near the lounge/dining tent. We could hear lions at night as well as water buffalo, but felt perfectly safe at all time. As we moved to the Serengeti, we stayed in Kubakuba Tent Ldoge, a highlight of the trip – fabulous views, beautiful lodging, outstanding food, an infinity pool that overlooked the Serengeti and beautiful sunsets from our room’s deck. Sopa Lodge, next, was perfectly comfortable and while not as much fun as the previous places, situated most conveniently to the entrance to Ngorogoro Crater, and in a room that overlooked the crater from a little sitting area with full windows. One of our favorite spots was a lovely tent camp – Kisime – on Lake Eyasi, one we would have liked to have visited for more than one night. The order of lodging was perfect while the order of sites could not have been more wisely chosen.
GUIDES: Throughout our guides were personable, knowledgeable, helpful, and addressed both similarities and differences in my husband’s and my interests. I appreciated how our guide for the safari, Hafidhi, balanced between my focus on photography with my husband’s more general interests in animal behavior and local culture. Hafidhi took me on one evening and one before-b’fast drive where I could concentrate on photography. He planned with us each evening on what we hoped to see the next day and then followed through – we were never disappointed! He could spot the smallest movement (e.g., a leopard’s ear wiggling in the grasses), size up the situation, and then would determine whether and how long we should wait. That wiggling ear led to us witnessing (and me photographing) the leopard catching a reebok, dragging it to a tree, then up the tree to settle in for dinner. Similarly, we witnessed mating lions and mating zebras. We saw a lioness catch a warthog and carry it off to her cubs. We saw cheetah brothers and a cheetah mom and cub. In fact, there was not a single animal on our list to wishes and dreams that we did not see in action.
FOOD: While not a ‘foodie’ destination, each of the areas provided food that was adequate to our needs and in Kubakuba and Kisime in particular, the food was excellent.
VEHICLE: As is typical, our vehicle was a Toyota Landrover with a top that is raised for easy and safe viewing of animals. For the two of us, we had a six-seater (drive/passenger, then two additional rows), giving us plenty of space and viewpoints for photographing and viewing on the game drives.
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Email Christine | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing safari tour
We had a great week of safari in Tanzania by African Scenic Safaris. We were in Tanzania last November for two weeks. Our guide Tom showed us the beauty of different kinds of national parks. We went to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro crater, Serengeti and Lake Natron. The difference of landscapes and views is breathtaking. Tom was a really good guide for us. He learnt us a lot about all the wildlife we saw on the road. His bird knowledge is amazing! We enjoyed the safaris very much. Thank you. Justin and Christine
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Email Steve | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Another 5 Star African Scenic Safari
I just completed my second African Scenic Safari with my wife and two friends, who were first timers. Simbo, the owner, and staff did another amazing job from providing booking and lodging accommodations, recommendations for each park, Tarangire, Serengeti Central and Serengeti North, and assigning us an extremely knowledgeable and professional guide who worked tirelessly during our 10 day trip. The wildlife and wildlife behavior viewing was simply incredible due to our guide's very real expertise on animal behavior, herd movements and in-depth knowledge of the various areas of the parks we visited. We have heard similar praise from others as to other guides employed by this small company. Guiding and wildlife viewing takes patience, photography even more-so, and our guide on each day, whether morning game drives or sunset scenics knew exactly where and how to position us for best advantage. Because of this we captured amazing images of leopard and cub with a kill, a cheetah kill, lion stalks and charges, elephant herd behavior, cape buffalo mini-migrations and were placed for two days in the middle of the wildebeest migration and a river crossing and much more. I could go further, but have to emphasize that without our guide's expertise none of this would have happened. The wildlife viewing and tour once again exceeded expectations in all respects and I would not hesitate to use African Scenic in the future. I fact, my safari companions already want to go back. Since 2016 we have referred many friends to this company who have returned from safari with similar experiences. If you're interested in the Northern Circuit, this is the company to use. Well done again, 5 plus stars.
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Email Susan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Superbly organized and implemented from start to finish...I HIGHLY recommend African Scenic Safaris!
Our African Scenic safari was seamlessly organized and incredibly well done. We spent 10 nights and 11 days enjoying game drives where we not only spotted animals, but were provided with a detailed explanation of their behavior by our amazing guide, Tom. His depth of knowledge and interest in the wildlife and landscape added so much to our already incredible game drives. Tom often knew what the animals were going to do or where they would head next and carefully positioned our vehicle to gain the best possible way for viewing and photographing the animals.
I have to add that the safari vehicle itself was in great condition both mechanically and the interior, with a small refrigerator to keep water cold, a charging station and plenty of room for everyone to have a wonderful view at all times. The seats were comfortable and water was in the car ready for us daily. Tom took care of all the lunch logistics at each camp so that we could head out and maximize our time for spotting animals. Our own wishes as to which animals we were interested in finding each day were prioritized, and our guide used his networking skills and knowledge to get us there.
While planning our safari, my many questions were answered promptly and in detail by Simbo and the African Safari staff. I felt that organizing my safari to suit our timing and what we wanted to see was a priority to them. The wildebeast migration was a tremendous spectacle!
I can't recommend African Scenic Safari enough and would not hesitate to recommend them to friends and family. A safari is an amazing experience and the folks at African Scenic Safaris made it easy, comfortable and incredibly enjoyable.
