IT
Great experience, but:
Just came back from a 7-day safari and I’m overall very happy with the experience.
As a solo traveler, I was placed in a group with clients from other agencies, which is common with smaller companies that outsource to larger ones. That said, my guide Mallissa was absolutely exceptional – professional, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful, especially for photographers. If you're reading this and booking your tour, I highly recommend checking if you can be placed with him.
From the agency side, Hellen was incredibly supportive. In the months leading up to the trip, she answered all my questions promptly and even texted me every day during the safari – something I truly appreciated.
However, I’d like to highlight a few downsides and offer some advice for future travelers:
You will likely be traveling with people staying at different lodges or camps. This means mornings can be inefficient if others in the group are late. Even a 10-minute delay per person can cost you a valuable hour of safari time – which, given the cost of these trips, translates to a lot of wasted value. I fully understand that guides must treat clients with professionalism, but if fellow travelers are consistently late, don’t hesitate to politely speak up.
Some tourists behave inappropriately around wildlife – yelling, making noise, and showing little regard for the animals. While this might be an emotional reaction, it can disturb the animals and ruin the experience for others. If this behavior continues, I suggest calmly asking for silence. It’s important to maintain respect for both the animals and the group.
A couple of issues I encountered with the agency:
I was required to pay the tour in USD while in Tanzania, despite the fact that the use of foreign currency for local payments was officially banned in May. I was expecting to pay in Tanzanian shillings at the equivalent rate, but that was not an option. While I understand that paying in USD is still common practice, it is technically illegal and contributes to broader issues like currency instability. The agency should address this and align with local regulations.
On the last day, a different guide (not Mallissa) took me on a Kilimanjaro hike, which I highly recommend. Everything was great until the end, when the driver who helped me with my luggage at the airport asked, “Do you maybe have some money for me and my family as a tip?”
While tipping is customary in many places, the way the request was made felt uncomfortable and unprofessional to me. As a European, I believe tips should be a reward for exceptional service – as was the case with Mallissa – rather than something expected just because an employee was present for a short interaction. I assume this was a one-off, but I recommend the company train their staff on how to handle such situations more appropriately.
In conclusion, despite these minor issues, I still believe the company’s management deserves five stars. I would definitely recommend them – and especially my guide, Malissa.
20-35 years of age
Trustworthy
We did the 8 days Lemosho Route with Kili Vikings and it was a great experience, the guides were experienced and spoke great English which made the whole experience unforgettable! And the chef cooked amazing food! Would definitely recommend the agency
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Papa John was fantastic!
We had the most amazing four days with our group, led by our fantastic guide, Papa John. He ensured we were all comfortable and best of all, we got to see all of the big five! Couldn’t recommend Papa John more. Thanks for the amazing experience!
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable memories
I am very grateful to Bobu Africa for arranging my first expedition to Africa; the itinerary was meticulously planned, the drivers were professional and punctual, and we felt at ease even in the face of unexpected situations; we got to see all Africa's "Big Five" and enjoyed the breathtaking scenery of the African savannah; Kenya is definitely a place worth visiting once in a lifetime; I highly recommend Bobu Africa for their dedicated and meticulous service throughout the journey.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing time with Wycliffe
Our guide Wycliffe was fantastic. In a 5 day Masai Mara/Lake Nakuru budget joining tour, he got us right onto all the action!! We saw 26 lions, including a pride of 13 on the hunt one morning, and he managed to get us to the front of the queue of safari jeeps for the most amazing experience. We saw 3 other sets of lions, and he even got us (alone among jeeps!) up close with 2 cheetahs, and then right in the perfect spot to view a leopard eating an impala in a tree when we went to Nakuru. This guide is knowledgeable and the best. We'd been a little frustrated with Jockey leaving out a game drice in Nakuru listed in our itinerary, but this had nothing to do with Wycliffe who helped sort it. All big 5 viewed and such a majestic journey. Huge thanks to Wycliffe for professionalism and hard work getting us to see all the big cats (plus rhinos and birds and much more)!!
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional and welcoming
Joseph was very professional and friendly towards us. He drove us very safely
SE
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, caring and attentive
The tour was hugely exceeding all my expectations, combining the lively atmosphere in the city and rural beauty of countryside - however was the Akagera visit such a privilege, to witness greatness of wildlife from the comfortable van !
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our tour operator was very nice, very informative.
I went on the 4 days safari and it was amazing. We had the best guide through the whole trip. He had a good sense of humor and was very good at spotting rare animals and telling us great facts about them. We saw all of the animals of the big five. Also the chef that comes with the safari makes the best food for you. We slept in the tents and it was and all over good experience. Will definitely recommend. You get to do a lot of safari for the amount of money - morning, afternoon and evening safari.
IE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Efficiently professional and welcoming
Our driver kept us informed every step of the way, and was polite and pleasant throughout. I was amazed he kept his cool when one gentleman decided to go for lunch while we were filling up at a petrol station. Personally I would have left the idiot there but our driver was a better man than I. A fast and punctual service, despite out wayward passenger's fondness for Wimpy burgers!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience with Tales of Tanzania
We had the most incredible first trip to Africa, and a big part of that is thanks to Pendo and our guide Peter.
From the start, we reached out to over 20 safari operators, and Pendo stood out with her professionalism, clarity, and efficiency. She was consistently responsive, to the point, and transparent — there was never any vague or confusing information, which gave us great confidence during the planning stage. She answered every small question we had in the months leading up to our trip with patience and clarity, which made us feel completely at ease before arriving.
Peter, our guide with 12 years of experience, was simply outstanding. He’s deeply knowledgeable, incredibly reliable, and always attentive to detail.
Communication with him was easy and efficient, and the atmosphere in the vehicle was always positive and cheerful. He genuinely listened to what we were hoping to see and went above and beyond - often we were the ones asking him to take a break. We fully understood that wildlife sightings depend not only on the guide’s skill and dedication, but also simply on luck - so we managed our expectations accordingly. But thanks to Peter’s persistence and experience, we ended up seeing everything we had hoped for, which made us incredibly satisfied.
On a side note, we did notice that Peter cleaned the vehicle thoroughly every day, neatly organising everything in the back seat - every morning when we stepped into the car, it was just comfortable. On top of all this, Peter seemed to know everyone - from fellow guides and rangers in the national parks to lodge managers and staff. This made us feel very secure, knowing that if anything unexpected happened, Peter would be able to handle it efficiently with his strong network and deep experience. As an example, when we mentioned in the next morning that we were a bit confused about why a newly opened lodge didn’t provide a hairdryer - especially since it used the exact same brand of solar panels as other lodges that did - Peter immediately spoke to the manager to raise our feedback (and of course, unexpectedly, they know each other well!). We appreciated that he was always proactive in helping us resolve even the smallest issues even that it's not really part of his job.
We truly couldn’t have asked for a better safari experience, and we wholeheartedly recommend this team to anyone looking for a professional, well-organised, and deeply rewarding journey through Tanzania.
