CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing, safe and professional
We had an absolutely amazing experience all around. We got in touch with Big African Cats Safari online, and Joshua was very responsive to help us design an experience that was tailored to our desires and budget. They are very flexible to make the perfect custom package. Naomi then took care of the details for the booking and kept us informed as the date of the safari approached. We were met on time at the Arusha airport (our flight times kept changing), and then met with Emmanuel, the manager, who briefed us on the upcoming trip. He made us feel really safe (my 9yo daughter and I) and we immediately knew we were in good hands.
Our guide for the 8 day / 7 night safari was Venance, a really amazing person all around. Very attentive to all our needs and special requests (my daughter was not leaving without seeing cheetahs, he delivered, along with everything else!). We also added a few unplanned stops (random markets, walks in towns, etc, to experience culture) which he was happy to accommodate. We generally felt very safe in all of the driving, I can't say that all of the other tour operators gave the same impression (we saw one group lack common sense and get themselves stuck in the mud). Plenty of "clean toilet" stops along the way. Venance's planning was impeccable, always on time everywhere. Every morning the car was super clean, so he put a lot of effort even when we were not there (so extremely long hours for the guide, consider that in your tip!).
Accommodations were all top notch - we had a mix of camps and lodges. The food was super safe everywhere, lots of water provided (sealed bottles), even beer and pop if you wanted during the day. The camps were very safe and someone always accompanied us around after dark. The staff in all the lodges and camps were friendly and professional. The tourism industry is well developed, so they take safety very seriously. We always had lunch on the road, typically prepared by the place you stayed the night before. The lunches were excellent, lots of variety, and nothing to be concerned about in terms of cleanliness. We didn't meet anyone that had any traveller's food symptoms...
Animal wise, we saw everything (7 rhinos, 2 leopards!). I would strongly recommend Serengeti over all else if you want to see the typical animals. We got to see the Great Migration, a memory of a lifetime. Ngoro Ngoro crater is a must (but only takes one day). We also went to Tarangire, which was great and had tons of baobabs (my favourite tree, not present in Serengeti), but we skipped Lake Manyara, which we don't regret and got to see in the distance. We also did a 1 hour walk along the crater rim with a park ranger, which was amazing.
All in all the experience of a lifetime.
