SA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Ehsan Gerami
I thought we would’ve seen more.
SA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
SA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Tarangire National Park by Ehsan Gerami
Loved our first day and the elephants were amazing
MY
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience in Kenya
On the first day I was a little nervous because our tour guide James was about an hour late to pick us up – I even thought it might be a scam! Fortunately, it was just a misunderstanding caused by the terrible traffic jam in Kenya.
Overall, I felt satisfied with the trip. However, be prepared that the journey from one destination to another can be quite long, around 4–8 hours each day.
We were lucky to have our tour guide, David, who was very experienced and always brought us to safe and good spots to see the animals. We managed to see a lot of wildlife, which made the long journeys worthwhile.
I would definitely recommend David to you!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Safari Adventure of a Lifetime!
We were a group of 16 family and friends, and our safari with Shanjoy was absolutely unforgettable — from smooth transfers and comfortable lodges to an itinerary that blended adventure, relaxation, and breathtaking wildlife encounters.
A very special thank you goes to our guide Isiah, who made the journey truly exceptional. His knowledge, humor, and professionalism gave us the best experiences across Maasai Mara and Serengeti. In the Serengeti, our tire actually exploded right in the middle of a lion’s den surrounded by nearly 30 lions! While everyone was in shock, Isiah stayed calm, handled the situation with total confidence, and drove us to safety before fixing the tire. Earlier in the trip, he even changed a flat tire during our transfer so effortlessly that it barely slowed us down. His calm under pressure and incredible skill behind the wheel left us all truly impressed.
We also had an intense moment in the Maasai Mara, when our jeep got stuck dangerously close to a lion’s den. Thanks to Patrick’s quick thinking and expertise, we were freed quickly and safely. Beyond his skill, Patrick was fun, witty, and made us feel like one of our own — taking care of us like family while keeping the mood light and joyful for our big group.
And in the Serengeti, Isaac gave us one of the most unforgettable memories of all — taking us right to a leopard’s den where we saw a mother leopard resting with her two cubs. It was a once-in-a-lifetime sighting that we will never forget.
From start to finish, Isiah, Patrick, and Isaac took care of us and went above and beyond — keeping our group of 16 safe, comfortable, and amazed every single day.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They Stranded Us
This review is not for the tour itself—it was a great experience. This review is for Aquiline Safaris, specifically Brian and his awful handling of my tour.
I originally purchased my tour through Viator. Brian immediately contacted me and told me to cancel with Viator and book directly with Aquiline because “your seats have to be held by a deposit and viator takes a whole month to pay us for your booking.” I knew it was really to cut out Viator’s commission fees, but I wanted to help out a local company. Stupid move on my part—this actually cost me more as I lost cash back from Viator’s rewards program as well as from my credit card for booking through Viator. On top of this, Aquiline charged me an additional 3% credit card fee (Viator does not) which is significant for a tour that isn’t exactly cheap. Most importantly, I lost all protections Viator, a U.S.-based company I’ve always had great experiences with, would’ve provided me if I purchased through them.
The tour started off terribly. Aquiline overbooked the tour, so we were delayed about 30 minutes while the tour guides asked everyone if they wanted to split up and sit in separate vehicles from their friends/spouse/travel partner. Eventually they convinced these two friends who did not know anyone else to ride in separate vehicles so we could finally get going.
Where Aquiline really screwed us was after the tour and my wife and I were dropped off at the safari base lodge in Mto Wa Mbu. We were exhausted after a long day of driving and the safari itself, and just wanted to get back home to rest. After waiting awhile with no one collecting us and driving us the 3 hours back to Arusha, I contacted Brian and his response was “A transfer will be arranged back to Arusha.”
Turns out, no such transfer was arranged. Through some oversight or whatever reason, he effectively stranded us 3 hours away. And had the nerve to blame it on us, when we were told to wait for our ride back after the safari. Instead of doing what normal, good businesses do and take accountability and problem solve, he spent the whole time wanting to blame and argue. I couldn’t call Viator for help, because of my mistake of canceling with them. To Brian’s credit, he eventually offered to find us a private car to take us home—at our own expense of course. Why should I pay for a transfer that I already paid for as part of the tour cost? As that would have been ridiculously expensive, especially with the mzungu tax I would’ve no doubt been charged, I declined. We just ended up taking a dala dala (local bus) all the way back home, a crowded and almost 4 hour journey.
Aquiline dropped the ball. Not a single apology or follow up with us, nothing. I don’t recommend booking any tour with Aquiline. There are so many great tour operators around Arusha. Don’t make a mistake going with a company that appeared to care more about maximizing profit over customer satisfaction.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Personalized safari for our anniversary
This was a great safari. Due to some knee problems, we had to swap out climbing Kilimanjaro, but Anne added in Arusha park, Enduimet, and Mkomazi parks. We really loved to visit these less visited parks. It felt like we had them all to ourselves. We also visited the big parks too. 45 lion, 6 cheetah, and 2 leopards, plus all the other wildlife. Over 100 birds identified too. Anne and Abu treated us so well. The lodges and camps were so nice. The food great too. Hot air balloon over the Serengeti and the river crossing of the great migration. Wow! Somehow we were always in the right place at the right time to see the coolest stuff. We really appreciate how Anne and Abu went above and beyond for us. We feel like we got way more out of this trip than we paid for. If you have the opportunity to visit Tanzania, you won’t go wrong with Longway Expeditions. We will be back for spring calving season and hopefully an opportunity to summit Kilimanjaro.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, responsive
Booked a 4 day fly on safari staying at Hoyo Hoyo lodge after recommendations from Wayne. All went smoothly. Lodge was amazing with water hole and a variety of animals incl. herds of elephants, giraffe, zebra etc. right across from the lodge. Quality of food was very good. We missed the first game drive due to arriving too late (in winter need to be at the lodge no later than 3pm). Saw the big 5 though, racing to get to see the rare white rhinos. 1st morning we had the vehicle to ourselves, other 4 drives we shared with one other couple (vehicle holds 9 people). Only saw 2 or 3 other vehicles in the park so not overrun with tourists. Limited sightings of lions (we saw 3 cubs, 2 brothers and a mating pair). Highlight was seeing a female leopard in the tree. Wayne provided a personal experience and in communication via WhatsApp and was very responsive with any flight and transfer queries I had. Would happily book another safari with the Kruger travel co.
MY
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good experience with our operator William and driver Songe
Our tour driver Songe is easy to talk to, creating a comfortable experience. Besides, Songe is flexivle and adaptable. He can handle unexpected changes or requests smoothly.Most importantly, he is Safety-Conscious. He prioritizes our safety and comfort at all times.
MY
So far so good
Everything Okie nice experience here , hotel arrange nice , lovely