50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Trip of a Lifetime — Thanks to Lion King Adventures
I’d always heard that a safari is one of those “must-do” experiences — and now I completely understand why. It’s truly incredible. But what takes a great safari from amazing to unforgettable are the people, the small details, and the personal touches along the way.
We did a ton of research before booking and almost went with another company that was nearly double the cost. I’ll admit I was a little nervous that choosing a more affordable option might mean compromising on quality. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The entire experience exceeded every expectation.
Our coordinator, Naurey, was wonderful — friendly, responsive, and endlessly patient with all our questions and itinerary tweaks. Thank you, Naurey!
We arrived in Arusha a day early to recover from jet lag (highly recommend doing this). It really helped us start the trip rested and ready.
Then came our guide — Mwita. And wow. I know there are a lot of great guides out there, but Mwita is in a class of his own.
He’s from the Serengeti and used to be an auto mechanic (which is pretty comforting when you’re hours from anywhere — though we never needed that skill!).
While some safari trucks zoomed past, Mwita was calm, confident, and incredibly professional — exactly what you want on those bumpy, narrow roads. His eyesight is unreal. He’d spot animals hundreds of yards away that we couldn’t even find with binoculars. (Pro tip: invest in a good pair — it’s worth it.)
Here’s how our itinerary looked:
Tarangire National Park – Elephant Springs: 5 star experience
Ngorongoro Highlands – Gibb’s Farm: 4 star experience
Serengeti – Nyota Luxury Lodge: 6 star experience (yes, six stars… it’s that good!)
Ngorongoro Crater – Lion’s Paw Camp: 6 stars!!!
Lake Manyara – Escarpment Luxury Lodge: 3 stars.
We spent one night at each, except Nyota, where we stayed 2 nights.
The lunches were great — warm, filling meals (usually chicken and rice) that easily beat the cold sandwiches I expected.
Lion King’s Land Cruisers are excellent — clean, comfortable, with plenty of room and charging ports for cameras and phones. You also get the sense that the Lion King team really looks out for each other on the road, which says a lot about the company.
Having a safe, professional driver was important to me, and Mwita was all that and more. He shared stories about his family and Tanzanian life that added so much heart to the trip.
This was truly the trip of a lifetime, and I’ll happily recommend Lion King Adventures — and especially Mwita — to anyone who asks.
Thank you for making our dream safari something we’ll never forget.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The 77-day safari was a once-in-a-lifetime trip!
The 77-day safari from Nairobi to Cape Town was a once-in-a-lifetime trip!
Our guide, Peter, and our drivers David and Steve, were phenomenal! They were great people and we couldn't have asked for better leaders!
Sophi did an excellent job of communicating with me and even took a 20-minute phone call as I was trying to figure out whether or not to book the trip.
I didn't imagine we would see as much as we did. It's hard to describe everything fully: from the number of animals to the amazing community members to the beautiful scenery, it was all INCREDIBLE.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The very best - I would give Gilmag Safaris more than 5 stars if I could!!!
We had a wonderful adventure -- the best!!! I highly recommend booking your trip with gilmag safaris. They are quick to respond with helpful information. The trip was everything we wanted, and more. The guides in Rwanda and Tanzania were knowledgeable, informative, flexible, and fun and friendly. We saw animals, culture, country, wonderful people. Our guide in Tanzania made extra efforts for us to see "The Big Five". The lodging was clean, the food was delicious. These are truly professionals at Gilmag Safaris -- highly recommended. If I could, I would give them more than 5 stars!!!
Gorilla Trekking and Golden Monkey Trekking in Rwanda, Safari in Tanzania - incredible!!!
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
100% recommended and reliable for your amazing once in a life travel experience
We travelled to Tanzania last summer. This has been by far our best family holidays. Seif takes care of everything, he has tons of experience, he just spots every imaginable creature and predicts wild life behaviours. He is passionate of his incredible land, knows perfectly well the amazing National Parks. He is really “ el maldito de Serengeti”. He became a real friend for us, he is 100% reliable and , the most important, he makes you feel safe at every moment. His Spanish is outstanding. We just shared tons of really good times , we dansed together, celebrated birthdays, had many interesting discussions. Rafiki Seif I can’t wait to come back, it is impossible to describe the amazing sunsets in Serengeti, wildlife everywhere with the best imaginable company… Ahsante sana, really hope to see you soon, our family and myself are so grateful to you. Take care and keep having fun
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was amazing and the whole thing ran smoothly
We had an incredible safari experience from start to finish. Everything was organised perfectly – flights, transfers, accommodation, and game drives all went smoothly and exceeded expectations. The communication throughout the entire process was excellent, and every detail was handled with care, which made the whole trip completely stress-free.
We had amazing wildlife sightings and felt like we were in great hands the entire time. I’d highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a seamless, memorable and professionally run safari experience.
Thank you for an unforgettable trip!
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good but commnication with the pick up driver at Kilimanjaro airport needs improvement.
Back and forth communication with Lion King before arrival was good. However once our safari started our assigned tour Safari guide, Immanuel, was amazing. He made our safari memorable.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
New Rwandan friends!
I started planning my trip with Emile. He was so accommodating as I had to change the usual way for the trip I took. He sent a driver for me who was excellent! Emile was so good at communicating with me through what’s app. He was patient , kind, informative, thourough, and professional. He chose Iris to drive me.
Iris was so easy to talk to. He had wonderful English and explained many things to me about his country. He was very knowledgeable and could answer all my questions. He was fun too! We laughed about things! After the golden monkeys trip he suggested I see the Dian Fossey Museum which was excellent. We also stopped at some small shops so I could pick up a few gifts for home.
I will definitely call Lion Safaris my next time to Rwanda!!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Superb
Great experience, great tour guide/driver Pacific
We simply enjoyed the visit.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Grat safari experience
The organization of the tour was great, we ask for a lot of informations and modifications. Everything went well and everything was very clear before departure.
Once in Kenya, we have been kindly welcomed. Steve, our guide, was a very nice person and had a very good sight eye. Thanks to him we saw many animals and got a lot of nice informations about them. The organization all over the tour was just perfect.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible experience, professionally organized.
Our experience with Tilman Safari was great. From the moment we got in contact with them, they were very responsive and provided multiple options for our mount Kenya trek. We got picked up in Mombasa and met the group on the way. Our two guides, Anthony and Leonard were very prepared and extremely nice. We were a group of 6 people and enjoyed every single day. I would recommend this experience to anyone! Make sure to bring a day backpack on top of your normal backpack. Last but not least, be aware that tipping is expected (it might be different from your country of origin).