20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Above and beyond customer service
A truly phenomenal experience with Beyond the Plains. The company were fantastic at communicating with from day one to the end of the trip. Itinerary was customised to tailor our needs, accommodation was as described and Duncan our guide was brilliant.
CN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional and patient.
Basic Info
Travel Dates: July 11 – July 18
Itinerary: Nairobi → Arusha → Lake Natron → Northern Serengeti → Central Serengeti → Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha → Amboseli → Nairobi
Booking Experience 🧾
I reached out to the tour operator via WhatsApp for quotations starting back in January. We held multiple follow-up meetings to finalize the itinerary. Their customer service was responsive, usually replying within an hour.
Initially our return flight was scheduled to depart from Kilimanjaro Airport, but Qatar Airways cancelled the direct flight. We had to refund all original tickets and rebook China Southern Airlines flights, which added an extra day to our trip. We maintained consistent, proactive communication with the local ground agent to update all arrangements throughout the process. In the end, this complex cross-border safari ran flawlessly with zero itinerary disruptions.
Accommodation 🏨
Overall, the mid-range camps and lodges we stayed at exceeded expectations.
Our main base in Serengeti was Serengeti Classic View Camp: the northern branch operates as a seasonal mobile tented camp, while the central site is permanent. Meals and lodging were perfectly adequate, and the food was surprisingly delicious—far better than we anticipated. There were barely any bugs around the tents. Zebras and giraffes would casually graze right outside our door every day. Falling asleep each night to the distant roars of lions and eerie cackles of hyenas was such an unforgettable thrill.
Complimentary daily laundry service was provided; simply leave your dirty clothes in the woven basket outside your tent.
Safari Vehicle 🚗
Brand-new Toyota Land Cruiser fitted with air conditioning, in excellent condition. The vehicle was stocked with white wine, beer and assorted soft drinks. One minor downside: charging ports were not available at every seat, and the AC barely blew cold air when driving over bumpy washboard dirt roads.
Tour Guides 🙋♂️
Tanzania Side
Our guide Daniel stood out—he was fair-skinned, nothing like a typical local Tanzanian. My mum and two aunties kept complimenting his good looks nonstop, leaving him utterly embarrassed. He was easily the best-dressed and most handsome guide among all the safari crews we crossed paths with.
He was knowledgeable about local flora, fauna and landmark sites, and adjusted our game drives to prioritize the wildlife we were most eager to spot.
Kenya Side (Amboseli)
Our guide Sam was absolutely incredible. He knew every patch of land where different species tended to gather. He took us to capture extremely rare shots of elephant herds crossing the river, plus massive flocks of flamingos just a few meters away from the vehicle. He even accurately predicted the elephants’ travel route and drove ahead to secure a perfect photography spot.
After our Amboseli game drive, he calculated our return timing perfectly and dropped us off at a Nairobi restaurant right on schedule for my reunion with old friends. I truly struck gold with this fantastic guide 🎉
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Quick 3-day loop with 7 of us — Jeremy was brilliant.
Travelled through Tarangire and the Ngorongoro highlands with a family crew of seven. With three generations in one vehicle, things could have easily felt crammed, but the extended land cruiser gave everyone proper legroom and window access. Jeremy kept the momentum steady without rushing us through animal sightings. We ended up catching massive elephant pods beneath the baobabs and spotted two black rhinos along the crater floor. Clear communication from Suricata Safaris from day one. Highly worth it.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
very good trip！amazing safari
have a good trip by kilipath.I will miss this in my whole life.
