IE
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Godfrey is very courteous, helpful and friendly
Godfrey immediately showed consideration and kindness to help me (75 years old) into the van when picking me up at the hotel...he was also considerate in giving me a few extra minutes at the stop on the way. Friendly talk during the drive was pleasant too. Thank you, I enjoyed the experience 😊
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
highly reliable
I highly reccomend this agency. Our experience Was great and we have made everything that Was supposed according to the program!
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience!
We made the 3-day tour with Zo and Sasa, who were very kind and careful
The tour was amazing!
under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Felix was the most lovely driver and so knowledgeable on the best spots to see the best animals.
We had an amazing time on safari with Ndutu Green explorers. Our tour guide Felix was very happy and friendly and answered every question we put his way. We got to see so many animals up close including all of the big 5 which was incredible. The car was stocked up every day with drinks and snacks for us and the food we had for lunch was still warm and very nice. We got something different for food each day. The places we stayed at night were all very nice and so it felt like we got very good value for money. We got to see everything we wanted and it felt like the tour was very flexible around us - we went as a group of 3 friends. The tour was very well organised and ran very smoothly I would definitely recommend.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Six incredible days, amazing wildlife and a great guide
We travelled as a couple on a six-day private safari with Tanzania Pilgrimage Safaris, starting in Arusha and visiting Tarangire National Park, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara before being dropped off at Arusha Airport for our onward flight to Zanzibar.
From the beginning, communication with Gloria was friendly, quick and reliable. Questions and concerns were taken seriously and resolved, and our individual travel arrangements were accommodated, including organizing our transfer from Nairobi to Arusha and making sure we reached Arusha Airport in time for our flight after the safari. The only point where communication could have been clearer was the exact meeting point for the transfer from Nairobi, which we did not know beforehand.
Our guide, Fazil, was excellent. He was friendly, knowledgeable and, something we particularly appreciated, never overly talkative or intrusive. He gave us space to simply enjoy the landscape and wildlife, while always being available to explain what we were seeing. He knew a great deal about the animals and the parks and drove safely throughout the trip.
One personal note: throughout the safari I mistakenly called him “Faizal”, and he was too polite to correct me. I only realized afterwards that his name was Fazil. I genuinely feel bad about this, as no disrespect whatsoever was intended. Sorry, Fazil!
The wildlife experience was outstanding. We saw all of the Big Five, including two leopards and rhinos, as well as a cheetah and hyenas. Lions were almost an everyday sight, along with elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and buffalo. There were so many sightings that listing everything would be impossible. The Serengeti in particular was an incredible experience.
The vehicle was a safari-converted Toyota Land Cruiser J7 in good and clean condition. We had no mechanical problems despite covering considerable distances, and having a fridge stocked with water and Coke was a nice touch. Obviously, after many hours on rough roads, even a good seat eventually becomes uncomfortable – that is simply part of a safari. We also experienced a rather impressive stone impact on the windscreen that came close to going straight through it, but that was simply bad luck and certainly had nothing to do with the driving.
Our accommodation consisted of Sanna Boutique Hotel, Furaha Luxury Lodge, The African Kongoni Serengeti Safari Camp, Serengeti Central Lodge and Mawe Mawe Manyara Lodge. The two accommodations in the Serengeti were particularly outstanding: beautiful locations and views, right in the wilderness, excellent food, friendly staff and a very pleasant atmosphere.
At Furaha Luxury Lodge we happened to be the only guests and received an enormous amount of Tanzanian hospitality. For us personally, it was actually a little too much attention, including singing and dancing and almost always having someone around until we retired to our room. We tend to appreciate a little more privacy and quiet. However, this is very much a matter of personal preference, and it was absolutely clear that everyone involved was simply trying to make us feel welcome.
Food throughout the trip was very good and we had no complaints about the catering.
The safari itself was flexible, and we could have adjusted timings or spent longer at particular places if we had wanted to. The only minor downside of safari life is hearing that the next morning starts at 7 a.m. when you are technically on holiday! Of course, early starts and long driving days are part of covering several national parks within a relatively short trip.
In terms of value for money, the safari itself offered a lot. One thing European travellers in particular may want to research beforehand is the tipping culture in Tanzania. Once the expected tips are added to the overall budget, the trip becomes noticeably more expensive. We had not looked into this sufficiently before travelling, so the extent of tipping came as a bit of a surprise. Personally, I generally prefer systems where staff receive appropriate compensation directly through the price, but this is obviously a broader cultural issue and not something specific to Tanzania Pilgrimage Safaris.
Overall, we had a fantastic safari. The organization worked very well, the route was excellent, the wildlife exceeded our expectations and Fazil was a knowledgeable, safe and pleasantly unobtrusive guide. Despite the few minor points mentioned above, we would happily recommend Tanzania Pilgrimage Safaris and would book with them again.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Genuine, attentative and kind!
We had the most phenomenal trip. Loved every second. From curating our tour package, communication with Eraste was amazing. He managed to create us an 8 day package with everything we wanted to do, including Gorilla trekking, chimp trekking, golden monkey trekking, safaris and a visit to the equator. He managed to fit this into our budget and gave us a very reasonable price, which was not beaten elsewhere.
From the moment we arrived we had the best time. Eraste, and our driver Emmanuel, were so kind and helpful. We felt truly welcomed. Communication was great and the driving felt safe and comfortable.
All of our hotels were breathtaking. Especially Enshama Lodge where animals literally walk through the hotel.
Eraste found us some amazing local places to eat, and even made requests at the hotels for local food which was amazing. He even organised a surprise in one of our hotels, and a birthday surprise for my partner at the end of our trip.
Eraste and Emmanuel were always on time, had everything sorted for us and was organised and attentative.
We loved our trip so much, we even added an extra day to visit Akagera National Park at the end and this was equally as amazing, where we were lucky enough to see giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocs and much more.
Honestly, a once in a life time trip, made incredible by both Eraste and Emmanuel. Loved every second.
