DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An unforgettable family safari
I usually do not write reviews, but after this trip I genuinely felt that I had to share our experience. This was much more than simply going on safari. It became one of those family experiences that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
We are from Germany, and before the trip we were honestly a little uncertain about booking with a local Tanzanian company rather than a German operator. My wife and I speak English very well, but our little daughter does not speak English at all, so naturally we had some concerns about how everything would work.
Those concerns disappeared very quickly.
We started our journey in Arusha and spent some time exploring the area around Mount Kilimanjaro with our daughter before beginning the safari itself. The trip to Materuni was absolutely beautiful. We visited local villages, experienced a coffee tour, ate traditional food in the village and visited the incredible Materuni Waterfalls.
Later that afternoon, we went to the Chemka Hot Springs. Swimming among the palm trees, jumping into the small natural pool using the ropes and simply enjoying the peaceful surroundings was such a beautiful experience. We would strongly recommend including these experiences before starting your safari. They are completely different from the national parks and give you another perspective on Tanzania.
Then came the safari.
And there is one person who deserves the vast majority of the recognition for how incredible this experience became.
John.
From the very beginning, John was much more than a driver. His knowledge, experience and personality made such a huge difference throughout the entire trip.
Our first national park was Tarangire, and within about five minutes we saw our first lion hunting zebras. It was an incredible start.
What impressed us most about John was not simply his ability to find animals. It was his instinct.
There were several occasions when we arrived at a popular wildlife spot and saw many other safari vehicles gathered in the same place. Sometimes there was already something interesting happening, but John would look at the situation and decide that we should continue.
He knew that there might be something better somewhere else.
And again and again, he was right.
John clearly knows these parks extremely well. He understands the animals, knows their behavior and has an incredible feeling for where something special might happen. For us, that was extremely important because we did not want our safari to feel like simply driving from one crowded tourist spot to another.
We wanted to experience the wilderness.
John understood that perfectly.
He was also fantastic with our daughter. Spending hours inside a safari vehicle is not always easy for a young child, but John was incredibly patient and kept things fun and playful. That made a huge difference for us as parents.
After Tarangire, we stayed at Manyara Best View Lodge, which was absolutely beautiful. The infinity pool and the views alone were incredible. We would definitely recommend spending at least two nights there, especially because it works perfectly as a base for combining Tarangire with the Ngorongoro Crater.
Ngorongoro was another incredible day. We saw rhinos, lions and our first male lion of the trip. We even watched a small lion family taking down a large wildebeest.
Once again, John somehow managed to find exactly the right places at exactly the right time.
From there, we continued into the Central Serengeti, which became our personal favorite part of the entire journey.
We stayed at Sound of Silence, with beautiful tents situated on a plateau. The main tent was stunning, and sitting around the campfire in the evening with the park rangers while hearing lions, hyenas and elephants somewhere out in the darkness was an experience that is almost impossible to describe.
The wildlife in the Central Serengeti was incredible.
We saw a huge pride of eight lions, a leopard sleeping on a rock underneath a tree, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, elephants and eventually the Big Five.
And once again, John was the person who put us in the right places to experience these moments.
The final part of our safari took us to the Northern Serengeti, where we stayed at Olmijoho Camp. We also had a beautiful Bush Dinner at sunset with an incredible view across the Northern Serengeti.
The Hippo Pool was another highlight, with countless hippos and crocodiles.
But then came the moment that completely exceeded everything we had experienced before.
The migration.
We had already witnessed two smaller river crossings, which were amazing in themselves. But then we came across an enormous crossing of thousands upon thousands of wildebeest and zebras moving through the Mara River.
The entire spectacle lasted somewhere between 45 minutes and almost an hour.
We simply sat there watching and could hardly believe what was happening in front of us.
John told us afterwards that even he had never seen a crossing that large before.
It was absolutely spectacular.
Looking back at the entire trip, we genuinely believe that John was responsible for a huge part of what made our safari so successful and memorable.
The parks, the lodges and the incredible landscape are obviously important. But ultimately, the person sitting in the safari vehicle with you can make an enormous difference.
And John made that difference for us.
His experience, his knowledge, his patience with our daughter and especially his ability to recognize where the best opportunities might be made this trip incredibly special.
If we ever return to Tanzania for another safari, we would choose John again without hesitation.
For that reason, we are very happy to give Top Selected Tours five out of five stars.
If you are considering a safari in Tanzania, our strongest recommendation is to ask for John.
He knows the parks, understands the animals and has an incredible instinct for finding those special moments that you simply cannot plan in advance.
Thank you for an unforgettable experience. 🇹🇿❤️
We will never forget Tanzania
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very happy and satisfied after my 7-day safari
My tour guide was Musa. He was extremely helpful and accomodating. Very knowledgable about the wildlife we encountered. We bombarded him with tons of questions about the wildlife, Masai, Kenya, etc. He entertained all questions with a smile.
The game drives were amazing! We saw the big 5 and more. He always stopped at the perfect positions where we had the best view. Amazing spotter as well.
Communications were always promptly answered. I think this is the most value for money I have gotten. Always had hearty food at the camps/hotels we stayed at. I will defintely be back for a second time because of this extremely positive experience!
PS: Navigating Kenyan roads and offroad isnt for everyone. But our guide made it seem like a breeze.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Had an amazing trip!
Our 5 day/4 night safari was great. We saw all of the "big 5" animals and many others. Our guide was knowledgable and had a knack for finding interesting animals before they were swarmed by other groups.
The accommodations were all excellent, with great food and comfortable beds. I especially enjoyed the Sopa Lodge and could have happily stayed there for several days.
Rodgers provided top notch service and even drove several hours to personally drop us off at the next location when time was tight.
Highly recommended!
TH
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A fantastic personalized service with continuous support
We discussed with Gail a rough itinerary and she arranged everything .
She was great with recommendations .
One of the best things about her service was the continuous support during the trip .
She was able to answer any questions we had by WhatsApp at almost whatever time of day during the trip .
If you are planning to visit Southern Africa I would strongly recommend using Gail of Pembury Tours
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The tour operator TUI? Good and proffesional
The tours were incredible and all different kind of parks. We had a nice, proffesional and kind driver and tour guide. We also stayed at beautifull places, hotel and lodges. We did see different kind of animals. And the jeeps were comfortable. The communications and service were very good and friendly, relaxt. We had no things we didnt like or werent good.
IL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Heartfelt Recommendation for the best safari company NDUTU GREEN EXPLORERS
A Heartfelt Recommendation for NDUTU GREEN EXPLORERS
Our safari with NDUTU GREEN EXPLORERS was simply unforgettable! From the excellent communication to the planning and coordination, everything was handled perfectly. There wasn’t a single detail that was missed.
Culvert, our guide, is truly one of a kind – professional, experienced, and with an incredible ability to read the terrain. He always knew exactly where to look and spotted animals that we would have easily missed. Thanks to him, we were able to see everything we had hoped for, including all five of the Big Five: elephants, lions, buffalo, leopards, and rhinos.
And of course, there were giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, antelopes, cheetahs feeding on their kills, and many other species of animals and birds. We were also incredibly lucky to witness two spectacular crossings of thousands of wildebeest across the Mara River, including crocodiles hunting the wildebeest during the crossings.
But beyond his knowledge and professionalism, Culvert made the safari a truly special personal experience. He was attentive, patient, and always aware of the people around him.
One of the most memorable experiences was our visit to a Maasai village – a fascinating encounter with a completely different culture and way of life. Culvert made sure all the necessary arrangements were in place so that we could visit the village and experience this unique encounter.
We traveled with our two teenage daughters, and everything was planned in a way that made the safari an incredible family experience – exciting, comfortable, and filled with unforgettable moments.
If you are looking for a safari with true professionals, personal attention, genuine knowledge, and the ability to turn a trip into a once-in-a-lifetime experience, we wholeheartedly recommend NDUTU GREEN EXPLORERS. 🌍🦁❤️
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
passionate about his work, curious, eager to explain...
I had an amazing experience with Theno and would happily recommend him to anyone planning an African safari.
Communication was clear, friendly, and to the point. All the information was provided accurately and on time, which made planning the trip very easy.
The service throughout the trip was excellent. Everything we needed was taken care of. The camps were comfortable and, in many ways, felt like a hotel — beds were made, warm water was available for showers, and breakfast and dinner were ready when we arrived. Lunch and coffee were also packed for us to enjoy during the safari. The staff were always very kind, welcoming, and friendly.
I compared several tour operators before booking, and Theno offered the most reasonable price considering the length of the trip and everything that was included.
What really stood out was how flexible and committed Theno was to making sure we got the best possible safari experience. He adapted the itinerary along the way to help us see as many animals as possible. Khwai was not originally part of our plan, but he took us there anyway. He also added both a Mokoro and a boat ride, even though they were not originally included.
Theno is reliable, punctual, and very experienced. Everything went smoothly and according to plan.
And of course, the safari itself was unforgettable! We saw 4 of the Big 5 and spotted lions almost every day. A big part of that was thanks to Theno’s experience and incredible instincts — he often seemed to know exactly where the lions might be and would take us in the right direction. We were also lucky enough to see a leopard hunting, along with many other animals and a huge variety of beautiful birds. Theno knows a lot about birds as well and was always happy to share interesting information about the different species we saw.
My two cents: The whole experience was absolutely worth more than what I paid. One of the reasons I chose a local operator was because I wanted someone local to genuinely benefit from my trip, and I was very happy with that decision.
Thank you, Theno, Muambo and Thoot for an unforgettable safari experience!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Very good safari experience
We were debating doing the one day Chobe safari from victoria falls but we are really glad we did. Very good game viewing and our driver/guide was really great. We are glad we paid a bit more compared to other providers for the earlier start time and later finish
IQ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great company
We had a fantastic 2-day safari to Masai Mara with GreatTone. Everything was well organized and went smoothly from the beginning to the end.
Our driver and guide, Anthony, was excellent. He was very friendly, professional, and knowledgeable about the wildlife and the Masai Mara. He made sure we were comfortable throughout the trip and did his best to give us the best possible safari experience.
We were lucky to see lions prey buffalo, we saw elephants, giraffes, zebras, and many other animals. The game drives were exciting and memorable, and Anthony’s knowledge made the experience even better.
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Professional
I recently did the an 8 day Kilimanjaro tour via the lemosho route with Kojuu safaris. All bookings and contact were from Australia and the service and assistance was seamless. I am 70 years old and the guides and porters provided by Kojuu were excellent. Their confidence and encouragement enabled me to reach the summit. The airport transfers at the beginning and end of the trip, even at 2.30am was faultless.
I have no hesitation in giving Kojuu Safaris 5 stars. If you have to chance to get a guide named Omary Mduli, take it!!