US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Tarangire National Park by Jan Robertson
Our first big park on our journey - fantastic! We saw everything there in 2 days. Especially enjoyed all the big elephants, but saw many other animals. Highly recommend Tarangire. Seems less crowded than Serengeti, but depends on what part of each park. Certainly there was no crazy-long wait to get into Tarangire like there was at Serengeti.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Serengeti National Park by Jan Robertson
Top notch safari destination. Saw everything there including a lion kill, and the great wildebeest migration of thousands of animals across the Mara River. HOWEVER, there was a huge wait at the entrance to the park while our guide had to line up with a couple hundred (yes that's correct!) other vehicles and guides trying to pay the entrance fee. There needs to be a more streamlined system to avoid all of this at high season! We must have waited over 2 hours for this inefficient process. Permits should be on an annual basis with each vehicle registered so this is automatic as they drive through the gate. OR, they could have a 'fast -track' system which electronically records the vehicle as it drives through the gate, so it is charged automatically. Visitors should have to go through this and wait while their guide queues up to pay. Tour operators and all involved - including safaribookings - should band together and put pressure on the Tanzanian government agency which oversees the parks to push for a more efficient system!
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Elizabeth
It was a great adventure.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari destination, especially Tarangire and Serengeti!
We did a 10-day safari trip with Soul of Tanzania in late July / early August 2022, visiting: Tarangire Park, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Central and Northern Serengeti, then off to Zanzibar. Four of us (3 family + 1 friend) traveled together in our private vehicle, with expert guide and excellent driver(!), George. An amazing adventure, in which we saw multitudes of elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, dik-diks, impalas, lions, cheetahs, baboons, a few leopards, and some exotic snakes: a huge python, and a spitting cobra. Accommodations throughout were great - we especially enjoyed: Nyikani Tarangire Camp, Escarpment Luxury Lodge, Nimali Serengeti and Sayari Lodge on the safari portion (all had good food and attractive surroundings) and in Zanzibar the Zawadi was absolutely first class in every respect. Can't say enough great things about our amazing trip! Many thanks to Soul of Tanzania for a memorable trip of a lifetime!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime! Exceeded expectations (Because of my guide, Derrick)
I had one of my best travel experiences EVER with Home To Africa Tours. I did a 12 day western Uganda tour which allowed me to focus on one part of the country and be able to actually enjoy the trip instead of trying to rush from one place to the next. Derrick was my driver and he was the perfect guide for me. He was very chill but also very informative and knowledgeable about wildlife and the culture of the country. I told him I wanted a taste of the "real" Uganda instead of just doing the touristy things. He took me out to a couple of the local bars at night to play some pool with the locals, we stopped and ate some of the street food from the local vendors and we became friends along the way.
The thing about traveling to a third world country, is that you have to remember that you are in a third world country and you are not going to have the same comforts or amenities as you may have at home or while visiting other westernized countries. You would think this would go without saying, however, I realize that is not always the case. However, with that being said, my lodges were very comfortable with beautiful surroundings and left me with nothing to complain about.
Another thing to remember is wildlife is unpredictable and even though you might have it in your mind that you're going to see all of these animals you dreamt of seeing, the reality is, that's not always the case. I was one of the lucky ones and saw even more than I bargained for. Part of that was because I decided to spend an extra day at Queen Elizabeth NP. Three days at that park might be too many for some, but after not seeing much the first two days, I opted to do the tracker experience (for an extra fee). That was a total game changer for me. It allowed for a "front row" view of a leopard in a tree and a pride of lions making a kill. I even saw a hyena running across the savanna. I wouldn't go into this expecting to see the same things, however, you're chances of seeing these animals do increase drastically.
I did gorilla, chimpanzee and golden monkey trekking as well. I was one of the lucky groups to locate the gorillas within the first hour of trekking, however, I know this can be a 7-9 hour day while hiking through some very difficult, steep terrain. The experience was amazing but that hour did go by fast for me. It was definitely worth the experience, but if I go back, I might opt to do the gorilla habituation where you can spend four hours with them.
All in all, it was a trip of a lifetime for me and I would definitely recommend Home To Africa Tours. I really believe Derrick made all of the difference in my experience. He showed me the "real" Uganda and was so patient about everything. Home To Africa really nailed it in planning everything I had hoped to see and do. I embraced the country and it's culture as well as I could, and I hope if you choose to go, you do the same. It's a beautiful country with so much to offer, but ultimately it's up to you to truly embrace the country for all of its beauty.
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Experience! Meektrails is a great agency, John is the best guide, speaks English and ITALIAN!
We had a great time with Meektrails, thanks to their organization, and to John, the guide we had in our safari.
Daniel has been always ready to answer all my questions since we started communicating, he gave us a very competitive quotation, but mostly, he accomodated all our requests.
Our guide John, speaks both English and Italian! He is a friend now, we spent a week with him in Amboseli, Naiwasha and Masai Mara, we had two kids travelling with us (8 and 9 y.o.) both were crying when he had to leave us at the end of the trip.
He is a great man, not only a passionate guide.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wonderful.
Wonderfu Safari
Thanks Mr. Wilson we enjoyed Maasai mara and had a great experience,
Mr Peter our Tour driver was perfect, he gave us an exiting adventure,
Thanks for the good work.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Wakanda delivered a quality experience! Diversity and numbers of animals, settings, local cuisine
This summer we took our grandson on a Wakanda safari in Tanzania to celebrate his graduation from high school. We wanted him to experience the love and wonder for Africa and its people that we had developed during our experiences in Africa. We wanted him to feel the awe at the uniqueness, diversity and magnificence of the wildlife as well as the cultural richness, ingenuity and unpretentiousness of daily life in Africa. Wow, did Wakanda deliver! We selected the budget individual guided 7-day safari tour and we were never disappointed. We were able to communicate effectively with Wakanda from the United States and set up the trip and two days of activity well in advance of our arrival.
We saw the stars of African wild life every day as well as the often overlooked birds and even a serval. There were no staged native dances, no garish banquets of food the locals could never afford or visitations to African experiences that catered solely to US and European visitors. I felt that we experienced Africa rather than visited Africa.
The price point of the tour was fantastic but delivered on all promises. Our guide, Felix, was experienced, reliably on time, knowledgeable, and in tune with a spirit of respect for the environment. He often explained the relevance of our experiences in the development of Tanzania. He made sure our teenager was involved in helping to set up camp and made certain parts of the safari “just for him.” Our cook, or as Sule preferred to be called, our “stomach engineer,” cooked delicious and varied meals that reflected the local cuisine. We are vegetarian but our grandson eats meat; Sule was always able to have both meat and vegetarian dishes. He even made bread for most dinners and breakfasts. We wanted our grandson to get as close to “nature” as possible, so three of the seven days were tent camping with night sounds, shooting stars and wandering cape buffalo and impala nearby. The equipment was all up-to-date and in very good condition. We felt safe the entire time. This expedition lived up to all our expectations. Our grandson said it was a great trip–great food, great experiences, great animal viewing. We absolutely agree! One caveat: if you require all the comforts of home, this trip might not be for you. If, however, you want a genuine and rich experience, go with Wakanda! "You never know what's around the corner!"
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely the best possible choice for a safari in Tanzania!!
Amazing trip!! Anna helped us with the planning and she was great. Very patience, thorough and knowledgeable. Abu was our guide and it is hard to imagine any guide that could be better. He added so much to our trip! We had our 12 year old grandson with us and Abu was constantly engaging him in the experience in new ways. He knew so much about the animals, the birds, the plants, the customs and cultures - every question that we asked. Loved him! Highly recommend Lion King adventures!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Absolute Best Tour Operator - Fantastic Experience!
Picking a tour operator for an 8 day safari was not easy. We wanted to go with a local company, and going by the 5 star reviews we picked African Big Cats. How lucky we were! No words can describe how fantastic this company is. From the beginning with Justice, the communication was quick and clear, they totally catered to all our wishes. The camps they choose were fantastic, and when Emmanuel learned that 1 of our camps was overbooked he swiftly upgraded us to a wonderful 5* camp, Acacia Bliss which we totally enjoyed. Thanks for that! But the very, very best thing was our tour guide Endeni, a walking encyclopedia - knowing everything about the animal world, the people and culture of his beautiful country. We spent 8 days with him and we still miss him! Such a caring man with a sense of humor. We went to see the wildebeest migration and we were not only able to see the crossing once, but 3 times! Endeni always made sure we had the best views and was always able to find animals, birds and little critters. It was just such an increadible experience and African Big Cats made it all possible for us. I can only say, please book your safari with them, you won't regret it! Absolute the best there is!