MY
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best experience of my life!
I had a dream to visit Serengeti for most of my life after seeing all wildlife documentaries in TV as a kid and we started planning the trip already 2019 before covid hit. Naturally, expectations were sky high - And all of my expectations were exceeded.
Process of selecting safari is very straightforward and easy using safaribookings.com, we narrowed the selection to two operators based on reviews from other guests. Lion King is top rated and for absolutely valid reasons - Everything worked very smoothyl from the first reply to query for quote until drop off to airport. We got excellent information package prior to arrival containing all crucial and informative information and were well prepared for our trip.
We chose 9 day luxurious safari in Aug/Sep 2022 including Tarangire, central and North Serengeti, Ngoro Ngoro crater and Lake Manyara providing lots of variation in animals, terrain and overall vibe. Highlights of the trip were lions with cubs (many times), Cheetah hunting wildebeast in front of our eyes, amazing amount of animals in Ngoro Ngoro, hundreds of giraffes, elephants and zebras and spotting extremely rare black Rhino in the crater - To name just a few. Animals are everywhere and with good guide, chances of seeing big 5 plus all other iconic African animals are very good. What we also appreciated was the amount of game drives - Inside Serengeti, all transportation drives are also game drives, giving you full day of opportunities for viewing.
Our guide was Mr Goodluck, who is very funny guy with unlimited knowledge of all wildlife and Tanzania overall. He is superb handling big lancruiser, able to drive really fast in challenging conditions while keeping still safety as priority. We thoroughly enjoyed overwhelming amount of information about all animals, their habits and surroundings overall. We wished to see certain animals and he managed to always found them. Cherry on top of the cake was elusive black Rhino, who was standing several kilometers away but he spotted it. I cannot stress enough the importance of having skillful guide, as he/she will make or break the trip.
As the package was luxury scale, all our accommodation was great - We stayed in Kitela Lodge, Kubu Kubu tented lodge, Mara under Canvas, Gran Melia Arusha and Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge - Each of them very unique with own chacteristics and surroundigs. Lions roaring and sunrises at central Serengeti, hyenas laughing behind our tents and zebras practically on our tent terrace in Northern Serengeti provided absolutely once in a lifetime Africa experience. Food was plenty and absolutely delicious, most of the time buffet style.
Thank you Liong King team and especially Pendo Simon and Goodluck for making our trip most memorable and fantastic experience! -Mark & Meri
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent! Detailed oriented.
Go Touch Down did an amazing job in coordinating our vacay to South Africa, from the excursions to the accommodations to the restaurants to the entertainment. To say we enjoyed the whole adventure is an understatement. Our tour guides were par excellent-Fabian, Thabo, Tony, and JP. They were so knowledgeable and always wore patience. We have gained a lifetime of memories from a once in a lifetime trip. Thanks
US
Most Incredible Experience Ever
If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering if you should book with Lion King Adventures. Don’t even think twice, just do it.
My partner and I traveled 24 hours to get to Tanzania. There was no possible way we could have predicted if Lion King was the right decision in comparison to the many other tour companies, but we wired over the funds anyway. Our decision was based on three things: the response time of Nickson and Anna, the flexibility of lodges we could choose from, and finally the perfect reviews we saw online. It wasnt until the third day of our trip, after understanding how other companies operate, did we realize that picking Lion King Safari was the best decision we could’ve possibly made for our once in a lifetime honeymoon.
Why?
1) Customer experience: this was a seamless trip from beginning to end. No confusion, we didnt even have to carry our luggage once because everything was so well organized. From the accommodations, to entering in and out of the national parks multiple times, to our special requests for lodging, wow. Completely flawless.
2) Mwita: Mwita was our guide for the 7 days and he truly deserves a review of his own. You will see that there are many reviews about how Mwita is a great guide or he has a great eye for things. While my partner and I agree with these, what stood out to us was Mwita’s character. It’ll be easy to find and engaging guide, but very difficult to find a person who you can trust without fluff and always says things how it is and is honest about what is realistic and recommends the best way to go about each day. Perhaps it’s because he is the son of a chief Serengeti ranger, but it felt like we were sitting in a ranger’s car or with someone who dedicates their life to the parks. He not only followed rules, but we came to find that he has a gift of educating and influencing others, even educating the rangers in Northern Serengeti. It was after we shared multiple meals with him and we learned about his life that he is a good man, and does everything he can to do right by his country, the parks, and Lion King. Lucky for us, he is also a mechanic! You would be surprised by how important it is to have a guide who takes care of his car and knows how to get out of sticky situations. He even paused for 10 minutes to help another tour group who had car troubles and fixed it as soon as he detected the problem. They had been there for an hour before we arrived. Which brings me to the importance of my next point, the overall quality of experience and our Mara River crossing experience.
3) Quality of experience:
The car: The car was the most up to date amongst the companies we saw. Clean, pristine, and the best possible vehicle we could have asked for. Every morning, it was fully stocked and clean from the activities from the day before.
The lodges: Our favorites were Gibb’s Farm, Kubu Kubu Lodge, Mara Under Canvas, and the Four Seasons Serengeti. The food was top notch, and every person we came across were so welcoming and toom care of everything for us.
The Mara river crossing: The was the most thrilling experience. We waited for two days, 10 hours in total and every minute was worth it. Had Mwita not been our guide, constantly checking in on his radio and knowing the tricky roads and rules the way he did, we would have easily missed this rare crossing. He was a safe, but clever driver who was always one step ahead of the other tour companies and led the way for the chase. He always seemed to make the right decision, which is so important when every little decision every second matters. If you’re looking to see the Mara River crossing, you must request to book Mwita. You’ll see why.
This is an extremely long review, because we have sk many great things to say about Lion King Adventures. We have learned so much about Tanzanian culture, the parks, and life from Mwita. Mwita has truly left an imprint on us. This is our last night of the trip, and we were brought to tears as we enjoy our time at Gibb’s farm. We are so so grateful to have chosen Lion King. Asante Sana, thank you so much for the best experience of our lives.
NL
Super and Excellent
The company was reliable, good communication and top quality. I really enjoyed my safari The 3nights migration experience was magical .The tour was well organized and our guide Isaac was the best .
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Older gentleman with decades of experience and knowledge of the bush.
TCS did a great job planning our safari. We were able to visit all the places we hoped and the lodges were clean, comfortable, and enjoyable. There were a few things TCS could have improved upon: 1) cleaning the vehicle windows mid-way through the safari (our trip was six days, and at one point I, myself cleaned the windows), 2) better communication with one of the lodges - one lodge company gave us a one-bed tent twice when we had originally requested two twins, 3) better communication on the return flights for us (both travellers were confused about the end destinations - one traveller had to re-enter the airport in Zanzibar to schedule her next flight on to Dar, which was not communicated prior to flying - at least knowing there might be some bumps in logistics would have been nice). Despite these few things, we felt that the tour guide did a nice job of meeting us and understanding our priorities. We were a low-key pair and enjoyed the occasional silence - our tour guide did not talk constantly. He offered us the opportunity to eat lunch in the vehicle while watching the wildlife (instead of going to the often-crowded lunch spots) and provided the routine afternoon coffee to my dad throughout the trip. I had also heard that tour guides are often caught up in making sure travellers see the "Big Five." Even if our tour guide was concerned with this, he didn't show it. We were just grateful to see Tanzania's beautiful wildlife in general. We both saw animals that we didn't expect to see and enjoyed groups of animals we didn't know would be our favorites.
AE
Great service and worth every cent. Tailored to your timelines and budget. Well organized tour.
The company offers a wide range of packages that fit your style and wallet. They offered support to the very end, from simple things like broken charger to exchange service. We had a chat group for the trip for communication that made discussions and agreements much faster so that we didn’t waste time through the day changing plans. We got exposed to three different countries on our trip and that was great value for money. Recommend!
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great family Safari.
Wayfairer provided a great experience for us and we had a great time in Tanzania on Safari. The communication was clear and timely and we loved all but one of our accommodations. The communication leading up to the trip and support was really helpful and put us at ease.
Wayfairer really put together a great package for us that was perfect for our family. The camps were all in lovely settings and had great staff that were so accommodating to us as a family with three kids aged 19, 15, and 12. Our guide was fantastic and made us feel like family and took such good care of us. I can highly recommend Wayfairer to plan and organize a trip like this.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
wonderful
I booked the gorilla trekking and a tour to the murchison falls.
My guide Arthur was very friendly and courteous.
He told a lot about the country, the people and he answered many questions,it was a lot of fun talking to him.
He always tried to make sure that you were taken care of.
I can only recommend Ngoni Safari!
RU
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Attentive and diligent collective of people
First of all Msangai answered my question about possibility to do the Covid pcr test during trip (I traveled to another country right after safari). And they were the only company that answered with valuable details.
Eventually they registered me for the test, modified the trip to make it and delivered me the results. As you see nothing of it was included in safari, but they answered to my custom request.
During the adventure our guide James was attentive and we felt that we could stop any time in any place to see sceneries or animals we wanted. When we wanted to see leopard our guide started to find possible places. Also we got answers to all our questions and lot’s of additional information about local fauna and flora. Everything was friendly and there were no communication barriers.
Car was good and reliable. We always made stops in places with washrooms. We always had fresh water. So everything was comfortable. Also we got transfer from and to airport. So Msangai managed all our trip within Tanzania.
About hotels: We stopped at bush camp for two days. And it was one of best experiences we had, because you feel really close to locale nature. Though it had hot shower and wi-fi. So don’t hesitate to get there in your trip
All in all I definitely can recommend safari with “Msangai Adventure Safaris” and may be will take another trip myself.
P.S.
Small advices to those coming for safari:
*No special safari uniform is really needed, just comfortable clothes for the car
*Don’t forget sunscreen
*Some roads are dusty, so get ready for it
*if you have no special camera just get additional lense for your phone. It will be enough
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Carole was simply the BEST in every way.
Carole at Tekko Tours was amazing! She went above and beyond with every request. Our experience was incredible!