CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
All we expected and more.
We decided to take the trip of a lifetime. We wanted to go on an African Safari to see birds, animals and the land. Where to go and who to trust. We turned to web sites like this one to see who provided the best services and delivered a great product. We narrowed it down to 5 service providers. We sent out requests to these 5 for safari recommendations and costs. Options and costs were all over the board. The deciding factor for us was the response from the provider. All gave us a price, some faster than others, and options. We asked questions. That was the deciding factor. Hugo at Unlimited Expeditions - The Soul of Tanzania always responded promptly with clear answers and solutions that gave us the feeling that his company had their act together. The others, not so much. We booked with him and then promptly started making adjustments. Hugo continued to be responsive and helped us make additions to our itinerary.
We arrived late on a Sunday evening in Arusha (Kilimanjaro Intl Airport) and stayed at the Mount Meru Hotel. A nice place, too bad we were only in it for a short time. Bright and early the next morning we met Habibu, our guide for the Safari. He turned out to be a polite and attentive young man. He always has a big smile and has a great sense of humor. We kidded with him a lot and he gave as good as he took. He also was very knowledgeable about the safari, its sights and its wildlife. He answered many questions and shared with us his land, his people and his love for what he does. He is also intuitive as he quickly learned that we were looking for more than the big 5. I would shout “Stop Stop, Backup Backup ''. Him “What, Where”. Me “What’s that on the left?”. Him “Oh that’s a guineafowl, they are common here…”. From then on he pointed out many colorful and interesting birds. Habibu also uses the Guide Net very well. Every time we met another guide he would interact with them to gain knowledge as to where specific animals were last seen. He also used the 2 way radio. More than once he was on the radio with another guide and then made an abrupt direction change which resulted in us finding a hidden lion or leopard. He also taught us a lot about the areas we travelled through. He talked freely of his people. He showed us the open markets and how they worked. He showed us Masai villages and explained why they were allowed in the parks.
Monday we travelled from Arusha to Tarangire. A short drive through the city and then on to the park. A Game drive in the park and a picnic. Lots of wildlife here and a great kick off to our trip. We overnighted at Maramboi Tented Lodge on the shore of Lake Manyara. We actually saw wildlife on our way into the Lodge because it is on parkland. Our Tented Lodge had a great view of some grassland, the lake and the mountains across the lake. Food was good and the people were great. We awoke on Tuesday morning to a wildebeest standing in front of our deck saying Good Morning.
Tuesday we travelled to Lake Manyara National Park for a full day game drive and picnic. Also lots of wildlife here with a bit of lake wildlife as well. Shorebirds and hippos in the distance. We overnighted at Kilimamoja Lodge. This lodge is located on the roughest road we encountered during our entire safari. Something about a dispute with the local government. But well worth the drive, (and we are in a 4 wheel drive Land Cruiser) as the view from the Lodge is spectacular. Great food, great people and a great view of the valley to the east. Great sunrise photos.
Wednesday we travelled towards and past the Ngorongoro region. Because of cloud cover, all the way to the ground, we could not see into the crater. We would have to wait until the return trip. We pushed further west into the Serengeti. We spent the afternoon and into the evening on a spectacular game drive that started slow and finished with a bang. We saw many many animals and birds. We spent 2 nights at the Lahia Tented Lodge. It is a bit off to the west of the main safari area for this time of year as the migration is happening near the Seronera area. The facilities and the people are super. We especially enjoyed chatting with the Masai guys we met there. Our lodge faced south with a super view of the valley below and the various animals out there.
Thursday we spent the day wandering the Serengeti with many, many animal sightings. There were no picnic sites so we picnicked in the vehicle watching the sights.
Friday we headed out early in the morning, back towards the east, and encountered the migration. It was incredible. Wildebeests in every direction all headed north west. We probably drove 10 kms, at a walking pace, as the animals flowed around us. There were some Zebras but mostly Wildebeests. They were walking, running, bleating, sparring, Wow. Oh Yes all under the watchful eye of the multitude of vultures. We continued east back to the Ngorongoro Crater. The visibility had cleared up greatly from Wednesday. We did a game drive into the crater and along the lake. We found a Rhino resting in the grass so had our picnic in the vehicle while we waited for it to stand up. Got some great pictures when it did. We continued east and overnighted at the Kitela Lodge. Again a nice place with nice people. It is located in a bit of forest and is a farm and coffee bean plantation.
Saturday we slept in, worked our way east through the markets and towns and caught a flight from Arusha to Zanzibar. Habibu’s help was appreciated at the airport. When we arrived there he could have dropped us off and departed but he walked us in. When we tried to check in, the clerks couldn’t find us in their system. Habibu's assistance got us on the flight. We stayed at the Serena Hotel on the waterfront in Stonetown. A nice hotel with a restaurant overlooking the water.
Sunday morning we were met by Mohammed and he gave us a walking tour through Stonetown. He was very informative and answered all our questions. We enjoyed the guided tour as we would probably have missed things without the guide. At noon we transferred to Gold Zanzibar for a 4 day beach stay. The resort is right on the beach facing the straight between the island and the mainland and is north of Stonetown.
Monday morning we hopped on a tourist boat to the other side of the island and did some snorkeling on a reef and then swam with some dolphins. There are lots of fish to see at the reef. Here is where I add my only really negative comment. The boats, and there are a lot of them, toss their anchors down into the coral to secure their boat. These anchors are tearing up the coral and damaging the reef. You can see the damage. There has to be a better way of doing this.
The rest of the week we sunbathed and walked the beaches. Awesome. Shout-out to Samwell. Favorite waiter.
We departed Saturday evening out of Zanzibar Airport.
I want to stress this...Everywhere we went, the people of Tanzania were friendly, polite, helpful and happy. It was refreshing!!!
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The country is as beautiful as its people.
This was our second trip to Tanzania. We volunteered at a primary school in 2019 and always knew we would return. We love the children and this time we brought books and underwear for them. We made friends there in 2019 and loved seeing them again.This time we also went on a safari with Safaribyleo and went to Ngorongoro. We saw so many animals and had so many adventures on the way; hot springs, a Maasai village, waterfalls. We will definitely go back for the third time. You can leave Africa, but it never leaves you.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Kelly
Lots of wildlife here. The Terrain is different than the others. More trees and jungle like. Only place we saw the Blue Monkey.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Kelly
Loved the crater. The sense of all of the wildlife together in a limited area. View of the crater walls was super.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Serengeti National Park by Kelly
This park is so big! and yet we found animals and birds everywhere. There was also diverse land. Hills, forest and parkland. Crocodiles and hippos in the rivers, Elands, Ostriches, zebras, giraffes, etc on the plains. Waterbucks, gazelles, hornbills in the foothills. Elephants and cats everywhere. The sheer numbers of animals was awesome.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Tarangire National Park by Kelly
It was a great starting place for us. Met monkeys at the at the park entrance and a warthog 2 minutes later. Lots of wildlife and a great teaser of what was to come.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
So responsive thoughtful and ABOVE and beyond in every single way
My husband and I booked a honeymoon trip to hike Kilimanjaro, and then go to the beach and Zanzabar afterwards. To our surprise when we arrived, we found out that it was actually only going to be us, our guides and porters! It was such a special surprise. The trip was flawless and the coordination was perfect. First of all Kim is always available. Literally responding to our emails within moments of us sending them and is so on top of all the details of the trip. Our trip went so smoothly. We did a one day safari with an amazing guide named Laurent. We literally had to pull off and have lunch somewhere else by a beautiful lake instead of in the main picnic site because we realized that the food we had was so much better than all the other groups that it was honestly just better to eat somewhere else!! Laurent even provided us with wine and coffee to accompany our lunch. Now onto the part about Kilimanjaro – our guides Yaky and Juma were absolute perfection. I honestly couldn’t have dreamed of a better trip. They took such great care of us medically emotionally and physically. Every day was such a special adventure. The food was also incredible. We literally had popcorn every day and three course meals on the mountain! Not only that, but we booked the toilet, and the Sleeping bags with the cots and everything was so incredibly comfortable. I couldn’t believe that we were hiking on a mountain when we felt altitude sickness at some point and got sick the guides took their own handkerchiefs to help wipe our mouths. It was really just so thoughtful and they were so perfect the whole time. I’ve been singing the praises of Pristine ever since I got back I’m so glad that we booked through them. The experience could not have been better and it’s a honeymoon will never forget! I wish I could give 100 stars for this review.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our tour guide made everyday special
Our trip was amazing and an experience I will never forget. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable about locations and where to ensure we saw as many animals as possible.We stayed at Neptune and were treated like stars. They paid attention to every detail and made sure we were always happy. If you want a trip of a lifetime contact Lush African Safaris
Knowledgeable and experienced in finding the right itinerary for a safari
I reached out to Michelle about a holiday in South Africa to view wildlife. She sourced me a great game lodge at KAMBAKU RIVER SANDS and put all the finishing touches on my vacation
I will use Explore & Travel Africa again soon.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
I recently returned from an incredible journey with Ramble Africa Safaris, and it exceeded all my expectations! We explored the stunning Amboseli National Park, had unforgettable encounters at the Giraffe Center, marveled at the beauty of Lake Nakuru, and experienced the tranquility of Crescent Island. Diani Beach was the perfect finale to the trip. The food was delicious, and the luxury accommodations provided a comfortable retreat. Our tour guide, Philip, was exceptional and added so much value to the experience. I highly recommend Ramble Africa Safaris for an adventure of a lifetime!