20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great mid range safari option
We did a 5 day safari with Edgar as our guide. The price ($1500) was half of what our Kilimanjaro climbing company was charging and the accomodations and experience was great. We'd definitely recommend this company to others.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent
Unforgettable Experience!
Just returned from a short Gorilla tracking safari in Bwindi, Uganda with Wildfreinds Africa Safaris , really had an amazing and adventurous experience in Bwindi, all thanks to Wildfreinds Africa Safaris, after hours trekking and spent a great time with these giants of the Mountains
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding, professional service and value for the experience of a lifetime!
From start to finish, the professionalism and helpfulness of all Lion King staff we engaged with was top notch. Initial inquiries were answered by Godwin Olais who then turned it over to Ms. Kabwe for logistics. All of my questions (and there were many!) were answered in a timely fashion. I can't speak for other safari companies because Lion King was the only company I considered, but a big selling point for us was that all of their safaris are private. It was just me and my husband! It was also incredibly helpful and efficient that Ms. Kabwe was able to arrange options for an extra hotel night following our safari and a hotel day room on Zanzibar (12 hour flight layover) with airport transfers and the costs were simply added to the total safari package. Because Precision Air changed our arrival (departing from Zanzibar) from Arusha to Kilimanjaro we also worked with Ms. Kabwe (and our guide) on the last day of our safari to change our final night of hotel from Arusha to Kilimanjaro. We were also very lucky in that for three nights of our safari, we were upgraded to luxury lodge accommodations because the mid-range options were fully booked for the dates of our trip and at no extra cost to us! If you have the opportunity, you MUST stay at the Escarpment Luxury Lodge - wow! All accommodations were wonderful and meals including picnic lunches were delicious! The Lion King website provides plenty of details regarding itineraries, what's included, and how the trip will proceed. Payment via their online service was easy. Now, on to the good stuff! We had one guide on our trip - Oswald Shayo or Ozzie/Ozzy for short. If you are fortunate enough to have Ozzie as your guide you are in for a real treat! First, he's a skilled driver on what can be some very rough, dusty and foggy terrain at times and he maneuvered our Land Cruiser (Cape Buffalo) with ease when in tight spaces (i.e., when several vehicles were crowded around to view a particular animal). I always felt like we had the best viewing spot of any vehicle in the group! Second, he has eagle eye vision when it comes to spotting animals. If it's out there, you are not going to miss it with Ozzie around. Third, his knowledge of the parks and facilities (i.e., bathrooms!), their ecosystems and the wildlife is extraordinary. As professional marine ecologists, we really appreciated the discussions about animal behavior and seasonal dynamics of the parks. Definitely ask him questions! Ozzie communicated continuously with other guides throughout our game drives to ensure we would get to see animals that were making an appearance. We saw the Big Five (although Ozzie can't guarantee that!) and many, many, many other species. It was overwhelming! Lastly, Ozzie was a very pleasant, cordial and jovial individual. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him, so much so that when he were dropped off at the end of our safari, I was sad to see him walk away. This really speaks to the efforts that Lion King takes to recruit quality staff and keep them on board (Ozzie has been there 8 years as of June 2023). Five stars for Lion King and their team!
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience
Booking the trip in advance went smooth. The driver waited for me at the hotel and we were at the park early. The safari went very well and we saw most of the animals at the park, after a fantastic lunch we went to the giraffe sanctuary but regretfully the elephant orphanage, which was supposed to be part of the day, was fully booked so we couldn’t visit it not feed the baby elephants.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best travel experience we've had in our lives, and Duteni Tours made it happen!
In case you don’t have time to read this book, let me start off by saying this was the most amazing travel experience my wife and I have had in our life! Thank you Duteni Tours for providing us with the best VIP experience during our entire journey!
From the moment we arrived in Dar es Salaam, to the moment we left, Ebonie, Fortunatus and their team took care of our every need, and then some! The attention to detail, the subtle surprises you don’t expect, the way they made us feel right at home, it was simply amazing. Our guides, Tersem, Emmanuel, and Amiri were top notch, professional, and a ton of fun to be around! Keep in mind, your guide is not only your tour guide, but they’re also your driver, your translator, your negotiator, and your sense of security (even as peaceful as Dar es Salaam felt). You’ll get to know your guides very well, as they are with you for everything. The tour of downtown Dar es Salaam, the Stone Town tour in Zanzibar, the dancing, cooking, and drumming classes, the cultural and tribal experiences, they’re with you while you’re shopping and off in the distance while eating at restaurants (if you’d like), and of course during the amazing safari. Once you vacation with the Duteni guides, you’ll never want to visit another country without a guide! They bring so much value, comfort, knowledge and experience to the adventure! Thank you Tersem, Emmanuel, and Amiri!
My wife and I have loved traveling Europe because we enjoy getting out of the American bubble and experiencing the rest of the world. What we quickly realized after visiting Tanzania is that Europe is just America’s cousin. You quickly realize there’s not a lot of difference between the United States and Europe after you experience the wonders of Tanzania! The Tanzanian people, their behaviors, their magnificent food, their work ethic, their driving (controlled chaos lol), their love and appreciation of life, and the beautiful palm trees and lush vegetation are all so vibrant and alive!
Now let’s talk about our accommodations. WOW, just WOW! Ebonie and Fortunatus blew our socks off with some of the nicest hotels my wife and I have stayed in our lives. It was simply jaw dropping! Not only were these hotels magnificent, extremely clean, views to die for, and had delicious food, but Duteni tours work with these hotels on a regular basis, so the staff and hotel management understand that Duteni guests get that little extra ounce of love and attention!
Simply put, my wife and I were treated like Rockstars, (or members of the White House haha)! I can’t put into words how much Duteni Tours exceeded our satisfaction! The entire experience wouldn’t have been half of what it was without Duteni!! THANK YOU DUTENI!
WE CANNOT WAIT TO GO BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very welcoming, looked after us very well.
Had a great time! Service was great and would highly recommend!
AE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very safe and informative. Knew a lot about the animals and was happy to answer all our questions!
Very easy to contact and happy to answer all our questions prior to the trip. Your was well organised and great fun.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The Suricata Lodge was bliss
Suricata was an amazing experience. We looked at other safari companies but they were charging twice the price for a similar type of trip. We got to stay at the Suricata Boma Lodge which was a beautiful property by the lake, which blew us away. The lodge was a gorgeous resort with a swimming pool and tastefully decorated private rooms. The safari experience was exceptional. Our guide Edgar was very knowledgeable and went the extra mile to get us a good view of all the big game animals in Serengeti. We saw multiple lions, buffalos, a black rhino, cheetahs, and elephants. Edgar went above and beyond to give us a great sunrise game drive and we were able to experience the magic of Tanzania up close and personal. Would recommend this 100% to anyone looking to book a safari trip.
AT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best Safari Guide in Tansania
We were a small group and were very happy that everything was always explained to us in German. Whatever the issue or problem, it was resolved. The safari with the many animals we saw was the best I have ever experienced. We would do it again anytime.
(automatic translation from German)
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledge and experienced
HIGHLY Recommend Suricata Safaris, I had an amazing experience and could not fault them!
Everything was well organised and they were so easy to deal with.
Our tour guide Edgar was very experienced and knowledgeable and we got to see so many animals.
The accommodation, especially the Suricata Boma Lodge was beautiful and one of the best places I have ever stayed at! The staff there were so friendly as well.
Massive thank you to the incredible team at Suricata Safari :)
