AD
Good organization overall from the tour operator.
Our safari experience was truly exceptional thanks to our guide, Simon. Even a month after finishing the trip, the excitement and gratitude we feel toward him are still beyond words. It was our first safari, and Simon’s energy, calmness, deep knowledge of every location, and professionalism made it an unforgettable experience, one that will probably remain the best trip of our lives.
We spent six days on safari visiting incredible locations such as Tarangire, Serengeti, and Lake Eyasi. The hotels were very well chosen and made the journey comfortable and enjoyable. However, in our opinion, what truly made this experience exceptional was the warmth and closeness of the people we met along the way.
Simon, if you are reading this, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything we shared. Both Joaquin and I are very grateful, and we hope our paths cross again soon.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding lifetime experience provided by Leopard and his team at Safari Moja Matata.
Four Canadians shared the experience of a lifetime on a Tanzanian Safari provided through the outstanding Dar-es-salaam company - Safari Moja Matata. Leopard the owner of the company kindly and thoroughly provided continuous correspondence with me from August 2025 until February 2026. Suggestions with honest appraisals were provided by Moja Matata. "We walk together" - a phrase coined by the company, aptly describes the experience of planning our 14 day safari through 5 national wildlife parks in the south, central and western regions of Tanzania.
We decided to arrive in Tanzania several days prior to our Safari. We discovered that Ethiopian Airlines provides outstanding service from Toronto to Addis Ababa and then to Dar-es-Salaam. We highly recommend Ethiopian Airlines. They are the largest airline in Africa, and the fourth largest airline in the world. Service is second to none.
Our driver - Richard and our guide - Elle picked us up at our Dar-es-Salaam hotel on the morning of our first safari day. We were excited and also nervous. This was the groups first experience travelling in central Africa.
Throughout our experience, the company addressed our accommodation and dietary preferences. Many of the roads that we travelled required a highly skilled and self sufficient driver. Richard handled every potential difficulty on the rugged, rutted and the occasional washed out dirt/stone roadways with ease.We experienced several mechanical issues in our comfortable Toyota Land Cruiser due to some road conditions that had deteriorated to do heavy rainfalls. All such mechanical issues were addressed promptly and thus maintained our confidence in our collective safety as we journeyed past Tanzanian rural villages. Four wheel drive is definitely required when travelling to and through the national wildlife parks.
Elle our guide throughout the trip provided our group of four senior citizens with information about the locations we would explore. She ensured that each destination was contacted and prepared for our arrivals. On occasion the hotels we used prepared meals for us in advance, recognizing that due to road conditions we might arrive later than anticipated. In addition Elle coordinated meals prepared by our on site chefs at the five national park Bandas in which we stayed. Having both a male and female as guides was most helpful, as they were able to address individual requests professionally. The experience of eating locally prepared fresh meals was great. Meals included meats such as eggs, chicken, beef and fish; vegetables such as peppers, onions, cucumber, beans, peas, squash; fruits such as mango, strawberry, banana and of course staples such as bread, potato, rice and spaghetti. The chefs prepared wonderful tomato, cucumber and potato soups for lunches. While travelling, we were provided with individually prepared lunch packages. Coffee, tea and various fruit juices accompanied meals. Chilled bottled water was available in our Land Cruiser at all times. Throughout the trip all meals were covered by our tour package price.
The purpose of any Safari, is to see wild-life. By visiting 5 national parks over a 14 day period, we saw a multitude of animals close up: elephants, giraffes, lions, water buffalo, zebras, wart hogs, impalas, baboons, monkeys, hippos, hyenas, crocodiles, chimpanzees, cattle, goals, sheep, wild dogs, birds etc. We experienced the opportunity to watch a family of chimpanzees in the rainforest for over 45 minutes, as they groomed one another. We stood within 4 feet of these animals, who lived in an isolated national park on Lake Tanganika. Our journey included trips via our Toyota Land Cruiser, boat trips on lakes and rivers, and concluded with a Tanzanian airline flight from our last site to Dar-es-Salaam. We returned to our initial hotel for several more days, prior to heading back to Canada. Leopard and Sebastian met us at the airport, and then Moja Matata arranged for a terrific Dar-es-Salaam tour by a local guide Sylvester and our driver Sebastian . We highly recommend the cultural park that illustrates types of housing used in the villages at the end of our excursion. In total our trip was 3 weeks in length.
In my opinion, Safari Moja Matata deserves your consideration, if you are looking for a quality and safe experience. I did a thorough check of eight companies prior to booking with Moja Matata. Their overall package was definitely the best. We were all glad that we were able to support a local Tanzanian company, based in Dar-es-Salaam. We would highly recommend a Safari tour. Thank you to all involved.
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari
I had a very good safari with porcupine tours!
They customised the safari for me to add an extra day at lake Manyara into the 5 day tour and the communication and value was great.
The tour itself was incredible and I saw so many mammals, plants and birds over the six days! The driver was very good at navigating the wet season tracks in the park. An incredible experience. The food the chef cooked was really great too. (I am vegetarian and there was always nice vegetarian options)
They were also very helpful arranging onwards travel.
Thank you very much Porcupine expeditions.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari operator
Superb 1 day safari. We saw the wildlife up close and everything was organized perfectly with the hotel pickup and transfers. The buffet lunch was very good.
I highly recommend Rockfowl Safaris.
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very enthousiastic with a touch of humour
Pick up in Johannesburg went smoothly. Our guide, Rudzani, wat very enthousiastic and provided us with a lot of information about the African culture and nature. He guided us to the best spots with magnificent views on the panoramic route. Would recommend this tour to everyone!
CA
Great
Great experience. Ride was smooth, no complaints. Tiyani was a good driver.
Amazing First Safari in Kenya – Incredible Guide, Seamless Planning, and Unforgettable Wildlife
We had an amazing first safari experience with Leisure Escape Safaris. From the beginning, Esther was incredibly responsive and detailed with every question I had. I compared quotes from several companies, and their pricing felt the most fair for what was included. They handled everything — accommodations, park logistics, and meal arrangements — so aside from researching itineraries and booking flights, the rest of the trip planning was effortless.
Our driver-guide Duncan was fantastic. With over 20 years of experience, he knew the roads and parks extremely well and always made sure we traveled safely. We visited Maasai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, and Lake Naivasha. Unfortunately the rains came early this year (we traveled the second week of March 2026), causing some flooding and road closures, but Duncan handled it like a pro — navigating muddy terrain and alternate routes while coordinating with Esther when adjustments were needed.
Despite the weather, the wildlife sightings were incredible. We saw 4 of the Big Five (elephants, lions, rhinos — both black and white — and Cape buffalo). One of our most memorable moments was watching a cheetah take down an impala while her three cubs waited nearby. Duncan positioned us perfectly so we could see the entire moment. On our last day in Amboseli we also saw elephants crossing with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background — an unforgettable view.
Game drives were flexible: either full-day drives with a packed lunch or sunrise and sunset drives. We preferred the sunrise/sunset option because it allowed time to relax at the lodge midday.
We stayed at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, Mara Serena Safari Lodge, Sawela Lodge, and Ol Tukai Lodge. Our favorite food was at Sawela Lodge, while Ol Tukai had the best wildlife sightings and an incredible Kilimanjaro view when the skies were clear.
A highlight activity was the boat ride and walking safari at Crescent Island, where you can actually walk among wildlife — definitely worth the extra cost.
A few tips for future travelers:
• Bring some Kenyan shillings for tips and small purchases.
• Expect long drives between parks (4–6+ hours), but there are stops along the way.
• Lodges generally don’t have AC, but they do have hot water.
• Bring a camera with a zoom lens if possible — we used a 75–300mm and it made a big difference for wildlife photos.
Kenya’s landscapes are breathtaking, and this safari exceeded our expectations. We would absolutely book another trip with Leisure Escape Safaris again — possibly in another country. Huge thanks to Esther and Duncan for making our trip unforgettable.
LT
Guide Allan, with the driver both were amazing!
The whole trip was nice and comfortable, the guys took us from the hotel in the morning, and even earlier then was agreed. At safari we have seen a lot of animals, lions elephants giraffes, antilopes, zebra, and all the other small animals including exotic birds.
First day was two part, so morning safari, then lunch at the hotel, and also accomadation, which gave more expierence to live in safari territory, was something new and interesting! And also evening ride through safari. Second day early in the morning was more extreme , because all the animals more active and you might see what you can only see in national geography channel! I suggest choose only two days trips !
IT
A Perfect Day at Lake Manyara
I had an amazing experience visiting Lake Manyara today thanks to our guide, Omary. He was incredibly knowledgeable and took the time to explain everything in a clear and interesting way. You could really feel his passion for the place and for wildlife.
Omary was also very friendly and fun, which made the whole trip even more enjoyable. He made sure I felt comfortable the entire time and was always attentive, answering all my questions with patience. Thanks to him, I learned a lot and was able to appreciate the beauty of Lake Manyara even more.
I truly recommend Omary as a guide to anyone visiting the area. His professionalism, kindness, and great sense of humor made this tour unforgettable. Thank you, Omary, for such a wonderful day!