CA
Email Kelly | 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!!!
KR
Email Han Jae Ho | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a fantastic trip that was comfortable, safe and friendly.
I went to Mikumi National Park and Nyerere National Park, and among the Big 5, I was able to spot the rest very easily, except for the rhinoceros! Although I haven't been to game drives in other countries, the boat tour, game drives, friendly people and veteran guides were all good. It's a far country from here, but I'm willing to visit again with my family next time!
ES
Email Miguel Angel Bule Tirado | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience
Safari in Tanzania National Parks is an unforgettable experience.
I strongly recommend
US
Email Gordon Lucas | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great wildlife, beautiful scenery and very friendly people.
We went to Tanzania in the beginning of June. It was our first safari and first time in Africa. We only went for a week and wanted to see as much as possible.
We certainly did that. We visited Tarangire park,Ngongorro crater, south, central and northern Serengeti , and Manyara park.
We did a lot of driving, probably too much for only a week, driving everyday from 7am to 6.30 pm, stopping only for a hour for lunch. The roads were dusty and rough, but we did see a lot of wildlife, and were fortunate to have a great young guide, who not only knew the area very well, but had great insight into the habits of the wild animals, and was able to spot things we wouldn’t have noticed.
For the time of year we probably should have not bothered to go to north Serengeti, as the migration had not reached there yet, and wildlife was limited. We saw the most in central Serengeti, and Ngongorro crater.
Also Manyara park was a little disappointing after the other parks, as it was very forested and therefore much harder to see anything.
Overall though a great trip. Good weather and bush camping was a great experience.
Email Phil Hedges | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Live changing experience
It was honestly one of the greatest trips on my life!
US
Email Tavy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tanzania offers a diversity of experiences - of peoples, cultures, and landscapes.
Over 20+ years, I have lived and worked in eight countries on the continent; this was the first time traveling with my family. I knew Tanzania would offer a diversity of experiences, affording my family an understanding of life in urban and rural settings. They enjoyed a fantastic farm stay at Kaswende Farm which gave them time to acclimate to the time change as well as weather, and have personal interactions with the wonderful Kaswende family in a beautiful rural setting. It was also a perfect place to either hike Mt. Meru or do a walking Safari in Arusha National Park (which they chose to do). Arusha city proper is the diplomatic capital of East Africa and thus they were able to see a large city and the diverse lifeways and amenities that come with that. We also took advantage of Arusha's proximity to the northern parks, through Kilimanjaro Adventure Safari Club (KASC). KASC is locally based, and employs highly trained, outstanding Tanzanian guides (NOT Europeans, not non-Tanzanians!). It was the best safari outfit I have experienced. We visited Tarangere, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, and Lake Manyara. Our KASC guide was flexible, attentive to the needs of young and old in the group, and a wonderful individual to spend time with. He personally made it fantastic for each individual --the kid who loves bugs, the birder, the one who wanted to see the "ugly 5" more than the "big 5," the one who wanted to see lions hunting and leopards up close (yep! achieved!), the individual who wanted to be able to have great conversations with Tanzanians and eat local foods, and the one with the sensitive constitution! We also spent time in Zanzibar, first in Stone Town, which afforded my family an understanding of the deep global connections that have existed between the continent and the rest of the world for millennia. They experienced the richness of Swahili culture. As well, a trip to Jozani Forest and the Indian Ocean side of the island for snorkeling meant that they saw a diversity of biomes, too. We even had half our group climb (successfully!) to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We enjoyed local cuisine from road stands and open markets, as well as restaurants with gorgeous ocean views. Accept while on Safari, we avoided hotels - staying rather at AirBnBs or rest houses owned by Tanzanians [that meant locals received the income - and we had great conversations with the owners]. The weather in June meant it was cool in Arusha, and not too hot in Zanizibar. It also was MUCH less crowded than at the height of the tourist season. Yes, you may get some rain, but we felt it was worth it. Tanzania offers a diversity of experiences and is a VERY safe country to travel in - even with the younger ages. It is now my favorite of the countries I traveled to in Africa.
Email Danyaal Shakoor | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari and amazing day out
I really enjoyed exploring Tanzania and it definitely had one of the biggest and best nature reserves I've visited. Beautiful and vast with every type of ecosystem to see a large variety of animals. Highly recommend. The people themselves are some of the nicest I have ever encountered. A place to visit without doubt!
CA
Email Zhehao Zhang | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing views
It is far beyond my expectation and I'm so pleased my safari tour
FR
Email Ester Covarrubias | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful landscape and nice people!
Our experience in Tanzania was great from start to finish. Our tour guides were knowledgeable and kind, the lodge we stayed in the night before the safari was clean and spacious, and all the staff was very friendly. The food was delicious and the animals in the safari were incredible. Overall it was an amazing experience and we would recommend it to everyone looking for a unique trip.
FR
Email Andres | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Welcoming country with amazing things to see!
Some friends and I started our trip with a Kilimanjaro climb through the Machame route, it was an amazing experience and the scenery was beautiful. The team of guides and porters were great too and overall exceeded all our expectations. Afterwards we went to Zanzibar to relax, which also was an incredible experience. The beaches were great and the food too, with a wide variety of restaurants. I have to mention though the stark contrast of the resorts and hotels, and the level of poverty you see in the island. Finally we ended the trip with a safari. We were a bit skeptical of how many animals we would see because it was the end of the rainy season, but it was really incredible! We got to see the mass migration in the Serengeti, and lots of animals in Ngorongoro, Tarangire and Lake Manyara. Overall we had an amazing trip on this very welcoming country, we felt safe all the time and we totally recommend the experience!
