CA
20-35 years of age
Tanzania is a must-visit location for anyone who considers himself a world traveler
Tanzania is not the only place in the world to see such a large array of wildlife, but it is certainly a great one. Everything from huge herds of zebras and gazelles to the most solitary of the “Big 5” fauna can be found within a few metres of the roads that stripe the surfaces of the parks. But Tanzania is still not the most popular of locations for a Safari (Kenya and South Africa are), which means that there are fewer cars on those roads.
A Northern Tanzania safari gives you a chance to see four different parks with four extremely different ecosystems. It is shocking that the vast savannahs of Serengeti, the lush forests of Lake Manyara, the volcanic oasis of Ngorongoro, and the rolling hills of Tarangire are mere hours’ drives from each other.
Accommodations range from Spartan to lush – we spent our tour in Serena and Sopa lodges, which provide above-average levels of comfort without feeling like we were paying for unnecessary opulence.
We chose Ranger Safaris as our guides, which is one of the largest tour operators in Tanzania (Other large operators are Wildersun and Leopard), and were treated very nicely by all our points of contact. Our driver was a former government veterinarian who had amazing experience and information. His car was well equipped and we always felt safe.
We chose a time which, ordinarily, would have placed us directly in the Great Migration. Unfortunately, due to a short wet season, most of the wildebeest had already left. We were not disappointed in the numbers or the variety of animals we saw, but my advice to any reader is to not pin your hopes on seeing this phenomenon if you are booking many months in advance. Sometimes, Mother Nature has other plans.
Please read further for my opinion on the parks we visited. Overall, we spent our trip completely amazed, and will not hesitate to recommend Northern Tanaznia to anyone who has interest in African safaris.
A must see for wildlife and a magic safari experience!
BR
Email Henrique Augusto Zillo | 35-50 years of age
In our trip everything was perfect!! That is the reason of my rating.
US
50-65 years of age
The diversity of the wild animal settings, just teeming with an abundance of wildlife and historical discoveries like Olduvai Gorge make Tanzania an absolute MUST for any safari traveler!
I loved it. The people were all very friendly, the food was great, tons of animals and for 2 girls on our own, we felt very safe! We learned a lot about Tanzania as a country, the way people live, etc. while there. I highly recommend this country.
Tanzania and Kenya are the best coutries for game watching. The southern circuit of Tanzania (Ruaha and Selous) isn't touched yet by mass tourism and true experience of nature immersion are still possibile.
LU
35-50 years of age
Breathtaking, awe-inspiring, and you'll never ever forget your time there!
Tanzania is a great destination - with a heady mix of exotic wildlife, vast landscapes, and even beaches to relax and take it all in. Add in super-friendly people, who love to help the tourist and teach Swahili, and I can't recommend it enough.
Logistically, it's surprisingly easy to visit - with many tours and transport links designed to take tourists to all the major destinations without a problem. Even when you go off the beaten path, the hospitality of the people make it easy - one nice man even ran a few hundred meters to talk to a bus driver for me, and just gave a big smile when I said "Asante sana" (thank you!).
I'd recommend going to Ngorogoro first, then the Serengetti - this works you up from parks in terms of size. Follow that up with 3-4 days on Zanzibar and you have the ingredients to a perfect holiday.
Note - I would definitely avoid Dar Es Salaam; there's not a lot there from a tourist perspective, and it has it's unsavoury parts. The smaller towns of Tanzania are far more enjoyable.
Tanzania takes your breath away
From the moment our guide collected us at Kilimanjaro airport, we knew we were in for a holiday experience of a lifetime.
Our guide's knowledge of his country, its history and of course, his knowledge of the parks and wildlife we encountered, was first class.
We spent seven days traveling starting at Arusha, through to Lake Manyara and then on to the Ngorongoro crater and through to the Serengeti. Everyday and every park brought a new experience and a new encounter...my first view of the Ngorongoro crater is one I will remember forever, as was seeing the wildebeast migration in the Serengeti ...both occasions brought a lump to my throat!
Scenically the parks we visited were all very different and if you're traveling to Tanzania I would recommend you take in as many parks as possible so you really feel you're experiencing everything this country has to offer.
All the camps we stayed at were of a very high standard, good food, clean rooms, battery charging facilities etc etc and the country seems to have a very good infrastructure in place - good main roads / airports.
We were spoilt when it came to wildlife, encountering the Big Five on numerous occasions and it's something I could never tire of.
We've had safaris in Kenya on many occasions but our time in Tanzania was way and above what we'd experienced in Kenya. We had very high expectations for the holiday and it delivered way and above on every level.
This was my only safari so it is difficult to compare; but I felt it was a trip of a lifetime.
US
Email AfricaontheNile | 50-65 years of age
I have only been to Tanzania, Namibia and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and of the three, Tanzania wins hands down for wildlife. However, if you're into the dunes in the Namib Desert and shopping in some of the cities, then Namibia will be right up your alley. We only went to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe so we didn't see enough for me to comment about it.
