US
Email Mark | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Truely "world class" wildlife and scenery but with food poisoning
In late June, we did the beach (Zanzibar) and safari (Serengeiti) tour, about four days for each location. Perfect weather, amount of time, and excellent staff support. Saw everything you can reasonably expect to see, many times upclose. It's expensive but honestly a great value. The only downside I have to mention was repeated food poisoning. For a family of four, we got sick 4-5 times in 11 days and were recovering for about a week after we got home. We took all the vaccinations, pills, sprays, and sanitizers. We had one day, the first day, where no one was in the bathroom (actively being sick), recovering in bed, or carefully going out but always close to a bathroom. We had to delay and cancel plans or do something without someone. Even when we did something amazing (like the dolphin dive or a night game drive), often one person felt "iffy". It diminished the experience. One time, my son got sick eating at the Arusha airport- our fault; the food had been sitting all day. But the other three, possibly four times, were from top-rated, high-end, "Western" restaurants. We never ate street food. In the end, it felt like you could not escape getting sick unless you only ate or drank "factory-sealed" items (even if they said they used bottled water for the ice or coffee.) I tried to stay positive, but it was the worst experience we've had as a family (and we've been to Thailand, Columbia, South Africa twice, across the Pacific, and Greece). If I had to do it again, I'd only stay at an inclusive lodge where they felt ownership for food safety. Sadly, I would not go out to eat, which is a big part of our travels. I'll accept food poisoning once, maybe twice, but every two or three days for four different, relatively experienced people across three locations is a systemic hygiene issue.
JP
Email Lisa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Decent Safari experience with the guide asking about tip everytime
The experience of Safari was really valuable, except our guide keep talking us about tipping him whenever he has some free time, which made us very upset.
Tip your driver and guide is not a mandatory thing. I want to tip someone only if I am satisfied with the service. But our guide was quite demanding, keep asking about it. Now all I remember from the Safari is ripping off from the tour guide lol
The time we spent at Safari was only 3-4 hours, and we could see wild animals like giraffs and elephant etc.
We are not lucky enough to come across liones or leopards.
It was a precious experience, but I can not recoomend you taking a SUV for more than 7 hours from dar es salaam to Mikumi.
NL
Email Aleksandra G | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
great hikes and people on the mainland, unpleasant in touristy areas
people on the mainland were absolutely lovely and very friendly, in Zanzibar the experience was the opposite - very insolent and everyone treats you like a bag of money. terrible flight coordination - your boarding pass, airport schedule and actual departure time are completely unrelated, resulting in unexpected change of plans as you go
ES
Email Alessandro | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Avoid January
We went to Gombe NP (amazing chimps) and Selous Game Reserve. As it rained during all of our stay, the second safari experience was terrible. No animals, roads in the worst of conditions possible. 7 hours from Far Es Salaam are too many for this park. next time I would spend more and go to Serengeti, at least the money would worth it more.
Generally speaking Tanzania is quite expensive
EE
Email Kai | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A country with big potential.
We went on a safari while it rained. Because of the rain we did not see leopards and lions. Altough we saw hyenas who was eating a freshly catched animal. We also saw very friendly giraffes and antilopes. And a elephant family with two baby elephants. There were no mosqitoes.
BR
Email Mirela Erbisti | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great place. Some issues during the trip…
Tanzania is a wonderful country. Great people, amazing safaris, but very poor. Need to watch the quality of the water you get in touch with and also take malaria pills during your trip to prevent illness.
CN
Email Yao Cheng | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
good
not safe ，my mum got bitten by monkey in tarengire national park，no one cares about it，so disappoint about agency.
CA
Email Alison W | Experience level: first safari
Spectacular wildlife and beautiful beaches.
The safari tours are fantastic. Drivers/guides are well coordinated with each other ensuring that animal sightings are passed along, giving tourists the best opportunity to see as many animals as possible.
Beaches are beautiful but the harassment from local vendors is intolerable. Locals are friendly until they find out you don't want to give them business or money.
As a woman, make sure you cover up to below the knees (no shorts no matter how hot if you're not on the beach) because the looks you get make you feel like you're a piece of dung at the bottom of a shoe.
Get a hotel close to the main attractions because the driving is insane.
IT
Email Chiara | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very beautiful destination
The Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangine Park have been amazing, instead we have taken a bad decision going to Manyara lake, because we expected to find flamingos but it wasn't the correct season.
PT
Email Nicholas J D'Anna | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Not as great as the first time
Returned to Tanzania after 18 years hoping to recapture the magic. Not quite. The first time was during the Great Migration and it was glorious. Huge herds with hungry predators picking them off. This time in June it rained both days in the Serengeti, there were no real herds, and I didn't see a single kill. It didn't help that my tent was leaky or that our guide was more interested in yelling at other drivers and on his phone than being a guide. The overloaded vehicle didn't help nor did the fact that he seemed uncertain who he was supposed to take on which tour.
Also getting into and out of my Airbnb in the center of Arusha was an adventure in itself because of the awful roads, one of which was blocked, forcing us to reverse a long way.
The one highlight was Zanzibar. I stayed in Kiwengwa at The Kichwa House, a locally-owned place, for three glorious nights. The beach was gorgeous, the locals friendly, the food great.
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