Hilary and Martin - owners of Suricata Safaris
Suricata Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $190 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
PT
Email Maria | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experts in wildlife, great organization and friendly communication
One of the best experiences of my life!
From the booking to the debrief after the Safari, all the experience was super smooth.
Our guide Ezekiel was amazing, a true expert in wildlife, super nice and friendly, and really cautious driver.
We saw a lot of animals and learned a lot about them. The food was very good.
A once in a lifetime experience, and we recommend Suricata Safaris 10000%!
PT
Email One of the best experiences of our lives | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great hosts, very well organized, and true experts
This was a truly magical experience. Everything went absolutely great from the accomodation, to the food, and the logistics. We are very grateful to our guide Ezekiel who was extremely friendly, kept an amazing pace during the safari, and is very knowledgeable about wildlife (and not just about the animals in the park)!
PT
Email Diana Soares | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazon Safari
This trip was amazing! Suricata had everything well organized. We had a inicial brief with Mr T, Ezequiel was our guide and at the end Daniel received our feedback. The accommodation and food Were very good, especialy in Serengeti e Ngorongoro. I highly recommend Suricata Safaris
PT
Email Ricardo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari
It was undoubtedly one of the best experiences I could have had, the safari was spectacular and the views even more incredible! This, of course, with the help of an excellent guide by the name of Ezequiel!
Mandela and the Big Five!
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our four day safari to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangiri Parks. With the expert guide, Mandela, we saw the big five (Black Rhino, buffalo, elephant, lion, Leopard) , plus Cheetah, Hippos, Hyenas, Jackles, Foxes, and many more wonderful animals and birds.
We went with the mid-level package and had two nights of glammping and a wonderful lakeside resort all to ourselves (mid-November slow season). Each of the accommodation were well equipped. The Arusha based transit hotels were just that, basic clean rooms for a nights sleep as you arrived and departed.
The highlight of the trip was Mandela, with over 8 years of experience, he not only provide background and knowledge of the animals and birds, but also has a good rapport with other guides , which we benefited from when big five sights were made and information shared between friendly guides. For example on our last day we had seen all but the illusive leopard. Before lunch, Mandela was flagged down by another guide and told where he had just seen a leopard. We raced off to the site and were able to view the leopard.
Overall, great safari!
CA
Email Waurner & Genevieve | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very experienced and takes the job seriously
We had an excellent experience with Suricata Safaris! We booked the group camping option and enjoyed everyone we toured with! Chief Pius was top notch, providing delicious food three times a day. Our guide Mandela was very knowledgeable and very good at spotting animals. He was an excellent driver and really experienced in knowing where to park to get the best views and photos. We felt very well taken care of and informed throughout the trip. Each of the parks offered something special. Highlights of the Serengeti included a Leopard climbing down from a tree in front of us and a mother Cheetah with her cub. We were able to spot a Rino in the Ngorongoro Crater and witnessed a monitor lizard compete with a lion for a dead hippo in Lake Manyara. We had very special moments with many elephants in both Lake Manyara and Tarangire national parks and we witnessed lions in their natural element in all the parks. The tour was very well organized and stress free. Would highly recommend!
DE
Email Manni | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Safari Experience – Simply Perfect!
We were fortunate to join this safari, and it was perfect from start to finish! The accommodations were not only beautiful but also set in stunning surroundings that perfectly captured the essence of the wild. Waking up each morning to the breathtaking views of nature was truly magical.
The food was outstanding. Every meal was delicious and prepared with so much care and attention to detail. It was clear that quality and hospitality are top priorities here.
The highlight of our trip was undoubtedly our guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about the animals and the environment. Thanks to him, we not only saw the Big Five but also learned so much about the wildlife and culture of the region.
This was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken. We highly recommend this safari and can’t wait to return!
DE
Email Helena | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience with fun group and all the animals
We did the 4 day camping safari and would 100% recommend to anyone that wants to see as much as possible from the nature and wildlife in Tansania. Our guide Damian was the best and tried everything so we can see as many animals as possible. We ended up seeing everything possible. Overall great experience with a fun group, knowledgeable guide, amazing food and unforgettable campe sites.
Email Aaron | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari with Fredie
We had the best 5 day group safari with Suricata Safari. From start to finish we could not have asked for more. Fredie our tour guide was brilliant! We managed to see all of the big 5 plus much much more!
Booking the tour was simple and any questions were answered straight away. We got picked up from the airport and dropped back to the airport, everything is organised which was great! After getting dropped off at our hotel in Arusha, we got briefed by Mr. T on what we will be doing on Safari and again answered any questions we had. He also arranged an Arusha city tour that evening because we arrived early which was really worth while doing if you have time. Daniel showed us around the city for over 2 hours, gave us some great local insights and took us to a few cool viewpoints. One word of advice for the entire trip is to bring cash, mostly USD but also some Tanzanian Shillings, locals prefer shillings for smaller items including anything you purchase in hotels and lodges at night. We changed USD to Tanzanian Shillings during the Arusha city tour which worked out a very good rate.
We went on the tour in November which was the start of the short wet season and a quieter time of the year for tours. We only had a few rain showers mostly overnight and never needed our coats, it did get chilly overnight while staying at the top of Ngorongoro crater but the accommodation even provided hot water bottles for everyone.
Our safari started by being picked up by our tour guide Fredie who we cannot praise enough during the entire safari. He was soo friendly and knowledgeable about the animals and areas we visited. Like all of the safari tour guides, it was really obvious how much he cared about the animals. He was a great driver making sure we were comfortable driving along the rough roads while chatting to everyone answering questions and explaining everything while also spotting the animals for us. Even with us standing looking out the top of the jeep for animals, Fredie still managed to spot them first and point everything out to us!
We visited Taranguire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara national parks which all had something different to bring to the Safari experience. There are some long drives but always things to see along the way and early starts but they are worth it to have more of an opportunity to see more animals.
The accomodations that we stayed at for the entire trip were amazing, staff were so friendly and rooms really comfy. The permanent tented lodges at Serengeti and Ngorongoro were such an experience but I think the highlight of the accomodation was the nights we stayed in Suricata Boma!!
We got 3 freshly cooked meals each day, even for lunch at picnic spots. I read other reviews that said other companies give out lunch boxes and we seen this ourselves. Some days we were the only tour group with a cooked lunch!
We had such a great time for our first time on Safari and would highly recommend Suricata tours!
Email Ciara | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievable trip, unbelievable company!
Where to begin with this wonderful, once in a lifetime experience! I could not fault a single thing with the entire Suricata team and praise the dedication and pride they have for their job. From start to finish the entire trip has been organised to perfection. The intricacies of the planning and execution of the safari are to be admired, the team work hard to ensure everything runs smoothly and every tourist is where they need to be. The “Hakuna Matata” attitude and “polopole” lifestyle is a credit to the Tanzanian people; you really learn to embrace this culture throughout your stay.
Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful, going out of their way to make this experience as special as possible for all their guests. Special thanks to Mr T and Daniel who welcomed us to the area with a wonderful tour around Arusha, guiding us through the bustling food and textile markets, allowing us to sample a true and authentic insight into Tanzanian lifestyle.
As for the safari itself- amazing! We were lucky to spend our 5 days in the hands of the wonderful Fredie. What this man doesn’t know about the animals and general landscape isn’t worth knowing. He is a real credit to the team, always smiling and very patient. It is clear to see he has a real passion for the animals and loves his job. Our tour was packed full of information and Fredie had a detailed answer to any question asked, we learnt so much not only about the animals we saw but this gorgeous country as a whole.
As Fredie kept reminding us, everyday on safari is “luck” and nothing is guaranteed. We were indeed very lucky to spot “the big 5” during our trip amongst an array of spectacular wildlife. Fredie made every effort to ensure no opportunity was missed, particularly when neighbouring jeeps put an alert out over the walkie-talkie system, it was all systems go! We also had the opportunity to witness the beginning of the “great migration” of Wildebeest and zebra which was a magnificent sight, you could see herds for miles and miles across the glistening Savanna.
The national parks (Taranguire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Lake Manyara) are simply breathtaking; no words can describe the joy of witnessing these majestic animals roaming freely in their natural habitat in the most beautiful environment. No two places are the same, the switch from flat dry land in one breath to luscious green forest the next is unbelievable. The thrill you get from “spotting” animals yourself is great fun, over time you learn to spy familiar sights for yourself (with a bit of help from Fredie’s keen eye of course!)
We opted for the “5 day great safari with lodges” for our trip and the accommodation was superb throughout. From the SG resort in Arusha, the Suricata Boma lodge, Tanzanian bush camps and the Kuhama bush camps, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at all locations. As our trip was in late November, we arrived at the very beginning of wet season and we felt comfortable at both camps. A hot water bottle provided at Kuhama camp was a nice touch! The hot water supply at the camps was very unique as it was prepared “to order” however we both enjoyed a hot and relaxing shower at both locations which is much appreciated after a long day outdoors. WiFi at each location was adequate, at times the connection would break requiring you to reconnect with passwords etc however this is not a big issue and when you get connection it is strong. Some tourists we met opted for a local sim data plan however we didn’t find this necessary as we were keen to immerse ourselves in the experience and cut off from our phones. Having WiFi in the mornings/evening was enough for us to connect with family etc.
The food provided on safari and at each individual accommodation was delicious. Credit to Suricata tours for providing guests with a home cooked hot meal every day. We had a mix of both meat and veggie options, often accompanied by either rice or pasta. Snacks of biscuits and fruit finished the lunch, with tea and coffee also offered daily. We noted various other safari companies nearby offering their guests a packed lunch-style box of food, our food was always warm and presented in heated pots which all guests enjoyed as a group. Dinner and breakfast at each location was a buffet style arrangement; again this was an assortment of meat and veg dishes with some local delicacies throughout. Cereals with toast/pancakes/fruit/yoghurts were presented for breakfast.
In terms of money, we had brought American dollars with us following recommendation from other tourists online prior to our trip. In our experience, we found that some local places prefer (and request) the Tanzanian shilling instead and we therefore had to exchange some dollars to shillings in Arusha. I would recommend bringing $100-$200 worth of shillings as well as dollars if possible.
Overall I would 100% recommend Suricata Tours to anyone visiting Tanzania for safari. We had an unbelievable time with memories to last a lifetime! This company works hard to make sure your experience is one to remember and it certainly was! I hope this isn’t my last experience with this wonderful group, a 5-star experience all round!
