Sunny Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 100-250 employees (Founded in 1982)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $240 to $1,460 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CA
Email Randy and Diane Alex | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A very well-organized tour, with outstanding communication re: office staff and an outstanding guide
A very late review – due to our schedule and no reflection on Sunny Safaris. I had used Sunny Safaris in 2007 to organize a Kilimanjaro climb and a six night safari to follow – I was so impressed with Sunny that we chose to have them organize an eight night Northern circuit safari in 2017 for my wife and I. Right from the start, our head office contact at Sunny, Jessica, did an incredible job of organizing the safari, listening very carefully to our ideas and putting together an excellent adventure. The total cost was extremely reasonable - by far the best value of the 6-8 quotes we gathered for the same general trip. We wanted to both camp in the Serengeti (at two different special camps - we were the only people in these campsites) and stay in lodges in Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, Lake Natron and Tarangire - Jessica gave excellent suggestions and arranged an outstanding trip. We camped in the middle of the wildebeest migration (in the Western Corridor of the Serengeti) and had countless animals moving by our tent the whole time. We then moved to the Seronera region and spent two incredible days of wildlife viewing. Our guide, Abdul, as very impressive. Although he was somewhat quiet in personality, his knowledge of animals and birds we saw was very impressive. His ability to spot game as he drove the truck was almost uncanny. In 2007, I saw one leopard the whole trip. We saw over a dozen during the two days we camped at Seronera. The lodges we stayed at were also very impressive - Jessica got us into the Tarangire SOPA Lodge for our first night - the regular rack rate (with full board) in high season for this lodge is around $700USD for a double. The lodges at Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara were likewise very impressive. Both Abdul and Charles (our cook for the four nights in the Serengeti) gave us excellent service- any request we made was quickly arranged.
We booked some extra activities in/around Arusha at the end of our safari - Sunny/Jessica did an excellent job organizing these as well. We spent a whole day in Arusha National Park (again, Abdul was our guide) - we can't say enough about Abdul's knowledge and ability to spot game seemingly out of nowhere. Don't miss this park - it is only an hour from Arusha and has a huge variety of animals/birds - it is also on the lower slopes of Mt. Meru.
We highly recommend Sunny Safaris as an organizer of outstanding, cost-effective safaris in Tanzania.
Reply from Sunny Safaris
Posted on Sep 20, 2018Jambo Randy and Diane,
You have made our day! Thank you for a wonderful review. We are so happy that we have hosted your Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb and to be your safari organisers in 2007 and absolutely happy you chose us again after 10 years.
On behalf of myself and my team, we would like to thank you for choosing us and recommending us. We look forward to having you again.
Karibu sana!
Saffa Firoz
Chief Marketing Officer
Sunny Safaris Ltd, Arusha.
US
Email CK | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic trip with Sunny Safaris!
Our family of four just did an eight-day Northern Circuit with Sunny Safaris in Tanzania. Jessica was always prompt and courteous throughout our communications. We couldn't be happier with Abdul as our driver/guide. As a driver, Abdul is not only careful but also skillful in operating the vehicle on different road conditions. As a guide, I appreciate his knowledge about the wildlife, his ability to spot, and pleasant personality. Sunny Safaris vehicle was roomy enough for our family of four plus luggage. There is also a small fridge in the back of the vehicle. Overall, we are very happy with Sunny Safaris.
Reply from Sunny Safaris
Posted on Sep 20, 2018Jambo CK,
Thank you for taking the time to write us a review on your safari with Abdul. We are very glad to hear that we have made you and your family happy during your safari.
Asante sana and karibu tena!
Saffa Firoz
Chief Marketing Officer
Sunny Safaris Ltd, Arusha.
Email Jen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
12 night honeymoon perfection!
We did a 12 night trip booked through Sunny Safaris (6 nights safari, 6 nights Zanzibar) for our honeymoon in May 2018. I was recommended them through a friend who had grown up in Tanzania and used their services regularly on their holidays there. In summary we highly recommend Sunny Safaris as a tour guide to our friends - we found it great value for a private tour, with amazing personalised itinerary and accommodation. We can't wait to come back for another safari!
Positive points:
- I had been in contact with one of their admin ladies, Jessica, from around a year before. She was always prompt and courteous in her responses. She provided us with an itinerary suggestion which we discussed back and forth, and was very open to changing ideas around to suit our timeframes and budgets.
- Our safari guide Hamisi was SUCH a happy, friendly and lovely guy who went out of his way every day to make sure we had the best experience and sightings. He was a careful and great driver. He was happy to work around us with what we wanted to do in terms of pick ups in the morning etc, but always gave us his advice and recommendations too which we valued.
- The accommodation was outstanding throughout - we can't fault any of it. We stayed in 5 different lodges over 6 nights for our safari so it's too long to go into them individually, and we honestly cannot name a favourite. They all had either amazing food, views, amenities or wonderful staff. Most of them had all three!
- We brought our marriage certificate to prove we were honeymooning for our week in Zanzibar and we got some lovely extras as well from the hotel (Ocean Paradise Resort).
- The man (Omar) who picked us up from Zanzibar airport also organised a Blue Safari tour for us while we were there, which was well priced compared to the hotel that offered the same tour.
Challenges and negatives:
- Due to language barriers it was sometimes difficult to get more detailed information on local tribes, customs and animals.
- Due to confusion in our communication with Jessica, we thought there was only a 5% surcharge on CREDIT cards and not on debit/prepaid travel cards. The 5% surcharge actually applies to all card payments, which we discovered when paying our remaining 50% deposit on arrival with a prepaid debit card. We would have happily brought cash if we knew this.
Reply from Sunny Safaris
Posted on Sep 21, 2018Hi Jen,
On behalf of myself and my team I would like to appreciate for your rating and for taking the time to write us such a detailed review. It is a pleasure to know that overall you enjoyed your stay in Tanzania. Very many nice positive points about the accommodation, driver guide, our lovely Jessica and Zanzibar.
For the challenging part and negative points we have already taken note of that and we will make sure the surcharge is communicated to avoid any inconveniences.
Thanks again!
Karibu tena
Saffa Firoz
Chief Marketing Officer
Sunny Safaris Ltd, Arusha.
US
Email Kevin Leder | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Visit to Tanzania with Sunny Safaris Ltd
We just finished a one week visit that included visits to Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Maynyara, as well as a visit to Marangu/Mt. Kilimanjaro. Our visit was so special, thanks mainly to Sunny Safaris.
On the front end planning our trip, Jessica was very helpful in assisting with the right itinerary for us. She always responded timely any time I had a question.
One of the best aspects of our trip was our guide Abdul with Sunny Safaris. From the moment Abdul met us at the Kilimanjaro airport, he was very kind and trustworthy, and always did such a great job explaining everything and answering the many questions my wife and I had. He has quite the eye for the animals and we were able to see everything we hoped to see, and more. Then on the last day, it finally cleared up so we could see clear views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and he stopped several times from several different places so we could get all the photos and views we wanted. We appreciate his patience and kind demeanor and his skill as a guide. It was also nice having our own driver and vehicle during our stay. It really was a personalized experience!
Overall it was such a great trip and we appreciate the assistance of Abdul, Jessica and the Sunny Safaris team!
Reply from Sunny Safaris
Posted on Mar 29, 2018Hi Kevin,
Thank you so much for your feedback, it was a great pleasure to have you on safari with us. We are glad to know that you had a great experience with Abdul. We will look forward to have you travel again with us in the near future.
Thanks again Kevin!
US
Email Manha | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic 10-day safari trip with Sunny Safaris
We went on a private 10-day North circuit Tanzania safari trip with Sunny Safaris. Parks visited - Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Ndutu (Ngorongoro) and central Serengeti. We stayed at a mix of midrange tented camps and lodges.
The trip was fantastic. I contacted 8 companies and chose Sunny Safari as the tour organizer Jessica was the most responsive and the most competitive price including balloon ride and flight to Zanzibar. She accommodated our specific requests including, experienced driver/guide, newer vehicle, 3L of water pp/day, flying doctor insurance, etc.
Our driver/guide Sid Mohamed was a gem. His experience and hospitality really made our experience beyond expectations. Ability to spot animals is expected for all drivers/guides. Sid is definitely in the top tier. In a race to get close once a cheetah caught a prey, Sid was the fastest and picked the best spot among 15+ vehicles following the hunt. He took the short-cut between Tarangire to Lake Manyara for a glimpse of village life; he knows where to park for good light for photography. He kept the vehicle immaculate even in extremely dusty conditions in Ndutu, other drivers borrowed his brush to clean. He keeps a couple beanbags for clients to use and they were better than the travel size we have. And the list goes on. I highly recommend requesting Sid if you book with Sunny.
Reply from Sunny Safaris
Posted on Mar 29, 2018Jambo Manha,
Thank you so much for your review, we are glad you chose us and very happy to hear that you enjoyed your overall experience with Sunny Safaris. Indeed travelling with Said can never go wrong.
Karibu tena Manha.
Saffa Suleman
CMO, Sunny Safaris.
Email Marc | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The safari trip was just great and I really would recommend sunny safaris and Edward as a guide.
We really had a great Trip with sunny safaris.
The booking with Jessica was uncomplicated via email and from a retrospective view everything was well organised according to our wishes. We decided to visit tarangire, Serengeti and ngorongoro.
The only thing that we would like to note, is that in our opinion the payment procedure could be improved. They require a 50% upfront payment, but it was no problem to just pay 25%. We transferred the money via foreign bank transfer (where additional transfer costs occur) and at the end 50 USD were not forwarded to sunny safari (NOT sunny safaris fault - maybe some additional bank fees, we don't know). The remaining amount we paid via credit card upon arrival. Please be aware that almost all over Tanzania additional 5% are charged when paying by credit card. I would appreciate, if sunny safaris would inform about that beforehand, since the booking of the safari is in many cases the first contact with the Tanzanian payment procedures.
Our pick up for the safari at our hotel was punctual. They use a toyota land cruiser (like most of the safari operators) suitable for 7p+driver. We were 4, so we had enough space also for our luggage. The car has a sun roof, so you can stand during the drive and look out for animals. The roof protects you from the sun.
Our driver Edward was excellent. He explained everything and was open for every question and every joke. During the safari he was always trying to find the right spots to see new animals. So he found us "the great five" and many more.
The lodges were all very nice. The first two lodges were tented lodges and really pretty. Friendly staff and all very clean. First we stayed at the amazing Tarangire Simba Tented lodge. Zebras are coming near to the lodge in the evening for drinking. In the morning we had the zebras directly in front of our room. Second we stayed at Serengeti bush camp -also very nice lodge- and third at ngorongoro wildlife hotel -a little bit old but the view to the crater is amazing.
All over we had the perfect safari experience. Again special thanks to Edward.
Reply from Sunny Safaris
Posted on Mar 16, 2018Hello Marc, wow an amazing detailed review. Highly appreciate your feedback! Thank you for choosing Sunny Safaris for your safari, we are so delighted you had an amazing time. Regarding the bank charges, we usually point it out on the invoices, you are right these are charges that banks usually incur on foreign transfers, and regarding the additional 5% we usually raise that beforehand so clients can make arrangements for any other alternative way of paying the additional 50% i.e. cash to avoid the additional fee, I apologise if we missed that out on you. Our driver guide Edward will be happy reading this and we will surely pass your special thanks to him. Thank you once again for your feedback and recommending Sunny Safaris, we will be looking forward to welcoming you again (hopefully very soon). =) Karibuni Tena!
DE
Email Ute | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exellent 5 day Safari- Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater
We booked a 5 day Safari with Sunny-Safari. We had a lot of e-mail communication with Jessica. She made a lot of different offers so we could chose one option. 50% paying advance and 50% we pay before we started. The driver was very friendly and give us a lot of information about the animals. And he was a very good driver, so we felt save all the time. The Lodges are very beautiful and had friendly stuff. The food was excellent. Next time we'll stay much longer for an safaritour.
That was a wonderful experience for us! Thank you very much!
Reply from Sunny Safaris
Posted on Mar 16, 2018Hello dear Ute,
Thank you for writing back to us, we are happy you enjoyed your safari in Tanzania and we made it happen just the way you wanted. Surely next time you shall come for much longer length of time, we will be looking forward. Karibu Sana Ute :)
Saffa
CMO, Sunny Safaris Ltd.
US
Email Jasmine | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience!
We booked a 10 day safari for 5 people, and traveled to Seronera, Ndutu, Ngorongoro, and Tarangire. We just returned and had a wonderful trip with Sunny Safaris. Our guide, Raphael, was amazing! He seemed to have a knack for finding animals that no other drivers had seen. We had hoped to see a few lions and maybe a cheetah - we ended up seeing almost 40 lions and at least 3 cheetahs up close. Raphael was very informative, friendly, and easy to talk to. He listened to what we wanted and planned accordingly.
Our cook, Chalice, was also great! He came up with some really amazing food, even when we camped at the special camp in Ndutu with no running water and no electricity. He was very attentive to what we liked and didn't like, and always made sure we had plenty of great food to eat (his samosas and soups were the best!).
Booking the trip was also very easy - we corresponded via email with Masha, who was always quick to answer any questions, and helped set up a personalized itinerary for us.
We had a great experience with Sunny Safaris, and would recommend this company to anyone looking to book a safari. Ask for Raphael (driver/guide) and Chalice (cook)!
Reply from Sunny Safaris
Posted on Mar 12, 2018Hey Jasmine,
So happy and delighted to read your wonderful experience with Sunny Safaris. Thank you so much for sharing with us how you felt about your recent trip with us. All I want to say is Karibuni Tena kwetu!
Saffa
CMO, Sunny Safaris Ltd.
DE
Email Agne | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highly recommend!
We had an excellent 7-day private safari arranged by our tour operator Jessica from the Sunny Safaris. We chose the company purely based on the communication with Jessica via emails. She's a real professional. And so were our driver and cook. Very friendly, very knowledgeable people. The food variety and quality exceeded our expectations by far. Also, the car, the tent and all equipment were in a very good condition. Needless to say, we saw plenty of animals (again, the numbers exceeded our expectations) - Serengeti and Tarangiri were our favorite places. We do recommend Sunny Safaris as a reliable and professional tour operator.
Reply from Sunny Safaris
Posted on Mar 12, 2018Hi Agne! Very delighted to know that you enjoyed your safari with us. It is our pleasure to make your safari a memorable one and after reading this, we feel accomplished. Thank you so much for reviewing your experience!
Saffa F
CMO, Sunny Safaris Ltd.
DE
Email Jessi and Jens | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect Safari
Asante sana!
Thank you very much for everything to all members of the Sunny Safaris Team!
We are very happy, that we had booked our safari with Sunny Safaris.
Be booked all from Germany via E-Mail. Everything worked wonderful and as agreed.
Our Driver was very good, sympathic, polite. A really nice man. We liked him very much.
The lodges and places were beautiful, clean, lovely decorated, with nice staff and good Food.
A wonderful experience!
A perfect safari!
We would book it every time again with Sunny Safaris!
Reply from Sunny Safaris
Posted on Mar 12, 2018Hi Jessi and Jens,
Asante sana for the review, we are glad we gave you a perfect safari. It is a pleasure! Karibuni tena kwetu =)
Saffa
CMO, Sunny Safaris Ltd.