Swala Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 1999)
- Member Of:
- Tanzania Association of Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $275 to $1,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Liz | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable safari experience, thoughtfully planned by Stephen and fabulously guided by Evod
Our safari was planned for June 2020 and due to Covid was postponed and rearranged 4 times, eventually happening in September 2023. Throughout this extended planning process Stephen was so patient and reassuring, booking and rebooking lodges and amending the itinerary to best suit the changing seasons. All the parks we visited and all the lodges/camps we stayed in were different and each was wonderful in its own way.
We started at Tarangire and were absolutely blown away by the number of animals we saw and how close we got to them. Next we went to Lake Manyara and enjoyed the very different landscape, and watched close up, elephants and baboons with their young plus a huge python resting after a big meal. Third, and possibly our favourite, was the Ngorongoro Crater, so many animals in a stunning setting and a fortunate opportunity to witness a large herd of water buffalo chase off a pride of lions. Our final park was the Serengeti, again a different landscape, and further new experiences; we had as much time as we wanted to watch lions, leopards and cheetahs close up; driving close to thousands of wildebeests during migration and 2 opportunities to see a group crossing the Mara river.
This great safari was made so special by our wonderful guide, Evod. He was hugely knowledgeable and experienced in his role and his ability to spot animals at distance while driving was incredible! Nothing was too much trouble; happily stopping and manoeuvring the jeep so that we could get the perfect view; getting out books to show us pictures of birds and trees; patiently identifying the same animal or bird repeatedly when we forgot! His driving was exemplary and his ability to mend the jeep was amazing. We would thoroughly recommend him and were very sad to see him leave at the end of the trip.
IT
Email Alex | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Amazing lifetime travel experience, thanks to Swala Safaris and ChaCha (our tour guide) !
We did our Safari in February 2024, visiting all the major national parks in Northern Tanzania: the Tarangire, lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.
I will not go in day by day details, also because every travel or safari experience is unique! But what we alived was truly amazing.
Amazing, not only because we saw animals of all kinds: all the big five (Rhinos, Elephants, Buffaloes, a Leopard and many Lions), Hyenas, thousands and thousands of Zebras and Wildbeasts, Crocodiles, Cheetahs, Thompson gazelles, many species of birds. But, also, because we had the privilege of experiencing unique situations such as: lions hunting, lions meeting, we spent a day with Hadzabe tribes and Maasai, even the experience of having a lion passing close to our tent overnight!
I'm an amateur potographer, I have been to many countries in Africa doing safari (Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Madagascar....), but this was really a lifetime experience.
And now let me thank who made all this possible. Thanks to Stephen and Jasper from Swala Safaris for their patience in fullfilling all my wishes, taking care of any single detail (from car's equipments to room types in lodge/accommodations) without surprises......from paper to reality! And, thanks to ChaCha our super, amazing guide/driver, full of skills, knowledge and full of a contagious enthusiasm......simply number 1! TOP !
Thanks! Alex, Enzo and Paolo.
US
Email Merideth | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our trip of a lifetime!
I had the pleasure of working with Stephen for over 2 years, planning this once in a lifetime trip. Stephen was patient with all my questions and itinerary changes. We had a private tour. The accommodations he picked were indeed luxury out in the bush. The people of Tanzania are welcoming and gracious.
And there are not enough adjectives to complement Joachim as a driver/guide. A masterful driver on the worst of roads, made sure we were comfortable, picked the best spots to get our pictures and was very easy to get along with and a great sense of humor. With all the dusty roads and dirt tracked into the vehicle, each morning we got into a clean truck for the day’s drive. Joachim has a wealth of knowledge of the animals, birds of his country.
Planning on a return trip.