Zanzibar office team ready for your services
Soul of East Africa Safaris (Uhuru Travel)
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2007)
- Member Of:
- TATO, ZATO & ZATI
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range & luxury)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $400 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email John | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Serengeti Safari (2 night; 3 days)
Uhuru provided our group of 4 a great experience through Asilia Camps (we stayed at Sayari Camp in the northern Serengeti) and made plane travel between Zanzibar and the Serengeti seamless. Everything was on time and we had a remarkable experience seeing almost all of the animals one can see in the Serengeti.
The one major drawback about our experience was the unexpected fees. Although we had paid in full up front upon booking in May ($1,250 USD/person), Uhuru contacted us two weeks prior to our safari and demanded that we pay $1,200 USD more ($300 USD/person) as "costs had risen and the government had instituted new taxes." We were alarmed at this situation and did extensive research on new government taxes, but found that no new taxes had been levied in approximately a year. We were discouraged by the price increase but paid anyway, believing there would be no other opportunity for such a late booking. After the conclusion of our safari (back in Stone Town), we were required to pay our Uhuru-scheduled taxi shuttle driver an extra $50 USD even though Uhuru had promised that there would be no additional fees. We had a wonderful time overall, but these unexpected fees were frustrating and added a great deal of stress unnecessarily.
Reply from Soul of East Africa Safaris (Uhuru Travel)
Posted on Feb 15, 2018Thanks for your mail and also the complements. The issue is Asilia Camps push up their last minutes rates and we had no options. The Issue of concession fees has been introduced from January 2018. If you compare the price for last minutes and their real price then you still got the best price, i do not see any reason of complaining! The price per night in Sayari Camp you went its $900+ per night means its like $1800 for 2 nights for accommodation only! And you got it for only $1500 for All Inclusive Accommodation and Return flights to Serengeti from Zanzibar. The above complains has been addressed and such things will never happen to any other client. In case of any increments we shall inform our clients accordingly in advance.
Yours Faithfully,
Uhuru Travel & Tours Ltd Team.
IE
Email Kornelia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great time
Everything was good bar 4&4 safari car which wasn't 100% working :) a little mistake with our hotel. They notice different hotel were we where staying so our pick up was delate. Very nice safari driver. Thank you for good safari .
Email Martina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great communication!
I had a very nice experience with Uhuru Travel. The communication with Abdallah was great. He answered all my questions very promptly and made me feel in safe hands. They are punctual and reliable. Safari met my expectations. I actually didn't know what to expect but it was great! I surely recommend Uhuru. Thank you guys!
LV
Email Janis | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3-Day Last Minute Fly in Safari from Zanzibar to Ngorongoro Crater
The safari itself gives a very good opportunity to quickly experience three different Africa, all three parks are bit different in their settings and we managed to see all big animals, lions and lots of elephants. Spending the first night in safari tented lodge was also very exciting as, we spotted lions resting some 50meters from the camp and there is no fence around it.. The third day flight back could have been later, so we could have spent a little bit more time in Menyara NP, we started the day at 5:30am, to spend at least 2 hours in the park and get on time to the flight.
The driver was very pleasant and adapted to all our needs. The experience overall was very positive, they were resposive and followed up on everything.
DE
Email Susanne | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our Tour guide Nestor was very friendly and knowledgable.
The Safari was great and we had the best tour guide ever. We saw thousands of animals and our guide Nestor always tried to find the best spots to look for new ones.
The lodge where we stayed for the 2 nights (Tan Swiss Lodge) was not nice. Horrible rooms and most horrible food.
DE
Email Wolf | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Reliable and Competent
Uhuru Travel gave me sufficient and detailed information on my safari and gave attention to all my wishes. The tour itself was well organized, the guide attentive and competent.
Professional
We had an excellent experience. Our driver was kind, knowledgable, and punctual. The safari experience with him was amazing... He took us very close to animals yet we always felt safe. Our accommodations had to be changed due to a local land dispute and the agency handled the matter professionally with little inconvenience for us. We recommend this tour group.
great Tanzania safari
Good food, simple accommodation, guide pleasant but quiet
ES
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Efficient
Everything has been well organize and efficiently. Nice guys besides.
AR
Email Gabriel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Uneven service, with great things mixed with defficient aspects
We bought a 3-week package thru Uhuru with my family of 5 (me, my wife, and 3 grown-up children (27-25-23), from December 28th to Jan 17th, 2020. It included 12 days in safaris, and 8 days in Zanzibar. We chose the mid-range option (other being budget & luxury).
Positive side:
1. First, Margaret, our contact person throughout the trip, was there for us 24/7, constantly attentive to our needs, and ready to solve any problem that could arise. It was great to have her reachable in Whatsapp at all times!
2. The organizational part was impeccable, everybody was waiting for us in the right places, at the right times, rooms ready in hotels, guides and drivers ready to take us where we were going.
3. All the lodges in the safari part of the trip, also great, meeting or exceeding our expectations!
4. Having a vehicle and a guide/driver exclusively for ourselves the entire trip was also great.
5. The guides: superb! Perfect I’d say for Charles in Kenya, and very good Godwin in Tanzania. They of top importance, you get to spend most of your day with them.
On the Negative side:
6. Major problem: the vehicles! Transport in safaris are 50% of the experience. In a trip like this, we spent 8-12 hours a day on the transport, either as a game drive or in between Parks (several of the game drives were planned to occur during our inter-park trips, with all our luggage inside the vehicle, and it cannot be done in any other way). And we were 5 adults with luggage for 3 weeks. The quality of what we got was absolutely terrible, not up to standards. And that after much complaining from our part, Uhuru refused to change the vehicle, is really incomprehensible. It ruined our experience. In every lodge, every park entrance, every stop to watch animals, where we saw other tour vehicles, ours was by far the oldest, most decrepit, and overcrowded of all! I happened to read on several Safari.com reviews that other passengers also complained in the past about the same issue with Uhuru, and also read in disbelief that management from Uhuru replied that Uhuru assigns the small Jeeps for up to 4 passengers, and the extended Jeep for up to 6, and we were 5 adults and Uhuru had us crammed in a small Jeep for 8 days (the Tanzania part)!!! So Uhuru did not even respected its own established standards. It is really lamentable, this was meant to be the trip of our life, but it gave us reasons to complain every day we had to endure such bad mini bus/Jeep. On top of that, since the conditions of the roads are so bad, the famous "African Massage" turned out to be torture for us due to the bad conditions of these very old vehicles. Advise to future travellers: find a way to know ahead what kind of vehicles you will be given during the safaris!
7. As compensation, Uhuru offered a free half-day tour in Zanzibar (we chose snorkeling in Nmemba Island). Although this was a nice gesture: 1) it was not nearly enough to compensate the problems we had during the safaris, and 2) the tour itself was bad, the service was mediocre, and the facilities at the point of departure of the boat were just terrible. I’d strongly suggest Uhuru to not use those guys anymore.
7. Airport hotel at arrival: 67 Airport Hotel at Nairobi was horrible, and in a terrible location! My daughters arrived at night and were so scared when they saw their airport transfer entering the streets where the hotel is, it is like a slum. And the arrival hotel is the first impression one has of the whole trip, the country, and the tour company. It is at least three levels below the quality of the safari lodges. It is clearly not “mid-range” level that we chose for the whole trip, and I’d say it does not even qualifies for “budget”.
8. Nungwi Nmanari Cottages in Zanzibar: the hotel is OK, I’d say more budget than mid range, but acceptable in terms of rooms, services and general facilities. But it is on the wrong side of the island!!! It has no beach!! We spent 6 nights on a tropical paradise island in a hotel with no beach. High tide: no beach, low tide: the sea retreats to 800 meters away, and impossible to get to because there are stones, coral, and see urchins. We could not believe it when we went to the other side (just a 10’ taxi ride away) where a lot of other hotels are, and saw such beautiful beaches, enjoyable in both low and high tide. My son and daughters, who love the beach, complained day and night, and I felt that I let them down organizing this trip in such a way that didn’t let them enjoy Zanzibar’s world famous beaches
Reply from Soul of East Africa Safaris (Uhuru Travel)
Posted on Jan 27, 2020Thanks for your great reviews its always a pleasure to have positive and negative side of the review. We shall work on all the points. Hotels will change them for better ones and Jeep we will make sure with the clients before their safari. Since Mr. Gabriel was assigned with Min-Van in Kenya for 6 Seats and Tanzania Jeep 6 Seats but they had many luggage about 7 pieces with back packs! Was to much to be accommodated in the Min-Van or Jeep. Luggage consumes a lot of space in the Cars. Its has been a great challenge with many clients paid for normal size Jeep of 6 seats requesting for Extended Jeep for 8 seats in the middle of the safari while they are only 4 or 5 due to their many luggage in the cars. Better bring one luggage and one back pack each at least will fit well in the Safari Car. No space for too many luggage. We promise to deliver smooth and good services to all our clients. Uhuru Travel Team.