Our family welcomes you to Tanzania! Karibu sana!
Tanzania Choice Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2007)
- Member Of:
- Tanzania Association of Tour Operators
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $400 to $1,700 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email RK & KP | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service and an unforgettable experience
It is not easy to plan a safari from half way around the world. There are a bewildering amount of safari outfitters offering their services online, but it is nearly impossible to distinguish the outstanding companies from the mediocre. Fortunately, we had a friend who was working in Dar es Salaam at the time who helped us navigate through the complexity. She said to check out Tanzania Choice Safaris. We did, and we could not be happier with the service we received. This is a family run business and they go out of their way to ensure you have an unforgettable trip.
After filling out the web-based request form, Brenda contacted us with some possible itineraries to consider. It was easy to deal with Brenda -- who is an expat from the USA -- and she was prompt and helpful throughout. After several email exchanges, we decided on a 12-day itinerary: 8 days traveling through Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and Seregenti, followed by four days in Zanzibar at Matemwe Beach and Stone Town.
Brenda's husband Kakasii was our guide and he met us at the airfield in Arusha to begin our safari. Kakasii was wonderful -- he was knowledgeable, personable, and fun. The safari vehicle was comfortable and we always had a bottomless supply of cold water available. The private vehicle is the way to go. We sometimes would see parties of six jammed inside other Land Rovers and the passengers did not look very happy. Tanzania Choice Safaris only does private trips, so this aspect should be considered favorably.
Kakasii did his best to show us the most amazing animals -- rhino, leopard, elephant, lion, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest -- we saw them all. But he also knows all of the birds and other rare animals that are less identifiable to the untrained eye (Klipsringer or Lesser Kudu, anyone?) Kakasii knew all of the animals on sight and he freely shared his knowledge with us, along with teaching us a few Swahili phrases and words.
The lodging choices Brenda recommended were outstanding. We were the only guests for three nights at the Kichiguu Camp in Tarangire. My wife was a little apprehensive about staying in a wilderness camp (with lions roaming about), but this place was amazing. The food was great and plentiful. The boys running the camp were super attentive and the service was great -- from the welcome drink to the nightly bonfire -- this was a memorable experience. The Serena Lodge in Ngorongoro was solid, although after being the only guests in camp at Tarangire, it felt a little more crowded and traditional. The evening entertainment in the lodge was fun. The views from the lodge into Ngorongoro Crater are spectacular, particularly at sunrise. The Kubu Kubu Camp in Serengeti was the best of the bunch. The food was outstanding and the staff was super friendly and helpful. Swimming in the infinity edge pool while overlooking the plains with wild animals all around was pretty neat, particularly after some long dusty days in Kakasii's Land Rover. The all-inclusive drinks were a nice touch as well.
When Kakasii dropped us at the airfield in Serengeti for our flight to Zanzibar, it felt like we were saying goodbye to an old friend.
Upon arriving in Zanzibar, the Tanzania Choice Safari representative met us at the airport like clockwork. Our new guide Hamisi was a hoot and he showed us all kinds of sights and cultural points of interest on our ride to Matemwe Beach. Matemwe is a little off the beaten path, but the Jafferji Resort where we stayed was a perfect beachfront hideaway. We were able to scuba dive off of Mnemba Island without any difficulty. Our last night in Zanzibar we stayed in the Maru Maru hotel in the middle of Stone Town. Hamisi is a licensed tour guide and he walked us through all of the best sights in Stone Town. Maru Maru was quite nice, particularly the roof top bar/restaurant/pool area, which provided a peaceful oasis in the middle of a busy town at street level.
All said and done, we had a wonderful experience with Tanzania Choice Safaris. They made it easy for us to relax and enjoy our time in Tanzania. They pay attention and get the small details right, and as a result their product is demonstrably better than nearly all of the other outfitters we saw (for instance, we never had a picnic lunch without a table cloth!) Because of the excellent experience, we have already referred other friends to Brenda and Kakasii and more will likely follow behind them. You should too!
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Email Cheryl | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amzing adventure with Tanzania Choice Safari. Extremely knowledgeable and extremely accommodating.
Tanzania Choice Safari provided a personal itinerary for my trip and expectations. Skype interview allowed for a timely and efficient communication to express wants and needs. Leslie was my personal guide who was extremely polite, knowledgeable, and willing to go above and beyond to give me the beat experience on the Serengeti! I will definitely use this tour agency again for my future adventures in Tanzania.
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Email Anna | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kakasii was a wonderfully knowledable and thoughtful guide for our very first Safari!
I would certainly recommend using Tanzania Choice Safaris to anyone who desires a kind, wonderfully knowledgeable, safe, and experienced guide - with a little dash of pizazz throw in for a beautifully spread, unexpected, picnic lunch in the middle of the day! My 13-year-old old son and I thoroughly enjoyed our first safari and he had a LOT of questions!! Kakasii patiently answered questions and let us stop to take photos of our first wild this or wild that - that he had seen a million times before (Tip for first time safarians - zebras and water buffalo are like deer and antelope in the States- unless those are your favorites I would suggest letting him get you to the lions and rhinos and elephants FIRST. The zebra and water buffalo will still be staring straight at you on the way BACK too! :) )
Kakasii's experience and knowledge of animal behavior allowed us to be in the perfect place to watch a lioness track down her lunch! Fortunately, for the smart zebra mom, the Pride did not catch her - but we proudly caught it all on video because Kakasii knew just where to position our jeep in time for the show. The entire day from dawn to dusk was spectacular. Thank you Kakasii for an unforgettable day. I am happy to say I am returning THIS June (with my younger son and a team of 4 others) and will look forward to where you will take us this year! ----as long as you promise to find a GIRAFFE this time! :)
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Email Kim Rathjen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Cared for our Every Need
This was the second tour we had booked with Tanzania Choice Safaris (the first one was two years ago). I had several very specific needs for where we wanted to go and how we wanted this tour to be shaped, including making arrangements to visit some non-profits and people that are not on a usual itinerary. Brenda and Kakasii worked out every detail and arranged for everything I requested. Our tour group (and I) couldn't have been happier with their customer service, with the information that was shared pre-trip, and the way in which we were cared for during our tour. The food, the accommodations, the drivers, the information - all were top notch! We would gladly work with TCS at any time in the future and have advised all of our friends who have interest to check out TCS.
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Email Rhonda Johnson | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best experience ever!
The services were wonderful. Everything was planned perfectly and went according to schedule. The preparing went very smoothly. I told them what I wanted, they put together an iteniary and it was perfect. It covered everything I wanted even planning a birthday celebration. The safari itself was totally amazing. Our tour guide, Lesley was so knowledgeable and made sure we saw all the animals and birds too. He was so pleasant and made sure we were very happy with our schedule. I highly recommend Tanzania Choice Safari. Working with Brenda was a pleasure and she was very professional. We will be using this company for all future Safari travels.
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Email Lori | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The hospitality and thoughtfulness of Tanzania Choice Safaris is immeasurable!
Upon our arrival we were greeted and welcomed late at night at the Kilimanjaro Airport by 2 smiling faces that immediately packed up our bags and transported us to our lodge. They made sure all of our needs were met and more. Everything was well orchestrated down to the food, accommodations, scheduling, and the safari tour. It is locally run and owned by Kakasii and his wife Brenda. When on safari, Kakasii and his drivers were very knowledgeable and could answer all of our questions we had about the wildlife and the people. I highly recommend TCS to anyone who is considering a safari or climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. I have been told by very good friends that they do an exceptional job leading a climb up Kili!
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Email Bev | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing sights and experiences with a warm, friendly tour operator.
I recently traveled with Tanzania Choice Safaris and had a wonderful experience. Kakasii, our tour operator, was amazing. Every morning he greeted us with a bright and warm smile and a hearty greeting. He answered our many questions about the crops, plants, trees, animals and people of Tanzania.
When we went on safari, Kakasii and his partner were always able to spot the harder to find animals like the rhinos, lions and elephants. We were able to see so many amazing animals.
Our accommodations and travel arrangements were always very comfortable.
I would highly reccomend Tanzania Choice Safaris to others.
Email Dave | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tanzania Choice Safaris is the only tour company we use and recommend as expats living in Tanzania
Hands down, the best company in Tanzania. As expats living in Tanzania for years, our community only utilizes Tanzania Choice Safaris. Brenda will find and recommend the best itinerary to meet your travel days, within your budget, and at the best price. The guides are amazing and will tailor the days according to your desire. Wonderful, knowledgeable, and professional....Tanzania Choice Safaris is simply the best.
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Email Trish | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely superb in all respects!
Tanzania Choice is the best agency to use for your safari. They arrange a personalized safari, based on your wishes and their experience. Leslie was our guide and he may be the best in the business! He was very personable, spoke perfect English, and had a vast knowledge of all the animals as well as the different locations. The Ngorogoro Crater is beyond belief as far as animals, but we also really enjoyed Tarangire, where we saw literally more than 100 elephants and all of the Big 5 in one of the most beautiful settings anywhere. The picnic spots in Tarangire are also especially gorgeous. Tanzania Choice also takes care of their guides, and doesn't put any restrictions on them regarding gas usage, etc., which other companies do. Brenda made all the arrangements and booked the best safari experience I could have asked for!
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Email Allen & Mary Kay | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best vacation trip of our lives.
The entire experience, from the planning to the safari itself, was outstanding and well beyond our expectations. Prior to the trip, Brenda was always available to discuss options and to provide answers to all the questions we had. We felt very well prepared and were glad we could customize the trip and do exactly what we wanted to do. We were not limited to pre-packaged itinerary. The trip itself was spectacular, for which most of the credit goes to Leslie, our wonderful guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, helpful, kind, easy going and fun to be with. Also, his eyesight was unbelievable. Each of the parks - Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Tarangire - was special in its own way. We saw an amazing assortment of animals and birds, often so close-up we could have touched them. The accommodations were very comfortable and clean and the staffs were friendly and helpful; we never felt like we were "roughing it." All in all a first class trip that we will never forget.