Geofrey Nassari, founder and owner company.
Meru Slopes Tours & Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $480 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
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Reviews
RO
Email Oana | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Totally recommend
It's funny because I got a last minute booking and having a bad experience with Tanzania in the previous days (total rip offs), I was not very confident in the arrangement. However, them and the staff were absolutely amazing. Not only did they fulfill all their obligations at a great rate, but included some other benefits by comparison to other operators. Guide, Johnson, extremely educated and a great company.
I would recommend to anybody interested in a safari experience
Email Dr Graham Etherington | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic 4-day safari
A work colleague and I took advantage of being in Tanzania for work to go on the Meru Slopes 4-day Tarangire - Serengeti – Ngorongoro Crater tour at the end of January, 2017.
Firstly, I have to say what great value for money the tour is. For around USD 750 each, you get picked up on arrival and dropped off for departure at Kilimanjaro airport, which is about an hour’s drive from Arusha, where the tour departs. The price also includes overnight accommodation the night before and the night after the tour (so you actually get 5-nights accommodation in total). The hotel is basic but clean and breakfast is included.
I’ll break the rest of the safari down into sections so you can read the parts you’re interested in.
Vehicle
On the tour you travel in a Toyota 4WD, which accommodates up to 6 tour passengers, the driver/guide and the cook. The vehicle has a raiseable roof so all tour passengers can stand up in the vehicle during the game drives and get great views and photographs of the wildlife. The vehicle quite roomy and provided good views of the surrounding countryside even when the roof was lowered. It was dependable for most of the tour, but developed a problem with the suspension on the penultimate day which the driver fixed for the final day.
Accommodation
Arusha. The pre/post hotel was quite basic and also quite noisy (from outside). There are other accommodation options available when booking, so if really want a good night sleep ask for other accommodation options. We picked up a couple who had stayed at a nearby guesthouse who said that they had no problem with noise at their guesthouse. Wifi is available at the hotel, but in truth it’s only really usable around reception and not in the rooms. The rooms themselves were clean and functional. There was hot running water, a flushing toilet, clean towels, mosquito net and a TV. No air-con or fan, but the windows open to let in the cooler night air, but also the early-morning noise. Extra nights should cost around USD 25. If you book as two people (like my work colleague and I did), then you’ll be allocated a twin room. You might want to pay the extra USD 25 for your own.
Safari. This was a camping safari, so we spent each night under canvas. The first night was spent at Sunbright Campsite next to the small village of Mto wa Mbu, on the north side of Lake Manyara (https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g7044962-d10357037-Reviews-Manyara_Sunbright_Lodge_and_Campsite-Mto_wa_Mbu_Lake_Manyara_National_Park_Arusha_Re.html). This was really ‘glamping’, with big two-person tents already set up, with beds inside and running hot water in the shower/toilet behind each tent.
The second night (in the Serengeti) was proper camping. Everyone helps to erect the tents. There’s one tent per two people, so even if you are travelling alone you’ll still have to share if there are other lone travellers. This shouldn’t be a problem as you’ll already have spent a full-day together having had some great experiences and become friends with the other travellers. The campsite was much better than I thought it would be. It had toilet/shower blocks with hot running water, a cookhouse, and a dining area. Spending the night camping out in the Serengeti was an absolutely top experience. For a whole hour before we went to bed, we all just lay on our jackets or blankets staring up at the crystal-clear night sky, pointing out planets, stars and constellations, with the occasional brilliant flash of a meteorite zooming across. The rest of the night was also great, I’d occasionally wake to the sound of baboons giving their alarm, groups of hyenas patrolling the savannah or the pride of lions that were stationed a few hundred yards away from the campsite! At one point in the night there was a lion just a few yards away from the tent, roaring away in response to the larger pride nearby. This was actually really exciting and not at all frightening. You’re told when you arrive to stay in your tents at night and if you really need to go for a pee in the night, just go outside the tent – good advice!
The third night is spent on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater at the Simba campsite. The crater campsites are typically much busier (about 15 tents at the Serengeti campsites, 40 at Simba), but noise wasn’t much of a problem as everyone will be getting up at 5am to head down to the crater for sunrise. The facilities were similar to the Serengeti, although not much hot water to be had in the showers.
Safari staff
For the safari, we had a driver/guide ‘Zigi’ and our cook ‘Booga’.
I presumed that we’d be doing our own cooking, so it was a pleasant surprise to find out we had a cook of our own. Booga was a great cook and the food was very good, especially considering the basic facilities we had. Tasty soups, chicken and fish mains, banana fritters, etc for the evening meals, toast, omelettes, chapattis, tea/coffee, mango, etc for breakfast and a packed lunch for midday picnics. Booga was also a really nice guy, always smiling and helped out with setting up and bringing down the tents.
Zigi our driver and guide was obviously very experienced at both. He knew his way around all the parks we visited very well and seemed very popular amongst the other guides from other companies. His network of other guides along with his knowledge of the parks meant that he did a great job at finding us all the popular animals (e.g. in the first afternoon in the Serengeti he located lion, cheetah and leopard). As with Booga he was really nice guy, always willing to share his knowledge of the areas we were visiting. The only criticism I’d have is that although lots of effort and concentration was put into seeing the really popular species, less attention was given to other animals. For example, if I’d not pointed out an antelope species that was unfamiliar to me near the road, we would have just driven past the only Hartebeest of the trip. It would have been nice to see attention to getting us the biggest range of animals during the whole trip, not just the most popular ones. Other than that, both Zigi and Booga were excellent and we’d never have had anywhere near as good of a trip without them.
Animals
The range of birds, mammals and reptiles we saw on the trip was incredible and would warrant a separate review in itself. Other than not seeing any crocodiles (the dry season is a bad time to see them due to the lack of water) I can’t think of a single animal that I expected to see and didn’t. Massive herds of migrating Wildebeest, a leopard with two cubs feeding on an Impala, Spotted Hyenas hunting down wildebeest, the cutest baby elephants, 4 species of cat and 150+ species of bird (my speciality). The morning that we spent in the Ngorongoro was one of the best experiences of my life. Everything was really great and I can’t recommend this tour enough.
Summary
This was a very well organised tour and excellent value for money. Even though I’m in my 50s and used to a somewhat more luxurious lifestyle (gone are the days of British camping holidays for me), given the option I’d still go camping instead of staying in lodges. You get a fantastic feel of being closer to nature on a camping safari (I’ve done the safari lodges in Kenya, so feel qualified to make this remark) and I’d definitely use Meru Slopes again if (when!) I return to Tanzania.
Tips:
Download the Google Sky Map app before you leave. It came in really handy to look at the night sky in the Serengeti. I bought a Vodacom sim card to use during my trip. You can still get a pretty good signal right out in the remotest parts.
Luggage – take as little as possible and leave any suitcases at the hotel before you leave. You’ll need to keep your luggage with you in the tents and they’re not big enough to take large suitcases. We took and shared a large duffle bag with all our stuff in it. If you minimise the amount of luggage in the back of the vehicle, this also means that there will be less need to put overflow into the main passenger space of the vehicle.
BR
Email Eduardo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Good!
Good! I did a 4-day camping safari. Just be aware that if you go solo you might have to share a tent.
US
Email Jennifer | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari, and great deal!
We just returned from a 5 day safari with Meru Slopes and Tours. The price was very affordable for a fantastic quality of a tour! We saw the big 5, and had a very similar experience to those who paid much more for a safari. The food was fantastic, we slept in both a permanent tent (with a real bed) and a pop up tent, and we loved having both the quality of a mattress in the permanent tent, and the excitement of sleeping in a tent surrounded by wildlife (especially on the rim of Ngorogoro, simply amazing). I'm not positive that the campsites are the same for all of their tours, so you need to be a bit flexible in where you stay, but our experience was really great. I don't believe we stayed in all campgrounds as initially quoted, but it also seemed to be a better quality than was quoted, so it was a pleasant surprise.
Our guide was fantastic (we had 2: Estome and Mosa), and worked very hard to help us see the big 5 (it is very difficult to see the Rhino, but he got us there in time to see it). Both guides were fun to be with, knowledgeable, so it seems the company has a great supply of guides. Our group we were traveling with was also so much fun. That is definitely the luck of the draw, but we were pleased. The food was great, their system in place is very unique in that you have your own cook, and it's very pleasant to have a warm meal at the end of the day. The food was fantastic, and again, the budget element of this tour was not felt.
Geoffrey was also great to work with, which is why we ultimately chose Meru Slopes. He was the MOST responsive out of all the tour companies. It can be a little strange organizing the tour from a different continent, and his quick responses were very assuring. It was also a pleasant stay at Arusha Tourist Inn, a very simple but chill place before and after the safari. The inn itself is filled with backpackers going on safari or climbing Kili. Beginning with picking us up from the airport, and then the return connection, it was easy and hassle free, and a fantastic deal. We also paid them a bit more for them to organize a trip to the waterfall in Arusha on the way back to the airport, which was above and beyond. We explored Arusha a bit, and Geoffrey even offered to take us to a party on New Years Eve, but unfortunately we got in too late to go, and instead walked around and watched all the fireworks. Sidenote: we didn't have any problems in our wanderings around Arusha, even though some say to be wary at night, just don't carry bags that can be snatched. The longer we were in Tanzania, the more we felt very safe and felt the friendliness of the people. The safari definitely is safe, so no need to be worried about that.
Things to be prepared for: Be a little flexible, it is a budget tour, it is in Africa, and you will be camping. We were a little worried when we arrived when we were told we were doing 4 days with one group, then the 5th day with another, but it was very seamless and was not a problem. They worked hard to make sure we got the dates we wanted, so I would count that as a positive. Their priority was to ensure we had a nice safari, and they were always concerned how we were doing. Also, the foam mattress under the sleeping bag was very comfortable, but a little musty smelling. We aired them out before putting in them in the tent, which helped. Bring toilet paper, as the campgrounds do not stock it. The roads are very bumpy to the Serengeti, and dusty. Of course, not the tour's fault, and everyone takes the same road (including the luxury tours), just be prepared.
Overall, our experience was simply incredible, and I would highly recommend this company for a fantastic and surprisingly affordable tour.
BE
Email Virginie & Tom | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Cheap safari for a veruy good quality
Safari always means spending a lot of money. However, when going to Tanzania, you cannot miss the occasion to to on a safari tour. I was surprised to see that you still could get 5 days safari for a decent price (875$/pers). I was afraid of the quality of the safari for this price but I was surprised in a good way. The price determines more the lodgement and maybe the food a bit; but that is all. If you do not mind sleeping in a Quechua tent (everything was foreseen: mattress, sleeping bag, cushion, etc.) and that you are not looking for a 5 stars meal neither (still, the food was good!), then definitely go for this tour with Meru Slope. We have seen everything (except a rhino, but that is the nature's rule; you are never sure you will see all animals) and our guide, Steven, was great! He knew all the good places and he was patient; he is working for 15 years I think, but still he is passionate (more than some other guides who stopped only 30 sec or even did not stop at all when passing by interesting animals or great landscapes). He also gave us plenty of explanations.
The only negative point was the fact the organization did not tell us in advance we needed to bring cash to pay the remaining amount (same for other people in our group), which led to quite some discussions. So do not forget to bring all the money with you because they do not take cards (unless you do not mind being charges for getting 5 times money at the ATM...because you can only withdraw like 140$ equivalent) This is the only reason why I do not give 5/5.
Thanks again for this great safari, especially to Steven, this was an amazing experience I will never forget! I would not change anything!
Email Katy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Everything we could of wished for
I was quite sceptical of Meru Slopes tour at first. It seemed too good to be true, it was the cheapest safari we found and included transport and accommodation. I had visions of getting there and someone taking our money and running or being left stranded at the airport, but that couldn't of been farer from the truth. The taxi was awaiting our arrival, even though we had huge delays, the hotel was very clean and comfortable, the staff were friendly and the food was lovely.
So maybe it was the safari that was going to suffer with the price I thought, but again was wrong. The guide was extremely knowledgable about all aspects of the wildlife, fauna, history and our surroundings, he was friendly and fun alongside it which made the whole group feel comfortable. The accommodation was no different to anyone else's and at times, actually better and the food along the whole journey was great. I would 100% recommend Meru Slopes Tours to anyone and I think they go to show that you don't need to pay through the nose to have a wonderful experience.
DE
Email Guido Colaris | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Magical
We went on our Honeymoon with Meru Slopes & Tours for a 8 day Safari. 5 stars is not enough, I would give you 100 stars if I could! We did our Safari with Jacob, who had been not just our guide but a real friend. The service given by Meru from the very first contact has been more than 5 stars. We visited Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, local Masai tribe, local village tour and the Materuni Waterfalls and coffee plantation. Every day has been like a dream and we had the best experience we could dream off. Jacob does everything to spot the animals and has eyes like a robot. All accommodations were beautiful and of a high standard. Great and delicious lunches and amazing dinners. I would like to once again thank Meru Slopes and Geoffrey for the great experience and a special BIG BIG thank you to my friend Jacob (Jambo, Jambo bwana). All the best ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
CH
Email Tim | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience thanks to Meru Slopes
We are a couple and booked a 6-day private camping safari with two nights Serengeti, 1 night Ngorongoro, 1 night Tarangire and 1 night Lake Manyara. We had such adventurous, interesting and wonderful 6 days. Of course, a big part play the national parks with their beautiful landscape and all the wild animals living in them. However, what made our journey exceptional and why I am also so glad that we chose Meru Slopes as a tour operater were our guide Robert and chef Buga. They both made it their mission that we have a great time.
We loved that Robert chose rather lonely paths and calmly spotted animals there instead of chasing other jeeps (of which there can be a lot in Central Serengeti). Also, we really realized how much fun he had on the safari and that he really is a friend of the animals - which is always nice to see that the guide enjoys the wildlife too. Robert called the Serengeti his „second home“, and we really realized that. He knew every street and navigated perfectly (which is not obvious!), furthermore he drove very well making us feel always very safe even though we saw a lot of accidents and breakdowns during our journey. When there was a small problem with the car, he quickly repaired it by himself. Also, when we had questions about specific animals or whatever - he gave answers like Google would. When he was overwhelmed by a question of ours, he was not too proud to take out his „African wildlife“ book and search for the specific information - not just saying something vague like other guides would. And - as it can be supposed - his English was superb, in some discussions even better than ours. As a surplus, he was super funny!
Buga, our great chef, always ensured that we have a delicious hot meal for dinner as well as lunch (a lot of other companies do not offer this). Compared to other adventures like this where you have to be afraid of diarrhea, with Buga, you can even eat the raw stuff like salads or whatever - which was great. He even spoke English and was always in a good mood, which lifted us up even early in the morning.
In conclusion, we had an amazing time on this safari and would recommend it to anyone! Thank you !
NO
Email Juan Diego | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
6-day safari. An amazing experience with a highly professional company. Recommended!!
Meru Slopes Tours & Safaris was the correct choice for us from the very beginning. Booking a safari tour in Tanzania is a complex task, full of uncertainty. There are thousands of companies offering a wide variety of safari experiences, but most of the time it is extremely difficult to obtain reliable information about them. We were looking for a budget, more authentic experience, away from luxury lodges in natural areas. After doing some research, we contacted Meru Slopes, as it showed to be a company with a large number of positive reviews on TripAdvisor. To my surprise, and thankfully, Geofrey, the company manager, answered back within one hour, and provided us with all the necessary information, and moreover, answered all our (too many) questions in the following days.
Meru Slopes Tours & Safaris is a really professional and well-organized company. They were able to re-schedule our tour after a two-day delay of arrival in Tanzania due to flight cancellations (not covid-related). Plus, we requested the meals to be vegetarian, to which they agreed and comply in an excellent way.
Speaking of the safari experience, it was everything Meru Slopes promised. We didn’t have to worry about anything but enjoy the trip. The trip started with us being picked up at Arusha airport, and from there a 2 hour trip to Jambo lodge in Mto Wa Mbu (Mosquito River), close to Lake Manyara National Park. There we met the rest (3) of the passengers, And the crew formed by Jacob, the guide and driver, And Rasheed, our cook. They would be with us for the following 6 days. We visited Lake Manyara National Park for the first encounter with the so promised African wildlife. The result did not disappoint: lots of elephants, gazelles,
antelopes, and even the famous tree-climbing lions. After a full day game drive, we headed back to Jambo lodge, where we enjoyed dinner with local food cooked by Rasheed, and experienced some traditional dance exhibitions by the local people from the village.
On the second day, Jacob headed to the famous Serengeti National Park. After 3 hours, we entered the majestic landscape of Serengeti, and spend the afternoon on a game drive before stetting our camp in Nguchiro campsite. The camping place has everything you need to enjoy a good time in Serengeti (kitchen, closed dining area, bathrooms with WC and shower). The camping experience in the middle of a national park surrounded by wildlife is something unique. Nguchiro campsite is one of the many campsites in central Serengeti, all equipped in the same way. We spent 2 nights there, for a total of 2 complete days of game drive in Serengeti (afternoon – full day – morning) from day 2 to 4, something that I personally recommend a lot. Spend 2 days in Serengeti, it is worth it. No need to describe our game drives here, pictures are self-explanatory. But in short, we saw 4 out of the big 5 within the first 24hs in Serengeti, only missing Rhino, which is easier to spot in Ngorongoro.
After lunch on Nguchiro camping site on day 4, we left Serengeti NP, and visited the Serengeti Visitors center, where we learned a lot about the history, ecology, and geography of the Serengeti Ecosystem. Later that day, our adventure took us to Simba campsite A, just outside Ngorongoro crater, where we set our camp again, not before stopping by a Massai Village (Massai Dorf in google maps) to enjoy a Massai cultural experience with the local pastoralists, and buy some of their artisanal work, which help them to maintain their lifestyle. Simba campsite welcomed us with some elephant crossing in between the tents, buffalo grazing, and even hyenas scouting for food leftovers from the kitchen :P.
Day 5 took us to the famous Ngorongoro crater, famous for its high density of animals in a confined area protected by the largest complete crater on earth. Here, the rare and elusive Black Rhino showed at last, allowing us to complete the big 5 (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino). Ngorongoro also allowed us to witness predatory animals (hyenas and lions) feeding on early-morning hunts. After leaving the crater and packing our camp, we headed back for a well-deserved chill night at Jambo Logde (yay, hot shower again). That afternoon, Prisca, who works for Meru Slopes, took us for a cultural tour in Mto Wa Mbu (Mosquito River, the local village where the lodge is located), and showed us the local lifestyle, agriculture production (banana, cassava, jackfruit, bread fruit, mango, rice, etc.), the local, artisanal wood products and paintings, and most important, the banana wine, which we enjoyed together. Thanks so much Prisca, for your dedicated and complete explanations about the life in Mosquito River.
Our 6th and last day took us Tarangire National Park (River of the Warthogs, or “pumba” as everyone in Tanzania call them since 1993), famous for its large number of elephants (and also warthogs, though they are not so famous :P). Indeed, there were a lot of elephants, and we got a couple of really close encounters. We also spotted some beautiful baobab trees. Another interesting fact is that in Tarangire we got to see a large number of carcasses being scavenged by vultures and stokes. The dryness of Tarangire during December makes it hard for wildlife to survive, and sometimes animals die from droughts or stuck in the mud while trying to reach the remaining water in the drying lakes. Beware of the monkeys here during lunch break. They’d steal your lunch, phone, keys… and you might mind a good repellent because it is full of tse-tse flies hehe…
After 6 days, we were taken back to Arusha where we spent the last night, all arranged by Meru Slopes, which also arranged our transport to the airport the following day, to close a 6-day amazing experience.
One last mention for the company Staff, who behaved incredibly professional, we have no other words than a big “THANK YOU”. Thank you to our guide Jacob, whom with his “pole pole, hakuna matata” style, drove us for uncountable hours every day making sure we were comfortable and enjoying, and was so kind to stop every time we wanted to take pictures, explaining us everything he knew about the East African wildlife, while teaching us some Swahili in the meantime. And also, a big applause to our cook Rasheed, who prepared the best imaginable breakfasts everyday before we even woke up, and delicious local meals for lunch and dinner. We really enjoyed it, everything was perfect. Thank you so much! Asante sana!
TR
Email Merve | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience!
We booked 8 days safari from Meru Slopes Tours. They picked up us in the airport, and from then they take care of everything. I can highly recommend Meru Slopes as everything was well organized.
The safari was great, We had a really knowledgeable and friendly guide. I can recommend our driver/guide Isaack P. Swai who is an expert in knowing animals. He is also a very safe driver. the food was always nice thanks to cook Akshin.
We enjoyed our safari so much, Thanks to all staff of Meru Slopes and especially to Geofrey Nassari.
You should ask for Isaack as safari guide;)