Caracal Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $120 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Angela | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime!
Our safari with Caracal tours was fantastic. Marion answered every question we could think of in advance and was always prompt with her replies. Ben is a wonderful and patient guide. He is very knowledgeable and has eyes like an eagle for spotting animals! He was absolutely flexible but never without a plan. We learned so much more than I could have imagined about the animals as well as the people of Tanzania and their unique culture. Caracal Tours is a small company and so they are able to accommodate your interests and give you the4 safari of your dreams. The accommodations that they chose for us were all quite nice. I am not a tent camping kind of person but I have to admit the tent camps were probably the best part of the trip!
NL
Email Nila and Jappie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Safari!
In October 2015 we arranged a safari in Tanzania by Caracal Tours & Safaris Tanzania, which took us to many parks in just three days.
Beforehand we didn’t plan on going on safari because we were visiting our daughter who was working and living on Zanzibar.
At the last minute we decided to travel to mainland for safari and after a hurried Google-search, we came across the website of Caracal.
In a short time, through email, Marion Sumari de Boer managed to draw up a three-day safari at a fair price.
The price was included that we were picked up from the Kilimanjaro Airport and on the third day, in the evening, we were nicely delivered in a lodge that we had booked in advance in a village near Moshi.
During the safari we slept in tents on a nice camping site.
Our driver and tour guide (Max) and cook (Albert) were real professionals. They were also always willing to answer / to act when we had questions or needs.
The cook had his own cooking gear, and made breakfast, lunch boxes and warm meals at the campsite. Perfect arrangement!
Our guide, Max, was in top form. Besides his binoculars he had books with him to give us additional information about animals and birds.
We visited the following parks: Manyara, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and finally the Tarangire National Park.
Summarized. We first and foremost want to note that we had a well-organized safari, which was realized in a very short period of planning.
The guidance during the safari was top notch. Max enjoyed conveying his knowledge to about the park and the lifestyle of the animals. He took the time to show and explain everything.
We highly recommended Caracal Tours for a well-organized safari.
NL
Email Sieske | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great all-round and last-minute camping safari
Last September we decided we wanted to go on a last-minute safari. We found a great one with lodges with another tour-operator, when Marjon from Caracal emailed me with an offer we couldn't refuse; A three day safari with tents. No lodges, no big tented camps, just small iglo tents on a campsite. As I had already experienced that my preference goes out to these kinds of safari's the choice was an easy one, we chose Caracal! We were picked up by one of the owners of the company and handed over to our very good guide, Max. Max did a very great job in making the trip "holistic". Of course we excited to see the big five (and so we did), but Max also teached us a lot about the less popular flora and fauna of the different national and conservation parks we visited. Along the way we saw many bored safari guides who just pointed out the umpteenth Simba or Tembo, but Max showed us the whole ecosystem, and every one of them with great energy and cute little anecdotes! Best. Safariguide. Ever.
Afterwards, Max dropped us of near Kilimanjaro. What a service!
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Email Kristen | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Considering Caracal Tours? Stop considering and start booking!
If you are reading this, it's because you are thinking of booking a safari with Caracal Tours & Safaris. You should stop reading and start booking - you will not regret it!
To start, the great thing about Caracal is that it is operated by a husband and wife team, so there is great communication and collaboration to build your dream safari. We really wanted to go to the Northern Serengeti to try and see the wildebeest migration in August and Marion helped us build a customized itinerary that allowed us to do so. She was incredibly honest and easy to consult with during the booking process and answered all sorts of questions. Marion is Dutch and has her PhD as a medical researcher in Tanzania- this means she understands the questions and concerns that westerners have coming to Tanzania and can answer them all.
Ben, her husband, primarily runs the safaris. Ben grew up in the Arusha area, so you are taking a safari in his back yard. He's a very professional driver and incredibly friendly and nice. Once you get to know him, he's also very funny and constantly making jokes. For instance, we always joked with Ben that we wanted to see animals (specifically cats) in trees, but the joke became a bit absurd when we started telling Ben to find us elephants climbing trees. Ben played along and was quick to respond to these jokes, which really helps when you remember you are spending a long time together! It wasn't always about joking around; we often wanted to get Ben's honest opinion on Tanzanian life, politics, tribes, etc and he was always willing to answer the questions honestly.
The small size of the company meant that Ben and Marion were always willing to accommodate special requests for the agenda and I suggest chatting extensively with them to book the safari of your dreams. For instance, I would strongly suggest making space in your budget to travel to the northern Serengeti as it was spectacular and very different from the central Serengeti that most people visit.
Finally, when you book with Caracal, you are getting far more than just a safari and animal experience. I did not expect to get such an amazing cultural immersion and experience and it was life changing to spend time with the local Tanzanians. Caracal Tours did a fantastic job balancing the animal viewing with the cultural experience!
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Email A. L. Hedrick | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Observed More Wildlife Behavior with Caracal Tours and Safaris.
I have been on 5 wildlife safaris in East Africa. Bernard Sumari of Caracal Tours was the best wildlife guide of all. We observed mating, birth, hunting, sparing, joy, family, and death in many animal species. It was because Bernard placed us in the midst of animals, turned off the engine, and let nature unfold. While other vehicles came and went in a hurry, we watched a pack of lions go after wildebeests and zebras across the river causing a wave of movement in hundreds of animals at once. We sat and watched every African cat. We watched families of elephants play together at mud holes or rip down large trees with their trunks. We watched baby gazelles being born and the flamboyant dance of ostriches as they courted and mated. Males giraffes circled around each other for hours slapping their long necks against each other as they sparred. It is wondeful to see these magnificent animals but it is a gift to spend unhurried hours watching them interact with each other. Bernard's knowledge of wildlife behavior gave us this opportunity. No other safari compared well to Caracal for us.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
we hoped for a journey of a lifetime and Caracal Tours made it even better!
My husband and I had an idea about our journey through Tanzania. We already made a trip of our dreams. We emailed a couple of touroperators (around 20 different operators) and at the end was Caracal Tours the only operator who could make our wishes come true for a good price. We had a lot of personal emailcontact and nothing was too much. After a couple of emails we had our trip of our dreams.
We climbed the Mount Meru, we went to Manyara NP, visited the Masaai, the Hadzabe and the Datoga Tribe, we saw lake Eyasi, the Olmoti and the Embakaai Crater. We also went to the Ngorongoro crater and to the Serengeti NP. After this we climbed the Oldoinyo Lengai, where my husband asked me to marry me. Then we went to Moshi for a coffeefarmtrip. After all of this, we had to relax on Zanzibar for a couple of days.
Bernard was a very good guide. He was friendly and we laughed a lot. He's born and raised in Tanzania and because of this he can let you experience Tanzania as it is. With every adventure we had different guides and every guide was amazing. They were very good and that made it even more special. Bernard knows which guide is good. We met a lot of people and everyone is special to us.
Not only my husband asked me to marry me in Tanzania, also our daughters 2nd name is Maisha, which means "life" in Kiswahilli. She is born in october 2014.
Thanks Caracal Tours for the amazing time we had in Tanzania!
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Caracal gives you a good guide and a good value will
While figuring out the trip, which destinations we should or could do better, Marion helped us tremendously well. She sent always quick to respond to my question back. The safari was exactly as we had thought of in advance. Bernard, our guide knows the area well and knows what to look for. We found Bernard not an entertainer. We were well pleased if we not only put questions to him, but this was an interaction. Regarding a safari with Caracal: we can recommend it to anyone if you have a good guide and a good value will.
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50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My experience was beyond my expectations because of the diversity and number of animals.
Caracal Tours and Safaris services made our trip stress free. Once we arrived at Kilimanjaro Airport, my friend and I did not have to worry for a week. We were picked up at the airport, brought to our accommodation, ate, and slept well until we were picked up in the morning to begin our 6 day safari. Our driver was patient and kind; our sleeping accommodations were lovely; the jeep was comfortable in spite of the rough roads; and the food was mediocre with the exception of a few food items. I have given Caracal Tours and Safari's business card to many of my friends. I highly recommend them.
NL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
highly recommended
We went to Serengeti and Lake Eyasi with Ben as the driver.
Ben is a very good guide, pleasent company and everything was well organised.
Beautiful tented camp just outside Serengeti (highly recommended) and at lake Eyasi.
Again, highly recommended and for a very reasonable price.
NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Five day safari and trip to Zanzibar
In the beginning of 2014, we wrote to Ben and Marion of Caracal Tours and Safaris: We will arrive on April 17th and depart on 3 May. Could you put us together a trip including a safari and Zanzibar? Marion asked us some questions about our needs and very soon we got a tailor-made proposal from her, including hotels, lodges, transfers and flights to Zanzibar. Marion has compiled a wonderful trip for us. The first days we stayed in Moshi, followed by five days safari, then again a few days Moshi and finally five days at Zanzibar.
This period falls in the rainy season, but we have not seen much of that. A few cloudy days with occasionally a shower, but during the safari we always had nice weather. Only in Zanzibar we had one day with a lot of rain. The advantage of this period is that it is quiet in the national parks. Also prices of hotels and lodges are much lower than in the high season.
The highlight of our trip was definitely the five-days safari. Go to http://www.caracalsafaris-tz.com/reviews/Gerrie-en-Gerald.html for a photo impression. In particular, the Serengeti is truely unique. The reality is much more impressive than anything we had seen on the internet and TV.
Ben is an excellent guide who really discovered all things to discover. Again and again he shows you things you were not able to find yourselves. And do not forget: he is a great driver. We have had five great days with him.
Ben and Marion, thank you very much for this wonderful holiday. Tanzania has become an unforgettable experience to us.
Gerrie and Gerald