Galloping Safaris Staff with Director
Galloping Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Member Of:
- ASTA, TATO, TTB & EAWLS
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Mid-range & luxury)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $225 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CH
Email Elisa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
The lodges and tent camps were just perfect. Nothing could be better.
Jerry, our guide, is such a nice person. He turned this trip into an amazing experience. We will for sure come back to Tanzania to live this adventure again. We will also recommend this company tour to everyone.
KR
Email Eunjung | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
unforgettable experience!
I have done the game safari in Serengeti couple years ago with my friends. But this time I went with my mom and it was her first time. Our game drive was for 3 nights and was with a private guide Laurence, and the experience was completely different than the last time not only because of the luxurious hotels we stayed in (like four seasons) but also because of the amount of various animals I was able to spot. Laurence was extremely knowledgeable, very nice, and made sure we experienced the best of the best for those days. I saw more animals in one day than altogether last time, including cheetah and leopards. One time we saw more than 10 lions together in a group, once mating, once with their cubs, and altogether I think we saw lions almost 20 times during the trip. I took some videos almost like national geographic films too! We were also fortunate to do balloon safaris and catch the migration of wildebeests and zebras. It was endless scenery of them from the balloon, was able to see all their trails, also spotted a lion from the top. I think we had the best weather and timing to do the balloon safaris, it was certainly worth it.
Upon returning, my mom is already wanting to go back second time and recommending her experience to all of her other friends. Thank you all!
Email Gordon | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A fantastic trip, really special experience
We are just back from an 11 day safari in Tanzania that we booked through Galloping safaris. Essentially this was a trip through 5 national parks staring in Arusha and ending with Ndutu plains and the central Serengeti, with a personal guide. We had high hopes for the trip and it more than exceeded them. I think we saw virtually every type of animal and bird we could see. That included plentiful sightings of cheetah and leopard which were highest on our list. We have been on safari in 4 other countries but the abundance of animals in Tanzania made it our favourite. Seeing the wildebeest come together in Ndutu for calving before the migration starts was something that takes the breath away and hard to fully take in even if you have seen it on TV beforehand.
We can’t thank Laurence, our guide for the trip, enough. He not only managed to find so many different animals for us but he made a real effort to understand what we wanted from the trip and helped us enjoy the whole experience. Not an easy thing to do if you are looking after a group for 11 days. You’ll be very lucky if you are paired up with Laurence as a guide.
Galloping safaris and specifically Walter made the process of deciding what itinerary we wanted to undertake, plus the selection of accommodation, very easy. We stayed in excellent camps which more than matched our expectations. Walter was very responsive to our questions and very flexible as we aimed to personalise the trip we were organising. The trip itself was flawless, everything happened exactly as planned.
I was initially wary of going direct to a Tanzanian safari company but I am now so glad we did. Firstly the cost was at least 40% lower than using an intermediary and the direct engagement with Walter who had local experience was a real plus. I wouldn’t hesitate to do this again and likewise would absolutely recommend Galloping safaris to anyone thinking of doing a similar trip.
US
Email Tobin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great planning, mediocre execution
We booked a 4 day Serengeti honeymoon through Walter with a 5-day Zanzibar add-on. We chose to book with him because he was easy to communicate with and seemed extremely knowledgeable. The detailed trip descriptions customized for the season gave me confidence that he would arrange a great trip for us.
Altogether, Walter's recommendations for lodging were all spot on. All the accommodation he recommended were truly outstanding.
Reasons for the 3-star review:
1) My most serious complaint was our guide named Anderson. While he was a safe driver, always punctual, and seemed very competent at finding game we had an unbelievably hard time communicating with him and that really put a damper on the trip for us. To give you some background, I have lived in the Middle East and Africa for extended periods of time so I would consider myself adept at speaking with non-native English speakers. However, both me and my wife found ourselves constantly frustrated. Anderson could not teach us much about the nature that we came to see nor could he answer our questions. To be honest, we would ask a question and usually get a completely off-the-wall answer as he didn't understand what we had asked. Eventually driving around gets boring if you don't know what you're really looking at with any depth! Other travelers and their guides we met along the way did not seem to have this issue.
2) There were some permit issues entering two of the parks, each one causing a 1-2 hour delay when we would have preferred to have been relaxing in the lodge. The driver tried to tell me it was the network, the park employees clarified it was poor preparations although didn't further elaborate. I ended up having to pay entrance fees to one park which I did get reimbursed for.
3) Our guide decided to go off the road in Serengeti to get closer to some lions. It was our first day and we had no idea that this wasn't allowed. Sure enough, the rangers came and we had to follow them back towards the airport (nearly an hour away in the wrong direction) for our driver to get a 'ticket.' About 5 minutes into this drive they stopped and motioned our driver out of the car. Next thing we knew our driver was asking us for money to bribe the rangers. I said I would not give him money. A few minutes later we were on our way without paying a fine. I have no idea what exactly was going on... I have no idea if this is a setup or common occurrence but it certainly left a bad taste in our mouth.
4) The airport transfer that Walter arranged for us in Zanzibar consisted of an hour of entrapped salesmanship. The transfer company he contracted was also a 'tour company' and spent the hour pushing countless tour options which we were not at all interested in. We both arrived with headaches.
Bottom line: I would trust Walter's planning again but I'd be weary of your guide. I honestly would go so far as to talk with your guide on the phone ahead to be sure you can communicate. Don't trust other's TripAdvisor notes mentioning guides because ours actually had a few decent comments!
US
Email Rafi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An outstanding operator
I had the pleasure of a 5 day safari to Lake Manyara, Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater with Galloping Safaris. While I usually do not write reviews, the extraordinary experience with this company has prompted me to do so.
The reality is that most of the safari operators are similar-we go to the same places, see the same animals, sleep in the same hotels and eat the same food. It is when things go wrong that a mark of a true quality operator can be seen.On my last day, we were supposed to drive from Ngorongoro to Kilimanjaro Airport for my flight home later the same day. On our way we were stopped at a roadblock to find out that the previous night the rains have washed away the only bridge linking the two places. This left about 50-100 safari vehicles stranded on the wrong side of the river with so way to cross.
My driver contacted Mr Tenga, who is the manager of Galloping Safaris, over the phone, and within an hour he had arranged, at his own cost, to book me a seat on one of those tiny planes that fly from a small airport at Lake Manyara to Arusha and thus cross the river by air.At the airport, as I had expected, there were already about 50 people scrambling for a flight out, yet those planes only seat about 10 people. This included customers of some well known very expensive safari outfitters. Yet, the plane lands, the pilot approaches the terminal with a passenger manifest, and the first words out of his mouth is "Galloping Safaris". I was the first person on that plane and safely made it on time for my flight out at Kilimanjaro Airport. Frankly, I was amazed.
This experience, where Mr Tenga went truly above and beyond when everything was falling to pieces, in my books earns this safari operator the highest possible recommendation.
My driver/guide Laurence was also terrific-friendly, outgoing, very good at animal spotting. He ensured that I got to see every animal that I wanted to on this trip and it was a pleasure t spend those 5 days with him.
Email Mark | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Galloping Safaris delivered a superb holiday, and the expectations raised by reviews here were met.
We were looking to book direct with a local owner operator, our spend benefiting Tanzanians and not many middlemen. We found Galloping Safaris to be a reliable and trustworthy company. Our Tanzanian Chic Safari and Zanzibar Retreat was really quite brilliant. The owner, Walter, was responsive to our enquiry, and adapted a trip to suit our requirements. Our driver and guide, Lawrence was excellent, and was on point for the whole trip. He quickly understood our needs, and was able to tweak our daily activities for the better. The accommodation was luxurious, glamping at Nimali Tarangire (my favourite), Kubu Kubu at Seronera in the Serengeti, and Chaka Camp at Ndutu. We also stayed at Lake Duluti Lodge Arusha on arrival, Neptune Ngorongoro Lodge, and Breezes in Zanzibar. At each place, the food was delicious, and for the more remote small camps, quite amazing that they were able to do this, with a special mention of the baking skills.
Lawrence was able to find all the animals, though he sweated on Cheetahs until the 2nd last day. The sheer number of animals is amazing, even though you are expecting to see them. I have been to many National Parks in Central and Southern Africa, and for animals, this is the best place to see them that I have visited. Lawrence was able to spot animals well, at the same time avoiding getting us bogged in the Serengeti and Ndutu mud.
If there would be room for improvement, it would have been nice for Walter, the owner to have spoken to us during the trip, as there was opportunity, though no need as such from our part. We also had issues with our bank transfer, which was not received and eventually reversed. Subsequently paid by credit card, with surcharge. Bring on ripple and other non bank payment methods!
In terms of the enquiry procedure and credit card payments, these are handled through the Safari Bookings platform, and I found it a reliable way of transacting.
Go for it!
US
Email Chris and Bob | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful, memorable, worry-free vacation to Tanzania
Galloping Safari and Walter were the best. Walter's communication was always timely and informative as well as very helpful in trying to help us set up our itinerary. They worked with us until we were satisfied with the arrangements down to the last detail. We changed our mind often and Walter was always patient and helpful! Lawrence our guide for all of the northern parks was outstanding! We could not have asked for a more knowledgable guide, host or companion in Tanzania. He made sure our trip was so enjoyable that we will be sure to return to Tanzania in the future!
The last 6 days of our trip we arranged with Walter and Galloping Safari to fly to Selous for three nights and then onto Zanzibar for a final three nights. The arrangements were first class. The climate in Selous and Zanzibar was surprisingly much warmer, but the staff at the The Serena River Lodge in Selous and the Baraza resort in Zanzibar did everything to accommodate our every need.
We would not hesitate to travel again with Lawrence and Walter from Galloping Safaris!
SE
Email Sara | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful family safari
Galloping Safaris and Walter helped me organize a fantastic 5-day safari for my family with four teenagers this Christmas. From the start Walter was very easy to work with, and helped me create an itinerary exactly how I wanted it. I very much appreciated how he helped me book just the lodges I had selected from my own research online.
Upon arrival to Kilimanjaro Airport we were met by our guide Maningo and driven to Four Point by Sheraton in Arusha. This hotel was perfect for the first night before starting the safari. Food was excellent and the rooms were very modern and clean.
The next day we did an all day game drive in Lake Manyara and drove to Ngorogoro Sopa Lodge for a two night stay. The hotel is conveniently located on the rim of the crater with easy access for the safari. The full day game drive the next day was a safari-on-steroids experience, and we saw a great number of animals.
On the third day we drove to Serengeti and the wonderful Dunia Camp. The fourth day was a full day game drive in Serengeti, which let us complete the Big Five, and experience the Great Migration.
On the fifth day we had a final morning game drive on the way to Serengeti Airstrip for our flight back to Arusha and on to Zanzibar.
A very warm and special thanks to our guide Maningo. He was truly knowledgable about the animals, and spotted animals that we could never have seen ourselves. His driving was very safe and comfortable. On top of that he was a great and fun guy to spend time with. I would recommend him to anyone going on safari in Ngorogoro/ Serengeti.
MX
Email Maria teresa | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very good services and good knowledge on the safari area visited.
All very good in general.
We only needed 10 days for the tour and we had 14 days scheduled.
Lot of driving to move around.
US
Email Renato | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Safari operator - Amazing time in Tanzania
My wife and I did our first African safari with Galloping Safaris in the end of September and were extremely satisfied. We conducted the entire process online with Walter. The lodging options were amazing and they helped us customize the trip to match exactly what we wanted. Compared to some of the other options we considered, their price point was very competitive.
Our guide Cosmas was extremely polite and knowledgeable and knew how to navigate the parks and spot animals extremely well.
The only minor setback we had was with our transportation from Arusha to Zanzibar - our flights were delayed and the guide was not at the airport to pick us up. I called Walter and everything was resolved.
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