We bring you the real authentic safari action!
Tanzania Explorer
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- ATTA & TATO
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Julie & Dave Mathieson | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzanian Explorer-Uganda & Tanzania What a trip! Detailed, great communicators and an amazing team.
Our amazing trip began when our friends recommended Sondre to plan our African adventure. My husband and I had a about a week for a safari and other than telling him our rough budget, we left it with him to create the itinerary. Sondre got back to us with a very detailed, day by day description of what he recommended for the time of year and time we had. We were travelling end of February into March. Our trip also included a stop in Rwanda to visit friends and so we looked into a Gorilla trek. Sondre recommended we also consider looking at Uganda as it offered a great way to do a Gorilla trek also and much more $$ friendly. Luckily for us, Tanzanian Explorer were able to look after this part of our trip also and it made it seamless as we tied all the travel in Uganda with our Safari in Tanzania.
We spent 3 nights in Uganda near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where the Gorilla families live. Chameleon Hill Lodge was lovely. Our driver, Jimmy, took us to all our activities. It is remote and the roads are rugged and rural in this beautiful area. We always felt safe and the staff at the Lodge were fantastic. The trek and time with the Gorillas was unforgettable and one of the highlights of our time in Africa. The golden monkey trek on our second day was also excellent and we enjoyed some kayaking on Lake Mutanda where our lodge was located.
Now for the safari. Upon arrival in Arusha we were met by our fantastic and experienced guide Joshua. He took us to Olerai Lodge for our first night before starting our Safari in the Tarangire River area. That first day of seeing so many of the animals was so memorable. He has exceptional knowledge of the animals, and all the flora and fauna. Our next stop was Lake Manyara with more animals and a different landscape. Then to the Ngorogoro Crater where we spent the night in a camp on the crater rim. Outstanding early morning start into the crater which was unforgettable. Then on the the Serengeti and four nights at Asanja Moru. Joshua took us everywhere over the next 3 days and we saw so much. Our gorgeous camp was near a river and quite "forested" rather than the open savannah. The Wildebeest/Zebra migration was in full throttle and there were literally hundreds and hundreds of them everywhere- mind boggling.
Communications with the Tanzanian Explorer team was exceptional from the time planning the trip to our actual travelling days as they checked in with us regularly. Everything about our trip was memorable, each camp different, each area different, so many animals and so many wonderful and kind people looking after us. Highly recommend Tanzanian Explorer if you want a trip of a lifetime. Thank you!!
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Email Harald | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Dream Safari for the Family
Our grandmother had a dream of bringing the family—ranging from 7 to 73 years old—on a safari. The moment the youngest child in the Ngorongoro Crater exclaimed, "This is the best day of my life," we knew the dream had come true.
We explored several safari options, but the decision became easy when Sondre, the manager of Tanzania Explorer, provided all the relevant details and followed up on our questions promptly.
Returning home after the safari, we felt that we had experienced a trip perfectly planned by a team of professional and service-minded individuals. They couldn't have done anything better.
Tailored Itinerary Summary:
Arrival & Dar Es Salaam: We arrived late at night and spent three nights at Tanzania Explorer's villa north of Dar Es Salaam. The villa offered enjoyable activities like a boat trip to the beautiful Mbudaya Island and a full day of sailing on a catamaran. The kids loved the tuk-tuk transportation.
Lake Manyara & Ngorongoro Crater: We took a morning flight to Arusha, where our guides, Sam and Joshua, picked us up in Landcruisers. They took us to Lake Manyara National Park, where we saw incredible wildlife, including monkeys, elephants, and antelopes. That evening, we arrived at Pakulala Safari Camp, located on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. On our way up, we spotted hyenas, buffalos, and elephants. The camp exceeded all expectations.
Ngorongoro Crater & Serengeti: The next morning, we descended into the crater, where we were treated to stunning wildlife and scenery—a memory we'll cherish forever. Afterward, we headed toward Serengeti, where we witnessed the start of the migration. That evening, we arrived at Asanja Moru Bush Camp in Serengeti.
Serengeti Safari: We stayed three nights in Serengeti, with Sam and Joshua providing incredible wildlife sightings. One unforgettable moment was watching a herd of over 30 elephants mixed with 15 giraffes at sunset. The smell from a large pool filled with hippos will also stay with us forever. For the kids (ages 11 and 7), this was the perfect amount of safari. The adults, however, could have stayed longer.
Zanzibar: After the Serengeti, we flew to Zanzibar via Arusha, where we stayed at the Michamvi Sunset Hotel for five nights. The hotel was fantastic, with excellent service, beautiful surroundings, and delicious food. The kids enjoyed every moment. We also had great experiences at both the Rock Restaurant and Blue Lagoon Diving.
Final Thoughts:
If you're considering a safari planned by Tanzania Explorer, I’ll quote Nike and say, “Just do it.” Our grandmother and the rest of the family are beyond happy with this incredible trip.
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Email Vibeke | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Tanzania Explorer makes you safari dream come true!
I recently had the pleasure of using Tanzania Explorer to arrange my visit to Tanzania with Ruaha National Park and Dar-es-Salaam, and I couldn't be happier with my experience. Tanzania Explorer is undoubtedly the best travel operator you can choose when planning a trip to Tanzania. They possess expert knowledge of the country, its parks, and its camps, ensuring that your safari is tailored to your preferences.
The team at Tanzania Explorer is incredibly experienced and goes above and beyond to fmake you enjoy your travel to Tanzania. I always felt safe knowing that if anything went wrong, they were ready to assist 24/7, handling even the most challenging situations with ease. Their dedication and effort truly make your dream safari a reality.
Our visit to Ruaha National Park was great. Known for its iconic baobab trees and large populations of big cats and elephants, Ruaha is a must-visit for you who love the wilderness and do not want to share it with too many others. We visited Ruaha at the start of the rainy season and while the park was lush and green it was a bit more challenging to spot animals, but the park's natural beauty is absolutely worth a visit also in the green season. That said we saw plenty of animals, elephants, buffalo, a hunting leopard and many more animals, the highlight being, a pack of wild dogs always exiting to experience! Ruaha is well known for walking safari so make sure you get the opportunity to enjoy this unique experience. I felt completely safae walking with two armed guides walking to incredible beautiful nature along the Ruaha River watching the hippos and crocodiles.
In Ruaha, we stayed at the beautiful Asanja Camp. The camp offered extremely good food, friendly people, great design, and stunning surroundings with a view over the Ruaha River.
I highly recommend visiting Ruaha, either during the dry season for better game viewing or the rainy season for its unparalleled beauty.
We also visited Dar-es-Salaam and was staying at Tanzania Explorer´s Villa. It's a fantastic place to relax before or after your safari adventures. One of the highlights of my trip while stying in Dar was visiting Mbudya Island, where you can enjoy crystal blue waters, white sandy beaches, and fresh grilled lobster and fish. Additionally, make sure to explore the vibrant and colorful food market for an authentic taste of local culture.
In summary, Tanzania Explorer, with Sonder and his team, is the best tour operator for Tanzania. Their expertise, dedication, and exceptional service made our trip an unforgettable experience.
For a detailed description of my visit to Tanzania and Ruaha visit my blog at www.vibeke-reise.com
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Email Greta | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A honeymoon beyond our dreams!
Our time in Africa was an absolute dream thanks to the Tanzania Explorer team! We traveled Africa for 14 days, mainly Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Sondre’s team made sure every single detail was taken care of. Our bespoke safari really hit on everything we were hoping to experience during such a special time in our lives. As avid travelers, having traveled all 7 continents, we cannot emphasize enough how splendid they were! Thank you Sondre, Tim, Agus, Joshua, Veronica, Anna, Garth and Candice for taking care of us.
Trust then to plan your next African adventure! You won’t be disappointed.
Cheers!
Will & Greta.
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Email Vibeke Nyvold | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Join the best team to take you on a dream safari to Tanzania
First of all Tanzania Explorer with Sondre and team is just the best! Are you dreaming of Tanzania's endless savannas and beautiful beaches? Tanzania Explorer will make sure your dream comes true. With their enormous knowledge of Tanzania and strong customer focus they tailor the journey exactly to your choice, need and budget.
I met Sondre at the Travel Fair in Oslo in January 2023 and challenged him on where to go on safari in January/February and his answer was Tanzania and Ndutu, south Serengeti. The reason being that this is the time the huge migration of wildebeest and zebras arrives in Ndutu giving birth to their young. We added in the Ngorongoro Crater, for me a longtime dream to visit and we ended our journey with a relaxing week in Zanzibar. Discussing with Sondre I got so enthusiastic about visiting Tanzania again (this was my fourth time) that I invited four friends along. I believe every safari lover should experience the great savannas of East Africa at least once.
Our journey started at the Explorer Villa in Dar-es-Salaam. It is absolutely wonderful to spend some days relaxing and getting the long travel out of your body before going on safari. When in Dar-es-Salaam you need to visit the Robins Cruise island, Mbudya. You can hardly find a whiter beach, bluer water and better freshly grilled lobsters. At the Villa you will meet Veronica, Augostino, Annah, with her famous samosas, and the rest of the team that make the stay so special. Make sure you visit their recycling station – these guys do an incredible job in cleaning the beach for plastic.
Then the real fun begins – safari! We flew to Kilimanjaro where we met up with our guide, Joshua. You cannot find any better guide! His knowledge of the bush, his great personality and safe driving made him a joy to be around.
A highlight of our safari was driving down to the crater just as the sun was rising and the fog carpet lifting revealing the most beautiful male lion –I still get goosebumps thinking about this sight. And then, Ndutu, thousands and thousands of wildebeest and zebras with the lions, cheetahs and hyenas following. It was just amazing! I have never seen so many animals.
All the camps and lodges were excellent and a good mix of simple bush camps where we got really close to nature and more comfortable lodges with swimming pools where it was great to relax. Sondre goes out of his way to find what is right for you and spends a lot of time understanding your needs.
We finalized our trip to Tanzania at Zanzibar with it´s endless beaches and dramatic and diverse history. I fell in love with Zanzibar! We rented a villa, Uzuri Villa, so special to have our own place right on the beach. In Stone Town we stayed at the eccentric Emerson Spice. If you visit Stone Town make sure to eat on the rooftop restaurant with innovative swahili food and beautiful sunset.
Our visit to Tanzania was just all we could wish for and I can hardly wait to go back. I am already discussing with Sondre my next visit and I recommend you to do the same!
I wish the whole Tanzania Explorer team all the best – I will be back!
LV
Email Trude Marchmann-Jensen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magical experience with Tanzania Explorer!
Our choice to go with Tanzania Explorer (TE) for our first safari trip could not have been better! Our only input was time available and “mid- range” budget, and from that TE’s Aleksander created a plan that turned out to be a total magical experience!
Flying from Dar to Kilimanjaro airport, we visited Lake Manyara park, Ngorongoro and Serengeti – and we would not change a thing if we should have done the same again.
All TE representatives, as well as the lodges we stayed in, went above and beyond all our expectations – everywhere we went the service was really heartfelt and their effort to make and keep you happy is really touching. The lodges, Pakulala, and Ansaja Moru and Asanja Grumeti were exactly to our taste - lovely comfortable camps with outstanding locations, superfriendly staff and very good and plentiful food. In addition, as a celiac depending on glutenfree food only, TE made sure this was in places for all lodges, and all sites handled it perfectly – and even with homemade glutenfree options!
Both in planning and follow-up,- the info was always clear and useful, and they were available at all times if any questions or other.
For the safari, we could not have been luckier or happier; we had the most fantastic guide in Joshua. So knowledgeable and calm and gave us every day a different game drive from the day before,- and all with extraordinary experiences and memories. He also made us feel that we were the only ones in the wild, especially in Serengeti.
The TE villa in Dar outskirt is also a very pleasant element,- with long flights, it was a supernice place to start and finish our adventure,- in the very good hands of both Joshua and the villa team with Anna, veronica, Augustino and the rest.
Part 2 of our journey was relaxing days at beautiful Zanzibar, at the wonderful Amani boutique hotel – with the same outstanding service! The Paje area is vibrant and fun, and with the tranquil location of Amani it was a perfect combination. Here too is a dedicated TE team ready to make the most out of your journey.
We are very grateful for this magical experience – thanks to TE with their expertise and warm personality, - they truly live to make your trip extraordinary.
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Email Katie McGowan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
experienced
I am very delayed in writing this review - life gets in the way but when it does I go back and remember my Africa trip!
Tanzania Explorer went above and beyond all expectations ! Tim answered every question or request so quickly and with such great enthusiasm and kindness - it was simply wonderful! They offered help to us as well on parts of our trip they had nothing to do with. Knowing we had Tim and team having our backs was a huge plus and relief.
Our guide Joshua too was outstanding ! He could spot wild life that looked like specks to us. He was there on time for every part of the trip and made sure every request was taken in care.
I seriously can say not one thing was wrong - the itinerary they created for us encompassed every wish. Our guide on our day hike at Kilimanjaro too was outstanding and outgoing. It was a perfect trip of a life time and do I hope I can go back and I wll for sure use these guys again!
thank you all at Tanzania Explorers!
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Email Tor Arne Jensen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tanzania Explorer is an operator who listen to customer wishes.
Our wish: A tailor-made safari in Tanzania and a few days relaxing at Zanzibar for three generations.
In January last year, we went to a tourism fair in Oslo. We met Sondre (Founder of Tanzania Explorer (TE)) and Stian (Safari Planner at TE) at their booth at the fair. We had a good chat and they convinced us that Tanzania Explorer was the company we were looking for, taking us to safari at the mainland Tanzania and the relaxing at Zanzibar. We would be three generations spanning from 73 years down to 10 years. For us, the most important was a safe experience and, at the same time, compressed into only 8 days at Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.
Stian came up with a proposal and together we made some adjustments until we had the final plan. Stian and Sondre also visited us a couple of moths before departure. We all had a couple of hours with discussions, sharing more information and clear ambiguities out of the way. TE took us seriously.
On Friday the 16th 2024 we arrived at Kilimanjaro Airport where we were met by our Safari Guide Joshua. We got along with Joshua and were impressed by his knowledge about Tanzania, the area and animals, his kindness and his caring for us. After a night at Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge, our first safari was in the Lake Manyara National Park, then Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti followed and gave us a lot of fascinating impressions. “Staying in a tent” gave us a new meaning. High quality “tents” with very good beds and plenty of space, with bathrooms just like home, fantastic nice staff and high quality meals.
Did we see any animals? YES, we did!!!
We did morning and afternoon safaris and also safaris moving from Lake Manyare National Park to Ngorongoro Crater and, the next day, to Serengeti. Lots of different animals next to the car and a bit away and also a lot of different birds. To see all these animals in their proper element, was an experience we will never forget.
What about the safety? Taken care of!!! We were not allowed to go outside when it started to get darker, but “Security”, that is Masai-people, took care of that. And they were outside the entire night, just for safety.
After the safari at Tanzania mainland we went by plane from Serengeti airstrip to Zanzibar and stayed at Uzuri Villa for the nest three days. Perfect. Banja, from TE, met us at the airport in Zanzibar and took us to Uzuri Villa. On the way he explained the story of Zanzibar and the role Zanzibar has in Tanzania and also how life at Zanzibar is. At Uzuri Villa we were met by Sondre and Elna, the owner of Uzuri Villa.
And Sondre, Stian and others from TE had contact with us all the time. They really took good care of us.
You all made this trip a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. This is a journey we will never forget.
Best regards from Jorunn and Tor Arne from Norway.
Remember: Do not expect to carry your own baggage. It is taken care of by others.
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Email Sanjeev Chawla | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professsionalism mixed with personal engagement all the way
The first trip with Tanzania Explorer was to the Comoros. The lodge was simple but clean and tidy, but it felt like we had arrived at the end of the world. Recommended if you are looking to experience something unique and untouched.
We arrived in Dar, were picked up at the airport and driven to the villa. They knew who we were and the reception was warm and touching. Then the trip went to Ruaha for safari at Asanja Lodge. The lodge is located by the Ruaha river, some of our favorite wildlife encounters and sightings were right at the camp thanks to its location on the river.
The rooms are big and comfortable, sleeping with all the fresh air felt so good, with all the different animal sounds, the food was delicious and plentiful.
We were so happy we came to Ruaha instead of the Serengeti. We saw only a handful of other cars each day and most animal encounters were all to ourselves. Sam, our guide, is an encyclopedia. He knew everything about the animals from social and eating habits, gestation periods and lifespans. We went on a walking safari and that was amazing, wish we had more of this.
We loved getting to know everyone on the staff--they are all incredibly kind, dedicated and thoughtful people. It's not an easy job living in the bush, being away from families for weeks at a time, but it really felt like they've created their own family at Asanja, and we were so happy to be part of it for a short while.
It is not often that Linda cries on holiday, but meeting the staff at the villa and the lodge was touching and real.
After the safari we spent 10 days at Mafia Islands.
We highly recommend Tanzania Explorer. They made our vacation a trip to remember forever. Thank you.
Linda and Sanjeev:)
The best customized experience you can get
We have been around Africa quite a few times and this was by far the best customized and breathtaking experience we had.
After a night in the comfortable Explorer Villa in Arusha, we moved to Harare where we experienced the amazing Conservation Center visit to then relax at the Amanzi lodge, a charming hotel that would deserve a much longer stay. New flight to Victoria Falls, where Garth from The Victorian Safari Company organised a superbe colonial style lunch by the Zambezi, just before driving us to the boat for our sunset dinner over the river. Early wake up call to walk through the forest and admire the breathtaking dawn overlooking the falls: not surprisingly this is one of the 8 wonders! Again this would deserve more days but we were able to go for the zip-line and some of us even jumped...
The following day we moved to the Hwange national park and the Hide lodge: they reserved for our extended family the Tom's hide, an amazing separated villa just in front of the animals' pool where we could experience a level of service I have rarely enjoyed before.
The gaming experience is unique: one drive early in the morning, then relax in our super-tent watching a Giraffe drinking while you have your amarula, then out for a sunset drive. And then again after the fantastic food served by our own cook and waitress, one more drive in the darkness, perfectly hosted by our guide Theo.
Last but not least, we enjoyed a REAL walking safari: two hours walking in the bush, looking for an elephant and then hiding and approaching it is an experience worth the trip.
After 3 nights there, we had a chance to drive through the country and enjoy another night at the Amanzi lodge.
Simply perfect, thanks to Tim and Tanzania Explorer: be ready for our next tour!