Team from Tz,USA,German(Janina, Sophia, Dani,Aud)
Sayari Tano Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2014)
- Member Of:
- TATO, TANAPA & BRELA
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $190 to $650 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
SE
Email Ludvig | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Overall a very good experience, a serious company at a fair price.
Despite some issues, we felt they wanted to give us a great experience. The rating is 4 and not 5 because of the logistic stuff mentioned below. The safari in itself was amazing, although that would have probably been the case with other companies as well. To get the highest rating they would need to improve on planning and information disclosure.
The good:
+ The safari was incredible with sightings of the Big 5 and other breathtaking scenes.
+ Our guide Stanley was knowledgeable but not very talkative without us asking the questions. It felt like we grew on him and towards the latter part of the 5-day safari he elaborated a bit more on the topics. He also knew all the parks very well and collaborated with other cars to find the animals.
+ Airport pickup/drop and hotel accommodation before/after the trip was great.
The bad:
- When we came to the hotel (which was also the office of Sayari Tano) we found out they were going to change the order of the park visits and do them “backwards”. This was because we were grouping up with another couple (we had ordered group safari) and the other couple started 2 days before. This was fine for us even though the info came very late. We also asked to be compensated with a half day Masaai tour afterwards which we got. In hindsight, it would probably have been nicer to start with Lake Manyara rather than finish with it (because there are less visible animals there), but this was a very minor issue.
- When arriving at the first camp site, we found out by the sticker on the car that we were actually going with a company called “World Tours & Safaris”. Apparently, they cooperate with other companies but not to tell us this felt very strange.
- When on the actual safari, we stayed in some different camps than those on the itinerary, which didn’t really matter to us because we didn’t know any of them anyway, but again this type of behavior felt very unprofessional. When talking about it afterwards, the management said that the campsites just had different nicknames and that we stayed in the correct ones, but it turned out that this was not true. We probably just followed the itinerary of the other couple travelling together with us.
- Because the park fees are paid per 24 hours, it does create some difficulties for the companies logistically to arrange the “full days” as per itinerary if they need to deviate from the original itinerary plan. Because we needed to drop off the other couple travelling in our car, we lost half a day on day 4 (of 5). We talked with management about this afterwards and they tried to defend themselves, blame the driver as well as the government for charging such high park entry fees, but we ended up getting a 5% refund (after asking for 10%). Before you book, try to ask them to be very specific about time frames to avoid this.
- The chef cooked “western” food for us like pasta etc. The food wasn’t that great and especially the lunches were super dry and tasteless (crackers, white bread, banana etc.). It would have been nicer to have some more authentic food and some love put into it.
- Sleeping bags were not very clean (probably never washed) but this was a very minor issue.
Email Katerina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience, personal touch
We did 4 days budget camping safari with Sayari Tano and visited Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. From the start communication with the company was very good, I got fast responses to my questions and all changes I requested were made without hesitation. We had such a great time, our driver Benjamin was excellent in navigating the car through very rough roads (it was raining every night so we had to cross a lot of muddy pools on our game drives) and spotting the animals. Where other drivers had to use binoculars, our guide just pointed "here, lion on the left" :-) We saw all big 5 and much more. The food also exceeded our expectations, safari makes you hungry and we were stuffed after each meal, very tasty! I am glad I chose Sayari Tano also because they are 100% local and that was important for me. Overall, my experience was amazing and I'd happily recommend this tour company to anyone who is looking for good customer service, personal touch and friendly approach for reasonable price.
One tip - if you are joining the budget safari and your car is expected to be full, don't take a big bag with you - pack a small backpack and leave the rest of your luggage (if you have one) in the hotel. It really helps with space in the car.
DE
Email Jessica & Florian | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari, wonderful Honeymoon
We spent part of our Honeymoon on the Safari by Sayari Tours.
Everything was great from the beginning to the end:
- Very good and customer oriented communication before the travel. The customer service always responded very quickly to my mails, just within a few hours, always on the same day. They were very friendly and patient. I did a lot of research before I picked this Agency. One of the reasons why I picked them was that they were not pushy at all when I just sent my first inquiry for a safari. Many other companies were pressuring me to book straight away, responding with ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, like they were yelling at me. Sayari Tano's customer service is just excellent, very friendly, very transparent, and pleasant to communicate with.
- The tour itself was undescribibly wonderful. We came with low expectations as we knew the national parks are very big, and only expected to see the wild animals through binoculars. Well, this was totally the opposite. We saw all the Big 5 and so much more from up close. Our guide, Frederic, was VERY professional, very knowledgeable and the right instinct knowing where to go to get the best view.
- Frederic was really great. He was always making sure we're comfortable, we always had enough water, he gave us all the information we needed to know about the animals and the nature without overdoing it. He had the perfect sense for when we wanted to know more, and when we just wanted to enjoy the view.
We just loved every minute of this advanterous safari (it was the first time for to sleep in a tent), and we're definitely going back to do another tour with Sayari Tano Tours.
JP
Email Toshi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good
There were various happening, but it was great because I met a nice guide at the last Kilimanjaro climb. His name is Yona. Please do not forget to appoint him when trekking.
DE
Email Katja | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Frank was the best guide! Great experience
We had a 4 days Safari and Frank was our Guide. He was very well organized and knew a lot about the animals. He tried his very best to show us everything we wanted to see and we did see so many amazing things. The Food was very Basic but I wouldn’t expect anything else in that context you shouldn’t Forget that you are in the middle of nowhere. All in all it was a really really great time. Thank you Frank for an unforgettable trip.
RU
Email Ross | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!!
My girlfriend and I, looked at a numbers of tours before we decided. Sayari Tano tours were one of the first to contact us, via what’s app.
The package they offered was great, pick up from the airport, night before in a really comfortable hotel.
The tour we chose, was 3 nights 4 days. We end to the elephant park, crater and seregenti.
We saw the big 5, we camped 2 nights and stayed in a great hostel site the first night, that had all the facilities.
The roads can be difficult and our car was damaged underneath. No problem the next day they had a new driver and jeep for the crater.
That evening we had another free night at the hotel, where they met us to see how it went.
The food was great, and camping in the parks is amazing.
Also we were flying out from Kilimanjaro airport next day, didn’t expect them to help us. But they picked us up at lunchtime and took us to the airport, at no extra cost!
One of the best experiences of our lives, can’t praise them more highly!
Ross
Email Jodi | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Tour!
My partner and I did the 5 day camping safari and had an amazing time. Freddy our guide was amazing. He spoke English very well and was very knowledgeable about the area and animals. He seemed much more patient than the other drivers and would let us sit and watch the animals and explain what they were doing and why, whereas other companies seemed to rush in, quickly take a photo then rush off again. Our chef cooked us great food which we thoroughly enjoyed. It was just us and one other couple in the group which was good as the car wasn't too crowded. We saw SO much in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater!! We were very lucky to see a group from the wildebeest migration crossing the river heading further north as it was quite early in the season. We saw everything in the big 5 except the rhino but unfortunately they are becoming more and more scarce in the area. I would highly recommend traveling with this company!
NL
Email Jon D. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable journey through the Serengeti!
We went on a 5day safari to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater with a group of 6 and it was the coolest thing we ever did. Our guide Ziggy knew how to find all the animals and could position the jeep in a way no other driver did. We had always the best view. At the end of each day he brought us to the most amazing camping sites were our cook would prepare very tasty meals. The whole safari was an unforgettable experience and that was certainly due to the good people of Sayari Tano Tours (and for a very reasonable price as well), so thank you very much for that!
Greetings,
Jon and Sanne
Email Lin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 7-day migration safari!
My boyfriend and I did a 7-day safari with Sayari Tano. We spent 3 days in Serengetti , including 2 days in northern Serengetti to see the wildebeests migration at Mara river. We found the tour on tripadvisor, but booked directly with the operator. It was the best value we found, and the safari was even beyond our expectation. Our driver/guide Freddy was young but very experienced, and very knowledgable about animals. We saw loads of animals, especially lions from just meters away! Every meal during the safari was delicious. The 4X4 has a roof that opens, so we had a fantastic view from up high. The team did all they could to take good care of us. We just couldn't be more happy with the safari!
QA
Email Dev | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
One of the best holidays I've ever been on.
I recently returned from a 7-day safari that I booked through Sayari Tano. I've given it 5-stars, I only have a couple of minor gripes/suggestions, and then I'll get into all the positives!
1) I was surprised that there was no paperwork to complete (Which is kind of a good thing), but there wasn't really any information provided as to what to bring etc. In itself, this wasn't a problem, I've travelled a lot and had a good idea anyway - nonetheless I found it surprising.
2) There was no payment required beforehand, which is fine. But upon arriving at the hotel and being asked to pay for the tour, I discovered that they had no credit card facilities. This was inconvenient as it meant I had to make 9 ATM withdrawals (due to the ATM cash withdrawal limits, and therefore also pay the associated bank charges charges) and carry large amounts of cash on several trips back and forth down the street of a third world country. Credit card facilities would be an easy and much appreciated improvement.
Now... For the good! WOW! Everything for the tour ran pretty smoothly and the itinerary was perfect. Tanzania is an amazing country, you won't be disappointed. Sayari Tano were professional and prompt to respond in their email correspondence. The Arusha Hotel Inn is an ok hotel, perfectly adequate for what you should expect for what you're paying. It's relatively clean and the rooms are secure. The safari itself was fantastic! The car comfortable and spacious and Julius our driver/guide was brilliant. Knowledgeable, friendly, helpful. GoodLuck, the chef and camp organiser outdid himself, the food was delicious and filling, and he was also super friendly and helpful. I can't speak as to the other guides and chefs working with Sayari Tano, but if you request Julius and GoodLuck, you cannot go wrong. They're amazing, and I can't say enough good things about them. They genuinely felt like family by the end of the safari.
Of the 40+ countries I've explored, Tanzania ranks as one of the best. If you're a photographer like me, it's paradise.
If you're thinking of doing a safari in Tanzania, do it with Sayari Tano. I'm recommending them to all my friends and family who are now considering going after seeing my photos and hearing about my adventures.
Thank-you Sayari Tano, and most importantly thank-you Julius and GoodLuck!!