Lion King Safari Guides
Lion King Adventures
- Offices In:
-
Canada
United States
Switzerland
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $1,115 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
NL
Email Iris & Stephane | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable Safari
My boyfriend and I started planning the trip pretty late and couldn’t decide which tour company or which route to go. Lion King (Godwin) provided clear and prompt responses to all of our questions and helped us with the itinerary tailor-made to our schedule & budget (mixed of camping and mid-range lodges), which led us to happily confirmed the safari right before we boarded the plan to Tanzania. Since then, everything went very well, from airport pickup to airport drop off.
Our guide Salehe (aka Dingilay) took good care of us and made sure we were comfortable throughout the trip. He’s very considerate, always checked we were satisfied with the itinerary and put our needs at high priority. He has good eyes for birds, and helped us find lots of birds we’ve never seen before. Although he might not be an animal specialist (to be fair, I don’t think many safari guides are animal specialists), Salehe tried best to answer all of our questions about animal, culture, landscape, etc. We appreciated that he carries a collection of books about animal in the car - super useful!
All our accommodations were really good. The mid-range lodges were comfortable with good view but it’s good to know they are a bit far away from the main attractions (e.g. 45 minutes drive from Tarangire, 1 hour drive to Mara river). On this regard, the campsites were actually located better. And despite the campsites provide basic facilities (actually very comfortable), the team made us beautiful tent and beds (like a glamourous camping!) For camping food, Lion King assigned us with the best chef, Youssouf. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the safari trip. Every night’s dinner felt like a ceremony. It was a battle among all chefs in the kitchen and we as guests had the most amazing food on camping - Youssouf’s soup was especially delicious, which is why his nickname is Mr. Delicious. He’s a funny person, very chill, and we loved his company. At the end, the combination of comfort provided by the safari staff and great food cooked by Youssouf (better than in lodges) made us prefer camping to mid-range lodges.
Overall, we loved this safari. It gave us special memories and if we come back, we’d love to go with Lion King Adventures again.
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Email Parag Bedekar & family | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lion King Adventures has perfected the art of planning your dream safari and its execution.
I started with contacting several safari providers, but zeroed on Lion King literally within a couple of days due to their responsiveness and flexibility. They didn't try to market their ideas, but elevated my ideas to a higher level with valuable suggestions and alternatives. Pendo Simon does a terrific job of planning out your safari and presenting alternatives. She laid out the safari of our own expectations very well and added components to it along the way with simplicity. She had answer to pretty much everything I asked which gave us lot of confidence to go with Lion King. During the initial stage, Tanzania had Covid related dynamic situation and Pendo kept us updated with the changing requirements. This information about Tanzania is not readily available in the Western world and Pendo's help proved us very crucial information before and during our safari. We waited for the final payment till couple of week before departure due to the changing conditions and Lion King was very understanding. Pendo also managed the Covid testing in the Serengeti flawlessly, which made our trip worry-free.
We were received at JRO by Yusuf and he drove us to our hotel. He was very talkative and informative, so we felt at home instantly. At hotel, we were greeted by our guide Richard, which was a surprise as my information called for a guide to meet us the next morning. Even before I unloaded the luggage, the kids were already friends with Richard! Richard is very magnetic by nature and ,especially the kids, immediately stuck to him.
Honestly, I don't have enough words to talk about Richard. He is extremely knowledgeable, very well versed in all domains of wildlife, and a great communicator. He is the main reason our dream came to reality. From the initial stages, I had set the bar higher, as we are wildlife enthusiasts and avid birdwatchers. We had specific requirements, much surpassing watching Big5 in the wild. Richard cleared the bar by far and amazed us with his passion, experience, and knowledge. He never ever said NO to anything, and everything was possible with him. Always on time, courteous, and patient with kids, he never lost his energy like the Energizer Bunny! He certainly showed us the Big5, but that looked like a low target for him, retrospectively, when we rounded up what all we had seen by the end of our trip. We counted 37 lions...Others might do that as well. But we also saw 37 Secretary Birds !...Who does that ? And with our very elusive fellows like Serval, Caracal, Saddle-billed Stork, Martial Eagles. During 10-day safari, our bird list grew to whopping 117 species and mammal list ended up at 41 species. That makes Richard the epitome of knowledge and enthusiasm. Richard was always ready to make a U-turn when he saw something moving in corner of his eagle eye. And surely, there was something interesting going on, as his iconic Ollalla... sounded ! We saw 3 leopards on three different days all either late in day or early in day, when we were half asleep or waking up. But Richard was always alert. He drove with extreme safety following all rules and regulations of the land.
A great guide like Richard can't perform without a great cook on a camping safari. And what can we expect more than Kareem ? Kareem is master of all cuisines. He identified our likings very quickly and amazed us everyday with his innovative recipes. He cooked us anything from Indian food to Pizza in harshest environments at all times. He was very playful and we always joked about how he took care of his never ending eggs! We never had our food even a minute late. At times, he packed us breakfast and lunch both and we left campsite at 6:00am, so I can't imagine, when Kareem had cooked all that food. His kitchen was well organized, he always wore appropriate attire for a chef, which distinguished him from other cooks in the kitchen.
Richard and Kareem always looked more professional than other guides and cooks from other companies. We came across some of other Lion King guides and they looked professional like Richard and Kareem as well, wearing Lion King uniform and proper attire, so this is company wide discipline for sure.
Finally, owner of Lion King, James, met us at our hotel at end of our safari for feedback. That was a great gesture indeed, and we had nothing but praise for his team. He still insisted telling him about room for improvement. That takes lot of confidence, courage, and humility and shows desire to improve. I have absolutely no complaints about Lion King and would love to go on another trip with them at some point.
I highly recommend Lion King for your safari trip as they deliver much beyond value to your money. Richard will bring your safari dream to reality and Kareem would keep you full of energy on a camping trip. Never hesitate to ask a question to Pendo and especially on Whatsapp, she is lightning fast. James and his company does a fantastic job and makes you feel at home, in Tanzania.
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Email MarkN | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They are best!! I want to go again.
This safari was awesome!!!! Lion King Adventures really knows how to treat their guest. Our Guides Salehe and Gilbert where waiting on us as we arrived to the airport. Welcomed us with a smile and were very accommodating throughout the entire safari. We had a total of 8 ppl in our group so we had 2 jeeps. The safari was beautiful. By day 2, Salehe had taught me what to look for to literally track animals. Next thing I know I was announcing that we would be seeing elephants soon and low and behold, everyone look to the right and you will see 4 elephants. Safety was never a concern as our guides kept us very informed throughout the safari. We had a free day before the safari started so we were honored to hang out with the entire Lion King staff. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. We felt like family on day 1. The accommodations each night were awesome. Never in my life had I thought I would experience such a beautiful trip. I would hands down recommend Lion King Adventures for your safari. We saw so many animals including the BIG 5. This was an experience of a lifetime. Thank you again to the entire Lion King staff. Ms Pendo was so helpful during the booking process as well as answered any questions we could come up with before we arrived. I’m also on TripAdvisor a d a true believer in providing reviews as everyone is somewhat nervous when it comes to traveling so far and relying on someone you have never met to handle arrangements. No worries with Lion King Adventures. They are THE BEST!!!
BH
Email Reem & Max | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Trip
Our safari trip last month with Lion king adventure was just fantastic. From the moment we were picked up from the airport , to our awesome guide Mwita and the excursions, we were just very happy that we booked with them. Mwita didn’t hesitate to amaze us as well with spotting all the big fives and above from day one. He would make sure everyday to make our experience unique in beautiful Tanzania. Pendo who has arranged our whole trip as well was phenomenal. She was very attentive, patient and made sure to adjust the whole trip to tailor to our needs. My husband and I loved this trip and I would definitely not hesitate to recommend Lion king to anyone. We will hopefully return one day. Thank you Lion king and thank you Mwita.
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Email Tillman | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, organized, and super friendly.
Lion King Adventures was, simply put, AMAZING. The entire experience was easy and streamlined. The company was very responsive to initial inquiries and replied within a few hours with clarification and changes. On the ground, the staff was professional and friendly and made our safari incredible. I highly recommend this company. We saw every animal you can imagine and enjoyed a stress-free six days. Our guide Abu was fantastic. He went the extra mile to make sure we saw all the animals Tanzania has to offer while becoming a true friend. Lion King Adventures is a professional and organized company that made for a perfect trip. There were no changes on the ground, no confusion, and no add-ons or upsells. What we asked for we got and much much more, with a guide who felt like a long-time friend by the end of the week. Five out five stars all around!
AE
Email Shweta | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
We booked a 7 day safari in Tanzania plus 1 day Kilimanjaro trek with Lion King Adventures in July 2021. The booking process was so easy and the Lion King office made sure we received a personalized package for what we wanted to do and see. Shoutout to Nick and Pendo for that and for giving us full updates on the Covid situation and ensuring full safety measures.
The best part of the safari was our guide who welcomed us at the airport and was there with us throughout. Ozzie was so knowledgeable, fun to talk and accommodating, getting us through the national parks and each location safely. He made sure we got to see everything we wanted, from lions, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, crocodiles, hippos and countless other animals in their natural habitat. He also changed the route and our hotel to ensure we get to see the “Great Migration”. Each campsite parters ranged in their facilities, but all were absolutely beautiful . Our personal favorites were Maramboi and Lake Manyara Kilimamoya. The staff were always very friendly and helpful. People in Tanzania everywhere are so friendly and the country is so beautiful with high quality neat and clean facilities.
On the last day we did meet the owner of Lion King seeing feedback on what else can he do to make the experience of future travelers even better which is such a nice thing to do .
We would highly recommend Lion King Adventures to anyone looking to have a great experience
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Email Russ | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magical, Unparalleled Honeymoon with Lion King
We visited Tanzania for our honeymoon and had an all-around wonderful experience with Lion King Adventures. The company truly puts its clients first! We were extremely taken care of as every detail was well organized and executed. We had a custom 15-day itinerary (Kilimanjaro, Tarangire/Ngorongoro, and Northern Serengeti) during which the company accommodated all our wants as well as provided excellent service beyond our expectations.
We selected Lion King for its direct, local communication (i.e., no agents); customizable and seamless tours; and combination of reputation and price. It was one of only a few companies that offered a private Kilimanjaro trek, private overland safaris in Tarangire and Ngorongoro, and private fly-in safaris in Northern Serengeti (i.e., not shared with other lodge guests). A company representative was with us every step of the way including airport pick-ups and drop-offs.
Pendo addressed our questions and concerns promptly to fine tune our custom itinerary. She advised us on the best options according to our interests. She even scheduled our COVID tests in the Serengeti and delivered printed results to the airport prior to our return flight.
Our Kilimanjaro guide, Saladini, was experienced and caring. He supported us to the summit and coached his team to provide the best service to us. The company provided more than enough snacks to us and amply fed its porters.
We explored Tarangire and Ngorongoro with Oswald (Ozzy). He was very friendly and passionate about wildlife. He asked about our safari interests each day, spotted animals from afar, and shared his extensive knowledge.
We explored Northern Serengeti with Mwita, who grew up nearby. He was enthusiastic about the animals in and the history of the region. His energy and persistence were contagious as he led us to witness three wildebeest river crossings and complete seeing the Big Five.
We wholeheartedly appreciate the amazing Lion King teammates whom we had the pleasure to meet. We highly recommend Lion King Adventures! We can't wait to return to Tanzania and travel with them again.
DE
Email Janine | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari thanks to our fantastic guide Musa!
We (a couple 27/29 years old) had an awesome 6-day trip through the Tarangire NP, the Serengeti NP, the Ngorongoro crater and the Lake Manyara Park with incredible views, diverse wildlife, comfy and safe lodges and good (although only rarely typically Tansanian) food. Lion King organized everything perfectly and the communication with them was also very easy, friendly and with quick responses.
The HIGHLIGHT and the best of our trip was our safari guide Musa!! He is such a friendly, funny, polite, well-educated and intelligent guy and is always smiling. He told us tons about the life and wildlife in Tansania, was always helpful, relaxed and did everything to make us feel safe, comfortable and welcome :) His German skills are tremendous - he talks fluently and with no limitations. We, on the other hand, could learn a few Swahili words from him :)
Asante sana, Musa! We'll come back for sure :)
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Email Carey | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely amazing, highly recommend
We just finished a 9 day, 8 night luxury safari and 2 night, single day Mt. Kilimanjaro trek with Lion King Adventures (11 days, 10 nights total), and it is difficult to put into words how incredible our trip was and how fantastic Lion King Adventures is.
I’ll start with our safari: for many months, we worked with the Lion King Adventures main office team, including Nick and Pendo, to plan the safari of our dreams. The office team was very helpful and patient as we asked numerous questions and waited to assess the travel landscape amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We explained exactly the type of safari, lodges/camps, and overall experience we were looking for and the team crafted the perfect itinerary for us - taking into consideration that my husband doesn’t like flying, while I don’t like long car rides! After many months of fine-tuning our itinerary, we finalized what ultimately became the best trip for us. In advance of our travel, Pendo also provided all of the useful information we needed, including a packing list, safari guide, information on visas, COVID testing requirements, and more.
We began our trip in North Serengeti, and upon arrival at the airstrip there, we were greeted by our amazing guide/driver, Mwita. It became clear instantly that Mwita was a true expert in all things safari, from the animals to the driving. During our time on safari, we were able to see THREE river crossings of the Great Migration in North Serengeti, all of the animals you could possibly see in the Central Serengeti, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, gazelles, hippos, buffalos and more, the endangered and rare black rhino in Ngorongoro Crater, hundreds of elephants in Tarangire and more. In addition to his expertise around the major animals spotted on safari, our guide Mwita was also extremely knowledgeable about birds, and we spotted dozens of ibis, storks, lilac breasted rollers, pelicans, egrets, herons and rare eagles. We were often among the first, if not the first, to arrive to see key animal sightings.
Mwita was also an excellent driver, and navigated the dirt roads of the national parks and the highways outside the parks with great skill. We always felt very safe in Mwita’s car, and it turns out he actually has taught many safari guides how to drive!
Our trip was also enhanced by the strong relationships that Lion King Adventures has with the beautiful lodges and camps throughout Tanzania, and the respect that all other companies and accommodations clearly show for Lion King. Mwita knew many of the other drivers and guides throughout our trip, and received very valuable information via the radio in our safari vehicle that helped us to see some of the best animals. Over the course of our 11 days, Mwita became like family and in addition to his expertise, he is also a wonderful person, passionate about Tanzania, animals, nature, family and more.
What made our trip so great was that Mwita was an expert in both the big things, like where and when to spot the best animals and how to navigate the parks, to the small things like shortcut roads and where we could find good bathrooms all throughout our journey! Overall, our safari far exceeded even our greatest expectations thanks to Mwita’s expertise and the Lion King team selecting such stunning and luxurious accommodations for us at each destination.
After our safari, we also arranged a single-day partial hike of Mt. Kilimanjaro with Lion King Adventures. Upon arrival in Moshi, Mwita introduced us to our trekking guide, Imran. Before we even set out for the day, we realized that Imran was a true Kilimanjaro pro - he has been climbing there for over 12 years, and has summitted over 200 times!
We had a very memorable day hike, getting to see the first base camp Mandara Hut and the Maundi Crater. Imran always put safety first, while also gauging our preferred pace and pointing out notable things along the way, such as mountain flowers, waterfalls, birds and rare black & white Colobus monkeys! Imran was also very thoughtful and stopped us for numerous photo opportunities to help us memorialize our hike! It was a great end to our time in Tanzania - being able to say you’ve climbed part of Kili is something you’ll never forget - and I’d also strongly recommend it as part of any Tanzania travel itinerary.
All in all, our safari and hiking experiences were truly “once in a lifetime”. We left Tanzania very happy with how our vacation went, extra grateful that we chose Lion King Adventures for our journey, and quite sad to have to leave. It’s also worth noting that my husband and I have been very careful with COVID-19 and we were quite worried about traveling so far from home ahead of our trip, but the entire 11-day adventure was very COVID-safe, we never felt concerned at any point, and all of the accommodations that Lion King selected had strict pandemic protocols in place to ensure guests’ safety.
I’d highly recommend Mwita, Imran, and the entire Lion King Adventures team to anyone and everyone looking to travel to Tanzania for safari, trekking and more and we hope to come back again ourselves one day!
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Email Carl P. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime!
My wife and I worked with Lion King Adventures to plan a 10 day luxury trip in Tanzania. We spent one week on safari throughout the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park, and we also went on a full day hike at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
We had a spectacular experience on our trip with Lion King Adventures, from top to bottom. When planning our trip, Nick and Pendo provided excellent suggestions and guidance to tailor our multi-stop itinerary. Nick and Pendo also ensured that everything went smoothly once we arrived in Tanznania - from transit and lodging across five unique locales to all the logistics associated with our national park visits.
Our safari exceeded even our highest expectations thanks to our expert guide, Mwita. Mwita is a top-rate driver and navigator, and he always made sure we felt safe and comfortable during our many long game drives and trips from place to place. In addition to knowing every route we took like the back of his hand, Mwita also knew many of his fellow guides and park staff, who often shared invaluable information about where to find the best wildlife at any given time. During our safari, we saw an incredible range of animals - three wildebeest river crossings during the Great Migration, all three types of big cats (lions, cheetahs, and leopards), and other members of the famous Big 5 (buffaloes, elephants, and the rare black rhino), to name just a few. Not only did Mwita seem to position us perfectly for viewing these animals from our Land Cruiser time after time, but he also showed a true passion for the animals and nature, knew a great deal about their behaviors and surrounding environment, and was able to answer our many questions about what we were observing. I also have a keen interest in birds, and Mwita went out of his way to show us countless unique species and describe how they fit into the broader ecosystem. Perhaps most importantly, Mwita is a gracious and caring person - he made us feel like family throughout our trip, and it was a pleasure to share our amazing safari experience with him.
For the last leg of our trip, we went for a daylong hike of Mt. Kilimanjaro with another expert guide, Imran. Imran is a true climbing professional - he’s reached the Kili summit over 200 times! - and he guided us on a rewarding 12.5 mile hike to the Mandara Gate and Maundi Crater. Imran shared lots of information about the history of Kilimanjaro National Park on our hike, and he also pointed out the many natural wonders that can be found along the way - lush foliage, waterfalls, birds, and even monkeys. Imran consistently checked on us throughout the day to make sure we were comfortable with the pace and stayed well hydrated. Even though my wife and I are fairly experienced hikers, we felt more at ease with Imran leading the way - and his easygoing and friendly nature helped the day fly by.
In sum, I would highly recommend a trip to Tanzania with Lion King Adventures. My wife and I always hoped this would be the trip of a lifetime, but we couldn’t have anticipated how truly amazing the trip would be beforehand. We left Tanzania with so many incredible memories, and it’s thanks in large part to the program Lion King Adventures customized and carried out for us.
