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
US
Email Leigh Fernandez | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Choose Lion King Adventures! They made our family safari a dream come true!
My family recently returned in August from a 6-day safari with Lion King Adventures, and everything about the safari completely exceeded all of our expectations... it was the most incredible trip made possible by Anna who helped us book it, and by our tour guides, Saleh Omari and Oswald Shayp, who lead us through this amazing adventure.
Initially we were worried about planning a safari thousands of miles away with little knowledge of what is reasonable to expect in choosing locations to see, places to stay, length of safari, price range. We were a bit overwhelmed by all the tour companies and possibilities. We narrowed down the possible tours to 3 based on the several facts: We were a family of 8 so needed to travel in multiple vehicles, we wanted to see the wildebeest crossing the Mara River in Northern Serengeti, and we needed a moderate price range.
Our first experience with Lion King Adventures was Anna, who helped us book a tour that met all our needs. She is knowledgeable, asks the right questions, and was able to book our lodgings, and even rebook them when our arrival schedule to Tanzania changed. She was the voice of sanity and calm for us as we planned the trip thousands of miles away.
Lion King Adventures met us at the airport when we arrived in Tanzania… not once, but twice since we all arrived on different flights at different times. They even stopped in Arusha to pick up my daughter who was finishing up a summer internship there. We all met at Ilboru Lodge in Arusha, the first lodge that Anna booked for us. This was a great place for us to all meet up to begin our adventure. We even got to speak with guests who were returning from their safaris, which certainly sparked our excitement. Anna met with us that first evening along with one of our guides, Saleh, to go over where we would be going and staying the next 6 days.
As we started our safari, it became evident to us that the role of the safari guide is far larger than we initially understood it to be. Our 2 guides, Salah and Oswald, were an integral part of our group for the 6 days… working 16 hour days addressing all our needs – driving on the highways from Arusha to the national parks dealing with the local police checks, checking us into and out of the parks, getting our lunch boxes and finding places to eat, making coffee and such, driving the game drives, working the radio finding where the game are, driving on the off-road conditions within the parks, answering our many questions, checking us in and out of the lodges and camps, handling the luggage, cleaning out the Land Rovers between days. It was mind-numbing everything they took care of so that we had an amazing experience. And the entire time that Saleh and Oswald were doing the above, they were also upbeat, smiling, and entirely engaged in the proceedings of the safari. We had spent so much time with Saleh and Oswald, and they had shown us so much about the Tanzanian savanna, that by the end of the safari, they were more like family to us than safari guides. Both Saleh and Oswald have a good command of English, each day many times they would ask each of the 8 of us how we were doing. They each had an extensive knowledge of the Tanzanian parks – the history, the ecology, the people, and the animals. They had the guide books and could answer most of our questions. You could also tell that both Saleh and Oswald enjoyed being safari guides (each having done it over 5 years), they both loved Tanzania and its beauty. What became obvious to us during the safari was that the safari guides are on the radio with each other all the time and work the radio to figure out where the animals are. Saleh and Oswald seemed to know a lot of the other guides and were very good at determining when to follow a lead and when not to. They were also very respective of the animals in their habitat. I think we saw about everything except for the black rhino. The highlight for us was seeing the wildebeest and zebra crossing the Mara River – we actually got to see it, mainly due to Saleh’s and Oswald’s work. The unusual sights we saw were 2 lionesses take down a hyena that got too close to their cubs, a leopard in a tree with its kill, 2 cheetahs, 3 lion brothers walking to get water, lionesses up in a tree (Lake Manyara), an ostrich doing its mating dance, 3 hippos fighting, and then all the babies… zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, elephants, wart hogs, gazelles, baboons, monkeys, and it goes on – haven’t even mentioned all the birds we saw). I would highly recommend Saleh and Oswald as safari guides to anyone.
We spent 1 day at Lake Manyara National Park and 1 day at Ngorongoro Crater, and for these days we were booked in Eileen’s Trees Inn in Karatu. Eileen’s Trees is a fabulous inn… beautiful, comfortable rooms with private baths and a wonderful dining room and food. They easily accommodated our large group and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Then we spent 1 day in Central Serengeti and 2 days in Northern Serengeti. For the Serengeti National Park, we stayed at 2 different Serengeti Heritage Camps within the Serengeti National Park. The staff that ran these camps were very attentive, provided wonderful meals, and the tent facilities were top notch.
We had no idea when planning this safari that these Serengeti Heritage Camps would be one of the highlights of our safari. Everything so far with our tours of Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the game drives in the Serengeti were largely visual. Sleeping in the Serengeti Heritage Camps was the audio part of our safari… just listening to the animals within the camp at night as they grazed and moved was a completely awesome and unexpected bonus!
The most difficult aspect of the safari was driving back from northern Serengeti to Arusha. We made that trip in 1 day… 265 miles in 12 hours as most of it is off road. This is a decision we made based on what we wanted to do on our safari and how many were in our group – we wanted to go to the Northern Serengeti to see the wildebeest cross the Mara River. Saleh and Oswald made this trip back to Arusha as pleasant as possible… not sure how they do it!
In conclusion… we finished our safari with a greater understanding and awe of Lion King Adventures! We were so happy and felt so fortunate that they were our safari tour company!
BR
Email Francisco De Laurentiis | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Experiência maravilhosa
My mother and I booked a 5 nights-4 days safari with Lion King Adventures with this itinerary: Lake Manyara (1 day, 1 night), Serengeti (2 days, 2 nights), Ngorongoro (1 day, 1 night) and Mt Kilimanjaro (1 day). Everything was easily arranged with owners James (via WhatsApp Messenger) and Anna (via e-mail). The price, in my opinion, was excellent, even though it was high season (August). By negotiating directly with them, they offered me a good discount, and also accepted credit card. Our safari experience was excellent. The vehicle provided (a Toyota Land Cruiser with refrigerator for drinks, like juice, water or local beer) and the food choices for lunch (normal or vegetarian) were outstanding. Also, our driver/ranger Oswald (also known as Ozzy) was a really nice guy, always smiling and having a positive attitude towards everything. He found all the animals we wanted to see and had really good control of the car (the roads are very bad, so the driver is tested at all times). We easily spotted the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino) and had lots of fun with Ozzy’s jokes. By the way, having a fun and prepared driver is essential, as you’ll be spending a lot of time with him/her on the course of the days. That’s why I recommend that if you’re planning on booking a safari with Lion King, ask for Ozzy to be your driver. I guarantee you won’t regret it! During our safari, there was only one slight problem with our hotel in Arusha, but this problem was quickly solved after I contacted James by WhatsApp – he is always ready to help you if you need. To sum it up: if you’re looking for a good safari experience in northern Tanzania, go with Lion King Adventures.
Email Megan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
What an adventure!
My husband and I absolutely loved our holiday with Lion King Adventures! Right from the start the booking experience was great. No question bothered Anna and she took the time to ensure we felt comfortable confirming all the details over email. Our accommodation was fantastic, and all the places had been checked by Anna and the team to ensure there were in a safe area and were comfortable.
We met Anna and our guide Salehe on our first night in Arusha. We very much appreciated getting to know them, and straight away knew that they would take great care of us. And our 5 day safari didn't disappoint. Salehe was a fantastic guide! Not only did he teach us some handy Swahili, but he took the time to look out for the animals we were really hoping to see and did everything he could to provide us with an incredible experience.
We then flew to Zanzibar - Anna organised all our transfers and we didn't have any issues once there.
We would recommend this tour to anyone. It's personalised, you feel cared for, and it doesn't break the bank. What an experience!
JP
Email Aika | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari experience with the awesome tour guide!
My husband and I took the safari tour for the first time ever. When we arrived at the Arusha airport, our guide Salehe was there to pick us up and he told us about Tanzania, safari, and some words in Kiswahil. During the 4-day safari tour, he has always been attentive and friendly so we were able to learn a lot about the area, nature, and the wild animals. He is very knowledgeable about any things!
We even had a chance to visit Masai village to know how local Masai people are living there.
For accommodations, we loved Endoro lodge as their hospitality was impressive and the room was beautifully decorated and well maintained.
US
Email Leo | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent 4 Days
We did a 4 night safari in Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro in September. Lion King accommodated our schedule and customized a mixture of tent camping and tented campsites, and they took care of every detail. Our guide, James, provided a wonderful experience and was able to find, identify and give detailed information on both the animals and the plants, as well as cultural insights. Aside from picnic lunch, we spent most of the day in the Land Cruiser - so don't expect a lot of exercise, unless you arrange for a walk. I'd agree with others that it's best to stay inside the Serengeti and Ngorongoro parks because it's a bit of a drive to get sufficiently into the parks where the safari trails are, and once you leave the tarmac at the entrance to the park, the roads are rough.
The Serengeti Heritage Camp was close to the middle of the park, and had a wonderful view of both sunrise and sunset. Not luxurious, but very comfortable and with all the basics - more glamping than camping. All kinds of animals drifted through at night, and the camp had Maasai guards stationed throughout the night.
Would like to get back to see the parks at other times of the year.
Email Dominic | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a lifetime experience
We were visiting Tanzania for a couple of weeks but decided we wanted to do a safari first. We chose, after a few quotes to go with Lion King and they didn't disappoint. Anna, who helped organise our trip was just brilliant. She helped tailor our trip and also helped with things which weren't even related to our safari too, such as visiting a children's home, questions about local currency etc. Our guides were really nice, helpful and funny and they definitely help make the trip. We saw everything we wanted and our guide even managed to 'read' where a couple of lions were going to move to and found us a great viewing spot. The lodges Lion King organised were top notch, one of which was out of this world! Lion King also organised each day a picnic lunch which was lovely. We really felt safe, looked after, well informed and more importantly had great fun. We could not recommend this company any more.
DE
Email Tim | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing wildlife, great Guide (Oswald), hot coffe, cold drinks!
There is a certain hesitation before sending a rather large amount of money to a (potentially dubious) safari operator "somewhere in Tansania"; *BUT*: Lion King Adventures was everything we expected and more!
Airport pickup, tailored program and accommodations right the way we wanted, great nature/wildlife/sights. In particular we can really recommend *Oswald* as a guide!
Contact with Anna before getting to Tanzania worked great, when arriving to the first Hotel we had a handwritten card by her, apologizing, that she couldn't be there that night (but she met us when we came back one week later and then she and her husband drove us to Moshi the next day).
Most tours are relatively similar: same car, same accomodations, same lunchbox. But:
I guess the moment i knew that we had booked the right tour with the right operator was when Oswald unfolded a piknick blanket on the bonnit of the car and prepared a coffee for us while he checked us in at the first park. It was this tiny detail (or the fridge in the back of the car with cold sodas/beer) that made the tour stand out. And the fact that he could spot animals with his eyes that we couldn't find even using binos...
I obviously only met one guide, but he made this tour perfect. Recommend him any time!
CH
Email Lorenz, Marie, Diego, Nina | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari experience
During four days in October, our family visited Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro with Lion King Adventures. Our guide and driver Salim and our cook Yusufu took excellent care of us, always with a smile. We spent one night in a lodge, and two nights in a tent in the heart of wilderness, which was a wonderful experience. Besides the gorgeous landscapes, we were able to observe a large variety of animals: Elephants, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, hippos, hyenas, crocodiles, and even a python and a serval. We really enjoyed this trip, and we would like to thank our lovely and competent accompanists.
We particularly appreciated Lion King Adventures' individualized advice and arrangements, as well as their flexibility to adapt to our needs and last minute changes.
We highly recommend this organizer for your ultimate safari experience!
FR
Email Maxime | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Safari with Lion King
Hello,
We've been on a private Safari tour with Lion King between 18/10 and 22/10: Manyara Lake, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro crater.
Before the departure, Anna answered to all our questions very quickly and managed the organisation from our arrival in Kilimanjaro until our departure to Zanzibar, it makes us feel very confident with the company and the organisation.
And during the Safari, Anna came to say hello which was very nice.
As soon as we have landed, a driver was waiting for us to bring us to an hotel in Arusha for the first night before the Safari (very clean and fully equipped).
After the breakfast Salim (our guide/driver) and Karim (our Chef) picked us up to start the Safari.
From this moment they managed everything perfectly to make our tour comfortable.
Salim was very kind to us.
He knows a lot of other guides so in the park he used his network to know were the animals were, plus he was able to spot animals we would have missed, and he showed us a lot (zebras, wild beasts, lions, leopards, guepards, hyenas, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, servals, chacals, ...)
In addition he was speaking French which was a very good surprise to us.
Karim cooked for us all the tour (breakfast/ lunch/ dinner) and we have eaten very good. Note we took a budget tour so the campsite were pretty simple (just tents and toilets) which makes the work of Karim even harder and what he was able to cook was excellent.
(By the way, if you are going for a budget tour, note it might be cold at night in the Serengeti and the Nogorongoro)
During the game drive, Salim used to go in different places than the other 4x4, it allowed us to be just us on a lake with a lot of flamingoes or again just us with 2 lions (male and female),... He knows the parks very well and was able to show us amazing landscapes.
This tour was really an incredible experience we will never forget thanks to Salim and Karim.
Many thanks again to the staff,
Maxime & Audrey
DE
Email Philipp | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Tour Operator
We were particularly happy to have chosen Lion King Adventures. We did a 6-day safari (Tarangire, 2xSerentegi, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara) in October 2017. The pre-departure organization was very good. They answered always within one day and adjusted the safari to our wishes. We made a 10% deposit and paid online on the day of departure (something I would advise everyone to do since most business in Tansania are not as reliable as in Europe or the US. Lion King Adventures is a very reliable business partner though).
Their vehicles are good, I would say similar to most others we saw. The car we had was a little older than the average which had no disadvantage. The seats were very wide and comfortable. The cars have a power charger and a small refrigerator for drinks.
Our guide (Saleh) was excellent. He was very good at spotting wildlife - even some very hidden animals - and could explain a lot on animals and nature. He was an excellent driver and knew the terrain very well. In Serengeti he took us to places where there was hardly anyone else and we could enjoy the wildlife on our own.
Our cook (Yusufu) was good, the meals were similar to what you get in medium class restaurants in Tansania. Yusufu taught us some Suaheli with helped a lot through the remaining weeks in Tansania.
I recommend going on Safari with Lion King Adventures without limitations.