Our Head Guide Nico and our Signature Hot Lunches
Unlimited Expeditions: The Soul of Tanzania
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $400 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
Email Abdul Wahid | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Safari. Fantastic company
Its very rare to find a company with only good reviews but S.O.T lives up to its 5* rating. From day one finding out about S.O.T to the end of our holiday, everything was perfect. I had never heard of S.O.T before I booked with them. I read reviews about them on the internet and decided to contact them. I sent an email asking about Safari packages and was contacted by Sandy (Journey Designer) in a couple hours. We sent several emails back and forth trying to plan the perfect Safari. My wife and I made several changes to our dates which wasn’t an issue with Sandy as she was always very happy to help and find use the best package. We finally decided on the dates and Sandy tailor made a 5 day Safari for us.
I have to admit I was a little nervous when i had to make a wire transfer for a large amount of money to a company I have never dealt with before or spoken to on the phone only via email, especially it being in Africa (no offence). But YOLO. Sent the payment and within a couple days Sandy emailed me to let me know my payment was received and our holiday was booked and everything was in place for our arrival.
And so our holiday began. What can I say. The Safari was perfect. From the second we landed to the last day getting dropped off back to the airport. Everything ran like clockwork. We needed not worry about a thing. Edward our safari guide picked us up from our hotel in Arusha the next morning and the Safari started. Edward is a fantastic guy, he was always happy to explain things to us while on game drives, made sure we had the perfect views of all the animal and explained things to us on the move. Always went out of his way to make sure we got the best Safari experience. It was a pleasure spending 5 days with Edward we enjoyed ourselves very much. We saw pretty much every animal we could see apart from the Rhino’s and Edward did try his best to find them but as it was the dry season and windy and dusty he explained they might be hiding due to the dusty mornings. Best thing we did see was a Cheetah eating its kill. Up close and personal was great (we could hear the bones of the Thompson cracking with every bite).
The lodges and camp we stayed in during our Safari was incredible. If you’re doing the Serengeti make sure you stay at the Chaka Camps!!! What an experience.
Thank you all at S.O.T especially Sandy and Edward. We will never forget our trip to Tanzania!!!!
Email Jayne | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing African Safari!! Highly recommended company.
My husband and I done a 5 day safari with SOT covering Ngorongoro crater , central serengeti and northern serengeti and we were so pleased with our choice.
I was a little apprehensive about sending so much cash via bank transfer but Helena was in constant contact via email , her help throughout the whole booking process was excellent.
We couldn't have been happier with our guide Edward and it was a sad day when we had to part ways. Edward was always professional, extremely knowledgeable and I'd like to think that we became good friends in the time we spent together. It was particularly nice to see him still getting excited about seeing the wildlife despite him being a guide for 12 years I think I remember him saying.
The amount of wildlife we saw exceeded all my expectations and Edward had a knack of always making us feel like we were the only people there , he always managed to escape the other jeeps.
If anyone is considering a safari I would highly recommend it , and the company I would 100% recommend would be Soul of Tanzania. The memories we made will stay with us forever
ES
Email Gonzal | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari in Tanzania
I was worried about booking a safary directly with a Tanzania company, but the experince was unique.
The price for the journey (6 days in a safari - Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crate- and 4 days in Zanzibar) was very good comparing other offers I saw.
Everything was fantastic, and I have to mention our guide (now friend) Ayoub that was magnificent explaining all animals we saw.
Absolutely recommendable.
QA
Email Victoria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Journey of the Wildebeest
We thoroughly enjoyed our 7 day tour. We especially liked our guide Huruma. He not only was an excellent driver, but very knowledgable about the wildlife/country, he was also very kind to everyone we met (including stopping to tell a school bus about a leopard sighting we just had). He quickly responded to our likes and dislikes and knew whether to stop for photos or keep driving. He is a truly professional guide and an asset to your team. We saw all of the big 5 multiple times, the amount of wildlife surpassed our expectations.
The camps we stayed in were all fantastic, our favourite being the Namali which we felt was slightly higher end. The only slightly disappointing camp was Chaka as we didn’t realise it wasn’t all inclusive and the food was not as good quality as we had the rest of the week. In all of the camps we were welcomed and looked after like family.
Overall the organisation of the tour was very good. We had no logistical issues. The itinerary was as sold. It might be worth highlighting to guests the extent of the driving between locations. We had no issue, but for some people they might not enjoy it like we did.
Cooked lunches (with wine) was a nice touch and everyone we told in the evenings were also slightly jealous.
We arrived at Kilimanjaro airport and it took approx 3 hours to get through immigration. It might be worth suggesting to guests that they could do the visa online before travelling and this would save considerable time.
CH
Email Ha | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience
We enjoyed the trip of a lifetime with soul of Tanzania! Everything from the communication, organization, pick up, lodges, camps and satisfying meals were more than expected. Our guide Fred was one of a kind, friendly, competent with eagle eyes that could spot all the wildlife and has amazing driving skills in the bumpy roads. We liked also he thoughtful analyzation of the situation where the animals are, how and why they behave this way in this moment.
Our itinerary was for full 6 days safari (Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro). Everywhere we had top friendly service and high quality meals. although we went mainly for standard choices, can’t even imagine how could it get better than that. We stayed in Simba lodge (afternoon swim with elephants in the background was a moment to live by). Escarpment Lodge in Manyara had 5 stars service and room, absolutely recommended. In Serengeti we camped in Pumzika, in the middle of the wild where Hyaena were passing by and we heard lions at night!, though here we couldn’t charge our devices (for that the full equipped safari jeep saved the day). In Ngorongoro the camping in Tortilis was my favorite, wished we stayed longer.
Fred took us also to a real Masai village in the town “mosquito river”. Was also very unique and heartwarming experience. We went for souvenir shopping in the last day in 2 different “negotiable” shops which we were also happy about.
We would also like to thank Aziz for the joyfully last day. He picked us up from the airport the first night, and in our last full day in Arusha, he took us to Moshi village, were we had the most scenic hike to Kilimanjaro waterfalls, followed by lunch prepared by SoT and then the lovely visit to the Banana/coffee plantation where we made our own delightful coffee in such a cheerful atmosphere.
Im recommending SoT to everyone i know. I never had a vacation in my life where i felt so happy, so safe, satisfied, full belly, amazed everywhere i looked. My phone can agree with +2500 photos i took in one week! The sweetness and the kindness of the Tanzanian people was heartwarming.
US
Email Paul | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Extraordinary Safari Tour
My wife and I had the most fantastic trip beginning in the Ngorongoro Crater, then Serengeti and Maasai Mara. From the time we were picked up by the affable Mishak at Kilimanjaro Airport, we felt welcomed. We learned our first Swahili words on the way to the African Tulip Hotel where we were also warmly welcomed and spent a relaxing first night. Our guide for the Crater and Serengeti, Tony, was extraordinary. Smart, personable, knowledgeable, intuitive and more. He catered to all of our wishes, going off the beaten path and finding animals that were unseen by others driving the same routes. The second night was spent at the Acacia Farm Lodge where we were introduced to the staff by Edward. Anna watched over us and made sure we were well taken care of. We even had a tour of the coffee farm early the next morning led by Pascal, a bright young agricultural manager for the farm.
Tony picked us up again int he morning and subsequent mornings at the Kati Kati campsite, then each day we set goals of what we wanted to see and he met them. From the big 5 to birds of all types. His patience in recognizing that a lion in the grass was going to be one of multiple and result in the stalking and successful hunt of a warthog was one of the most thrilling parts of our visit. Truly an amazing person and guide. We were very lucky to have drawn him as our guide. He truly showed us the Soul of Tanzania.
Meiling from Soul of Tanzania worked closely with my wife to make this custom tour a special one. All questions were quickly answered and special requests accommodated.
I went into this adventure being a bit skeptical at what would transpire but I can say that it ended up being life changing. As my wife said to me on more than one occasion, the animals were spectacular, but the people were better.
US
Email Nic | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Experience.
SOT was the operator my Consultant chose for a 4 day/3 night safari. His suggestion did not disappoint. We were picked up by the driver, and met the Operations Manager at a mall in Arusha, who confirmed our itinerary. Upon confirmation, we met our driver, Aly, who was magnificent and went above and beyond our expectations. My favorite part of working with Aly was his making sure we were in a good position to see the animals, and if not, to position the vehicle in a way where we had a better view. For someone who traveled over 24 hours, this kind of service is priceless.
Email Caz McShane | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect safari experience!
Wow, what an amazing experience!
We travelled with our 4 children - all under 13 and from the start of our planning we were thrilled with Spirit of Kenya & Soul of Tanzania as Vanessa guided us without any difficulty and answered all our questions promptly.
We were able to tailor exactly what we wanted and had the most memorable and wonderful experience.
Our guide, Franko in Kenya was wonderful. Always smiling, friendly and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed his company and the information he shared with us was fabulous.
Our guide in Tanzania was Daniel, who was completely amazing, friendly and also very knowledgeable. We were extremely lucky with both our guides! Both so friendly and helpful.
Daniel even went as far as arranging a birthday cake for me as I celebrated my birthday in the Serengeti.
Can not recommend highly enough! We were even able to add a hot air balloon ride for our family.
Absolutely fabulous experience! Don’t be afraid to take your kids ... they’ll get so much out of such an amazing adventure.
Email Jim | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing adventure
Our party of four adults recently took our first African safari with “Soul of Tanzania”.
We were a little sceptical when reading that other travellers had given the company 5 stars. We couldn’t fault our tour operator and we have also given them 5 stars. From our first email to Helena, until we departed the safari in Arusha, our experience was exceptionally good. Helena answered our questions promptly and altered the original itinerary to custom suit us. We were given a choice of three levels of accommodation at each camp. Not necessarily choosing the top level, we were more than satisfied with the comfort, food and friendliness of the staff at each camp and lodge.
What makes a memorable safari…? The tour guides of course.
Firstly there was Jackson in Kenya and then Erasto met us at the border crossing into Tanzania and stayed with us for another 7 days. Both our guides were extremely knowledgable, flexible, friendly and funny. They knew where to find rhinos, hippos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes and just about every other animal in East Africa. Our party of four became a family of five during our safari.
Our vehicle was spacious with a pop-up roof. This enable us to take some amazing photos.
We cannot recommend “Soul of Tanzania” highly enough.
A special thanks to Helena, Jackson and Erasto.
Asante sana
Email John, Beverley, Peter & Dianne | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievable Experience
Wow, what an amazing experience and what a great company to deal with.
From the get-go, Luis, our "Journey Designer" handled everything, organizing an absolutely fantastic safari that satisfied our requirements completely.
Every airport and hotel transfer went without a problem, the drivers were always there waiting for us on arrival or always either on time or early for departures.
Definitely upgrade to the Landcruiser option, it is well worth it.
Our vehicle in Kenya was essentially brand new while the Tanzania vehicle was kept spotless daily by our guide Nico.
Our guides in Kenya, Gideon and Felix were fantastic and Nico in Tanzania was exceptional.
They were incredibly knowledgeable, fun and accommodating, obviously with years of experience, nothing was ever too much trouble for them as they went out of their way to ensure that we got up as close and personal as was practical to the wild life.
We were lucky to see the Big 5 on two occassions and witnessed Wildebeest crossing a crocodile infested river from a perfect view point (thanks Gideon).
There are far too many incredible experiences involving lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, wildebeest, leopards, hippos, rhinos, buffalo, zebras, pumbaas etc etc to describe here, I urge you to go and see for yourselves, it's fantastic.
Nico also took us to one of the Maasai villages he visits, an unbelievable experience and highly recommended.
Hot lunches on safari were great and accompanied with either wine or beer.
Our accommodation was generally glam camping or lodges which were absolutely great, Vincent at Serengeti Tortilis Camp is a mega-star.
The food and friendliness of the staff were outstanding.
The one exception was Pakulala Ngorongoro and when our concerns were expressed, Luis went out of his way to ensure a satisfactory resolution was reached.
This enhanced further in my eyes the professionalism of SOT & their willingness to ensure that their customers are indeed satisfied.
I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Soul of Tanzania, they are far and away the best tour organizer I have ever dealt with and will be sure to use them on my next safari.
They thoroughly deserve their 5 star rating