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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
Trip of a lifetime!
This Africa trip was truly a trip of a lifetime. We were very thrilled with the professionalism and courtesy. Each step along the way from Rwanda to Tanzania to Zanzibar we felt taken care of and the people we interacted with had such great hospitality.
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Email Michael | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptionally Incredible Safari, Thank you!
Exceptional!!! Our 14 day private, customized (base on 11 Day Spirit and Soul of Africa) safari was incredible - exceeding our expectations. BIG Thank you to Sandy, our trip designer/main contact; and all 3 of our incredible guides: Nesta(Lake Nakuru, KE), Julius (Masai Mara, KE), and James(TZ - Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire).
From the start, Sandy was great and answered numerous questions, discussed park options, travel times and options transferring between parks, etc.. to create an incredible private, custom safari for us. She also helped communicate and coordinate changes during the trip due to flight cancellations. Thank you, Sandy!
A huge THANK YOU!!! to all 3 of our guides: Nesta(Lake Nakuru, KE), Julius (Masai Mara, KE), and James(TZ - Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire). All 3 had eagle eyes, spotting animals big and small. Guides make or break a safari trip. We simply cannot thank each of them enough for their contributions that made our safari absolutely incredible and the envy of other safari travelers we shared our experience and photos with during our travel home.
We saw all of the “big 5” during the trip and 4 of the big 5 on several days. We saw 2 male white rhinos fighting…We saw lions daily; including cubs to full adults both male and female….We saw leopards and cheetahs several days…We watched lions and cheetahs hunt and eat….We saw servals cats in two parks. We say hippos, giraffe, and elephants in almost every park; along with a variety of smaller animals and birds. Yes, we have almost 5,000 photos and videos (high end 400zoom camera rental from lensrentals.com) documenting our incredible trip. We highly recommend Soul of Tanzania and Spirit of Kenya; along with our guides (Nesta, Julius, and James).
Here are the items we customized and what we would do differently….if you are interested….
We customized their 11 Day Spirit and Soul of Africa trip), removing Lake Manyara, adding an additional day to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater parks, and replaced Amboseli Park KE with Tarangire Park TZ. We were very pleased with our substitution of Tarangire for Amboseli and highly recommend Tarangire. It wasn’t on the original itinerary, but we (and our guide James) would highly recommend Tarangire. We saw and watched several different large elephant families (infants, adolescents, and adults) on every game drive. We saw more elephants in Tarangire than at all the other parks combined. We also saw leopards, lions, and cheetas; along with many other animals. The park swap allowed us to avoid long travel drive times to Amboseli and from Amboseli to Nairobi by flying directly from Kilimanjaro airport to Nairobi.
We recommend spending at least 2 nights or ensuring a full day of game drive (6-8 hours) in each park, i.e. spend more time on game drive(s) in a park than it took to get to and from a park; otherwise reevaluate why you are going to that park… We would drop Ngorongoro Crater completely and shorten the trip or add those days to Masai Mara or central Serengeti. Yes, we saw some huge herds of buffalo and wildebeest, and the landscape itself was unique being inside a crater. But, we didn’t see anything new, the crowds around an animal sighting were huge (40-50 vehicles) – making actual viewing and photography difficult; and beyond buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, and gazelles… other animal sightings were sparse and often from a great distance.
We replaced any drive between parks that was over 4+ hours with air transfers (SafariLink, Coastal) – think large (10+ passenger) propeller airplane “bus type service” between park air strips (aka these are not private, direct charter flights). Inter-park Air Transfer Recommendation: If your considering inter-park air transfers: Don’t just focus on the travel drive time, but also on road conditions…i.e. ask if the inter-park road is paved versus unpaved… if unpaved – travel by air. Unpaved roads = cross breed a motel vibrating bed with a mechanical bull ride. 3 ½ hours between Serengeti and Ngorongoro was absolutely brutal and exhausting.
If you are transferring between parks by air…get the name and phone number of the guide(s) you are meeting at the next camp/location. If you have any flight delays or cancellations, this will provide you a way to communicate and coordinate accordingly.
African airlines (both commercial and those providing transfers between parks) are known for delayed and cancelled flights… plan as best you can…then go with the flow . Flying between parks/locations definitely increased game drive time…but with added complexity, hassle, cost, and risk versus driving. Honestly, if the roads between the parks/locations are paved – I would drive instead of fly. Note, air transfers between parks are at an additional cost and you will likely have a new guide at your destination. Driving = same guide through all parks in a country and no additional costs.
Cost & Accommodations
Private vs Shared safari/vehicle – the guide and vehicle were $560US per day…the more people you have in a vehicle = lower cost per person (Shared option). We saw many vehicles packed to their maximum 7-person capacity which looked quite cramped… In our opinion, a maximum of 4 persons per vehicle is ideal, providing room to move and the ability for everyone to easily reposition to see things. I would also expect a “shared” safari would likely limit your ability to customize it, but I’d ask accordingly.
Accommodations – This is likely the largest cost component of the safari. We were offered 4 levels from budget to luxury ranging from $100-200 per person per night up to $1000 pp/night. Do your research and read the reviews… Is the accommodation in the park? How far/long is the drive from the accommodation to the main game drive area? One of our accommodations was in the park but 1 hour away from the main game drive area, hence we wasted 2 hours’ round trip each day. Tent Camps can be better than large lodges, don’t automatically discriminate. Our tent camps were far superior in service and quality versus a couple of the lodges we used.
If you are still reading and interested, here is a list of questions I compiled to compare operators, tours, etc… Good Luck
Categories Question
Company How Long Have or Your Safari Company been in business?
Company Do you run your own tours or outsource to others?
Contract What are your deposit and cancellation policies?
Contract Require Vouchers for all accommodation 1-2 months prior to departures…to ensure the room is booked and paid for(avoid canceled accommodations/last minute changes)
Insurance Do you offer trip insurance? Can I get a ballpark quote?
Company Where can I find reviews of this trip, you, the tour operator(if different), and the guide?
Contract Request detailed Itinerary, including travel time between locations.
Contract Ensure contract lists of what is included; meals, lodging, beverages, park fees, game drives, airport transfers…
Contract, Extras WHAT NATIONAL PARKS FEES OR CONSERVATION / COMMUNITY FEES ARE NOT INCLUDED?
Contract Payment terms? Payment Options(direct transfer, credit card, etc…)
Contract/Rates Are all Taxes included? If not what & how much is it?
Extras What Extra charges should I expect at each accommodation and how can I settle them?
Tour WHAT CURRENCIES ARE ACCEPTED at each destination/accommodation?
Tour, Game Drive Ensure this is a Private tour…what part of this tour will be shared with others…such as game drives? Vehicle type, max people?
Travel, Transport How many days/hours of travel between each leg?
Travel, Transport What type of transportation for each leg? Vehicle Type? Amenities?
Travel, Transport If driving between legs, is flying an option? Cost?
Travel, Transport Is transportation between legs/locations included in this package?
Guide Who will our guide be? Same or different for game drives?
Guide How well does out guide speak English?
Game Drive Does the game drive have a CB radio? Sharing/Receiving sighting information?
Guide How many years of guide experience does he/she have? Feel free to ask for a specific driver?
Guide, Contract If I am not satisfied with the guide during the trip, what are my options and how would I exercise them?
Guide How many times has the guide done this tour?
Game Drive Are game drives included in every accommodation? Any limitations, like # I can do per day?
Game Drive What is the game drive schedule and lengths at each accommodation ?
Game Drive SEATING POLICY ON GAME DRIVE VEHICLES
Tour, Game Drive How accessible is each park relative to its accommodation? Is the accommodation inside the park?
Accommodation Any special/required attire for dinner at any of the accommodations?
Accommodation Can you tell me about the accommodations, amenities, communication facilities?
Accommodation What are the laundry options at each accommodation? Cost?
Accommodation Sustainability and ECOTOURISM PRACTICES, Policies, etc...?
Accommodation, Food Are the meals included individual, family style(limited to our private tour, or buffet?
General What sort of day and night temperatures can be expected?
General What is the malaria risk in the area you are travelling to?
Tour, Game Drive Which of these are national parks versus private reserves? If private reserves, are they open or fenced?
General What are the tipping and gratuity expectation for every aspect/activity/accommodation of this tour? Are they included?
Email Duncan Lewin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible Safari Experience in Northern Tanzania
We had an amazing time travelling through northern Tanzania, the whole experience was everything we had hoped for. Our guide; Omari, was fantastic and really made the holiday special, he went out of his way to make sure we had a great time.
We saw an incredible amount of wildlife, and Omari was so knowledge on all of the birds and animals. The accommodation was equally as good, and the staff at all the hotels and tented lodges we stayed at were extremely welcoming, We absolutely loved it!
Thank you to Luis and everyone at Soul of Tanzania for putting such a fantastic trip together for us.
ES
Email Debora&Alberto | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable trip
Going on a safari had always been one of our dreams and we couldn't be happier that we chose Sould of Tanzania to organize this trip. The word that best sums it up is: professionals. Both for their service from the moment you land until you leave, as well as for all the accommodation places recommended by them.
On the trip we have visited the parks of Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro for 5 days, and we have loved all of them, since each one has something that makes it different, and makes you not get tired of seeing everything that surrounds you. We have been able to see the big 5, lions hunt a buffalo, it has been incredible.
Our guides have been Idrisa (guide work) and Benny (driving work). Idrisa speaks Spanish perfectly, transmits a great enthusiasm for her work and for the animals. He is attentive to every detail to make your trip unique. Benny is a person who demonstrates extensive experience in his work, he knows each of the parks, the animals perfectly and he makes sure that you feel as safe as possible. It has been a luxury to be able to have two guides, since all the logistics have been efficient to the maximum.
Highlight the Soul of Tanzania extra with the "hot lunch" as a differentiating element with respect to most other companies (or at least the 80-90% that we have seen in all the parks). Being able to eat hot, pasta or rice, meat, vegetables, instead of a sandwich, honestly makes a difference. The food is prepared every morning in the lodgings where you sleep and they load it into the vehicle freshly made to eat at noon.
Each and every one of the accommodations during the safari have been wonderful.
We hope to repeat this trip in a few years to visit other areas of the parks, and without a doubt, we will choose Soul of Tanzania again to carry it out. Everything has been easy, starting with the management and planning of the trip with José C., as once they landed in Tanzania for each and every one of the professionals involved in the route. Thank you all.
Email Amber | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful safari trip + perfect holiday, with every detail taken care of by SoT
We travelled as a family of four (grown-up children), following a personalised 6-day itinerary that covered Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Serengeti. All of us absolutely enjoyed the trip! We cannot find fault with our experience, from airport pickup on day 1 to the drop off at Seronera airstrip on the last day. We really appreciated how well planned the trip was, and are glad to have chosen Soul of Tanzania as our tour operator. Despite the relatively short trip (effectively only five days, the last day being a travel day), we didn’t feel rushed and felt we were able to enjoy each location fully, thanks to Martha's expert planning and the hard work of our guide, George. We really benefitted from the unlimited mileage and the flexibility afforded by the fully private tour, with George taking into account our opinions as to when we’d like to start each day, what we’d like to see on the day, etc. Moreover, George and the team took care of every detail of our trip, which allowed us to be completely hands-off and do nothing but relaxing and having a good time. The same perfection goes for the many small details on the road, e.g., slowing down upon pits to reduce impact, patiently answering our most random questions, dealing with check-in and bags at the airstrip.
With accommodation and food, everything met and often went beyond our expectation. In particular, it was good to have experienced both tented lodges (highly recommend Nimali in both Tarangire and Serengeti) and a more traditional resort hotel (Melia). The food was always of high standards, both in terms of the selection and quality, and always served attentively, both when at the dining table and when out in the fields (shoutout to George again). The lunches were always hot, well prepared and the portions more than generous (including wine). As a vegetarian myself, my dietary need was always well catered for.
In short, a big thank you to SoT's best team who brought us this incredible experience! Glad we chose the company, and would highly recommend if you're looking to book an unforgettable, hassle-free safari holiday.
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Email Trisha | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Soul of Tanzania is an excellent tour operator.
My experience with Soul of Tanzania was wonderful! I went to Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Tarangire, and had a day trip to Kilimanjaro. Sandy was so helpful planning my holiday and answering all of my questions. My safari was amazing! I saw so many amazing things, more than I could have expected, I was so fortunate. My guide Gabriel was the best guide. He has been a guide for 16 years and you can tell. He knew about all of the animals, big and small from the lions to the birds. He also know about other things from the trees to the termite mounds and he taught me a lot. He got me in the best spots for photos and stopped every time I wanted to take a picture which was a lot! Also, he was a lot of fun to be with. I am planning another trip to Tanzania and I will be using Soul of Tanzania and I will be having Gabriel as my guide! Thank you so much!!
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Email Kevin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience thanks to Edward
Edward was the perfect guide, and we had an amazing experience. He was very knowledgeable and passionate about nature and Tanzanian culture - we learned a ton from him. He was able to give us many unique wildlife sightings and could answer all our questions. Additionally, he was a terrific driver.
He always provided world-class service, being timely, kind, and helpful. He always checked in with us to give us the best time possible. Importantly, he was a great person and became our friend. Because of this experience, I will surely be returning back soon, and will recommend Edward and this company to many friends. 5 stars!
NL
Email Jamie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable safari with Soul of Tanzania
The organisation of our 6-days Safari with Soul of Tanzania was flawless. From the moment we were picked up at Kilimanjaro Int'l Airport and were taken to our hotel in Arusha, the excellent accommodations in (the vicinity of) Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorogoro National Parks, the delicious lunches with cooked food and glasses of wine at the picknick areas, till the drop off at the airport in Kilimanjaro again, everything went well in time and according to the itinerary.
Our utmost gratitude goes to our driver/guide Samir. He has good save driving skills, a perfect knowledge of the nations culture and wildlife in general, and a perfect overview of the area to get you to the best spot to see an abundance of animals. He managed to see a lioness vs gazelle situation first and thus gave us the unique front row view of a chase from the beginning till the end right in front of our jeep. Absolutely amazing. We recommend Samir as a driver/guide.
Hakuna matata
CH
Email Lauren | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A guaranteed experience of a lifetime!
This safari exceeded all expectations, it was honestly an experience of a lifetime!
We (a couple) did a private 6 day/5 night Safari in Tanzania, including visits to the Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP and Ngorongoro Crater.
Marta our trip organiser quickly helped with all our queries throughout the planning process and ensured all logistics were organised ahead of the trip, including all accommodation and transfers.
Shaffie our tour guide was AMAZING! He shared his great knowledge and passion for the local wildlife, culture and people throughout our trip. His in-depth knowledge of the parks ensured that we were able to see a large range of wildlife, including of course the Big 5. He always went the extra mile to ensure we got the perfect photos.
The accommodation, food and included wine was also great!
If you’re thinking of doing a safari - do it. And I highly recommend this tour provider!
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Email Laurence | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fabulous experience with them.
Our trip was one of the best experiences we have had over the decades of us traveling across the globe. Because of Covid the Trip had to be postponed numerous times and the communication from Lidia with Soul of Tanzania was superb. She worked with us in choosing new facilities as the times of the year changed. The process could not have been better.
Our Guide, Wilson K., with his 30+ years of experience made the safari more than meet any expectations we may have had. His knowledge was outstanding, giving us a great education about the animals and the region of the continent.
We travel a fair amount, this was an A+ experience.