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 Marlene | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent Safari guides and company!
We went on a 10-day Safari through Tarangire, Manyara, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti (July 2018). We chose Soul of Tanzania as they were highly recommended by friends, and they truly lived up to that glowing recommendation! Our guide Nico was extremely welcoming, friendly, professional, patient, and knowledgable. He always got us in great spots for photos, but was respectful of the animals and knew how to read their behaviour. As a very experienced guide and driver, we felt very safe at all times with Nico. He truly loves and is passionate about Tanzania's people, culture, animals and landscapes. It was nice to be collected and dropped off at the airport by the same person -- he was a lovely friend by the end! Also, during the booking/planning stages, the Soul of Tanzania staff were very responsive and easy to communicate with, especially Miguel, Iris and Rachel. We would highly recommend Soul of Tanzania, for excellent guides, well-maintained vehicles and a high-standard Safari experience.
US
Email Kimberly | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime!
My dad and I took a trip with Soul of Tanzania in July 2018 for my 40th Birthday. After much research of safari companies (it is overwhelming!) I chose Soul of Tanzania as I felt booking with a Tanzania-based company was important and I felt there would be a more personal connection to Soul. I knew I made the right choice from the beginning! The sales team, Miguel C (he is wonderful!) and Christina F ,were amazingly responsive and helpful, answering my initial 20+ emails prior to booking. I appreciated that Soul could work with any budget and book with any accommodation in the country, so that I could truly personalize and "splurge" on a smaller, more intimate luxury camp in the Serengeti while starting off with nicer budget lodges in Tarangire. Back in December 2017 I had originally requested Ben to be our guide, however he had since been promoted to Operations Manager (congrats Ben!) by the time we took our safari. However, Deo, who was hired to replace Ben, was amazing with his 22 years of experience, internal GPS, bionic eyes, quick and witty sense of humor, deep SOULful voice, and signature "pose" for photos :) Not only did we see the Big 5, we saw the Migration herds, a Black mamba snake and Deo pointed out when we saw a "baby, 200 year-old" Baobab tree in Tarangire that we probably would not have appreciated otherwise. Deo became a friend and we enjoyed spending time with him whenever we could! There were small, but nice touches of hospitality and service; Deo surprised me with buying my favorite popcorn at the visitor's center while I was in the restroom, Deo gave me Tanzanian shillings for a souvenir so that I didn't have to trade in USD. Deo went above and beyond to provide an amazing safari experience.
When we initially booked the trip, we booked for 2 nights in the North Serengeti, however the migration herds were still in the West come July. Ben and Deo and the staff made arrangements for us to switch lodging so that we could stay in the west to see the herds! This was much appreciated and we were so grateful to be able to be close to "The Greatest Show on Earth," and witness this very special natural event.
Soul had also been informed that I was celebrating my 40th birthday, so they had made arrangements ahead of time with the Pakulala Safari Camp at Ngorongoro crater (highly recommend this camp!) with a personalized birthday cake, candles and singing around the dining tent to the "Jambo, jambo Bwana/Kilimanjaro." None of the other guides were in the dining tent and I was worried Deo wouldn't be there, but he came to sing and celebrate--it honestly wouldn't have been the same without him; it's a celebration I'll never forget!
We enjoyed the hot picnic lunches and all of the lodges were beautiful and hospitable, particularly the Kiota Camp in Central Serengeti and Pakulala Camp in Ngorongoro. I have had several friends inquire about my trip and many want to know which company I booked with; I am excited to share with them about Soul and Deo and can confidently make these recommendations. Asante to all!
US
Email Kimberly | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime!
My dad and I took a trip with Soul of Tanzania in July 2018 for my 40th Birthday. After much research of safari companies (it is overwhelming!) I chose Soul of Tanzania as I felt booking with a Tanzania-based company was important and I felt there would be a more personal connection to Soul. I knew I made the right choice from the beginning! The sales time, Miguel C (he is wonderful!) and Christina F were amazingly responsive and helpful, answering my initial 20+ emails prior to booking. I appreciated that Soul could work with any budget and book with any accommodation in the country, so that I could truly personalize and "splurge" on a smaller, more intimate luxury camp in the Serengeti while starting off with nicer budget lodges in Tarangire. Back in December 2017 I had originally requested Ben to be our guide, however he had since been promoted to Operations Manager (congrats Ben!) by the time we took our safari. However, Deo, who was hired to replace Ben was amazing with his 22 years of experience, internal GPS, bionic eyes, quick and witty sense of humor, deep SOULful voice, and signature "pose" for photos :) Not only did we see the Big 5, we saw the Migration herds, a Black mamba snake and Deo pointed out when we saw a "baby, 200 year-old" Baobab tree in Tarangire that we probably would not have appreciated otherwise. Deo became a friend and we enjoyed spending time with him whenever we could! There were small, but nice touches of hospitality and service; Deo surprised me with buying my favorite popcorn at the visitor's center while I was in the restroom, Deo gave me Tanzanian shillings for a souvenir so that I didn't have to trade in USD. Deo went above and beyond to provide an amazing safari experience.
When we initially booked the trip, we booked for 2 nights in the North Serengeti, however the migration herds were still in the West come July. Ben and Deo and the staff made arrangements for us to switch lodging so that we could stay in the west to see the herds! This was much appreciated and we were so grateful to be able to be close to "The Greatest Show on Earth," and witness this very special natural event.
Soul had also been informed that I was celebrating my 40th birthday, so they had made arrangements ahead of time with the Pakulala Safari Camp at Ngorongoro crater (highly recommend this camp!) with a personalized birthday cake, candles and singing around the dining tent to the "Jambo, jambo Bwana/Kilimanjaro." None of the other guides were in the dining tent and I was worried Deo wouldn't be there, but he came to sing and celebrate--it honestly wouldn't have been the same without him; it's a celebration I'll never forget!
We enjoyed the hot picnic lunches and all of the lodges were beautiful and hospitable, particularly the Kiota Camp in Central Serengeti and Pakulala Camp in Ngorongoro. I have had several friends inquire about my trip and many want to know which company I booked with; I am excited to share with them about Soul and Deo and can confidently make these recommendations. Asante to all!
CN
Email sara | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience
Just coming back, Soul of Tanzania made our trip a lifetime experience, esp thanks to our guide, Ahmed, who beard in his mind every road in Serengeti, and is rich of knowledge of animals, which made us to see so many lions. We can tell that he loved his job, everyday he drove a lot and show no tired, and he also knows a lot about photographing, always helping us to catch good light. BTW, we enjoyed our warm lunch and even wines, wow, thank you so much, Soul of Tanzania. Highly recommend to my friends.
MT
Email Godfrey Grima | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic, the stuff of dreams.
We have been to a large number of countries and this was not our first African safari, having already visited South Africa and Swaziland before, but our trip to Tanzania was definitely one of our very best trips ever anywhere. We travel a lot, in fact these last 12 months alone we have been to Italy, Norway, England Russia and India (tiger safari). The trip in Tanzania was perfect throughout. We wanted to have a good safari and then a couple of days relaxation at a beach resort and so we contacted Soul of Tanzania. They were very helpful and patient with us in the planning stages. When we were happy with the package we paid and waited for the day to come for our trip. As soon as we arrived we were picked up by Nico our driver/guide. Nico was a very knowledgeable and efficient guide and a superb driver. He knew we wanted to see as many animals as possible and he worked hard, from dawn to dusk to make our dream holiday come true. Whenever he spotted something (which was all the time) he always expertly and deftly drove up close to the action. We came up close to all kinds of animals including lions, but we always felt safe and protected by Nico. He was always calm and great to get along with and answered all our questions. He was patient with our requests. He knew we wanted to see the Great Migration of the wildebeest and with his expertise he managed against all odds to drive us to within feet of this migration crossing the Grumeti River. National Geographic stuff!! One day our game drive stretched beyond sundown, (due to distances involved) and he turned the rest of our drive into an impromptu night game drive!! He used to keep an eye out for the time due to the large distances involved yet always give us enough time to enjoy the wildlife milling around us and to take all the photos we needed. The jeep was always kept spotless and well supplied with drinks and goodies, and when it was time for lunch he used to park at the allotted site, lay out the tablecloth and serve us hot lunch, tea and biscuits much to the envy of other tourists with other companies who happened to be near by. When it was time to leave we left behind us a friend. If I had to go back I would simply head straight for Soul of Tanzania offices and if possible ask for Nico! The rest of the holiday was spent in Zanzibar at the Gold Resort (another review). Well done Soul of Tanzania. Everyone did his job to perfection, from planning to implementation. We know why you chose that name!
KR
Email Jiae Lee | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond Safari
It's been a decade to cross off the bucket list. Africa is the most place I wanted to go so bad. With tens of research, followed by the instinct I finally chose the company, Soul of Tanzania.
Indeed, we just relieved as soon as we met our guide, Heaven at the airport. As we felt like it would be a great journey, it went so fantastic during our safari.
The lunch time, as I viewed through the reviews, we served warm and nice meals like a picnic. It was much more ROMANTIC with 'real nature' than I thought. People around us wondered about our company, even one of them came to us and asked in person.
During the safari, Heaven tried to show us 'Big 5' and it really worked. Thanks to Heaven's efforts, we could have some great chances to see wildebeests' migration, cheeta's eating on the tree and zebra's bath and drinking. When I was in the middle of the wildebeests on the field, it's like we are in the heaven on earth.
As Heaven wrote on the back widow, we flew really high. Thank all other staffs as well for prompt replies and the support with heart to be our trip great.
Especially, thanks to Heaven, we enjoyed our trip with Heaven who loves and is passionate and thankful about his job. We were not only exploring the nature, but also learned and touched a lot from his attitude. Also, we were a great team!
Above all, the most important thing to be a great trip is not just where to go, but who is going with you. Anyone who is interested in. Just take this. You'll be on the right track.
US
Email Francois | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great tour!
Almost perfect.
Better food and accommodation then expected.
Only caveat: the guide uses talkie-walkie all the time to get tips on where to find animals. People on the talkie-walkie literally talk all the time so you have background voice during the whole safari. Impossible to make a video which was disappointing.
Email Peter | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari experience
Two of us spent 9 days with our wonderful guide Roger. We saw a great deal of the Northern Circuit of Tanzania during our trip and finished with day at Lake Eyasi to see a local hunter gatherer tribe.
We spent a while researching our options and felt SoT offered good value for money with a good review history.
Roger was excellent. He loves birds and was able to offer a lot of knowledge about them, but was equally able when it came to the other wildlife too. His expertise was apparent when it came to busy situations - he was always a step ahead of the game and able to get us the best spot to view the wildlife before other cars moved into position. He taught us some Swahili and we enjoyed our long journeys with him.
The northern circuit is absolutely fantastic. We saw so much during our week there and I would highly recommend it. Soul picked out good lodges/tented lodges for us to stay in, and as others have mentioned, the hot lunches we had were the envy of other tourists everywhere! The car was comfy too.
The only thing I would mention is we had a day at Lake Eyasi at the end of our itinerary (as suggested on their recommended itinerary). It was certainly a worthwhile trip, but in hindsight very expensive - it was charged at the same daily rate as the rest of our safari, despite not incurring the same park fee costs etc. While worthwhile (and geographically convenient on the way home from safari), I'd consider looking at other cheaper alternatives to see the Hadzabe!
All in all, I'd highly recommend SoT for your Tanzania safari.
CZ
Email Christos | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzania Safari
Base on some positive review we ha decided to use the Soul Of Tanzania for our 5 day safari visit.
They were very helpful making different proposals and options of hotels and parks..... very punctual reply .
They have delivered on all there commitments !!
We have visited the Manyara Lake park and stay in Tree Lodge for 1 night ,Serengeti and for 2 nights at Four Seasons and Ngorongoro and stay for 1 night in the Highlands
Special thanks go to Ally our tour guide .... he was great ,with great experience ,help us a lot to understand the nature ,great information about all animals...,every day on time and with great food prepared and served..... doing all the efforts as manage so that we could see all big 5.... finally he made it happen.
I would recommend to anyone going for safari to use this agency.
Email Eve Ford | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wow, absolutely amazing two weeks, so glad we used Soul of Tanzania.
What a fabulous two weeks Safari and Beach. Every lodge we stayed was excellent, with a huge warm welcome and excellent service. Our fabulous guide Nico, was brilliant, we saw so much and he listened to everything we wanted to do, and provided a perfect 8 day safari. We had picnic envy most days, as we sat down to a hot meal with wine, coffee and biscuits.
We finished in Zanzibar, in a fabulous hotel, Paradise.
The service we got from the office, who were very patient with us, when helping us with the plan, and the holiday exceeded our expectations.
Thank You