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
CN
Email Kong Y | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Safari, wonderful experiences!
I took a 6-day safari with my 7-year old son Curtis in Serengeti, Ngrongro Crater, Ndutu and Manyara, facilitated by Soul of Tanzania, between late December and early Jan. The tour was so enjoyable that we'll definitely come back to Serengeti in the near future.
4 months ago, Curtis and I spent 3 nights at a bush lodge in Kruger national park, South Africa, 2 safaris each day, we thought that trip was great, but to our pleasant surprise, this tour was even better.
A Leo himself, Curtis is a big lover of big-cats. We saw quite a few leopards in Kruger, but since leopards and lions wouldn't show up in the same territory, we missed the lions no matter how hard the ranger tried to find them. So when Soul local manager Iris asked Curtis what he mostly want to see when we were greeted the first night at an Arusha hotel, Curtis promptly replied, "lions, of course!" With a confident smile, Iris assured Curtis, "oh, you will see more than enough." Our soft-spoken tour guide/driver Amani added, a bit conservatively, "you will see no less than 20 lions." Really? Curtis wasn't quite convinced.
As it turned out, we saw at least 10 prides, a total of more than 70 lions, most of them from very close distance!
Here are just a few highlights:
-- A pride of 20+ lions magnificantly marching by our vehicle for several minutes, just a few feet away;
-- In the morning of New Year's Day, Lion King waled directly to our vehicle, a 4x4 Land Cruiser, encountering his young lady literally one yard from our right front tire, mating right there in our awe! Their happy hour repeated, on and off, every 8-10 minutes, until the exhausted queen climbed up a tree nearby;
-- 2 young cheetah brothers took turns to enjoy their kill, an adult wildebeest, lips red, belly full;
-- A leopard killed another on top of a tree, most likely out of territorial dispute, the victim miserably hanging up there, the guilty murderer ran hiding in a rock cave, serectly peeking out, gazing its prey from a distance.
Yeah, indeed, more than enough, not to mention thousands of flamingos in Manyara lake, wildebeests, gazelles and zibras in Serengeti and Ndutu.
Why I picked Soul over other big-name tour companies? I enjoyed the pleasant email communications with Soul's sales consultant Christina and Miguel from the very beginning, who are sincere, considerate, detail-oriented, honest, insightful, and always reponded in timely manner.
In sum, the 6-day program Soul carefully tailor-made for us, the comfortable accomodations, the very experienced tour guide Amani, the hot meal lunches (as opposed to the lunch box by other safari tours that we noticed at picknic sites), are all beyond expectation.
Good job, Soul, Curtis and I are already discussing the "crossings" in August.
CA
Email Samantha | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Trip!!!
After several searches for a safari, we decided to booked a 4 days with Soul of Tanzania. We saw the following parks: Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. It was wonderful! First of all, thank you to Miguel and the customer service team who helped us to book this adventure. Professional and our questions were answered very fast.
Lodges were outstanding. Beautiful location : Tarangire Simba Lodge (Best Pina Colada), Lake Manyara Wildlife Lodge and the Rhino Lodge. Thank you to the staff who served us. Super clean and very good food.
Unlike other companies, Soul of Tanzania offers hot lunches with a flawless little set up. Lunches are taken in the parks with wine. The vehicles are in perfect conditions.
A big thank you to our guide, our man, Heaven! He was perfect for us. He has met our needs. Always ready to go miles to see all animals, especially lions and rhinos. Always listening to what we wanted to see. Very good knowledge and very patient. He knew how to find animals, and how to wait for animals.
Definitely, I would recommend Soul of Tanzania and our guide Heaven.
US
Email Vicky and Gil | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They certainly live up to their name: their heart and soul is in the little details they provide.
An opportunity to do a safari arose for my husband and I when he had a business trip this October/November 2017 in Tanzania. Having explored the internet for all the possible options, and getting overwhelmed at that, finding Soul of Tanzania gave us the confidence we needed to move ahead and plan our safari adventure. As many have shared, they are very responsive, replying to emails within a day (quicker than how we can even process the information), giving us various options so we could pick and choose based on our comfort level and budget and just giving us an assurance that here was a company that understood the needs of their clients. Some of our choice lodges were not available as it turned out and SOT was quick to offer alternative lodges and negotiations were a breeze. On arrival at Arusha we were given a briefing on our itinerary and possible add-ons with time permitting. And on our return from the safari, we met for a quick chat concerning our experience and feedback about the overall service.
In a nutshell, you arrive in Arusha and meet your guide, a complete stranger with whom you spend the next 5 days of your life with, but end the safari adventure with a tinge of sadness knowing you leave behind a friend. Such was our experience in the 5 days we did Tarangire-Serenggeti- Ngorongoro circuit! Our man, Pius, was a personable, charming, knowledgeable guide who took pride in his work yet was understanding and sensitive to our needs. It was easy to warm up to him and trust his knowledge and advice. The vehicle was maintained clean each day, he set up lunch with pride as only SOT could do it – with warm food and wine and style! (Everyone had boxes and we had cloth covered picnic tables with real utensils!!) Pius was determined and patient in locating the animals and was creative in positioning our vehicle so we can take great pictures. Although it was just my husband and I, we had the big land cruiser, well equipped with a cooler, chargers , binocular and a guide book. SOT may be a young company, but they certainly live up to their name: their heart and soul is in the big things and the little details that they provide. Their passion for the wildlife and sharing this experience to their guests shines through in the interactions throughout the safari. They listen to feedback, and even anticipate the needs of their clients seeking ways to improve even more. The only regret is we didn’t have our boys with us but maybe that will be another reason to visit again. Soul of Tanzania’s got to be the only way to experience safari. Every detail was covered and you get even more!! Shout out and thanks to Miguel, Christina, Iris, Rachel, Francis, Ben and our man, Pius-y !!
BR
Email Lídia Silva | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience
We booked a 4 day safari with Soul of Tanzania. The experience was perfect and we loved everything. The tour guide (Living) is great and knows a lot about environment and history. The hosts and food surprised us.
US
Email Paul S | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great first safari experience
Soul of Tanzania was the best choice for our safari, no question. The staff is attentive to every detail and the customer service is the best I've seen from a travel company. The planning and execution of our trip was perfect. There are so many tour companies in Tanzania but I highly recommend SOT as it stands far apart from the rest.
6-day Safari Tour - Great experience
We booked a 6-day tour with Soul of Tanzania. The best part of the Safari was the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
Everything was fine. The booking of the safari was without problems. Nice correspondence with the guys in Portugal. They prepared an itinerary including all our wishes. There were also no problems with the payment; we only paid 50 % in advanced and paid the rest in Arusha.
Our driver picked us up from the airport on time and took us to our hotel in Arusha. Two days later the Safari began, after the briefing of Mr. Benedict in Arusha.
For the Safari tour the company provided unlimited water and two bottles of wine. Thank you.
Our guide and driver was Ally. A young and funny guy, who is in business for more than 7-10 years (we don’t remember). He knew ALL animals (especially birds) by their regular and Latin name. He also showed us e.g. the birds and small animals (e.g. hyrax) in his animal book, so we knew, that everything he said, was right
US
Email Pam | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Spectacular Soul of Tanzania adventure
For years I had dreamed of experiencing a safari in Tanzania. Never in my wildest dreams, however, did I ever imagine what an incredible experience it would turn out to be!
As soon as I booked with Soul of Tanzania, I knew I had chosen the best company out there! All emails and the many questions I had were always promptly answered by Iris, Miguel, Francis or Rachel. The vehicles were top of the line very well maintained, clean and comfortable. Thanks to Ben, who was our fantastic guide, we always started each morning with spotless windows (which provided excellent viewing throughout the day) and a full refrigerator on board. Ben served fabulous lunches...not only hot and delicious, but served using real plates, silverware, and goblets for the chilled wine no matter where our lunch spot may be. (Yes, you heard that right...we enjoyed chilled wine in silver goblets!) We were often the envy of many who passed by our table. It was an unbelievable experience.
Now, let's talk a little more about our man Ben! He was one of the most amazing parts of our entire trip. He blended into our group like family. He never failed to go the extra mile for us. He was funny, enthusiastic, informative, and made the most amazing coffee imaginable. Even those in our party who were not coffee drinkers suddenly could not get enough of Ben's creation! He not only made sure we had the best views when we came across animals, but he was also very willing to share information and sightings with others guides and their clients as we passed along the way.
I truly can't imagine having a more spectacular Tanzanian adventure than the one I experienced with Soul of Tanzania. It was just perfect. So if you are searching for a company that will provide an unforgettable experience, look no further. Soul of Tanzania is the company for you!
NO
Email Katrine | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Excellent experience from the planning stage to the farewell at the airport!
The safari lived up to the expectations and beyond that! Communication in the planning essential for us to take part and make our preferred choice on accommodation - always prompt and positive responses. Responsible, knowledgeable and experienced drivers took us, including our kids, safely to the destinations - and to see plenty of animals. The hot lunches was beyond our expectations and we enjoyed the variety of dishes, as well as the wine. Environmentally friendly compared to the lunch boxes! If we are going on a safari again I would definitely contact Soul of Tanzania!
Email Jenny | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We loved our safari with Soul of Tanzania - i would rate it 5 out of 5!
I traveled on a private safari with Soul of Tanzania - with my 2 daughters, aged 12 and 14. We had such a wonderful trip - the trip of a lifetime! Our guide Herman was knowledgeable and patient, and knew how to find animals, how to wait for animals and what to expect of their behavior. His command of English was fantastic, he was a great driver and he was good with the kids. The safari itself was wonderful - we saw so many animals, including lion, cheetah, leopard, black rhino, elephant, hippos and much much more - we couldn't have been happier with what we were lucky enough to see. Of the 4 parks we went to (Serengeti, Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara) the girls' favorite was Lake Manyara - I think because there was a magical forest element as well as the lake. Elephants materializing out of the forest in front of us will be something we will never forget. In Serengeti NP we saw a lion pride coordinate a hunt right in front of us - then bring 13 cubs back to eat their kill. In Taragire NP we saw a herd of more than 100 elephants in the dry riverbed digging in the sand to access water and then spray it around. We saw a huge pride of 16 lions and cubs in Ngorongoro Crater cross just meters from us, and a big male lion digging like a huge dog trying to flush a warthog out of it's den. We got some great photos even with just our phone cameras - and our guide Herman cleverly took some with our phone and ipod through the binoculars - which were amazing! The food and accommodation exceeded our expectations - with Burunge tented lodge, looking out over Lake Burunge conservation area from the beautiful restaurant deck and pool area was our favorite.
US
Email Frank | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a life time experience!!!!
Where do I start?!?! Soul of Tanzania team was extremely patient and resourceful in helping us plan our route, they booked all our stays, provided all transportation, booked our balloon safari, and even our domestic flights to/from Zanzibar! The only thing we had to do was book our international flight, that was it! Once we stepped foot in Kilimanjaro everything was handled and we never had to worry about a thing. We initially began planning our safari with Soul ~ 1yr before arrival and interacted with about every staff member and experienced the same high standard of customer service across the board.
Our guide Ben was simply outstanding to say the least! He was very knowledgeable and extremely passionate about the wildlife. It was 5 of us friends traveling together and because Ben had such a great sense of humor and personality, that as days progressed he became a friend and not just our tour guide, it felt like 6 friends on vacation now not 5. Our only regret is not spending more time on safari. Oh, and if you’re a coffee lover Ben makes the BEST coffee in Tanzania! Thank you, Ben and the team, at Soul of Tanzania for all the wonderful memories!!!