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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
PT
Email Diogo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable Honeymoon - 4 day safari
I want to start by stating that Soul of Tanzania delivers a service with a very high standard which you don't usually see anywhere in the world.
Before reviewing my experience in itself, I would like to give information about a matter that you don't usually see in the reviews and I believe can help other people when planning a safari.
I was somewhat hesitant to transfer the down-payment as all the contacts I had established at the beginning of my planning were only by email and it was a significant amount of money. My advice - don't worry! Soul of Tanzania is extremely professional and your money is safe!
Also, during the planning phase, I have to give a special word to Sandy, the person we always had contact with. She was amazing, always replying fast and very patient to all our requests, which were changing constantly. I just hope we didn't give her too many complications!
Regarding the experience, it was AMAZING! I was so happy we decided to book a tour with Soul of Tanzania, it was the perfect choice for our honeymoon. We liked it so much that we already want to go on another safari! We visited Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
Talking about the tour in itself: our guide, Nickson, was very good! We felt very lucky to go on the tour with him. He was very experienced, he was always spotting animals where we couldn't see anything and he had a lot of knowledge, he answered all our questions very easily, besides being a very nice person.
During the tour, the lodges we stayed in were incredible. All of them had a very good service and each of them had different highlights, which we found really nice.
The vehicle was also excellent! It was very comfortable, it did not have any issue on the road and had a lot of space. It was so good that I even fell asleep in the car in one of the days when we had a larger trip from one place to another.
Another thing that I feel it must be pointed out was the food. It was unbelievably good! We ate so well during the whole tour, we loved the food! And it was really a great advantage to have full meals during the tour instead of the lunch boxes the majority of people had.
But above all, what we think was the best in our tour was the organisation as a whole. We never had any issue with the check ins during the safari, Nickson was always ready on time, the vehicle was perfectly equipped, etc. SoT provides a very good service, it is a very high standard which I feel most companies cannot reach.
The best example of this was when Sandy sent me an email (when the safari was already over and we were spending the night in Arusha) telling me that the flight to Zanzibar was moved to an earlier schedule and when we asked at the reception of the hotel we were staying in to have an earlier breakfast, they told SoT had already contacted them saying precisely that the flight was earlier in case we didn't see our email.
The only thing that didn't go so well was the airport pick up. And why do I feel it must be stated? Because it was so perfectly taken care of that it just shows again how well SoT works.
In fact, our flight had a delay and we also took much time to pass through immigration. When we finally exited the airport, our driver wasn't there, which was a bit overwhelming because it was the middle of the night and we were very tired. Nonetheless, I had the phone number (provided on the planning phase by Sandy in case anything went wrong) of the operations manager, Mr. Beatus, who solved the issue in 5 minutes. It is in fact a great organization.
To conclude, I want to ask Soul of Tanzania to keep up the good work. We will never forget our honeymoon and an important part of it is because of the amazing service you guys provide! Asante sana!
US
Email Hank and Julie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience of a Lifetime
We toured Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater with Soul of Tanzania. Our guide, Saiid, was very knowledgable and helpful in naming the various animals we saw in the wild, and in providing more information about their habits. All our meals were top notch, and our guide paced the tour to our preferences.
We had been given excellent guidance from Mei Ling of Soul of Tanzania in planning our tour ahead of time, to ensure that the duration fit our desires and that the accommodations were to our liking. By staying in a tree top lodge in Tarangire, the Four Seasons in Serengeti, and a coffee plantation in Ngorongoro, we had a variety of lodging experiences.
Our only suggestion for improvement was that we felt an upgrade of the vehicle fleet could help the customer experience. While we realize that we were traveling along dirt roads with many ruts and holes, we felt that improved air suspension and more comfortable seats would make the rough ride more tolerable.
Overall, we were quite pleased with the experience and recommend Soul of Tanzania to anyone who wants a true safari experience.
My Safari Was Beyond My Dreams
I've been waiting almost 60 years for this trip. I'm so glad I didn't wait any longer. This was the GREATEST trip of my life! Every day brought new adventures, animals, and smiles. My guide, DANIEL, was a perfect fit for what I was looking for. He knows where to find the tough-to-find animals, has eagle-eyes, and he knew his birds. He was personable and thoughtful of my special situation. He was a joy to be with for our 14 days - not easy to be for 2 weeks all the time. He went beyond the call of duty to make sure I was happy. I HIGHLY recommend Daniel Mkojera for your guide/driver. The other guides follow him. 14 years experience and always bright everyday.
The Land Cruiser vehicle had plug-ins for charging, a cold electric cooler, comfy seats, pop-up roof, and of course a hot lunch each day. West Kilimanjaro, Tarangire, Manyara, Eyasi, Ngorongoro, & Central/Northern Serengeti were the parks plus 3 villages: Maasai, Datoga, Hadzabe. I wouldn't leave out any of it.
We were in very special moments among the animals. Highlights: I saw the Big 5 and some of the Little 5: Cheetahs & lions hunting, all kinds of baby animals, elephants doing all that they do, my visits to 3 different less touristy tribal villages and the Great Migration to mention the highlights. My favorite memories: a baby white rhino (on my separate day trip in Kenya to Lake Nakuru arranged by Luis), 2 lionesses spreading out to trap their prey, zebras lined up in a defensive posture, listening to a lion sleeping, hunting with the Hadzabe, watching giraffes run, seeing a serval cat, and having my own stampede of wildebeests-zebras-giraffes in front of my final camp on my final night.
Every part of my trip starting with my arrival in Nairobi airport until my departure from Zanzibar was taken care of - even the various transfers. Every part was detailed so there were no surprises. I asked PLENTY of questions before the trip & ALL were patiently answered by Luis, my safari designer. Pretty much from when I arrived until I left - my days were all laid out according to MY plans and each day had flexibility to small changes. I traveled solo so I could have the flexibility that I needed. Soul of Tanzania has no problem setting up private safaris for just you & your family. I loved my standard lodging/tent camps - it was hardly "standard". The food at each place was very good - nothing was skimped. Everywhere we went - the staffs were outstanding. I am hard-pressed to find a complaint - other than that it had to end.
For someone who had never been here I have no hesitation to recommend Daniel, Luis and Soul of Tanzania to design your own dream.
If your dream is to go on safari then please do it now. Tanzania relies on tourism and every worker needs us badly for their livelihood.
US
Email Tjiska | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Organized, efficient, professional, experienced, and responsive to your personal interests.
The tour went exactly as planned but included some flexibility to take advantage of seeing as many animals as possible. My guide, Benny, was extremely knowledgeable and experienced at tracking animals enabling us to see a wide variety every day to the extent that it was almost jaw dropping! The personnel have a sincere commitment to making this a memorable experience for you and go out there way to ensure your trip meets all your expectations. Mine went beyond - not only did I see so many animals but I learned a lot about their social behaviors and surrounding habitat which made the viewing so much more meaningful and inspirational. Accommodations are first rate as is the hospitality offered capping off exceptional days with warm, welcoming comfort. I recommend Soul of Tanzania to anyone looking for an unique, fully satisfying, professional and exceptional value for a game drive of a lifetime!
ES
Email Justo & Mónica | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our lifetime journey
My husband and I went on safari for five days and we can say, without a doubt, that it was the best journey of our lives.
First of all, we would like to highlight Sandy's management, because with her help, cooperation and quick feedback we were able to tailor the trip to our needs. We were guided from the beginning about different alternative routes, we were provided with different suggested lodges, where we could stay, and left it up to us. Moreover, we must underline that never, even when there were setbacks before the trip, did they forget about us.
Secondly, we would like to give a big thank you to WILSON, our guide during the safari. WILSON is an attentive, friendly, helpful, polite, very intelligent, knowledgeable about the places, the weather, the animals and a very patient man. From the very first moment we connected and we will always remember how lucky we were to have him to elevate the experience of our journey. We had interesting conversations, he solved all our doubts (which were not few) about the flora and fauna in Tanzania, he told us curiosities and anecdotes and we learned with him the true meaning of HAKUNA MATATA.
Our safari started with the pick up at Kilimanjaro airport. Later on, we went on the safari through Tarangire, where we were lucky enough to see a lot of animals (baboons, elephants, giraffes, impalas ...) and after the game drive we moved to a lodge overlooking Lake Manyara (Kilimamoja Lodge) where we rested. What to say about this place: IMPRESSIVE. We will write the corresponding review on the page, but the attention, the details, the location, the room and the love, made our experience there excellent.
From there we left the next day to Serengeti via Ngorongoro (we saw lions, leopards...) and spent the night at Karibu Sametu. This camp enchanted us. The welcome was excellent, with exquisite manners and politeness. They took us to our room (always accompanied so as not to find any surprises) and we loved it. Spacious, beautiful, elegant and with a glass window from where we could see the sunrise of our dreams. It was simply a fantasy.
En route through the Serengeti, we arrived at the Melia Serengeti. The change of scenery was incredible, especially now in the rainy season. On that day we had the opportunity to see crocodiles and hippos, among other species. Of the Melia, which we will also review, it goes without saying that it is a paradise on earth. The facilities are breathtaking and the staff members (we had the pleasure of meeting Fernando and Nacho (Melia Ngorongoro) were charming, thoughtful, friendly and made us feel at home. It's great to see young people with such energy, enthusiam and a desire to take on the world.
The last two days were divided between the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. The final night of our stay in Tanzania was at the Karibu Lion Paw Lodge. I don't think there are enough words to describe the beauty of the facilities, the breathtaking scenery, the service and friendliness of the staff and all in all, like living in a fairy tale.
The food was excellent in each of the lodges and the picnics were exceptional, due to the location and the surrounding nature and, above all, thanks to WILSON who took care of even the smallest detail.
We are very happy that we chose Soul of Tanzania via Safari Bookings, because thanks to them we will always remember the trip of a lifetime.
ASANTE SANA
Inept and dishonest company. Never received even one explanation or excuses.
Soul of Tanzania is a scam. Poor service, bad information, rather none, very manipulative situations, change prices, while traveling we never got a local emergency phone where we can claim , for this we were always given a Sales Office phone in London!!! ,distant many hours of flight. We asked for the address of the office in Tanzania, which we were denied it repeatedly Soul Of tanzania post a POBOX, and the phone they post on the internet never answered. We wanted to talk to this Jose, who never wanted to give us his last name, a man who calls himself ridiculously "Travel Designer" who for our misfortune took from the beginning our booking and who has no idea what it is to attend a passenger who goes for the first time to Africa. Jose sends the customer where he wants, ignores the passenger’s wish, he charges a crook for air tickets inside Kenya and lies when it comes to fixing problems. He sent us to bad hotels , another under construction, denied us that there was an airport near Ngorongoro in order to take us, against our wishes ,by land from the volcano to Kilimanjaro airport, finishing us by buying directly our air tickets Lake Manyara/ Kilimanjaro to the air company. We ended up booking directly the hotel in Nairobi because the one that José quoted us was a plague and very expensive . In Nairobi we asked him to reimburse us a significant amount of money that he overcharged us before we left the hotel, so we could pay the bill, but Jose did NOT fulfill his commitment, He refused to talk to us and reimbursed us at the hotel in Masai Mara because it was convenient for him. On arrival in Masai Mara charged us for moving to the hotel, in circumstances that transfers from the air field to the hotel were provided by the hotel and "are free" .. In short, DO NOT look to be scammed into services by these companies. . They operate Kenya through another company, which is called Spirit of Kenya, which is also a disaster; this company denied us the phone of the so-called travel designer responsible for "organizing our trip" in Soul of Tanzania. We needed to talk to him quickly, not once but several times and Joseph never showed his face but always hid. A scoundrel. We raised a complaint to the INDABA association of African vajes agents that never answered us because, after we knew, these two agencies do NOT belong to those official organizations therefore any claim falls into the void. We wanted to write to a newspaper in Nairobi but it wasn’t very effective either.
Brizzi Family , five people, Kenya and Tanzania, June 2013
US
Email Susan and Andy Desai | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Memories for life with Soul of Tanzania AAA+
We booked our tour with Soul of Tanzania in February 2017 with tour dates of July 30 - August 7 2017. In hindsight booking with Soul was the best decision we made to make this trip a luxury safari experience and memories that we will cherish for life.
Pre-Tour: Responses to all emails from Joao, Luis and Iris were prompt and specific. No fluff – straight to the point responses that shows clear understanding of request. So in the end – you get what you are promised. We booked an eight days tour airport to airport.
Upon- Arrival: Soul of Tanzania car received us at airport. What impressed us most was that their driver waited till 3:00 AM in the morning when flight plans for one of the couples travelling changed last moment when they missed connection and reached Kilimanjaro in wee hours.
The Safari: Four things that made our safari a memory of lifetime.
First – the guide – Benedict. He is excellent - wonderful, patient, understands animal behaviors and has sixth sense on when action may be forthcoming. He is serviceable and shares detailed history and animal traits. Now we know Soul of Tanzania has many guides who are equally qualified, but we are beyond happy with Ben. Without Ben, this experience could not have been same.
Second – Vehicle. Our Toyota Land Cruiser was well maintained, had refrigerator, charging stations and was washed every day for best clean experience. Very comfortable for six.
Three – Food – Our premium upgrade provided hot breakfast, lunches and dinners served on tablecloth in real cutlery and premium wine at lunch. Quite a feat to relish in middle of nowhere. Ben was very considerate of food restrictions and preferences.
Four – luck and patience. Once again this is where Ben helped us find right excursions and his read of animal mood to say if a kill or river crossing was imminent. In my view if you leave it to locals and stop second guessing their instincts, you have better chances of seeing the best.
As to our safari, lots of details here but in a nutshell –
Day 1 – Mount Kilimanjaro
Day 2 – Tarangire national park . Saw a baby elephant calf milking his mother. Spent evening with Flamingoes at Lake Manyara.
Day 3 – South Serengeti – close encounter with Cheetah. Spent half day with Maasai tribe
Day 4 – Central Serengeti – Started out with lions in love act and drove through seeing tens of thousands of Zebra, Wildebeests and Giraffe migrate towards great river crossing
Day 5 – North Serengeti , wildebeest migration and river crossing at Mara River – Giant croc kill
Day 6 – Day of Lions in Central Serengeti. Saw over 40 lions in a day. Saw a gazelle give birth and newborn take its first step and lioness chase and kill a gazelle… circle of life
Day 7 – At NgoroNgoro crater with microcosm of all the wildlife at Tanzania…
Day 8 – Arusha coffee plantation, shopping and flight home
Post Safari – Iris met us to take our feedback. She is professional and genuinely interested in how they can drive continuous improvements.
In summary – while there are many tour operators with good credentials, you cannot go wrong with Soul of Tanzania.
ES
Email Laia P | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Just amazing!
Last week I came back from one of the best trips I have lived so far and which I will always remember. Two friends and I travelled to Kenya and Tanzania for 15 days and we had the chance to live the essence of Africa, its beautiful and different landscapes, its animals and its people. We did a long safari of 10 days (Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire), spent one day in Arusha, did a short trekking in Materuni and flow to Zanzibar, where we stayed the rest of our trip.
My friends and I agree with the fact that doing a safari of 10 days can be too much. I love animals and I enjoyed a lot watching them. However, it is true that once you have seen so many giraffes, impalas, zebras and wildebeest, it is no longer exciting to see more of these animals. That’s why we consider that maybe with 4-5 days in a safari would be enough. The best parks to me are Maasai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
Having explained a little bit our experience of this trip I would also like to give me opinion regarding the agencies with whom we travelled: Spirit of Kenya and Soul of Tanzania.
On January we bought the flights from Barcelona to Nairobi and once we got them I started getting in touch with lots of agencies, Spanish and foreigner ones. I rejected most of them due to its expensive prices. We were aware that travelling to Africa was expensive but we wanted to find a more “affordable” agency but without having to renounce to the things we wanted. At the end I finished discussing our trip with only a few agencies and among them there was Spirit of Kenya and Soul of Tanzania, the agencies with whom we shared our amazing experience in Africa. From that moment, the only aspect that we took into consideration in order to choose one agency or the other one was the treatment received from the beginning.
Vanessa was the person with whom I discussed everything from the first instance and her help, kindness, predisposal and willingness to offer us the perfect trip were crucial factors to make our decision. She always answered my e-mails and questions very quickly (many of them in less than 24 hours) no matter the time it was. Her e-mails were clear and very detailed. She was very patient with all my requests and my constant changes of opinion. She offered us different combinations of routes and activities attending our preferences and she gave us too different accommodation options taking into account its level (high, medium, normal).
The treatment received from her as well as from the agency never changed and remained the same during the whole trip. Before our trip I read many opinions of different people and some of them explained that their agency adopted a carefree attitude once they made the first payment of the price. This was not our case and the agency was always willing to help and to make our trip possible. In addition, we were in touch quite often since they had to confirm us the booking of the different accommodations chosen.
Even when difficulties ahead they acted honestly and quickly. There was a misunderstanding with the total price of our trip since in the final version of the contract it was stipulated one amount and after having paid the 50% of the same they notified us that the sum of the total amounts was wrong and that the final price was higher ($ 1,500 more). From that moment I discussed all this issue with the general director. She apologized for the misunderstanding and offered us different solutions to avoid the extra cost. Besides, she offered us to the possibility to cancel the reservation and to refund our money as well as to maintain all the reservations made in the event we decided to continue with a different agency. Finally, taking into consideration all the options we had, we decided to continue with them and we only had to modify a little bit our itinerary in order to reduce the final price. Moreover, they also offered us an upgrade on the Tanzania side to their premium line: better jeep (we could charge our phones and cameras), better food (including wine), unlimited water bottles during safari of 1 liter and a fabulous guide. Also, I have to mention that, while in Arusha, where we were spending two nights in the same accommodation, we asked them to change the second night since we were not comfortable in the place we booked (it was dirty, the insect screen was broken, etc.). The agency answer very quickly and they changed our accommodation for the next night free of additional charges.
Having set the aforementioned, I would sincerely recommend both agencies (Spirit of Kenya and Soul of Tanzania) and if I had to repeat our trip I would clearly do it with them again.
CH
Email Herbert and Ursula | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Tour with Soul of Tanzania
Our customized 8-days safari trip was well organized and perfectly accomplished by our guide and driver Pius.
The itinerary was well-balanced so that we encountered a great number of wildlife. We had to face adverse weather conditions with flooding but Pius managed us through any difficulties with great skills and coolness. He never lost his patience and was very firm on matters when the situation required it. His knowledge about flora and fauna is impressive, and he proved to be an excellent lion, leopard and cheetah whisperer. We were very happy with Pius and can unconditionally recommend him and Soul of Tanzania to any interested party.
There were so many highlights that it is difficult to list them. The whole package was inherently consistent with every day providing some new experiences. One of the big highlights was definitely our balloon ride over the Serengeti. This is a unique experience.
Over all it was definitely a memorable journey in Africa’s Nature and our experience with the very friendly people we met all over the country. Good hotels and good food, sometimes great food (Ndutu Lodge) completed our adventure.
DE
Email Viviana | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Just excellent! Amazing 16 days Safari Tour at it’s best
Just excellent! Not to miss if you are planning a safari trip to Tanzania
If you are planning a safari trip to Tanzania, you may find difficult to select a tour company. It took us a lot of effort to select one for our 16 days 20th anniversary trip last January. So glad that we came across Soul of Tanzania!
Everything was planned to the detail, to the best standards.They let you participate in the planning process, with a selection of routes, national parks and lodging. Once there, everything runs very smoothly, starting with a perfect conditioned vehicle and your guide picking you up at the airport, to a extensively informative meeting with Iris Duba, the Operations Manager in Arusha. Cant thank enough her to her assistance all along the 16 days trip. she is available for any questions or issues that may arise.
Our guide, Herman, is just fantastic. An amazing person, very friendly and nice to be with, with an incredible knowledge of wildlife of all sorts. We recommend him to anyone for such an adventure!
Please feel free to contact me here if anybody has questions about this review.
Viviana & Martin, Munich, Germany