Hilary and Martin - owners of Suricata Safaris
Suricata Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $190 to $600 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
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Email Adarsh | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great safari experience
The Safari was awesome. The booking and payment process was easy and convenient with Hilary. We booked the Safari primarily by contacting Hillary thru WhatsApp and it is probably the most convenient way. They pick you up from the airport and drop you back on the last day. We were really lucky and saw a lot of animals in action. Frederick, our guide/driver, was very knowledgeable and kind and was always there if we needed anything. Salim, our chef, was great too; he made the best soups. They were both with us through the whole trip and made us feel comfortable. They set up the tents and pack them back up at each campsite and prepare all three meals.
We also did the day hike with Suricata to Machame hut after the Safari. Nixon, our guide for the hike, was great as well. The hike was hectic but the route is beautiful.
Overall, a great experience and I would recommend Suricata to anyone. :)
Email Tim | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, reliable and very experienced.
We booked a safri for our honeymoon for a 'once in a lifetime trip' and it was such an amazing experience which really was down to the professionalism and expertise of the Suricata Safari staff.
We were picked up the airport on time by Fredrick (our guide) who was very welcoming and wearing a Suricata shirt; making him easy to spot and reassuring. He dropped us off at the hotel and we were briefed by Hilary, who answered all our questions and spent some time going through what will happen on each day (even bought us a bottle of wine on the first night to celebrate our honeymoon - nice touch!).
On Safari itself, Fredrick encouraged us all to ask questions and was really knowledgeable! He got us so close to all the animals. I would certainly advise to do at least the four day safari so you can see enough of everything. The company provide, cool, bottled water through out the day, so don't worry about having to bring your own.
We decided to go with the lodges (just for the extra luxury) and although they are quite a bit more, they were well worth it.
When we got back, Hilary met us at the hotel just to make sure we all had a good time. All and all a great sarfri, and it is the little personal touches, that really made the trip.
ES
Email Lucas | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Epic safari !
We loved our trip to Tanzania - and the safari was the best part!! Suricata Safaris was great all along and our guide Ezechiel and cook Chaz were absolutely perfect!
We spent two weeks in Tanzania in end May-early June. We were on a "budget" for the safari and so decided to book the 5-day tour in tents via Suricata Safaris, a fairly new company, but with very good reviews and good prices. Organisation, via Hilary, the owner of the company, was pretty smooth.
We had a pick-up from the airport to the hotel in Arusha, before the Safari the next day. We met three other people that were joining us for the tour. Although the massive jeep was fully packed, it was nice and entertaining to do the safari with a bigger group!
We visited Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Manyara national parks. It's the pretty standard itinerary in the north of the country. All these parks are great - landscape are completely different from one to another and they are amazing when it comes to seeing wildlife.
We saw lions, hyenas, leopards and plenty of smaller cats - sometimes with a bit of action but it depends on luck! Our car went through a massive pack of thousands of gnus and zebras which was pretty amazing. We also saw elephants, giraffes, hyppopotamus, black rhinos, buffalos etc.
Ezechiel, our guide, was excellent! Very friendly and forthcoming. He knew his way inside out the parks and drove us to the right places! We were in no rush and stayed as much as we wanted at each spot, taking nice pictures and enjoying. He studied nature and wildlife and so was knowledgeable on the animals. He also taught us some Swahili... but it's a pretty tough language... ^^
Our cook, Chaz, made impressive dishes! We were expecting to eat the same thing during the whole safari, but not at all! Plenty of fruits and vegetables cooked in nice dishes. Even had home-made pizza in Serengeti :D
Some recommendations:
- going just before peak season was a good choice
- bring a good camera zoom if you want to take nice animal pictures (200mm is the minimum)
- bring some binoculars (we bought a pair for 25€ and they did the job perfectly)
- part of the safari needs to be paid in advance, Transferwise worked well for us to avoid banking fees
Email Nic | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Epic 5 day safari in Tanzania
Just back from a thoroughly exhausting but epic trip to Tanzania, a beautiful country that really has everything; stunning beaches, Africa's highest peak, lovely people and some of the world's most impressive wildlife.
I was travelling with a couple of friends in Tanzania and we chose to end our trip with a 5 day safari with Suricata Safaris covering the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and Tarangire. The trip was impeccably organised from start to finish and we were incredibly well looked after by both our guide and driver, Lewis, and cook, Theophile, who stayed with us for the duration of our trip. And also by Hillary, whose attention to detail and customer service was superb, and so welcome.
Lewis's knowledge, instincts and good humour really contributed to a brilliant time and unforgettable safari experience had by all. Theophile's cooking was also excellent, we couldn't really have asked for better. Our only feedback would be more opportunity for daytime coffee/tea (we're British after all..) and maybe some more variation of vegetarian food options on the menu.
The animals were abundant and amazing, journeys on dirt roads surprisingly comfortable despite the African massage (and weirdly soporific) and camping mostly good apart from the crater which was freezing - advice to anyone travelling that it might be bikini weather on Zanzibar but make sure you pack a jacket, the CRATER GETS COLD. The added touches of hotel in Arusha and airport transfers really were the icing on the cake.
Thanks Suricata - Hillary, Lewis and Theophile - for a truly memorable time, we'll be recommending you to all.
Nic
Email Charles | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Life changing experience
Our tour with Suricata was better than we could have ever imagined. We chose the three day (two nights) tour of the Serengeti and Ngorongo with camping and were not disappointed. Hilary sorted out the tour where our group of three were joined by another friendly group of two and all that was needed in advance was a 20% deposit. We were easily able to check in at Jevas hotel in Arusha who were expecting us, and Hilary met us in the evening to give us the full brief of the tour.
We were picked up in the morning by Frederick (guide) and Dionese (chef) and taken to the Serengeti where we stopped for lunch and camping and set off for our first Game drive. We had one night camping here and then went for an early morning Game drive where we saw the most incredible scenes of a pack of Lions and Hyenas disputing over a kill. We were spoilt with the abundance of animals and with how close they came to us, something that we will never forget. We then traveled to Ngorongo crater rim where the weather was vastly different and we were joined by an Elephant watching us at the edge of the campsite. Then next day we had a full tour of the crater where again we saw all species of animal, including the rare and shy Rhinos - again something we did not expect. We were then taken back to Arusha and Jevas hotel where our bags had been safely stored and had another night stay.
All in all the whole tour was organised brilliantly, payment was easy and we ate extremely well (special thanks to Dionese!). On top of this Frederick had unrivalled knowledge of all animals, birds and the area, and spent time with us at lunch and dinner to share more knowledge and past experiences he has had. All we had to do was arrive at the hotel the day before the tour and the rest was organised for us, and this meant that we could really take in the experience.
I couldn't recommend Suricata Safaris any more and for that I can only thank Hilary, Frederick and Dionese.
Email Charlotte | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 3 day camping safari in Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater
Suricata Safaris was recommended to us by some friends who used them previously and had a great time. After checking the positive reviews, we decided to book a 2 night and 3 day camping Safari through Serengeti NP and Ngorongoro crater. We’re so glad we did! Hilary (the manager) was very prompt to reply to all our questions via email and WhatsApp.
The safari itself was incredible; our guide Edgar was very informative, the chef Chaz cooked us tasty food every day and we saw all of the Big Five (and many more smaller animals) in just 3 days. Seeing a cheetah and and her cub was the highlight for me!
The campsites (Nguricho and Simba A) were basic but clean - both had working showers, toilets and a dining room. Wild camping was a great experience and seeing/hearing a herd of buffalo outside our tent overnight was exciting! We The tents, mattresses, pillows and sleeping bags provided by Suricata made sleeping comfortable and Edgar helped us to set them up each night. Tips are not included in the overall price and are optional - we were very happy to pay them for the great service provided! (Hilary recommends $10/day as a tip which is then split between the chef and the guide.)
I would really recommend this company for a budget safari.
ES
Email Julia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent!
We are a young couple who chose the 5 day safari program. From the first moment everything was perfect, the organization, the hotel before and after the safari and transport. The safari itself, amazing! Our guide Ezequiel made everything very easy, we saw many animals and the main ones even several times. He is also very friendly and made us feel at home at all times. I highly recommend it. We went camping, the facilities of the camps are basic but the material provided by the company is very good. Also the food was 10.
If we went back we would choose them without a doubt!
Email Violet | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable experience
Ezekiel,our guide was absolutely lovely;and Hilda is amazing chef she made a delicious food during our Safari .Whole team is attentive and friendly.We really enjoyed our Safari ,Can definitely recommend Suricata Safaris
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Email Karin W | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
3 day and 2 night camping safari to Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
Awesome trip all around.!! Our guide Ezekial was very knowledgeable about the Masai people, the area, the parks and animals. He showed us so many animals and we had a great experience with a cheetah and her cub jumping up on our truck!
Hilda our cook was also excellent. She made the best food - soups, meat dishes, vegetable and fresh fruit. She was fun and easy to talk to.
Overall best low key type of camping safari with beautiful camp locations.
Email Hannah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Surikata safari
Went on safari for 3 nights, 4 days to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. Stunning scenery with amazing variety between the campsite. Our guide was Rocky, who was brilliant and made the trip a lot of fun. He was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and found lots of lion for us. Hilda was our cook who made us loads of delicious local food throughout the trip. Highly recommend this company to anyone looking for a fantastic experience like no other.