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
AE
Email Saif | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing
e experience was amazing from the begging we meet ailly he explained everything and was super friendly, to james mandonga he’s was our tour guy the guy love what he does and he have have alot of information always was starting the day with a big smile and good spirit. Highly recommend.
We had the lodges, what I didn’t like one of the lodges have no hot water. And by 9 pm no one will come to your lodges and ur not allowed to leave. Thats it
BR
Email Miriane Barros | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Doing a Safari with Suricata was an amazing experience. They take care of everything so you can focu
Doing a Safari with Suricata was an amazing experience. They take care of everything so you can focus exclusively on the tour. Tha guide and tha cook man were so friendly and helpful. Me and my husband decided to do the camping and it was amazing. A great time to meet different people around the world and even see animals (elephant!!) on the camps. If you are not that adventure there are also lodge options with more structure. After doing a lot of research, because this is not a cheap trip, Suricata was the best cost-benefit agency.
NL
Email Anna | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A good choice for a good price!
The safari was well organized and well explained. The guide knew the place well so we have seen an incredible number of animals in a short time. My best safari ever! Vegetarian food was available although I would have appreciated more variety in the food. Honest and nice staff who worked hard to make it the unforgettable experience it was.
CH
Email Riikka | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good service and organization
I did a fantastic 4-day safari in Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro with Suricata Safaris. Everything was well organized, service was very helpful and our guide was excellent.
Accommodation in Arusha and for the first night on the safari could have been better, which is why one star is missing (on the other hand, accommodation in Serengeti and Ngorongoro were excellent).
That was amazing!
This was our first experience on safari. Everything was great. We met at the airport, placed in the hotel. In the evening came, Hillari, we paid main amount for safari. He asked our preferences in food, when my wife learned that cook can cook separately for her food without gluten, she was very happy! Was one confusion with paying, in the contract not mentioned on the amount of a tip for guide, they were fixed, 10$ with person per day. I think you need it to write in the contract! In our country tips are not mandatory and fixed. But guide the Mandela and cook Salim, great fulfilled his work and very tried, so we were pleased to pay a tip! We really liked it, we will recommend to our friends! The price is very good.
US
Email Heather | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very smooth and fantastic experience, once we got the kinks worked out
Suricata Safaris is a shining new company in a competitive field, and you should absolutely book them. I recently did a 6 day/5night camping safari with them, and they handled everything so nicely, from the itinerary to choosing the best campsites. They have (as of right now) three drivers—Frederick was our guide, but we also met Mandela, who was super charming and enthusiastic.
You could not ask for a smarter, more informed, funny, patient person to show you the wilderness than Frederick. He knows his field incredibly well, from who/what/how every predator hunts, to understanding where to find the action. (We saw a cheetah take down a zebra, and a lion miss one in the same day.) He’ll answer all your questions and include information you never knew to ask, all with a great sense of humor. He's patient, and it pays off in the best sightings.
Dioniz was our chef, and I guarantee you’ve never eaten better while camping. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all multi-course affairs with a million choices. You’ll be spoiled by him for sure. He’s up at the crack of dawn to set a table with a tablecloth for your breakfast and the food is *chefkiss* He’s got skills.
We had some communication difficulties with Hilary, but all were sorted quickly. Most stemmed from him getting emails from two different people, so I recommend having one point person as the organizer. Be prepared to pay the receiving end Tanzanian bank fees for a wire transfer as well as your own bank’s. BUT, he personally drove us to the airport, which was lovely.
Suricata can’t guarantee a specific driver, although we were told we were confirmed with our request. It wasn't a big deal, just another communication issue. You won’t go wrong with any of the guides, though, so it’s ultimately nbd. We also requested separate accommodations but were in shared tents (just my friend and me together) the whole time. Again, re-confirm all the details of your trip a few days before to make sure Suricata is on the same page.
I would have preferred a more detailed itinerary, like an easy to print pdf including drive times between sites (some are 6 hours) and a recommended packing list, but that’s nitpicking (which, I learned from Frederick, is a term that comes from baboon grooming habits). You will need this for your visa, so be sure to ask Hilary for a list of each day.
Don’t go crazy with safari gear—you’ll rarely be out of the car, and then only at picnic sites/washrooms. Pack comfortable shoes you can take off quickly so you can hop up onto the seat fast enough to get that once-in-a-lifetime photo. Basically dress like you’re going on a road trip. I never even considered wearing the safari hat I brought, and hiking boots were definite overkill.
Don’t forget binoculars, a towel, bug spray, itch cream, soap/shampoo, tissues/tp, and a few warm layers. There is a charger for all your devices in the safari vehicle! I don't think I was below 80% charged the entire week.
Suricata did well by us. You can feel confident you’re getting an amazing trip with super smart people you’ll be happy to spend a week with. I had an unforgettable time and made some new friends along the way!
RU
Email Ilyas Kalimullin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was very good organized, easy going 6 days safari
Company met us in Arusha airport. After night in a hotel we started our 6 days safari.
First day was Manayara, actually we didn't see flamingo there, but we saw hippo very close. After a night in good camping we went to Serengeti NP for 2 days. It was awesome there - many gnus and zebras. We also saw different cats - lions, cheetahs, leopards.
Every day we had excellent dinner and breakfast with hot meal made by our cook. And also we had lunchboxes in the car, but the lunchboxes were not so good.
The only problem, which upset us was that
the program of Suricata said "Day 5 : Ngorongoro Crater tour .
After breakfast, proceed directly to the Crater floor for a full day crater tour with picnic lunches. Later proceed back to tarangire in the evening"
But actually we had only half day safari in Ngorongoro, we were upset of this fact.
But it total everything is very good. We recommend this company!
IE
Email Sarah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Mixed experience but kept asking for 5 star review
We had a mixed experience on our 4 day safari. Our first three days were very good, but our final day they changed our group and car which led to a lot of sitting on side of road or on curb waiting. We were never communicated with about what was happening. If you have the same group/guide I say you'll have a better experience but we were not told till 10pm before our 6am tour start that we were to have two different groups. We found the communication poor - at the end when they meet you they kept pushing for us to give 5 star review rather than listening to our experience and feedback. The food on the tour was excellent and our jeep was very good.
Email Jeremy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good safari, but poor camping equipment and forced to leave 5 star review
Good safari, knowledgeable guides. Overall decent experience. 3 different parks, 3 nights in tents and 4 days of safari.
But - camping and sleeping gear was old and smelt mouldy. It was not hygienic.
Also at the end of the trip we were left with sour taste in our mouths as the company essentially held us in a location until we submitted a 5 star review.
So please take any 5 star reviews with a grain of salt.
It’s a good safari for the cost, but be prepared for some mouldy camping gear
RO
Email Monica | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mixed
Overall, the adventure went well. In detail, we saw wild animals - that's why we went to Tanzania in the first place - and sometimes they were so close... right next to the jeep's front wheel OMG. We had Mister T, Lewis, Silas as our guides and Piu as a chef in Ngorongoro. On the first day of the safari, the jeep had issues when it exceeded 35 km/h, and we lost a few hours trying to fix it at a Mad Max-style service center :). The response was that it could be repaired if taken elsewhere for a part, and all of us in the group chose to continue using it as it was. On the second day, a different jeep, a different guide, and a different group: this time, the gearbox broke down right before entering the park, before the ticket gate. After a few phone calls done by Silas, we were told that it would be fixed in an hour. After an hour, we were told it would take another 2 hours. After the first hour of the two, we were informed that we would receive a replacement vehicle around 3 - 4:30 pm. After a while, Silas managed to persuade another driver (just entering the park) from a different company to take each of us to our respective accommodations - we drove for 6 hours with only a few stops because it was already getting dark, and the driver didn't have time to return back safely. The vehicles were not properly checked, which posed risks (what if we were already near the group of relaxed lions we photographed next to the front wheel? What if the vehicle didn't start? I'm sure Silas would have found solutions, but I would have preferred not to have these worries :). The first night of accommodation was at Boma Lodge - excellent lodging and food. The second night was at An'gata Lodge - MASH-style tents, a dedicated team - we were escorted to and from the tents by a team member using walkie-talkies; good food. The third night was at a camping tent, and the toilet/shower area needs improvements. Good food cooked by Piu. During the night we were visited by zebras OMG :) I'm glad that, overall, the safari was a success. We took memorable photos/videos and returned safely, with no unpleasant incidents regarding food. I can recommend improvements in communication between guides and tourists AND regular technical checks of the vehicles. Regarding tips, I agree with it up to the point where there is so much pressure that it can be believed that salaries are not paid from the money tourists pay for the safari (and it's not a small amount), and guides rely solely on tips. I hope that is not the case.