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 Oliver Schultze | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
SuperSafari Trip
I made a 6 day safaritrip with Suritaca Safaris and It was an excellent trip. My guide was Ezequier and also a cook went with us. We visited the Serengeti, the caldera of ngorongoro, the national park of Tiangare and the national park of Lake Manjare. Our guide Ezequier could tell us many interesting stories and facts about the wildlife as he was studying the tanzanian wildlife at the university. I could learn a lot about nature and also about myself and what the sentence “survival of the strongest” really means.
FI
Email Tuomo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My sincere recommendations to anyone!
I found this company after going through hundreds of different ones. Still a relatively new company, but already had very good reviews on both safaribookings and tripadvisor. We also were on a very narrow schedule, as we booked our safari only about two weeks before and wanted to have our safari on particular dates. It also seemed to have very reasonable price compared to many others. After initial email, I found it convenient to chat with Hilary, the manager, in whatsapp. We had lots of conserns, such as my wife's restricted diet due to celiac disease, which ultimately was taken on to account unbelievably well. On every meal she could get her stomach beyond full, as could the rest of us, thanks to our brilliant young chef. Our crew was of good size, six tourists in one car. Our wonderful guide, Fred, felt more like a friend than a guide to have around in a good way. He would tell us anything we'd like to know, about Tanzania or related to safari. He sincerely seemed to enjoy his work. Also, when our car's spring once inevitably broke down, it could be fixed with a piece of wood in no time, and our itinerary would still hold. On our game drives in Ngorongoro and Serengeti, we were able to see every animal we could have imagined seeing (cheetah, leopard, rhino and heeps of lions, hyenas and so on). Only thing I would even consider changing is that due to my and my wifes busy schedule, we joined the group and went first to Serengeti and Ngorongoro, and after having seen all the animals in world class safaris, Tarangire NP felt a bit empty. This was also due to the season, as we went just after the rainy season, which is not the best to see big game. Luckily we could still get very close to a big pack of elephants. All in all, our safari exceeded our expectations, and I found it to have excellent price/quality ratio and brilliant for anyone looking for a five star experience on tight budget. Thank you Hilary and the crew!
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Email Marco | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari, great experience
Had a great experience overall, did the 4 day safari. The guide, the food, the camping was great, and the best is the scenery of course, just incredible. Met some pretty cool people too. No regrets, yolo!
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!
FR
Email Laurene | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very appreciable safari!
We really appreciated this experience with Suricata safaris. Hilary is very accomodating and the guide Ezekiel is good advertiser. And with a young child, everything was guaranteed. Thank you very much!
IT
Email G Sap | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best esperience with Suricata Safari
Our experience (couple private tour) with suricata Safari was excellent. We enjoyed a 5days safari, thanks to our guide Floris we were able to see the big five from few meters! The boss of the company Hilary, is very nice and care a lot about the customers. Very suggested!
BE
Email Carla | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience!
We just finished a 5 day safari in serengeti, ngorongoro crater and tarangire national park and it was amazing! I was with my partner and we shared a jeep with 4 other persons (1 couple and 2 solo travellers). We arranged everything via Hillary, he was super helpful and did not mind answering all our questions several times. It was very easy to communicate with him via whatsapp before, during and after the trip.
Our driver/guide Mandela was a great spotter, we got to see all the big 5 (and the ugly 5!) several times during our time there. We slept in public campings which offered basic sanitary infrastructure, ideal for young travellers. Dionis was our chef, and every meal we were surprised about how good it was. The good dinner after a full day safari was really appreciated.
The overall organization was great, since our arrival at the airport everything was smooth and taken care of for us which allowed us to enjoy every day without worrying about any detail.
Thanks again Hilary, Mandela and Dionis for an unforgettable experience!
Email haj | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
very friendly and knowledgeable about the animals the choice of the lodges were excellent
It was delightful to meet Hillary and Izikio at the Kilimanjaro airport. our safari started the next day in four days we visited Ngorongoro and Serengeti parks, very we had breaks for lunch and the packed lunches were OK. but the dinners at the lodges were very good the lodges were comfortable with hot and cold water .the roads are mainly bumpy if anyone has back problem this ride going to be really painful.
the night stay in Serengeti national park was unforgettable you can hear lions roar all night ,and sunrise and sunset are amassing it is a life experience not to be missed
IT
Email Delphine | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful safari of northern Tanzania!
The owner of Suricata safari, Hilary is very friendly and helpful, he will make you feel super comfortable no time! We did a 5 days private tour safari in the norther parks: Tarangire, Serengeti e Ngorongoro. Hilary came to pick us up at Arusha airport and took care of our overnight accommodation in Arusha. The safari was beautiful! Our guide Floris, and our chef Mister Delicious were the best and really took care of us for all 5 days. I truly recommend Suricata Safari! Write to Hilary and he will organize your itinerary base on how many days you have and who you would like to see. The price is good, the jeeps are good and well maintained and the camp gear is also new and clean!
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Email Tom | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Majestic Vastness of Serengetti---I'll always remember.
I've Traveled in Latin Am, Asia, Europe and Africa & I appreciated Hilary and the Suricata Guide-Driver and cook! Hilary, the owner was so hospitable, on-time, and thoughtful to us. His price was reasonable and yet he helped us in extra ways, like taking us to the shuttle bus to Nairobi, even though we had already paid him and he did not have to do this big favor for us! I enjoyed the safari---especially the majestic vastness of the Serengetti. Emmanuel, the driver/guide has amazing eyes for spotting animals and is kind and thoughtful towards his guests in the safari. Dionnis, the cook prepares really good food and it comes on time---a big contrast to the lackadasical service we experienced at even a supposed 5 star hotel in Arusha. If I could do it over again, I would arrange to spend 2 days and 2 nights in the Serengetti, and sacrifice Tanguire or Manyara during a 5 day safari.
