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 $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
That was amazing!
This was our first experience on safari. Everything was great. We met at the airport, placed in the hotel. In the evening came, Hillari, we paid main amount for safari. He asked our preferences in food, when my wife learned that cook can cook separately for her food without gluten, she was very happy! Was one confusion with paying, in the contract not mentioned on the amount of a tip for guide, they were fixed, 10$ 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!
DE
Email Nesty | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was an amazing tour with great food.
It was a beautiful tour through the landscapes of Tanzania. Baraka was a great guide and was able to answer all of our questions. I also have to praise Pius. He took care of the food, which was delicious. We felt completely at ease and were able to concentrate fully on the safari.
IT
Email Veronica | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience
I was able to see a lot of animals. The guides Mandela and Ezekiel were truly professional and fun. Chef Salim was also very helpful in accepting our every request. I highly recommend.
IT
Email Arianna | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience
Guides Mandela and Ezechiele were very professional and prepared. The chef Salim accepted each request and the meals were very good.
FR
Email Maurine | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beautiful scenery, respectful exploration and excellent food
Our guide (Elias) was very patient and flexible so we saw a lot of wildlife thanks to him, and the food was excellent throughout the experience (thanks Selim!)
Although the organising team was very responsive, I feel like I could have received more information on pick up, and what to pack and what to expect, and the organisation at the time of the trip felt like it could have been handled a bit better, so I'll remove one star as there's still a little room for improvement. Overall very very satisfied
DE
Email Raphael Gill | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very Good Safari
IT was a very good experience. The Guide was good and the food also. I will do it again
IN
Email Jain | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Suricata in itself is a Tanzania travelog
A Photographer's Dream
This was my first safari in Africa and Suricata made it an amazing experience.
From the bookings handled by Tizia, to the guide Max and chef Tito, everything was top notch .
Our guide Max was friendly, well versed, and helped us take in some amazing views of the Tarangire national park, the Serengeti
the Ngorongoro Crater, and the lake Manyara National Park.
What made the trip even more enjoyable was interacting with Max
about his love for the environment and how passionate he is about nature.
Chef Tito made us look forward to everydays' meals on the safari and in the camps.
On the last day to Lake Manyara we were transferred to another company vehicle ( Travel Africa) which was slightly more comfortable than Suricata's.
It was a newer vehicle and had a portable refrigerator with beer, soda and water.
Suricata needs some improvement on this front.
Overall a great experience.
US
Email A.J. | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Book your tour with Suricata Safaris today!
Elias, the tour guide was very patient. He saw the animals from far away. I was unwell and fell asleep many times, but he always woke me up when a big animal was close by. We saw 4 out of the big 5- lion, rhino, buffalo, elephant. He stopped regularly for toilets. The meals were very good and varied. We had meat, vegetables and starch. Drink options were limited though-Coca Cola, black tea and water. I hope they add more options in the future like Sprite, green tea, and natural juices. The accommodations were ok for 3 nights. The tents and sleeping bags were big and cozy. The bathrooms in Serengeti were not as nice as the ones in Ngorongoro. The ones in Ngorongoro were more modern and the showers had hot water. I advise you to book with Suricata safaris- they think of everything from the time you reach the airport (transport to the hotel, etc.) so you don’t have to.
IN
Email Narayanan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
great guide, good accomodation, not vegetarian friendly
Let me start with the bad. For vegetarian or vegan people, there is hardly any choice given except fruits for breakfast. They don't understand the concept of a balanced vegetarian meal. It was actually a non veg meal plan without the non veg items.This is despite their confirmation that they provide vegetarian options.
Another issue was with salt. Despite asking for low salt food it was more than even normal levels. I had to take extra medication to control my BP.
Now the good. The guide for us was very friendly and helpful. We had a very good experience despite having a totally rainy day. African safari is something one should not miss.
The accommodations provided were very good and comfortable : we took the tented camps instead of the more budget friendly campsites option.
Tarangire is really very good. The problem with Serengeti is its vast expanse and the time taken to reach or even move within. Often the most interesting sights happen before we reach the park. We also had the bad fortune of a rainy Serengeti. So that may have taken some sheen out of the experience. Ngorogoro is also very beautiful and a great place to go.
Overall the great guide we had made up for the problems with food.