African Big Cats Safaris
- Located In:
-
United States
Australia
Canada
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2013)
- Member Of:
- Tanzania Tourist Board
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $380 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Joseph | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
African Safari
Breathtaking! Amazing!
Anyone thinking of a safari, think no more, wait no further. The experience is absolutely soul fulfilling ! My wife and I are world travelers and would not trade what we experienced here for any of our many other adventures. This was so remarkably fulfilling.
Thank you African Big Cats Safari!
We could not have asked for more. Every desire we had for our safari was expertly met. The lodges were beautiful and welcoming. The camps we stayed in were absolutely amazing, as were the people.
We could not believe such comfort could be had in the middle of the Serengeti! All of their staffs, both at ABC and the lodges and especially their camps were so welcoming. The hospitality was exceptional. We have never in our lives been treated so well. Well beyond expectations.
And even with all this done so well, we must say, our guide Endeni was the single most important part of this. All the planning, catering and care would be meaningless without a guide that can find game, educate and keep you safe.
Endeni’s knowledge is incredible, he educated and entertained us with it. We learned so much while our jaws dropped in wonderment! With Endeni we always felt safe and we always had adventure.
Thank you Endeni! You took such good care of us. You should make ABC very proud to have you.
And, yes, WE FOUND THE BIG 5! Even off season!
The pictures are amazing!! Only second to the memories.
We even saw a Calacal cat! What a rare find!
Book with African Big Cats Safari and bring a good camera and be prepared for a life edifying experience.
CA
Email Cassandra | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic family safari experience
We chose African Big cats because they had great communication before safari, answering all our questions. They also had a better price point than the other companies we were looking at.
We did an 8 day, 7 night safari and enjoyed our experience immensely. We have twin 9 year olds and they also enjoyed their experience and learned a lot. Our guide, Lodi, was excellent at finding us the animals we wanted to see and worked with the other guides to help locate the animals. We really appreciate the camaraderie amongst all the guides, helping each other with flat tires or pulling out people who got stuck. It's a great atmosphere.
Our lodges were all very well chosen and excellent places. Our favourite was the intimate camp zebra and seeing lion eyes in the dark as we sat by the campfire.
Thanks ABC and Lodi for the amazing safari experience.
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Email Gabby | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience!
ABC Safaris guides Imram and Elias guided myself and three friends up Kilimanjaro using the Machame route. All 4 of us summited and we really believe they helped us so much with our trek and ultimately reaching our goal of getting to the top. The entire team of guides, porters, chefs, and staff were respectful, caring, helpful, and went above and beyond to make our trek special and successful. The whole team worked with each of us to ensure that we were eating well, hydrating and carrying the right gear throughout the trek. The staff also helped us with figuring out storing our bags and renting our gear! We could not recommend ABC Safaris for a Kili trek more.
CN
Email Wendy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect
Our trip was truly perfect.
I was very lucky to choose ABC as our tour guide. We are a family of 8 people. Including two 70-year-old and two children. 9 and 5 years old girls. We have set a luxury itinerary. All five-star hotel for 9 days 8 nights.
It took me several months to talk about this trip with ABC. I have changed the plan like 3 times, They replied quickly and were very considerate. They gave us a lot of useful tips before our trip, and they also included the insurance of the flying doctor. It’s truly thoughtful.
The manager Emanuel met us 2 times, before our safari and after , he told us all the details and made us feel very secure.
We had 2 vans. 2 guides. They were amazing, very professional. The manager told me that their guides all had more than ten years of safari experience. On our game drive time, the roads were not very smooth. Coz March was raining season. They need to drive while looking for animals based on experience. They have eagle-like eyes, can quickly find all kinds of birds, big cats, and taught us a lot of knowledge. My two children are very happy to come to Africa to see the real animal world that they had watched on TV. ( Our guides names were Endeni and Obedi. )
Before I came, I was worried that we couldn't see anything in the rainy season, but my goodness , we actually saw everything! thousands of wildebeests and zebras in Serengeti. We are very lucky to see all Big Five of east Africa . We saw beautiful cheetah, elegant giraffe family. African elephant family, at least 15 elephants with babies. We also saw more than 20 lions hunting. Right in front of us, the feeling of being close at hand, you can't imagine how great it was.
We were very happy of this safari trip. We will share this experience with our friends and strongly recommend that they choose ABC African big cats when they visit Tanzania.
(Btw I think Endeni learnt some mandarin, he can say elephant , hippo , impalas ,zebra wildebeest ,lions in mandarin. So cool. )
CA
Email Tyler, Beke, Teala and Benno | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible, customized safari
Absolutely incredible trip! African Big Cats was professional from start to finish. Our safari was in great hands with an experienced & knowledge driver. Tanzania is a special place and Big Cats helped us to experience this to the fullest!
NL
Email Tom | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience, well organised, super luxurious
We had an amazing trip. It already started in the booking process, they are very responsive, and happy to help with customising the trip. All questions are answered quick and clear. On the trip itself everything was well organised, we had a great guide and amazing luxury locations (while not specifically asking for it).
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Email Megan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lordi was knowledgeable, caring, organized, and fun!
We were thrilled with our safari experience. The company planned the park visits well to accommodate travel time & time needed to fully enjoy the park, and we met with a representative from the operations team on our way to the first park to set expectations, answer questions, and discuss the itinerary and any changes we might want to make last minute. For example, we switched our first and last parks due to what time we would arrive based on how the day was going; this allowed for more time at the larger park and avoiding the hottest part of the day when fewer animals might be active.
Our guide was very personable and stopped to get us some fresh ginger for a cold I was trying to get over which was very thoughtful - you could tell he wanted us to have the best experience possible. We did not feel that there was a set route or timing at any park; we were able to explore and drive to where the animals were, pause when we needed to, and take as many pictures as we liked. Lordi made an effort each time to ensure we had a good view of the animals and would not have any vehicles in the background of our photos which was a very nice extra touch. He even planned our lunch stops so that we could enjoy our meal alongside giraffes one day, cheetahs another, and elephants a third.
Communication was strong with no language barrier, the accommodations were very comfortable, and we never had concerns for safety nor service level. Everything was tailored to how we wanted our safari experience to go, and we learned a great deal about animals, the Maasai tribe, and life in Tanzania. Finally, the vehicle provided ample shade, beverages, and there were charging stations so we never had to worry about running out of battery while we took pictures of the countless animals we saw.
FI
Email Kulinarist | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A fantastic safari! Asante sana!
We were looking for an experienced Safari operator to make our extended family’s Safari a success. Having lived in Tanzania (years ago) and with plenty of safari experience, we knew what we were looking for. And we found it.
African Big Cats Safaris office staff were absolutely fantastic in helping us tailor the package to our 9 person groups (ages ranging from 11 to 77) needs and wishes. All our questions were answered swiftly and professionally and their experience based advise was offered at all the right moments.
We ended up making a 6 days 5 nights Ndutu Migration Safari, visiting Tarangire, South Serengeti (Ndutu area), Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara.
The first night was at Ilboru Safari Lodge in Arusha, for a very needed acclimatisation day at the pool after the long flights from Finland. The two nights to-and-from Serengeti we spent at slightly upgraded hotels (Ngorongoro Farm House and Escarpment Lodge), which can both be recommended. In fact, we probably could easily have spent an entire day at the farm house.
At Ndutu we spent two nights at the Ndutu Heritage Migration Camp, which was fantastic and made the safari really feel like a safari. After all, a safari without sleeping in tents is not really a safari, is it (even if the tents did have fantastic beds, running water and wi-fi)? There were wild animals walking close to the camp, and grazing outside our tent during the night. And still even our children felt safe and comfortable.
Our guides ”Denny” and Khalid were absolute professionals and did an outstanding job in both deepening the knowledge of our more experienced Africa-travellers and teaching our first-time safari-going children about the local animals, nature and culture.
Admittedly, our expectations were very high about the animals we wished and wanted to see on the safari. And they were met. The only big five that eluded us (not for lack of searching) was the leopard, but it was more than compensated by the four cheetah, the very rare caracal cat spotting at close range, and the incredible ten rhinos we saw at Ngorongoro.
In addition to all the different species of animals and birds, it was great to see the migrating herds of Zebra and birthing wildebeest in such vast numbers. Staying in the Ndutu area was absolutely the correct choice at this time of year.
All the arrangements were top notch, the cars were comfortable, the food was excellent and the drinks were (mostly) cold. And the animal spotting was plentiful. Most importantly, unlike some of the other safari guides we saw in the parks, our African Big Cats Safaris guides were experienced professionals with a high respect for the animals and the nature (as it should be).
P.S. If you are wondering how many lions can fit into one tree, the answer is ten.
CA
Email Pierre-Luc | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most magical honeymoon with ABC safari
We went on the 10 day luxury safari and cultural experience tour with African Big Cats for our honeymoon in February.
It could not have been more perfect.
From the first welcome at the airport to the last goodbye at the end of the trip, we always felt safe and in good hands.
The lodges were comfortable, clean and it was very exciting to hear the animals at night while always feeling very safe. The food was also delicious during the entire trip.
Last but not least, our driver Endeni has been amazing from start to finish. He was excellent at spotting animals from far, was very knowledgeable and planned the different days in order for us to be able to see everything. He knew where to spend more time based on our itinerary and this way, we were able to appreciate the great migration, wildebeests giving birth, while also having time to see hunting cheetahs, many lions and of course, the big 5. (Rhino was far but if it was not for Endeni, we would not have seen any as all the other drivers drove past where it was without noticing it). He also did not hesitate to do the extra mile for us to have the best trip. The car was great, spacious, comfortable, and Endeni was an excellent and careful driver.
My wife and I want to thank ABC safaris for this incredible adventure, we will definitely refer this company to anyone who asks and hopefully will have the chance to go back in the future.
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Email Ethan | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledgeable, responsive, and put together a great time
From the moment I messaged them 3 months before arrival, they were very responsive, at the latest within 24 hours.
I was traveling solo and hoped to be paired with a group, but they do not combine groups. I stick with this company because my friends had recommended them, and they did not disappoint. It was a bonus to be solo because I received extra attention and assistance I may not have in a large group. My guide Steve and the team were incredibly experienced, guiding me to the top via Marangu route 5 days safely.