African Big Cats Safaris
- Offices 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)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
US
Email Balaji | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worth the money and time we spent for the safari vacation!
We started our research for African safari almost 6 months before deciding to go with African Big Cats. after reviewing over 20+ agents and talking to around 5 companies we finally decided to go with Big Cats. They were very flexible with changing the itinerary based on our requirements, selection of hotels, meal plans etc. Till we landed in KIA airport we had doubts about how the whole thing will turn out but once we met our guide Lordie (Lordlugard Peter), he really eased us out of all the anxiety. Lordie made sure our vacation was everything about what we wanted and delivered it to our fullest satisfaction. His knowledge about the various parks, flora and funa in thorough detail was very educative. He took the time to explain about the animal behaviors and knew all the best stops to find the Big5! we were lucky to see lot of lion/lioness, elephants, cheetha, buffaloes. After 2nd day of safari we wanted to see different kind of animals together eg. zebras and giraffes or wildebeest and zebras, hippos etc. We saw 100s of zebras, wildebeest migration in central serengeti, rhinos in Ngorongoro crater. The food was really good especially given that we are vegetarians, Lordie went out of his way to work with the hotel staff to ensure that we go delicious food. I would definitely recommend them especially for first timers since they take very good care.
JP
Email Chiaki | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, knowledgable, approachable, and kind.
Service was superb and the lodges they selected for our trip was fantastic! The respose to our emails were very swift and we had no trouble for booking and payment. The experience was beyond expectation, and we would love use African Big Cats again when we go to Tanzania again.
Our guide Levoi was great and he was able to find a cheetah in middle of nowhere using his knowledge, experience and eyesight. We were able to see all the animals we wanted to see(lions, leapards, cheetahs, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, hippos) and it was a once in a lifetime experience.
FR
Email Leslie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari
We had an absolutely timeless safari in August 2022. Valence, our guide was excellent, customizing each day according to our desires, allowing us to fully enjoy this unique stay. Magnificent lodges with absolutely delicious food, perfect hospitality and breathtaking landscapes. We are leaving with the family in December 2023 and once again trust African Big Cats safari to make us dream a second time.
(automatic translation from French)
US
Email Martin Alswang | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I have been on many safaris; you cannot find a better tour operator, experience, value than ABC S
I live in Denver, CO, USA but am from South Africa originally. I am a physician. I have been on numerous (over 30) safaris, including Kruger, luxury safaris near Kruger, Chobe, Okavango, but have always wanted to do the "big one" - Tanzania.
As you know, there are many different tour operators, so it was difficult to choose one. My son is a medical student (at Harvard), doing research in Dar Es Salaam. We wanted to do a Tanzanian owned and based safari, in order to try support their economy in our small way. He asked around and the consensus was ABC Safaris (African Big Cats).
I then looked at reviews and saw only 5 star reviews. I was a bit suspicious at first as it seemed too good to be true, but the reviews and their websites seemed genuine, so we went with them.
Best safari decision I have made.
Communication: excellent.
Justice, the organizer, Emmanuel, the owner, and our guide (Endeni) always answered promptly, politely, professionally, in a welcoming, reassuring and friendly manner. Their correspondence was informative and they addressed and answered all our (numerous) questions. We were never left guessing.
Flexibility: excellent.
We changed our itinerary a few times, making it 2 days longer, and included two hikes. This was never an issue with ABC - they gladly made all the changes we requested in a seamless and accommodating way, never making us feel we were being demanding or difficult.
Itinerary: excellent.
We went on the Ndutu Calving Luxury safari, to Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Lake Manyara.
Numerous baby animals seen - so adorable.
Saw teeming game, more than I've ever seen, including their calves, of numerous different antelope, elephant, rhino, buffalo, hyena, eagles, vultures, numerous other birds, hippo, jackals etc etc. We saw "kills". We saw carcasses being eaten. We saw the big 5. We were part of the migration (not the crossing of the Mara River though - wrong season).
Accommodation: excellent.
Luxury glamping, lodges had awesome views, great abundant food, immaculately clean and comfortable, safe, and the staff are the friendliest nicest people you can imagine.
Vehicle: excellent.
There were three of us, my wife, son and myself, in an 8 seater. Comfortable Land Rover, with a roof that pops up so we could stand and look for and view game even while driving. Also has a fridge and chargers.
Guide: Unbelievable excellent!!!!
Endeni was the best guide and spotter I have ever met!! He knew the roads, how to find game, was so knowledgeable, patient, friendly, funny, kind, caring. Never tired of our questions. He honestly was BRILLIANT, the best, and I've met many guides in the past. Spoke excellent English.
Value: excellent.
For what we did, saw, got, the price was more than reasonable, fair, appropriate, affordable. Excellent value for the money.
Reliability: excellent.
We received everything we expected and asked for. Seriously, nothing went wrong, and it could not have gone better...
Side note: on the way to the airport, my son's flight was cancelled by Tanzania Air (not the most reliable airline...). He had to be in Dar the next morning. ABC had nothing to do with our transport/airline. Nonetheless, Endeni phoned Emmanuel, who then drove to Precision Air, booked my son a flight, paid for it, and "saved the day" - an example of how ABC went above and beyond...
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Email Diana | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience
We booked African Big Cats based on a recommendation online, and we are so happy we did! They were very responsive to emails and were helpful through multiple changes to our booking (we added people to the tour after our initial booking). They’re obviously happy to customize anything, although we went with the recommended package and were very happy. The guides were kind and informative, and the vehicles were in good shape and comfortable. I would absolutely recommend this company.
US
Email Caitlin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
African Big Cats Safari – Beyond Extraordinary!
My dad and I decided to book a safari to Tanzania in February to celebrate our 80th and 40th birthdays. After reading so many reviews on a number of different companies we chose African Big Cats Safaris and are so glad that we did! We chose the 8-day, 7-night Comfort Ndutu Migration Safari.
The communications with Justice and Naomi were timely and thorough. They were so kind in answering all of our questions and the booking process was very easy. Although we didn’t customize the itinerary, they offered that we could change any of the accommodations, if desired. Even the company founder, Emanuel, briefed us the day we landed and met with us the day we left which we really appreciated.
The accommodations were a mixture of beautiful lodges and tented camps and we enjoyed the experiences at all of them. The meals were bountiful and delicious and the staff working at each location were gracious and interested in meeting our every need. They ensured our safety out in the bush by providing Maasai warrior escorts to and from our tent when dark (we could hear animals at night so this was comforting)!
The highlight of the trip was discovering the beauty of Tanzania’s wildlife, landscapes, and people with our exceptional guide, Lordlugard (Lordi). I recall seeing numerous glowing reviews about him pre-trip and we felt blessed to have him as well. He blew us away with his knowledge of the animals and their behaviors, the plants, the ecosystem, the history of the country, the life of the Maasai peoples and other tribes, and the list goes on. Not only was he so thorough in his explanations (we learned SO much!), but he was so kind, upbeat, and personable. You could tell he was passionate about his work and wanted to ensure that we got the most out of the trip. When approaching the animals in the vehicle he was careful to maneuver as close as possible, while remaining safe, but also was very cognizant of the sun and best camera angles. We saw the big 5 numerous times (counted 50+ lions in all) and so many other species, and are reminiscing about our trip as we flip through our many amazing pics. We would repeat a tour with Lordi and African Big Cats in a heartbeat and will highly recommend the company to our family and friends.
Thank you for making it a trip of a lifetime! Asante Sana!
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Email John Wall | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Awesome awesome awesome
African Big Cats Safaris is awesome. Great office staff to help you customize the perfect safari. Comfortable safari vehicles designed for easy wildlife viewing equipped with USB charging ports, fridge and water/beverages. Venance Malisa was our driver/guide. Awesome awesome awesome! There are several safari companies with the name “Big Cats.” Make sure to book with Africa Big Cats Safaris. The only awkward part was America and Africa are in opposite time zones. Day and night is flip flopped which is a built in communication delay while planning. That being said, Justice and Naomi were quick to reply during office hours. If this is your first safari ask lots of questions, weather, migration, and each park, reserve and conservation area has its own unique list of animals.
This was my 6th time to Africa, my 4th East Africa safari. And my second time with Venance Malisa driver/guide. This was perhaps my best safari ever. We saw the best and largest migration herd early one morning I’d ever seen, like the documentaries on TV. Spectacular!! We saw everything we wanted to see and more. After four East African safaris we still have a perfect record for seeing leopards every time. We saw at least 10 individual cheetahs most individuals multiple times.
Venance, as always, listens and then gives suggestions. Which is extremely helpful. He was also very flexible to our wishes. But best of all his knowledge, keen eye and savvy seemed to put us in the right spot to see Mother Nature at its best. After six trips to Africa I pride myself on having a fairly good eye for spotting wildlife but Venance is amazing.
Over the years I’ve stayed at most of the parks, reserves and conservation areas in the Tanzania norther loop. They all have great qualities. The Africa Big Cat Safaris team is great at helping to determine which location would be best for you.
Email Mide Ololade | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Attentive, passionate, genuine people
African big cats safari were very communicative from the outside, sending a lot of correspondence to find out our preferences for the safari. We met our tour guide Obed who was a fountain of knowledge throughout, stopped wherever we wanted to during the excursion and ensured we were well fed and watered while teaching us Swahili and keeping us in good spirits with songs. Thank you to African Big Cats for a great excursion we saw 4/5 of the big 5 unfortunately the leopard stayed hidden but we’re sure we’ll get them next time! Emmanuel and Justice behind the scenes also did their utmost best to ensure we had a good time.
Email Anna & kyle | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely amazing!
We booked a 6 night/ 7 day safari for
Our honeymoon. We had the best time
From start to finish. The booking process was easy and we had great communication from the office. Any questions or changes were answered straight away.
During our safari, from the moment we were collected from the airport, we were looked after. Our guide Lodi was definitely the highlight his level knowledge was truly amazing. He was also very kind and looked
After us very well.
I can’t explain how good this holiday was and
I believe mainly due to all the kind staff
At big cat safari!
Amazing!
Justice created tailor made safari for us and we enjoyed every minute of it. We went on a 7 days safari and visited Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and beautiful Serengeti. We had a very skilled guide who showed and explained everything we needed to know. Definitely recommended!