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 Forest | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Kilimanjaro trip, experience of a lifetime!
If you are thinking about hiking Kilimanjaro, do it and please ask for Imran and his team! We took the 8-day Kilimanjaro package with ABC Safaris and the experience was truly a trip of a lifetime. Imran and his team really took care of everything and made us feel like family by the end of it. Every detail of the trip was carefully thought out and everything from the tents to the food to the guides exceeded our expectations. The tents were very clean and comfortable, and the food was delicious, with different types of rice, meats and vegetables, as well as a soup course every night. The trip itself was extremely well-organized and the guides really took care of us; they were funny, informative, and great company for the hike. During the expedition, a few of us got sick from the altitude, but Imran checked in with us regularly, gave us medicine, offered to help us carry our daypacks, and altered the schedule to make sure we were feeling okay and able to make the hike. The assistant guide E-Z carried my backpack the whole way up on summit night and kept encouraging me because I was having a difficult time with the altitude. In the end we were able to safely and successfully summit, all thanks to Imran's team. We could not have finished the hike without their help and encouragement. The entire trip was amazing and I could not have asked for a better team. I am still missing the team and the time we had there. I would highly recommend ABC Safaris and Imran's team for anyone who wants an unforgettable Kilimanjaro experience.
DE
Email Christoph | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional and reliable tour operator. Very good guides who always strive for the best experience.
We went with ABC Safaris on a budget Mount Meru, Tarangire/Lake Manyara, and Kilimanjaro tour in July 2024. The email exchange during the planning of the tour was good and precise. ABC safaris made several suggestions which added a lot of value to the tour. Everything that was promised was delivered - and even some more.
The guides Imran (for the mountains) and Khalid (for Tarangire/Lake Manyara) were very knowledgeable and professional. Also, they were always willing to go the extra mile and provide help and support far beyond the expected. The same is true for the both teams which worked hard to get us up the mountains as well as the cook Vitalis in Tarangire. My daughter summarized the experience very well (and repeated it several times during the tour): "There is not a single thing which they could do better."
I would not hesitate to go on another tour with the same company.
BE
Email Mika | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Professional, friendly and knowledgeable
We had a wonderful time as a family of four on a 10 day custom trip.
Communication before the trip via email was very good. The offer is detailed and lets you know what to expect. The back and forth of questions and payment were handled super professionally.
The service was perfect and pick-up / drop of at the airports worked like clock-work as well.
During the tour we were very lucky and could see all big 5 (and the ugly 5 ;-). Except for the black rhino we were lucky enough to see all other animals pretty close-by.
Our guide Lovoi was amazing: super friendly and professional, and with his experience he always seemed to have an idea what the animal will do next or where it might go.
Can fully recommend this operator. We compared prices as well, and they were very competitive as well.
Email DALE | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime
From booking the tour and ending the tour everything was done for us. We had an unbelievable trip with everything organised for us once the booking was confirmed. Our driver Alias was amazing and extremely knowledgeable about the animals and the parks. The accomodation that we chose was pure luxury. Would have been nice to enjoy our accomodation more but we were tired from our big days that we didn’t really spend much time at the selected venues (our choice). We went a luxury style tour where our accomodation was 5 star and it really was. It was definitely value for money and I would 100% recommend African Big Cats Safaris for an unforgettable holiday. We saw so many animals and we had enough time to stop and enjoy the animals we saw. Highly recommend African Big Cats for budget or luxury style safaris.
IT
Email Deblina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They were diligent, patient and accommodated our specific asks to create a bespoke experience.
We were a family of 5 and wanted to do a short safari yet capture the essence of the diverse national parks around Arusha. African Big Cats Safaris were helpful in tailoring our request and accommodate our specific asks. The staff were patient and diligent in their follow-ups, with prompt responses. Our driver was jovial and knowledged; we were encountered with a huge fire on our way to Serena lodge in Serengeti but he made a wise decision to back-up and take an alternate route, without chancing safety - this was highly appreciated!
We saw the big 4 (missed 1, the Rhino - which were at a farther distance) and our chosen National parks had different landscapes, making the safari interesting to see same animals in different sceneries.
Overall, we had a fantastic safari, thanks to the team who organised it! Highly recommend them, especially if you want a tailored experience!
Safari details: Ngorongoro conservation area, Serengeti National park, Lake Manyara National park/4 days/mid & luxury stays. Additional day spent in Arusha, which we organised ourselves.
ES
Email Marta | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellence
We felt very welcome and everything was perfectly organised. Our driver, Farah, was the best. He was an expert with many years of experience and knew all the good places. He was also such a good person. It would have been different without him. The hotels were also great and they made sure we had everything ready for our next destination. A lot of attention to details and cheaper than other agencies. Also you support Tanzanian People if you book with them. 100% recommended. We will be back. Asante Sana!
BR
Email Fabio | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They were all very dedicated and gave us a good safari experience.
It was an incredible safari, our guide was an encyclopedia, he knew all the birds, all the trees, and had very well trained eyes to spot the animals, our safari was private so we had a beautiful jeep just for us. Full board, the guide was also very patient in speaking understandable English with us.
IT
Email Matteo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Perfect organization and wonderful personnel
Since the biginning of the interactions with African Big Cats they have been very responsive providing promptly all the information I needed and proposing different options based on my needs. They organized a perfect tailor made tour that ecceded my expactations. Excellent value for money indeed. Our guide Kileo was very prepared, kind and did his best to allow us to enjoy the most our tour!
ES
Email Jorge | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very well managed by the excellent African Bug Cat safari and our guides Evans and Venance
Excellent team always thinking in to provide their best knowledge to the customers. Flexibles in the route to provide the best experience for us.
DE
Email Martin | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We were all very happy with our choice of African Big Cats Safari! Excellent service+great people!
I booked this tour for our family (parents and grown up kids). We have never been on safari and were all excited. Before choosing African Big Cats Safaris, I have been in touch with 2 tour operators with European owners. Then I looked for local operators because I thought it would be better to fully support local businesses. I came across African Big Cats Safaris because of their excellent reviews on the web. So I contacted them and was amazed by their responsiveness and support right from the first contact. In addition, they offered better prices for what I thought looked like better lodges than the other tour operators I have contacted. My first contact, William, was a very nice, experienced and responsive person in planning our safari. After we have decided on the route, Naomi took over and dealt with all adminsitrative issues (also in a very kind and responsive manner). When we arrived in Kilimanjaro airpiort, we were picked up by our safari guide, David. He was a great safari guide thoughout the whole tour and we all enjoyed very much to have him with us all the time (and had a lot of fun with him). He is very experienced and knows a lot about the country, the people and the nature/animals over there. If you choose a tour operator, I strongly recommend that you look for tour operators that only work with experienced drivers with many years of experience (as African Big Cats Safaris does) as driving/being in the bush requires experienced drivers. After our first breakfast in Arusha, Emanuel, the managing director of African Big Cats Safaris, met with us and discussed the tour and all questions we had. He also is a very nice, kind and friendly guy and it was great that he took the time to meet with us (he also met us after our tour at the airport to hear about our experinces and was eager to understand whether we see any areas for improvement!). The tour and the lodges were excellent and we all will never forget this trip. We highly recommend African Big Cats Safarai and would - without any doubt - book a tour with them again! Thank you to the whole team of African Big Cats Safais for this experience! One recopmmendation if you haven't planned your tour yet: Be aware of the long distances between the various parks/lodges. If you have the flexibility, it may be worth considering a one way trip from Arusha to Serengeti and then take a plane from there to your next desitination (e.g. Sansibar). This way, you have only half of the distance and have less time on the road (transfer time) and more time in the lodges which really were beautiful. One last comment: We have never been in Tanzania before and were all amazed by the natural friendliness and hospitality of the people! This really was an experience for all of us.