African Pangolin Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2018)
- Member Of:
- TTB, TANAPA & NCCA
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $130 to $600 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CA
Email Hoa P | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fun experience with a very professional and caring tour
This is the review for the 5-day African Pangolin Safaris visiting Mikumi and Nyerere park.
We are a group of 12 travelers in the mid 50s to the 70s from Montreal, Canada, experiencing the first so called safari in Tanzania. We are fortunate to have signed up with this band of brothers (seriously two brothers Mansour and Yunus) who led us through the rugged terrain of Tanzania national parks for 5 days in two Toyota Land Cruiser with pop-up tops. There was apprehension in the group at the beginning of the quest when we were to give up the comfort of city life for the dusty trails.
It seemed that the brothers could read our mind, stopped at the right time for nature calls, picked the best lunch spots in the middle of nowhere that were accentuated by some memorable spots such as the humongous baobab tree that smugglers used the hollow trunk as a hideout from the law in recent pasts. They arranged the most convenient lunches midday at a stop when we were prearranged to bypass the long line of customers at a buffet that provided delicious local food. That's a privilege appreciated by the weary travelers who looked for a cool spot to rest the battered body.
It took awhile for the group to get in sync with the operation focusing on the big five animals of the territory, bouncing "aimlessly" through endless pathways at idle pace, ... and suddenly, here we were switching into what seemed like neck breaking pace on the not so smooth trails when, over the radio, there was a "point of interest" that turned out to be two full grown lions taking a nap by the roadside, oblivious to the presence of the uninvited guests.
Observing the majestic animals (giraffes, Wildebeest, hippos, .. ) along with birds in the wild made all the trip worth while. Now we have first hand view of the African Eagle to compared to our Canadian bald eagle. The brothers will not hesitate charging through narrow passages that made us cringe when tree branches gave the sides of the vehicles a brush jobs that will require serious detailing to remove the scars off the paint. The brothers provided ample of time to take in the scenery without feeling pressed for time, an undeniable quality felt and can hardly quantified.
It was a well paced program allowing the group to enjoy the ruggedness of nature, get the questions answered that revealed the in-depth knowledge of the professional guides. That was an educational experience that I personally appreciate. The brothers were patient, courteous, friendly throughout the long days searching for the best spots, the most unique scenes, answering multitudes of questions with facts and back story, contrasting the calmness when traversing the rugged terrain that required technical skills to overcome.
The food choice was excellent, blending local cooking with some traditional western dishes that help balance the adventure with home cooking. Banda bungalow Selous was top in the group's mind.
In all, I would be amiss not admitting the overload of sensation during the 5-day adventure. The recall is spotty at best but the memory etched deep in this memorable vacation.
There are not enough words to thank Yunus and big brother Mansour to make this safari a wonderful possibility. They are a big factor in making this vacation a success. Now, we have plenty of time to peruse the photo collection for a recall of the many details of past events and relive the adrenaline-packed five-day adventure.
The group is very happy to have chosen African Pangolin Safari and we were amply rewarded.
The big brother Mansour is discretely a bit stricter than Yunus on when to stand while the vehicle is moving, I later found out. Well, all is in the name of safety for all aboard and we appreciate it.
Thank you Mansour and Yunus. 'til the next time.
CA
Email Alain Vo | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
African Pangolin Safaris one of the best tour operator for Safari
We love this 5 days trip to Mikumi and Nyerere organized by African Pangolin Safaris.
Mansour and Yunus Mohamed are the best and very patients with our group, every small details were taking care, good lodge, nice meals.
CA
Email Jasmine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service
Good guides and drivers, spotted lots animals and nice views.
CA
Email Bao | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service
Wow, the guide is friendly, exceptionally knowledgeable and willing to please
I would recommend+++
US
Email Jennifer | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, Reliable, and Safe! Safari Guide, Victor, was the real deal!
Just came back from our 8 day Safari in Tanzania. We started off in Tarangire National park, then went to Ngorogoro Crater, and then into the Serengeti with the Mara River. We saw EVERYTHING -- the big 5, giraffes, zebras, and even the rarest Serval cat. I cannot emphasize this enough: CHOOSING A GOOD GUIDE MATTERS.
Here's how things work: your guide drives you around, looks around for animals, tells you where they are, fights their way around other guides to get you the best view, radio's in or messages his buddies if they find sightings of major animals, drives you to your lodge, etc. With Pangolin Safaris, we hand selected our guide through recommendations and we clearly see now why Victor was highly sought after. His experience (20+ years) blew many other guides from other companies out of the water. They were relying on him to tell them where the animals were, following him, getting advice from him. He is clearly a leader in the industry. He had many connections with other drivers and therefore was able to get us up close to so many animals -- oftentimes 15-20 minutes before many other cars got the notification. This allowed us plenty of time to watch lions and leopards and get all the best videos and photos.
He pushed us and we pushed him. This made the experience a million times better when we challenge each other to make the most out of every day. When he dropped us off at the lodge, he would ask us what time we wanted to start. Then he would ask us what we wanted to see. Based off of this, he would challenge us to wake up a bit earlier so he can guarantee that we'd see what we wanted. It worked -- without fail. We would challenge him every day by saying "tomorrow we want to see X" and sure enough, without fail, he would summon up all his channels and Safari magic and take us to remote specific areas where we would precisely see X. For example, on our last day, we wanted to see vultures and hyenas EATING. This was very specific because we had practically seen everything else already. So Victor drove us to this location where it seemed no other cars were going. From there, we encountered 4 different instances of Hyenas literally feasting on a meal or running through the field carrying a zebra leg. We saw vultures feasting and then getting taken over by hyenas. He literally gave us exactly what we asked for. We were so impressed we started joking and asking him to show us Santa Clause and a Unicorn next!
The last point I want to emphasize on is Safety. The roads between locations are 95% not paved and an experienced driver matters. On the road, we would see cars zoom past us only to see them with flat tires 3-4 miles later. We also saw drivers who had bubbles in their tires and when Victor address it with the driver, he said not to tell his clients because he didn't want them to know. Can you imagine your guide deliberately putting your safety at risk? That is one thing we REALLY appreciated from Victor with Pangolin Safaris. He said he changes his tires and shocks almost every client and has so much experience that he knows what tire pressure and how to maneuver the car to make sure his guests are always safe and can complete their Safari trip without any issues.
Overall, Victor with Pangolin Safaris made the entire trip so memorable. He orchestrated everything for us and made us feel so special and safe. We will 100% be recommending this Safari company and driver to all our family and friends. After seeing the other drivers recklessness and inexperience -- we now know how LUCKY we were to be working with Victor and Pangolin Safaris.
US
Email Debbie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
African Pangolin Safaris went above and beyond to create the perfect experience!
I was recommended going with African Pangolin Safaris to see the Great Migration. Right off the bat, Mansoor impressed me with his professionalism and expertise. He was incredibly knowledgeable and responsive while he helped me plan the perfect itinerary for our trip. We really maximized our time there with fun game drives during the day and luxurious lodgings to relax at in the evenings.
Victor our guide, was a magician! We started asking him to find Santa Claus because somehow he was able to find every animal we requested to see. Not only that, he was an extremely skilled driver- the ride was as smooth as the bumpy roads could allow and he was able to finesse the car into the ideal viewing position amidst a crowd of other safari trucks. He was also able to time many animal road crossings perfectly, parking us in the perfect spot to view giant herds of animals pass right in front of our truck multiple times. Watching him strategize where to take us, network with the other guides, and how nature the utmost respect, you can really see his 20+ years of experience and the pride he has in being a guide.
I would 100% go with Victor and African Pangolin Safaris again!
GR
Email Maria Favva | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
African Pangolin Safaris is the best Tour operator in Tanzania!
My experience with African Pangolin Safaris as solo traveler was excellent because they are the best professional ever! Very kind, lovely and helpful with everything, with great knowledge of Safaris in Tanzania.
Very professional and welcoming.
Great trip, the schedule was very well organized , it comprised plenty of safaris in several national parks and a stay at a Maasai village. Everything run smoothly ; our drivers where also our guides who were very experienced and eager to answer to all my questions about wild life and local habits.It was a very pleasant experience.I fully recommend this tour operator if you want to explore Tanzania!
Email Seb | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari. Very professional staff.
Great experience with African pangolin safaris. Mansoor was extremely easy to deal with to book a safari. He managed to accommodate me as a solo traveller with just 24hrs notice, finding a group that were happy for me to join their safari. Mike, our driver, was also very professional and made the trip to Mikumi very enjoyable. Would highly recommend
NL
Email Nina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The tour operator is very nice! Good at communication, very professional and customer-oriented.
The three of us booked the tour: '7 days Udzungwa mountain NP, Ruaha NP and Mikumi - private safari plus maasai experience'. The planning was very varied which made the experience so much fun! The tour is well taken care of.
The communication is easy and professional. If you have any questions or wishes, they will help you well. Special thanks to Mansoor!
Because of a gluten allergy, I eat gluten-free. I was very curious beforehand how this would go in Tanzania. The meals were provided by the organization. The gluten-free food has not been a problem at all. Mansoor thinks along with possibilities.
We had the best time in Tanzania! The tour is highly recommended!