African Polecat Safaris team
African Polecat Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Member Of:
- TTB, TALA, TANAPA, BRELA & NCAA
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $650 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CH
Email Ria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
the best experience of my life
hands down the best experience of our lives. My boyfriend and I booked a 4-day Safari, we had high expectations and they were fulfilled. The accommodations (a luxury camp tent and in a resort) were excellent, during the 4 days of Safari we saw all the animals thanks to our wonderful Guide. Communication with the tour operator has always been fast and willing to fulfill our requests. See you next year!
Email Chloe & Conor | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Private 2 day safari
WOW! What an amazing two days. The whole experience from beginning to end was just incredible. The service and transfers were so smooth it took away all of our stresses. The animals were more than we could have even imagined but honestly, I think our tour guides made it that much better. Manfred and Ib were so funny and knowledgeable. At one point I thought my husband might send me back home on my own to stay with them! We had the best two days, just wished we knew how amazing it was and booked for longer. I would 100% recommend the company, Manfred and Ib to anyone
BE
Email Sam H | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing safari experience with Polecat in Tanzania
We had an unforgettable safari experience with Polecat in Tanzania. Our driver and guide, Manfred, was exceptional. He is a nice, easygoing guy who always exudes positive vibes and eagerly shares his expertise.
James, the owner, was very responsive and quick in suggesting the perfect itinerary and places to stay.
For anyone looking for a stress-free adventure to discover the incredible wildlife and culture of Tanzania, we highly recommend Polecat.
PL
Email Ula | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
very competent
James is very nice and answers all questions about the trip quickly. On-time pickup from the airport. During the Safari, a sufficient supply of drinks (water, cola, beer), a tasty meal. Our two-day safari was very charming. An unforgettable experience . Worth recommending. Price-performance ratio is right. Overnight stay in Jungle Pearl is great! Thank you very much African Polecat.
Email Hussein ramdin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best one
I had the privilege of experiencing a fantastic safari with African Polecast. They expertly led me through the Serengeti, Tarangire, and Ngorongoro, creating unforgettable memories.
The African Polecast team’s passion for Tanzania’s wildlife and landscapes shines through. Their guides are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, ensuring I saw the incredible animals and breathtaking scenery. Their commitment to responsible tourism is evident and admirable.
Accommodations and meals were exceptional, offering comfort and a taste of local flavors. The entire journey was safe and well-organized.
For an authentic Tanzanian safari, I highly recommend African Polecast. It’s a short review for an extraordinary adventure!
Email Hannah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Worth every penny
This experience was unbelievable, my friend and I took the 3 day safari from Arusha and thought it was the perfect amount of time to see all the big 5, and “ugly five” animals. We were so grateful for our tour guide and driver Freddie who guided us through the entire trip ensuring we were fully satisfied and provided good evening tunes to brighten up the sleepy campers! Couldn’t recommend this tour enough - thank you Freddie!!
ES
Email Juan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Big memories of Africa
I really recommend the African polecat as your trust travel. We did the travel from zanzibar to Tarangire and ngorogoro. James organized everything and all was perfect. He is always available for any questions and help by WhatsApp. The pick up at the acommodation till the airport from zanzibar and also from Arusha till the destination was perfect arranged. The taxi driver Hashim was always on time, very friendly and polite. Also the safari driver frederique is the best driver you can have. Always explained about the trip, on the safari about the animales and nature also out of the nacional Park around Arusha. He made sure that there was enough food and drinks ( food was delicious). He made sure that we had the best place in the Park for see the animales and for the best pictures.
IT
Email Francesca | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very attentive and fast in responding
The Safari was an amazing experience. Our guide Frederick was very knowledgeable, kind and also fun, he made sure we saw all the animals we wanted. The jungle pearl lodge was one of the best hotels we ever slept in, wonderful luxurious bungalows and amazing personnel. We definitely recommend!
DE
Email David | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7 day safari tour with chaotic organization and downgrades
We did a seven day safari tour organized by African Polecat including Tarangire NP, 3 days Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Biking to Lake Manyara and a cultural tour and finally a walking tour at Arusha NP.
First of all, doing such a safari tour is an amazing experience and we can really recommend it - just not by this operator.
We specifically chose this tour because accomodation-wise it offered a nice combination of 3 nights of sleeping in tents in the nature (with animal encounters right in front of the tents!) and then really nice locations at the start and end, namely 2* the jungle pearl resort and 1* karibu heritage.
Starting the first day, we were told, that there would be a change in plan, with Arusha NP at the first day, rather than the last day- which was fine to us at the moment, but then after a very nice safari day we were dropped off at a cheap Hotel in Arusha that was not even on the travel list, costs less than half as much and is badly rated on google maps and booking (3/10!!). A place we never would have chosen or booked ourself. The next day we were mixed with another group and picked up by another driver and guide. We thought we would continue with the initial guide - which was no problem per se - but sad because this way we didnt had the chance to tip the initial tour guide which did a spectacular job explaining all the animal encounters. With the new - suddenly scrambled together - group, the journey continued but we ended up at different accomodations than booked.
After Tarangire we were driven to kizumba camp site instead of jungle pearl (also not as nicely rated, rather basic in comparison). We texted James (the organizer) why this was the case and he said he forgot to remind the driver.
On day 6, we had only a short day at Ngorongoro crater, because the rest of the group and the driver would go on to Arusha for the afternoon, which was not on our plan anymore. So we were dropped off along the way at jungle resort (even then the driver didnt get the right instructions for us; we basically had to make sure to arrive at the right place; even the location didn’t know of our supposed arrival). Any way we lost half a tour day because apparently we were mixed with another group which had a different tour plan.
The last day at manyara lake we were a little bit worried to not reach the planned arrival at the airport in the evening with all the organizational problems. When texting James he ensured us that a driver will pick us up and everything is arranged. When sitting in the final taxi, we thought that now nothing could surprise us anymore, when suddenly the taxi would drive to a place in Arusha and drop us off there, instead of at the airport. After waiting there for 20 minutes a second taxi drove us to the airport. Again without previous communication.
It is indeed a very weird feeling, when you are in a foreign country and half the time you enter a vehicle, you get dropped-off at a random place that was not communicated or agreed on.
Minor inconveniences: no binoculars as advertised, no beverages or alcoholic drinks as advertised, no 3l water a day as advertised, no hot shower water as advertised, no toilet paper (we thought to really expect those things would be a stretch, given the nature of the safari, but still…).
Erika the cook and Amos the guide were lovely and I don‘t feel like they are at fault for any of these problems. It very much felt like a lack of communication and providing organization and information.
A safari tour is very much recommended and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but I cannot recommend Polecat as operator.
Reply from African Polecat Safaris
Posted on Oct 24, 2023We appreciate your candor on all that was revealed about our seven-day tour. That being said, we made amends and left in a courteous manner, including offering you a private tour of Arusha National Park. We pledge to improve and provide our clients with the finest service possible, accepting full responsibility for any inadvertent errors that may have happened, this has been the greatest test of our development, and we vow to improve and provide the finest service to our clients. Furthermore, we are offering a complimentary two-day excursion to our chosen places in the event that you, a friend, or a relative ever visit Tanzania.
Regards
Team Polecat Safaris
ES
Email Eli | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable five day safari tour
We did a five day safari tour with African Polecat and it was a great experience! We visited Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater, Manyara lake and Tarangire. Our driver (Peter) and cook (Meshack) were very nice and professional people who took care of us all the time and with whom we had great fun! Peter is an excellent game driver. We also felt safe all the time. We had some issues with the group of people we shared the trip the first two days with, but we spoke with John and he managed to find solutions, which we appreciated a lot. Communication with African Polecat was easy and fluent, that was important for us and we are satisfied. When we were organizing the trip, James answered every single question I sent by email and John met with us the day before the trip to explain everything and answer further questions we might have. We highly recommend African Polecat and we thank Peter, Meshack, John and James for the memorable experiences that we lived during our trip!