Visit Tanzania - Eastern Sun Tours
Eastern Sun Tours & Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- TATO, TTB & TAWTO
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $240 to $1,100 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Value
This is a very reasonably priced company that offers fantastic service and excellent value holidays.
We took a ten day trip to see the great migration calving with them in February. They created a tailor-made, private camping tour for two people for as much as it would've cost to join one of the larger companies standard tours sharing with other guests. Highly recommend going on a private tour as it means that you can choose how long you want to spend at each animal sighting and you get the charging powerpoint in the truck all to yourselves (a big deal if you need to charge multiple devices). Another bonus is that you can choose the dates you are free. The destinations we visited included: Tarangire National Park, Serengeti Central, Serengeti South (highly recommend in February for viewing predators hunting or with their kills), Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara.
The guide and cook set up and packed all the camping facilities, allowing for us to kick back and relax while viewing the beautiful scenery. The company provided us with sleeping bags, matresses and pillows free of charge and bottled water free of charge everyday. We didn't expect the food to be the highlight of a camping safari, but our cook Stephen really had a command over spices and made the most delicious soups for entree everyday which was always followed by a tasty, generous main and dessert and warm drinks afterwards.You will not go hungry. He uses a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, which was important to us as we like healthy, wholesome meals (so many cooks load up the pan with oil, leaving to you feeling sluggish). We still talk about his soups today, he really made an impact on us, he is also just a really nice guy.
The 4x4 trucks are equipped with a fridge, powerpoint, roof that pops up so you can stand while on safari and, most importantly, a radio (so other guides can share what they have found). Our guide, Hassan was one of the most respected guides amongst the Tanzanian guides. He always got us the best, or a very good, position for viewing but he never compromised the welfare of the animals, as some other guides from other companies sadly did. Due to this respect from his fellow guides, he was always in the loop with what was the latest animal sighting.
I have nothing bad to say about this company, they are very professional, friendly and they don't rip you off. I couldn't imagine doing a safari in Tanzania any other way.
DE
Email Family Nilovic | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Family Choice !!!
First: Eastern Sun did a wonderful Job. We (2Adults/3Kids-Aged 12y/8y/7y) have been on a 10 days Safari Tour in July 2015. Mercy was always listening to what we wanted to see and we had a regular email updating of our trip giving us good advices- until it was perfect. We as a family would like to say a huge -thank you- to Eastern Sun Tours- and would like to recommend this Tour Operator to all Visitors/Families with Kids!! All was very professional and well organized- from the pick up at Airport-to the End of Safari Tour at the office of Eastern Sun. We have had a very good Driver (Hassan) who took every time care of save driving and had a lot of Knowledge- explaining us everything of plants and animals as well as the local way of people living.This all made us enjoying an unforgettable and memorable Safari. Thanks once more. 100% Reliable!!
US
Email Anne Moelgaard | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable experience!
We chose Eastern Sun Tours Safaris based on their excellent reviews, and they certainly did not disappoint! We have never traveled in Africa before, so it's so important that you book with a trustworthy company - it's a lot of money, and a good chunk of it has to be paid before by a bank transfer, but everything worked 100% and we had absolutely no issues with anything. Nancy emailed us as soon as the transfer went through, to let us know all was well, and we felt in very good hands.
From the beginning, the communication with Nancy was excellent. She responded promptly always and answered all our questions. The 8-day trip she ended up putting together for us was just amazing.
I think we were very, very lucky to get Hassan as our driver! He's probably the best driver, I've ever driven with. He knows his landcruiser like an extension of his own body and always adjusts the speed to the conditions of the road and the traffic. We felt very, very safe with him. On top of that, it is obvious that he is very well liked by his peers, and has a ton of friends (not surprising, when you get to know him!), which means he always knows where the good sightings are. He'd "smell" a leopard from five km away, and then drive straight there and get us in the best spot of all. He did this over and over again, it's like he knows exactly where the animal is heading and can place the car right where it will cross the road fifteen minutes later. Amazing! We got absolutely stunning photos of two cheetahs walking straight toward us and crossing the road right behind our car. And an unforgettable experience with nine lions trying to ambush a wilderbeest - it got away, but it was still very exciting. We even got to see the almost extinct black rhino in the Ngorogoro Crater quite close up. It felt like every day was better than the day before - which had also been absolutely unforgettable.
We started in the Tarangire National Park, and had to stop every two minutes to take photos of new wildlife. We soon discovered, that if we stopped for every single one, we'd never get anywhere, there were so many new species. We totalled 42 different species of mammals during our trip, and this includes lion (we saw over 60 in total, including the most adorable cubs), leopard (five in total), cheetahs, elephant, buffalo, rhino (one), giraffes, serval cat (rare, because it's nocturnal), hippo, hyena, jackal and lots of different types of gazelles and other mammals. And that doesn't even cover the birds, which were also absolutely stunning.
Next up was Lake Manyara, where we spotted our second leopard, when it ran across the road right in front of our car. Wow! Then the road to Serengeti took us through the Ngorogoro conservation area - so, so beautiful! In Serengeti, we decided against taking the long drive to see the big migration, but stayed in the proximity of the hotel (Four Seasons - amazing!), and we saw so much there, that we did not regret it. This was where we had our close-up with the two cheetahs and Hassan also found a spot where a big group of lions were feeding on a newly killed zebra.
In Ngorogoro, we were lucky to see a black rhino. We were told, that the three days before we came, there had been no spottings, and we were lucky to get close enough to get good photos, which was also rare. Be sure to bring a good camera with a good tele-lens! I saw people trying to get safari shots on a go-pro camera (I'm not kidding) - what a shame to spend so much money on a safari and come home with go-pro shots. Go-pro is great for mountainbiking, for safari - not so much... That being said, we actually got so close to many of the animals, that we came home with great iPhone shots, too.
We ended up in Arusha National Park, which is small (it didn't feel small at all, though), and absolutely stunningly beautiful. We went on a walking safari with a ranger there, and got up close to giraffes and buffalos (not too close, of course). That was fun! We also got amazing photos of flamingos flying in front of Mount Kilimanjaro. Ahh...
Another highlight of the trip was our visit to a Masai village on our way back from Serengeti.
The car is a Toyota Landcruiser with a roof, that pops up, so you can stand up and take photos. There is a powerpoint, so you can charge your devices, which was a very nice feature. And also a cooler for drinks. It was surprisingly comfortable, considering how much of the driving was on dirt roads (where you get the "African massage"). We stayed at luxury camps and lodges, and they were all amazing, but I'm sure you can also get a great experience with the cheaper lodges. Most of your time is spent on the road anyway. I think, Eastern Sun Tours Safaris got some good deals with the lodges - we felt like we got a lot for our money.
I could go on and on, but to sum it up, I'd go back in a heartbeat. And I'd definitely choose Eastern Sun Tours Safaris again! They were amazing!
US
Email Rich and Tonya | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Thank you Eastern Sun!
Thank you to Mercy, Richard and the team at Eastern Sun. Four of us took a tour of the Serengeti, Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro for seven days and six nights with Eastern Sun. They did a great job setting up the lodging and getting us to and from Arusha. Mercy is an honest broker and Richard is a capable tour director. Thanks again Eastern Sun!
Email Megan Pearson | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Unforgettable Experience with Eastern Sun Safaris
Eastern Sun Safaris delivered on every level. We booked our 5 day Safari directly with them and Mercy was fantastic with her communication. We changed our dates and flight times on numerous occasions and Mercy just fitted in around our requests.
The accommodation we stayed in was recommended by Mercy and was a mixture of wild camping in tents with animals sounds sending you to sleep at night, as well as more established camps such as Olduvai Camp in the Nngorongoro region which has a beautiful setting around a Kopje ( an outcrop of large rocks). All the accommodation was fantastic.
The food at each camp was very tasty, especially when you realise that some of the camps are truly in the wild and the cooks are working with very basic equipment.
Hassan, our guide was a very safe driver which is important in this part of Africa as the roads are often dirt and can turn to slippery mud after the rains. He was amusing and the more we chatted to him the more knowledge he imparted to us.
We were keen to see the Wildebeest Migration so chose the southern part of the Serengeti as February/March is the time of year when the wildebeest are giving birth on the flat grasslands in the south. We were not disappointed and had many wonderful animals sightings with Hassan's knowledge of the Serengeti knowing where to go to see the best sightings..
I would wholeheartedly recommend Eatern Sun Safairs to anyone wanting to visit the Serengeti. It was an unforgettable experience.