Tanzania Safari Specialists
Bobby Tours Tanzania Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 1976)
- Member Of:
- TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $400 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Stelios | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Appalling service
4 Day budget camping safari. Ok I must say our desire to visit Ngorongoro has been fulfilled, We have seen the big 5. But not thanks to Bobby tours, Its a magical place and getting there is all you need.
We are hardcore backpackers and not fuzzy at all. We have traveled around Africa quite extensively using some really bad and uncomfortable buses.
Our safari trip was actually kind of treat as we were not relying on Public transport.
The car came to pick us up from our lodge in Arusha, First impression is that the car was quite old which again it was ok with us as It was a treat compare to what we had before. But so we thought!
First game drive and everything was fine, lots of Elephants at Lake Manyara NP.
We were told that we will visit a Masai Village inside Ngorongoro Area and will cost us 20USD when we booked the tour. Our driver claiming that we were short on time suggested we should visit a Masai Village near lake Manyara NP which was also near our first camp site. We agreed to do that but we were asked to pay 50USD instead which seemed that it was including a commission to whoever was taking us there and we were not impressed by the village at all as it seemed like a tourist trap. By that time we gave all of our cash we had on us as who needs cash in the bush anyway.
The camping site was in a nice forest area. However the tent we were given had a broken zip and lots of holes. It could not close properly but again as naive were we did not mind much. The camping site was fenced and other than few harmless monkeys they were no big animals around.
The second day we proceeded to Serengeti National park. A long dirt track driving! Here I realise how bad idea was to ride an old worn car. Dust was unbearable. There was no escape from it as it was simply coming inside the car because the roof could not seal properly. I discovered that the plastic that seals the roof was worn and almost totally gone. There was simply no way to keep the dust out. We had to endure hours of driving with hazardous dust which basically went everywhere on our clothes, cameras, phones you name it.
When we arrived at our Serengeti Camp we found out from other people on similar tours with us from other companies that they simply closed the windows and had no dust at all.
The night was really scary. Our faulty tent could easily let a Hyena to get inside our tent as the Camp was not fenced and wild animals where actually freely roaming around our tent.
After we finished with Serengeti and on our final night after a filthy dusty day again the tent was useless against cold weather as our last camp was high up on the Crater Rim of Ngorongoro.
ThereThereThe last day just before were dropped back to our lodge we had to drop our Chef first who was making our meals through the tour. We were asked to give some tips and we kindly gave him around 3-4USD as much as we had on us as were in the bush for few days. Our driver went furious saying that the guy was crying because he went home with out making any money as he was relying on tips and we should give him a minimum of 10USD which was what you must give to the Chef. The same story followed when were dropped back tour our lodge, the same story for the stupid tourists and that we must give 20USD of tips to the driver. We had paid our tour in full well in Advance and a Price tag on tips made us to feel really stupid.
We found out later from some other local guides there that they are actually getting a decent salary for African Standards and they should never asked us that question.
After we came back home I send an email explaining the situation to their office but they never got back to us
Reply from Bobby Tours Tanzania Safaris
Posted on Nov 27, 2023We deeply apologize for the challenges you faced during your safari with us, Stelios. Your feedback is crucial, and we take it seriously. We are actively addressing the issues you've raised to enhance our services. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Dirty tent. Vehicle breakdowns. Terrible ending.
I went on a 5-day safari with Bobby Tours. Price was comparable. It's run by Bobby's son Kassim who appeared nice at first but turned out to be an arrogant pr*ck. The tent isn't the canvas ones like the other outfitters. It's a big "Costco" one with holes and has that bad old tent smell. Their main campsite is run down and only one shower works and it's pretty bug infested (though I find that interesting). The vehicle broke down several times too. Anyway, we finished the 5 day safari early because Lake Manyara is an easy 2 hours on the way back. I asked Kassim if we could do a day trip to see Kilimanjaro in a car on the 5th day instead, paying for the extra fuel costs. Instead of politely declining or offering an arrangement at an extra price, he just YELLED (RAGED) at my girlfriend and I on the phone. I asked him if there was a bus to Moshi, only an hour away. He then told me he didn't know - ironic since he's a tour agent that advertises Kilimanjaro treks - and that getting there would cost $100 in a taxi of van one way. Fortunately, my Airbnb host saved the day and took us to Moshi for free, and I hopped on a bus back for $2. In short, Kassim ruined our trip of a lifetime. Once he gets your money, you're useless to him. Don't give business to this entitled brat and avoid Bobby Tours.
I went on a 5-day safari with Bobby Tours. Price was comparable to others. It's run by Bobby's son Kassim who appeared nice at first but turned out to be an arrogant pr*ck. The tent isn't the canvas ones like the other outfitters. It's a big "Costco" one with holes and has that bad old tent smell. Their main campsite is run down and only one shower works and it's pretty bug infested (though I find that interesting).
The vehicle broke down several times too. Anyway, we finished the 5 day safari early because Lake Manyara was an easy 2 hours on the way back (probably worth skipping if you're going to Serengeti). I asked Kassim if we could do a day trip to see Kilimanjaro in a car on the 5th day instead, paying for the extra fuel costs. Instead of politely declining or offering an arrangement at an extra price, he just YELLED (RAGED) at my girlfriend and I on the phone.
I then asked Kassim if there was a bus to Moshi, only an hour away. He then told me he didn't know - ironic since he's a tour agent that advertises Kilimanjaro treks - and that getting there would cost $100 in a taxi of van one way. Fortunately, my Airbnb host saved the day and took us to Moshi for free, and I hopped on a bus back for only $2.
In short, Kassim ruined our trip of a lifetime. Once he gets your money, you're useless to him. Don't give business to this entitled brat and avoid Bobby Tours.
Email N/A | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
They are cheap for a reason
We book a budget 4 day safari with Bobby Tours, mainly based on the price. At the time I couldn't find much about them in the way of reviews on the internet but what I could find was ok. Anyway we turn up at the office ready for departure only to be told that we hadn't transferred enough money when we did our bank transfer. I had taken a copy of the paperwork showing we had transferred the exact amount they quoted but they wouldn't budge, so in the end we ended up pay about 100 dollars extra. Not a good start.
The car was old, had no working seatbelts, no windscreen wipers (not ideal when speeding down a motorway in torrential rain to the airport) broke down twice, the poor driver had to fix it both times. The tents were old, musty, but adequate I suppose.
The first night we stayed at a 'Bobby Tours' camp site. we were driven well away from the main strip where everyone else seemed to be staying to this deserted field, we were the only ones staying at this site, ran by a family sat there playing with machetes and looking like they wanted to kill us, not a relaxing night at all. Thankfully the next night was at a campsite where many others were staying too so we felt a lot more comfortable.
The driver was fine, as was the chef. Management and equipment not fine.
Reply from Bobby Tours Tanzania Safaris
Posted on Nov 27, 2023We genuinely apologize for the challenges you experienced during your safari with us. Your feedback is invaluable, and we have taken proactive measures to address all the issues, significantly enhancing our services. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
DE
Email Samwel Yule | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our Guide Victor - best guide ever from Bobby tours!
My husband and me were in January on a 3-days fly in Safari in Serengeti plus one night in Arusha after arrival. The entire trip exceeded our expectations.
From the first contact with Hussein in the office everything was perfectly organized incl. Hotel in Arusha (Arusha Planet Lodge), transfer from/to airports, flights (Arusha-Seronera and Seronera-Kigali), and the accomodations while on Safari: Kubukubu Tented Camp - extraordinary fantastic staff and great location and Arcacia Camp - also very great Camp!
When our Safari guide Victor picked us up from the Seronera airport, the Welcome couldn´t have been nicer - he did prepare in the shade a table with chairs, plenty of drinks and little snacks and we did sit down and talked about our expectations for the Safari. The three days we then did spent with Victor were an unforgettable adventure - he became a friend to us - he puts all his heart in what he is doing.
He has so much knowledge about the wildlife and he did let one of our dreams become true - We travelled quiet some extra miles and got rewarded: We saw the GREAT MIGRATION - how great was that?! Without words!
That was definately our highlight, but also all the other wild animals were incredible.
Victor was also interested in photography, which was definately a bonus - we shared our best shots.
We definately will recommend Bobby Safari - and LVictor as a Guide!
Asante Sana ... we will be back ...
Email Rocco | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
When you research from online reviews and they all just go flying out the window! Must read
Like all modern travels, TripAdvisor, forums and peer reviews become the essentials when researching and planning for a trip to make sure you have everything planned to precise details. Upon going through all the online tips and advices from the so called "travel experts" and those who have been to Tanzania, it is often mentioned that one should stay away from budget tour operators and those below $1800 for a kilimanjaro trek would be highly risky and one should simply not risk his/her life for. Alongside with mixed reviews we have seen for pretty much every single tour major tour operators in Tanzania (including bobby tours), we were skeptical but decided to take upon the "risk" of using bobby tours as their price offerings were simply unrivaled, at times costing less than half of other tour operators for the same services. We exchanged many emails with the supportive assistance of Kassim and proceeded with the booking just a few weeks before our trip. There we are, three of us lads touching down at Tanzania and we were greeted with a driver from bobby tours to take us from the airport to bobby tours' office in Arusha and finalised our payment for the trip (6 days machame kilimanjaro climb + 4 days safari camping). Out with the old cliches of having a trip of the lifetime and how the hospitality was great etc etc like all other reviews (which it certainly was)... The whole mountain experience and services by all the tour operators we have come across with were very similar and does not warrant the premium prices charged by many other tour operators (we talked to a lot of other people using diff tour operators at each campsite, because you would finish the day by evening everyday and have nothing to do after dinner). Our tour guides Honest and Tila made us felt welcome at all times (very very banterful all the way through, possibly the most vocal and engaging guides we have seen on kili as other guides and porters would always come over and banter with them in Swahili, at times teaching us the essential one liners that would put a smile on everyone’s face) and they were very aware of potential signs of altitude sickness, helping us to adjust our pace to ensure we were all able to reach the summit on the fifth day. In hindsight, we chose bobby tours due to its attractive pricing offer at first but if we were to come back to tazania again and had to pay for a premium/ luxury trip we would happily do so with Bobby tours. It was the immense hospitality and friendliness of the guides and porters that made this trip so special. When facilities (camping equipment, food) are all similar on the mountains, services are what you would value most. We would see other tour guides rarely interacting with their clients and some are very limited in their English fluency, inevitably taking some of the joy and positive vibes away along the journey. At the end of the trip, our guide invited us to have a home cooked dinner with his family in Arusha prior taking us to a local club which we have been talking about day in day out during the climb. As for the Safari trip, our guide Shafiq was professional and drove us to some hidden places to see swamps of hippos, groups of lions chilling under a tree and we were able to catch all the big five within 24 hours at the Serengeti. A lot of online reviews mentioned vehicle break downs and petrol shortage for the trip which we did not encounter, everything was smooth whilst we witnessed multiple breakdowns from other vehicles which were simply unfortunate and would happen to anyone in the safari. Overall, having first-hand experience with bobby tours, it is a struggle to understand and come to consensus with some of the lesser positive reviews given that common problems such as vehicle break downs, dirty campsite toilets, limited food range and quality which are all part and parcel of the experience on the mountains and in the safari. Taking into account of all the controllable factors, bobby tours have more than exceeded our expectations and even bettered than many of the so called premium/ luxury tour operators. Highly recommend for all!
DE
Email Mrt | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Thanks again for the wonderful memories!!
We have been in safari ' Tanzania Rustic Safari Tented Camp Adventure' for 4D/3N with Bobby Tour in September 2017.
We visited Tarangire, Serengeti National Parks, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Every national park has a different plant cover and a different animal population.It was amazing experience to see the Big 5 and many other animals with the help of our wonderful guide ' Daniel'. He was very kind and was able to answer every question we had.
The accomodations were great and the meal was delicious.
Many thanks to our driver / guide 'Daniel for all the fun and spotting all wildlife and many thanks to Kassim for the amazing organisation.
I would highly recommend to anyone coming to Tanzania to get their trip organized by Bobby Tour.
Thanks again for the wonderful memories!!
Email Prabir Banerjee | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Brilliant and a life long memory.
It was a real good experience for all of us. We had lot of confusion before selecting Bobby Tours and frankly we were not sure whether we are taking the right decision. But from the time of arrival at Kilimanjaro it was a wonderful experience. We did not have to struggle for anything and all the services and comfort were provided. We enjoyed every moment of our full trip and the places where we stayed are superb. Even when we found after reaching the airport that we forgot our binocular in the vehicle we informed Kassem and he immediately arranged to deliver it to us at the airport. We will whole heartedly recommend this Bobby Tours for anyone who is planning to have a trip in Tanzania.
IN
Email Sunil | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was awesome.
We had good communications with Mr. Kassim. Mr. Ally, Driver cum Guide had good knowledge of the Park, Animals and Games. He was disciplined, but need smiles on his face. The Lodges where we stayed are nice and comfortable properties, the great thing for our family was that the GMs of both the Lodges are Indian and know me as I am also from Hotel Industry. I suggest to get complete details of the package sothat there is no conflict later on.
NL
Email Abdessamad | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari trip
My partner and I decided to book a trip after arriving in Arusha. Bobby Tours managed to arrange our 4 day Safari trip within one day. The managers Kassim and his father were most welcoming and transparent.
On top of that, their services, packages and prices are clear and competitive compared to other agencies we visited.
During our private trip, we were in the company of a guide Philemon and a chef Musa. Philemon was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions on Tanzanian culture, the animals, traditions and Swahili language. We really enjoyed the 4 days with him as a guide. Moussa the chef managed to prepare very tasty breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
On our way back we had some issues with the car tires. As we had a flight booked directly at the end of our trip schedule, we missed our flight. Kassim immediately provided the best service after notice to ensure the continuation of our journey, by arranging a taxi, a beautiful hotel and new flight tickets for the morning after. We could not have been assisted better at that moment.
As we had an amazing safari experience, we would highly recommend booking via Bobby Tours if you are looking for a reliable and transparent agency.
And for the Dutch people: every year Kassim and his father are at the Vakantiebeurs in Utrecht .. If you have the opportunity to visit, it is definitely worth it!
DE
Email Tina | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Worst Management, broken cars!!!
We booked the 4 Day Lodge Safari (Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater).
Our dream became a nightmare!
The Management is the worst I have ever had. On our first day we arrived at the office and the Manager Kassim already yelled at me because I didn’t pay cash and asked to pay by credit card. Then the tour started with an old car (dirty seats, no air condition, broken seatbelts and only 2 windows which could be opened). On our first day the driver had to fix the car twice. On our only day in the Serengeti the car broke down completely. The driver tried to manage everything. We’ve been standing around 4 hours in the middle of the Serengeti. Then the driver arranged a ride to the visitor center for us. There we’ve been waiting another 5 hours. The whole time we didn’t hear anything from Kassim. After calling him and asking what is going to happen because it’s been already 5pm and it normally took us around 2h to get to our accommodation. He apologized for the delay. I told him that this is not a delay! Because of the bad road conditions it took us 4h instead of 2h. So we had to drive 2h in the dark. This was not responsible. Animals had been on the road and we jumped and hurt ourselves because it was not possible to see the humps ahead. So the trip turned into a nightmare.
But it’s not the fault of the driver. They do their best and they have all the work. It’s simple the responsibility of the management to organize a good and safe! trip. But as the others already said he doesn’t care about anything (Customer, car, driver) once he got his money.
If you wanna have a once in a lifetime experience don’t go with this company!!!
Reply from Bobby Tours Tanzania Safaris
Posted on Nov 27, 2023We genuinely apologize for the challenges you encountered during your safari, Tina. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we deeply regret any inconvenience caused. Since your incident, we have diligently worked to address and improve various aspects of our services. We appreciate your patience and understanding.