African Scenic Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 100-250 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, TATO, IMEC, KPAP, Travelife, CARBON TANZANIA & FAIR VOYAGE
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $1,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Shahid | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professionally organized, superbly executed and friendly & knowledgeable guides
Tremendous credit to Amanda who is extremely patient and diligent working with us. We started as a family of 4 and slowly it increased to 9 members and Amanda patiently worked with us to finalize the itinerary. She also helped us to sort out a bizarre problem with an airline booking which I had made on fastjet.com (All the passenger names appeared same as mine though I entered it correctly) and they refused to change it. Amanda was able to get a contact in their head office in UK and helped me to get the names corrected.
We had two jeeps/guides (Themba and Kefa -- I hope I am spelling it correctly) and both were fun to have around. They were knowledgeable and friendly.
I highly recommend African Scenic Safaris and would be happy to answer any pointed questions.
Email Barbara | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very efficient agency and beautiful experience
great experience with African Scenic Safaris. Everything was organised in details. we had a 6 day trip from Kilimanjaro to Serengeti and Ngorongoro. All the lodges chosen in Ndutu, Serengeti and Ngorongoro were beautiful. Every one was distinctive and peculiar.
Our guide Kili was extremely knowledgeable and pleasant. He drove for hours to try to show us as much as possible. He managed to show us all the big 5, also more than once. I forgot my towel at the first hotel in Moshi and he helped me collect it on the way back from Safari.
African Scenic is an agency that is able to arrange a perfect travel in an affordable way unlike most of the agencies that work in Africa.
Amanda, my contact, has always been very nice and very fast in all her replies.
I would definitely recommend it!!
Email Mary | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Kili by Rongia route followed by safari
In June/July2016 I had the privilege of a Kilimanjaro climb followed by 5-day safari with African Scenic Safaris.
First Kilimanjaro Rongai route - we did this over 6 days and it was an incredible journey from start to finish. The support we got from our expert guides Ami and Antipas for the whole climb, the great food and the lovely porters made our trip safe and really a trip of a lifetime. On the night of our climb our small team of 4 had 3 guides between us and enabled all of us to get to the top safely.
I cannot thank them enough. The porters also are heroes. I would suggest any group consider the merits of getting their own toilet - it is an additional cost but we thought it was worth it.
Part 2 of our trip 2 of our group went on to a safari. The Crater, Serengeti and Tangere , the tents were bigger which was great, while some of the camping equipment was tired it still fit for purpose . We saw all animals hoped for with exception of the rhino. Grayson is an eagle eyed mild mannered guide and Mr M was an amazing cook and our food was even better than the food on the climb.
I have no hesitation recommending this company for a value for money and the combined climb and safari was a simply amazing and special trip .
Awesome trip
I had a great time climbing Kili on the 6-day Machame route.
We had a lot of fun with my guide and porters and made it all the way up in great conditions :)
I ate such great cuisine during the whole trip ... I was impressed by the quality (and quantity) of it.
If you need any additional info do not hesitate to contact me.
I understand that it is very complicated to choose the right agency being in his home country but you will definitely not regret going for African Scenic !
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Email Mike Y | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Experience of a Lifetime!!
African Scenic Safaris provides exceptional service that will leave you impressed. They are professional, experts in their craft, trustworthy guides, and very responsive. I took a group of 4 on a 4 day safari trip in Tanzania. The exceptional service began with planning the trip with Amanda – she is very responsive and provides detailed feedback to your questions. You can tell right away that they place high value on you as a customer and that their goal is to make sure you walk away with an experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Our tour guides were very skilled and knowledgeable. You can tell they love what they do. They even dressed for success and stood out among their peers. I highly recommend their company and I will be referring them to my friends!
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Email Jeff | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful Guides for both Kilimanjaro and Safari
I contacted African Scenic based on recommendations from my daughter's friends, and have been very well pleased. From first contact through trip planning to leading me to roof of Africa, then assembling our party for 6 days of game safari they were flawless and very professional. Their guides were great, accommodations great, food overwhelming. I absolutely recommend them, and in fact have already done so to friends thinking of their own trip.
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Email Risa | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
This was a perfect adventure, which was well organized and well worth the money!
I recently returned from a camping safari organized by African Scenic Safaris. It was 5 days/4 nights and we visited three of the parks in the north of Tanzania; Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park and Tarangire National Park. Our guide, Rashid was very knowledgeable about the all aspects of the environment (including animals, vegetation, birds and variables that are impacting the environment). He was personable and had a good sense of humor. Our cook was more like a chef, using only basic cooking equipment to create his magic! There were 5 of us in the group which was a perfect size. I did not have a traveling partner but quickly made new friends with the cook, guide and other travelers on the trip with me. We saw the animals close up as Rashid knew the best places to view them and he had a clear understanding of how to identify where the animals were, based on the environment (water conditions, birds and other factors). Before going on the trip I found other safaris that were less expensive, but I am VERY glad I went with African Scenic Safari! It was well organized, comfortable, food was delicious and well worth the money!!! It met all my expectations and then some!! I highly recommend this company! Thank you African Scenic Safaris. I would definitely take another trip with you!!
Email Ian | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Experience
We chose African Scenic Safaris on the basis of a recommendation from friends who had previously travelled with them. From the very start, we were most impressed with the efficient and speedy responses from Amanda re our planning and organisation. Grayson was our driver/guide, and he did a fantastic job. The time allocated to each of the national park /conservation areas was fine; we never felt rushed or as if we should have allotted extra time in our itinerary.
Late May, early June was a great time to travel - weather was warm; safari traffic was not busy; accommodations we stayed at were virtually empty; there were so many animals - all to ourselves! And we saw the migration. What an experience.
We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending African Scenic Safaris, and guide Grayson. We would use them again on any future travels in Tanzania.
CA
Email Andy & Erica | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Honeymoon Experience
We went on an 18-Day trip with African Scenic Safaris, 14 of which were on mainland Tanzania and 4 of which were on Zanzibar. We were on a private tour, just the two of us, and I can safely say that is THE way to go on safari. The whole experience was so personal. Being able to choose when we wanted to leave in the morning, how long we would stay on the game drives, and how long to stay at a particular location being amazed by the animals was a luxury that we noticed some of the larger tour companies and groups were not afforded.
Our guide David was so knowledgeable, creating two amateur animal behaviourists in us by the end of our safari. He had a great eye for spotting animals in the bush, but wasn't too proud to congratulate you when you managed to find one first (though he might tease you a bit if you were to get overly excited about a rock or branch which resembled an animal). When minor problems arose (like a broken zipper on the tent or a rock wedged in the jeep's brakes), David was quick to solve them, while making sure that we were still comfortable and happy. David was even a bit of a photographer, taking many great shots of us over the course of our journey together.
Our chef Ommy made sure we were well-fed. Correction: VERY well-fed. Daily, we had 4 or 5-course meals for dinner with no repetition of entrees or soups (which were something we looked forward to regularly). Breakfasts were similar every day, but had so much food that if you wanted to only eat one portion of them, you would find them very diverse. Lunches were usually packed to-go, so that we could spend the day on the game drive without having to return to camp, and was more than enough to satiate us. Several times, we had the privilege to enjoy a brunch prepared by Ommy when we had an early morning activity. What he can do with so little North American kitchen luxuries is astounding. Highlights include his fresh baked, pizza, lasagna, and a traditional African dish called ugali. Once or twice we had special requests, and he was very accommodating.
We chose to sleep in tents, rather than the lodges. The tents had more than enough room for the two of us, and with the provided mats and sleeping bags, were quite comfortable as well. Just to point out for any prospective safari-goers, tenting is the way to go if you want a cook; sleeping in lodges means you have to eat reheated frozen food, rather than the three square meals prepared fresh daily (again, which were always delicious and filling). Trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night should prove to be an adventure.
Each park we visited (Tarangiri, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti) had something different to offer in terms of landscape, but the animals we saw were mostly consistent. That is not to say that it was boring or tired, as nature never ceased to amaze us. We saw all members of the Big 5, and a wealth of other animals (including a cheetah with 5 cubs!), all of which were incredible to see so close in their natural environment. Our add-ons to Ol Doinyo Lengai (a volcano near Lake Natron) and Lake Eyasi were wonderful experiences. The volcano was a gruelling hike (be prepared to double the time estimates given to you, and keep in mind we were the only group to reach the top that night of the many that attempted) for inexperienced climbers like us, but the sunrise view and the surprise at the top were worth it. At Lake Eyasi we had an unforgettable time of visiting a Bushmen tribe that MUST be experienced for anyone who has time.
In Zanzibar, Scenic Safari booked us into excellent hotels in great locations (the Stone Town seafront and a secluded beach resort). Transfers to and from the airport were all planned for us and ran very smoothly, although there was some confusion on our end regarding our final one, Amanda was easy to reach by email and phone from the resort and was able to clear it up for us.
There is only one concern we had on the entire trip and that was the estimated driving times given to us on the itinerary. The estimates were often far too low (we drove for double the posted time). As Canadians, we are used to long driving times to get to any other city, and were a bit annoyed to have to sit in a car longer than we were expecting. That being said, the trip was INCREDIBLE and an adventure of a lifetime (see the 5-star review) and African Scenic Safaris comes with a high recommendation from us.
Exceeded our Expectations!
African Scenic Safaris exceeded our expectations in every way, starting with the planning of our trip and throughout our Kilimanjaro trek. My friend and I hiked the Machame route in seven days with African Scenic Safaris in July 2015. From our very first inquiry, we had an immediate response and in the months before our trek, the owners continuously sent detailed information about what to expect. They were extremely helpful in helping us prepare and in catering the trip to our needs. We were surprised that upon our arrival in Moshi, the owner and our head guide came to meet us and give us a briefing on the trek. They made everything very simple so we didn’t have to worry about anything. The company works with a very skilled and motivated team. We were very pleased to get to know the head guide and assistant guide very well throughout the trek, as well as the cook, camping master, and porters. Our expectations for food and service throughout the climb were surpassed 110 percent. Every morning we were awoken with tea and were fed delicious hot meals and snacks. The guides were extremely well experienced on the mountain and were happy to chat with us throughout the entire journey. We felt very confident about reaching the summit with their knowledge of altitude and pacing. Not only did we have an incredible experience trekking to the roof of Africa, but we made some really great friends amongst the team as well. We definitely recommend African Scenic Safaris to anyone wanting a personalized, well-organized, enjoyable experience.