BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
trip of a lifetime with the best operators
We did this trip in Feb 2020 just before the lockdown. In retrospect, we were incredibly lucky to do this trip since shortly after we returned the world has gone into a lockdown due to Covid-19, and is still in a lockdown.
We did a custom safari that consisted of Arusha national park (1 day), Lake Manyara national park (1 day), Serengeti south (2.5 days), Serengeti north (2.5 days) and Ngorongoro (1.5 days). It was altogether a 10 day trip and it truly was the trip of a lifetime.
With Helena, our trip planner, we planned the trip down to the finest details and customized numerous times. She was ever patient as we tried to make the most of our time and money. We looked at half a dozen tour operators and finally went with Soul of Tanzania because of the great reviews on tripadvisor, the great reviews their guides got (which is the single most important thing in a safari), and lastly that while SOT was not the least expensive it was not much more expensive that other outfitters who did not have as good reviews. Obviously while going to a new continent for the first time with family and young kids, and being in the wilderness for long periods of time, safety and comfort are important. For us, SOT was a perfect combination of cost, quality and internet reviews.
All arrangements such as hotels, permits, safari vehicles, food etc were handled efficiently by SOT and so all we needed to do was just show up. They assisted with the visa process and all other paperwork.While in Tanzania, all arrangements were handled very well by SOT and we could just enjoy the safaris. We are vegetarians and all the places had enough food for us- some places had extremely tasty veggie food. And Nico packed veggie food for our lunch every day to enjoy with the chilled south african wines.
The safari vehicles were in great shape. Nico kept them clean and well maintained which is quite a challenge in the dusty african savannahs. He had an almost unlimited supply of water and juice, and of course wine for lunch daily.The lunches at SOT have been described in great detail and all i'll say is that it was so special to have a nice warm meal every day surrounded by spectacular nature.
The unlimited mileage that SOT has is incredible. Nico drove many hours (2-4 hours each way) to find wildlife far away from the crowds. That's where we saw cheetahs and lions from close by, a zebra giving birth, herds of giraffes and massive herds of wildebeests and zebras.
Nicodemas Modamba was an unbelievable guide- he was in touch with all the other guides over the radio, he stopped and chatted with all the guides. If there was a good sighting to be had, Nico would know it. In addition, he had great eyesight and spotted Cheetahs and lions from a km away. He was knowledgeable about birds and good at spotting them while driving through the rough terrain. He was attentive without being intrusive and was an overall great guide and travel companion. My son fell ill near Ngorongoro national park but Nico was present at all times. as soon as we decided that we wanted to go to a doctor, he immediately took us to a really good hospital half an hour away. The doctors and service was very good at the hospital and my son was good enough to continue on the safari a few hours later. I'm forever grateful to Nico for being so available the entire time.
Overall we had the trip of a lifetime that i had dreamt about for many years- decades even. We saw all the big and small species we wanted to see, we saw a ton of birds (all for the first time), we had close encounters with the wildlife, we felt the magic of Serengeti that morning with three cheetahs lounging next to our jeep, we felt the magic of the land when we saw a huge flock of whiskered terns put on a flying display for us, we felt the love of Africa when we saw cheetah cubs playing with their mom, we felt the power of Africa in big African lions giving us growls and we felt the elegance of the place when a tower of 50 giraffes ambled by us. We could not have scripted such a safari- a lifetime of experiences packed into 9 days.
Don't think- life is short and unpredictable. Book your next trip with Soul of Tanzania and immerse yourself in the greatest show on earth.
A few (!) of our memorable experiences in Africa.
1) our first sighting of the african giants: as soon as we got into Arusha national park, our first safari in Africa, we saw a tower of giraffes along with the zebras.2) black and white colobus monkey in arusha national park. What a sight to see these gentle creatures chewing on leaves.3) hiking in Arusha. We did a small hike in Arusha national park and were within 20 ft of a family of giraffes! they were just across a small stream and it was incredible to be so close to them.4) hornbills in lake manyara: we saw a lot of hornbills around dusk.
5) the great migration: between ngorongoro and serengeti, we saw the migration! thousands of gazelles, wildebeests and zebras along with a huge herd of giraffes.
6) Leopard on a tree
7) Hyenas in the campsite! Hyenas and dik diks were comfortable in our Shushudia campsite in Serengeti. We were the outsiders and had to be careful. You can't walk alone after dark here- it's just too dangerous.
8) Cheetah with cubs: on an early morning in Serengeti: we saw a cheetah mom with 3 cubs and it was amazing to watch her play with them.9) Three cheetah brothers: Nico had some magic eyesight spotting these 3 cheetahs from a km away in the grass. there was no other jeep around us. just the three cheetahs almost at a touching distance.
10) A trio of lions: again we were the only jeep in their presence thanks to the deft work of Nico. The lionesses lounged in the heat while the big lion gave us a warning growl to make sure we left them alone.11) Zebra giving birth. This zebra was lying on her side giving birth and there were a bunch of zebras standing at the sidelines looking at her. We sadly could not wait for the birth since it could take several hours!
12) hyena and wildebeest: right outside our campsite in the Ndutu area of Serengeti, we saw a half eaten wildebeest and a hyena waiting around to finish eating it.
13) Tree climbing lions. twice in Serengeti we saw tree climbing lionesses. once there were 2 of them but far away. the second time there was only one sleeping on the tree but very close by.
14) Cheetahs relaxing after a kill. Three sub-adult cheetahs sleeping in the bushes. Nearby was the carcass of an impala that they had killed and were being scavenged by vultures.15) a group of maybe 500 terns near lake ndutu. These birds were putting up a big display of flying around and landing.
16) Flamingos in Lake Ndutu: we didn;t see flamingos in lake manyara due to the high water levels there but were lucky to see them in lake Ndutu just before leaving Serengeti.
17) Seeing the big five in one evening in Ngorongoro. Just one after in this garden of Eden and we saw a leopard crossing the road, rhinos in the distance and numerous buffaloes, elephants and lions. Ngorongoro is truly a garden of paradise. Just looking into the crater from the above with your binoculars is an unreal feeling. Big beasts roaming around all over- variety and quantity!
18) Bat eared foxes! rare, nocturnal! We were one of the earliest in Ngorongoro crater and hence had the fortune of seeing these animals before they disappeared into the bushes.19) Huge herd of hyenas: maybe a herd of 40-50 hyenas squaring off against each other. in the background, wildebeests roamed around nonchalantly.20) Birds, birds, birds: I think we saw 150 species (we made a checklist) of all the birds on our trip. From large birds like the Kory bustard, ostrich, secretary bird to scavenger birds like numerous vultures, to flocks of terns and flamingos, to birds of prey from kestrel to martial eagles, to the numerous colorful common birds like splendid starlings and weaver birds to the numerous exciting hornbills to the colorful and rare birds like paradise flycatcher and cinnamon bee eaters.
A few tips:Handicrafts are actually less expensive and of better quality in the airport after you clear emigration. it's probably better to buy it there than in the overpriced roadside shops.
Lake manyara, in my opinion, can be skipped. you see better diversity of birds and animals in serengeti and ngorongoro.
Arusha national park is great only for the colobus monkeys. we went specifically to see that. If you are not interested in this species of monkey, you can skip this park as well.
Nothing in this world can beat Serengeti. maximize your time there.
You can check out pics of our trip on https://www.instagram.com/murali_nature_photography/
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Came for the wildlife but made the best memories with the people of Uganda!
We spend around 2 weeks with the team of Instinct Safarais and our guide Rabani. Besides gorilla tracking in Biwindi, we were struck by the kindness and friendship offered by the people in Uganda. We would love to come back on day once the pandemic is over!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
DO NOT BOOK WITH COMPANY !!!
After nearly a month of waiting to hear back from the 'CEO' we are finally told that they will not provide a refund even though the country is not letting us travel there. This was a honeymoon trip and our wedding is cancelled, so unhelpful. This was the only provider who we have encountered problems with, all other bookings in our trip were kindly refunded. Awful customer service. Silly company really as I imagine everyone who experiences this will not book with them in the future.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent, Fun, Precise , Helpful, Fullfilled my expectatives and more
Times has been difficult for everyone during this Covid Pandemic, but it was good to know that in the middle of chaos and confusions I had Wildebeest Safaris LTD, to hold my hand all the way with my travel plans and they were willing to make adjustments based on the circusmtances that rise during these time.
I spend a total of 7 days with the team traveling to what it has been a fantastic experience visiting the cities and the Safaries.
Not only the fact they took care of my needs but as a solo traveler it was great to have Guide Dennis as my companion and we had such a great time
Touring and he became my shopping and photographer partner.
For sure Dennis went out of the way to make my stay in Kenya to be a dream come true.
I highly recomend Wildebeest Safaries for any travel accomodations desired and more.
If you want to see the fantastics Places where I stayed you can visit my Instagram at ayenza_matthews
RO
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Trip of lifetime
We chosed Suricata Safaris after we heard excellent feedback from our brother. We wanted to have the same guide our brother had florid. We had highly expectations. During the preparation and arrangements before, Hilary was very kind to all our questions. During the trip Florid was attentive, has extensive knowledge, answer very patiently to all the questions and there were so many responds to all requests He changed some of the original plan to our request and was very plesant. Lodges were wonderful (especially marera valley lodge) and the combination of all this makes an unforgettable time to our family. Thanks suricata, I will recommend everyone this tour.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exellent service - would highly recommend Wild Africa Expeditions!!!
From the first time I booked this expedition with my family, I received clear communication on the plans, logistics, accommodation, travel, etc. The promises made to me were kept, and I was very pleased with the professionalism and knowledge of the tour team. The safari was well organized and we got to experience everything (and more!) that we had hoped for. I would definitely use Wild Africa Expeditions again, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone!
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing experience
Backpacking to Africa gave us wonderful memories of our 2 weeks in Tanzania. We liked the guides, Salum, Mpinga for serengeti/ngorongoro and Zanzibar. Accommodations were more than expected...very luxurious and the food was amazing. Backpacking to Africa took care of all logistics; we could just enjoy ourselves. Well done.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The guide didn’t know much. He barely talked, unless I asked him a question.
The guide lacked communication skills. He didn’t have enough knowledge about birds or animals in general. The customer service was very poor, even though I was the only customer in the excursion because everyone else cancelled due to Covid 19.
A day before my last day, I found out I needed a Covid 19 test and I asked the owner to find a place in Entebbe for me to do it. We drove 8 long hours from the mountain to Entebbe. The guide never showed me or say anything, unless I asked something. I never heard from the owner. We waisted a lot of time looking for a clinic. I had to stayed in Entebbe two more days, I had to pay for another plane to Dubai and for another hotel in Dubai. I wasted a lot of money and time because the owner Couldn’t help me.
My experience with the Gorillas was great but not thanks to this company.
In general, I don’t recommend this company.
IN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzania is a beauty!
Tanzania is a beauty! We visited the northern circuit upon the suggestion from Mr.Martin from Tripquest. He explained everything in detail that I could imagine how it would be on safari and it was exactly the way he explained. Our guide David was a very friendly person and was very knowledgeable, I was shocked by the knowledge he has about Tanzania. The best part of our 4 day Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater tour was the drives on the crater, we could be as close as 5meters away from a pride of lions ! We had an unbelievable and such a happy time.
Trip Quest took care of us so well that every detail was taken care of. I highly recommend every Safari lover to visit Tanzania and definitely choose Trip Quest!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond my expectations
Tanzania blew me away with Nziza Hospitality. First off, we were super nervous to travel during covid, yet Bernard made sure every detail was taking care of to make us feel safe and keep our experience private. Every property was luxurious and first class. The food was delicious. Our guide and driver, Cloud knew the parks inside and out. We saw every single animal on our list except a rhinoceros and we will track that next time. We were shocked how much the experience exceed our expectations. Everyone should do Africa and everyone should do it with Nziza Hospitality. I have travelled all over the world and had many opportunities to be wowed....but this experience was one of the best adventures of my life.
