FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience for safaris and kilimanjaro trekking
We spent 5 days in northern Tanzania, my friend and me. Everything was organized by Lion King Avdentures.
The first day, we took a day walk on the Kilimanjaro lower hills, with our guide Saladimi. He told us thousands of stuff abour flora and fauna, and also about the famouse Kilimandjaro climb. We had a wonderfull time, in spite of the bad weather and the cold temperature. Great surprise during the drive back to Arusha to lie down the seats of the 4*4, to take a nap on the route.
The 4 following days, we discovered the parcs of Tanrangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater, with Salim (our professional BIG FIVE spotter) and Youssouf (our magical cook, who prepared us queens meals and who wass full of attention, like welcoming us with fresh fruit after hours of safari. He teached us lot abour swahili as well). Thanks to Salim, we were able to see lots of animal and the whole BIG FIVE, in wonderful landscapes.
We were really happy about the logistics, too. The accomodations we got with our low-cost deal were really nice (great hotel in Arusha the 2 firsts nights, camping in parcs really nice with showers and WC). The camping material is good quality, especially the warmest sleeping bags ever who were usefull while sleeping in altitude. The 4*4 car has become our 2nd house, very comfy and cleaned every morning by Salim.
Inone word, we have been totally enthousiastic by this trip and we highly recommend Lion King Adventure.
Usefull tip : bring a little guide book about the eastern africa animals, who will give you good informations complements about the wonders you will observe there.
QA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE
I'm planning a vacation from Qatar, I would love to Experience the mara crossing,which is a wonder of the world and Kenyan clear coastline at Diani beach and that would definitely be with felann exiting safaris.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very Friendly!
Our guide and driver Kikitu was so friendly and helpful. So lucky! We saw so many incredible animals on the trip. The camp site is ok, but it’s undoing a lot of renovation it seems.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We enjoyed our safari a lot - a diverse experience of both Mikumi NP and Udzungwa Mountains NP
Overall, we were quite pleased with the safari. We were worried that we might not see many animals in the southern parks, but we saw everything we had hoped to - lions, giraffes, zebras, cape buffalo, and more. In the mountains, we even spotted an endemic monkey, which was pretty cool (the waterfalls were also incredible to see).
One drawback to this tour (Mikum, Udzungwa Mountains, & the Kilombero River) is that there was a LOT of driving. It was interesting to see an authentic taste of rural Tanzania, but the organization of the trip meant that all of our last day was spent on the road. The first lodge we stayed at was really lovely; the second was not so great (the same was true for the food). The canoeing portion of the trip was a bit disappointing because it was so short. However, none of these things detracted very much from a very enjoyable experience. Our guide Roman was very friendly and very helpful and the customer service before and after the trip was excellent. If you're looking for a good tour of the southern circuit, this is a great choice.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very smooth and fantastic experience, once we got the kinks worked out
Suricata Safaris is a shining new company in a competitive field, and you should absolutely book them. I recently did a 6 day/5night camping safari with them, and they handled everything so nicely, from the itinerary to choosing the best campsites. They have (as of right now) three drivers—Frederick was our guide, but we also met Mandela, who was super charming and enthusiastic.
You could not ask for a smarter, more informed, funny, patient person to show you the wilderness than Frederick. He knows his field incredibly well, from who/what/how every predator hunts, to understanding where to find the action. (We saw a cheetah take down a zebra, and a lion miss one in the same day.) He’ll answer all your questions and include information you never knew to ask, all with a great sense of humor. He's patient, and it pays off in the best sightings.
Dioniz was our chef, and I guarantee you’ve never eaten better while camping. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were all multi-course affairs with a million choices. You’ll be spoiled by him for sure. He’s up at the crack of dawn to set a table with a tablecloth for your breakfast and the food is *chefkiss* He’s got skills.
We had some communication difficulties with Hilary, but all were sorted quickly. Most stemmed from him getting emails from two different people, so I recommend having one point person as the organizer. Be prepared to pay the receiving end Tanzanian bank fees for a wire transfer as well as your own bank’s. BUT, he personally drove us to the airport, which was lovely.
Suricata can’t guarantee a specific driver, although we were told we were confirmed with our request. It wasn't a big deal, just another communication issue. You won’t go wrong with any of the guides, though, so it’s ultimately nbd. We also requested separate accommodations but were in shared tents (just my friend and me together) the whole time. Again, re-confirm all the details of your trip a few days before to make sure Suricata is on the same page.
I would have preferred a more detailed itinerary, like an easy to print pdf including drive times between sites (some are 6 hours) and a recommended packing list, but that’s nitpicking (which, I learned from Frederick, is a term that comes from baboon grooming habits). You will need this for your visa, so be sure to ask Hilary for a list of each day.
Don’t go crazy with safari gear—you’ll rarely be out of the car, and then only at picnic sites/washrooms. Pack comfortable shoes you can take off quickly so you can hop up onto the seat fast enough to get that once-in-a-lifetime photo. Basically dress like you’re going on a road trip. I never even considered wearing the safari hat I brought, and hiking boots were definite overkill.
Don’t forget binoculars, a towel, bug spray, itch cream, soap/shampoo, tissues/tp, and a few warm layers. There is a charger for all your devices in the safari vehicle! I don't think I was below 80% charged the entire week.
Suricata did well by us. You can feel confident you’re getting an amazing trip with super smart people you’ll be happy to spend a week with. I had an unforgettable time and made some new friends along the way!
EG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was a good luck for me to deal with magical .very kind &v. profishional. Driver was clever.
Services was too good. Hotels & camps was very luxury & clean . Pepole there are v.nice. food is perfect. Safari in massay mara was attractive & unbelievable.
Shortly. Magical did every detail we dealed for it. They are respecting contracts.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Had a fantastic time on this 3 day tour, saw a lot in the time and loved the Maasai village tour
Met all expectations, great communication from company before the tour started
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
well-organised safari experience
Abraham was very helpful in planning our trip. He planned an individual trip for us and met our wishes and ideas perfectly. The chosen accommodation were really nice and we were really happy. When we arrived in Tansania he picked us up from the airport and brought us to our first accomodation.
On our 7 day safari trip (including the climbing of Ol Doinyo Lengai) everything worked out well. We went to Tarangire, Lake Natron, Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. Our driver Mashaka had a lot of knowledge about the nature and animals. He knew some outlying and not much frequented places and we were able to see animals without other masses. The only thing to criticise is the state of the safari jeep - no belt, no headrest and in general really old. Compared to the jeeps of other safari companys the jeep of african travel tour looked a bit shabby.
All in all we can really recommend african travel tour - outstanding service for an adequate price.
SE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very skilled as well as pleasant and easy to deal with.
The process of deciding the safaritour, Payment and other administration were very smoth and easy.
Out guide at the safari, Omari, were very skilled, friendly and really did the best for us. We saw more animals than expected as Omari knew where to find them and did not give up searching for them. Out great cook Godson serverad great meals every day.
The only thing that could have been better was the standard of the car.
We can highly recomend Shemeji.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very flexible, friendly and responsive service
I reccommend Gombe Safaris and Tours. It is a very flexible, friendly and responsive service. They put together a good tour which met my needs. Overall, the service providers they used were also good in Kigoma and Gombe. The only area for improvement would have been communications (maybe a bit clearer on the schedules), and ensuring that the service providers on the ground were fully up to speed but overall it was very good.