35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Blessed with nature, scenery and important historical learnings
Wonderful country rich in wildlife, nature and culture. Found it very easy to navigate and met many lovely folk
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I love Kenya
Kenya was super,we liked from Apodiformes adventure, our driver Dickson to lodges, safary and beach hotel
PT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incredible experience with a few caveats
I had never been particularly interested in visiting Tanzania, and the idea that safaris were quite expensive had always kept me from considering this option. However, when I started researching, I realized that it was possible to do a safari on a budget. I quickly understood that the price of safaris can rarely go much below €200 per day due to the cost of park entry fees. And here a controversial question arises: where does this money actually go?
It’s clear that the money paid for park entry fees gets 'lost' in the hands of the government, which fails to attract more tourism precisely because it doesn’t create better conditions outside the parks. It’s a shame to see that a country like Tanzania isn’t more developed, especially when tourists contribute so much through park entry fees.
A clear example… The minimum wage in Tanzania is less than €60, yet a foreign tourist or visitor staying at a camp inside Serengeti National Park during peak season pays around €150 per adult for every 24 hours.
Is it worth it? IT’S ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT! But at the same time, we understand that tourists are mainly helping the Tanzanian government get 'easy money,' because outside the parks, we see that nothing is being done to improve the quality of life.
When it comes to the tour agencies that organize these safaris, we encounter another 'system' designed to enrich the owners, while asking tourists to cover the salaries of the guide and support staff.
As a European, I’m not accustomed to tipping culture, and I don’t agree with it. If I pay for a safari, I expect to be paying for EVERYTHING… including a fair wage for the guide, the chef, and anyone assigned by the company to the safari. One day before starting the safari, we received
a document guide on the 'tip' we were expected to give at the end of the safari to our guide, cook, and other staff members.
According to the document, each person was expected to tip the guide $25 per day. Do you know the salary that the company I chose pays the guide? $25 per day! And this amount (the $25 that the company pays the guide) is the same whether it’s a low-budget safari or a luxury safari where tourists easily pay around €2000–€3000 per person for the experience. Is that fair? It doesn’t seem so to me.
That being said, I have to say that I loved the experience... but I wish Tanzania would start to understand that it needs to build a better infrastructure, and that starts with using the money that tourists leave in the country to improve the conditions within the country itself.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Wildlife and Scenery
I spent three weeks in Tanzania in October - November 2024 and it was an amazing experience. I had gone mostly for safari and to see the famous animals, this delivered beyond my highest expectactions. I saw lions, leopards, and cheetahs, and all of these with cubs. Two female lions slept in a tree about two metres away form me, the only sounds their breathing and the breeze; I saw a leopard and her baby climb a massive tree together; I saw a momma elephant give her baby a tender stroke and embrace, with her trunk. I saw huge hippos, elegant giraffes, two different types of hyenas, jackels, a small cat called a Serval, and approximately one billion zebras and wildebeasts. I like birdwatching as well, and I saw so many exotic species: Ostriches, African Fish Eagles, the Secretarybird, the Gold Crowned Crake, Vultures, Love Birds, and Verraux's Eagle-Owl, among many, many others (for the bird nerds, I logged nearly 100 species without trying that hard).
The parks I visited were the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangiere, and Lake Manyara; they were all great but I recommend them in that order. For the Serengeti, I stayed in a fixed camp in the park itself for 3 days. This is a more expensive option, but I highly recommend this if your budget allows it: one of the greatest experiences of my life.
I also visited Mwanza and Lake Victoria, Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar and Mount Kilimanjaro. These were all worthwhile, with different activities and tones. Mwanza is not very touristy and has good options for birdwatching, hiking and for seeing a bit more of a traditional lifestyle. Dar is very busy but has great shopping and cultural experiences; highly recommend the Tinga Tinga Art Cooperative, which is a treasure trove of wonders. Zanzibar is touristy, but has beautiful beaches and lively nightlife; my top experiences there were Paje Beach, wandering the labyrinth of Stone Town, and eating at the nearby Forodhani Garden Night Market (best on the weekend when it is most lively and fun). Finished my trip hiking on Mount Kilimanjaro which was very scenic, quiet and relaxing, a nice countrast to the bustle of the other places.
There are some challenges, as you find with any developing country; the wi-fi in most places is poor, I recommend getting a local sim card instead (cheap and good service). Some of the domestic travel options can be a bit unreliable; I would avoid buses and ferries if possible, and either fly from place to place, or hire someone to drive you.
But these are minor things, just to mention. Otherwise: the weather is warm, the people are friendly, the food (and local beer) is delicious. And the wildlife and scenery are just: INCREDIBLE. One of the best travel experiences I have had. Kwaheri and assante!
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Amboseli National Park by Neringa Martinoniene
We saw a lot of elephants and cheetahs
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by Neringa Martinoniene
There were so beautiful and amazing
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Neringa Martinoniene
There were lions!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievably great honeymoon experience
Our experience with Dancing Zebra was absolutely fantastic. We did a 5 day safari in the Northern Serengeti followed by 5 days in Zanzibar on the beach. Jessica took care of basically everything outside of the flights for us, and set us up for an unbelievably great honeymoon experience. After spending a brief overnight in Arusha at Hamerkop, we went to Lemala Kuria Hills in the Northern Serengeti for our safari. The staff, food, and accommodations were fantastic and we felt so special and celebrated while there. A special shout out to Damian and Godwil for taking such great care of us while we were there. The safari itself was also so beautiful and a true life experience, thanks to our guide Steven. We got to see all of the Big 5 in one trip!! We then went to Zanzibar where we got to relax in beautiful Kilindi. We had a personal butler take care of our every need in a private villa there. It was the perfect combination of action / activity and relaxation. My wife and I cannot thank Jessica, the Dancing Zebra Safari, and the staff at Hamerkop, Lemala, and Kilindi enough for a honeymoon to remember.
DK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Comprehensive one-day tour
A comprehensive one-day safari. Our driver was very familiar with the park and knew many great spots to see all types of animals.
After the safari we went to see a local Maasai tribe. There we learned a lot about the Maasai culture. It is good to see local businesses support local people.
Samwel was a great host, and helped me out a great deal.
AT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The best gorilla experience ever
We went gorilla trekking in Rwanda at the end of October 2024. This highlight came at the end of an exceptionally beautiful trip through the country. Thanks to our driver “Diddie”, we were able to experience the country and its people in their most beautiful form. We were able to experience chimpanzees up close in Nyungwe National Park. We had a wonderful trip along Lake KIVU and always had friendly contact with the people in the country. But the highlight was without doubt the trek to the gorillas. After an hour and a half walk through the rainforest of the Virunga Mountains, we were able to experience a family of 23 gorillas up close and personal for over an hour. I would describe this experience as the highlight of all my wildlife experiences and would never want to miss it. Thanks to Hermosa Travels and especially our driver Diddie, our trip in Rwanda will remain an unforgettable experience
