20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievable trip, unbelievable company!
Where to begin with this wonderful, once in a lifetime experience! I could not fault a single thing with the entire Suricata team and praise the dedication and pride they have for their job. From start to finish the entire trip has been organised to perfection. The intricacies of the planning and execution of the safari are to be admired, the team work hard to ensure everything runs smoothly and every tourist is where they need to be. The “Hakuna Matata” attitude and “polopole” lifestyle is a credit to the Tanzanian people; you really learn to embrace this culture throughout your stay.
Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful, going out of their way to make this experience as special as possible for all their guests. Special thanks to Mr T and Daniel who welcomed us to the area with a wonderful tour around Arusha, guiding us through the bustling food and textile markets, allowing us to sample a true and authentic insight into Tanzanian lifestyle.
As for the safari itself- amazing! We were lucky to spend our 5 days in the hands of the wonderful Fredie. What this man doesn’t know about the animals and general landscape isn’t worth knowing. He is a real credit to the team, always smiling and very patient. It is clear to see he has a real passion for the animals and loves his job. Our tour was packed full of information and Fredie had a detailed answer to any question asked, we learnt so much not only about the animals we saw but this gorgeous country as a whole.
As Fredie kept reminding us, everyday on safari is “luck” and nothing is guaranteed. We were indeed very lucky to spot “the big 5” during our trip amongst an array of spectacular wildlife. Fredie made every effort to ensure no opportunity was missed, particularly when neighbouring jeeps put an alert out over the walkie-talkie system, it was all systems go! We also had the opportunity to witness the beginning of the “great migration” of Wildebeest and zebra which was a magnificent sight, you could see herds for miles and miles across the glistening Savanna.
The national parks (Taranguire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Lake Manyara) are simply breathtaking; no words can describe the joy of witnessing these majestic animals roaming freely in their natural habitat in the most beautiful environment. No two places are the same, the switch from flat dry land in one breath to luscious green forest the next is unbelievable. The thrill you get from “spotting” animals yourself is great fun, over time you learn to spy familiar sights for yourself (with a bit of help from Fredie’s keen eye of course!)
We opted for the “5 day great safari with lodges” for our trip and the accommodation was superb throughout. From the SG resort in Arusha, the Suricata Boma lodge, Tanzanian bush camps and the Kuhama bush camps, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at all locations. As our trip was in late November, we arrived at the very beginning of wet season and we felt comfortable at both camps. A hot water bottle provided at Kuhama camp was a nice touch! The hot water supply at the camps was very unique as it was prepared “to order” however we both enjoyed a hot and relaxing shower at both locations which is much appreciated after a long day outdoors. WiFi at each location was adequate, at times the connection would break requiring you to reconnect with passwords etc however this is not a big issue and when you get connection it is strong. Some tourists we met opted for a local sim data plan however we didn’t find this necessary as we were keen to immerse ourselves in the experience and cut off from our phones. Having WiFi in the mornings/evening was enough for us to connect with family etc.
The food provided on safari and at each individual accommodation was delicious. Credit to Suricata tours for providing guests with a home cooked hot meal every day. We had a mix of both meat and veggie options, often accompanied by either rice or pasta. Snacks of biscuits and fruit finished the lunch, with tea and coffee also offered daily. We noted various other safari companies nearby offering their guests a packed lunch-style box of food, our food was always warm and presented in heated pots which all guests enjoyed as a group. Dinner and breakfast at each location was a buffet style arrangement; again this was an assortment of meat and veg dishes with some local delicacies throughout. Cereals with toast/pancakes/fruit/yoghurts were presented for breakfast.
In terms of money, we had brought American dollars with us following recommendation from other tourists online prior to our trip. In our experience, we found that some local places prefer (and request) the Tanzanian shilling instead and we therefore had to exchange some dollars to shillings in Arusha. I would recommend bringing $100-$200 worth of shillings as well as dollars if possible.
Overall I would 100% recommend Suricata Tours to anyone visiting Tanzania for safari. We had an unbelievable time with memories to last a lifetime! This company works hard to make sure your experience is one to remember and it certainly was! I hope this isn’t my last experience with this wonderful group, a 5-star experience all round!
JP
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had an incredible 5 day safari in Tanzania! Our guide, Amini, was absolutely amazing. Thanks to h
We had an incredible 5 day safari in Tanzania! Our guide, Amini, was absolutely amazing. Thanks to his expertise, we were able to see so many animals, including a cheetah with her cubs it was unforgettable!
A huge thank you to Amini for his kindness and for sharing so much with us each day. He truly made our experience special, and we will always remember him.
We highly recommend Key2Africa Safaris, and if you’re planning a trip, be sure to ask for Amini as your guide. His wealth of experience makes all the difference!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing safari with Fredie
We had the best 5 day group safari with Suricata Safari. From start to finish we could not have asked for more. Fredie our tour guide was brilliant! We managed to see all of the big 5 plus much much more!
Booking the tour was simple and any questions were answered straight away. We got picked up from the airport and dropped back to the airport, everything is organised which was great! After getting dropped off at our hotel in Arusha, we got briefed by Mr. T on what we will be doing on Safari and again answered any questions we had. He also arranged an Arusha city tour that evening because we arrived early which was really worth while doing if you have time. Daniel showed us around the city for over 2 hours, gave us some great local insights and took us to a few cool viewpoints. One word of advice for the entire trip is to bring cash, mostly USD but also some Tanzanian Shillings, locals prefer shillings for smaller items including anything you purchase in hotels and lodges at night. We changed USD to Tanzanian Shillings during the Arusha city tour which worked out a very good rate.
We went on the tour in November which was the start of the short wet season and a quieter time of the year for tours. We only had a few rain showers mostly overnight and never needed our coats, it did get chilly overnight while staying at the top of Ngorongoro crater but the accommodation even provided hot water bottles for everyone.
Our safari started by being picked up by our tour guide Fredie who we cannot praise enough during the entire safari. He was soo friendly and knowledgeable about the animals and areas we visited. Like all of the safari tour guides, it was really obvious how much he cared about the animals. He was a great driver making sure we were comfortable driving along the rough roads while chatting to everyone answering questions and explaining everything while also spotting the animals for us. Even with us standing looking out the top of the jeep for animals, Fredie still managed to spot them first and point everything out to us!
We visited Taranguire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara national parks which all had something different to bring to the Safari experience. There are some long drives but always things to see along the way and early starts but they are worth it to have more of an opportunity to see more animals.
The accomodations that we stayed at for the entire trip were amazing, staff were so friendly and rooms really comfy. The permanent tented lodges at Serengeti and Ngorongoro were such an experience but I think the highlight of the accomodation was the nights we stayed in Suricata Boma!!
We got 3 freshly cooked meals each day, even for lunch at picnic spots. I read other reviews that said other companies give out lunch boxes and we seen this ourselves. Some days we were the only tour group with a cooked lunch!
We had such a great time for our first time on Safari and would highly recommend Suricata tours!
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great service with good communication and itinerary
Great service with good vehicle and reasonable prices.
Single day trip to Amboseli National Park involves a long drive from Nairobi on some smaller roads with lots and lots of trucks meaning traffic.
The drive is far for a one day trip but stops are well timed and bathrooms and snacks are available for purchase.
The safari 4x4 Van is perfect. Happy I with with cheaper Van option instead of Land Cruiser Jeep. Plenty of space and comfortable seats made the drive easier. And open roof top made for fantastic 360 viewing options during Amboseli.
I would suggest to do a 2 day trip instead of 1 day return to break up the driving. Tour guide was nice and friendly. Amboseli had great animal viewing and a diverse landscape plus views of Kiliminjaro mountain.
Plenty of free coldwater bottles provided.
BR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
You must visit Zimbabwe with African Uncovered!
I went on a 5-day safari in Zimbabwe and had an incredible experience!
Hwange National Park offers an excellent structure with very expert guides (my guide on Game Drive was Talks and he is incredible!), fascinating scenery with a variety of surprising wild animals. I saw lions, elephants, zebras, antelopes, pumbas, giraffes, monkeys and different birds.
My guide for the entire tour was Muza and he offered valuable tips and guidance throughout the itinerary.
I strongly recommend!!!
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
super cool guy
Awesome safari at a good price. Solomon was a really cool guy to chat with and so was our guide, Suma. Highly recommend!
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional Crew Made Our Safari Unforgettable
It was an incredible trip, truly authentic. The entire crew was absolutely amazing, going above and beyond to make our safari experience unforgettable. For my first safari, it set the bar so high that I imagine it will be hard to beat.
FR
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A great safari !
Thanks to Ruben and all the staff at MoAfrika's Dumela camp, we were able to go on an incredible safari and see lots of animals. It will remain a memorable experience. Communication, the tour and service are perfect !
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great experience!
Jimmy was a great driver. We were in a hurry and he wanted us to see everything, even such that he was overtaking other drivers! Clearly very experienced guide. Great safari day
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Accomodation and local food we tried
We are so happy we choose Highneck Safaris for our safaris vacation. we stayed in five different lodges, and all of them were very comfortable and welcoming. Our guide, EDWARD, was amazing.one moment that really stood out was when we saw a pride of lions relaxing under a tree. Edward explained their behavior in detail, sharing how they hunt, care for their cubs, and even why they were resting at that time of day. we were all amazed and could not stop talking about it afterward.
Everyday was incredible, i also cant forget to mention the delicious local food we tried, like ugali with flavorful stews and freshly grilled meat. the entire experience surpassed all our expectation.