IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a life time with Soul of Tanzania
My wife and myself went on a Safari in Tanzania in July with Soul of Tanzania for our Honeymoon .
We spent 5 nights in Tanzania and we visited Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. It was an amazing experience, the best trip we have had in our life so far.
Soul of Tanzania is definitely an impressive and fully reliable company.
Sandy, our journey designer, has been very patient, helpful and kind: she replied quickly to our hundreds of emails and she provided very good advices on how to organize the trip and which parks to visit. Thank you Sandy.
Our guide in Tanzania was Dominic. Dominic is a great guide: he was very attentive to our needs and desires all days and all time, he provided us with a lot information regarding Tanzania, its parks and animals, and he made all his best to let us enjoy the trip - and no doubt he succeded!!
In addition, the jeep used for the safari was absolutely comfortable, the food provided for lunch during the safari was delicious and the accomodations we selected with the support of Sandy were amazing.
Thank you SoT for thia amazing experience!
If we will ever organize another safari again in the future, no doubt we will go with Soul of Tanzania!!!
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A very serious and professional company
I spent 1 week around Uganda parks, and NGONI organized all things perfectly! Scheduling was arranged in the better way, and accomodations were always amazing and very confortable. Our guide and driver David managed in excelent way all situations, and he was very helpful in many occasions!
During the planning of the tour, Sedrick, the Ngoni Safaris owner, was always quick to answer any questions and provide any clarifications requested.
If I will be back to Uganda, I surely will contact again NGONI!
And I surely recommend NGONI to everyone wants to explore Uganda!
I think that NGONI Safaris and its personnel are They are a guarantee of seriousness, professionalism and attention to the customer!
Thank you NGONI!
OM
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Superb Experience
We are so glad that we chose African big cat safari as our tour operator. From prompt replies to the five star service by this operator was top notch. The manager met us personally before the trip started and briefed us about the whole plan and answered all our inquiries. Our driver, Obed, was the reason our whole safari experience went great. He was very humble and respectful and by the end of our 5 day safari tour he was like a family member to us. He had put every effort to help us see the mara river crossing and big five. I would one hundred one percent recommend this tour company for making our trip to Tanzania unforgettable.
IQ
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Bucket List Experience
As my first (but not last) safari in Africa, our trip was very well organized, gave us lots of wildlife experience, and not the least provided excellent lodging. A trip to remember!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A HUGE THANK YOU WIDMAN!
A hard-working, considerate, patient, friendly people pleaser best describes Widman tours. Even through difficult challenges, constant situational changes and 14 anxious woman, he continued to accommodate. no matter what his friendly positive personality kept 14 women above sea level :) Thank you Whitman Tours. Your
professionalism and patience was exceptional!
FAB
CH
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Great organization for individual tour
I came across Mwangaza Safari while organizing my Tanzania vacation. Due to Mwajabu's friendly, efficient and timely communication on WhatsApp, I trusted her with organizing of all my safari trips in Tanzania. The overall package contained pick-up in Arusha, accomodations, transfer and safari, including hot air balloon safari, guide throughout my stay in the area, as well as flights to Kigoma and visit in Gombe-Stream NP, accommodation in Kigoma and flight to Dar es Salaam. Overall an experience of 9 nights and several great moments. During the planning of the tour I was able to tell preferences and Mwajabu always included those in the tour organization, making the trip a very individual and tailor-made experience. During my stay in Tanzania, she was always in contact with me to make sure that I enjoy my stay and have a great time while visiting the country. When visiting Tanzania again, I will definitely be in contact with Mwangaza Safari again. Great service, great organization, great experience!
Nice person and somebody who truly knows what he’s doing 🤩🤩
Affordable,Fun experiences and no issue regarding the tour every thing was smooth
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Disappointing Experience with Nkollo Tours - Unfulfilled Promises and Poor Service
We had a deeply disappointing experience with Nkollo Tours during our private fly-in safari from Zanzibar to Selous, Tanzania. The communication was severely lacking, with multiple schedule changes not being communicated to us, resulting in significant delays and missed safari time. Our flight was rescheduled without prior notice, causing us to miss 2 hours of our first day’s safari. We only became aware of the rescheduling when we arrived at the airport, prepared to board our flight at 06:00, and were handed new tickets. Moreover, the flight we were placed on included a stopover, contrary to the direct flight that was promised to us. As a result, instead of arriving in Selous at 06:50 as initially planned, we did not reach our destination until 08:15. After contacting Nkollo Tours about this delay, we were promised compensation through extended safari hours, but this was not honoured. In subsequent correspondence regarding the flight rescheduling, they asserted that they are not responsible for the issue and advised us to contact the airline directly. However, it is standard practice that when a flight is rescheduled, passengers are rebooked on a comparable flight, not one that includes a stopover and is significantly less expensive.
The second day was equally unsatisfactory. Our safari, originally scheduled to start at 07:00, was delayed by two hours without any communication, forcing us to wake up unnecessarily early (again!). The driver then proceeded to rush through the park at high speeds (60-80 km/hour), despite being informed of my mother’s back pain. This reckless driving led to a broken phone, a broken camera lens and injuries to my back and hip. We passed the elephants twice this day, yet the driver refused to stop for them, citing the need to be on time for lunch. Because the safari tour started two hours late, and the full itinerary was still followed, the driver maintained high speeds, which made it impossible for us to capture decent photos or to enjoy the safari experience properly. Lastly, if the driver did stop for us to look at the animals, a huge cloud of sand came up because he had to brake so hard for the car to stop. In subsequent correspondence, they claim that driving at such speeds would have caused the vehicle to break down. However, as someone who frequently drives, I observed that they were indeed driving at significantly high speeds, certainly not the 30 km/hour limit that is required within the park. They also claim they are not liable for any damages suffered, but I feel this is unjust, as these damages would not have occurred had they adhered to the appropriate speed limits.
On the final day, our scheduled walking safari was also delayed, with no timely notice, leading us to cancel it altogether. We had asked the tour operator the day before if the start time could be pushed to 08:00, but were informed that if starting at this time, we would not be able to see any animals. We were therefore advised to begin at either 06:00 or 07:00. We agreed to a 07:00 start, but upon arriving in the dining room, we were informed by one of the employees of the lodge that our tour guide had notified them at 00:00 the evening before that our tour will start at 08:00. Given that we had to wake up 05:30, we were already in bed by this time, unaware of the change in schedule. Given the previous warning about the likelihood of not seeing animals, we cancelled the walking safari altogether. Although we received a $100 compensation for this, we were still extremely disappointed with the overall experience we had with Nkollo Tours. Additionally, the lodge’s pool was out of service, and we were not informed of this in advance, which diminished the value of our stay further.
In conclusion, the experience was severely impacted by poor communication, lack of professionalism, and failure to deliver the promised service. We are seeking compensation for the missed safari hours, damaged property, and the subpar experience, but Nkollo Tours insists that the cost of the tour has increased, and therefore refuses to refund any portion of our payment, despite the numerous delays and damages we endured. The second day, they even bought us two bottles of liquor, which we interpreted as acknowledgement of their mistakes. However, they are now citing this gesture as a reason for refusing to refund any portion of our payment. We strongly advise other travellers to be cautious when considering Nkollo Tours for a private safari.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Awesome humans! Great 9 day multi-country safari
2 people (couple) from California, USA did a 9 day safari Kenya & Tanzania. Abongo was the very best helping us plan and manage every step of the way! We booked nearly a year ahead for mid-August travel. Was scary sending $ to a stranger overseas but felt confident & he answered all questions timely and crafted our dream safari! Super communicative throughout. Abongo & our guides spoke excellent English and understood us well. Everyone we met from Silver Spark spoke like 3-4 languages! Glad we got to meet Abongo in Nairobi & again at the border crossing. Very friendly & knowledgeable guy. He really helped make our border crossing quick & easy. Our safari was amazing! John (Jenga) our driver in Kenya was awesome. Toyota van was perfect & comfy. John was knowledgeable, patient, kind, helpful, patient, and funny. Very happy guy. Vehicle breakdowns on East Africa roads are common so John asked us if it was ok to rescue people a few times. You may have a private safari but expect the possibly helping others transport people or gear. The guides look out for each other cuz you never know when you’ll need help. The roads destroy ALL vehicles. In Kenya, we had a vehicle issue but luckily got fixed quickly & stayed on schedule. The roads out to and in the national parks are bad! But our driver made us feel confident. Then, Babu, our driver in Tanzania was the best!! Land cruisers only in Tanzania. It was cool to experience both types of vehicles. We were sad to leave Jenga but Babu was amazing as well! Felt sad to leave our friends at the end.
If you come up with a dream itinerary, ask Abongo for an ETA between places because the journey btwn parks is long and roads are sketchy & rough. Wish I had known to ask this info. I assumed roads would be bad but way underestimated. The time btwn parks is good for editing photos and napping, however :) It would be good to advise guests of approximate travel times. We chose mid-range accommodations with a mix of camp and lodges. All the places we stayed at were pleasant, some were excellent! We learned that Abongo w/Silver Spark does all the comms and planning in Kenya and they partner with Nyangulo Safaris in Tanzania where Soombe does all the planning. We met Soombe upon arrival & departure. Together, Abongo and Soombe make a great team and worked things out for us to have an amazing 9 days!! Thank you both. Things to know for ANY safari if this is your first: there is no “luxury” driving safari bc these roads are rough & destroy ALL cars ALL safari companies. We had car issues in both countries and saw countless cars broke down on the side of the road. You’ll need to be patient at park entries & in case of vehicle issues. Now we understand why safaris aren’t cheap. Vehicle maintenance in East Africa is a beast! The roads are dusty & bumpy! Don’t expect cold beverages on 9-12 hour road trips but you’ll get used to warm drinking water & Coca Cola. Also, if you end your trip with Zanzibar, be sure to arrive at the airport 2 hours before. We almost missed our flight, but again, Soombe helped with negotiating & begging on our behalf. Tip your guides well; they work HARD and make the journey great. We tipped more than the minimum and were generous to wait staff at lodges too. Silver Spark & Nyangulo are the best!!! We cannot say enough good things about these guys. Thank you, team!!! Asanti sana 🫶🏽 five stars? Hakuna Matata
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Friendly Safari
Good organization and very good human beings! Friendly people helpful, awesome safari. For my standards accomodations were a little bit low level, but was my first time in equatorial Africa, so I learned how the life is there.
I will go for another experience for sure