35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fun, Comfortable, Exceeded Expectations
TLDR: If you're on the fence about going on safari, just do it. Much cleaner than expected, and with African Big Cats, my group had a once-in-a-lifetime experience we'll never forget.
Our friend (family of 3) booked us (family of 4) a safari tour using African Big Cats. When we arrived in Arusha airport, we were greeted by our guide, Omega (coolest name ever). The seven of us crammed into a safari-modified Toyota Landcruiser (built for 8 people). The seats were comfortable enough, and just about every safari company has these vehicles. After stopping off at the office for a briefing with the manager Emanuel, we were off on an 8 day journey to see some animals in the wild. Our tour was from 7/12-7/19, which is good timing to see the wildebeest migration in Serengeti. Over 8 days, we toured 3 different wildlife refuges, Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro. Each one had a different flavor from the others. Tarangire and Ngorongoro had the denser animal populations (particularly herbivores like elephants and giraffe), but Serengeti had more diversity and rarer sights. Some of the highlights we saw were lion cubs, a cheetah hunting (and killing) a gazelle, and the wildebeest river crossings (featuring crocodiles trying to nab young wildebeest as snack). None of these experiences would've happened had we not been expertly lead by our safari guide Omega. He was super knowledgeable, answered any question we had, and was cool enough to be able to joke around with as well. I kind of regret not tipping him more, but we were too short on cash to add when we finished our trip.
At the end of every day, we would pull into various lodges, and each one was a unique experience unto themselves. The lodgings varied from resort hotels to mobile tented setups, complete with plumbing (shower, sink toilet), hot water, beds, and WIFI. It never occurred to me that these kinds of places could exist, but dang that African ingenuity man... One of the tent lodges even had a TV to watch world cup soccer on - and it was inside the Serengeti. Every one of these lodges had a restaurant section, and provided dinner plus breakfast. Each lodge also provided the guide with lunches for all of us to take on the road for the safari portion of our day. And EVERY staff member at these lodgings were super nice and attentive, like a Japanese level of hospitality. You will NEVER get this kind of service in America.
So in conclusion, what I can say is this - I don't know how amazing it would be if you booked another safari company. I cannot compare. However, everyone in my group had fun on this trip. And I personally felt like Omega was a better guide than many of the other guides around us, in the sense that he almost always seemed to drive to a great spot at just the right time. So if you book with African Big Cats, and get Omega as your guide, I can guarantee, with 95% certainty, that it will be a good time. You may not see EVERYTHING we did, as we did get pretty lucky, but the safari days were amazing (thanks again Omega), and the nights ended with fantastic stays at great lodges. I will be recommending this company to all my friends who are interested.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
John was extremely friendly, fun to be around and very knowledgeable
My experience was amazing. Our guide John was very helpful and informative about the animals and each area we went to. We hopped around 3 different areas and each one had a unique feeling to it.
Would highly recommend Serengeti Wakanda to anyone visiting Tanzania.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
He organized everything perfectly as agreed.
Miriam proved to be a capable organizer, and Simba a friendly and excellent driver. Every expectation was met.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding service and value fully focused on customer satisfaction delivering at every level.
Our initial contact,some three months ago,was with William who helped plan our itinerary.He offered valuable input and patiently offered ideas and suggestion to come up with out final excellent draft tour.Fantastic communication at every stage.The admin was then passed to Naomi who was also very easy to deal with and responded promptly and helped us negotiate the funds transfer.
We were met at Arusha airport by our driver guide Thomas and had a brief tour overview with Emanuel who summarised the delights that lay ahead of us.
We consider ourselves so fortunate to have had Thomas lead us through the most amazing week in the Serengeti.His knowledge kindness and sense of humour has given us memories that left us in awe.
The accomodation at every stop excelled and was staffed by lovely people.
To cap the perfect trip we were fortunate enough to see the Big 5 and witness the migration of the Wilderbeest. Thank you Thomas!
We have no hesitation in recommending African Big Cats Safaris.
The very grateful Bell and Grant Group from Australia
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Kenya tour! Suzi & Mike superb!
Five stars, no hesitation. We booked this Kenya tour with a local Nairobi agency and the experience was simply fantastic, well beyond our expectations.
From the very first contact, Susan (Suzi) was incredibly helpful: she organized every detail of the trip and answered me on WhatsApp at any hour of the day or night, for every request I had. A rare level of attentiveness.
Once we arrived in Nairobi, we met Mike, our guide for the entire tour aboard his jeep. Mike is a wonderful person: friendly, helpful, and remarkably dedicated to his job. Rather than taking shortcuts, he always went the extra mile to make his clients happy, even tackling tougher roads just to show us something more. He's also a skilled driver and mechanic, and a big-hearted man: during the tour he stopped to help another jeep that had a flat tire.
The tour was unforgettable, experienced together with our two children (ages 10 and 5):
- Masai Mara: we witnessed the great migration, and thanks to Mike's expertise along with his friend Charles (a local Masai), we spotted as many as 20 lions.
- Lake Naivasha: a visit to Crescent Island; the day was a bit overcast with fewer animals visible, but that was certainly not the agency's fault.
- Hell's Gate: a bike safari followed by a walk through the gorge, where Mike and another local guide patiently helped the children along the streambed path, ending at King's Throne, which inspired the settings of The Lion King.
- Amboseli: two full days of safari in Mike's jeep, amid landscapes like paradise on earth, full of elephants, other wildlife, and an incredible variety of birds.
On the last day, they drove us to the airport for our internal flight, with the same care shown from the very beginning.
Flawless organization, a price roughly half of what we would have paid through an Italian agency (with no unnecessary markups), and above all two people, Suzi in the office and Mike in the field, who gave their absolute best to create an authentic and memorable experience. I recommend it without reservation to anyone wanting to discover Kenya in a genuine way.
SG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Tarangire National Park by Idy
Tarangire is completely unique with its giant, ancient baobab trees scattered all across the rolling hills, and getting to see massive herds of elephants roaming right through them is just incredible.
SG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Serengeti National Park by Idy
Visiting the Serengeti is an absolute dream come true! Seeing the endless plains stretching out forever and watching the massive herds move across the savannah during the Great Migration is just mind-blowing. It really feels like walking right into a live wildlife documentary, and catching the big cats out in the open makes every moment unforgettable.
SG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Ngorongoro Crater by Idy
Descending into the Ngorongoro Crater is mind-blowing! It’s the world's biggest unbroken volcanic bowl, and because it's enclosed, it holds thousands of animals in one spot. You get gorgeous scenery and a fantastic chance to see the large mammals in a single game drive.
SG
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tanzania delivers an unforgettable safari filled with abundant wildlife and the Great Migration.
Visiting Tanzania during the peak month of July is a major investment, but it completely delivers on its promise for wildlife enthusiasts. Catching the Big Five and witnessing the awe-inspiring Great Migration were the main purposes of my trip, and seeing those dramatic river crossings in person made every bit of the planning worthwhile. While July does bring larger crowds and higher tour fees, the payoff in wildlife density is unmatched.
Beyond the animals, Tanzania pleasantly surprised me with its comfort and hospitality. I was initially concerned about logistics and sanitation, but I was relieved to find bidets widely available in the restrooms. The culinary experience was equally impressive: our camp chef prepared fresh, hot, and nutritious meals daily - featuring eggs, oatmeal, fresh vegetables and fruits, and even unexpected treats like pork bacon. Coupled with the genuinely friendly and welcoming nature of the local people, every moment in the field and at camp felt safe, comfortable, and deeply enriching.
Awesome!
We had such a fantastic experience! Christine and Julius were amazing guides! They made our trip the best ever! Their service was top notch. When one of our selected accommodations wasn’t to our liking, they not only helped us find another option but also helped clean one of the rooms so we could settle in as quickly as possible. Rwanda is amazing and Naleyo made our time there fantastic!