IN
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A tour operator is a trusted travel expert who plans and organizes memorable journeys, ensuring a sm
The tour operator provided excellent communication, friendly service, great value for money, and reliable arrangements, making the entire safari experience smooth, enjoyable, and unforgettable.
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
They treat me like family, but there are still some small details that could be improved.
For this Tanzania safari, I chose Porcupine Expedition as the ground operator. Looking back on the five-day, four-night budget package, I can give it 4.5 stars, maybe even 5, for the following reasons.
First, this is a ground operator run by a local business family in Arusha. Everyone calls the boss as Mama Anna. Although she is clearly a very clever businesswoman, she is also an extremely warm and hospitable person. She called me her child right from the start to the end, and also paid close attention to my personal reactions to the safari content. When she learned that I hadn't seen a large-scale river crossing in the Serengeti, she kept apologizing to me and promised to give me a free day in the northern Serengeti next time (In fact, it's normal not to see large-scale river crossings in this season). And when I returned to Kilimanjaro Airport, she send her daughter to pick me up and prepared a free lunch for me. In terms of service attitude, Porcupine Expedition is absolutely excellent.
Second, the guide and chef on this safari were also good. My guide genuinely delivered every item listed in the itinerary—when it said Full Day Safari, he really drove from sunrise to sunset, and along the way we truly saw many animals and many different related things. Most importantly, in Ngorongoro we found the large herd that had come over from the Masai Mara. Although it wasn't a river crossing, the vast, endless migration of wildebeest gave me an extremely powerful sense of awe.
Finally, on this safari we only changed vehicles once, on the last day in Tarangire, and both of my vehicles had only 4–5 people. Compared with the crowding during my Kenya safari, this was truly much more comfortable.
Now that I've covered the strengths, I should mention the weaknesses. There were mainly three.
The first was a last-minute itinerary change. Only after I arrived did they inform me that the northern Serengeti portion of the trip had been canceled. This made me very sad and disappointed at the beginning, because the very reason I wanted to go was to see the Great Migration in the northern Serengeti. "I went and didn't see it" and "I didn't go, so I didn't see it" are two different things, and what you can see in the central Serengeti isn't all that different from the Masai Mara. But later, I did see the Great Migration in Ngorongoro. Although it was still on a small scale, it saved me from a lifelong regret caused by the itinerary change.
The second was the tipping issue. I had prepared US$20 in tips, US$10 for the driver and US$10 for the cook, and the two Egyptian travelers with me gave the same. But when it came time for me to give mine, the guide got out of the vehicle and chased me all the way to my hotel room on the last night, telling me he thought the tip was too small and asking me to add more money, and telling me that the cook would need an additional tip the next day. This behavior also affected my good impression of him. Fortunately, US$30 isn't too big an expense.
The third was the accommodation issue, and this is also where I think Kenya beats Tanzania. Also a budget package, Tanzania's five days and four nights included three nights sleeping in tents, with hot water only on one night, not to mention Wi-Fi and so on. Still, on the night in Ngorongoro, wild zebras would show up outside the tent, which was at least a novel experience.
Overall, Porcupine Expedition's budget safari package is still quite good. Just like the one in Kenya, it's suitable for travelers who love adventure and don't have high requirements for accommodation. I think I will choose Porcupine Expedition again next time and recommend it to other Chinese tourists. But if I come again next time, I'll probably make the entire itinerary northern Serengeti, or head straight for the summit of Kilimanjaro.
NL
under20 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Rogers was a good tour oparator!
We saw a lot of animals, including baby lions and so much more. It was a really good trip and we have a lot of wonderful pictures. Would 100% do it over again! Our tour gide was rogers.
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Dream Safari Turned Into a Nightmare – Avoid This Agency
If I could give this agency zero stars, I absolutely would. An extremely disappointing experience, and an agency I would strongly advise anyone to avoid.
Unfortunately, we made the mistake of choosing this agency for our trip to Tanzania, and what should have been an unforgettable experience turned into a frustrating and deeply disappointing ordeal.
Our vehicle broke down repeatedly, leaving us stranded in the middle of the savannah, with a guide who appeared completely unable to handle the situation professionally. To make matters worse, the guide provided virtually no information about the wildlife, national parks, or the surroundings. There were no meaningful explanations, no insights, and no real effort to make the game drives informative or engaging. We were left wondering what we were actually paying for.
As if this were not bad enough, we also missed out on game drives in some parks because the agency combined our group with another group operating on a completely different schedule. This resulted in missed activities and a significant loss of precious time during a trip that we had carefully planned and paid for.
The level of organisation, professionalism, and service was simply unacceptable. A safari in Tanzania is a significant investment, both financially and emotionally, and customers deserve reliable vehicles, competent guides, proper planning, and a service that delivers what was promised. This agency failed on all these fronts.
Tanzania is an extraordinary country, with breathtaking landscapes and incredible wildlife. Sadly, our experience was seriously compromised by the poor choices and incompetence of the agency we trusted to organise our trip.
A beautiful destination cannot compensate for a badly organised safari, unreliable vehicles, an unprepared guide, and missed experiences. We would never choose this agency again, and based on our experience, we cannot recommend it to anyone considering a trip to Tanzania.
Do yourself a favour and look elsewhere. There are undoubtedly better operators who will treat your time, money, and expectations with the respect they deserve.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great trip to Devil's Pool!
We did the morning trip to Devil's Pool and loved it! The transfer from Zimbabwe to Zambia went smoothly. Everyone we interacted with was friendly and helpful. The trip to Devil's Pool was well run and the staff are very talented at keeping tourists safe! The meal afterwards was wonderful. A great experience not to be missed!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Efficient, helpful, and well organised
We booked a 4 day safari in Serengetti and Ngorongoro Crater, with the last day at a waterfall, for four people. Gladness the operator, was do helpful through the whole process, beginning to end. Our Guide/ driver Amiri, was knowledgeable, friendly and spoke great English, answering all our questions and found us all the Big 5.
We loved all of it, even the budget campsites.
CL
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliability throughout the entire journey
Well-organized; they delivered 100% of what was promised—and even more, as we received an upgrade at one of the lodges. The staff at the accommodations were very friendly, and the guides and drivers possessed the right expertise to make our safari a truly great and unforgettable experience.
CL
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable, secure, and approachable
Reliable, secure and and approachable. I was very happy with the experience
CL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ok
We chose Meru Slopes for our 6-day budget safari after reading many excellent reviews, so we expected a well-organised and smooth experience. Overall, the safari itself was good, but our experience with the person who sold us the tour, Almanchius, was quite disappointing.
Our guide was good. He knew exactly where to take us to find the animals and we had a great time with him. He was not very talkative and gave only brief explanations, so at times he felt more like a driver than a guide, but overall we were happy with him.
Our chef was excellent. He was professional, always on time and prepared delicious food throughout the safari.
Unfortunately, communication with Almanchius before and during the trip was the biggest problem.
Even before booking, communication was not very professional. We asked for a call to get more information, but the call lasted less than five minutes and he was clearly distracted, talking while getting in and out of a car. We still decided to book because of the many positive reviews.
After paying our deposit, things became even more concerning. Almanchius stopped replying to our messages and emails, and at one point we genuinely thought we might have been scammed. Eventually, he apologised and gave us different explanations for the lack of communication.
There were also several things that should have been communicated before the safari. For example, we were never told that we would have a chef travelling with us or that we would be expected to tip him. We only found this out once the safari had started.
Before the trip, I also asked Almanchius if it would be possible to arrange a small cake or candle for my husband’s birthday. He told me it would not be a problem, so I assumed this had been arranged. However, on the day, neither the guide nor the chef knew anything about it. I contacted Almanchius again, and once again received an apology and an explanation for why it had not been arranged.
We had a similar problem with our airport transfer after the safari. We had to send several messages and reminders to get this organised. Again, we received apologies and different explanations for the delays.
To be clear, we enjoyed the safari itself and were happy with our guide and chef. The problem was the organisation and communication from the person who sold us the tour. When you are travelling internationally and have already paid for a safari, you need to be able to trust that your questions will be answered and that arrangements will actually be followed through.
Meru Slopes has good safari staff on the ground, but based on our experience, the communication and organisation from Almanchius need significant improvement.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
To the best safari driver! Japhet!!
We had a fantastic safari; everything was well organized and went perfectly, including the flights. The cook we had with us prepared delicious meals, and there was a good selection of food.
But the highlight of the safari was definitely our driver, Japhet! Huge praise to him! He knew where the animals were, we saw so much, he told us a lot about them, and he was excellently prepared. He's also a very safe driver who has his car completely under control. We stopped briefly at the mechanic a couple of times along the way to have the car checked, which ensured we wouldn't have a breakdown and waste any time – that's very important.
We also had a fantastic time and lots of fun with him! I hope we see him again soon! Best regards!