RU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Review about Lake Manyara National Park by Tatiana
Unfortunately, I think the park is dying due to the recent floods. It's sad, but it's instructive to see how cruel and merciless nature itself can be at times.
RU
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Unforgettable Safari Adventure in Tanzania
Our safari through Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti was truly one of the most amazing travel experiences we’ve ever had. Everything was very well organized, which made the whole journey stress-free.
The planning of the safari was excellent. Each day felt perfectly balanced — full of adventure but never rushed. The accommodations were also great: comfortable, and located in beautiful natural settings. My personal love is staying in tented camp-lodge Tukaone Serengeti camp surrounded by the African savannah! It made the experience absolutely special! Waking up to the sounds of nature and watching the sunrise and sunset over the plains is something I’ll remember for a long time.
A big part of why this safari was so special was our driver-guide, John. He was fantastic! Not only is he a very skilled driver (which is important on some of the park roads!) If anything unexpected came up, he handled it easily and always found a solution.
He also has an incredible eye for wildlife. Time after time he managed to spot animals that we would have completely missed on our own — lions resting in the tall grass, a leopard hidden in a tree, even rhinos far away in the distance.
Thanks to his skills — and a bit of luck — we managed to see the entire Big Five. That alone would have made the trip unforgettable. But we also had fun spotting the famous “Ugly Five”, which made the experience even more unique.
So, if you want to have the safari of your dreams, then with John as your driver you will on heaven!
Each park had its own atmosphere: the massive baobab trees and huge elephant herds in Tarangire, the breathtaking views and dense wildlife in the Ngorongoro Crater, and the endless plains of the Serengeti - my personal crash - filled with animals everywhere you look.
Overall, the safari exceeded our expectations — great organization, comfortable places to stay, incredible wildlife, and a truly excellent guide. We’re very grateful for this experience and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who dreams of seeing Tanzania’s amazing national parks. It was a trip we’ll never forget. 🐘🦁🌅
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ontarget Safari gave us a fun, smooth trip with great guides and unforgettable wildlife moments.
I had an amazing experience with Ontarget Safari. Everything was well organized, and the team was very friendly and helpful. The guide was knowledgeable and made the safari exciting and fun. It was truly a memorable trip and great value for the money. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great safari adventure! 🦁🌍✨
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing
Did a 6 day Ndutu calving safari ! Our arrangements were made through Lion King Adventures. Staff of Elia Maira & Nickson Obedi Rafael helped with the reservations… very professional and helpful. There were 6 of us traveling in 2 vans. Our guides Yusuph & Gilbert was just so amazing !! I’ve been to 3-4 safaris before but this was by far the best regards game sightings … saw an abundance of all the big 5,& luckily leopard too. Had opted for luxury accommodations & modest of them were excellent.
Would definitely recommend this company for Serena safaris
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kenya (Massai Mara) - Guide: James
We had James for our first stop of our 10 day journey for Kenya and Tanzania. I believe he was the BEST first guide we could have gotten. Immediately was so friendly and personable, cracking jokes the moment we met. He made our family have an incredible time. Was very knowledge of the animals and was hands down an ELITE driver! What felt like 3 days with him felt like 2 weeks in the best way! I miss him everyday and am excited for the all future travelers that get the chance to hang out with him :). You tend to spend a lot of time with the drivers and get to know them well. I am very glad we crossed paths with James and hope whoever reads this next gets the chance to as well!
BG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Flexible, attentative, caring, easy communicatin
Organising the safari was easy thanks to the professionalism and flexibility of the company. The safari itself was lovely due to the experience and attention to details of our guide. They took really good care of us.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was absolutely worth the trip
Safari Without the “Hardship”
Before coming to Africa, I had mentally prepared myself for what people often say: “If you go to Africa, you should be ready to endure some hardship.”
As it turns out, my expectation of “roughing it” never really materialized.
Following tips from Xiaohongshu, we packed quite a lot before the trip. But looking back now, aside from my Crocs and a pair of binoculars—which turned out to be absolute essentials—almost everything else we brought was largely unnecessary.
Over the course of the trip, we stayed at four different camps. The rooms ranged from tents with soft ground floors, to ones with solid flooring, and eventually to elevated platforms with wooden decks. Shower facilities also evolved along the way—from 20-minute hot showers, to 24-hour hot water, and finally to the luxury of both indoor and outdoor showers available whenever we liked.
In just a few days, we experienced the unique styles and personalities of different camps. Each tented camp had its own special way of welcoming guests and sending them off. The locations of the camps might change, but two things remained constant everywhere: their beautiful singing and their genuinely warm smiles.
Life on safari felt almost like being on a cruise ship on land. In the safari vehicle, water, soft drinks, and beer were always available. Back at camp, we were greeted by buffet spreads that seemed to change every day. One meal would barely end before the next one was already on the horizon.
Every afternoon we had the option: return to camp for lunch or have a picnic out in the wild. Without hesitation, we chose the picnic every single time. Not only did it save the time of driving back and forth, but it also gave us the rare opportunity to enjoy a meal under the same vast sky as the wildlife around us.
Of course, spotting animals during a safari is partly about luck—but a great guide makes all the difference.
Our guide, Mr. Hamad, has been doing this for eight years. Not only is he incredibly experienced, he also seems to possess the eyes of an eagle. Time and again, he would spot animals hidden deep in the grass long before any of us noticed them.
To us, it might have looked like we were simply wandering across the savanna every day, driving without a clear destination. But in reality, Hamad was patiently trying to make sure we saw as much wildlife as possible. We’re deeply grateful for the way he took us out early every morning and brought us back safely each evening.
Even after a day of heavy rain—when the vehicle was covered in mud—he would still carefully clean both the inside and outside of the car at the end of the day. By the next morning, everything would be spotless again, ready for another safari.
The onboard fridge always held two bottles of the local Serengeti beer, though somehow we never managed to finish them. The red wine, white wine, and champagne that had been prepared in advance also remained quietly untouched in the car.
During the trip, Hamad taught us a couple of local phrases: “Jambo” (hello) and “Hakuna Matata” (no problem). Even now, whenever I meet a stranger, I feel the urge to greet them with a cheerful “Jambo!”
On the flight home, during a transfer, I even greeted an Emirates flight attendant with it. She was probably a little confused inside, but she maintained a perfectly professional smile.
In return, we introduced Hamad to the Chengdu dialect. By the last couple of days, he had already picked it up surprisingly well and could use it with impressive accuracy. Whenever we encountered something new, he would be the first to exclaim:
“Oyo~!”
And the funniest part was that his tone and delivery were absolutely perfect.
CA
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
An Excellent Safari Experience
I had a wonderful safari with Exaudy of Utukufu Travels and Adventures. Being my second safari, I was unsure if it could be better than the first, but it far exceeded.
Exaudy, and his drivers/guides, extensive knowledge of the African animals and countryside ensured that we had many fantastic sightings and up close views of the animals! Within the first couple of days we got to see the Big 5!
The unique cultural experiences Exaudy incuded only added to the enjoyment of the trip. He ensured that each and every one in the group got to experience a truly exciting trip.
The accommodations were comfortable, the food was good, and the drivers were amazing in their ability to navigate bad roads with care. I especially appreciated their immediate assistance to another tour group's breakdown we passed in the middle of no where.
After spending 8 days with Exaudy and his team we were all sad to be leaving our new found friends. They were very professional, but also kind and pleasant to travel with. We had so much fun together!
I highly recommend Utukufu Travels for a high-quality and rewarding safari experience! I hope to one day do another safari with Exaudy.
PT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
What an adventure!!!
Four days of adventure through the Serengeti and Ngorongoro parks that went perfectly. A well-deserved highlight goes to our driver, Dicson — a true virtuoso behind the wheel! Despite the heavy rain, driving on muddy terrain and even crossing rivers by ford, the jeep never once got stuck.
He was also an attentive and enthusiastic observer of wildlife, spotting animals hidden from our group of six and stopping the vehicle whenever we wanted so we could take all the photos we wished.
From Josh Dreamland Safari, applause as well for the choice of lodges where we stayed overnight, which proved to be perfect, and for the decision to provide lunch with a picnic setup, always with complete and hot meals (drinks always included — beer, water, Coca-Cola and even sparkling wine and wine!), unlike most other companies that simply handed unfortunate clients sandwiches in paper bags.
As if all this were not already perfect, the company said goodbye to us at the airport by celebrating the end of our adventure with a cake and glasses of sparkling wine. What better way could there be to end such an adventure?
IT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
fantastic!!!!
the safari was so great, our guide a were so nice with us givig us explenaition and information about what we were seeing. we were able to see so kant animals and also the hotel was so beautiful! I would definitely recommend
