50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
8 Day Mid-Range Serengeti Safari
Lubulu was our driver and guide for our 6 day safari into the Serengeti. His heritage is Maasai, so who could be better, to guide us through the area and share his knowledge. He was excellent throughout, spotting wildlife and sharing information about their behaviours. We couldn’t have asked for more.
Our first safari was to Tarangire National Park. We spotted elephants, lion, zebra, and giraffe as well as several bird species. If this was just the first day we were in for a real treat. On the second day we saw a cheetah and her cub. My partner and I had waited 23 years since our first safari to see cheetah, what a thrill. We saw the big 5, ugly 5, and more.
The highlight was the wildebeest migration at the river crossing, a real spectacle, and nothing really prepares you for this event. We sat for over three hours just watching the wildebeest cross the river. The wildebeest just kept coming and coming, you could see them for miles in the distance. It was overwhelming to see the sheer numbers and watching the vultures waiting for one of them to slip up.
Lubulu didn’t take us to the Maasai villages, he said his focus was on the animals. We did stop at a couple of craft markets, just to take a short break with the option of shopping. I thought the second one was the best.
Lubulu looked after us really well. Thank you so much, and whenever I hear the lyrics of Toto Africa it will transport me back to those spectacular moments in Tanzania.
FR
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It's was perfect organization and follo-up of ours trip. Quick and positive answer when we need.
All was clear before ours departure. At arrival all was conform at what we expect. Easy to communicate with WhatsApp, the transfer between airport and lodge in time. The lodge was amazing,confortable, very good food and wine and we was very welcome. The safari was perfect and we saw the "big five". Victor our guide was excellent. All was perfect. We would like stay more time or coming back!! I recommand it.
SG
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reactive and efficient team, but unfortunately the shared tour is outsourced
I have booked a 10-day mid-range & high-comfort shared safari and zanzibar trip with Zanzi. All the communications and booking went smoothly ahead of the trip. The team at Zanzi is reliable and responsive. On my arrival, I got picked up at the airport and a representative from the company came to meet me at the hotel, collect outstanding payment and would be my contact point in case of issue during the trip.
To my surprise, the lodges I was told I would stay at (and given in my quote 5 months prior) were changed last minute. I didn't think much about it when I was told as I didn't realise the locations were actually different! Part of my tour was to stay 1 night in north Serengeti to catch the great migration, this night was changed to be back in central Serengeti, which means that I didn't get to stay a night in the north of the park which is what I had booked and paid extra for! So we only had half day in the north part of the park and had to leave by 3pm to drive all the way back to central Serengeti, which really was a pity as I thought I would get to enjoy at least 1 full day to 1.5 day there. This is the part where it is full responsibility of Zanzi and hence the 4 stars rating.
On another night, my accommodation was changed last minute on the day itself! I was looking forward to a lodge with a view and I ended up in an ecolodge tent with no running water and only shared electricity and no reception (nothing against ecolodge, they are great if I had chosen to stay in them, but for this trip I had chosen comfort and needed connection and this was in the coldest part of the trip in Ngorongoro - knowing my aversion for cold, i would have never picked to stay in a tent there, but I wasn't given the choice!). Zanzi team reimbursed me 100USD for this (I gave it back to them in the end).
The other point that is important to note and which I was not aware of when I booked is that shared tours are not shared amongst Zanzi guests with the same itinerary! This is outsourced to another company that pools together different guests from different agencies with different itineraries and different accommodations (being it level of comfort but also localizations!). So on the first day, I was in the car with 6 other people and from day 2 to day 5 with 6 other people, which was ok. The part that was not ok with me was that every morning and every evening, we would be spending 1.5 to 2 hours picking up and dropping off everyone in their respective lodges!! It was such a waste of time to be up at 6am and by the time everyone else was picked up it would be 8am, which is very late to start game driving (needless to say we missed all the actions! and it is very frustrating when going back to your lodge in the evening and hearing everyone else has seen animals that you haven't at all!). On the first day, the driver didn't know where my lodge was, it was already dark at night and brought me to the wrong lodge! I had to take my google map out, use roaming and indicate the route to take. On 2 occasions, I arrived past 9pm to my lodge, which is past dinner time! I was still served dinner, but I had no choice as to what to eat and had to eat what they served me. Most of time, I would arrive at night in my lodge (last to be dropped off), and depart before sunrise in the morning (first to be picked up) and so didn't get to enjoy at all balcony views, sunsets or sunrises or even relaxing time post safari day. I think the frustration culminated on the last day of safari when out of the 7 people in the car, 1 person was doing a balloon ride and all of the rest had to wait for her in a parking lot until 10.30am instead of game driving!! I felt I have wasted so much time in this trip on all these logistics instead of being in the park looking for animals. This is my 3rd safari in Africa and this is the first time I am encountering this, which seems to be the way in Tanzania, so beware when booking shared tours to ask how the sharing tour works.
I think I wasn't lucky with the driver and guide we got as well: he was very young and unexperienced (doing this for 1 year only), so there were still part of the parks he didn't know well (he had issue finding another lodge I was staying at inside Serengeti too) and it was frustrating to always follow other vehicles / guides he knew instead of going our way. He clearly wasn't passionate about the wildlife and would not be driving the right way to spot animals (way too fast to be able to spot anything on certain part) or getting way too close to animals to the point of disturbing them (I was surprised these guides don't get trained on what to do / not to do with wildlife).
It was the same in Zanzibar, the guide I got on the blue safari, took starfish out of water. Even some of us told him not to do so as it was killing them, he continued!
The guide I got in Stonetown was ok only, again not passionate and not listening to her guest preference. I am a photographer and I always like spending time in markets, because there is always good opportunities for photos. I did tell her I wanted to see the fish auction, I even insisted asking whether there were specific timings not to miss it! She let the market to the end of the tour and went around in 5min and saying this was the end of the tour and she needed to go and run her errands before shops close and it was too bad that at the time we arrived there was no auction ongoing! Lunch was included in this walking tour, but instead of asking me what I wanted she ordered what she wanted to eat. She ordered fish and octopus without asking (I eat seafood so it was ok but imagine someone who is not!) and I understood later that she actually wanted to pack the fish back home for dinner for her family!
All in all, it was a nice trip (Tanzania is a beautiful country and there is so much to do and see!), but obviously there were misses and disappointing parts!
NL
An Unforgettable Tanzanian Adventure!
Golden Trips organised an incredible 7-day Kilimanjaro trek (Lemosho route) and a 3-day safari for us. The entire experience was fantastic and well-executed. Overall, good value for money.
Planning: The planning process was smooth. Leticia was very responsive and patiently answered all our questions while creating the itinerary.
Kilimanjaro Trek: The 7-day trek was an unforgettable experience. Our guides, Bob and Noah, were exceptional—supportive, informative, and dedicated to getting us to the summit. We were consistently impressed by the quality and quantity of the food provided (thanks, Cheeks).
As moderately fit trekkers, we found the route manageable, but Summit Night is a true test of perseverance. Our guides' motivation was essential in helping us reach Uhuru Peak. A huge shoutout to the team of porters - Denis, Alex, Dito, Joshua, Sam, Erinest, Mashal, Bayo and Ruga - the successful climb would not have been possible without all your hard work.
Safari: Our 3-day safari covered Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater. Our guide, Deo, was fantastic. His knowledge and ability to spot wildlife were top-notch, and we saw 4 of the Big 5.
For first-time safari-goers, we'd recommend focusing on 1-2 parks in 3 days, as visiting all three felt rushed. You ultimately trade time in the parks for time on the road. The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater were our highlights.
Overall, we highly recommend Golden Trips for a memorable Tanzanian adventure.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The perfect people to organise a once in a lifetime adventure
Thank you, we had an absolutely amazing safari experience from start to finish. Everything was seamless – from the first enquiry through to the very last day, every detail was thoughtfully planned and executed. The itinerary was spectacular in every way: breathtaking landscapes, incredible wildlife encounters, beautiful and varied accomodation, and attentive staff who made us feel so well cared for.
We never had to worry about logistics or timing – everything just flowed perfectly, allowing us to relax and immerse ourselves fully in the adventure. It was beyond our expectations.
We can’t thank you enough for creating such an unforgettable journey.
Highly recommended to anyone wanting a truly world-class African safari.
PT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable Safari Experience
We had an unforgettable safari with Floridi as our guide. He made the entire experience fun, safe, and deeply enriching. His knowledge of the wildlife and the landscapes was truly impressive, and he always made sure we had the best possible views. Floridi spotted animals we would have never noticed ourselves and shared his passion through stories and explanations that brought the whole experience to life.
Floridi went above and beyond to make the trip special, and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide.
Thank you to Safari Soles for organizing such a memorable adventure, highly recommend!
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Try it and you'll have an amazing experience
I had some doubt at the beginning as I book myself and not through agencies... The most beautiful surprise sine the beginning in submitting me the safary trip tour, changing and adapting it due to my request of modification even during the safary itself.
No complain at all but, simple huge thanking to all the staff from the back office till our magnificent driver James who was not only a driver but a teacher and became a friend.
We visited not a country but a magnificent Pearl in the African continent
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
James communicated well and was ready to help when we were stuck.
This is my second time using Urbann vacations and I am happy the second experience was better than the first. Although the hotel mishandled us because we arrived early, they tried to make up for it.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional service from start to finish!
From the first message we sent, Christina was fast to reply and answered all of our concerns. She gave us all of the relevant information and helped make the booking process simple. The programs offered by Christina were tailored to our liking and she spent time and effort to make sure we got what we wanted on the tour.
On arrival our guide Fano met us at the airport with a smile and helped us change our money. Over the next 9 days of our tour we were treated with the best service we could have asked for. Fano was always on time, ready and prepared to take us on our adventures, he was very good at giving us the information about the places we visited and gave us different options to explore. His local knowledge was invaluable and his driving skill made us feel very safe and comfortable. Our tour included many long journeys by car, but they were always pleasant thanks to Fano. He would tell us all about the local culture and point out interesting things as we passed by. He was always very positive and has a great sense of humour.
Christina was quick to react to a change in circumstances when our departing flight changed. She arranged a driver for us on our last day so we could continue to explore rather than waiting in the airport all day.
To summarise we don’t think it’s possible to find better service as they really went above and beyond. We loved Madagascar so much, we will visit again and we will not hesitate to book with 261 EXP.
IT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Kruger safari experience
We have ve appreciated the great experience and passion of the guide that makes our safari experience unforgettable. He was able to show us animals that which would have been impossible to see without an expert guide. We also learnd a lot about animals habits and curiosities related to the park and the species that live there. Thanks also to flexibility of the agency, we have been able to re-arrange our safari schedule despite the issue faced with our flight schedule. On top to the Kruger park Safari we did, with the same agency, a very well organized and complete tour of the panoramic route!