MT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent service - would go again!
From the very moment we contacted Wild Root Safaris we could tell that they were extremely serious, trustworthy, friendly and understanding and that they were really good at understanding our needs and requests and helping us with even more things that we could have imagined.
When we arrived in Arusha they were on hand to pick us up and help us. They took us around Arusha to pick up some small items, helped us check in to our hotel and drove us to a lovely place where we could get some lunch after the long bus drive coming to Arusha. And this was before the Safari had even started!
On the morning of the Safari our guide helped us with everything, was very good at showing us local things and explaining many things about the city of Arusha. This was when we were driving and there was still a good way to the Tarangire National Park.
It was very comforting driving with a local (Raymond/Maje) who lived in Arusha and knew everything really well. Both me and my travel companion never really liked staying in the bigger cities in Tanzania but with Wild Root we were never worried about anything.
We went on a 4d/3n safari starting in the Tarangire National Park, then Serengeti for 2 days and finished off in the Ngorogoro crater.
The only negative aspect of our Safari experience was the first hotel (Finaka Lodge) - the food was nice and the staff very friendly but the room was way below what you would expect (if you come with a European mindset). We explained this to our safari guide the next day and they were sad to hear about this.
After the safari they invited us out for dinner and said they were sorry about this and that they had already contacted the hotel to check what had happened.
The next two hotels/lodges (Ikoma Tented Camp/Rhino Lodge) were much nicer and we had no issues whatsoever at those places. Where Finaka Lodge was in a small village you completely lost the feel of being on a Safari. At Ikoma Tented Camp and Rhino Lodge we saw wild animals (giraffe, gazelle, water buffalo and some other type of gazelle) come right in to our camp/walked very close to the houses. We could hear Hyena in the night (which scared my travel companion) but I think this was amazing and exactly the experience you want!
The first day in Tarangire was amazing, we saw monkeys, giraffe, warthog (Pumba's), birds and of course elephants which the park is famous for. Our guide was extremely clever in the way he found the animals which we benefitted from on many occasions. In Tarangire we got within 2-3 meters of around 10 elephants, where some of the elephants were very young. This was a truly amazing experience and I am grateful for being able to observe these majestic animals.
Serengeti was another chapter in its own - from the endless plains to the migrating herds of animals, there was plenty to see and our guide Maje was always quick to look around and spot the animals long before we could see them. We saw a whole range of animals in Serengeti including a Cheetah with four cubs, a Leopard, a leopard baby, plenty of lions, wildebeest, zebra, hyena, warthog and all sorts of Antilope.
When we arrived in the Ngorogoro crated we saw animals right away: Lions, Elephants, water buffalo right next to the car and huge male elephants next to the road. We spotted a Rhino with its baby and even more flamingos than you could possibly count. The crater was an amazing experience and we will definitely go on a safari another time!
After the Safari Wild Root had assisted us in buying tickets for our bus the next day, they helped us check in to our hotel again and the next morning the picked us up and drove us to the bus station. They asked me to let them know once we arrived at our destination, which only proves how much they care and how helpful they are.
All in all I have nothing negative to say about Wild Root Safaris - they catered for our every need and went above and beyond for our every request. It is a relatively small company which only means that they are better at customizing your Safari and making it a truly wonderful experience.
When I am going on my next Safari, there is no question that I will go with Wild Root Safaris.
IL
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I even tasted Rwandan food on gorilla adventure
We traveled with gorilla tour booking Safaris in April 2014, It was a 6 days safari to Rwanda for a gorilla trekking in national parks of Rwanda, Ronald and Henry did a superb job in fixing this tour because we used to change our safari planning several times these guys are professionals and flexible they replied our queries with helpful information to our safari.
Our guide Robert was ever on, smiling and friendly.
Accommodation nine out of ten, I even tasted Rwandan food so delicious.
2016 gorilla tour booking safaris this time Uganda you are on my travel list.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great, friendly guides, good food, and they definitely know how to find the animals!
Appreciated our time with Kanuth Adventure Safaris, even when challenges arose they found a solution and knew their way around the park. We saw on a one day safari all the animals we hoped to see.
NL
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Nice Budget Safari Services
I and my wife had a nice time in Nairobi Kenya.We visited several places. Mara and Amboseli and the tours were nice. accommodations on the budget tented camps was good for our budget.
CA
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Uganda by Ross
Chimpanzees and gorillas in the wild, not many other countries offer this!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A small safari to get you started on your Tanzania adventure
My time in Tanzania was to start on the Serengeti, move to Ngorongoro Crater, then to Tarangire, and finish at Arusha National Park. After doing some research I changed that order and reversed it...and I am glad I did.
Arusha National Park is far smaller than the other parks and doesn't have the larger wildlife the other parks have like elphants, hippos, rhinos, etc. What it does have is a thriving flamingo population, baboons, and black and white colobus monkeys. It is a great park to start your journey through Tanzania because it gives you a way to sort of dip your toes into the safari travel without being immersed in it. The roads are dirt, the wildlife is right outside of your car, the views are beautiful but it is a small park and the animals are smaller and less intimidating than other parks.
We stopped for lunch at a picnic grounds and could see baboons around the restroom area maybe 30 feet from us waiting for us to leave so they could scavenge any food we left behind. Impressive animals but at no time did I feel threatened. The lakes were filled with greater and lesser flamingos in the thousands. The Black and White Colobus monkeys played in the trees above our heads in the jungle sections of the park. And the bird species were innumerable.
You will get a feel of a safari vehicle riding on dirt roads, get a bit of jungle, plains, lakes, etc that you will encounter at the larger parks without feeling over-whelmed. But Arusha is simply not as thrilling as the big three. The Serengeti is unmatched, Ngorongoro is unique, and Tarangire provides amazing landscapes as backdrops to the many elephants in the park. The other three are better for seeing the big 5 and most of the animals you came to Tanzania to see, but Arusha is a good way to start your journey...just don't finish it there or you will be disappointed. But when you start there...you get a brief look at the bigger things to come.
An amazing place to experience safari
With the Ngorogoro crater being the star attraction, it would be easy to overlook Lake Manyara for a safari. However, thankfully, we didn't and had an amazing time there.
We saw a wide range of wildlife such as Elephants, Babboons, Sea Eagles, Kingfishers as well as Flamingo's which the park is famous for.
The scenery in the park varies. When you enter, you travel through forest but once you reach the viewpoints over the lake, the land stretches on for miles over open plains.
We were there in August and the temperature was moderate (mid 20's) so pleasant enough without being unbearable.
The park is less crowded than Ngorogoro which means that it feels a little more personal.
If you only had one day to do a safari, would I pick Lake Manyara?.....well probably not because Ngorogoro is deservedly one of the most incredible places I've visited. However, don't overlook Manyara; you'll have a different but amazing time there too.
Friendly
My experiences with the guys from Quest Horizon Tanzanian was very grateful. They was very professional and friendly and also was a surprise they speak in Spanish!
When a return again to Arusha, definitely I will ask for them.
Very affordable good standard, tented bush lodge with some of the best elephants in Africa
Very pleasant Park and tented lodges.
Varied scenery and terrain.
Good range of animals including Lions, Wild Dog, Leopard, Nyala and some of the best Tusker Elephants in Africa.
Plenty of food of good standards.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good overall experience in Amboseli National Park
My visit to Amboseli National Park aimed to accomplish two objectives: see large herds of elephants in the open and view Mt. Kilimanjaro. Anything extra was considered a bonus for me because I was going to visit Serengeti National Park for other wildlife opportunities. I can confidently say that these objectives were met and I did end up getting what I would call "bonus material".
First, the elephant herds were very large and easy to spot. There were herds of more than 20 elephants. Since these elephants have been well protected from poachers, there are many mature elephants with very large tusks. If you are into elephants, this is the place to go.
Second, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I enjoy mountain scenery and always have high hopes of good mountain viewing. Unfortunately, I was only able to view Kili in the very early morning hours. The remainder of the day it was shrouded in clouds. While that was mildly disappointing, I was grateful to have seen it. When the mountain was visible, it did not disappoint. What makes this a unique viewing opportunity is that Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. There are no other dominant mountains or foothills around it.
Other wildlife was easily visible in the park because of the vast open plains. There were few predator sightings; although, I did manage to see a few hyenas and jackals. There are lions in the park, but are seldom seen. The wildlife in Amboseli National Park does not teem with animals on the scale of Masai Mara or Serengeti. Again, as previously stated, this park specializes in elephants and you would be hard pressed to find other destinations that offer the abundance of opportunities to get clear views of elephants.
The weather in the park was what one should expect from African plains. It was very warm with abundant sunshine most of the day. There were brief periods of higher humidity followed by a short rain. That did not negatively impact the safari experience.
The transportation in the park is quite easy. The park is much smaller than Serengeti or Masai Mara, making it easy to see the entire park in a couple of days. The roads were in good condition while I was there in November.
I stayed in a campground just outside the park. The accommodations were comfortable and the food was good. However, I will say that I am quite low maintenance when it comes to food and lodging.
My safari guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. He knew his wildlife species well and he would drive to specific locations when I asked him. He also asked me questions about the specific things that I wanted to see so that he could ensure that my experience was exactly what I was looking for.
Overall, I would highly recommend Amboseli National Park as a safari destination. It is a convenient place for those who are on their way from Nairobi to Arusha for additional safari tours. Furthermore, it is difficult to find better places to view Mt. Kilimanjaro and find elephant herds as large as those found in Amboseli.