20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Saw all of the BIG 5; Animal encounters exceeded our expectations!
Alex the owner of Mama Savana Safaris was easy to communicate with via text and e-mail. He was prompt in answering any questions that we had. When we needed an additional drive arranged for the second leg of our trip, Alex was able to arrange for a driver to pick us up at the airport and take us to our hotel. Further, Alex met with us on the first and last day of our safari to ensure that we had a clear plan for the safari and that we were satisfied with our experience.
Our safari was 7 days, 6 nights in duration and cost approximately 2,140.00 USD per person. We believe this was good value for money because of the lodging, food quality, service, and quantity and variety of animals seen.
With respect to reliability, our original itinerary was changed upon our arrival in Tanzania. Originally we were told that we would be staying at the Sangaiwe Tented Lodge on the second night of our safari. Instead we stated at the Lake Burunge Tented Lodge, which we believe was an upgrade compared to our original itinerary. Additional our lodges for the third and sixth night were switched; however, we do believe this impacted out safari experience in any way. That being said, on nights four and five of our original itinerary we were suppose to stay at the Serengeti Tortilis Tented Camp. We were informed that the Serengeti Tortilis Tented Camp was closed due to low tourist volumes due to Covid-19. Instead we spent nights four and five of our Safari at Osinon Tented Camp which interestingly was owned and operated by Alex - it also located in an area infested with Tsetse flies. Overall our experience at Osinon Tented Camp was positive, however, we do not believe that it was the same level of quality that we would have experienced at the Serengeti Tortilis Tented Camp based on our review and comparison of various online reviews of the accommodations. During our final night we stated at the Wellworth Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge. The property itself was luxurious, the staff was extremely attentive, the food was excellent (one of our best meals the entire trip); however our room had some sort of extra guest (not sure if it was a rodent or a bat) as there were multiple fresh droppings throughout the room. That staff cleaned up the droppings, but there were fresh droppings the next morning. We should note that we were the only guests staying at the lodge which may have contributed the the presence of the extra guest. Our Toyota Land Cruiser was reliable and we only experienced two flat tires (only one of which affected out travels for less than 20 minutes).
The safari itself was AMAZING! We highly recommend it! Our guide Harun was one of the highlights of our trip. He was extremely friendly, knowledgable, and professional. He was able to answer all of our questions and did everything he could to ensure that we had a positive experience. With his help we were able to see all of the BIG 5, including 68 lions, 3 leopards, 2 rhinoceroses, as well as countless elephants and cape buffalo. We also saw countless zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, giraffes, warthogs, 7 cheetahs, and numerous other animals. We should state that our safari included visits to Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the Serengeti National Park (Central Serengeti). We were also lucky enough to be on safari during the end of the dry season - this viewing animals easier. On our second to last day on safari the rains began in the Central Serengeti; the rains brought with them giant herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle which was truly an incredible sight.
Overall we loved our safari experience with Mama Savana Safaris and would recommend them to family and friends. Further, we would use Mama Savana Safaris if we ever go on safari again.
RO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An unforgettable adventure
I went on a 3 days trip in Masai Mara with my group of volunteers, after two months of intensive volunteer work in Kenya. This trip was the best way to end our journey and to reflect about our experiences in Kenya. Our guide, Jimmy, showed a high professionalism during the whole experience: with his joy and enthusiasm he created a great atmosphere in the car, he provided us with detailed explanations about different animals and their habits, and he showed us a lot of animals, from very close. It was an experience we will never forget and an adventure which we want to repeat.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best of the Best!
Safari with Uphill trekking was definitely the highlight of our Tanzania holiday. Small team from Uphill trekking are top professionals and was extremely careful that we get the best possible experience all the time. You can contact them before the trip or during the trip at any time and they'll have answer or advice for you right away. We booked 6 days tour and it was excellent and amazing experience. Our guide Sale was top professional with huge wildlife knowledge and expert in solving any problem with a smile on the face or good joke. Our chef Godbless was preparing the best food we had throughout our whole 3 weeks trip in Tanzania. Bottom line, if you book with Uphill trekking you'll be in safe hands, peace of mind that you've booked with top professionals and the best value on the market....my full recommendation!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Recommended!
Great local company for safaris and Kilimanjaro trek! We were unsure whether to go with a more well known international company but decided to go with Uphill Trekking and were completely happy with the experience. The director was great at helping us organise the trip and was always on hand to answer any questions we had both before and during the trip. We decided to pay in cash on arrival due to the card charges which were were a little nervous about as we were travelling with so much cash but it was completely fine and we handed the cash over to The director on arrival.
The safari was great, David was an amazing and very knowledgeable guide. We did the 3 day Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater camping safari and David made sure that we saw as many of the animals as we could.
We also completed the Macheme Kilimanjaro trek. We were in a small group and our guide William was very experienced and helped us to get up the mountain, even carrying our bags when struggling with altitude sickness to ensure we reached the summit.
Overall we had a really great experience with Uphill Trekking and safari and would recommend going with them!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing, knowledgeable and very informative and polite.
Great affordable Sunset boat cruise that allowed us to see Hippos, crocodiles, Baboons. It truly was a great experience.
FI
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great safari experience
We did a 3-day camping safari with Cubs. The guides were really great and friendly and taught us a lot about all the different species we saw. We encountered lions, a cheetah, a leopard, and so much more!
Highly recommend this safari.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent all around planning
Had the three day safari, everything worked superb. From the communication upfront to the pickup and the safari itself. Guides and chefs are amazing. Strongly recommend this operator if you want a once in a lifetime experience!
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Safari at its best
John and his team managed to show us Tanzania in a very special way. He planned the tour to be very varied. Wonderful lodges integrated in the wilderness. Sometimes feudal sometimes bush camps or coffee farms. And at the end of the tour, in a small paradise on the Indian Ocean with diving and relaxing. What more do you need ?
IE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Top Class Tour Operator!
The trip was brilliant from start to finish. Noel picked me up from Arusha airport and showed me around the city. The Safari was incredibly well organised with a fantastic guide in Joseph and top class chef. Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater were highlights. Midian was a pleasure to deal with and organised everything to make my trip as enjoyable as possible. African Chitah are the company to book your safari with!
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Well organized, fantastic trip!!!
We did a Kilimanjaro hike (Lemosho route 7 days) and a 5 day Safari (Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoto Crater) with Kili Slope Tours and Safari in October 2021. The communication in advance was easy and uncomplicated and the organization of the trip and team was great.
We successfully climbed the Kili, had an awesome guide and team where we always felt comfortable and safe. Also at the safari we had a great guide and cook and had a fantastic time. The tour was organized on our preferences so we really got what we wanted to do and see. I can highly recommend the tour operator. Thank you very much for this great holiday!