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Email Gary | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
what an amazing experience!
For our vacation to Tanzania we booked a 7 day safari with Safari360 that went to the Serengeti, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara Parks. Once we got through customs the trip was an amazing time. Getting a Boeing 787 load of people all at once through customs can take time. Having our Visas before we left was a HUGE help. Lameck our guide's knowledge of the parks was very impressive and he was so personable he became like family before we boarded the plan to come home. Be ready to take 1,000s of pictures because of the scenery and animals are at every turn. EVERY person and I mean EVERY person we came into contact with during our trip made us feel like we were an honored guest and were going way beyond what we expected to make sure we were comfortable and happy. The Arusha Cultural Heritage centre is someplace you'll definitely want to visit if you're in Arusha along with the Arusha Central Market. Our guide arranged for a local (very helpful) to take us to the Central Market and around part of Arusha. One of the nicest places we stayed was Under the Shade Safari Lodge and the Ngorongoro Forest Tented Lodge was much nicer than a person might expect staying in a tent. It had a full bed, shower & restroom in our tent. We stopped at a Maasai village while on our safari and they showed us around their village even going inside a home & kindergarten school room. We're from America and US dollars were accepted every place we wanted to spend money at. Because the hospitality was so good Tanzania I wish I had taken more $1 bills than I did but was able to exchange $20 for ones at our Lodge. Your probably going to want to get more souvenirs than you think you will. Going back through customs was much easier since everyone didn't arrive at the airport at the same time. This was a once in a lifetime vacation that we want to take again. The people of Tanzania are absolutely amazing and as they told us in Swahili, polepole (polay polay), or slow down and enjoy your time.
CH
Email Claudia Hoffmann-Burkart | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Wonderful country with the most impressive wildlife.
We enjoyed lots of scenic places but the most we loved the Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
CA
Email Joan Haysom | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Diverse
Tanzanians were very friendly and happy to have cisitors. At nonpoint did I feel unsafe. A safari trip to Serengeti is a must - we spent 2.5 days there and saw so many animals including many cubs and nearly a couple of lion or cheetah hunts. It was amazing! We had a local tour company Suricata that was excellent. We stayed in very nice but locally owned lodging which was amazing - good food, very clean, and staff that were so friendly and helpful. Forest Hill Hotel outside of Arusha was wonderful and peaceful. I don’t think there is anything compelling within Arusha. We also spent teo days at the end of the trip in Zanzibar at the Tembo Hotel which is a beautiful old historic building and perfectly situated for strolling around and beaching. The diversity of people and cultures in Zanzibar was fabulous. Tanzania is relatively stable, safe and very friendly and an amazing experience.
Email Mark | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Stunning
We travelled to Tanzania in May23 and booked our safari through Roadside Expeditions Tanzania. The email communications from Paul were excellent and we couldn't fault the service we received. Our guide Justin was amazing and a good ambassador for Tanzania. Advising us of the culture and wildlife on safari. Tanzania is a stunning country with a wealth of beautiful scenery and many varied wildlife. We went to Tarangire Park where we saw elephants, giraffes, lions and the wonderful baobab trees. We also visited the Serengeti where we saw the big 5 safari and many more wonderful animals. Also Ngorogoro crater which was incredible too. There are nit enough superlatives to describe our Tanzania experience. All the hotels we stayed in were comfortable, people welcoming and friendly. We wouldn't hesitate to return to this wonderful country Tanzania.
SK
Email Petra | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Slow life vibes in amazingly beautiful nature with rich wildlife
During our 2 weeks holiday we went for 5 days private safari and rest of the time we spent at Zanzibar. It was just wonderful experience. We booked safari with local operator Gosheni which was very reliable, knowledgable and professional from the first email exhange until the end of the trip. We started at Tarangire NP where we had quite private feeling due low number of other cars which we met. We saw lot of wildlife, mainly elephants, zebras, antilopes, wild pigs, girrafes etc. We spent night directly in the park at amazing lodge. We opted also for night safari which was nice mainly due to beautiful sky full of stars. When it comes to animals there were not many but still it has its spirit. Next day we moved to Serengeti what was 6 h drive but there is always something interesting to see so journey was not boring at all. And Serengeti itself is WOW. Endless land, animals wherever one looks. We felt like in the movie. Driving with open roof, admiring mother nature while listening to our guide who provided us with information about country itself, tribes and their culture and of course aboute animals. After two nights there we visited Ngorongoro crater which was already more crowded, also because of its size. It was indeed beautiful, however after Serengeti it didnt have such wow effect for us. Still, we could see few spieces which we didnt in Serengeti, such as hyenas, flamingos and black rhinos. After night spent at the rim of crater we moved to Lake Manyara which is smallest from all 4 parks and with less wildlife. But we had best seeing of leopard there. Safari trip ended with visit of Masai village. It was very interesting to listen to their life style and traditions and we definitely do not regret the experience. Though, the fact is that for viligers the focus is on selling their products. Nevermind, we enjoyed. After safari we moved to Zanzibar. Island has beautiful white beaches, is very green, service at resorts was at high level and people very friendly. We enjoyed marine life while diving, spice farm and walk in the rain forest. We had rented car as we prefer to be on our own. Driving was safe as there is low speed limit at island and not heavy trafic (except Stone town), however roads are not in good condition so one needs to be careful. Roads going to resorts are not paved so even short distance may take quite long. And get ready for plenty of police checkpoints. Drive by all rules, otherwise police officer may not think twice to fine you (without receipt of course :) ) All in all we enjoyed Tanzania incredibly and can only recommend it to nature and beach lovers. One needs to be ready that prices for tourists are really high and at Zanzibar there are many local guides approching foreigners with their service offer what can be bothering. But... thats just the way how they try to do their best to earn money for living. In general people are very friendly and helpful. And country is simply beautiful and has a lot to offer.
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Email Nathalie Os | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Down to earth and vibrant
Tanzania is an exceptional country with amazing, friendly, and caring people. The nature and wildlife are unreal. The way of life is also very inspiring (pole pole). I highly recommend to anyone that wants to have a positive experience and a big adventure.
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Email Bennett E. Harris | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Serengeti, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and Ngorongoro crater are worth it!
Be sure to also discover the cities of Arusha, Dar es Salaam, and Zanzibar.
PL
Email Radek Słowiński | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
5* wild life
A few words about Tanzania, we landed in Zanzibar at night so it's very hard to say anything about the first impression. We started the day on the eastern side of the island, by the ocean, a beautiful beach, but there is nothing to do outside the hotel and the area does not offer much, the weather was good. We got to know Tanzania the next day, going on Safari to Tanganyika. Flying to Arusha is very convenient. We spent three beautiful days there, which made a great impression on us. If you are a nature lover, this is a must visit place. We felt very taken care of, Safari organization at the highest level. I recommend this experience to everyone. Lots of animals, beautiful views and a great atmosphere. We also visited a Maasai village, but it was an organized visit and a bit artificial. I don't have much to say about Tanzania itself because I haven't met the real Tanzania, I've only seen it with the eye of a car. What I saw was all prepared for a tourist. It's a very beautiful country but I don't know if it's safe to explore it on your own. On the other hand, organized trips take place along designated routes, mainly with stops for souvenirs and handicraft shops. Apart from all this, the nature of Tanzania is beautiful and more than beautiful. After returning to Zanzibar, apart from the beach, we organized a road trip, but Zanzibar disappointed me. All attractions are quite artificial, prepared for tourists, superficial and not very interesting. This is a place rather for people who want to have fun in the evening at the hotel. There is also sex tourism. I was also disturbed by the omnipresent cheating, extortion and waiting for a tip for anything. I am a person who likes wildness and raw nature, but here I felt a bit like in a zoo. If I visit Tanzania again, it will definitely be different - deeper. As a hotel and beach destination, no. However, I do not regret the money spent.
Email Judy Foster | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beautiful country, lovely people, fantastic safari destination
My son and I had an 8-day Explore the Northern Circuit sarfari with Safari Soles and it was the most amazing experience. Everything was so well-organised and we felt totally looked after, from touching down at Kilimanjaro Airport until we left. We had one night in Arusha to get over the long flight - the Tulia hotel is fine to bookend the safari. We were taken to the art/cultural museum/gallery, which was fascinating, to the Masaai market and then for a sunset hike. Bryson, who owns the business, was there to check everything was OK at the beginning and end of the holiday and to make sure our drivers were there to pick us up at the allocated time. The next day we left on sarfari. Our driver/guide Elias was perfect. He really made the holiday special. So knowledgeable and incredible at finding animals - two pin-pricks on the horizon and somehow he just knew they were rhinos. He was great company throughout, interesting and lovely to chat to and really understood what we wanted from the trip. Half the fun is spotting the animals, but he really delivered. In a few short days we saw two leopard, a cheetah, seven rhino (including a baby), lots of elephants (and several young ones), numerous lions (male, female and cubs), migrating zebra and wildebeest, buffalo, vultures, giraffe, hippo, impala, gazelles, baboons - the list went on and on. We witnessed two female lions separating a zebra from the herd and trying to run it down (unsuccesfully). We visited Tarangire National Park and saw lions resting in a tree (the park is known for it); the Ngorongoro Crater (a Unesco World Heritage site) was truly stunning and the Serengeti was everything I thought it would be. The safari lodges were first rate and exceeded our expectations - we stayed at Farm of Dreams Lodge and Serengeti Safari Lodge - beautiful grounds, large rooms and fantastic staff. The food was superb (very fresh, lots of lovely fish). We also did the day trip to the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro with Baltazary - visited coffee growers, walked to a stunning waterfall and swam in a hot spring - again all well-planned and we felt really looked after. In fact, we felt totally safe the whole time we were in Tanzania - everyone was so friendly and the country is stunningly beautiful. I also did the Balloon ride option with Serengeti Balloon Safaris and it was one of those really special moments I'll never forget. If your budget can stretch to it, then you won't regret it. Absolutely could not fault a thing. Would highly recommend this company and would definitely book with them again. In fact, I really can't wait to go back.
CH
Email Roger van Norden | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic
Amazing service , Spectacular Wildllife, beautiful white sand beaches
