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Email Aruna Marathe | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Travelling in Tanzania is HORRIBLE
This was my second trip to Tanzania. I was there to watch the Great Migration. I was able to witness a small version of the migration in Northern Serengeti and was left with much to be desired. Tanzania charges an exorbitant amount for the visa and the taxes on tourists. However you get little to noting in return for the steep prices and cost of traveling in that county. The roads are a total disaster and guarantees total damage to your overall skeletal system specially your back. Where all the visa and tax money goes is beyond my comprehension. My driver told me that the roads are not paved since my country, the United States, asked the Tanzanian Government to keep things rustic. I have never heard such hogwash ever in my life. What interest would the US have in interfering with how Tanzania maintains or ignores its infra structure? I will never return to that country again. Besides Kilimanjaro and the animals there is nothing worth making the trip to expensive Tanzania.
IE
Email Karl Senn | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Zanzibar and Tanzania, come, see and lose e all Your illusions
We booked for Zanzibar with 5 days Safari on the mainland (Tanzania). The first thing that we negatively noted was that Zanzibar, outside of the resort, as an Island is very dirty. I was brought up with the saying: If Your poor then at least be clean.
The people of Zanzibar that we met stem mostly from the Mainland Tanzania, they are very friendly, helpful and kind. That is the only really positive point, and in that a very noteworthy one. The organiser of the safari was at all time reachable, kind, efficient and its organisation fine. A light in the dark.
Zanzibar was as dirty as a Garbage dump except the airport and the hotel area. The mainland was far better, but then it has not much to show for.
Then, the different day tours where expensive for what was given, mostly not worth to participate. A 1-day safari to the main land will cover all the tours with exception of the swimming with the turtles.
If You go to Stonetown, don’t expect anything and even then, you will be disappointed!
Serengeti, the high grail of a national parks is very disappointing nonetheless You can see the Lyons and other animals, however You have to prepare for a lot of dust. The drivers call each other where for example a Lyon is and then 30 to 40 Jeeps rally to this point, creating a traffic jam in the middle of nowhere and leaving everybody covered in dust. All the other parks where ok, but Serengeti was a big disappointment, here Tanzania markets its animals worse than in a zoo.
One must have seen Zanzibar and Tanzania to lose one owns illusions. Once in a life time is enough.
NL
Email Joost | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Overpriced and overrated
absolutely, the great migration is a spectacle you must see at least once. But other than that, I found Tanzania to be mostly disappointing. Not so much what we all saw, but more the overall experience. If you keep in mind that you are visiting the most expensive national parks in the world, you expect something in return. In the Serengeti, for example, I think the roads were extremely bad. We did 10 days of full day safaris, which at the end I almost couldn't last because of the back pain. The rest camps are completely worthless and unpleasant. Again, for the most expensive national parks in the world you can really expect more. The distances between our sightings were often enormous. Everyone drives through the Serengeti at unprecedented speed to make sure you don't miss a lion that is then sitting 200 meters off the road... And which you are watching with 70 other cars... Guides do not behave professionally, push the animals too much and the tourists are also 'once in a lifetime safari poop', which you can see from their behavior. It is often noisy during sightings and I found it difficult to enjoy it. All in all disappointing, not value for money and the safaris were not romantic and relaxing as I often feel in private parks.
CH
Email Jambo | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
oh no!
never again! the food wasen't good. a lot of moskito.
PL
Email Krzysztof Poręba | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Park Selous is beautiful only agency and terrible guide
The Selous Park is beautiful. And so many of our dibrtch memories from Tanzania. Afebxha was waiting for us by changing the number of employees in the contract. It was only after our intervention that she confessed to guilty and we received a compensation. The guide himself gave me that this job did not suit him and we were so tired with each other these few days.
FI
Email Arja | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very good and more than I expcted.
Very, very expencive accomodations combared to the accomodation level. Good quidening, pure roads everywhere in Tanzania.
IT
Email Marzia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
the land of tips
The wildlife was the best we have had from this country. Italy is knew in the world for sly people but tanzanian were worst than us. I've never knew something similar. The land of tips, the land of "surprises". I am really sad because i think that this will kill the tourism there. Last but not least, you make fool prices for all about tourism. In the rest of the world we are not so riches as you think. For the most of us, the 50$ that you ask like chips are a day of work!!!!!!
P.s. the weather was good, the foid was good, the accomodation not so bad, but when i think about my trip, FOR YOUR FAULT, i think about you CRAFTINESS for first.
CH
Email Janine | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Beautyful senic and an impressiv wildlife. Kilimanjaro is a memorable experience. I am very exited.
The wildlife was really exiting. I saw many animals in the nature. I also climbed the Kilimanjaro. This was one of my best experiences I ever did so far. It is really impressive and also a real test for your body and mental skill. I really suggest to you to do this.
On the other hand I realised that you as a Tourist are just enough to pay a lot of money for a safari and not to get really the value for this. I booked with openafricasafari.com and the Price was much to much for this i got. In the same group were 6 other people who paid around 600 dollars for a 3 days safari. (I was booked on a group with maximum of 6 people and I was the 7th person!). The first 2 days was great. The second was so so. But my last day was worthless. A nature walk on the road. Walking straigt to a lake and than the same way back. How boring. Really not an experience. They sold me a nature walk!!!! They promised me to visit a School an a Hospital. We did not. I got some explanation about how bananas grow and so on. But a normal Person knows this already. The guide came to late in morning and was very surprised that I could walk for 3 hours and I did not call for a taxi, which, of course I would have to pay for it. (all the stupid Tourist are just rich and pay all the time!) Furthermore I had to tell the guide what we gonna visit. Otherwise we would have been back to the Hotel very early. I really paid around 200 dollars to much for this trip. I would not book whith this agency again.
The 3. day. The other 6 persons booked only 3 days. So the guide wanted to leave the game park at mid day. But I booked a full day in this game reserve. Even the others ha in there itinery that they would stay until 3 o'clock. Finally the guide turned around an we continued the game drive. But the day was not good anymore.
It is a shame to treat Tourist like this. Tansania is just a nice country and I met so many good guides on my 2 month journey trough south africa.
I was travelling for 8 weeks with other different tour guides (south africa, Namibia, Botswana and Tansania)and it always was a very good experience. Only the safari with openafricasafari fucked up. I asked for same money back, but,,,,,
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