I'm booking a Tanzania safari, and I'm having trouble figuring out what company to trust. I think it's fundamentally important to have an awesome driver who goes the extra mile and really knows what he's doing. Based on reviews/anecdotes, I'm not convinced you're guaranteed to get this (or are at least very likely to) even if you go with a "high end" company. You could end up with a less-than-excellent driver even if the person in the booking office is very professional, writes back quickly, is very knowledgeable, etc. It seems to be that any of the big "high end" companies will be hit-or-miss.
I've traveled to a number of places where I've hired my own local guides directly and talked/emailed with them before I arrived. This doesn't seem feasible in Tanzania. Seems like you have to pick an operator, show up in Arusha and hope they give you a driver who works well with you.
Is there any better way to approach this? Thanks!