Safari / Tour Operators in Tanzania
Jun 30, 2012, 7:11 am
#16
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Well, Serengeti is great at times of the year when it is great - otherwise you will see lots of plains, not so much game, as they have headed south or even north to Kenya. At those times of year, Tarangire or other parks like Selous would probably offer a better safari. Or Masai Mara in Kenya, if talking about July - August. The Serengeti - Mara complex animals are largely migratory, so it's best to be where the animals are.
And the areas are different - that's why there are locales with plenty of animals and others where there are not so many, and why some species only occur in certain areas. Ngorongoro Crater is in the highlands and is quite different from lowland short grass plains, for example, and maintains a rich spectrum of game in one place. It's restricted to day ventures these days (some years ago we camped there for some days), but it's still a venue for different and much more concentrated game than some other popular parks. The highlands of Kenya are far different from the southern hills and plains, and they are not different from the northern parks (toward Isiolo).
In Tanzania, I'd recommend Thomson Safaris - Rick and Sally have been on the ground arranging, leading and organizing safaris for thirty+ years and do no cookie cutter safaris.
And the areas are different - that's why there are locales with plenty of animals and others where there are not so many, and why some species only occur in certain areas. Ngorongoro Crater is in the highlands and is quite different from lowland short grass plains, for example, and maintains a rich spectrum of game in one place. It's restricted to day ventures these days (some years ago we camped there for some days), but it's still a venue for different and much more concentrated game than some other popular parks. The highlands of Kenya are far different from the southern hills and plains, and they are not different from the northern parks (toward Isiolo).
In Tanzania, I'd recommend Thomson Safaris - Rick and Sally have been on the ground arranging, leading and organizing safaris for thirty+ years and do no cookie cutter safaris.
I believe that these companies want to jam as much stuff as possible into their advertised itinerary so that you're impressed that you'll "see so much." This applies not only to safari companies or but to companies offering group tours to places like Europe. Allen (as well as some of the less cookie-cutter, personalized companies I spoke with) definitely encourages you to take it slowly.
I think your instinct is right to spend more time in fewer locations. I had five days in Northern Tanzania, and some companies wanted to jam the whole "northern circuit" (Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti) down my throat. I definitely wanted to see the Crater because it's a unique geological site and I wanted to spend as much time in the Serengeti as possible because it's "the best." I didn't really see the point of going to Manyara or Tarangire on such a short itinerary; I'm sure they're nice parks, but I didn't want to cut my time short in the Serengeti to spend half a day getting to a "lesser" park only to drive around it for a couple of hours.
I'm no expert, but the landscape in the parks in Kenya and N Tanzania all seems kind-of the same to me (savannah, Acacia trees, etc.) so I don't really see what one gains by checking as many parks off the list as you can. Seems better to go to fewer parks that have the best animal concentrations at the time of year you're going.
I think your instinct is right to spend more time in fewer locations. I had five days in Northern Tanzania, and some companies wanted to jam the whole "northern circuit" (Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti) down my throat. I definitely wanted to see the Crater because it's a unique geological site and I wanted to spend as much time in the Serengeti as possible because it's "the best." I didn't really see the point of going to Manyara or Tarangire on such a short itinerary; I'm sure they're nice parks, but I didn't want to cut my time short in the Serengeti to spend half a day getting to a "lesser" park only to drive around it for a couple of hours.
I'm no expert, but the landscape in the parks in Kenya and N Tanzania all seems kind-of the same to me (savannah, Acacia trees, etc.) so I don't really see what one gains by checking as many parks off the list as you can. Seems better to go to fewer parks that have the best animal concentrations at the time of year you're going.
Aug 11, 2012, 10:59 pm
#17
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I am looking for recommendations for a tour operator for a trip next year. My husband and plan to do a trip to kenya/ tanzania with about 8 days of safari and a few days in Zanzibar. We have a few specifics that we would like for our activities, locations, and accommodations and I would like to work with someone who will be able to accommodate those.
http://www.pristinetrails.com
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Oct 19, 2012, 2:04 pm
#19
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Oct 23, 2012, 8:47 am
#20
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I used Suntrek Safaris, based on a reco from here in FT. I was extremely pleased and found them to be very reasonably priced. Www.suntreksafaris.com
We did an 10 day safari and visited 5 parks in Kenya. They customized based on our needs. I would totally use them again
We did an 10 day safari and visited 5 parks in Kenya. They customized based on our needs. I would totally use them again
Last edited by Redhead; Oct 23, 2012 at 8:53 am
Oct 30, 2012, 11:04 pm
#21
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Bellevue, WA
Programs: All main US FF programs basic level
Posts: 109
I lived in Tanzania for 18 years of my life. I am not going to recommend any operators, but I will suggest that you check out the non-traditional places too. My favorite is Mount Mihali National Park near Gombe and Kigoma, but it is a strenuous undertaking.
On my one and only trip there, we did not see any chimpanzees for the first 2.5 days, then saw a ton when we hiked up the mountain with machetes. We only got to the island itself after an arduous train (from Dar) and boat (over Lake Tanganyika) journey. So probably not recommended if you are only in Tanzania for two weeks. Stay longer!
I liked Manyara more than most people, even though we saw no tree climbing lions there (they might be extinct).
Tourists typically go to Ngorongoro-Serengeti-Kilimanjaro-Manyara in the North since there are all close to each other, so Selous in the South gets far fewer visitors. However, the latter was spectacular when I went there many years ago. They have had lots of elephant poaching problems lately:-(
Kenya has become too tourist oriented and Nairobi is a violent place. Spend more time in Tanzania.
On my one and only trip there, we did not see any chimpanzees for the first 2.5 days, then saw a ton when we hiked up the mountain with machetes. We only got to the island itself after an arduous train (from Dar) and boat (over Lake Tanganyika) journey. So probably not recommended if you are only in Tanzania for two weeks. Stay longer!
I liked Manyara more than most people, even though we saw no tree climbing lions there (they might be extinct).
Tourists typically go to Ngorongoro-Serengeti-Kilimanjaro-Manyara in the North since there are all close to each other, so Selous in the South gets far fewer visitors. However, the latter was spectacular when I went there many years ago. They have had lots of elephant poaching problems lately:-(
Kenya has become too tourist oriented and Nairobi is a violent place. Spend more time in Tanzania.
Feb 6, 2013, 4:00 pm
#22
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1
Advice
I just got back from a great trip to Tanzania and Kenya. I saw your post and maybe you have already gone on your trip. I was also not sure who to look at when booking. It seemed like there are a million tour operators out there. I contacted about 30 to get suggestions and then I decided on what places I wanted to see and the hotels that sounded right.
I sent the itinerary to about 50 companies. Some did not even respond and the difference in price for my 10 days was shocking. From $3,460 per person all the way up to almost $10,000. Crazy because the trip was the same. Anyway, I was not sure about going with a Tanzania/Kenyan company because I did not want to get to the airport and find that I had been taken.
Not many US companies also run their own tours. It seemed like the choices were Abercrombie & Kent, Thomsons, or E-Trip Africa. At first I thought it would be a difficult choice. But A&K did not seem very interested in making the custom safari that I wanted. Thomsons was very helpful but nearly double the price of E-Trip. E-Trip is new and did not have many reviews about them.
After lots of emails and phone calls we finally decided to take our chances and travel with E-Trip Africa. The trip was perfect, we had very good guides and they booked the exact hotels that I had requested. I really don't know what I would have gotten extra with Thomsons, maybe a better guide (but Joseph was awesome) and we saw one of their cars, it looked older than our Land Cruiser.
I am a seasoned traveler and it took a lot of research to organize my trip. But I found that by figuring out what tour I wanted (hotels and all) then it was much easier to compare all these guys.
Safe Travels
I sent the itinerary to about 50 companies. Some did not even respond and the difference in price for my 10 days was shocking. From $3,460 per person all the way up to almost $10,000. Crazy because the trip was the same. Anyway, I was not sure about going with a Tanzania/Kenyan company because I did not want to get to the airport and find that I had been taken.
Not many US companies also run their own tours. It seemed like the choices were Abercrombie & Kent, Thomsons, or E-Trip Africa. At first I thought it would be a difficult choice. But A&K did not seem very interested in making the custom safari that I wanted. Thomsons was very helpful but nearly double the price of E-Trip. E-Trip is new and did not have many reviews about them.
After lots of emails and phone calls we finally decided to take our chances and travel with E-Trip Africa. The trip was perfect, we had very good guides and they booked the exact hotels that I had requested. I really don't know what I would have gotten extra with Thomsons, maybe a better guide (but Joseph was awesome) and we saw one of their cars, it looked older than our Land Cruiser.
I am a seasoned traveler and it took a lot of research to organize my trip. But I found that by figuring out what tour I wanted (hotels and all) then it was much easier to compare all these guys.
Safe Travels
Feb 8, 2013, 4:23 pm
#23
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 4
Warrior Trails
Your trip is probably already planned, but in case there are others out there looking for recommendations I thought I would post.
My wife and I just returned from Tanzania on a 5 night / 6 day safari visiting Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Ndutu in the Southern Serengeti. It was a fantastic trip and I would highly recommend the tour operator we used, Warrior Trails.
http://www.warriortrails.com/
Prior to booking, I e-mailed about 8-10 different operators to get information and prices and Warrior Trails was always prompt and helpful with their replies. Their pricing was very competitive and in line with or lower than the pricing we received from other operators.
Our driver/guide's name was Nicholas and he was excellent about giving us information about the wildlife and culture of the region. He also has excellent knowledge of local bird species and he helped us spot and identify 100 different species of birds in the 6 days we were there. So if you are interested in birding, I would doubly recommend Nicholas as your safari guide.
The trip and game drives moved at a perfect pace - not rushed, nor painfully slow.
We were shocked by the number of tour operators based on the various company names on other vehicles that we saw. There must be at least 100-150 choices for Tanzanian safari companies. I am sure most of them offer very good safari experiences as well. However as this was our first trip to Africa, we felt very fortunate that we chose Warrior Trails and that we had such a fantastic experience with no glitches or concerns.
My wife and I just returned from Tanzania on a 5 night / 6 day safari visiting Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Ndutu in the Southern Serengeti. It was a fantastic trip and I would highly recommend the tour operator we used, Warrior Trails.
http://www.warriortrails.com/
Prior to booking, I e-mailed about 8-10 different operators to get information and prices and Warrior Trails was always prompt and helpful with their replies. Their pricing was very competitive and in line with or lower than the pricing we received from other operators.
Our driver/guide's name was Nicholas and he was excellent about giving us information about the wildlife and culture of the region. He also has excellent knowledge of local bird species and he helped us spot and identify 100 different species of birds in the 6 days we were there. So if you are interested in birding, I would doubly recommend Nicholas as your safari guide.
The trip and game drives moved at a perfect pace - not rushed, nor painfully slow.
We were shocked by the number of tour operators based on the various company names on other vehicles that we saw. There must be at least 100-150 choices for Tanzanian safari companies. I am sure most of them offer very good safari experiences as well. However as this was our first trip to Africa, we felt very fortunate that we chose Warrior Trails and that we had such a fantastic experience with no glitches or concerns.
Feb 11, 2013, 9:22 pm
#24
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That's for sure!
There are some brilliant places - but they can vary a lot at different times of year or the migration, such as Lake Ndutu. I think one could easily spend 8 - 10 days here, including the Ngorongoro highlands to wherever the game is (Naabi, Seronera, Lobo, etc.) and I'd never attempt 8 days in Kenya and Tanzania.
There are some brilliant places - but they can vary a lot at different times of year or the migration, such as Lake Ndutu. I think one could easily spend 8 - 10 days here, including the Ngorongoro highlands to wherever the game is (Naabi, Seronera, Lobo, etc.) and I'd never attempt 8 days in Kenya and Tanzania.
Feb 26, 2014, 12:14 pm
#26
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 226
Tanzania Tour Operators
We are also considering a trip to Tanzania--but, we are older and hiking long distances is not an option. We also don't want to be stranded on the Serengetti in a parking lot full ob tour buses. Information about tour operators in this area will be most welcome. We will be coming down from LHR and thinking about doing a RTW with a stop in PEK (City code?)
Feb 26, 2014, 12:23 pm
#27
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alpenrose, re your Q. about Tanzania tour operators, I'll move this to the dedicated forum on travel to Africa. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.
Feb 28, 2014, 10:32 pm
#28
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 1
A great website to check out when getting ready for a trip to Tanzania is www.africa.com/tanzania
This site has always helped me out.
Have a great trip!
This site has always helped me out.
Have a great trip!
Last edited by JDiver; Mar 5, 2014 at 1:38 am Reason: repair link