Tanzania Safari Reviews

The Bespoke African Safari Co. has been awarded the esteemed TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award for 2025 once again. This acknowledgement is a sincere homage to the remarkable experiences we have crafted, facilitated by your reviews and ratings throughout the previous year. Your travels, from the breathtaking Tanzania, Serengeti to the summit of Kilimanjaro, have significantly contributed to this extraordinary accomplishment.

We express our profound appreciation to our courageous travelers for their steadfast support, and we look forward to continuing to create remarkable Tanzanian safaris that inspire and astonish.

What Reviewers Praise Most

The “King of Parks”: The Serengeti National Park receives the most emotional acclaim, with visitors mesmerised by the sheer volume of the Great Migration and close-quarters animal encounters.

The Big Five Highlights: Travelers frequently recount spotting rare wildlife—such as leopards, cheetahs, and endangered black rhinos—thanks to the tracking skills of local driver-guides.

Seamless All-Inclusive Logistics: Highly rated agencies receive credit for flawless planning, comfortable tented camps, and private chefs who prepare fresh meals right at the campsites.

Safari and Beach Combos: Many reviewers note that an ideal 10-to-11-day itinerary pairs dusty game drives in the northern circuit with a relaxing beach wind-down in Zanzibar.

Highly Recommended Tour Operators

If you are looking to book, several companies hold exceptional reputations based on verified traveler feedback:

1. The Bespoke African Safari Co.: Holding a 4.8/5 Trustpilot score, they are highly regarded for seamless private safaris and Kilimanjaro climbs, though some note their fixed routes can feel slightly rigid.
2. Kabira Safaris Africa: A local, Tanzanian-owned operator praised on YouTube for ultra-customizable mid-range and well-equipped jeeps featuring charging docks and built-in coolers
3. Kilimanjaro Trekking Services: A smaller boutique agency that receives standout praise in regional travel forums for its highly skilled guides and personalized food arrangements.

Our Tanzania Safari Reviews

Amazing Experience from Beginning to End!

Client: Ron C | Aug 2024 • Family

What can I say about Kabira Safaris other than spectacular!

My family and I were looking to travel for a length of two weeks in Rwanda and Tanzania, the former to walk with the gorillas and the latter to Safari in the Serengeti. Further, my family would also be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary so I wanted to make sure it went smoothly without any friction in the process.

To begin I searched high and low through multiple review websites and here on Tripadvisor to see who would be a trustworthy company to hire and use. This was extremely important to me because I was also taking my family members with me who were relying on me to plan and book this trip. This put an additional pressure to make sure everything went smoothly.

I reached out to multiple Safari companies and the lot of them either responded in a laissez-faire manner which didn’t foster much confidence; save for one: Kabira-The Bespoke African Safari Co.

Sharon who was my main point of contact reached out via email with a rudamentary example itinerary for a medium length Safari tour. The fact that she did the initial work of planning the activities and accommodations based on a simple information request with the countries we wanted to visit and length was amazing. Not only that but her turn around was extremely quick, within a couple of days. This was important because the Safari was planned for August 2024 and I was reaching out in January 2024 so a lot of things were filling up fast.

We exchanged Whatsapp contact information and we continually communicated and tweaked activities and accommodations based on availability and Sharon was extremely helpful by offering alternatives that were of similar quality. After two weeks of back and forth we finalized the itinerary and now it was time for the price and deposit.

The deposit is 30% of the total cost and the total cost was in the five figures beyond the “teens” and this, is where I know, for a lot of people is scary. Especially because of all of the stereotypes of sending money overseas. The service that I had to use was PesaPal a money sending sevice similar to Zelle. There are a couple of options you can either wire money directly or use a credit card for an additional 3% fee, if you want peace of mind you can choose the credit card option because you can always do a charge back if something goes catastrophically bad. I chose the credit card option because I didn’t know and the only contact I had with Sharon was via email and WhatsApp.

However, there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

Sharon was in constant communications and updated me with invoices and reservations and gorilla permits, Safari permits, and accommodation receipts. When the time came closer I used PesaPal again to send the remaining 70% percent to pay off the trip in full. Again this is scary because people spend their entire lives dreaming of going on a magical African Safari and we save up every single penny to get the best experience and to think it can go horribly wrong can churn your stomach.

Again, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Sharon stayed in constant communication. When we were one week out from the trip Sharon sent the contact information for our fixer in Rwanda and our driver/guide: Agnes and Pacifique respectively.

RWANDA

Now it is the time to fly I shared our flight detail with Agnes and she made sure Pacifique would be waiting for use when we arrive in Kigali at 1am. Pacifique greeted us with a smile in a beautiful 4×4 jeep (with A/C and internet) and took us to our first accommodation.

The next day we spent the day traveling to the mountain side to do our first activity which was walking with the chimpanzees. As we went along Pacifique took us told us the fraught history of Rwanda and how it built itself back up into the beautiful country it is now. He explained how Rwanda is one of the cleanest countries in Africa because single use plastic is banned and on the last Saturday of the month all Rwandan’s clean their neighborhoods including the President.

As we approached the hillside where we would be staying Pacifique explained the next days activities and how it will go and what time we would be picked up, what to pack, and what to expect.

We were picked up and we picked up our chimpanzee expert Claire who would be our guide. Claire explained how we would be trekking into the deep jungle and she would try her best to get us to spend time with the chimpanzees. What can I say other than AMAZING, we were running around the jungle chasing after troop of chimps while Claire was checking in with the chimp trackers to triangulate their location. It was tiring, hot, fun, and exciting.

Later in the day some of my family members wanted to see a tea plantation and Pacifique was able to set up an impromptu activity that was not on the itinerary and that made my family really happy.

Pacifique picked us up and took us back to our room to get some rest because the next day we would be going to where the gorillas are. As we were driving I explained to Pacifique it has been my life’s dream to walk with the gorillas and something on my bucket list.

Unbeknownst to me Pacifique ensured that my group got a legendary gorilla ranger: Francois, a 65 year old ranger who has been with the gorillas for over 40 years who was pulled out of retirement to train the younger rangers. The fact that Pacifique was that thoughtful and caring was heart melting and amazing and I will never forget the kindness and thoughtfulness he showed me.

The gorilla walk was beyond amazing Francois found us a family of two Silverbacks a number of females and a number of adolescents and babies. We spent an hour with them with a distant of no less than 10 feet and if they came close or if the adolescents challenged one of us Francios stepped in and vocalized with them to back off, it was something amazing to see.

My life’s dream to walk with the gorillas was accomplished and I couldn’t be more grateful to Pacifique and Sharon.

After the walk we were picked up and taken back to our accommodation where we would be taken back to Kigali to start our second leg of the tour in Tanzania.

We said our heartfelt goodbyes to Pacifique and told him how enjoyable he made our trip, both he and Agnes were amazing in Rwanda and they made us fall in love with country.

TANZANIA

Flying into Kilimanjaro was a different experience. We met with Jasper our fixer in Tanzania and Liones our driver/guide.

The first thing we noticed was that the 4×4 jeep was a beat up smaller model with no A/C. Our first activity to see a traditional coffee plantation was already delayed because of a flight delay we experienced, so we all hopped in and thought we can make it work, but we couldn’t make it work. We were cramped, hot, and miserable.

I reached out to Sharon explaining that our jeep is not at all the same quality as the one we had in Rwanda.

Sharon immediately responded and said she would reach out to Jasper to rectify the situation.

The next morning we got a beautiful fully equipped 4×4 jeep.

Liones our wonderful driver/guide took us to our first accommodation in Arusha when we checked in the hotel informed us that dinner was not included. I knew there may have been a mistake; again, I reached out to Sharon and within an hour the situation was resolved.

The next morning Liones explained that the way our current itinerary was planned the last day would be quite hectic since we fly out at 8pm and we had a game drive planned in a park quite a ways away from the airport, so he recommended that we swap some of the parks around to make things more comfortable and he was quite right.

The first game drive Liones took us to was Tarangire National Park where we observed lions, elephants, giraffes, antelopes, and so much more. Liones explained that the next day we will be going to the Serengeti and we will be seeing so much more.

As we approached the Serengeti Liones explained what animals we will see and what time we should head out in the mornings for the best viewing. He picked us up in the morning and made sure our lunches were packed along with drinking water and we spent 3 days in the Serengeti seeing so many beautiful animals.

It was time to head out of Serengeti and my family were really keen on seeing a Maasai village and Liones was able to organize it and take us there even though it was not on the original itinerary.

We stayed 2 nights in Ngorongoro Crater this was because we wanted a single day to rest in our accommodation and celebrate my family’s 40th wedding anniversary. I told Sharon to see if she could plan something special for them and she definitely did.

Sharon was able to get the hotel to bake a cake, bring champagne, and have a Massai performance for them. It was an unbelievable experience for them and something they will never forget.

Once we were done we went down in to the Crater to look for rhinos and leopards (which we saw!), when we were done it was time to head back to Arusha. We only had two more days left on our trip.

We went to see the Hadzabe Bushmen near Lake Eyasi what a wonderful experience. The final day Liones took us to Lake Manyara for our final game drive on our final day in Tanzania before heading back home. Because our flight was in the evening and in the morning we would be doing another game drive my family wanted to freshen up before getting on a long haul flight, Liones was able to find us a local hotel to just use for a half day where we can all shower and change into a clean set of close before we flew back home. We said our goodbyes to Liones who was such an excellent host and driver, he along with Jasper made us feel so welcomed and tried their hardest to make us feel comfortable (all the fresh Tanzanian coffee and strawberries didn’t hurt!), we will always remember them.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Thinking about working with Kabira Safaris/The Bespoke African Safari Co. has been nothing but amazing. From the initial planning to the trip itself. Of course there are hiccups here and there, like flat tires, but that is the nature of travel and if it can be fixed Kabira will fix it. It’s a once in a lifetime trip to Safari in Africa and I truly believe that Kabira and their wonderful driver/guides can make it come true for you.

A MUST do!!!

Client: Kim | July 8, 2025

Impressive! An utterly flawless experience. My husband and I had scheduled the Miracle Balloon adventure under The Bespoke African Safari Co. in Tarangire as the grand climax of our trip to Tanzania, and it was really a spectacular conclusion! We were fortunate to have only two other members in our group. The personnel was exceptional and attended to our every requirement upon our arrival. The entire procedure was seamless and exceptionally well-structured. I like that we met the driver the day prior to the ride to discuss expectations.

The journey was exceptionally pleasant and tranquil. We loaded the baskets while reclining on our backs. Our pilots, Danford and Michael, exhibited exceptional kindness and enthusiasm. Observing wildlife from an aerial vantage point was an intriguing perspective. Every element was meticulously considered. The basket also contained binoculars. Their provision includes a safety belt to be worn for the period, and we felt secure the entire time. The champagne toast and diploma at the conclusion were delightful embellishments!

Subsequently, we travelled to the bush breakfast, which resembled a banquet worthy of royalty. The eggs were prepared to specification, accompanied by an outstanding assortment of fruit, pastries, and side dishes. The service was exceptionally attentive, and we were presented with numerous options. I strive to adhere to a gluten-free diet as much as possible, and the chef was particularly vigilant over my meal. He also crafted a gluten-free anniversary cake for my spouse and me! The breakfast venue was exceptionally tranquil and distinctive. I would genuinely return solely for the brunch experience. Our greatest breakfast experience in Tanzania!
The most remarkable aspect of the balloon journey in Tarangire compared to the Serengeti was its intimacy. We were the sole balloon in the sky compared to a dozen in the Serengeti. The pilot indicated that only one other firm provides rides in Tarangire. If you appreciate elephants, you are quite likely to observe them, as Tarangire is renowned for its elephant population. We observed a minimum of 50 to 60 during our flight.

Undoubtedly a unique experience, and I highly endorse it. I could not have conceived a more optimal conclusion to our journey! I eagerly anticipate the photographs from the photographer, Jackson, who was also exceptional.
Thank you for an unforgettable experience.

A once in a lifetime experience!

Client: Jessica H / July 2025

The Bespoke African Safari Company; It was an unforgettable journey. We had numerous enquiries and requests before to the trip (apologies for that), but Tassia assisted us consistently and ceased when the vacation was ideal for us! The picnic basket in our jeep, filled with beverages and food, was an excellent idea, Tassia! Throughout the journey, we maintained effective communication with Hjördis, who assisted us promptly. Our driver, Simba, was exceptional. We acquired the principle of “Hakuna Matata” from him! He narrated numerous captivating stories, ensured our safety (even when the car malfunctioned and we were nearly out of fuel), and shown meticulous caution when driving. The roads in Tanzania are exceedingly uneven. The journey there may be arduous, yet Simba consistently maintained a smile and ensured we had a fantastic experience! We participated in a balloon safari with Miracle Experience, an excellent suggestion from Tassia; thank you for making the reservation! We possessed “golden” rooms/tents. We found the tent in Heritage unsatisfactory, but we thoroughly enjoyed the remainder: no. 1 Suenos, no. 2 Manyara with the nicest view, and no. 3 Farm House (together with Next Paradise in Zanzibar). We undertook an 8-day safari. If time is limited, visit the Ngorongoro Crater exclusively with The Bespoke African Safari Co.!