Tanzania: reviews from our travellers

"This trip was on our bucket list since a few years and finally it materialised. Travelling in the wet season gives you certain benefits, green, less people and good bird viewing. The wet season is "wet" thus whenever the weather showed it sunny side, it was and added benefit.

All preparation from the initial contact with Expert Africa to the return home worked flawlessly, especially good follow up before the trip from Expert Africa reminding us about insurances, overseas flight information etc.

What we missed to arrange upfront was the long wait at our last day, from arriving in Dar to our overseas flight. This we could sort out locally with the company who organised transfers at our arrival the first day - they supported us with transfer to Slipway (beachfront Dar), looking after our luggage and then taking us back to the airport in time for our flight back home." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 11 on a Tanzania safari

"The response, information and suggestions we received from Ellie Walkingshaw were great.

Initially I was operating under the delusion that I could self drive, while that is not a type of tour that Expert Africa helps with she was still quite helpful making some suggestions. As it became obvious that we would need more help with both the driving and the booking at Ndutu Lodge, she was able to step in and work with our available dates.

I would wholeheartedly recommend them based on our trip and experience with them.

These travellers commented about their guide:

John was incredible!

I could go on and on about John. He was punctual and courteous and all that. He was very well informed, very knowledgable and very personable. He was both a very skilled driver (and in certain circumstances with some very rainy weather this was tested) as well as a very knowledgable guide.

What my wife and I both felt that was after driving for an hour or two up from Arusha he was like an old friend. He had great insight into the local area, his knowledge of the flora and fauna in the parks were amazing, his ability to drive, spot animals and give us information on what we were seeing was superb." Read full review: 4 nights in Africa; 4 on a Tanzania safari

"The best recommendation I can give is that I would use Expert Africa again, and I would recommend them to anyone going to Africa.

I would also recommend Nomad Tanzania to anyone going to Tanzania. Expert (Eleanor and Olivia) did a great job during the lengthy period of planning the trip, answering questions, responding by email in a timely fashion, alerting me to details that I needed to complete, nudging where appropriate, offering unbiased advice.

In short, our two week trip to Arusha, Gibbs Farm, the Ngorongoro Crater, Southern Serengeti, Northern Serengeti (Lamai), Stone Town and Zanzibar beaches was terrific and I would do it again. Especially the Serengeti. And no question that Serengeti Lamai was the highlight of the trip. A unique spot. I found it very moving to contemplate the origins of our species a million years ago arising from the very same surroundings, surviving the challenges of hunter and prey, and literally standing up on two feet and becoming the dominant species of the planet. Really powerful.

Well done, Expert Africa!" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari

"Fantastic!" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 8 on a Zanzibar holiday

"As we usually travel indepenently it was nice to have everything arranged... the only irritation being waiting about for other guests and in one case being paired up with a couple (at Mwagusi) who had very different interests... this was resolved when we tactfully mentioned it to management...

Given our criteria, Expert Africa put together a varied and comprehensive package in Kenya and Tanzania, covering virtually all East African animals and a wide range of terrain and habitats....  Everything worked well, connections and drivers were all perfect....

I would recommend Expert Africa for excellent and worry free safari experience..." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 10 on a Kenya safari

"My only adverse comment is that we could have been warned before booking of some of the disadvantages of individual camps and lodges. I might have selected different locations, had I been in possession of the excellent Bradt guide before booking.

I also wonder whether the scarcity of game in the area of the Selous that we chose might be something that was predictable and about which we should have been warned." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari

"The trip consisted of two nights at Arusha plus a total of 15 at Asilia camps: Highlands, Namiri and Sayari. All were very different but with one thing in common: the guiding and staff were excellent.

We would recommend Asilia camps because you can expect high standards across the board and also in the knowledge that they are involved in and contribute towards local communities. They employ as many local people as possible: at Highlands for instance there are Masai community guides. Asilia also have impressive training programmes: while at Sayari we saw this in action as a new batch of trainee guides was being selected.

Overall the balance of the trip was very good: the camps were in very different landscapes and the wildlife viewing exceeded our expectations." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Tanzania safari

"We started our one month trip in Zanzibar which is an ideal base to leave your main luggage before flying off on safari. Selous was our first stop.

Selous is in our opinion a very pretty park and in the right season you can choose between river or land Safaris. Our return trip this time showed the park and game to be in desperate need of rain. We encountered many hippo carcasses where the hippos had come out to graze and just did not have the strength to return to the little water that was about, it was easier to just lie down and die. All the animals were extremely thin and we have never encountered so many hippos trying to graze during the day.

Sadly we left Selous with the memory of so many painfully thin animals and dying hippos! However Selous will be remembered not just for this but it's flaming red lilies, leadwood trees in full bloom smelling so fragrant in the morning and night and lastly the amount of Bee Eaters that swooped in and around the vehicle catching insects disturbed by the vehicle.

Next stop was Ruaha where in the past we have seen 57 lions in one day! Not to be this time, there is a definite shortage of lions. The few we saw were very thin, even the poor cubs looked under nourished. Both of us were not only shocked but definitely sad at the distinct lack of animals in Ruaha compared with our 2 previous trips.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Completely satisfied with the service given and received." Read full review: 28 nights in Africa; 11 on a Tanzania safari

"This holiday was just a spectacular journey. Varied, stimulating and fun all the way.

I wish to thank James Denny for working with me all year and making the recommendations that he did. I put this trip together for 3 of my friends but could not have done it without James/Expert Africa. I used Expert Africa for a trip to Botswana and found their planning and the companies that they work with to be reliable and was so glad to work with them once again. They are my Go-To experts for Africa.

My friends were totally delighted with the trip and sincerely loved all of the different pieces that made this a successful, perspective shifting, travel experience.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

No, I really don't. I feel blessed to have found this company. Thank you all so much." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari

"see previous" Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari