Tanzania: reviews from our travellers

"This was our fifth visit to the area spanning sixteen years and, sadly, the least satisfying - a mixed bag of excellence and disappointment.

Let's start with the positives.

For thirty years now we have been making almost annual trips to Africa to see and photograph wildlife visiting many different countries. Of all those visited there is no question in our opinion that the Tanzanians are the very best people when it comes to friendliness and the provision of hospitality and service.

The next major plus point is the service provided by Expert Africa's agents in Tanzania. You really felt looked after by their staff - staffing levels are excellent. As an example, we needed some medical advice which resulted in the need for some antibiotic medicine. No problem - they just flew it up from Arusha on the next flight.

Other ways they provided satisfaction was in the way little changes to the daily plan were taken on board and executed.

We choose to go to these areas in Tanzania to enable us to see cheetah. This is where our first disappointment happened. There seem to be fewer sightings compared with many years ago (we readily accept that no animal sighting can be guaranteed anywhere).

Years ago we would see two or even three separate cheetah sightings on any one day. On this trip we saw only six sightings over an eight day visit to the area.
In this same period over the years there has been a gradual increase in the number of lion sightings and total lion numbers. This puts greater pressure on the cheetah who are often killed by lions. Also this means that when a cheetah is found it is immediately surrounded by vehicles and this pressure may be driving them away.

We witnessed one outrageous situation where three cheetah on a kill were corralled by twenty vehicles in three concentric circles with a clear area of no more than 10 to 12 meters diameter. The stress levels shown on the poor animal's faces was clear to see. This behaviour by tourists has got to be controlled! But the commercial interests rule. Years ago there were some four or five operating companies, now it seems there are forty five - you see a new name on a vehicle numerous times a day." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari

"Yet another great safari organised by Expert Africa.

I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of my trip and, to put the wildlife sightings into context, my visit was at the end of the season so the recent rains created very thick vegetation which made big cat sightings unlikely.

The sightings of Wild dogs (now Painted Wolves) are always special and I had fantastic bird sightings from both camps.

As always Expert Africa have excelled in organising a fantastic trip, tailored to my requirements and providing complete satisfaction. I am always happy to recommend Expert Africa and I hope they will continue making my safari arrangements for many years to come.

Full marks too, for Sean and Millie at Lake Manze and Malcolm at Mdonya and their respective teams for providing me with such enjoyable stays at their wonderful camps and such great company." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari

"How could anyone fail to safari as we did without feeling completely content!

The trip was well organised. the camps and destinations were fabulous, everyone strove to satisfy our desires and the food was delicious." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 12 on a Tanzania safari

"The entire trip was fantastic.

We were taken care of from the moment we arrived to the moment we departed.

Did not have to worry about a thing and the logistics of the trip were executed fantastically, even with the hiccup of a broken down vehicle.

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:,/b>
The entire trip was brilliant and Richard was very helpful in answering any questions that we had." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari

"The camps were lovely and we were very happy with the level of guiding.

Tanzania is a beautiful country with a lot of culture, wildlife, and birds.

The strict rules about walking away from camp are quite different, but it is because of the dangerous animals." Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 9 on a Tanzania safari

"Another great trip, thank you very much. I am mostly clear about what sort of trip I am after but find it very useful to be able to bounce ideas and get further information and guidance from Expert Africa.

I greatly appreciate the end to end service that Expert Africa provides, which takes away any little worries concerning travel arrangements.

The 'meet and greet' service and the use of a hotel room between flight connections is a particularly welcome feature." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 12 on a Tanzania safari

"The guide we were assigned by Asilia was extraordinary. The most kind , knowledgeable and lovely man … 10 days with a stranger can have its issues but he was fantastic from day one. I cannot recommend Natho high enough. He looked after me - with mobility issues - and my family superbly. I cried when we said farewell which tells you much. Please pass this on to the Asilia management

I was prior to arriving in Tanzania unaware about the distance we would travel. Our guide told me we drove 1455kms !!!
We got infested with tsetse flies in Tarangire… you may wish to advise your clients … wasn’t pleasant

This was our 5th safari you organised for us and beyond the best. Your ground arrangements were superb from beginning to end … KLM NOT SO …

I would like to see a section here about the Guide and our view of them" Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 10 on a Tanzania safari

"Given unprecedented flooding and travel conditions, Expert Africa was extremely supportive and always there for questions and problem solving along the way.

The camps they helped us choose were great and checked every box on our wish list for animal sightings.

One note is that when we were redirected to a less expensive camp because of conditions, the process for getting a refund was awkward." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 7 on a Tanzania safari

"A very nice trip off the beaten track.

If you are looking for peace and seclusion, this is the place for you.

It may be a little different in the high season...

Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:

Not at the moment, as the trip was wonderfully organized and my wishes were actively taken into account." Read full review: 19 nights in Africa; 18 on a Tanzania safari

"Overall our trip was excellent.

Looking back, perhaps the most wonderful thing was the feeling that someone was in control and we didn’t have to worry about anything.

It was wonderful. Thanks a lot!!!" Read full review: 20 nights in Africa; 7 on a Kenya safari