Budget Safari Bliss: Exploring Tanzania’s Northern Circuit

We had an amazing time, and loved every minute. The tour was very well planned, and dealt with the many changes we made with ease.

What we appreciated was the effort in doing all the best to satisfy our requests! So everything was as expected.. the tented camp (everything was like at home),the game drive( we asked a private tour), the position of the camp ( very important for us, we saw animals from our tent).. attention to the quality of food, served every night in a nice way!! We asked the box lunch every day.. in order to eat it in the middle of the Savana!! Silvia..

Silvia's Tanzania Experience

My early July eight-day safari was supposed to capture the Mara River crossings but the herds failed to cooperate and had only just reached the river on the last day. Nonetheless the safari was a fabulous success. We flew from Zanzibar directly to Lake Manyara to minimize drive times and spend more days on game drives.

Antoinette put our trip together: the lake, Ngorongoro Crater, the Central Serengeti and the Northern Serengeti. Our guide delivered the goods. Penuel Tango had a vast knowledge of both the animals and the lay of the land along with a fully equipped and fully working vehicle that made the daily game drives easy and fun.

Not only did he know where to find the prized critters, he could spot them from far away when all we could see were grass and trees. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, rhinos, elephants, buffalo, and the great herds were all open to us on every drive. He knew the stories of lion prides in the area. Our goal was to see as many animals as we could and we did. We were up close and personal with lions, cheetahs and leopards on every drive. He was patient made waiting for action a priority and in being so we were often had “private” viewings of the big cats.

The huge herds of the Northern Serengeti were a wonder to see and experience up close as they made their way north and Penuel knew all about them, their habits and life cycles.

Overnight lodging was the lesser part of each day but Antoinette arranged great camps with good food and accommodations that all had very attentive and friendly staff. Boxed lunches provided for game drives were sufficient and varied. July is peak season for safaris and we saw and learned about the experiences of others. Not all were perfect. Not all were well planned. Broken vehicles and bad guides happen. With Discover Africa we didn’t have any troubles anytime during the adventure. The planning time Antoinette spent with me up front paid off mightily. Zoom calls with her topped trying to do things only by email.

Everything happened right on time and without any hitches. Flights were smooth and effortless, accommodations seamless, Guide interactions perfect. Excellent work all around.

I chose Discover Africa for a tented camp Safari to accommodate my family of 5. We wanted the trip to the Serengeti to coincide with the Great Migration.

Matthys offered several options and his itinerary was perfect. All five of our Tanzanian Safari accommodations were unique and exceptional. The Safari guides were family friendly and informative. The Safari vehicle was comfortable and easily accommodated our family and all the seats offered exceptional views. Our guides traveled well off the beaten path to provide unique opportunities.

On our 9 day Safari, we were even able to to spot an elusive leopard and a wayward rhino. The Discover Africa guides were very experienced and could answer any question asked. Both guides were friendly, polite and fluent in English. The experience in the luxury mobile Safari camps was unique. You could hear the noises of the lion, wildebeest and hyena at night. The food was excellent at all of our five accommodations.

The communication regarding the trip was very smooth , taking care of each details, responding immediately to questions , queries . The safari was fantastic with a very professional guide . Absolutely meeting my expectations , I felt safe ,comfortable , inspired and enjoyed the Tanzanian adventure.

Megan did a great job working with me to customize the exact trip that I envisioned. She made recommendations about things that I did not know about and helped me to assure I got the right mix of rugged to luxury.

I was met by excellent guides and drivers that spoke English well and made me feel safe throughout the trip. The transports were arranged from the time I got off the flight to Africa and until I got back on the plane. All legs of the trip were covered and went seamlessly. The guide for Kilimanjaro had been trained by the African National Parks and knew about the animals, the climbing routes and health issues that can occur. He was a wealth of great information and a very competent guide. The driver / guide for my safaris also was trained by the National park system and spoke English.

There was never a time where the drivers or transports were not on time or made me feel like I was not safe and well cared for. The lodges and tent camps were a mix of luxury to rugged and I enjoyed the mix. Megan smartly booked a second night at a lodge before all my adventures began as I was scheduled to arrive late in the evening. Flying to Africa is quite the ordeal so having critical rest time upon arrival is really important to making sure you are prepared for the rest of the adventure.

One thing I wish I had done was book an overnight in Amsterdam on my way over and on my way back. Having 3 flights and 2 of them 8 hour flights that are back to back, having a night to rest in Amsterdam would have been wise for me. I would highly recommend Discover Africa. They are well known and respected in Africa. My luggage was lost on the way to Africa and Discover Africa, while not responsible for this error on the airlines fault, did help me to locate my bag and get it to me before my Kilimanjaro climbing began.

Unforgettable trip!